Love Me ~ Without Regret (2 page)

“How about that drink? I don’t have long on my break,” he suggests, deflecting the conversation and turning red.

“I guess. If it will get you to stop bothering us.” I wink at him.

He puts his hand on my lower back and guides the way to the bar. I feel little sparks shoot up my spine, but that is probably from the amount of alcohol I’ve consumed tonight.

“What will it be, ladies?” He knocks his knuckles on the bar.

“I’ll have a Bud Light. Aubrey?” She is standing on the other side of Clay and she keeps fondling him. I don’t know why he doesn’t just push her off of him. It’s just sickening how she is hanging on him.

“I’ll have whatever you’re having, Clay.” She bats her eyelashes at him.

“One Bud Light and two bottles of water.” He turns back toward me. “Are you guys going to watch the second half?”

“Yes, we are.” Aubrey bobs her head. “I drove and I say when we leave.”

She doesn’t realize her driving was part of the plan. I have been stalking his band’s Facebook page this past week, incognito of course. Yeah, you’re looking at “Mary Woods,” sweet country girl, a.k.a. my alter ego.

“I guess I’m stuck here then. I just hope you don’t go singing any whiny, country music on me now.” I take a pull on my beer then turn around, leaning my back against the bar.

“Not a country music fan? Are you and Bailey even friends?” He chuckles and leans in closer to me.

“Wait, are you Cash’s brother? This is Cash’s brother?” Aubrey is looking back and forth between us.

“Yes,” we say in unison.

“Oh,” Aubrey says.

She backs off a little now. I confided in Aubrey after Clay’s charity event, that I thought he was cute. I mean he is attractive, in a cowboy sort of way, if you’re into that sort of thing. Personally, I’m not into cowboys.
Quit being repetitive, Lizzie. Who are you trying to convince anyway?

“I think I’ll leave on that comment. Let me know before you ladies leave, Lizzie.” He gives us both a small one-arm hug.

I watch his ass all the way back to the stage. Mmm, mmm, mmm. Why does he have to look so stimulatingly fine?

“Lizzie, why didn’t you tell me who he was? Stupid Ass ho. You know I wouldn’t have been all over him then.” She shakes her head and taps her fingertips on the bar.

“Aubs, it’s no big deal.” I wave her off. “I think he’s sweet, that’s all. He is so stupid with those crazy pickup lines.”

“Lizzie, I can tell when you’re all stormy in your panties over someone. You’re just lying to yourself.”

She is as deranged in the head as Bailey. “Have you been fraternizing alongside Bailey? I swear she is determined to have a double wedding.” I huff like I’m exasperated.

“Just think, Lizzie, the sooner you get it through your thick skull that you want him, the quicker your cobwebs get cleaned out!” She laughs.

“My cobwebs are cleaned out regularly, thank you very much. I don’t need him for that. He is sexy and has a seductive voice, that’s it. We’re friends. End of story.” I turn my attention back to the stage.

“If you believe that, Lizzie, you’re more stupid than I thought.”

She is getting cocky now. “Watch it,” I say. “Let’s dance. There're a couple of cute guys over there.” I need to get my mind off of a certain tremendously sexy vocalist.

We saunter our way to the guys and shake our asses near them. The dance floor is crowded. Every kind of moving imaginable is happening. The guys looked better from a distance, but they’re okay looking enough to hang out with for now. Aubs makes eye contact with one of them and gives him a wink. They come over and grind on us from behind.

“Hey, sexy, I’m Preston. You sure know how to move that fine ass of yours,” one of the guys whispers in my ear.

“I’m Lizzie. Thanks,” I say, glancing backward with a smile. Preston takes that as an invitation. He puts his hands on my hips and dry humps my ass. This music is great for dancing, and I’m feeling the effects of the alcohol I’ve been downing all night. He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me against him. We are moving in sync to the music, his hips following my movements. Then I feel him grow hard. I break away and put a little distance between us. I move closer to Aubs.

Aubs and I are having fun dancing seductively with each other. Preston dances close, but he keeps a safe distance for a couple of songs. Then I see the guy Aubs is dancing with lift his chin to Preston. They both move in and sandwich us up. Since Preston isn’t as aggressive as he was before, I continue to dance with him.

I hear Clay announce the last song he is going to do will be for the true country fans. The band changes to a country two-step rhythm, and Preston grabs my hands and spins me. I don’t normally two-step because it’s not my cup of tea. I beg off then turn to make my way back to center stage.

He pulls me back. “Hey, where are you going?” he asks through his teeth. He keeps a tight hold around my waist and tries to kiss me.

I don’t play that way. Game over. “Let me go, cowboy. This isn’t my beat.” I smile, but turn my head before he can kiss me.

“Awe, baby, why don’t we get out of here? We can go home and dance in the sheets.”

He doesn’t take hints, so I’m going to have to lay it out flat for him. “Listen, I’m not going home, or anywhere else with you for that matter. You are going to spank your own monkey tonight. Now, if you don’t remove your hands from me, I’ll have to kick your ass.”

He glowers and pulls me into him. “You can kick my ass in bed all you want.” I stomp on his foot, and he lets go of me. I take a step back and give him a right-hand jab.. Just hard enough to let him know I mean business.

His eyes grow wide and he rubs his chin.

I caught him off guard to say the least. I swing around to leave, but he grabs me by my hair, yanking me down. Son of a bitch, that hurt. He’s in for it now. I get up ready to battle, but he’s pulled away by the bouncer. I still want my last lick, so I trot over and punch him in the gut as hard as I can.

“You fucking bitch. I’ll find you, and when I do, you’ll regret that,” he threatens.

I get all in his face about to fire off my comeback when I’m picked up and hoisted over a shoulder.

“Oh yeah, you bring it on anytime, butt muncher,” I shout even though I can’t see him any longer. I twist and struggle to get down from this guy’s hold. I refuse to be manhandled and whoever is carrying me over their shoulder will have hell to pay. They’ll be suffering from my wrath as soon as they release me. Then I look down. I’d recognize this ass anywhere. I know exactly who has thrown me over their shoulder like a caveman.

Clay

I can’t concentrate on singing for watching Lizzie dance with that loser.  He is here every weekend, trying to take a different girl home.  He is all over her and it’s appalling.  Time creeps by up here and all I can do is watch.  I wish I were the one down there dancing with her. I don’t generally dance, but I think I can move as well as that jackass. 

Those clothes she has on make her look entirely different, not like the country girl I know she is.  But damn, I like this side of her better. She looks like she fits her personality better if that makes any sense.  She appears more wild and free, and it’s as sexy as hell on her. I bet the Harley on the back of her shirt means she likes to bike. I might just be in luck.  I’ll have to get her on the back of my Harley soon and see if that turns her on.

“This is our last song of the night before we go, and we want to leave you with this. Life is too short to live with regret, so accept your past. It made you who you are today.” Since moving here to Alabama from Nashville, I’ve always closed our shows with a quote or thought on regrets. It helps me remember to not look back on my own past with anger.

I see Lizzie stop dancing with the jackass, but he pulls her back in.  I watch as a scene unfolds. I need to get the little spitfire before she gets herself hurt.  I signal for one of the bouncers to take action with the guy then I jump off the stage and head toward Lizzie.

I pick her up and toss her over my shoulder without a word to her then head to the manager’s office.  Lizzie is still making insults to the guy even hanging over my shoulder. She is a force to be reckoned with. I bet she would take on the devil himself.

“Just what do you think you’re looking at? Do you want me to whoop your ass next?”  Lizzie yells at some of the club sluts who are staring at us.

I use my other hand and pop her on the butt. “Would you calm down already?”  I laugh out loud. She is quite a sight when she gets all mad.

“Did you just spank my ass?”

She sounds surprised.

“Clay, I swear when you let me down—” 

I reach up and give her another pop. This could be fun.

“Clay, don’t make me hurt you!” 

She is so feisty, I didn’t know she could be any sexier, but damn, she is.

I open the door to the manager’s office and set her on the couch.  This is the place me and the guys come to relax between sets or just chill until we are needed.  When I decided to open the ranch, I knew I would need a steady income.  My buddies and I went in together and bought this place.  We don’t tell many people because we want everyone to think we are merely the house band. I’m so thankful that my mom’s parents left me and my sister, Oakley, trust funds when they passed away. I don’t know how we would have been able to support ourselves without that money.

“Are you going to settle down?” I muse.

Her face is all red and her eyes have a wicked gleam in them.  Damn, I bet she is fun in bed! Too bad those days are over, I wish casual sex wasn’t taboo for me.

“Clayton, I owe you an ass spanking, bend over.”

Hell. Yes. Please.

“Now, Tink,” She reminds me of Tinkerbell, blonde and all feisty. “I haven’t done anything to be spanked for yet.”

“Who the hell is Tink?  And you did do something. You spanked my ass several times without being asked to.”

She is all huffy.

“I thought you liked me, but then you go all Tarzan on me.”

I bust out laughing. She is so funny and looks adorable when she’s outraged. “You look like Tinkerbell—all ‘I’m mad and I’m going to spank you’ when you’re not big enough to hurt anyone.”

Her eyes narrow and she purses her lips. 

She is about to go buck wild, and I want it.

Standing, she puts her hands on her hips then gets up in my face. At least as much as she can, but even with those boots, she is still several inches shorter than me.

“I’ll show you ‘not big enough to hurt anyone,’ Clayton.”

I want her to show me so bad. “Show me, Tink.”  I just drew the line in the sand and dared her to cross it. 

She stares up at me.

I can’t help but chuckle.  Before I know what’s happening, she spins me around and pushes me toward the couch.  My knees catch and I launch forward. I reach out to catch my fall, which leaves me ass high and prime for her sneak attack.  I allow her to land a smack then I turn and wrap her in my arms.

“Did you think you had me, Babe?” I whisper in her ear and give her a kiss on the cheek.

“Clayton.”

I love the way my name sounds on her lips. I want to hear her moan it.

“Let me go, I think I’m going to be sick.” 

I drop my arms then show her to the employees-only restroom.  I return to the office and grab a bottle of water from the mini-fridge. 

When I make it back to her, she is hunched over the toilet and is all green.  I hand her the water then wet a hand towel and wipe her forehead.  “Here, let me put this cloth on the back of your neck, too.”

She nods a tiny bit and her big doe eyes blink several times.

I kneel beside her and lift her hair off of her neck then alternate the cloth between her forehead and the back of her neck. 

“Thank you, Clay, I’m feeling much better.”  She lays her head on my shoulder.

Her hair smells like lavender and vanilla.

“Anytime. That’s what I’m here for.” I kiss the top of her head and put my arm around her shoulders.

“I need to find Aubrey. I’m ready to go home.” She stands and looks in the mirror.

“Let me text Ryder and have him find her. I’ll take you home.”  Ryder’s my best friend and the drummer in the band. I send him a text.

“You don’t have to do that, Clay. Aubrey is probably ready to go.”

“I want to make sure you’re okay, Lizzie, and I want to be the one to take you home. Besides, she’s been drinking as much as you and will need a ride home.”

What are these girls thinking drinking so much and trying to drive?  Ryder texts back that he has Aubrey and he will be glad to take care of her. “Okay, Ryder’s taking care of Aubrey. So do you think you can ride on the back of my bike or do I need to borrow a car?”

She raises her head from my shoulder and gives me a serious look, “You have a bike? What kind of bike do you have?” 

She seems surprised that I drive a motorcycle. 

“I have a Harley Fatboy. But on second thought, you can’t ride dressed like that, you’ll freeze.  I’ll borrow Ryder’s Camaro and he can drive Aubrey’s car.”  I send Ryder another text to make the arrangements. 

“We live together, so you could take us both home.”

Well, that would put a kink in my plans.  With her being all grateful, my charm might win her over.

“Oh, I think Ryder is wanting to get to know her.”  She has a surprised look on her face.  “He said they are um…” I clear my throat, trying to find the right word.  “Getting along well.  He is going to spend the night with her.”

“Oh hell!  I am not in the mood for that tonight.  She gets way too loud moaning, and she starts running around naked.  Then the giggling starts. Please don’t let them come to our apartment.”  She pulls her cell phone out of her bra and sends a text then sits and stares at her phone for a couple of minutes. When the phone dings, she reads the text and sighs loudly.

“I take it you didn’t get a text you liked.” I give her a nudge with my shoulder.

She rolls her eyes and sends another text.

“They are going back to our apartment.  She is always trying to get me to join in when she’s two sheets to the wind.”  She holds her cell phone up then makes a fist with her other hand and lets out a little groan. “We tried that shit once and the guy wanted us to make out with each other more than with him.”