The Hardest Set (Willow Son #4/Brothers of Rock #19) (8 page)

Natalie collected herself and
walked toward the main part of the room. Andrea was rushing around, calling out
orders to everyone as they all cleaned up. The rest of the room seemed to be
empty though.

“
Andrea?
”
Natalie called out.

Andrea rushed over.
“
Hey, Nat. I thought you left.
”

“
No.
I
’
m still here. What do you
need?
”

“
Nothing.
You did great tonight. Really. I
’
ll
have everything squared away tomorrow with money, okay?
”

“
I
’
m not worried about that,
”
Natalie said.
“
I know you won
’
t screw me over. I
’
m
…
did
…
did Willow Son leave?
”

“
Yeah,
everyone is gone,
”
Andrea
said.
“
Why? Did you want an
autograph?
”

“
No,
”
Natalie said.

“
Aw,
you
’
re blushing, Nat. You
like them, huh? Damn. I should have grabbed you when they were leaving.
”

“
They
all left?
”
Natalie asked.

“
Yeah.
”

“
All
the band members?
”

“
I
…
they left. Why are you asking?
”

“
Nothing,
”
Natalie said.
“
Just curious. So you don
’
t need me right now?
”

“
No,
”
Andrea said.
“
I
’
ve
got this. Go get some rest. Okay?
”

“
Yeah.
Hey, thanks for doing this for me. Giving me this chance. It means a lot to me.
”

Andrea smiled.
“
You
’
ll figure it out, Nat. I know you. You never stay
down for long.
”

Natalie nodded. Her focus had now
shifted from paying her rent to the drunk rockstar sitting outside. Nobody knew
he was there - not even his damn band. They probably figured he went home with
some other woman.

Not that it was Natalie
’
s problem to take care of Van.
Not after the way he just acted.

She retreated back to the door and
stood there for a few seconds.

Call him a cab. Take his phone
and find the contacts for the rest of the band.

Natalie opened the door and was
ready to unleash on Van.

He was standing. He stared right at
her. He looked mean, angry, maybe upset. There was a moment when they just
completely froze and stared at each other.

That
’
s
when Van grabbed at her wrist and pulled, bringing her close to him. Close
enough that Van made the daring move and kissed her.

6.

Natalie
’
s instinct kicked in and she pushed away from the
drunk rockstar. She didn
’
t
wipe her lips, she licked them.
She liked the kiss.
But only because it
was a story to tell. That was it. She kissed a drunk rockstar and that was
freaking it.

“
Don
’
t pull away,
”
Van said.
“
Come on.
”

“
Stop,
”
Natalie said.
“
You
’
re drunk and have no idea what you
’
re doing.
”

“
No?
Fine. You want to know everything, Natalie? I gave a woman a ring. I gave her
my heart. I gave a promise and my word. And
…
and
…
we weren
’
t together, but we kind of were.
There was an understanding there, okay? Then she just
…
she just rips me apart. Fooling around with some
other guy. Okay, fine. She still has my ring, okay? So I work the shit out and
she does it again
…
well,
not again, but sort of again. She
’
s
engaged
…”

Van lowered his head and leaned
against the building.

Holy crap, he
’
s a mess.

Natalie put a hand to Van
’
s shoulder.
“
I
’
m
sorry for whatever happened. But you need to go home, Van. The rest of the band
left. I think they think you went home with someone.
”

“
That
’
s my plan,
”
Van said. He lifted his head.
“
You and me, sweetie. Tonight.
”

“
No,
that
’
s okay.
”

“
Why?
Because you can
’
t handle
it? You wouldn
’
t know what
to do with me. I
’
d ruin
you.
”

“
That
’
s romantic,
”
Natalie said.

Then again
…
it was kind of sexy. Her hand slid down a few
inches and she felt Van
’
s
chest muscle. He filled out his shirt and jacket. The rockstar aura flowed from
him like the super cool bad boy any decent woman would be smart enough to
avoid.

Yeah, right.

“
Give
me your phone,
”
Natalie
said.

“
I
don
’
t want your damn
number,
”
Van said.

“
I
’
m not giving you my number. I
’
m going to call one of your guys
to come get you.
”

“
Please,
”
Van growled.
“
Just
…
nobody gets it.
”

“
Apparently
I don
’
t either, right? I
’
m just a bitch, aren
’
t I?
”

Van curled his lip.
“
You
’
re just as bad.
”

“
I
’
m going home, Van,
”
Natalie said.
“
This is not my problem.
”

Natalie turned and walked toward
her car.

Don
’
t look back. Screw that
guy. Asshole rockstar.

Natalie opened the door to the car
and then looked back. Van stood with his back against the wall, one leg up.
Under the pale light from the building, he looked shady but really sexy.

Natalie bit her bottom lip. If she
left him here and something happened, she
’
d
feel guilty for the rest of her life. What if he stumbled into the middle of
the road and got hit by a car? What if he got arrested? What if he started to
get sick and choked on it or something crazy like a rockstar would do?

“
Dammit,
”
Natalie whispered.

Worst case, she could get Van to
her apartment and then find his cell phone and call someone. It would be
totally weird, but probably not the weirdest thing that has ever happened to
Van in his wild life.

Leaving the door open, Natalie
charged back at Van.

“
Oh,
that
’
s right,
”
Van said.
“
Coming back so soon, sweetie? I
knew you
’
d
…”

“
Come
on,
”
Natalie said.

She grabbed Van by the shirt and
pulled at him. Her body ached in all the right spots for all the wrong reasons.
It really had been way too long since she had been with a man.

That was not happening tonight.

No way she
’
d become some drunk notch on a rockstar
’
s belt.

Nope.

Natalie walked and led the way,
still holding Van
’
s shirt.

“
Whoa,
whoa,
”
Van said.
“
Look at you. Damn, sweetie, you
have a nice ass. I wanted to tell you that before. In those black pants
…”

“
Shut
up,
”
Natalie said.

She caught herself trying to smile
but fought it off.

Don
’
t smile. He probably
tells every woman he meets they have a nice ass. And a pretty smile. And
beautiful eyes. Anything to get their panties off.

At the car, Van turned the tables.
His hands grabbed Natalie and he put her against the car. She put her hands
out, finding comfort against Van
’
s
body. Her right hand was near the top of his jeans, a couple of her fingertips
touching bare skin.

“
Where
are we going?
”

“
Don
’
t worry about it,
”
Natalie said.
“
Just get in my car.
”

“
I
like the way you think.
”

“
I
’
ll call the cops on you.
”

“
No
you won
’
t,
”
Van said.
“
You like it.
”

“
I
don
’
t like you,
”
Natalie said.
“
You
’
re smug. You think you
’
re so sexy
…”

Natalie broke away when she saw that
Van
’
s eyes were trying to
penetrate hers. She feared he was going to kiss her again. More than that, she
feared her reaction to it. If he went for her again, why would she stop?

No.

Natalie pushed Van into the car.
She rushed around to the other side and got behind the wheel.

She shook her head, trying to make
sense of it.

The bassist of Willow Son was in
her car. He was drunk. He was coming back to her apartment.

Holy freaking crap.

But nothing was going to happen.

No way in hell.

Not a chance.

“
Sweetie?
”
Van asked.

Natalie looked at him.

Fuck, he was hot.

Okay, fine, maybe there was a
little chance.

**

It seemed impossible that she would
actually be able to get Van to her apartment on her own, and without being
seen. But she did it. With Van
’
s
arm around her, she gritted her teeth and kept him walking as straight as she
could, making sure he was completely safe.

Nobody would believe any of this if
Natalie told them.

Inside her apartment, Van went
right to the table and put his hands down, balancing himself.

“
Hey,
what
’
s this?
”

“
What?
”
Natalie asked.

“
Did
you draw this stuff?
”

Natalie blushed, racing to the
table. She pushed all her supplies out of the way.
“
Don
’
t
worry about that.
”

“
Whoa,
whoa,
”
Van said.
“
That
’
s really good. I like that.
”

“
Oh,
so now you
’
re nice to me?
”

Van looked at Natalie.
“
When haven
’
t I been fucking nice to you?
”

“
Accusing
me of something some other woman did to you.
”

“
If
you don
’
t like it, then why
’
d you bring me here?
”

“
So
you didn
’
t end up dead or
arrested,
”
Natalie said.
“
Now drink some damn water and go
to sleep.
”

“
What
’
s the drawing of?
”
Van asked.
“
I want to see it.
”

“
No,
”
Natalie said.

She got close to Van and touched
his back, trying to push at him, wanting him to go down the hall. Truth of it
was that she needed Van in her bedroom. He could sleep on the floor, but she
wanted to be close enough just in case something happened during the night.

Van held the table and resisted
Natalie
’
s movement. That
left her body pressing very tight to Van
’
s.

He looked down at her.
“
There
’
s more to you. I know it.
”

“
Then
stop being an asshole to me.
”

“
You
don
’
t know me, sweetie.
”

“
You
don
’
t know me, Van.
”

“
I
can see it though. You
’
ve
done something bad. You
’
re
like the rest.
”

“
Okay
then,
”
Natalie said.
“
I
’
m
going to bed. Stumble around all you want. If you bother me, I
’
ll call the police and say you
broke in.
”