Gateway to Heaven (9 page)

His eyelids were partially closed and his long legs were bent slightly at the knee to accommodate his height to the microphone, which he hadn’t removed from its stand. When Seth launched into a powerful, mournful guitar solo, Christian kept his hands on the microphone, but averted his face by looking down. Megan could tell by the way he kept time with his right foot and by his intense, focused profile that he was utterly wrapped up in the music.

When Christian sang the final refrain, some of his boundless passion broke free. The swelling music and raw, yet poetic lyrics created a tight sensation in her chest and throat. She swallowed thickly in an attempt to alleviate the ache.

He seduced her with his voice as easily as he had with his hands and mouth. The entire audience was at Christian’s mercy.

When the final melancholy cord had been struck, a few seconds of stunned, respectful silence ensued before the audience exploded with cheers and thunderous applause. Christian straightened and his eyes fluttered open. He’d been so lost in the music that he seemed vaguely surprised that a hundred plus people had been listening.

He smiled, slow and dazzling.

God, did he have any inkling of how happy he looked at that moment…or how beautiful it made him?

Before she knew what was happening, Seth and Christian had left the stage to continued loud applause. Christian slid into the booth next to her. Megan vaguely noticed that Seth winked at her once before he passed the booth and headed to the back of the club, but most of her focus was taken up by Christian.

“
Did you like it?” he asked after an awkward pause.

She shook her head, knowing her words couldn’t describe the effect his song had on her.

“
It was
amazing
. Why in the world didn’t you tell me you were a singer?”

He shrugged and took a sip of wine. Megan watched his throat convulse as he swallowed. The subtle movement struck her as potently sexual. Even though he’d only been up on the stage less than ten minutes, his long hair was slightly damp at his nape. Megan realized that the lights must get really warm where Christian stood.

“
I didn’t think you’d be that interested,” he said in a manner that struck her as casual, but forced at once. “I saw your music collection. Soft rock, classical, a little jazz.”

“
That’s stupid, and you know it. Of course I would be interested. I’m never going to forgive you. I almost had a heart attack when I saw you walk up on that stage just as calmly as if you were buying aspirin at the drug store. And you lied to me. You said you were a writer.”

He leaned back and grinned when he saw her wrathful stare.

“
I didn’t lie. I am a writer—of music and lyrics. It’s what I most identify in doing.”

Megan dismissed him with a disdainful up-tilt of her chin. She was a little hurt by the fact that he’d left her in the dark about something that was obviously such an integral part of him. “You know perfectly well that you misled me, Christian.”

She did a double take when she glanced over at him. Her anger seeped out of her. How could she be mad at him after the experience he’d just given her?

“
I can’t believe how talented you are,” she whispered. “Are you…famous or something? It seems like I was the only person in here that didn’t know what you do.”

“
I guess some people here recognize me from some of my other work.”

“
What
other work?”

“
Look who I found,” Seth said, interrupting them.

A stunning young biracial woman wearing a waitress’s apron scooted into the booth in front of Seth.

“
Hey, Sarah,” Christian greeted warmly. They exchanged a quick kiss. He introduced her to Megan as Seth put his arm across the young woman’s shoulder. “Megan Shreve, meet Sarah Jackson. She’s Emilio’s oldest daughter.”

“
It’s nice to meet you, Megan,” Sarah said with a warm smile. “Chris, believe it or not, Dad said I could take a nice long break and sit out here and chat with you guys.”

Christian chuckled when his gaze met Seth’s. The only change in Seth’s stony expression consisted of a slight rise of his dark brows before he bent down close to Sarah’s upturned face to say something privately.

Christian sounded amused when he whispered in Megan’s ear. “I thought for sure it would be a bottle of rare brandy, but if Emilio willingly let his daughter fraternize with ‘the savage’, Seth has been more than just forgiven.”

* * * *

Christian admired Megan’s profile as she rested her head on the backseat of the cab. Things had been a little tense back at Emilio’s for a while. He hadn’t planned on performing with Vic or Harvest Moon because he hadn’t really wanted to broach the subject of his career with Megan yet. He planned to eventually, of course.

Truth was, he was hoping to have a chance to finagle his way into her life a little more before she fully understood what he did for a living. A voice in his head kept warning him that he should just go ahead and spill the truth.

Megan was such a novelty, though. Modern culture and things like hard rock bands just didn’t seem to touch her. He
liked
that.

He hated to spoil it.

He couldn’t keep it a secret forever, though. Megan was a resident of St. Catherine’s Parish. Surely she knew about the nationally renowned annual festival, even if she didn’t regularly attend. A rowdy, beer-drenched rock concert and Megan just didn’t seem to go together in his mind.

He didn’t want to admit to himself that part of his hesitation about talking to her about his career with
Lasher Down
or asking her to attend the festival was his own dissatisfaction with the band. Or maybe it went even deeper than that. Part of him felt vulnerable at the thought of Megan experiencing what had creatively driven him at such a different stage of his life than the one he was in now.

The rest of the evening at Emilio’s had been fun, listening to good music and chatting with Emilio, Megan, Seth, and Sarah. Christian had broken into laughter later when Emilio had come to the table and set a bottle of premium brandy down along with five glasses as the band wound up their final set. He suspected it was the brandy that was responsible for that small, wistful grin curving Megan’s lips as she rested her head on the backseat of the cab—so seductive without ever intending to be. He studied her, feeling the impact of that little smile like a kick to the gut…like a caress where it counted.

“
I think I’m drunk,” she murmured.

“
Good, because I’m planning on taking advantage of you,” Christian growled playfully as he kissed her exposed neck. He’d started jokingly, but he quickly became serious when her scent flooded his brain. Her sigh tickled the skin on his ear, making him shiver with excitement. Who knew that such a soft-spoken, innocent girl could get to him so deeply? But she did. He’d never seen a soul so exposed as Megan’s when he looked in her eyes.

All he saw was beauty, and it stretched farther than he could see.

“
Seth and Sarah seem crazy about each other,” Megan said. “But they live in different cities. Isn’t their relationship serious?”

His lips lingered on her throbbing pulse before he lifted his head reluctantly to speak. “It’s serious, all right, and completely nonexistent at the same time. There’s a pretty significant age difference. Seth has been wrestling with that for over a year now. Sarah is just finishing college and Emilio is as protective as a mother bear. Until tonight, Emilio wouldn’t let Seth come within fifty feet of her. Not that he needs to worry overly much. Seth thinks she’s too young, too. He’s hooked himself up to a heavy-duty restraining leash.”

“
That’s so sad.” Megan sat up. “How old is she?”

“
Twenty-two.”

“
That’s not too young, is it? I’m only a few years older than that.”

Christian sighed and rested his head back when he realized Megan wanted to talk, and that he wasn’t going to successfully coax her into making out in the back of the cab. “I don’t think he’s as concerned as much about the actual number of years as he is about her emotional readiness. He cares about her a lot.”

“
How long have you known him?” she asked as she sat up and leaned partially over him.

He went very still when she lifted her finger and gently traced along his goatee. Kissing Megan was a delight, but having her come to him was…magic.

“
Fifteen years. I met him while we were in college, at DePaul,” he mumbled almost incoherently, not wanting to interrupt her ministrations on his mouth. He wondered if she knew how dreamy she looked.

“
What did you study in college?” Her fingers brushed across his chin and tentatively touched his lower lip. She outlined it softly.

After a pause in which he tried to quiet the electric excitement buzzing in his body created from Megan’s touch, Christian answered gruffly. “Officially? English Literature. In reality, it was the unofficial study of music in every bar, theatre and club in the city.” The movement of his lips caused her finger to touch the inner heat of his mouth.

Her eyes flickered up to meet his, as if to see if he’d noticed her intimate gesture.

He’d noticed all right.

He placed his hand over hers so that she wouldn’t remove her finger. She watched him as he used his teeth to scrape ever so gently against the pad and nail of her forefinger. She made a sexy sound in her throat and swayed closer to him. The tips of her breasts pressed against his chest. When she hesitated, Christian whispered—no, he entreated.

“
Don’t stop. Come here.”

She came closer and kissed him. He forced himself to say immobile, loving her shy, sweet seduction of his mouth. Her kisses were light and airy at first. After a moment, though, she pressed closer to him and her mouth became more feverish. He restrained himself even when she licked at the seam of his closed lips with the tip of her red tongue, teasing him into opening. That sweet, furtive little caress made the blood pound in his veins. He lost all vestiges of control when she placed her slightly parted lips over his and created suction.

He raised his hand to the back of her head and kissed her hard and deep.

Neither of them registered when the cab stopped nor when the cab driver made a loud coughing noise. Megan broke their kiss when he cabdriver spoke drolly, “This is 748 West Adams. We’re not going to get any closer than this.”

He was uncommonly pleased by Megan‘s flustered, happy, expression as she opened the door of the cab. She looked dazed and beautiful…and extremely well-kissed. He handed a bill to the cabdriver and got out after her. It took him a moment to realize Megan had frozen on the sidewalk and was staring at a man and a woman who stood in front of their building.

“
Hilary. Terry. What are you doing here?” Megan asked the couple tensely, all traces of her heady expression vanished. “It’s not Emily, is it? Is something wrong?”

The woman hurried over to her. Christian noticed she gave him an angry, suspicious glance.

“
There’s nothing wrong with Emily. She’s at Mom’s. It’s
you
I was worried about. Where have you been?” her aquamarine eyes traveled over Megan’s face, as if searching for bruises. “Why are you dressed like that? Have you been
drinking
?”

“
Yes, some wine. We were at a blues club downtown. Christian Lasher, this is my sister Hilary and my brother-in-law Terry Molloy.” Christian gave a warm greeting and shook Terry’s hand. He dropped his outstretched arm when he saw Hilary’s hostile expression.

“
Emily mentioned she’d spent time with you, Christian. I was surprised to hear it, since I hadn’t heard about it from anyone else.” Even though Hilary was ostensibly speaking to Christian, her accusatory stare was for Megan.

Megan blanched. Christian hated seeing her discomposure. He spoke quickly because Megan looked like she was ready to apologize. For some reason, the idea of watching Megan apologize for
anything
offended him on a bone deep level.

“
Did Emily say she had a good time?” he asked Hilary.

“
Yes,” Hilary was forced to admit.

“
I’m glad. She’s a smart, fun little girl. You must be very proud of her.”

Terry murmured his thanks for the compliment, but Hilary looked furious at his intrusion. She grasped her sister’s upper arm. “Megan, we need to talk to you. Now. Privately.”

“
Hilary,” Megan murmured in embarrassment. “Christian and I were…”

Hilary drew herself up to her full, “big sister” height, which was maybe one and a half inches taller than Megan’s. He could easily see the physical similarities between the two women, although Hilary looked like she was closer to his age than Megan’s. She was undoubtedly a beautiful woman, but that bitchy expression she was wearing effectively cancelled out any charm she might have.

“
I could
see
what you and Christian were doing. So could Terry, the cabdriver and just anybody else who walked along here.”

Christian couldn’t restrain a disbelieving bark of laughter at Hilary’s sanctimonious attitude. “Lighten up, Hilary. No crime has been committed. Haven’t you and Terry ever kissed in the back of a cab?”