What the fuck was she doing here?

Bex

I hated every second of being here. Beau made me come. He was hot on one of the girls in this band for some weird reason and forced me out of the rehearsal cave. Country music was like nails on the damn chalkboard for me, even if they were talented.

“Come on,” Beau said into my ear. I turned back and indicated to Natalie that Beau was moving us. I’d be content to stand here and drown my senses in alcohol to avoid wherever Beau wanted us to go. Our tattooed, rocker selves stuck out like a sore thumb here in a room full of country bumpkins.

I stopped in my tracks as I realized he was leading us to the dance floor. Dance? Hell to the no. His eyes pleaded with me as he nodded his head towards Zaide. Ah, that was the one he was sweet on. She was the drummer. It made sense now.

Natalie pushed me from behind, and I let them continue to lead me onto the dance floor. Zaide smiled at him, and he whispered something into her ear. She nodded, and the two of them began dancing together. I watched them for a moment, wondering what the hell I was supposed to do now. Dance with Natalie? That was not happening. This was so unlike Beau too, so, however he met her, must’ve been earth shattering.

Just as I turned to plead with her to kill me now, words left my brain as I looked across the dance floor to the bar. He was here, in a country bar? Hell, I was in a country bar, but why was he? He was, for all intents and purposes, eye fucking someone. At closer examination, I realized she was the lead singer of the band we were here to see, Stephanie. She was fucking beautiful; everything I wasn’t. Yeah, I knew I was good looking, but she was pure. Innocent. And it looked like he was going to corrupt her. The feeling of quivering around him overwhelmed me.

Rage flooded through my system. Of course, he would be here, ready to fuck another lead singer. That was his M.O. apparently. I watched as he kissed her, his hands a little too low on her backside. He then whispered into her ear, and she bit her lip in response. My gut churned and rolled the beer I’d had.

Johnny.

I hadn’t seen him since the day I left The Outrigger to get ready for the tour. I knew that was how both of us wanted it, but it hadn’t stopped me from thinking about our two days together. Or touching myself while thinking of his fingers inside me, on me, or his mouth trailing a path of fire across my goose bumped skin. Or the way his . . .

“Bex,” Natalie hissed into my ear. “Is that who I think it is?”

I nodded, not trusting my voice. We watched as Stephanie walked away, a promise in both of their eyes. That’s when he turned and his eyes connected with mine.

I wasn’t sure how much time passed, but neither of us moved. I wanted nothing more than to run the hell away from this shithole bar. I wasn’t sure who I hated more at this moment: Johnny, for acting with her the way he’d acted with me, or myself for giving two shits about who he was with now. We’d made no promises to each other, and I didn’t want one.

Johnny stepped up to me, so close I could smell whatever aftershave he wore. His jeans fit him like a second skin, and the shirt he wore showed the striation of every muscle. I remembered licking and sucking every part of that body. He rubbed his scruff as he watched me, and my legs quivered. The thought of him rubbing against my inner thighs made me rub my legs together. So he was the hottest guy I’d ever had the privilege of taking to bed. Multiple times. So what. Get your fucking head together, Bexley Bryant. What kind of pussy are you?

I wanted to kick him in the nuts and drag Beau and Natalie out of here, but I forced myself to stand still. Two could play this fucking game. Crossing my arms in front of my chest, I tipped my head up so I could meet his eyes. I knew the look I was giving him was lethal, but he was undeterred.

“Bex,” he said, not hiding his appraisal of my body. Never mind the fact that he had just been about to fuck Stephanie and probably would be later.

“Johnny,” I said back. “What the fuck do you want?”

He chuckled, sending my nerve endings on fire. “Ah, there she is.”

“There who is?” I spat. I could feel Natalie tapping me gently from behind. I knew what her message was. Chill the fuck out. But I couldn’t. He wasn’t getting to me. I jerked my thumb in the direction Stephanie had gone. “Get your dick sucked yet, or did she have to go play first?”

He narrowed his eyes on me. “What the fuck do you care?”

He got me there. “I don’t.”

Johnny looked at Natalie before looking back at me. “Unbelievable.”

“Fuck you,” I seethed. “Oh wait, I already did that. Been there done that, got the t-shirt. But I didn’t get the t-shirt. I sure as shit got the dick though, didn’t I?”

I was crossing the line. I knew it. Natalie gasped from behind me, looking around for Beau. I knew she was trying to do damage control and get us out of there before I went nuclear.

“You sure did, sweetheart,” Johnny spat back. “And it was the best fucking sex of your life. I know it, and you know it. Which is why you’re acting like a jealous bitch right now. You wanna fuck again? Come on, I know first hand the room back there isn’t being used. You know I can do it quick and send you screaming for more.”

The band started playing, putting us both at a silent standoff as the room was filled with music.

“Let’s go, Bex,” Natalie said, pulling on my arm. I shook her off, my eyes not leaving Johnny’s. Why was I so angry? What was it about him that pushed me right to my limits? Was it because he was the first guy—ever—that I’d slept in a bed with willingly? Was it because when he looked at me I felt like he saw the real me—the one I tried to hide?

Johnny’s eyes lifted to Natalie’s. An unspoken conversation seemed to happen between them. Finally, he nodded and grabbed my wrist, pulling me towards the door.

“Let. Me. Go,” I bit out. He ignored me, forcing me to run behind him. His fingers were almost hurting, as hard as he was holding onto me. I turned and saw Natalie, a small smile playing on her lips. I took my free hand and flipped her off, to which she blew me a kiss. She really was fucking fired now.

Johnny pushed through the door, the humidity hitting me like a wall as he pushed me up against the building right next to the door. “I know what your fucking problem is,” he said against my lips, pinning me to the wall. I could feel his erection against my leg, and I wanted so badly to shift to where I needed him to be. But then I remembered he’d been hard for her, and I tried unsuccessfully to wriggle from his grasp.

“You fucking hard for me or is that left over from Stephanie?”

He smirked. “That damn mouth,” he muttered. “I’m going to shut it up.” He grabbed my neck and hauled me to him, his lips silencing any other words that I could say. My traitorous knees buckled from the assault of his tongue against mine.

Just as I was giving in, my body melting against his, Johnny stepped back. “Point proven. You’re pissed off because you want my dick. Say it, Bex.”

My mouth dropped open. That’s what this had been about? Not that he wanted me as badly as I wanted him, but to prove a point.

I smacked him across the face, the sound echoing around us. “Fuck. You.”

“I did,” Johnny said, leaning so close to my face I could see the fire in his eyes. “And I want to do it again. You do too, or you wouldn’t be acting like a bitch.”

He opened his wallet and took out a card. He tossed it in my direction. “When you’re tired of getting your own rocks off, my cell is on there.”

I gaped. “You pretentious asshole. Who’s to say I need you to get my rocks off?”