Playing, p.60
Playing, page 60
"You were?"
I nod. "Of course."
"Really?"
"Yeah, but I couldn't admit it. All that macho pride shit."
She laughs. "I can admit it. I'm... it's really going to hurt?"
Again, I nod.
"But I... I can handle it. I think." She motions to her bra pressed against her chest. "Can we do something about this?"
"Here." I take in the rest of the shop. Walker is still at the counter. He's making a point of not looking at us.
It's surprisingly sweet. But then he's been different lately. Ever since he switched from bringing home a different girl every night to a regular fuck buddy.
He insists I'm imagining things, but I'm not.
He's into that girl.
He wants a lot more than her body.
He'll figure it out eventually.
Until then, I'll taunt him about it.
"You two ready yet or what?" he calls out.
"Almost." I shoot him a give me a minute. "Avert your eyes."
He laughs. "You know I do rib tattoos all the time."
"Not on Kay, you don't." I turn back to Kaylee. Her soft green eyes are filled with an equal mix of nerves and excitement. "Here." I fasten a backless tube top out of gauze and tape it to her skin.
She laughs. "Fashionable."
I run my fingers through her hair. "You ready?"
"You're going to hold my hand the entire time?"
"Of course."
"Then I am."
I turn back to Walker. "You're needed."
"Story of my life." He laughs, goes to the sink, washes his hands, moves into the suite and motions to the bench. "Lay on your stomach for me."
"Okay." Kaylee moves onto the bench slowly. She folds her arms and rests her head on them.
I sit next to her and offer my hand.
She takes it.
My body gets light. Floaty.
Fuck. I'm as nervous as she is. More even.
Walker preps her skin then applies the stencil. It's really fucking cozy with both of us next to Kay, but there's no way in hell I'm moving.
He slides on his gloves and picks up his gun. His voice drops to a sincere tone. "You ready, Kaylee?"
Her voice is soft. "I think so."
"You'll get used to it fast. Trust me." He turns on the gun. "This is what it sounds like. I know you've heard it a million times, but it's different when it's right by your ear."
"Okay." Her lips press together.
He looks at Kay. Raises a brow. You ready?
She nods.
Presses her eyelids together.
"Breathe, angel." I rub the space between her thumb and forefinger with my thumb.
She sucks a deep breath through her teeth and exhales slowly.
Walker looks to me. Offers that same you ready? look.
Fuck, I must look as nervous as I feel.
I nod to him then turn back to Kay. "You've got this."
Still, she keeps her eyes closed.
She takes another deep breath. Another slow exhale.
"This is what it feels like." Walker brings the needle to her skin.
She mutters a curse. Squeezes my hand.
"You okay to start?" he asks.
"Stop asking. You're making me lose my nerve." She takes a shaky breath. "Just do it."
He chuckles. "On three."
She nods.
"One, two, three—"
She squeezes my hand as the needle hits her skin. Her eyes stay closed. Her lips stay pressed together.
"Breathe." I rub her hand with my thumb.
She nods as she sucks in a deep breath. Lets out a heavy exhale.
Her grip on my hand tightens.
Fuck, I'm too nervous to do my job properly. I'm supposed to keep her mind occupied. "Emma said she redecorated your place."
"Yeah." Kaylee's exhale is heavy with relief. She must need the distraction. "Mostly her room. She put up a bunch of new pictures of hot guys. She says you have to visualize what you want so the universe can bring it to you."
"You believe that?" I ask.
She grunts as Walker moves onto the second word. "Um. Well, sorta. I mean, if you don't know what you want, how are you going to get it? Besides, it's not just hot guys. She has all sorts of stuff about fashion. And she has those business text books everywhere. I think I talked her into summer school."
"Yeah?" I ask.
"I'm pretty sure she already signed up. I've been really distracted studying for finals." She squeezes my hand.
"Did she change the main room?" I ask.
"You haven't seen it? It's all ocean themed. Teal, turquoise, sand, coral, paintings of mermaids," she says. "That will be my next one. The mermaid. Do you still have the art?"
"Of course." My chest fills with pride. She's only halfway through this tattoo and she's already desperate for another.
She grunts as Walker moves onto the third word. It's right over her rib bones. That's tender skin. It hurts like a bitch.
"These paintings any good?" I ask.
"Some of them. Some are... not up to Brendon standards." She laughs. "Emma was bragging about how you'll hate them."
"You like living with her?"
"Yeah. She's my best friend. Don't get me wrong." She pauses. Grits her teeth. "I want to live with you one day. I kinda hate you and my mom for your little not until I graduate agreement. But I... I understand why she's insisting. And why you agreed."
"Good," I say.
"It's just... I love you and I want you around all the time."
"I'll always be around all the time."
"You promise?"
"Yeah."
The buzzing stops.
Kaylee's shoulders relax. "That's it?"
"That's it." Walker sets the gun down. "But sit tight for a second."
She looks up at me with a smile. There's no nervousness in her expression.
It's pure joy.
She squirms through Walker's aftercare routine.
When he's done, he stands. "I'll let Brendon lecture you."
She pushes herself up and throws her arms around him. "Thank you!"
He pats her back. "Sure thing."
I stand. Swallow my growl. I don't like anyone touching her. But he did this as a favor. You can't tattoo someone without touching them.
He steps backward. "I'll leave you two alone." He nods goodbye.
I nod back.
Kaylee turns toward the mirror. Her eyes go wide as she takes in her reflection. The tattoo is bold black letters across her ribs.
I wrap my arms around her. "You like it?"
"I love it." She leans into my touch. "This is perfect. All of it."
It really is.
* * *
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Sing Your Heart Out
Chapter One
Between the throbbing house music and the dance floor full of beautiful people grinding, it's difficult to move. It's harder to think.
I need to pee. Now. Waiting in the line snaking around the corner is not an option.
How can there only be one bathroom downstairs? One hundred people plus one bathroom equals far too many tortured bladders.
Kara must know where the bathroom is. Wherever she is.
I push through the crowd, but there's no sign of my best friend.
Someone bumps into me, her hip pressing firmly against my pelvis. Dammit, my bladder is going to explode at this rate.
Screw upstairs being off-limits. This isn't a church. It's some up-and-coming band's Hollywood mansion. I'm not about to pee my pants respecting the sanctity of rock stars' bedrooms.
There's a couple making out on the curving staircase. I step past them and make my way to the second floor. The sounds of music and conversation fade to a murmur. I'm tempted to hang out here until Kara is ready to go home.
Parties are not my scene. Even my bladder hates them.
I scan the wall, trying to figure out which of the five doors is attached to the smallest room. There. Second on the left. That must be it.
I turn the knob and push the door open.
Not a bathroom.
Definitely not a bathroom.
There are two people on a bed. The woman is on all fours. The man is kneeling behind her.
They're naked.
They're having sex.
Then they're not. The grunting stops. Flesh ceases to smack together.
The man looks at me. There's no sign of embarrassment or awkwardness on his face. He's totally unmoved.
The woman shrieks. She scrambles off the bed, pulling a sheet over her chest. "Miles, you fucker. I told you I don't do threesomes!"
Miles. There's something familiar about him. I try to place him but my thinking abilities are back to zero.
He's tall, broad shoulders and chest, sculpted abs, and below his bellybutton...
He's hard.
He's hard and he's huge.
Save for the condom, he's completely and utterly naked.
A blush spreads across my cheeks. I stammer, attempting and failing to speak. I've never seen that before. Not in person. In movies, sure. Textbooks, of course.
But never in person.
I can't look away.
The guy, Miles, makes eye contact. His voice is even. Calm. "You mind?"
I take a step backwards. My foot sinks into the plush carpet. I only barely manage to hold my balance. "Excuse me. I thought this was the bathroom."
"Next door on the left."
I know I'm red. Beet red. "Thanks."
I pull the door closed so I'm alone in the hallway. Next door on the left.
I step into the bathroom, lock the door, and die of embarrassment.
* * *
It takes twenty minutes for my cheeks to return to a normal color. I slink back to the sprawling main room and do my best to blend in amongst the partygoers.
Every inch of the hardwood floor is packed with beautiful people talking, flirting, or making out.
It's like the up-and-coming models, actors, and musicians are attracted to each other. They have a certain glow that mere mortals lack. And here I thought this was a normal college-students-with-a-keg-and-cheap-vodka kind of shindig.
Kara's friend invited us. He's in a band. Are they really this popular? I can't remember their name, but then it's hard to think of anything but Miles naked on the bed, hard and ready for action.
The lines of his hips and torso are burned into my brain.
And his…
Dammit, I'm not going there.
I find the closest thing to an empty corner and try to clear my head. I fail. My mind keeps going back to that vivid mental image.
Miles. He was unfazed, like the sex meant nothing to him. Like the girl on his bed meant nothing to him.
The man is a player. He's not the kind of guy I need in my life. He doesn't deserve my thoughts.
This stops. Now.
I scan the room for some better way to stay occupied.
It's no use. He's here. Miles is still effortless and aloof. He's still unaffected.
The guy has already moved on from the blonde in the bedroom. He's flirting with a redhead in a designer dress and stilettos.
She's model gorgeous with perfect hair and makeup. I'm standing here in an H&M skirt and blouse, my brown hair its usual frizzy mess, my black eyeliner doing little to enhance my plain-Jane brown eyes. Liner, mascara, and under-eye concealer are the extent of my makeup knowledge. I think I'm the only woman here who isn't contoured. Hell, I know I'm the only one wearing canvas sneakers.
I don't belong here.
It doesn't make sense that Miles is looking at me instead of the pretty redhead.
But he is. His clear blue eyes are fixed on mine. They're gorgeous. I couldn't see them in the dark but out here, they're practically shining.
Heat spreads across my chest. I'm gawking.
He smiles, reveling in my attention.
I press my eyelids together to temper my out-of-control blushing. It's no help. My head fills with that beautiful image of him in nothing but a condom.
Why did I let Kara talk me into coming to this party?
I push my way through the crowd, trying to get as far from Miles's gaze as possible. A dozen steps and I'm standing in the clean, modern kitchen. It's dark and mostly empty.
"You're not big on respecting people's privacy, huh?"
It's the same voice I heard upstairs. Miles.
I could swear I've heard it before. A lot, even.
I turn so we're face to face. Why does Miles seem so familiar? I don't go to parties. Hell, I've been MIA the last few months.
I wouldn't forget his strong jaw, his messy brown hair, or his gorgeous blue eyes.
Those eyes are fixed on me. He's staring at me, picking me apart.
I don't like the scrutiny. Sure, I'm hiding. But I'm not admitting that to him.
I clear my throat. "No, I'm not big on alcohol. Can't find anything else to drink."
He reaches past me. His hand brushes against my shoulder as he pulls open the fridge. He nods to a row of water bottles on the middle shelf. "Help yourself."
"Thanks."
Miles looks so familiar. And his voice is familiar too. Almost like he...
No. That's not possible.
There's no way this guy is the singer of alternative rock band Sinful Serenade, the guy who sings In Pieces, the guy who's been haunting my thoughts for the last three months with his breathy, tortured voice. With all the pain in his soulful eyes.
I try to recall the song's music video but my damn brain goes right back to the image of Miles naked on the bed.
Damn. I watched that video a thousand times. It was a massive hit. The song hit the top 40 for a week or two, a rarity for alternative rock in this day and age.
More importantly, the video and the song went right to my soul. The singer was whispering in my ear. He promised that I wasn't alone. He promised that I wasn't the only person who had ever felt this way.
I understood him and he understood me. We were the only two people in the world who knew how badly it hurt, losing everything that mattered.
The man who sings In Pieces is a tortured soul. He doesn't screw one woman, wash up, then move on to flirting with lay number two.
Kara keeps playing down how famous her friend is.
He lives here. I know that much.
This Miles guy seems to live here.
Fuck.
Why didn't Kara warn me her friend was in that band?
Miles clears his throat. "You okay?"
I nod a yes and attempt to hold his gaze. "Don't walk in on casual sex very often."
"Mhmm."
"I was looking for the bathroom."
He laughs. "Is that the best you can do?"
"I was." I take a half-step backwards. "Excuse me. I should go."
His voice drops an octave. "You're not going to let me formally introduce myself?"
"Okay." My stomach flutters. "I'm Meg Smart."
"Miles Webb." He takes my hand with a strong grip. His eyes pass over me like he's trying to place me. "How is it we haven't met before?"
"I don't go to parties."
"Guess that makes this my lucky day." His hand brushes against my wrist. Then it's back at his side. He leans in a little closer, his eyes on mine. "Why'd you decide to come tonight?"
I should be the one asking him that. "My friend convinced me I wouldn't hate it."
"What's the verdict?"
"I still don't like parties." I take a deep breath. "Why'd you come tonight?"
"That was my bedroom you burst into."
Somehow, my cheeks burn hotter.
His eyes rake over me. "Can't blame you for looking. I'd do the same."
My knees go weak at the seductive tone to his voice. That's him, the guy who sings In Pieces, the man who has been haunting my dreams.
That song is the centerpiece of my listen on repeat and fall apart playlist.
I try to formulate some excuse for why I need to leave immediately, but nothing comes. "You're um… you're in the band? The one that is throwing this party?"
"Yeah. Sinful Serenade. I'm the vocalist." His eyes pass over me again. He takes his time, like he's sure I'll be in his bed in thirty minutes flat.
A pang of desire shoots straight to my core. My damn body isn't obeying my commands. It can't help wanting Miles Webb. There's something appealing about the tattoos poking out from under his t-shirt. About the confidence in his eyes.
It's not like me to fall for the bad boy.
Even when he's so tall. Two inches taller than me at least. I'm 5'11', a giant for a women. I tower over most of the men I know.
But not Miles.
I take a deep breath, trying to convince my body it doesn't want him.
He's bad news.
A player.
A rock star even.
But I can't stop staring.
I clear my throat. "I was looking for my friend, Kara. She's tight with some guy in your band. They go way back."
"Oh, yeah, Drew's friend. Heard a lot about her last tour."
"So, I should really find her." I step aside. "And go home. I have to study. You know how it is. Or maybe not, being a rock star and all. But I have a test tomorrow."
I turn and make my way out of the kitchen.
There are footsteps behind me. "Meg?"
I spin, eye to eye with Miles again. Once again, my mind flashes with the image of him kneeling on that bed, his cock hard, the muscles of his thighs and torso taut.
How is it possible that Miles is the guy who has been singing me to sleep? He's not a poet.
He's a manwhore.
"Yes?" I ask.
"Your friend isn't in a state to drive."
He points to Kara, curled up on the couch. Her dark eyes are filled with an expression of drunken excitement. She looks especially short and curvy next to her tall, muscular friend. That must be Drew. His black hair and intense brown eyes are appealing. No wonder she's staring at him like she wants to devour him.
