Bad For Me (My Forbidden Rockstar) (19 page)

“I’m not finished!” she yells. “You might think you can get
away with treating women like shit because you’re Dom Dresden, but I’m not
impressed! You’re nothing but a sleazy, arrogant womanizer! And shame on me for
trusting you and trying to see the good in you!”

She turns on her heel to leave, but then wheels back around.

“And I hope you fucking enjoyed, getting to “know” me
better!” she says using her fingers for quotation marks.

Christ.

She makes it seem like we slept together. We didn't,
technically.

She storms back to Liz and Mel, who are looking at us with
open mouths.

“Party’s over,” I grumble to the people around us.

Annie’s boots click on the floor as she walks away from the
other girls and out the door.

Liz looks right at me and mouths “asshole” before she jumps
up to follow Annie.

I take a deep breath and turn back to the guys.

“What the fuck did you do?” Avery asks.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Dude, you fucked up,” Johnny adds.

Jenner at least has the sense to stay quiet, but I can feel
the disdain rolling off him too.

I’m not hungry anymore, but I’m determined to sit and eat my
meal like I intended. We give our order to a smirking waitress, and I push my
ribs around while the guys talk quietly about their plans in New York.

Annie and Liz don’t come back in to the restaurant, and Mel
seems nonplussed as she waits for their food, has it boxed up, and then leaves
as well. Even Mel, who doesn’t like Annie, seems to be taking her side in all
of this.

Once the guys are done eating, I pay for the bill, and stalk
out of the restaurant, leaving them to trail behind me. They know better than
to talk to me right now.

“I’m heading back to the bus,” I snap.

“Alright bro, but we’re going to hang around town for our
last hour,” Jenner explains.

“Whatever.”

I don’t care that we have another hour left in Nashville. I
just want back on the bus.

I fleetingly think of Annie and I get sick to my stomach.
I'm not going to give her the satisfaction of going to her on my knees, because
that’s what she wants. But I can’t deny that I
want
to go to her. I want
to confess that I have been an asshole, that she was right about everything and
that I don’t deserve her. I never have and I never will.

And worst of all, I want to beg for her forgiveness. To ask
if we can try again which I knew is totally ridiculous at this point. How many
chances can I really expect? What the fuck is wrong with me? I always have to
fuck up the good things.

I reach the tour bus, throw the door open and stomp inside.
I just want to be alone. I jam my iPod into the surround sound speakers, and
put on a blaring Metallica song. I don’t even pay attention to what song it is;
I just want something loud that’s going to drown out the noise inside my head.

I pace the bus like a caged animal, and I know that I’m not
going to be able to rest. I peer through the blinds at the girls’ tour bus. Do
I dare go over there and try to talk to Annie? My blood boils, and I know that
I don’t want to talk, I want to yell.

Without thinking, I throw the door open and jump out of the
bus. I run over to the smaller bus where the girls are staying and bang my fist
hard against the door. Liz pulls the door open and stares at me from the top of
the steps.

“What do you want?” she asks in a hard voice.

Her attitude pisses me off. I don’t like that she’s
defending Annie.

“I want to see Annie. And don’t forget that you fucking work
for me,” I add spitefully, “so why don’t you drop the bitchy attitude.”

Liz looks mollified, her gaze softens and she nods.

That was a dickhead move on my part but I'm on a mission and
I'm not taking prisoners.

Annie appears behind Liz, her cheeks are still pink from her
earlier outburst.

“Now that you’re done threatening Liz,” she says coolly,
“what do you want from me?”

“I need to talk to you,” I say in a tight voice.

“So talk.” Annie’s voice is devoid of emotion.

“Outside, please.”

“Oh, like how I wanted to talk to you in private at the
restaurant but you said at your table was just fine?” she asks sarcastically.

"Uh, yeah."

“Whatever,” she hisses, marching down the stairs to meet me
outside.

Liz closes the door behind her.

“What the fuck was that about in the restaurant?” I burst,
even though I know damn well what it's about. I think I’m more angry over the
fact that it will probably show up on the Internet, than I am about what
actually happened. I would never admit it, but Annie was right about me.

“Really, Dom? You came over here to ask what that was
about?” All her anger seems to dissipate and she just looks at me with tired
eyes. “I don’t have time for this, Dom. Please just leave me alone. I promise I
will continue to work my ass off to help put on a great show for you but I
can't put up with your games anymore.”

This defeat, and this promise to work hard for me are just
too much. It’s like I’ve broken her. She warned me that she was fragile, that
she had been burned too many times. I knew she was going out on a limb for me,
and I didn't respect that.

“Annie,” I start, and I can hear the emotion in my voice,
“You were right, okay? You were right about everything you said. I’m a
womanizer, a douche, and an arrogant prick. I’m all those things.”

I bang my fist against the bus in frustration.

“I don’t know how to change! I want to change for you,
honest I do, but I’m stuck! And all that shit between you and I, all the
sharing – it freaked me out.”

Annie isn’t going to forgive me so easily though.

“I’m really sorry it freaked you out, Dom,” she says
mockingly, “That’s what two people do when they get to know each other better.
When they are pursuing a relationship.”

“I know, alright, I know. I fucked up. I went out there and
did that first show in LA, and I remembered all the past shows. How I had all
the women I wanted, how I didn’t have to answer to anyone and it freaked me
out.”

“Fine, Dom, fine! Then go have all the random ass you want,
all the hook ups you can handle. Go for it! Have fun! But please leave me
alone!”

Her eyes well up with tears, and she wipes furiously at
them. I can tell she does not want to cry in front of me.

“But that’s just the thing,” I say softly, “I told myself
that’s what I was going to do. That I was going to cut you off so I didn’t have
to share myself and be emotional. But then I didn’t want any of the old stuff.
Because being with you is a thousand times better than any random chick I can
pick up after a show. You never made me feel like you only wanted a piece of me
because I'm a rock star. I mean, I know you have a penchant for bad boy
rockers, but I felt like you liked me for who I was.” I pause, debating if I’m
going to say everything I’m thinking. “I felt like you liked me because I
Dominic
.
The rocker, the asshole, the normal person, the little kid who got knocked
around by his dad. You saw past my persona. And I want another chance with
you.”

Christ. I’ve turned into a fucking girl.

Annie is still quiet and maybe I’ve said too much or maybe
not enough. Maybe I can’t say anything to take back what has happened.

“Alright, I’m going to go,” I sigh. Annie’s looking down at
her feet, and I still have some pride left, so I turn and head back to the bus.

“Wait!” she calls.

 I turn back and she runs up to me. Her voice is softer, but
she’s still upset.

“You are a complete and total asshole.”

“I know.”

“You treated me like a shit.”

“I know.”

“I deserve better.”

“I know.”

“I haven’t forgiven you.”

“I know.”

Annie pauses, biting her lip, and toying with her hair.

“Do you want to meet my mom in New York?”

Huh?

I don’t respond; I just stare at her.

“I don’t understand.”

“If you want another chance, then maybe you should come to
brunch with me and my mom tomorrow morning.”

Holy shit. Annie’s offering me another chance. I don’t
deserve it one bit, but hell, if I’m not going to take it.

“I can do brunch,” I say grinning.

Annie gives me a tentative smile and I pull her into my
arms. I bury my head in her hair and inhale her intoxicating scent.

Lemons and Mint.

“Fuck, Annie, I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry,” I murmur.

She hugs me back and then pulls away to look up at me.

“Don’t do it again,” she says fiercely.

“I won’t baby, I promise.”

I pull her behind a dark van nearby, and once we’re out of
sight of both buses, I embrace her, kissing her everywhere – her lips, nose,
chin, neck. I can’t get enough of her.

She claws her hands up my back, pulling herself tighter to
me and kisses me hard on the mouth.

“When are we going to finish what we started the other day?”
she breathes.

And I know exactly what she means. Hell, I’m tempted to drag
her right back to the bus now and have my way with her, but I know she deserves
better. I need to make it up to her this time. And it’s not like I want the
guys walking in on us.

“Soon,” I promise, “Soon.” I pry myself away from her, and
hold her at arms’ length to look at her. “I want to do it right. You deserve
better than the tour bus bedroom.”

Annie’s eyes cloud over and I know she’s probably thinking
of all the other women that have come through that bus.

“I’ll get us a hotel room in New York tomorrow night.
Something classy.”

Annie smiles seductively. “I like the sound of that,” she
purrs.

And Christ, she’s all over me again, pressing her soft body
into mine and running her tongue along my teeth.

“Fuck! What the hell are you doing to me?” I gasp, as my
dick hardens in my pants.

She smiles up at me, her eyes liquid blue and smoldering
hot. She cups my dick through my pants, and rubs it softly.

Holy. Fuck.

“I guess you’ll just have to wait till tomorrow,” she says
in a sexy-as-hell prim and proper voice.

“I guess so,” I croak.

Annie kisses me one last time long and hard on the mouth and
then pulls away.

“We should be getting back to the buses.”

She’s right, but I don’t want to leave her. Now that I’ve
had a taste of her, I’m not going to be able to get her off my mind. Not like
she was off my mind before, but Annie is like crack, and I’m going to need my
fix again soon.

I walk her back to her bus and give her another long kiss
before she gets on.

The door opens and I see Liz glaring at me from the top of
the steps again.

Liz obviously needs to get laid.

I roll my eyes at her, and watch Annie get on the bus.

The door closes and I can hear Liz’s shrill voice.

“What the hell, Annie? Have you lost your mind?”

Fuck her.

Whistling to myself, I cross the parking lot back to the
band’s bus.

Chapter Twenty

Annie

I wake up and rub at my tired eyes. I look around the small,
dark compartment and I remember that I’m on a tour bus. I’m on tour with
Diesel, the biggest rock band on the planet. I think of Dom. Did yesterday
really happen? Did I really tell him off in the middle of a crowded restaurant?
Did Dom actually come back and beg for my forgiveness?

I’m in that strange limbo of reality between consciousnesses
and I’m struggling to remember if it was all only a dream.

I dig out my phone from under my pillow. There’s a text.

I miss you already, baby. Can’t wait to see you at
brunch. J.

Holy crap, it did happen. I sit up quickly and nearly knock
my head on the ceiling, and pull back the curtains of my bed. My phone says
it’s almost eight in the morning, and I promised my mother I would meet her for
brunch at ten. I look over and see Mel’s curtains are still drawn, but it looks
like Liz’s bunk beneath me is empty.

I hop down and make my way out into the kitchen and find Liz
frying some eggs. I can hear the sounds of the city around me, and we appear to
be parked in a cramped lot. I’m assuming that we’re on the premises of Madison
Square Garden.

“Hey,” Liz says smiling, “Hungry?”

I guess she’s already forgiven me for giving Dom a second
chance.

“No thanks. I’m going to see my mom for brunch in a couple
hours.”

I yank open one of the cabinets and find a box of Frosted
Flakes. I pour some into a bowl and eat them dry. This should be enough to hold
me over until ten.

“That’s right,” Mel says, sitting down with me at the table.
“Are you taking Dom?” She’s trying to be conversational, but I can hear the
edge in her tone. I had to all but beg her for Dom’s cell number the night
before, so I doubt she actually wants to talk about him.