Ice Steam (Loving All Wrong #3) (10 page)

Leaning in close to Xavier, I whispered, “Where is everyone?”

Xavier glanced down at me, lips twitching as he whispered back, “Why’re you whispering?”

More whispering, “I dunno. Because it’s so quiet?”

He broke out laughing, shaking his head. “Quiet usually means they’re all in one place.”

Seizing my hand, he pulled me along down a long hall to a door at the dead-end, through the door and down a set of stairs, and a right turn left us in a movie room. Sex noises poured through surround speakers.

I made out silhouettes of the other three members of the band and two busty girls all lazily lounging, watching lesbian porn of two women rubbing tits on big screen, one undressing the other.

“Fifty says she got a fat, pierced clit,” said one guy. “Like a kettle bell. Thick, juicy clit you can suck on all day like a pacifier.”

Giggles from the girls.

“Nah,” said another. “A hundred says she got a flat-lipped cunt. Tiny clit you gotta treasure hunt for. Like Kim K’s.”

“How do you know what Kim K’s cunt look like? You stabbed her?”

A pause, then, “Dude, if you tell me you’ve never watched Kim K’s sex tape before, you’re gay.”

“Nope. Never watched it. Not because I’m ‘gay’, but because I happen to like Ray J’s music, and the last thing I wanna be thinking about while vibing to his jam is how black his dick is.”

Long silence, then, “Yeah, he’s gay. Who on earth listens to Ray J’s music?”—more giggles from the girls— “And why watch Ray J’s dick when Kim K’s fat cunt is—”

“Got company, perverts,” Xavier said out loud.

All the gimmicking stopped at once, and five heads turned in our direction. In the theater-like darkness of the room, I couldn’t make out who was who
.

Someone paused the porn and switched on the lights, and I blinked a couple times before my eyes adjusted.

Everyone stared.

Leo, the bassist, the one accused of being gay, was sitting in recliner on the right, grinning—buzz cut dark hair, lanky, and noticeably handsome. Mark, the drummer, was on the recliner beside Leo’s—a bit on the chubby side, but in a totally attractive way, with greasy, mahogany, shoulder-length hair, ungroomed sideburns, mustache and goatee, tattoos scattered all over, having a twisted resemblance to my favorite
Sons of Anarchy
character, Opie—a voluptuous blonde in nothing but a sheer negligee perched on his lap, his right hand cupping one of her breasts, openly kneading.

Lying back on a big, black sofa, was the lead singer, Tex Laklin, the most rocker-ish of them all. Swathed in tattoos from neck to wrist, he wore thick black eyeliner around his captivating ice-blue eyes, and had extremely long jet-black hair, all pierced up from ear-hole to asshole. Saskia Day’s ex, Tex was undeniably hot. In an overly-intense, overwhelming, underwhelming, all-consuming, take-it-or-leave-it kind of way.

There was no dispute, however, that Xavier Xander was the hottest, sexiest, most drooled over in the band. Plus he was the only member who didn’t look all rocker-y. His glowing olive complexion was unmarred with permanent ink, and his hair was always fresh and wavy and billowy. His lips, eyes, build and height were to be talked about some other time. Xavier would more pass for a movie star than a rock star.

Lying on top of Tex was a girl who, if she had a baby bump, I would have mistaken for Saskia. Kind of freakish how much she resembled her, back when Saskia had raven-black hair. Gray eyes, dimple in the chin, and even a tattoo sleeve,
just like Saskia
.

Tipping up so my mouth was at Xavier’s ear, I asked in a hushed voice, “Why does that girl look every bit like Kia?”

A female voice spoke up from behind us, making me jump. “Because his sorry ass only screws sluts who look like his ex. If you don’t have gray eyes, raven hair and tattoos, boo, no Tex cock for you.”

I turned to see a tall, blonde girl who could pass for a twin of the man standing next to me. Metal gray eyes, long blonde waves, and naturally red lips.

“It’s pathetic, really,” she went on, rolling her eyes, “the way these desperate whores are bleaching their hair, tattooing themselves and wearing gray contacts, all vying for a chance to suck Tex Almighty’s limp dick. Like that slore over there, she’s really a redhead.”

“I heard that, skank!” said the girl lying on top of Tex.

“You were meant to, airhead,” the Xavier lookalike retorted.

Tex knifed up and knocked the girl off him. “You don’t disrespect my peeps. Ever. Get out.” Then he glared at the Xavier lookalike. “And
you
need to stop dissing my dick, Xena.”

“I’ll do whatever the hell I want,” she shot back. “And I saw your dick. It’s
limp
.”

“I was in the damn shower!”

“Trust me, honey,” said Saskia’s lookalike, “Tex’s dick is a lot of things, but ‘limp’ isn’t one of them.”

Xena stretched out a hand across my middle and moved me to the side along with her so neither of us was blocking the stairway. “The way out is up these stairs, cumbucket. You know, just in case you forgot.”

The girl looked from Xena to Tex, and Tex arched a brow. “You heard her.”

With a huff, Saskia Lookalike stomped past us and up the stairs.

“You should probably leave with your friend, too,” Mark told the curvy blonde on his lap.

“But why?” she whined. “I never said anything bad about Xena. I actually like Xena.”

Beside me, Xena scoffed and rolled her eyes.

“I know, I know, sweetie,” Mark said, patting her head as if talking to a toddler, “but you’ve kinda worn out your welcome. You’re Hangover Pussy, remember?”

She pouted. “Will you call me over tomorrow?”

“I’ll call you when I’m hungover.”

Were these people serious?

The blonde seemed happy with this promise and pecked Mark a kiss before strutting off. As she passed Xena, she said an ingratiatingly sweet voice, “Bye, Xena.”

“Choke on a dick and die, bitch,” Xena muttered under her breath.

Okay, this Xena person must be suffering from neurosis. Now she was glaring daggers at Tex and he was glaring right back.

I edged closer to Xavier, who’d been quiet throughout the whole ordeal.

Saskia had given me the whole rundown on the band members already: Leo, the bassist, was the “different” one who the guys all suspected was queer or bisexual at least, but could never get him to admit to it.

Mark, the drummer, was the jocular one who liked to goad others. Tex was the intense, sneaky instigator, who also loved to brawl. And Xavier was the quiet, reserved, brooding one. A man of few words.

However, she never mentioned a choleric Xena who freakishly looked like Xavier’s twin.

Breaking her stare down with Tex, she turned to me and grinned, eyes twinkling. Holy hell, what a transformation! From a bitch to a sweetheart in 0.2 seconds flat. “I’m Xavi’s little sister and the band’s PR. Brother has been going through a dry spell over the past couple of months so I decided to investigate. That’s how we found out about you.”—I snapped a glance to Xavier and found him rubbing his forehead. Clearly, his sister gave not just him, but everyone headaches all the time.—“I’ve been
dying
to meet you. You’re absolutely stunning! Wish my hair was as full and bouncy as yours. Markie thinks you have a platinum vagina and that’s how you hooked Xavi. So, you’re a model?”

Christ, I’ve landed in a very strange world with some very strange people. “Not yet established.”

“Oooh, I can—”

Xavier cut in, curving an arm around my shoulders and pulling me back to his side. “Forgive my sis, Chino. Think she’s had a little too much caffeine.”

“Don’t be rude, Xavi!” Xena said, shoving Xavier’s arm from around me and looping hers through mine.

Xavier looked at me and gave a shrug that said, “She’s incorrigible.”

Xena turned with me to the rest of the members, all still staring. “Stop staring at her like she’s a Chinese blow-up doll with a vagina for a mouth and say HI,” she ordered.

Tex narrowed his gaze on Xena, but I surprisingly agreed with her.

“I’m with her, guys,” I said. “Weren’t you the ones who begged to meet me?”

“Yeah,” said Mark, “but to be honest, we didn’t think you were real. We thought he was relapsing and he just made you up to throw us off.”

I felt a bit defensive of Xavier, that they’d doubted his sobriety, doubted his word and demanded he bring me so they could test his veracity. When I looked at Xavier, he didn’t seem bothered by it, as if this was a regular habit of theirs.

But I was bothered.

“Well, as you can see, I’m realer than the bottle blonde and Saskia lookalike who just left,” I defended. “And with me Xavier doesn’t need alcohol. My juice is intoxicating enough for him to get drunk on. I’m Alina O’Hara. You can save your introductions. Saskia already told me y’all are dickheads.” I turned to Xavier who had a look of surprise on his face, while Xena grinned her face off. “You ready?”

“Whoa! Whoa!” Mark said, “slow down, platinum vagina—”

“Don’t call her that,” Xavier warned in a quiet but threatening voice.

“Look,” Leo said, getting up, “we just wanted to be sure Xavi’s staying clean, alright? He hasn’t been with a chick in months and that’s just…alarming. We were worried, we’re brothers, that’s what we do. We weren’t dissing your man.”

“And did you just say Saskia? As in Saskia Day? You’re friends with her?” asked Mark.

They seemed genuine in their concern for Xavier, so I relaxed. “More like family. She’s been taking care of me since I was seventeen.”

A short, but solemn laugh came from Tex. “Yeah, sounds like Saskia: always taking care of someone.” His now desolate eyes flicked to Xavier. “Didn’t think to tell me this?”

“So you can use the opportunity to do something stupid again?” Xavier scathingly replied. “Nope. Didn’t think to tell you at all.”

Xavier might be referring to Tex’s over-the-limit attempt at ruining Saskia and JK’s engagement a while back—I wasn’t sure, though.

Thick silence followed, then Tex abruptly stood up, knocking over a beer bottle, and stalked out of the room. I peeked over at Xena and found her staring after him with a dejected expression.

Mark broke the strained silence. “We’re die-hard friends of Saskia, platinum vagin—I mean,
Alina
. She’s one of the coolest, most down-to-earth chicks I’ve ever met. Rolls with us anywhere, anytime, anyhow. Love her to the end, even though her pretty boy husband’s a shithead. Long as you’re her peeps, you’re good with us.”

“No,” I said firmly, “I wanna be good with you because I’m
Xavier’s
girl.”

A wry grin splitting his face, Mark looked at Xavier. “Jesus, Xavi, where’d you find this ball-buster?”

Xavier’s arm tightened around me, roughly yanking me into him. Sans smile or a readable expression he stared down at me and said, “Real question is where the hell she’s been all this time.”

“I
’m gonna order food in,” Xena announced. “What do you guys feel for?”

“Indian!” Mark and Leo shouted like toddlers who consumed too much sugar.

“Indian for you, too, brother o’ mine?”

One shoulder jerked up. “Good with Indian.”

Xena’s gaze shifted to me. “And I’m guessing a salad for you?”

“Oh, no, I’m not hun—”

“None of that pretty girl bullshit,” Xena interrupted. “I’m getting you a garden salad with diced jerk chicken, sans dressing, and you’re gonna eat it.”

“Excuse m—”

Xavier’s hand moved from my shoulder to cover my mouth, shutting me up. “Just say ‘okay’,” he advised. “She’ll throw a tantrum if she doesn’t get her way.”

The effervescent Xena nodded and pointed a thumb at her brother. “What he said.” Then she turned and pranced off in her white skinny jeans, red silk blouse, and red Louboutins. Tall, slender, sexy. Blonde waves cascading. “Gonna find out what Tex Almighty wants. Ta ta.”

That girl was mental.

Sex noises suddenly filled the room again as the lesbian porn and vagina bets resumed.

“Wanna go or are you waiting for your salad?” Before I could answer, he said, “Suggest you wait to avoid pissing Xena off.”

A dry smile curving my lips, I cocked my head and said, “You just want me to stay longer, don’t you?”

He bent his head and clashed our lips. “Been two weeks, Chino. ’Course I want some time with you.”

To escape the revolting porn noises, he propelled me up the stairs out of the movie room, and I used the opportunity to delay answering him.

While I wasn’t crazy about Ninety Miles and would much rather Xavier came back to my place, I was also considering Davian. Zach was probably telling him right this minute that he’d seen me.

What would he do when he heard? Would he come see me for himself? Say hi and ask how I was doing?

To find out, the best bet was to chill at Beach Rock for a bit and see if he would show up. If he did, it would mean he cared, and I might have a sliver of chance. If he didn’t, well, I would have to accept I made the biggest mistake of my life when I forced him to go on that tour without me.