Make Me Stay (3 page)

Yeah, that’s right, Mister Rock-n-Roll, let that sink in for a moment.

“You know what--”

“Kane! Hey, man, you guys are really early,” my father said, interrupting him as he made his way over to us. So the jackass had a name.

“B, you should really start locking the doors, some out-of-town trash rolled in.”

All I could do was smile. Catching my reaction, this so called “Kane” looked me up and down again before turning to my father, who looked ready to punch him in the face. Good to know my father still had that protective streak in him. “Kane, this is my daughter, Caroline.”

Kane’s perfect little sneer quickly turned to a stunned, open-mouthed gape.

“Is there a problem?” my father asked skeptically.

I should have totally ratted Kane out.
Look at him trying to bat those baby blues at me. Not going to work. I got a pair of my own, and I know how to use them.

“Oh no, Daddy, Kane here was just telling me how much he appreciated you. He was even saying how he was going to stay late tonight to help you close up and that he really wants to clean the restrooms. He also offered to carry up all my bags for me. Isn’t that sweet of him?” I flashed the most charming smile I could his way and girlishly tossed my hair.

Shaking his head and grinning, Kane couldn’t say a word in his defense.

“You really going to do that tonight, man?” my father asked. “We could really use the help.”

Still acting coy, I made sure to wink at Kane before turning my attention back to my father.

“Yeah, I’ll stay to help you out tonight, so long as she helps,” he said, winking back.

That asshole!

CHAPTER 4

Kane

I knew B’s daughter was coming to stay for the summer, but I had no idea that the girl I had just tried to hit on was her. I had come around the corner to see some girl up on
our
stage, fingering all our instruments. When she turned to look at my guitar, my baby, I made my way to the stage to confront her. I was only able to take two steps, when I saw her face. She was every bit of a ten in my book. Average height, long legs, made even longer by the tight-ass jeans she was wearing. Her shirt hung low enough when she knelt down, I could see the swell of her delightfully large breasts. I suddenly got the image of my hands full with them, and my mischievous friend began to make an appearance in my jeans.

I moved quickly, but silently up on the stage behind her. The smell of her, tickled my senses. I wanted to run my hands through the mane of wild blonde curls on her head as she screamed my name in ecstasy. I wanted to taste her, feel her--I don’t think I’ve wanted to touch a girl as much. I wanted to experience every inch of her.

Unfortunately, all those scrumptious ideas quickly left my mind when I found out she was B’s daughter. I expected his daughter to be short, frumpy, and average. What was currently standing in front of me was anything but. He had shown us all a picture of her five years ago when we started playing regularly here. It was a girl with a flat chest and plump body. Her hair was pulled back in a tight braid and she had glasses on. So of course, I didn’t expect this girl to be her.

B slapped me on the back. “Okay, I’ll be right back. The delivery truck just pulled up. Let me help Kara, and I’ll be right back to show you upstairs, honey. Kane, I can’t thank you enough for helping tonight. Caroline has the night off, though, so she won’t be helping tonight. Kara’s going to train her tomorrow, so having you here will be such a help, and thanks for helping my little girl carry these bags up.” Smiling, he slapped my back again and then walked to the back door to find the delivery truck. I didn’t know if I should be pissed that I had to stay or delighted that I got to see where this beauty was going to be sleeping, even though I had already seen it.

“You can wipe that stupid grin off your face,” she said, tossing that mane of hair again.

“What are you talking about? It’s not a grin. You think I want to stay sober tonight to help B clean up after our show. I’m usually knee deep in between some brunette or blonde’s legs, so it’s not a grin. It’s me trying to figure out how I’m going to make you pay for getting me stuck here tonight.”

If I knew one thing about women, it’s that they couldn’t resist me. This girl was a challenge that I was determined to make putty in my hands. I’d come across them once or twice--the girl who played hard to get. They always had a hidden agenda, which usually involved them wanting to date me, but I never let it come to that. They’d say that they wouldn’t give it up until I promised to date them exclusively, but ten minutes alone with me in a dark room, and they were usually screaming a different tune.

“You’re the one who practically invited me up to your room.”

Damn, she looks cute with that scrunched up confusion on her face.

“I did not!” she snapped back.

“‘Oh, Daddy, he even said he’d carry my very heavy bags up,’” I teased in a girly voice while I waved my hands dramatically.
Shit!
She socked me. Rubbing my suddenly sore arm, I glared across at her. This girl had a mean punch. I had to remember to keep my face away from her fists.

“Jesus, you don’t have to beat me into submission. I’ll carry your bags up,” I said, reaching down to pick them up.

“Kane, what are you doing? We have to practice. We don’t have time for you to fuck the help.” Reece’s red Mohawk was combed back and not in its usually upright position.

The girl fumed. Placing the bags down, I sat back and enjoyed the show.

“There is no way in hell that I would ever have sex with him,” she snapped. “And tonight, I’m not the help, you wanna-be-clown.” She cocked her head to the side and studied him a moment. “Bozo wants his hair back by the way.”

I think I’m in love.
I had never heard anyone talk to Reece like that before. He looked like he was going to cry. Why not put the nail in the coffin?

“Reece, this is Caroline, B’s daughter,” I said. His mouth hung open. I slapped his back. “Yeah, let that sink in a moment.”

“That’s not funny, Kane,” he said nervously.

“It’s fucking hysterical. Caroline, this is Reece.”

Stepping up to Reece, she got in his face. I was suddenly aware of their closeness to one another. Weird.

She poked a finger in his chest. “Don’t ever assume I’m fucking him. You got it?”

Nodding in agreement, Reece was clearly rendered speechless. Just like me, my fellow band mates weren’t use to women putting us in our places.

The rest of the guys walked over and, before I knew it, they were all clamoring around her. I wanted to push them out of the way, hold them off, but I wasn’t going to show my cards.

I began to introduce them all, I pointed to Reece, “Reece plays the drums,” He was in his usual tight-ass pants--that I’d have sworn he bought from the kids department--and a black T-shirt. I turned to my left. “Aiden is a genius on the piano and does all our lighting and boring stuff.”

“Dude, without me no one would be able to hear you. I’m basically the tech guy. These assholes would still be in their mommies’ basements if it weren’t for me,” he said irately. Okay, I’d give him that one. We did need him. Aiden had shoulder-length, jet-black hair, which he kept pulled back. Girls went fucking nuts for that guy’s hair.

“Trent here is our bassist,” I continued while he held out his hand, clearly the only gentleman of the group, even though he looked like a badass biker on steroids. “And this is--”

“JJ?” she asked, taking the words from my mouth.

“Yeah, that’s me,” he answered hesitantly.

“Do you remember me?” she asked, hopeful.

Great
. Competition with JJ was never good. It usually ended up with both of us having a black eye and busted lip.
Have they hooked up before?

She smiled at him. “I think we’re second, maybe third cousins? I used to visit your family when I was younger.”

Taking a moment, he examined her some more. “I think I’d remember if I had a fucking-hot-ass cousin,” he said, shaking his head.

I was pretty sure I would have remembered too. After all, I’d been friends with the guy since grade school, and I would have remembered running into her.

“JJ here is lead guitar,” I said, draping my arm around him “Dude, why the hell haven’t we met your hot-ass cousin before today?” I asked through gritted teeth.

“I can hear you, you know,” she said, crossing her arms.

I flashed her a usually effective winsome smile. She didn’t buy it for a second. Caroline smiled. “So I guess that just leaves the oversexed, disrespectful, caveman of a lead singer--I’m only guessing here but, by the looks on all of your faces, I’m right.”

The audacity! I am not oversexed, if anything, I’m undersexed today.
“Yes, I am the lead singer, and I’m damn well proud.”

Throwing her head back, she laughed. Her scent filled the air, her full breasts shook with her laughter and, as much as I wanted to deny it, I was fucking turned on.

“I was going to ask why the name, ‘One Night Stand,’” she started to say. “Then I met your lead singer here, and all my questions were magically answered.”

All of my so-called friends nodded in agreement.

“Hey, these guys aren’t saints, either.” I found myself trying to throw them under the bus with me. I couldn’t have her thinking I was the only asshole in the bunch. “Aiden once took a girl to traffic court just to get some. Reece, he had sex in that bathroom last night. Trent rented a puppy for a day to get a blowjob, and your cousin over here flirts with being a pedophile. It’s not just me, honey, we’re a group package.”

Taking a careful step back from the five of us, Caroline held her hands up. “I’m going to let you all know something right now! I’m not sleeping with any one of you--ever! I’m here to spend time with my dad, make some money, and leave, once I get a job.” She put on a good front, but I had a feeling she was finding it just as hard to keep her true feelings about us under wrap.

“All right, everything is taken care of,” B said as he joined us and placed his hands on his hips. “Good, you’ve already met the guys.”

“Oh, I’ve met them,” she said, sounding irritated.

“Get use to them, honey. If these guys weren’t playing here, I might have to pack up and find a new hobby.”

At least B appreciated us. Now I just had to work on winning over his daughter, for a night at least.

“Let’s get you unpacked.” Grabbing a bag, B turned and headed for the back of the bar.

“I guess I’ll see you guys around,” Caroline said, spinning to follow her father.

We all stood there watching her walk away.

“Dude, I have to sleep with her,” Reece moaned, bending over in fake pain. The moment he stopped talking, Caroline whipped back around. If she had heard him, I was almost positive she was going to come back over here and slap the shit out of him.

“Kane!” The sound of my name coming off her lips had me going from picturing her slapping the shit out of him, to me, and I didn’t even say anything this time. “My bags,” she said sweetly, too sweetly.

Huffing over, I grabbed the remaining two bags that were fucking heavy as shit. “What do you got in here, a collection of dead bodies?” I asked, walking up behind her.

“Keep pissing me off, and you’ll be one of them,” she said, before heading up the stairs that led to B’s home.

CHAPTER 5

Caroline

I followed my father up the stairs, our shoes clonking on the hard wood. Glancing behind me, I saw that Kane was dutifully carrying my bags. As we entered the apartment that was above the bar, I moved aside so Kane could get in all the way.

My father gestured around. “This is the living area. Over there is the kitchen. It’s small, but we’ve got the huge one down stairs if you really want to cook anything.”

The room was small for both the living area and kitchen, if you could even call it that.

There was one couch and a chair that faced a huge TV. Behind that was a small table with two stools. The kitchen was a sink, two cabinets, and a small refrigerator. On the cramped counter sat a microwave and coffee pot.

“Come on, I’ll show you your room,” Dad said.

Grabbing both my very heavy bags, Kane followed along behind us silently, for once since I’d met him. I didn’t want to, but I watched in total guilty pleasure as his muscles flexed when he picked up my bags. Running my eyes up his arms, I caught him watching me as well.

“Like what you see?” he asked, once my father was down the hall.

“You repulse me, so no,” I said, turning on my heel to follow my father.

“What do you think?” Dad asked. “You have your own bathroom, those doors lead to a balcony off the back.”

This room is huge!
The bed had to be king sized and beautifully made. There was enough room for a love seat and full desk. I walked over to the bathroom, which was completely remodeled and updated. There was a huge soaking tub and glass shower.

Stepping up to the French doors, I couldn’t help but smile. The view wasn’t what I was used to. It was nothing but farmland and mountains in the distance, but it was breathtaking.

“Dad, this is insanely nice.”

Nodding in agreement he draped his arm over my shoulder. “I’ve been working on it for the past few months, getting it ready for you. You can thank Kara for all the decorations.”

I took another glance around. It was like the room was pulled from a magazine.

“B! Get down here. I need you to sign for this.” We all heard Kara yell from down stairs.

Kissing my forehead, he hugged me again. “I’m so happy you finally decided to come out here. I’ve missed you so much.”

As he exited from my room I was left standing there, feeling guilty. Why had it taken me this long to come visit him?
I was a horrible daughter, that’s why
.

Kane cleared his voice, gaining my attention. I looked over at him. He was still holding my bags.

“I guess just leave them there,” I said pointing to the floor. Dropping them, he held out his hand, wiggling his fingers. I sighed. “I’m not tipping you, so you can stop begging.”