Текст книги "Lyric"

Автор книги: Regina Frame

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“Anyway, I think some of the people there were remembering their younger years or living out a dream that they weren’t ever able to fulfill, because, let's just say that we barely escaped with the clothes on our backs. I think my favorite t-shirt might have even had a hole in it after that night."

Levi shook his head and cringed a little. “They closed that place down a couple of years ago and leveled the lot. I think that's where the fair sets up every year, when they come," he said.

"Well, what do you guys think? Should I keep looking?" I looked around the table as everyone stuffed more bites into their mouths. Silence. "Is it going to be like this every time a decision needs to be made? I'm going to ask and you're going to give me nothing?" I asked a little harshly. I watched as Jinx took a drink of his water and turned his attention to me with those dark eyes. Aggravation was apparent on his face now.

"Darlin', that's what we hired you for. Levi trusts you, so we trust you. Do what you gotta do and let us know when you need money, or whatever to get this thing going. I will say, that we'd like to do it while we're off these three months, so just pick a date and let us know." I looked toward Levi, where he sat next to me grinning so big, that dimple popped in his cheek.

It brought back all the memories of last night and this morning, causing a blush and my panties to dampen. I'd need to get out of there before I lost control and jumped him right there, in front of his band mates. I tossed my half-eaten sandwich in the trash and headed for my designated office space again. I closed the door behind me and went to work on scheduling the event. There was a soft knock on the door and then it opened. When I looked up Levi was standing there with a grin on his face, which definitely said he was up to no good. My body began to strum with energy and that familiar pulse began at my core.

"You came to fire me? Little drummer boy out there, can't do the dirty work himself, so he sent you to do it for him?"

"First of all," he started, crossing the room in two long strides, and stopped beside my desk. He bent over and leaned in so close, I could smell his minty breath.

"They love you, just like I told you they would. Second, don't ever let Jinx hear you call him . . . little drummer boy!” He threw his head back and laughed. "That's some funny shit, but it'll be our little secret." Then, he winked and pushed my hair over my shoulder, exposing my neck. I rolled back in my chair until it hit the wall behind me. His ocean blue eyes stared down at me, full of amusement. He knew exactly how he affected me.

"What are you doing?" My breath caught and the question came out in more like a choking sound. I swallowed hard around the lump in my throat. I swore, every time his skin touched mine; I couldn't seem to think or speak. "W-We're working! You know I could report you for sexual harassment." I tried the weak defense and almost laughed at myself. He chuckled, his soft lips meeting the skin of my bare neck, his warm breath sending a shiver down my spine.

"You probably could, but you won't." He responded to my threat and continued to kiss down my neck and across my shoulder, causing the pulse between my legs to pick up its pace. I was wet instantly, soaking wet.

"How do you know I wouldn't?" I questioned, while squirming in my chair, and it almost rolled out from under me. How sexy would that be? Two strong arms reached out to steady me and then his mouth crashed down over mine. His lips caressed, his tongue stroked, and my body heated enough to start a forest fire. A loud knock on the door sounded, jolting us both back to reality. Levi stood up and gave me a knowing smirk, while I finger combed my long blond hair.

"Peyton?" Chance said my name through the closed door.

Levi jerked open the door and Chance held up both hands in a defensive manner. He smirked at Levi before turning his emerald green eyes to me. "Jinx said Leo from the label, was on line-two for you. He wants to talk to you about the fundraiser."

"Thanks, Chance. Levi was just leaving." I looked at him with a knowing grin.

"No, I wasn't," he growled. I noticed the grin on Chance’s lips, and that almost made me laugh aloud.

"Close the door behind you please," I said, trying to sound as professional as I could. I picked up the receiver, still staring into his eyes, and said . . . "This is Peyton Frost, how may I help you?" I watched as Levi's shoulders slumped and he closed the door behind him.

My conversation with Leo went on for at least an hour, if not more. By the time I hung up the phone, I felt like my ear was going to fall off. He was more than pleased with the venue that I'd been able to secure, stating that we should be able to get at least five stages set up on the space. He put himself in charge of securing the bands, which I was more than grateful for, since I really didn't know anyone in the industry. I really should start listening to more rock music. I hung up the phone, packed up the laptop, and made my way out to where the guys were sitting around the table, with a couple of other guys arguing about something.

"The timing is all wrong Levi. You're coming in too late!" Jinx growled out.

"I'm telling you it's not me. It's Chance!" Levi practically shouted, pointing his finger at the guy with the blue Mohawk. "I'm just trying to accommodate for him fucking up. He's been coming in on the fifth count for weeks now. If you're not gonna call him on his shit, then I'm going to.

"Are you using dude? In case you've forgotten, we've all had this talk after Linc had to go to rehab. No hard, shit! I've seen you drink and do pot. I'm not gonna bust your balls over that, but there will be no fucking coke or heroine! You got that? I think I can speak for everyone else on this subject, if we find out you’re doing that shit, you'll be out on your ass so hard it'll make your head spin. Feel me?"

Whoa! What have I just walked in on? I'd heard bits and pieces of Linc's story, but I guess I never gave it any thought, that other band members used. What about Levi? What do I really know about this guy? I cleared my throat and all eyes turned to me.

"Um, I'm just gonna grab a cab. I need to get home. I still have a paper to write for my marketing class. What time should I be here tomorrow?" I could feel my voice shake a little as I spoke. Levi walked around the table and reached for my bag, but I shrugged him off. He looked at me confused, because we'd come together this morning; I guess he assumed I'd be leaving with him also. No. I need to put some distance between me, these guys, and especially Levi, even if it's just until tomorrow.

"I'll call for the car,” he said, reaching for my bag again and I took a step back.

"Nah. That's okay. It looks like you guys still have business to take care of. I'll just grab a cab and meet you back here tomorrow."

He sighed and looked down at me with beautiful baby blues that melted my heart and wet my panties all at the same time. Damn. I'm going to have to remember to bring extra panties tomorrow. “Okay, have it your way. I'll text you later tonight with a time for tomorrow." He leaned in and kissed my cheek and it felt as if he'd just branded me in front of everyone in the room. That's because he had. I gave a quick nod and headed out onto the sidewalk to catch a cab.

Levi

I watched Peyton's back disappear behind the big, metal door and listened for the click of the lock before I continued, this time I turned my attention to Honor. She was the niece of one of the label execs, and had been filling in for Linc, since he'd taken a backseat for a while.

"What about you? Did you know he was using or are you using too?" I snarled and she looked up at me with big, blue eyes the size of saucers. She slapped her hands, down on the table and stood so fast that her chair flung against the counter behind her. One of the producers must have heard the noise because he came barreling into the room, and when I say barrel, I mean he was as round as one. He looked around the room and asked if there was a problem and we all just shook our head. This was band business, which meant that it was none of his. Once he was satisfied, he stared a moment longer before turning and waddling his way back down the hall to his office. Jinx stood and pointed, a clear order for the both of us to take our seats.

"I started this band and I can end this band at any time. We've had this talk once before as I'm sure you all remember. It took a toll on us both physically and mentally and I'm telling you now, if you are using . . . and I'm not accusing. I'm just saying that something is off and it better be fixed by tomorrow. It's expected to have issues on the first day of recording. It happens to everyone and we're no exception, so tomorrow when we all meet back here, I expect things to run smoother.

“You all know that the label can enforce a piss test on us at any time." He stressed and eyed each one of us hard. "Now get the fuck outta here and I'll see you all same time tomorrow, and Levi, that means an hour earlier than you were today." I flipped him the bird and pulled my phone from my back pocket to have the SUV brought around.

I couldn't stop thinking about Peyton and the night before. I remembered how perfectly my hands fit around her tiny waist and how she smelled of fresh flowers. Just the thought made my dick jump. How in the hell, was I supposed to make it through tonight without her? I didn't think that I could wait until tomorrow. No, that wasn’t an option for me. I took out my phone and quickly shot her a text.

Me: "I miss you already!"

Peyton: "You can't miss me already. I left, not ten minutes ago. LOL."

Me: "Pack a bag and I'll pick you up. You can stay at my place again."

Peyton: "What's in it for me?" Oh, she was playing with fire now. She had no idea just how hot things could get.

Me: "I can promise you that I'll be in it, on it, around it, on top of it and under it. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

Peyton: "Hmm. That does sound interesting, but I'm not quite convinced. I do have an awful lot of work I need to do. You're going to have to work a little harder if you want to convince me to blow off work and my school paper that's due in a few days."

Me: "How about this? You'll be on all fours while I pound into your pussy from behind. I'll grab a hand full of that silky blond hair and wrap it around my fist for leverage while I pound into you so hard that you'll feel it in your throat. By the time I'm finished with you, you'll be begging for more."

Peyton: "How soon can you be here?"

Me: "Pulling in now!"

She climbed into the leather seat of the SUV and I slid in behind her, admiring her firm ass as she moved across the bench seat to make room for me. My arms went around her and I pulled her in close to me and buried my nose in her hair, taking in the fresh flowery scent. "You always smell so damn good." I playfully nipped at her neck.

"Don't you mean edible?" She laughed when I nipped the skin just below her ear. I pushed a button on the armrest and a dark privacy screen separated us from the driver. The look of surprise on her face was almost priceless.

"You didn't know there were privacy screens in SUV's? Sweet cheeks, we're fucking rock stars. We can have anything we want and right now I want that sweet little pussy of yours on my mouth." She gasped when I pulled her legs toward me on the seat and she landed flat of her back. I made quick work of the button on her jeans and then her tiny white thong and tossed them onto the floorboard at my feet. I ran my nose along the inside of her thigh, placing small kisses as I went. I lifted my head long enough to find her smoky grey eyes staring down at me.

"What are you thinking?" Her breath caught in a gasp when my warm tongue made a pass over her wet slit.

"I'm thinking about how bad I wanted to do this to you earlier today, but we got interrupted." I admitted and I swear she blushed. Her head dropped back against the seat and her thighs fell open a little more.

"Well, nothings stopping you now." She gasped when I sucked her clit between my lips. Her fingers laced through my hair and she gently tugged, urging me on. I slowly licked between her folds and sucked on her clit until she was bucking beneath me and lifting her hips from the cool leather of the seat. I dug my fingers into her hips to steady her as I continued the assault with my tongue.

"More! More! Oh-my-god so much more!" She demanded through panting breaths. I slid a finger inside and then another, as my teeth bit and pinched her clit, with just enough pressure to cause her to fall apart beneath me. I greedily lapped at her juices until she was trying to pull away. She tasted sweet as honey and I couldn't get enough.

"No more. I can’t take it," she whispered, her body sagging into the seat. I lifted my head and looked down at her with a smirk on my face.

"Better than homework?" I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.

"Oh, so much better than homework," she grinned.

I was in the kitchen making a couple of sandwiches and I could see Peyton in the den typing furiously on her laptop. My phone rang and vibrated across the kitchen counter where I tossed it when we came in earlier. I stared down at the screen and debated on whether to even answer it. Marcus displayed across the screen. I already knew what he wanted and I'd much rather stay here and keep Peyton all to myself. My finger hovered over the accept button, when I noticed Peyton eying me from across the room. Probably wondering why I haven't answered it yet.

"’Sup, dick head?" I said into the phone and was met with so much noise in the background that I could barely make out what he was saying to me. "You're gonna have to speak up, man, I can't hear a word you're saying." After a few minutes, I finally was able to make out what he was trying to say. He wanted Peyton and me to meet him at the "Bad Habit." A new bar opened up on the East side about six months ago. I would have told him no, but he told me that Peyton's friend, Jules, was there with him, so that pretty much sealed the deal. "See you in thirty," I said into the phone and tossed it back onto the counter. By this time, Peyton had closed her laptop and was making her way into the kitchen. She wrapped her arms around me, pressed her cheek against my chest, and took a deep breath.

"Who was that?" She nuzzled against my chest and her sweet floral scent assaulted my nose. Damn-it! I really wanted to stay in tonight.

"That was Marcus. He and Jules want us to meet them at the Bad Habit. It sounded like all the guys are already there, but we don't have to go. We can stay here," I told her, crossing my fingers she'd want to stay home. Listen to me; I'm considering my place our home? She stiffened for a brief moment before relaxing in my arms and I wondered if she caught that.

"Nonsense. Let me just go change. I'm going to have to get used to being around this crowd if I'm going to be working with you guys." She responded as she headed up the stairs toward the bedroom to find her bag.

"Wait for me, we can shower together." I offered as I followed her up the stairs. She stopped me in my tracks when she placed her small hand on my chest and I almost crashed into her.

"Oh no you don't! If we shower together, we'll never make it to the club." The corner of her mouth tipped up and I could tell she was trying not to smile.

"Would that be such a bad thing? Us staying here alone? I promise I could entertain you far more than anything going on at that club." I cocked my head and winked at her. I wrapped my arms around her waist and cupped her firm ass with the palm of my hands and I ground my cock against her. "See what you do to me?" I groaned. “Now what was I supposed to do with this?" I said, grinding against her again.

"While I do find you very entertaining in more ways than one Mr. Cross, I suggest you take a cold shower and be ready in fifteen minutes." She said and took a step back and out of my embrace. I immediately felt the loss of her warm body against mine. "I'm going to shower in the guest room." She swung around, tossing her blond hair over her shoulder and sashayed her sweet ass toward the guest room. Damn! I hate cold showers.

Peyton

Levi tossed his keys to the valet before he opened my door and took my hand to help me out of the car. From the moment my foot touched the cement in front of the club, light bulbs of the paparazzi cameras flashed and onlookers held their cell phones in the air to capture the moment with him. He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me into his warm side as a couple of burly security guards helped to push us through the crowd.

People on the other side of the ropes screamed about how much they loved him and the band, a few even yelled obscenities about what they would like to do to him. The paparazzi on the other hand were only worried about who the woman was on his arm. They sought any opportunity for a story, something new on one of the guys. I shielded my face with my other hand as much as possible as we were ushered behind the big frosted glass doors. Hard thumping music assaulted my ears and thumped in my chest as we entered the crowded club.

"I don't know how you do it." I said, unsure if he heard me over the loud music and the roar of people talking in the club.

"Do what?" He leaned in and his musky cologne floated through my nose and warmed me through my bones. I don't know what kind of cologne he wears, but it smells heavenly.

"That." I gestured with my hand toward the crowd of people still trying to gain entrance to the club.

"I guess I'm just used to it and the more you're seen publicly with us, it will be the same for you. Right now, all they know is that you're new to the group and they don't even know your name. We should really look at getting that taken care of. Maybe you could come up with something for our social media pages that will satisfy them, of course, the more your seen kissing me, the more questions they're going to ask." He smirked and kissed me on the lips and I could taste the sweet smell of peppermint from the gum he was chewing. We climbed the black shiny stairs to the second floor and were escorted to the VIP section. I breathed a sigh of relief to find Jules so quickly. The club was packed elbow to elbow with people down stairs and the thought crossed my mind that I might not be able to find her in the crowd.

"Where the fuck have you guys been?" She asked and then laughed. "It's crazy nuts down there!" She said, eyes as big as saucers. "I thought the crowd was going to rape Marcus before we ever got into the building. I swear I wanted to punch one bitch in the nose! I would have, too but, I didn't want to get blood on my new outfit." She stood and did a little turn in her very tight, very short, little, black dress. She would look good in a potato sack. She flipped her auburn hair over her shoulder and grabbed my hand. "Go to the ladies room with me. Yeah?" I turned to tell Levi where I was going, but he was in deep conversation with Chance and Honor." He wouldn't miss me if I was only gone a few minutes.

"Okay. Lead the way." I said, as I let her lead me down a hall and into the ladies room. As soon as the wooden door closed, Jules locked it and turned to face me. Sometimes, she could be so over dramatic. I laughed.

"What are you doing? People have to get in here," I said, reaching around her to unlock the door but she swatted my hand away.

"That hurt! Dammit!" I rubbed my fingers. "What'd you do that for?"

"Teake-is-here!" She said it so fast that I couldn't understand her.

"Just how much have you had to drink?" I dug my fists into my hips and glared at my nutty friend. She placed her hands on my shoulders and looked me in the eyes. Her green eyes looked at me with concern.

"I said, Teake is here, Peyton, and that's not all. He told Marcus that his band has been asked to play at that fundraising benefit that you're organizing. Please tell me you didn't ask him to play!" Her small hand cupped my arm and squeezed gently. If there was one thing that Jules knew, it was how I grieved over our split. I jerked my arm away and looked into her glassy, green ones.

"I can't believe you even asked me that! Recruiting the bands is not part of my job. It's the label that's been working on that. I'm in charge of the venue and placement of the stages among other things.” Suddenly, I didn't want to be here. I wanted to be anywhere than the Bad Habit tonight. "I need a drink, preferably a stiff one." I unlocked the door and she followed me out.

I emerged from the hall and could see Levi from behind, talking with someone. I could tell from his stance that the chat he was having was not a friendly one, as I got closer, my heart dropped into the pit of my stomach and I prayed the floor would open up and swallow me. Levi was talking to Teake and Marcus was trying to separate the two.

When Teake's gaze caught mine, I knew instantly that he was taking something. His dark, brown hair had grown down past his shoulders and looked as if it hadn't been washed in weeks. His brown eyes were blood-shot and glassy, with pupils so large that you could barely see the brown. He was living the lifestyle, all right. I knew he was using before we split up, but it was obvious now that things had gotten way out of hand. He looked past Levi and smiled a wicked smile. The smile he always gave me when he was trying to get out of the lie I'd just caught him in.

"Peyton, baby, I've missed you." He slurred with a thick tongue. Levi whirled around and looked at me with confusion in his ocean blue eyes.

"You know this junkie?" I swallowed hard and gave a quick nod. I was going to lose my job. I just knew it.

"Something like that, I thought I knew him," I said and took a step back, as Teake stumbled and reached out for me. Levi's fist landed on his right jaw and knocked Teake to the floor. Flickers of light flashed around us as people took out their phones and captured the whole, horrible scene.

"We're leaving now!” He grabbed my arm and pulled me toward one of the burly guys in the black staff t-shirts. Levi whispered something in his ear and he immediately sprang into action. The big guy spoke into his headset, a line of security guards appeared, and the people of the floor parted like the sea to make way for us. By the time we reached the sidewalk, our SUV was waiting and Levi ushered me inside as the photographers snapped pictures of us until the doors closed and they could no longer see through the dark, tinted glass.

Levi looked up at me through his thick lashes for a moment too long, making me squirm in my seat and a painful knot twisted in my stomach. "Please tell me you're not involved with him," he demanded. I stared down where I twisted my fingers in my lap and tried to run through my mind what to tell him. Would I be guilty by association? Would I be fired because I used to be involved with Teake? "Well! I'm waiting for your answer." His voice came out harsh and demanding, causing me to jerk in surprise.

"Do you remember when I told you that I don't date rock stars?" He gave a quick nod and waited for me to continue. I decided to just tell him everything and if I lost him or were fired in the process, I'd die of shame and a broken heart. "Teake and I began dating when we started college. It wasn't long before he started his band and dropped out of school. I didn't live in the best of the neighborhoods, and when I say that, I mean that I lived in an old, rusted out trailer in a trailer park off of North forty. He asked me to move into the two-bedroom house, that he and four other guys from the band shared. The only thing I could think of then, was the fact that I wanted out of that trailer and away from my mother, so I left with him one night."

"You just up and left your mom and moved in with his band?" Levi asked. I knew that he was close to his mom so I was sure it wasn’t easy for him to comprehend how I could just pack a bag and walk away.

"My mom smoked crack and she had guys in and out of our place nightly, sometimes several times a day. I couldn't stand the way those dirty, old men looked at me. When I would tell my mom that one of them tried to touch me or got a little too close, she'd always find a way to blame me. It was either I wore too much makeup, or the clothes I wore were too revealing.

“She even accused me once, of trying to sell myself to one of them for my own money. That was the last straw, because what she saw and what she thought she saw, were two, completely, different things. I had gone into the kitchen to get myself a glass of tap water. Then, I was going right back to my bedroom and lock the door, just like I did every night.

“Only, this particular night, Slimy Sid, followed me into the kitchen and put his nasty hands on me. He said he'd give me twenty bucks to suck his disease, infested dick. The next thing I knew, my mom had me by the hair, pulling me away from Sid. She said, if I was gonna be a whore, I wasn't living under her roof." I choked back a sob.

"That's when I called Teake and told him about what had happened. He told me to pack a bag and I was gone in thirty minutes. I really thought I loved him, Teake, you know. That all changed one day, when I decided to stop by and check on my mom. It'd been months since I'd spoken to her. I remember pulling open that rusty screen door and stepping into the sweltering heat of that rusty tin box. There sat Teake, on the ratty old couch with his pants around his knees, smoking crack, while my mom sucked him off."

By now, the tears were streaming down my cheeks at the memories I’d tried to keep buried deep, inside. "That's when . . ." Levi cupped my cheek with the warm palm of his hand.

"Shush. I'm so sorry, baby. I'm sorry for everything that you've been through. I've only known Teake for a short period, but it's been long enough to know, that he's bad news. We've suspected for a while now that Chance has some type of drug problem, but when I saw him talking to Teake, that pretty much confirmed my suspicions. I couldn't get either one of them to admit to it, but, I'm almost certain, that Chance is buying from Teake.

"Oh, Levi, we've got to do something before it's too late. Marcus told Jules that Teake's band is supposed to play the benefit. Is there anything we can do to get them taken off the roster?"

"I plan on bringing it up at the studio tomorrow. It'll have to be a group decision. I'm pretty sure that once Jinx hears about Teake selling to Chance, he'll talk to the label, and have his band kicked out." His cell rang and he reached into his back pocket and pulled it out. A big smile spread across his handsome face as he stared at the name on the screen. "It's my mom."