Love Resolution (Black Cat Records series) (15 page)

Sam smiled back.

She was staring at the dancers on the chest high elevated ramp in the center of the room when the waitress walked up.

“I’m Jamie,” said the attractive woman with straight brown hair dressed in skin tight black leather pants and a Club Classic t-shirt. “Boss says drinks are on the house for you guys.” She took their order and soon returned with a silver bucket full of iced beers for JR and Sam and club soda for Avery. Avery took off her hoodie as Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog” started playing and moved her body in time to the music.

“Let’s dance,” Sam insisted, lifting JR’s and Avery’s hands in the air.

“You guys go ahead,” JR shouted, pulling his hand free. “I’ll watch.” He wiggled his tawny brows while he sprawled out on the sofa, arms outstretched as if he owned the place.

Sam giggled, grey eyes twinkling in the club’s lights.

For a while, Avery was tense and glanced around the room nervously, but as time passed and no one seemed to take notice of them she let herself relax. So much had come at her recently that she just wanted to forget about it all for a while, let loose, and have a good time.

Dancing with Sam was fun. As they laughed and shimmied with abandon, Avery slowly but successfully relegated her concerns to the back of her mind. After an hour, she began to suspect Sam of being more than a tad tipsy. At the end of each song the cute intern turned tour manager would drop down onto JR’s lap, wrap her arm around his neck, and plant a kiss on his lips. The kisses were getting embarrassingly longer and sloppier each time, not that JR seemed to mind.

“You guys need to stop or get a room,” Avery chastised, tugging lightly on one of Sam’s curls.

Sam shook her head and giggled.

When Aerosmith’s “Walk this Way” came on, Avery played along with Sam, both stretching out their arms pretending to be Frankenstein’s monsters.

JR mouthed, “Kids,” and rolled his eyes at them.

They were bumping their hips together toward the middle of the next song, when Avery noticed Bryan and War walk in. Both stopped near the entrance. Dressed as they were, they garnered their fair share of attention from the women in the club.

Aviator sunglasses covered War’s eyes, a dark bandana tied back his hair, and he wore a military inspired jacket open with no shirt and leather pants. Bryan appeared to have just rolled out of bed, which with him was a distinct possibility. His faux hawk was flattened down on one side, and his sleeveless shirt was only half tucked in.

Bryan scanned the room. When his eyes met hers, his lips tipped up into that sexy half smile of his. He lifted his hand to his forehead in a mocking salute, the silver and leather bracelets he wore sliding midway down his arm.

Avery spun back around. She knew that he knew damn well that she liked what she saw. Heck, she was pretty sure it wasn’t a stretch to say Bryan was well aware that he had that effect on most women. He was a player and apparently he’d decided she was his next play. Why else would he be here?

Suddenly, a warm hand dropped on her shoulder just as Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” started playing.

“Hey, Red,” Bryan spoke low and near her ear.

She gulped and turned to face him. “Hey,” she offered in return.

Up close in the low seductive lighting of the club, Bryan Jackson was a bit intimidating and very, very male. His jeans hung low and clung to his lean hips while his sleeveless shirt was definitely a calculated choice to show off arms that were tantalizingly corded with muscle as well as covered with ink.

“What happened to your female entourage?” she asked with an arched brow.

“I got bored. They’re all the same.” He traced a finger around her silver cuff bracelet. “Only one woman I’m really interested in right now.”

“Oh, please.” The guy was a flirt, but she could totally see what all the fuss was about. She wet her dry lips. “Does that line usually work for you?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never used it before.” He stared at her mouth. “Is it working? Maybe I need further research to be sure.”

“You do know that I’m engaged?” Bryan was really pushing the envelope with her. He had to know she was taken.

“Yeah, I heard something about that. It’s just a ring, though.” His gaze ran the length of her. “Don’t see a ball and chain around your ankle yet. In fact he’s not even here with you, is he?” He took a step back, holding out his hand. “Come on. Dance with me, Red.”

She stared at it for a moment. The refusal she should have spoken was stifled by the night’s deluge of hurt and uncertainty. Marcus’ drinking worried her most of all. Why had he done it when he knew how much it would upset her?

She took a step toward Bryan as John Paul Jones’ bass rattled her. After all what would be the harm? It was only a dance. It wasn’t like she was sleeping with the guy.

“Closer.” His eyes intense, Bryan stretched out his hands, palms up, crooking his fingers at her.

She moved in. When her body was inches from his, he leaned in, his gaze lingering lustfully on her breasts. Instinctively, she arched backward beneath him. They weren’t even touching, but it felt as if they were. They were certainly close enough that she could feel the heat radiating off his body. Her heart began pounding erratically in her chest.

Then Bryan leaned back, his eyes watchful and she knew it was her turn to take the dominant position in the dance. Back and forth they repeated the pattern. Sharing an innate sense of rhythm, hips and shoulders swayed in sync with the music. Sparks of attraction flowed seamlessly between them. Their movements became more and more suggestive as the dance continued. Soon she felt the eyes of everyone in the club watching. She began to feel like a complicit partner in a dangerous game.

When the song segued into Robert Plant’s vocal climax, Bryan changed position, moving behind Avery. She felt the warmth of his body shift to her back as he pressed against her, his shortened breath stirring the hair near her ear. He placed his hands on her hips and she froze when she felt his fingers flex.

Enough!
Her brain screamed at her. This was all wrong and she had let it go on for far too long. She reached back to remove his hands when she suddenly had a horrible feeling. Dazed and confused, she glanced up, her stomach instantaneously dropping to her feet.

Marcus.

Legs braced apart, eyes blazing, Marcus stared at her. He didn’t say a word. He didn’t need to. He held her captive with his scorching gaze.

Over her shoulder, she heard Bryan’s voice slice through the charged atmosphere. “Hey, we were just dancing, lighten up, Chief.”

Marcus’ murderous gaze cut to him. His hands opened and closed as cell phone cameras flashed all around.

The Zeppelin tune faded out and “Tusk” started, but Avery wasn’t listening to the music anymore. She was drowning in the look of betrayal Marcus directed her way.

She stepped forward and put her hand on Marcus’ arm.

He glanced down at it for a moment, and she could feel the pent up anger in him. A startled cry left her lips as he jerked his arm back. She watched helplessly as he spun around and stormed out of the club, people diving right and left in their hurry to get out of his way. She didn’t blame him. She’d seen him angry before but never like this.

“Red.” Bryan’s warm hands squeezed her shoulders.

“Don’t.” She stepped out of his reach and whirled around to face him, the tightness in her throat making it difficult to speak. “I shouldn’t have danced with you.”

His expression was hard to read. Surely it was only mild disappointment she saw, maybe even irritation that they’d been interrupted. It wasn’t likely that he really cared. They barely knew each other. She didn’t really know what to make of him. She
did
know that tonight had been a huge mistake. Her mistake. “I think it would be better if you stay away from me.”

She sprinted out of the club, the tears balanced on the edges of her auburn lashes now falling unhindered down her pale cheeks as she hurried to try to catch up to Marcus.

Marcus twisted the key in the ignition of the rented Jaguar. The engine roared to life. He felt completely blindsided by what she’d done. Furious, he ground the gearshift into reverse and glanced in the rear view mirror. Lightning flashed, and then he saw her.

Avery.

Standing alone in the dark. No jacket. Skimpy dress. She flinched at the loud crack of thunder, scanning the empty parking lot, her breath like a vapor in the damp night air. He wanted to pull out, press down on the gas, and get the hell out of there, but he couldn’t make himself do it. As angry as he was with her, he couldn’t abandon her.

The rain started pouring down as he pulled up alongside her.

She took a nervous step back. Obviously, she didn’t recognize the car and couldn’t see him through the tinted glass. He pushed the button to roll down the window.

“Marcus,” she breathed on a sigh.

His fingers tightened on the steering wheel. “Get in the car,” he told her gruffly, calling himself a million times a fool.

“Stop!” Ray shouted as he jogged up and insinuated himself between Avery and the car. He gave Marcus a pointed look. “Boss, you know you shouldn’t be driving right now. Not in the rain. Not in your condition.”

“I’m fine.” Marcus ran a hand across his face.

“Yeah? Then how many drinks have you had tonight? Can you even remember?”

He couldn’t. He remembered having a couple of beers and a lot of Crown and Coke. What he did know for sure was that things between him and Avery had just taken an ugly turn. One that pissed him off and completely obliterated the good buzz he’d had going on. Yeah, so he might be a little unsteady. Who wouldn’t be after that scene? And anyway it wasn’t a long drive back to the hotel.

“You’re getting soaked.” He leaned forward so he could see around Ray, spearing Avery with a sharp look. “Get in the damn car!” he ordered.

As though pulled toward him by an invisible wire, she moved to the passenger side of the Jag.

“Avery, I don’t think this is a good idea,” Ray cautioned.

“Stay out of it,” Marcus told him as Avery climbed in.

Ray put a hand on the open window frame.

Avery glanced up at him. “I’ll be ok, Ray,” she said softly.

“Buckle your seat belt,” Ray instructed, brows knitting together with concern.

Ignoring the implicit warning in the bodyguard’s eyes, Marcus looked down and put the car in drive.

Ray tapped the frame twice, straightened, and took a step back.

After merging into the busy line of traffic along the waterfront, Marcus risked a glance at her.

She sat stiffly beside him, wringing her hands together in her lap.

He opened his mouth tempted to say something to comfort her but couldn’t. The words wouldn’t be sincere. Tension permeated the small space of the Jaguar’s luxuriously appointed interior. The dashboard lights glowed softly, illuminating Avery’s pale, frightened face.

“You wanna tell me why the hell you were doing the bump and grind with the Tempest guitarist tonight?”

“It was just dancing.” She turned her head to look at him. “It was innocent.”

“Bullshit!” he exclaimed. “That’s fucking bullshit and you know it.”

Her eyes widened.

“Don’t even try to blow this off. The fact is you were dancing with another guy when you’re with me. You have my ring on your finger. I had enough of this kind of duplicitous crap when I dated Veronica.”

“Don’t you dare compare me to her!” Avery’s green eyes flared with anger. “I’m nothing like that woman.”

“Tell me how you’re not,” he challenged, wagging an accusatory finger in her face. “Tell me how was I supposed to interpret what I saw, huh?”

“Lower your voice,” she bristled, brushing his hand away. “Stop yelling at me. You’re scaring me.”

“You’re scared?” He answered his own question. “Good, cause so the hell am I! I thought I could trust you.”

“You can,” her voice trembled. “Marcus, you can.”

“Really?” he snorted. “I don’t think so. Dwight was right. I think we moved too fast.”

Two faint lines suddenly appeared between her drawn brows. “He said that?”

“On the night I proposed.” Marcus nodded. “Tried to talk me out of it beforehand. Said I should wait a bit. Give us some more time together as a couple before I made that kind of a commitment.”

She made a low hurt sound in the back of her throat.

“After tonight, I’m thinking he had it right.” His sharp words punctured her. Avery’s shoulders collapsed. Her chin dropped to her chest.

“No,” she whispered.

“To think that I told him he was dead wrong,” he relentlessly continued. “That time wasn’t going to change how I felt about you. That I knew all I needed to know about you already.” He let out a humorless laugh. “I never, not in a million years, would have imagined that you of all people would do something like this to me, Ace. Did you even stop for one single moment to think about how it would make me feel?”

“Yeah, actually I did.” Her head turned to the side, eyes shining. “I thought it’d serve you right, if you wanna know the truth. Maybe make
you
think twice before you start tossing back drinks. Before you snap my head off. Before you shut me out. Before you tell me again how great your life was before I came along.” Her fingers curled into fists. “So I danced with a guy. That’s all it was. That’s all it was ever gonna be. For just a couple of minutes, I wanted to be with someone who was treating me like I was his equal instead of his child.”