Chapter 16 #2
“Damn, these pinch a bit!” He stood up to play, wobbled, and said, “Nope, not happening. This one’s gonna have to be seated.” He adjusted his keyboard and started to play.
Strutting down the street
in your tight leather pants
You got my heart in a vise
Laced up tight
You’re making me hurt for you
Hurt for you, hurt for you, baby, hurt for you
The crowd was swaying, singing along to the irresistible hook.
Jack played through the song, smiled. and stood up. “Damn if she isn’t right!” he shouted. He sat back down to take off the shoes. “Ladies, if you’re with a guy who says you need to wear these to look good, tell him you will if he will!” The crowd roared with applause and cheers.
“And if there’s a size 12 in the audience who would like these shoes, they’re yours,” Jack called out.
A hand shot up near the center of the audience and he beckoned her to come to the front of the stage.
A statuesque brunette who probably played center for her basketball team came forward.
“Would you like them signed?” She nodded, looking like she might pass out.
“Anyone have a Sharpie?” A PRTY girl at the edge of the stage handed him one.
He signed the shoes for the center, gave her a kiss on the cheek, and handed her the shoes.
Now she really looked like she might pass out.
Jack signed the shirt of the groupie with the pen and returned it to her.
She looked thrilled, but a bit put out that she hadn’t gotten the cheek kiss.
“OK, that’s it for tonight. Thank you so much for coming! We love you all! Take care!! And remember—there’s always a party as close as your phone! Good night!”
The band held hands, took a bow, and left the stage.
The house lights came up and the excited post-concert buzz still filled the place.
I was just wondering where to go when a man appeared at my elbow wearing a lanyard that said he was arena security.
The lanyard wasn’t necessary. The polyester nature of his jacket and the obvious bulge of muscles beneath the jacket were a tell.
He leaned in and said in a soft voice, “Mr. Garcia requests that you come backstage. I’ll guide you.” Taking my elbow, he parted the crowd and led me through a series of doors and tunnels till he came to the backstage room where the band could relax post-show.
Jack was seated on a sofa and had his feet up, chugging a water bottle. His face lit up when he saw me. “Eve!” Waving me over he swung down his feet and patted the seat beside him. “I’d be a gentleman and stand, but damn my feet hurt!”
Laughing, I sat next to him. “That was such a good show! You were amazing!”
“Did you like it?”
“Like it? I loved it!”
“It was fantastic having you here. It made it so much more fun.” He gave me a wolfish look as he took in my outfit. “I like the shirt. It’s a good look for you.”
“Well, I thought it would help me to blend in with the five thousand other future Mrs. Jack Garcias.”
He brushed some of my glitter hair off my face and leaned in to whisper to me, “There’s not a chance of you blending in, Eve. You’re exceptional.”
Then he put one hand behind my neck, pulled me close to him, and kissed me.
This kiss was a bit bolder than the sweet goodnight kiss at my apartment.
There was an intensity behind it, as though he’d been dreaming of this moment since we met.
His lips glided over mine, left a trail of butterflies along my jawline, and came back to my lips, pressing firmer, leaving me breathless, feeling alight with sparkles.
Pressing closer to him, I answered his kisses with my own.
I was so intent on getting closer, feeling more, that I barely noticed it when he pulled me onto his lap. “You taste like watermelon.” His voice was husky and thick.
“I’m pretty sure this lip gloss is toxic,” I managed breathlessly.
“Don’t care,” he growled and kissed harder.
Pulling back slightly I murmured, “So the trashy tween look does it for you?”
Running his hand up and down my back he murmured, “You are not a tween, and you are certainly not trashy.”
“So why am I fighting the urge to rip off your clothes?” I whispered.
“Good question. Why are you fighting the urge?”
Just then a boot toe nudged Jack in the thigh. “Dude, I thought the show was over.”
Coming out of a haze of want, need, and sensation, I realized belatedly that we were not alone. I felt my face flush with embarrassment as a large hand was thrust towards me. I looked up and saw the towering redhead who was offering me his hand.
“Morgan. Drummer. You must be Jack’s latest groupie.”
I stiffened as a wave of horror crashed over me as I shook his hand. Was I just the latest in an endless parade of desperate females? Had I misread the situation so badly?
Jack aimed a kick at the giant and growled, “Morgan, don’t be a dick!”
A soft hand patted me on the back and a sweet voice said, “Don’t pay attention to Morgan. He’s a jerk. You should know that he also hassles Jack about never having a date and calls him Blue Nun.”
Relief made me relax and smile and the beautiful, black-haired woman with fire-engine red lips held out her hand. “Hi. I’m Kimi. Bass.”
“Oh, you’re the Palmer girl!” I said, shaking her hand.
“Palmer girl?” she asked with a tilt of her head.
“Sorry. Obscure reference. An 80’s music video that my almost-grandfather loved. It had very sexy women swaying to a song and they couldn’t play their instruments.”
“Right, except I can actually play.”
“Oh, I’m sorry! That sounded so, so rude, but I didn’t mean it that way! I just meant that you looked super sexy playing the bass up there.”
“Well, seeing as how you’re on Jack’s lap, stuck to him with super glue, I’ll assume that was just a compliment and you’re not hitting on me.” She rose and with a wink, walked over to get a bottle of water.
Jack’s arms tightened around me, and I could feel him shaking with laughter. I twisted to look him full in the face. “What?” I demanded.
“I wanted you to meet the band, but I didn’t imagine it would go like this.” he chuckled.
“Is Kimi serious?” I asked.
He laughed again. “Naw, she’s just messing with you. She’s with Animal, aka Morgan.” He brushed a strand of hair off my face.
“What do they know about me?”
“I told them I met someone amazing.”
“You did not say that to them.” I felt the blush rising in my cheeks again.
“I did because I don’t lie, Eve. You are amazing.”
Emboldened by his obvious attraction, I did what I’d been longing to do.
I ran my fingers through his curls. They were as soft as they looked.
Irresistible, even when sweaty as he was right now.
The corners of his lips turned up, letting me know he was enjoying the touch.
There was hunger in his eyes, telling me he wanted more.
But I was feeling exposed, now that I was aware of the other people in the room.
I attempted to get off his lap, but his arms held me firmly in place.
I turned to ask to be released, but my lips met his and held. And held. It was a kiss that went outside of time and just existed as the perfect blending of two mouths. I could no more have stopped that kiss than to stop my heart from beating.
Which did almost stop when another toe, this time in Converse, nudged Jack in the thigh again.
We gently broke off the kiss and I turned to see another hand thrust at me. “Hey, I’m Chip. Guitar. Pleasure to meet you. I’ve heard next to nothing about you.”
Was he being sarcastic, meaning that Jack had talked about me non-stop? Or was he being factual, in that Jack had barely mentioned me?
I held out my hand to shake and said, “Hey Chip, I’m Eve. And I haven’t heard a lot about you either.”
Chip guffawed. “He hasn’t talked story to you? How about the exploding toilet at school? No? The time we put a roadkill possum in Animal’s drum set? No? If you haven’t heard all his best stories, you must really be distracting him!”
Jack cut in, gruffly, “Or, just maybe, Chip, I was trying to impress her and didn’t think that stories that made me sound like a juvenile delinquent would do the trick.”
Jack was trying to impress me? It sure didn’t seem like he was trying. It seemed like everything he did was effortless. And, yes, he did impress me. But it wasn’t because he flaunted money or fame. It was when he was funny and kind and thoughtful.
Jack waved Chip away and turned back to me.
“Now where were we?” he said in a voice that felt like a silk scarf sliding down my back.
His eyes were dark and intense. He looked like he planned on kissing me; possibly never stopping.
I felt the heat of desire coming off him in waves.
But we weren’t alone and now wasn’t really the time or place to take things further.
He kissed my neck and whispered into my ear, “It’s getting a little crowded in here. Shall we go find someplace more private?”
I stroked the side of his face, and he reached for me, hungrily. I leaned in and said softly, “I really should get going. This has been fun play time, but I’ve got a full day of adult things to do tomorrow.”
Running his thumb along my jawbone he murmured, “I can think of some adult things we can do tonight.” My stomach went tight, and I felt the heat rise in my face.
He leaned forward and brushed his lips along my earlobe, sending jolts of sensation down my neck.
“Very adult things,” he breathed into my ear.
My inner voice, the sensible one who’d almost gotten smothered by my hormones, was now shouting at me that this was a bad idea.
That I couldn’t afford to take things further.
He might be massively attracted to me right now, but that didn’t mean that he would be in the morning.
Or next week. Or next year. I’d seen all the glamorous women he’d dated.
I didn’t want to be someone he’d sleep with and never call again.
“Jack, I’ve really got to go.”
Despite his protests, I called a cab. Jack walked me out through a rear entrance, his arm still wrapped around my waist, still trying to persuade me to stay.
As the cab pulled up, Jack left a fiery trail of kisses along my neck and then pulled back and looked me in the eyes, his thumbs caressing my cheeks.
“Eve, don’t go. Come home with me.” Although I was sorely tempted, I pulled away.
“Eve, it doesn’t have to be a big deal. Just come home with me and have some fun. ”
Not a big deal.
I felt like a bucket of cold water had been dumped over me.
The cabbie honked as the spell broke. I stepped back abruptly and shook my head. “I can’t Jack. It’s been an amazing night, but it’s got to end. I can’t.” I gave him a tight smile then turned and got into the cab.
The last look at Jack’s face showed he was hurt and confused. I gave the cabbie my address then leaned back against the seat and took deep breaths, trying to slow down my racing heart. What had almost happened?