Make Me Stay (4 page)

Reaching out to feel the lushness of the bedding, I didn’t notice that he had moved and was now across from me on the other side of the bed.

“I never have to beg,” he stated, placing both hands on my new bed. He leaned across it with a downright scrumptious look on his face.

I too leaned farther toward the middle of the bed. He licked his lips seductively the closer I got. I swear I even heard him growl.

“Can I tell you a secret?” I asked, whispering. He nodded. I reached out and ran my hand down his stubbly cheek. “You are--” I paused for a dramatic effect, “--never stepping foot in this room again. You may have tons of ‘groupies,’ but I’m not one of them, and I’ll never be one of them. So get your nasty, womanizing hands off my bed and go clean some toilets,” I said, slapping his cheek lightly before I stood up straight.

He did nothing but grin back at me. “You’re feisty,” he said, still smiling “I like it, and I will be back here, maybe not tonight, but I’ll be back.”

“You’re insane. Now, get the hell out,” I yelled.

“I’ll see you tonight, front row. I’ll make sure there’s a spot for you,” he said, standing in the doorway.

“Not happening,” I called to him as he turned and left my room.

That right there was the cockiest man in the world. I guessed when you looked that good, you could get away with it. Lying in my new bed, I took a moment to breathe. In the last twenty four hours, my life had drastically changed and I needed a moment to just relax.

My internship at J&K Marketing was up, and they hadn’t offered me a job yet, so I had to move here, until I could find one. The lease I had on my small studio apartment was also up. After packing everything I owned into a storage unit, I took only the necessities, which fit in three large suitcases.

I stayed in bed, my eyes becoming heavy from traveling all morning. I was on the edge of sleep, that moment where you could feel yourself slipping into a dream. That’s when a ridiculously loud guitar riff started echoing up through the floor. I suddenly realized my bedroom was directly over the stage
. Awesome...

Soon after the guitar started, the rest of the instruments came to life. I tried to lay there and block it out, but it was useless. Groggily I got out of bed, dragged one suitcase over, and heaved it up on the bed. The next one was even heavier.

Opening them both, I started to take out my clothes and place them in drawers. The music coming through the floorboards had a catchy beat, and I soon found myself nodding along to it. It wasn’t hard core rock music, it wasn’t metal, and it wasn’t pop music. It was somewhere in-between. I hated that I was actually tapping my foot along to it.

Forty minutes later, the music stopped and silence filled my room.
Shit, now it’s too quiet.
I had finished unpacking just as the music had stopped. Stepping up to the French doors, I turned the handles and opened them both up.

A crisp breeze flowed through my hair, cooling my face, warm from un-packing. It wasn’t a large balcony, just enough for two small chairs. The black iron bars looked freshly painted. Stepping out, I leaned over, resting my arms on the iron railing.

I was staring out at the open farm land and rolling hills off in the distance when an unpleasant noise ruined it.

“Look, boys, that beautiful, sexy woman right there is going to be my wife.” Standing below the balcony in the back parking lot, Kane stood with his band mates staring up at me.

“Dream on, Romeo!” I yelled back.

“I don’t know, Kane, I think she hates your guts. I’m just going to put that out there,” Aiden said as he clasped Kane on the shoulder.

The other guys all stood around laughing. They all had tattoos and wore similar style clothes--jeans and T-shirts, except for Reece. He seemed to have a style all his own. They were a good-looking bunch, I couldn’t deny it. Aiden’s slicked-back, black hair, honey-colored eyes and striking features were borderline making me want to go back on my previous statement about not sleeping with any of them. He seemed mysterious and smolderingly sexy. Plus he was the only one who didn’t hit on me, besides JJ. Trent was scary quiet. He looked like a big bad biker, with his shaved head and dark beady eyes. I wouldn’t want to be on his bad side in a dark alley. Although Kane carried top honors for being the sexiest man of the bunch, he was dangerous and probably had an STD.

I stood from the edge of the balcony and started to go back inside. “Kitty, come on, don’t leave me so dissatisfied.”

Stopping dead in my tracks, I whipped back around. “Don’t ever call me that again and, as far as your satisfaction, find one of those groupies who adore you so much.”

All the guys “oooed” at Kane and pushed him around. Flipping him off for an added effect, I left the balcony and closed the doors.

I didn’t want to smile, but there’s something about arguing with that man.
Maybe this summer could be fun, as long as I keep my wits about me, and keep him at arm’s length.
I was here to spend time with my father, get to know him again, rebuild what we had lost when--

I just needed to stay focused. It wasn’t like I’d be seeing these guys all the time. They had to have day jobs and, as long as I was working, and they were playing up on stage, then there wasn’t going to be a problem.

CHAPTER 6

Kane

We drove fifteen minutes to the next town over to get some burgers. Sitting in the cramped booth with my fellow bandmates, I listened as they carried on conversations around me. For some reason, I wasn’t into talking. I wasn’t really into anything at the moment. Our cute waitress, who barely looked sixteen, came to our table way too many times, asking us if we needed anything.

“Kane,” Trent said, hitting my shoulder. “You okay man?” he asked while JJ harmlessly flirted with the waitress.

“I’m good,” I answered back.

Nodding, he turned back to the conversation that was going on across the table. I didn’t know what put me in such a mood. I was usually really pumped up before we played at BJ’s but, tonight, I was anything but. Sitting in the family burger joint, it was hard not to notice all the happy families. We were sticking out like sore thumbs, but that’s usually how I liked it.

Most guys my age were well on their way to marriage, having kids, but I had sworn I wasn’t going to turn into what everyone expected me to be. My friends and I weren’t going to conform to the norm. I knew we were bigger than that, I knew we were good, that one day we’d make it out there and be playing the arenas that I was certain we were destine for.

I was twenty-six and loving life. I had women throwing themselves at me, friends that always had my back, and I knew that sooner or later our band was going to get noticed. People came from all over to hear us. We traveled everywhere we could. It was going to happen for us--we just needed that one break.

During the day, I played my role as construction worker. Although B paid us to play at the bar, it wasn’t even close to being enough to survive on. Luckily, my uncle had a construction business. The boys and I all worked for him, so we could pay rent and keep up with our music.

“All right, someone needs to say it, and I’m not ashamed,” Reece said, after taking a drink of his beer. “I call dibs on Caroline. I know she’s B’s daughter and all, but fuck if I don’t get hard when she’s around.”

Aiden shook his head in disbelief. “You can’t call dibs on her.”

“You fuckers can figure this one out on your own. I’m automatically knocked out. She might be hot, but not enough to bang my own cousin,” JJ said, holding his hands up.

Four heads turned to look at me. “She already said she’s not shacking up with any of us. I think the odds are against us, boys.”

“You’re kidding right?” Reece asked.

“What? You heard her,” I said, sitting back in the booth.

“Like that’s ever stopped you before,” Tent added sardonically.

“You want her all for yourself, don’t you? You must want her bad, really bad,” Reece said, nodding his head and grinning like the Cheshire cat.

“No, I don’t want her. She’s a seven all day. I can get much better.”
I was drowning, fast.

“Look at you,’ all quiet and serious. That girl has you all fucked up,” Reece continued.

“Shit, Reece, if you want to fuck her that bad, go for it. Why the hell do you need our permission?” I snapped at him.

“Fine, I will. Wish me luck, boys.” Getting up from the table, he went out the front and lit up a cigarette.

What the hell did I just do?
Of course, I had my sights set on her, but now I had to play it off, like I didn’t care. I had to hope that Caroline wouldn’t make the mistake of sleeping with Reece. He was an even bigger womanizer than I was. Who knew what kinds of diseases were festering in him?

CHAPTER 7

Caroline

The music from down stairs grew significantly louder in the last hour. It was 8:30.
Must be getting busy down there.
Closing the door behind me, I headed down the stairs to get my first look of my father’s bar in full swing. With every step I took, the louder it got.

I guess people do live in this town
. Opening the door that separated the stairs of our living area from the back hallway, I stepped out from its safety and headed toward the bar.

I stood in the doorway in awe. The place was packed, like wall-to-wall packed. Every table was full, every stool had a body on it, and there was nowhere to stand
. I can’t work here. How am I going to do this?
You couldn’t even move. Add a tray full of beers and a basket full of buffalo wings, and I’d call that my worst nightmare. I’d never waitressed before. I expected there to be maybe twenty people, not 200!

“Caroline!”

I turned around in the hallway as Kara walked up behind me.

“Don’t freak out, it’s not always this bad,” she said, clearly seeing the panic on my face.

“This is insane!” I shrieked. My eyes went back and forth over all the people milling about. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone walk by with a pool stick, it’s then that I remembered there was a whole other room. Craning my neck, I glanced in.
Shit
,
it’s packed in there too!
“Why are there so many people here?” I asked frantically. “It’s a Sunday night.”

“It’s pretty simple, ONS.”

She’s got to be joking.
“There’s no way this many people are here just to hear them,” I said.

“Believe it,” she said, looking out at the crowd. “It took about a year, but every time they play here, it’s packed like this. Those boys have a cult following. You think this is bad, wait till Friday nights,”

Just then the back door opened and the devils themselves walked in. Aiden, with his mysterious features walked by me first. Trent, the big bad biker, politely smiled at me before he headed into the bar, which instantly reacted with cheers and screams.
That man is hot!
Trent was followed by Reece. Blowing me a kiss, he moved on and smacked Kara on the ass as he walked by. She tried to smack him back, but he was swallowed by the crowd before she could get him. I took a step back and tried to become one with the wall.

JJ stopped in front of me. “Hey, Cuz, pretty cool, huh?” he said, tilting his head to the open doorway that I had just back out of.

Was it cool? Were they that good?
I mean, I had heard them through the floor and thought their music was catchy. These guys were famous here, living out a rock star fantasy, without the bull crap that usually followed famous musicians. I watched JJ walk through the doorway, holding his hands up in the air as the crowd erupted again. I was in shock and couldn’t take my eyes off the now empty doorway.

“Kitty, you came for my performance.” Kane said as he stopped in front of me. He pinned me on the wall as he spoke in my ear. “I have a seat front and center with your name on it.” He pulled back and winked.

“I’m good right here,” I responded, not moving my head from the wall.

Leaning in again, he placed his hand on the wall to keep from falling into me. “Ah, come on, loosen up. There’s really a chair up front with your name on it. Your father set it up for you.”

Up until this point I’d managed to keep my eyes from his. I was looking at everything but him, until I couldn't not look at him. His blue eyes were sparkling down at me and that stupid grin was plastered across his face.

“Just think. I can’t try to hit on you if I’m standing up on stage singing to the masses. You’re safe.” He winked again.

The crowd started chanting O--N--S, O--N--S over and over, no doubt waiting for the man standing before me.

Locking my eyes back on his, I shrugged. “All right fine, I’ll go watch.”
I know I’m going to regret this
.

“I guess I’ll see you front and center then.” He took a few steps, paused, then turned back to me, his lips curling up even more. Taking me off guard, he grabbed my hand and began pulling me out of the hallway and into the crowded room. I covered my ear with my free hand.
Shit, it’s loud
.

He tried to pull me behind him, but people were clamoring around us. Kane let go of my hand, and I thought I was going to get trampled, but he wrapped his arm around my shoulders and secured me to his side. Leaning over, he practically licked my ear as he talked above the crowd. I should have been cringing, but instead a chill ran down my spine, the kind of chill I got when something felt too good, like hot breath tickling my skin.

“Stay close. Wouldn’t want you to get trampled by my groupies on your first night here.”

That was the first time that I punched him in the ribs. I did, however, choose to stay conveniently close to him, but only because people were making a path for us to walk through, and definitely not because it felt damn good to have him hold me close.

I had just met this guy less than six hours ago but I felt strangely comfortable around him. Sure, he was an ass, but even I had to admit it was fun messing with him.

Pulling out one of the two vacant seats at a table near the front he smiled, “Your seat, my lady,” There was a piece of paper on top that said,
Reserved for our new mascot, Kitty
. I went to punch him again, but he had already hopped up on stage. The rest of the guys were all laughing.
Oh forget everything I just said. They have officially started a war.