Ruby Tuesday (7 page)

“I’ve never really thought of that, but I guess some small part of me might have thought that was cool. Maybe.” Actually, Teagan thought she would have been more impressed to know for sure that her mother had never slept with any man except her father, the love of her life. Sadly, her mother had died when Teagan was sixteen and she had never had a chance to ask her mother the questions that burned in the back of her adult mind. Had her mother waited until after marriage? Had she regretted waiting?

“So you’ll do it?” Riley asked.

“Do what?”

“Seduce Sky,” Riley said impatiently. “Haven’t you been listening?”

“I’ve listened and I’ve heard. I’ll think about it, Riley.”

“Don’t think. Do.”

Teagan smiled and lay back down on her bed. “It’s too early to do anything right now. Do you mind if I sleep a few more hours before jumping Sky Mitchell’s bones? If he’s as wonderful as you seem to think, I’ll need my rest.” Riley laughed, clearly appeased. “Sleep sounds good.” Her sister crawled into bed and Teagan shook her head in amazement as Riley drifted off to sleep instantly. It was an incredible talent her sister possessed and she was terribly jealous of the other woman’s ability to fall asleep within seconds of laying her head on the pillow. Teagan, on the other hand, couldn’t settle down to rest as her mind replayed Riley’s words.

51

Mari Carr

As he repeatedly liked to point out, Sky was a rock star. No doubt women fell into his bed like coins in a wishing well. There was no way she’d allow herself to become just another nameless face on his list of sexual conquests.

Was there?

For the first time in her life, she felt the principles she’d tried to live by wavering.

She was tempted in ways she’d never faced and she wasn’t sure she’d have the strength to continue to refuse Sky’s advances. Truth of the matter was, her somewhat old-fashioned ideals had never been tested because she’d never met a man she wanted to sleep with. Until Sky. He was attractive, funny, talented and…shit. She sighed heavily.

If he was a normal stranger off the street and they’d met in some ordinary way, she would definitely have said yes to a date with him. And she would have come upstairs after that first date full of anticipation and hope for a second.

But he wasn’t normal. He was Sky Mitchell. And she was screwed.

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Ruby Tuesday

Chapter Four

Teagan returned home from the preschool the next day feeling apprehensive, nervous. She’d snuck out of the apartment this morning like a thief as she’d tiptoed down the hallway and out the door far too early. She’d had to kill nearly an hour at a local coffee shop before the preschool even opened. Her restlessness in the face of Riley’s bizarre sex lecture had left her out of sorts and confused and she’d run away rather than try to face Sky.

Now she’d had too much time to think about it all and she was on the verge of a serious panic attack. Or at least that’s what she assumed this was. She was usually the queen of calm.

Shit. She never lost control of herself like this, but the thought of facing Sky while images of red-hot sex flashed through her mind seemed impossible. Sky would be able to sniff her arousal from a mile away. Her damn sister had pushed her onto the figurative ledge and she was definitely considering a jump—one that would either lead to nonstop masturbation or Sky’s bed. Her heart raced as she climbed the stairs, her sweaty palms slick on the railing.

Laughter greeted her and she smiled despite her jangled nerves when she spotted Pop and Sky sitting at the counter eating Dagwood-style sandwiches.

“Hungry?” she asked as both men dug into the subs with enthusiasm. Riley’s head popped up behind them.

“Where the fuck have you been?” her sister asked.

“Riley Collins,” Pop chastised. “You will curb that filthy language or I will get out the soap.”

“Jesus, Pop. I’m twenty-two years old. You can’t wash my mouth out with soap.” 53

Mari Carr

“Riley,” Pop said and Teagan watched her sister nearly bite her tongue off to obey.

Pop was the only person left in the world who managed to retain a small bit of control over her sister.

“Welcome home,” Sky said. “I was about to send out the troops to look for you.”

“It’s Wednesday. Music class at the preschool.” She fought to keep her voice from betraying her anxiety and was proud of her efforts.

“So I recall.”

Pop entered the conversation. “You should have called in sick, Ruby. You and Sky have a lot of work to do for this album. You’ve got your future to think of.”

“My future?” she asked. “I sort of thought I was living my future. You know how much I love teaching music to the kids, Pop.”

“I know that, lassie, but you’ve got an opportunity to really accomplish something with your music. I don’t think it would hurt anything to curb your usual routine for a few weeks. This could mean the big time for you.”

“What if I don’t want the big time, Pop?” She felt the usual tightness that constricted her chest when she considered moving out of this beloved apartment. She loved being home, loved being close to her family.

Her father scoffed at her comment. “Not want to share that talent of yours with the world? Why on earth would you throw away what you’ve been blessed with? I’ve never heard such foolishness. You have a true gift, Ruby. I must confess I’ve often felt guilty about my role in halting your mother’s career.” Sunday had met Patrick Collins when she was singing in a small pub in Ireland.

Pop swore to this day her mother would have been more famous than Madonna if he hadn’t snatched her off the stage to make her a wife and mother. Teagan could remember her mother laughing whenever Pop told the tale, dismissing it as an outright lie, though Teagan knew Sunday had reveled in her husband’s unwavering belief in her talent.

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“Your pop and Riley have just been reworking the schedule in the restaurant so we can work on our songs,” Sky said. “They’ve very graciously reassigned your shifts so we can have plenty of quiet time up here. Alone.” Teagan’s heart skipped a beat as she pondered whether he’d really stressed the word
alone
or she’d just imagined he had. “Oh Pop, I couldn’t do that to you and the others. I refuse to leave you short-handed.”

“Short-handed?” Pop repeated, shaking his head emphatically. “It’s the slow season, Ruby. You know that. Joyce has been complaining about her lack of work hours for weeks. She’ll be delighted to have a chance to pick up some extra pay.” Joyce Bernard was one of the few people not related to the Collins family who worked in the restaurant. She’d been a waitress for them for nearly a decade and she would most certainly like the extended work hours, as her husband had recently been laid off. Keira and Ewan had been working like mad to give Joyce as many hours as they could afford to help keep her family afloat.

“Oh, that’s true.” Teagan struggled to think of some other argument against she and Sky being left alone, but nothing came to her. She’d lost the bet and now she had to pay the piper…with her father standing over her to make sure she did.

“In fact,” Pop wiped his mouth and turned to Riley, “it’s time you and I got downstairs to give Ewan and Tris a hand, missy. The lunch rush is probably gearing up by now.”

“You’re leaving? Now?” Teagan asked, cursing the alarm in her voice.

Pop looked at her strangely while Riley rolled her eyes with frustration. “Later, sis,” she said dismissively, shooing her father along.

Clearly Riley was not going to be helpful in her attempts to fight temptation in regards to Sky Mitchell. She watched Sky as he rose from the counter with a wicked grin on his face. Yep, he had her number all right.

“Don’t look so scared, gypsy. I’m not the Big Bad Wolf and I’ll only bite when you beg me to.”

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Mari Carr

He continued coming toward her and she fought against taking a step away. “Don’t hold your breath, rock star. Pleading is something you’ll never hear from these lips.” She grinned, pleased with the strength of her denial. She could do this.

He reached out and pulled her toward him. She reached up, intent on grasping his ear, but he’d grown wise to that move and he captured her hands, pulling them behind her back. Her breasts were pressed flat to his chest and she wondered why the fear that had plagued her since dawn suddenly evaporated. Something about being held in Sky’s arms felt right, comforting. God, she really was lost.

“Sky.” She meant the word to be chastising, but it fell short of that mark when his intent became clear. He swallowed her next breath with his lips, claiming her mouth in a manner that was the complete opposite of last night’s easy explorations. Today, he laid siege, plundering and demanding her surrender. He wasn’t taking prisoners. He was playing to win.

She fought against his grip on her wrists until he relinquished her hands. Once free, she wrapped her arms around his neck, running her fingers through his thick, dark hair. Her touch spurred him on and she felt him pushing her backward, toward the couch. Neither of them came up for air as she lay on her back on the sofa, Sky’s large frame covering hers in an instant. Every part of their bodies touched as he continued his assault on her lips. His hands moved under her blouse and she gasped when he enveloped the sensitive globes with his palms, pushing against her tight nipples until she wanted to scream. The sensations he evoked with his lips and hands traveled down her body and her hips gyrated wildly against his denim-clad cock, her pussy demanding attention.

One of his hands left her breast and she whimpered until she felt the material of her skirt being lifted. Sky’s hand brushed the side of her thigh and she felt the knowledge of what he intended to do crash down on her.

Holy hell. What was she doing?

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“Stop.” She turned her head to the side, fighting to say the word when his lips descended on her neck. “Sky. Please stop.”

Her words, stronger this time, seemed to penetrate through the thick sexual air that surrounded and threatened to choke them. He leaned up on his elbows, the sensuous feeling of his weight on her body driving her mad.

No
, she thought.

“No,” she said.

“No?” he asked, clearly confused by the multitude of mixed signals she was sending. She’d let things go way too far.

“I’m so sorry,” she said. “I just can’t do this. Not with you. Not here. Not now.” He seemed to consider her words and she was relieved when a crooked, amused grin covered his face. “Maybe I am the Big Bad Wolf. I sort of jumped on you, didn’t I?”

“I wasn’t exactly fighting you off. Guess I’d make a lousy Little Red Riding Hood.”

“I don’t know,” Sky said as he pushed himself away from her. She missed the sensation of him lying on top of her the instant he reached down to pull her into a sitting position. “You sure do have the coloring for the part.” They sat together on the couch in silence for several moments and Teagan sensed he was trying as hard as she was to pull it together, to beat down the horny beasts clamoring for release.

“I don’t jump into bed with strangers,” she said when the silence became unbearable. Then she instantly regretted her words, realizing how they sounded. “I mean, I’m not implying that
you
do. I’m just saying that I don’t.”

“I understand, Teagan. In fact, I think with that line you sort of solidified my respect for you. It’s been growing since last night and dammit, now you’ve got it—

hook, line and sinker.”

She laughed at his apparent disgruntlement. “Respect is a bad thing?”

“I really want to fuck you.”

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Mari Carr

“Now you’ve lost me.”

“I got out of a shitty relationship a while back. Since then, I’ve been keeping my affairs light, emotionless. Rather disrespectful of me, I guess you could say.”

“Not if the women you were—” She struggled to find her next word. She was certain Sky was discussing sex, but she couldn’t bring herself to imagine him with another woman in that way. “If the women you were dating knew it was all just for fun, then that’s not really disrespectful.”

“They knew where I stood,” he said. “I just don’t think that stopped them from wanting and hoping for more.”

“Ah, I see.” She’d been right to stop him. Her body was currently reading her the riot act, but her mind was sighing with relief. She’d obviously had a near miss because, after talking to Sky, she knew there was no way she could give her body to him and hope to retain her pride as well.

But, dammit, she was chomping at the bit to learn more. Riley was right. There was no doubt in her mind Sky could teach her all sorts of things she desperately wanted to learn. “I think I may be in over my head here.”

“Join the club,” he murmured.

The awkward silence descended again.

“So what do we do now?” she asked.

“Now, I guess we write music.”

* * * * *

When Sky glanced out the window, he was startled to realize night had fallen. He and Teagan had thrown themselves into their work and it dawned on him the pent-up passion of their unfinished interlude this afternoon seemed to have made its way out and onto the pages before them.

Teagan wasn’t just a good songwriter. She was a brilliant one. He’d worked with countless musicians in the past, but none of them had her talent, her ability to create 58

Ruby Tuesday

words and melodies that jumped off the page. He was also enthralled by her skill with the guitar. He’d spent the better part of the day watching her fingers strum the strings with a soft touch that left his cock stiff as a pike. A few minutes in the shower would have relieved at least a bit of his need, but he couldn’t make himself leave her for even that long. He was afraid of breaking the spell surrounding them. He’d written more music in the past six hours than he had in the last six months. She’d broken through his writer’s block and he felt rejuvenated, refreshed, ready to take on the world. They’d made decent headway on at least three songs and he was certain each and every one of them would be a hit.