You Really Got Me (Rock Star Romance #1) (12 page)

She got up, reached for him, but stopped short of making contact. At the sliding glass door, she said, “I am truly sorry for not asking what
you
wanted.”

Hearing her say those words took the piss right out of him. He’d resented her for so long. How could she not have intervened? Tried to save him? But he understood her better now. All three of them had lived parallel lives, never really connecting.

What if he had told her what he’d wanted? Years ago. He may never have gotten through to his dad, but his mom . . . well, he could’ve tried. Just like Emmie had suggested.

And suddenly he didn’t want to be there anymore. He wanted to be around the one person in this world who made him happy.

When the doorbell rang, Emmie turned to the mirror one last time. She’d never have chosen this outfit, but she hoped it made her look younger and sexier. The navy miniskirt hugged her hips and flared around her upper thighs. The silky shirt had an unstructured, plunging neckline that drew attention to her breasts like a curtain bracketing a stage.

Her new teal and black lace bra lifted them, creating plump mounds that wobbled with her every move. Not a look she’d intended, so she tugged the top at the shoulders to raise the neckline.

“Uh-uh.” Tiana yanked the top down, lowering it again. “You wanted sexy? You got sexy. Don’t chicken out.”

“You sure my makeup’s not too much?”

“First of all, I’m Latino. That’s how we roll. Second, my brother’s Latino, so that’s what he’s used to. And third? You wanted sexy.” She shrugged. “I gave you sexy.”

“But it’s not me.”

“
You
is a quick swipe of mascara and lip gloss. And Gap shorts.”

“True.” Emmie leaned in to give Tiana a hug. “Thank you. You’ve been a good friend to me.”

“Hey, it was fun. Now get down there and—”

“Emmie,” Slater bellowed from downstairs.

Their gazes caught in the mirror, Tiana’s eyebrows hitching up. “Damn.”

Mostly, Emmie was surprised he’d come home. She thought he’d left for the night. She opened her door. “Be right down.”

“All right, I’m off,” Tiana said, picking up her purse and tossing her makeup back into it. “You have fun. And don’t let my brother get in your pants.”

Alarms went off in her head. Did he expect sex on a first date?

“Look at your face. Damn, girl.” Tiana laughed. “I’m kidding. Hector ain’t no playa. He’ll treat you right, I promise. You two are the perfect fit. You’ll see.” She left, leaving the door open.

Emmie opened her messenger bag, putting in the new berry lip gloss she’d bought, her wallet, and her cell phone.

“That’s what you’re wearing?”

She spun around to find Slater in the doorway. Smoothing a hand down the skirt, she said, “You don’t like it?”

He came into the room, all wild energy and heat, his gaze dropping to her cleavage. His expression turned feral, and his nostrils flared. He brought both hands close to her breasts, made a squeezing motion. “Are you trying to drive me out of my mind?”

“No,” she whispered. “Am I?”

He stood so close, his look so dangerous, so purely sexual, she found it hard to breathe. But that only made her breasts wobble more. Her nipples tightened, and she felt an insistent throbbing between her legs. Was it just him that did this to her? Or had she just spent too much time focused on her stupid list? She ached with want.

His jaw hardened, his fingers went rigid, and then he lowered his arms, exhaling slowly and deliberately. “You don’t look like you.”

And the moment passed. “Well, that’s kind of the point, isn’t it? If I look different, maybe I’ll feel different.”

“
Dress to feel sexy
isn’t the same as
look like someone different
.”

“Well, how I looked wasn’t really working for me.”

“Where did you ever get that idea?”

She swallowed, her mouth dry. “It’s not like . . . I’m not exactly a sexpot.”

“You’re not looking to get laid, are you? You’re looking to date a decent guy. Or do I have it wrong?” He yanked her top up. “Jesus, Em. You don’t need to show your tits to get the kind of guy you want.”

“It’s not to get a guy. It’s to make
me
feel more sexual. That’s the point.”

“And is it working? Are you feeling more sexual?”

“God, yes.” Arousal slammed into her. If she wasn’t careful, she’d throw herself into his arms, drag her tongue all the way down his chest, and lick his tattoo. She thought about it all the time, that tribal symbol . . . so enticingly close to his penis. Well, it wasn’t just a penis when she thought about it. It was his erection—him being thick and hard, fully aroused.
For me
. God, every time she imagined it, she got the same electrical response charging through her body.

“The
point
is for you to feel arousal when you’re with a guy. You want to go wild, right? You think you’re going to go wild over Hector, the actuary?”

“You think you know everything, but you don’t. I’m . . . I’m . . . I don’t know what else to do. I’m
trying
.”

His features softened as he took her in. “There’s nothing wrong with you.”

She held her breath, lust coursing through her with such intensity she felt dizzy.

Those soulful blue-gray eyes caressed her features, settling on her mouth. “Don’t go out with him.”

How swiftly lust flashed into anger. “Why, Slater? Are
you
going to date me?”

He took a step back, looking wounded and a little scared.

“Then get out of my way and let me find a guy who will.”

*   *   *

Her blisters had popped, making her heels burn. She’d grown sick of tugging the hem of her skirt down. Miniskirts were not for her. She hated how they rode up her thighs in the car and in the restaurant. But she’d had a nice time. Hector was a really nice guy.

Nice
. God. Why did that make her yawn?

The moment he turned onto her street, she saw cars parked everywhere. Every light in her house blared.

“Looks like you’ve got company.” Hector double-parked in front of her driveway. “Does this happen a lot?”

“Not really. They’re pretty good about not partying at home much. It’s not too bad.”

“Well, I had a nice time, Emmie.”

Something was wrong with her because who wouldn’t be happy with nice? Nice could last a lifetime. But, no. She had to be attracted to a rocker. Why? Why couldn’t a sweetie like Hector do it for her?

“Me, too. Thank you for dinner.” She supposed she should invite him in, but she just didn’t feel like it. Was that rude? No, it was a first date.

“It was my pleasure.” He killed the ignition and got out of his car to open her door.

At about five-ten or so, he stood shoulder to shoulder with her in her painful three-inch wedges. With his short-cropped hair and lean frame, he was handsome. He had a degree from UT in business, a master’s in accounting—all in all, he was perfect. Perfectly nice.

When he started to walk her to the door, she automatically pulled back. He seemed hurt, so she smiled and said, “Sounds pretty crazy in there. Probably best to say good night out here.”

He smiled and kissed her cheek. “Can I see you again?”

“That’d be great. Good night.”

He waited until she opened the door, then turned back to his car.

The moment she stepped into the house her gaze landed on Slater, drink in one hand, a girl’s butt cheek in the other. He faced the door and looked up the moment she walked in, almost as though waiting for her. Unfortunately, instead of smiling or nodding at her like a normal guy would do, his mouth swooped down and burrowed into the woman’s neck.
Real mature
. The girl’s fingers slid sensuously into his hair, her hips tilting into him and swaying.

Emmie shouldn’t have any reaction. He wasn’t doing anything wrong. Well, other than the fact he wasn’t doing it to
her
. Not that she wanted that kind of attention from him. This side of him, the guy who flirted, that wasn’t the guy she spent her days with.

Pushing her way through the bodies, she couldn’t help noticing how the women around her were dressed. Their skintight bandeaux dresses made her skirt look like something a middle-aged woman on a walking trip of Europe would wear. The blouse she’d tugged up all night to cover her chest looked like a tarp compared to the slinky tank tops these women wore. Her face felt greasy, and the last time she’d caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror in the restaurant bathroom, she’d felt garish and cheap.

“Emmie.” Derek caught her around the waist. “How was your date?” She hated to be around him when he was drunk. She couldn’t stand the glazed look in his eyes.

“Great, thanks.”

“This is Jezzie.” He grabbed a blonde and jerked her over.

“Hi, Jezzie.” Emmie offered her hand and then felt like an idiot because the girl didn’t even look her way.

“It’s Jessie. Hi.” The girl seemed completely out of place, like she’d meant to follow her family into Cracker Barrel but had somehow gotten shanghaied into this party instead.

“We’re celebrating,” Derek said. “I can’t believe you did this for us. We’re going to be fucking rock stars. You”—he stabbed a finger at her collarbone—“are making my dreams come true.”

“Fucking rock stars,” Pete shouted. The guys nearby attempted to whoop their support, but they were totally wasted.

“Aw, baby, where you been all my life?” Ben plastered a wet kiss to her cheek. She’d never seen him so drunk. He could barely stand. When his hand slid from her back to her ass, she jerked away from him.

“Well, I spent the first part of the evening with your
girlfriend,
and the second part with your
girlfriend’s
brother. Where
is
Tiana?”

“We broke up.”

“What? What’re you talking about? You were together three hours ago.”

“Our lives are changing, man,” Pete said. “No girlfriends. Everyone’s got to commit to the band, free and clear. We can’t have distractions right now.”

“Tiana’s not a distraction.” She couldn’t believe how disgusting they were all being. Was this how they were going to handle fame?

“Girlfriends are distractions,” Pete said. “Period.”

Cooper came up, a girl hanging off each arm. “Emmie, you rock.”

She ignored him, focusing on Ben. “Did you guys have a fight?”

He shook his head, looking miserable.

“So, you broke up with Tiana because you’re going to play the music festival? That’s it? How does that make sense?”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Cooper said. “Come on, we’ve been waiting for this a long time. We can’t be weighed down by baggage. Girlfriends want shit. They want your time and energy.”

“They’re energy suckers,” Ben said, rallying.

“You have got to be kidding me. Tiana’s the coolest girlfriend in the world. She gives you all the space you need.”

“She doesn’t let him fuck other girls,” Pete said. “What’s the point of being rock stars if we don’t get pussy?”

“I hope in the morning you all sound more intelligent.” She gave Ben a shove. “You’re a jerk. You’re not on the road, you’re not a rock star, and you’re damn lucky to have a girl like her.”

Emmie wished so badly she had the strength to head up the stairs without sparing Slater a glance, but damn her weakness. And what a punishment she got for it. Leaning back on the couch, he had one girl on his lap and another beside him pressed close, and both of them had their hands all over him.

She’d had enough. As she climbed the stairs, she thought that while her date hadn’t lit any sparklers in her panties, he was at least a good man who didn’t want to score as much “pussy” as humanly possible. So maybe she needed to compromise. She wouldn’t necessarily get passion and lust, but she could have a satisfying sexual relationship with a stable, decent, and intelligent man.

She felt sick and wanted nothing more than to take off this stupid bra and forget all about her mission to feel lust. Why was she so obsessed with relationships anyhow? Shouldn’t she be focusing on her career? She’d come out here to discover bands. More than halfway through her leave of absence, the only thing she should be thinking about was presenting Snatch to Irwin—and hoping to God he signed them. Because she sure hadn’t found any other bands yet.

She shut her door, barely dulling the music, and stripped out of her clothes. Stepping into her sleep shorts, she threw on a tank top, her breasts relieved to be freed from the tight demi-cup bra she’d worn, which had dug into her skin, causing deep red indentations. She couldn’t get to the bathroom fast enough to wash off the greasy, unflattering makeup.

With her face over the sink and warm water splashing over her skin, she felt a presence. A big black hole sucking all the energy out of the small room. She jerked up to find Slater looming behind her. She grabbed a towel, wiping the water off her face. “What do you want?” The image of the girl’s ass in his hand blew up like a billboard in her mind.

“How was your
date
?” Great, he was drunk, too.

“My date was terrific. Thanks for asking. I’ll be out of here in second, so if you’ll excuse me . . . ?”

“You’re pissy.”

“I’m tired, and I’m going to bed.”

“You’re not supposed to go to bed angry.”

“That’s for spouses, Slater. It doesn’t apply to roommates. Can you please get out of my way?” She skimmed around him, but he didn’t move. So she looked up at him. “Please?”

“Afraid you might touch me?”

“Oh, I think you’ve been touched enough for one night.” She sounded as disgusted as she felt.

“You’re pissed because I touched other women?”

“Of course not.” Was that her voice, all shrill? On the verge of hysteria? “Isn’t that what you do?”

“Yes, it is. So why’re you pissed?”

Excellent question. Because he’d groped three women in the five minutes she’d been downstairs? Yeah,
so
none of her business. “I’m not. I’m sorry. Just . . . I hate that Ben broke up with Tiana because of this festival. And seeing you all drunk and whoring it up, it just . . .”

“Do we disappoint you?”

Right. Again, none of her business what they did. She forced a smile. “No, I’m not disappointed. I’m happy for you. This is what you want. This is why you’re doing it.”

“
What
is why we’re doing it?”

“As Pete succinctly put it, for the pussy. And I promise, when you do score a tour, you’ll get enough to satisfy even you guys.”

“Why do you keep saying that? You know me better than that. Better than anyone. You know I don’t do this for the
pussy
.”

She looked away, paying too much attention to draping her damp towel over the rod.

“I don’t need to stand up on stage to get
pussy
.”

“Yes, Slater, I’m well aware of that. I told you that’s what
Pete
said.”