You Really Got Me (Rock Star Romance #1) (24 page)

Oh, Christ. Was it happening already? She’d come running to Austin to get away from her boyfriend’s betrayal, her boss’s slights. He’d always known she’d go back. But once she did, once she got sucked back into that life, what would happen to
them
?

“He’s pretty desperate, said he’d double my pay.”

Irwin knew how to hit her where she hurt. He sighed. “What did you tell him?” He had no right to ask her to stay alone in that fucking house in the middle of Happy Familyville.

Likely, after this tour ended, if Piper had her way—and she
would
—they’d get signed by Flow and go out on another, larger tour together. He couldn’t quit the band at this point. What kind of asshole bailed on the band he’d worked with all these years? When they’d finally reached this point?

And, dammit, he
had
to see this through. For his dad, yeah, but for himself. He couldn’t spend the rest of his life as a fucking failure.

Shit. The situation sucked.

“He sounded so sad. I felt so bad for him.”

“You’re such a girl.”

“What?”

“You feel bad for him. Is this the same man who won’t give you the promotion you deserve?”

“That’s the one. And I don’t think you’d like me quite the same way if I weren’t a girl.” Her voice got all sexy, which made him go instantly hard.

He rubbed his cock, feeling the surge of desire rush through him. “You’re right, Em. I like you just the way you are.” He could hear noises outside, a bark of laughter, a squeal, shoes shuffling on pavement.

No hard-ons in the back lounge. He shifted positions, putting his need out of his mind. “Do you want the job? Do you want to go back to New York?” To her old life?

The door opened, and the guys climbed in with half a dozen skanky women giggling and stumbling on high heels. He glared at Ben, the first one on the bus. Rule number two on a tour bus: no girls.

Number one? No shitting. But that one was harder to control.

“Get them off,” Slater said.

“What?” a drunk Ben said. “Piper’s not even halfway through her set. She’ll never know.” The bunch of them fell onto the built-in couches, the girls spilling all over the guys.

“Piper won’t let them bring groupies on the bus?” Emmie asked, voice pitched high. “She’s travelling with eleven guys. What did she think would happen?”

“Piper’s tour. Piper’s rules.”

“I cannot believe her. No one has rules like that.” She paused. “This is about you. You realize that, right?”

“You want the bus full of groupies?”

“No.”

“Then consider it a rule I can live with. Besides, Em?”

“Yeah?”

He loved when her voice got all soft and sexy like that, making him feel like he was in bed with her, just the two of them, bodies wrapped around each other. “None of this shit matters. The only thing that
does
matter? Us. Now book the flight.”

—

Why hadn’t Slater answered his phone all day?

From the moment she’d jumped on the earlier flight, she’d texted and called but hadn’t heard back. Why wouldn’t he look at his phone when he knew she was coming to visit?

As the cab neared the club, worry bit down and slipped into her bloodstream. What if he’d gone out with the band? It didn’t matter. She’d just hang around the bus until he got back—except it wasn’t only Snatch on the bus. It was Piper and her guys, too.

“You want me to let you out here?” The cab driver pulled into the club’s parking lot.

“I think they park the buses around back. Would you mind going there?” If the buses weren’t there, then what would she do? Derek hardly ever used his phone, so she doubted she’d hear back from him.

But, no, there they were. One huge tour bus, a smaller one for the crew, and a tractor-trailer for their instruments and gear. “Great.” She pulled some bills from her wallet and thanked the driver, dragging her carry-on out of the car. Her pulse kicked up, knowing she would see Slater soon. God, she hoped he was there and not out with the guys. He didn’t expect her for hours. Maybe his old, crappy phone had finally died?

As the cab left, she stood in the parking lot. The gray skies, the cold air, gave her a bad feeling, but she shook it off, shook off the chill.

Would it be the same? In spite of the brittle air, her hands felt clammy. God, she was actually nervous about seeing him. Afraid what they’d shared in Austin had faded with distance.

Just go already.
She headed for the bus, anxiety building with each step she took.

Maybe she shouldn’t have hopped on the earlier flight. But Tiana could only give her a ride before work, so she’d have been stuck sitting in an airport for hours. No, no, she’d done the right thing. Even if he were out with the guys, someone would know where he was. She’d find him.

She knocked on the bus doors. No one answered. Her anxiety ratcheted up. If no one was on the bus, if he didn’t answer his phone—

The doors opened, and a very sleepy and disheveled older man sat up in a driver’s seat that was reclined as far back as it could go.

Her hand came to her mouth. “I woke you up. I’m so, so sorry.” Of course he slept all day. The poor man drove all night. “I wasn’t thinking. I . . .” Her shoulders slumped.

The man smiled. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve been driving thirty years. I’m used to everything. What can I do for you?”

“I’m here to see Slater?”

His features pulled into a scowl.

“No, not like that.” God, how many groupies had pulled this stunt? She showed him her carry-on. “I’m his girlfriend.” His
girlfriend
. It sounded so weird saying it as she stood outside a massive tour bus in a parking lot in Seattle.

He smiled. “Emmie?”

All her doubts and fears dropped away. The bus driver knew her name. Now, what did that say about her man? “Yes.” He’d talked to the bus driver about her.
Sweet
.

“He’ll be glad to see you. Come on in. They’re in back.”

They?
“Thank you.” She’d wanted to spend some time alone with him, obviously, but if he was with the guys, she’d have to spend time with them, too. That’d be okay, though, since she’d gotten in so early.

He got up to reach for her bag, but she held up a hand. “I got it. It’s nothing.” And he settled back in his seat.

As Emmie climbed the stairs into the bus, she took in the black leather couches on either side of the narrow aisle, the flat-screen TV built into the wall. She passed through a kitchen area with coffee grounds spilled all over the counter. The sounds of acoustic guitar, murmuring, and a woman giggling made Emmie’s gut tighten. She knew what the band sounded like when they hung out together. These sounds were nothing like that.

She recognized Slater’s deep voice singing quietly, happily, like he was messing around. A terrible image formed in her mind.

Setting her bag down, her hands shaking, she drew the accordion-style door open and found Slater and Piper leaning against each other, smiling, relaxed, feet propped on the table in front of them. He strummed his guitar as she tilted her head against his shoulder, giggling softly.

Pain cracked open in Emmie’s heart, and she felt a searing sting. Emmie gasped. Slater looked up, an expression of horror hijacking his handsome features. She turned so abruptly, she tripped over her luggage. Hands held out in front of her, she stumbled back down the length of the bus, banging into counters and chairs.

“Emmie,” he shouted.

But she didn’t stop. God, she had to get out of there. “Could you please let me out?” she asked the driver in a shaky voice. Shudders wracked her spine, and her stomach squeezed into a fist.

He lurched forward, glancing down the aisle behind her.

“Now. Please.” She sounded desperate, frantic.

He pushed the button, and the doors opened. Emmie ran down the stairs, but Slater was too quick. He caught her around the waist so roughly her feet lifted off the ground.

“Stop. Just . . . stop. It’s not what you think.”

“Get off me.” She couldn’t catch her breath, couldn’t stop shaking. Something dark and heavy draped over her mind, making it impossible to think clearly. “Oh, my God, just get the hell away from me.”

“Never.” He lowered her but didn’t remove the arms belted around her waist. “Listen to me. Emmie, give me a chance.”

“I did, you jerk. I gave you a chance.” Oh, God, the pain, it kept slicing through her, shredding her. She felt a presence, jerked around to find Piper watching from the steps of the bus.

He looked, too. “Piper.
Fuck
. Can you just go?”

But there was something awful in the woman’s eyes, something like satisfaction.

Drawing on her deepest well of strength, Emmie stopped struggling. She would never let that woman see her like this. “Get. Off. Me.”

His arms relaxed but didn’t release. “Not until you talk to me.”

“I have talked to you. Every day. Every single day you tell me there’s nothing going on between you and Piper.” She finally looked into his eyes. “Every day I make the decision to trust you.” She paused. “And look what it’s gotten me.”

He buried his head in her hair. “We’re writing songs. That’s it. I swear.”

“Do you think I’m that stupid? Do you think anything you can say will turn what I saw into something different?”

“Yes, I do. Because you’re turning what you saw into what you most fear. And that’s not what’s happening. We’re writing songs. That’s it.”

“It’s more than writing songs, and we both know it.”

“No, it’s not. I swear.” He shook her shoulders. “I don’t want her, Emmie. I don’t.”

“You might not want her, but you’re starting to need her. And that’s a thousand times worse
.
Now, let me go. I’m done here.”

“You’re not done. You’re not going anywhere. Because nothing happened, nothing will happen. I want you to look me in the eyes, Em. Right now, turn around and look at me. Because you know me. You know me all the way, deep down. Look the fuck at me.”

She drew in a deep breath, not wanting to see his truth. Not ready. She was bleeding, aching. She’d never get the image out of her brain—and not just of him snuggling with Piper, but of the woman’s expression. The confidence of knowing she was winning.

“Let me go.”

And he did. And that probably scared her more than anything.

“Can you please get my bag from the bus?” The ground turned watery, her peripheral vision narrowing.

“No. I’m not your pussy ex. I didn’t fuck around on you.”

She swung around to him. “Yeah, I know that, Slater. I’m very clear on the difference between screwing and
snuggling
. Having now lived through both scenarios, I’m kind of an expert. And you know what? What you did is a thousand times worse than walking in on Alex with two nameless, faceless groupies.”

He scraped a hand roughly through his hair. “Fuck.”

He could go to hell. She headed back to the bus. The last person on this earth she wanted to see was Piper, but she’d rather do that than stand around playing mind games.

He grabbed her arm, yanked her to him. “Guess what, Em? You’re not running away from me. Want to know why? I didn’t do anything wrong.”

She pulled her phone out of her purse, hit the four in 411. She’d call a cab company, head right back to the airport.

But he ripped the phone out of her hand and shoved it deep into his front pocket. Then, he tipped his head back and shouted, “Why does everything have to be so fucked-up?”

“It doesn’t.” She yanked out of his hold, backed away from him. “You wanted it both ways. You wanted to be Slater and Jonny at the same time. And you just found out you can’t.”

“Emmie, I didn’t do anything with Piper, and I don’t want to. I’m crazy about you. You know that.”

“And yet . . . look how comfortable you are with her.”

“When we’re
writing
. I like writing with her. I’ve only ever written alone. And it’s fucking hard work. When I write with her, it’s easier. The song isn’t completely mine, so I don’t like that part. But right now, when I’m on the road—”

“And you’re lonely, and there’s this really great woman who knows just how to take care of all your needs, it’s easy to forget the woman you left back in Austin? The one who
used
to take care of them?”

He shook his head aggressively. “Wrong. You’re dead wrong. I know exactly who Piper is. And this isn’t about what happens on the road. Not even a little. While your bro—” His jaw clamped shut. He looked down at the ground, lips pressing into each other, one hand on his hip. “I watch them, the other guys, and they’re going wild, like nothing I’ve ever seen before. I stand there and . . . and I don’t feel a thing. I don’t want it. Not any of it. I want to get back on the bus and talk to you. Obviously, since that’s what I always
do
.”

“I get that you don’t want groupies. I’m clear on that. But I also get that you’re lonely on the road and you’re turning to
her
. Just like I knew you would.”

His breath caught, his eyes widened, and for one moment he looked absolutely tortured. “Emmie, I love you. I fucking
love
you.”

Her heart settled down. The shaking subsided. His words hung in the air. She heard them, but they didn’t sink in.

“I’m so fucking in love with you I don’t know what to do with myself.”

The ice cracked, and her blood started flowing again. Warmth suffused her as her heart absorbed his words. He loved her.

She knew he did. She
felt
it. It flowed between them in every conversation. The need to touch him overwhelmed, but just as she reached for him, the horrible image of him with Piper flashed in her mind. So, she stopped, tucked her arms to her sides.

“Nothing’s happened between me and Piper.”

“Wrong. Something has. You’ve gotten close. And she’s dangerous. You
know
that.”

“You don’t get close to someone like Piper. She’s all about herself.”

“The worst thing you could do right now is try to bullshit me. I know what I saw. You
are
getting close to her.” Her gaze bore down on him. She needed him to really hear her. “She’s playing you brilliantly. She knows how to give you just what you need, and you’re falling right into her trap.”