“Great job.” Tessa gave them a big smile, and then gulped some water. “I don’t know about you guys, but I’m exhausted.”
Mason laughed, a happy, carefree musical sound. “I can’t believe we finally wore her out.”
“Very funny.” Tessa looked tired, but still glowed with enthusiasm. “I’m going upstairs to shower.”
“I’m outta here, too.” Mason stretched and rolled his shoulders. “Same time tomorrow?”
They both looked at Sindy, waiting to hear what time her shift at the diner ended. “I’m on early, so I can be here by six.”
“Cool.” Mason placed his sticks down on his snare, patted Lucas on the shoulder and gave Sindy a small wave and one of his dimpled smiles. Tessa yawned and waved and followed Mason up the stairs.
Sindy’s cheeks flushed as her mind went back to the last time she was alone in the studio with Lucas. The couch stared at her, once again mocking her with the secret they shared.
“I guess it’s just you and me.” Lucas smiled at Sindy, so full of ego and so full of charm, turning her insides to butter. Had she mistaken attraction for anger and annoyance when they’d first met? Was their constant banter a mutual egotistical form of aggressive flirting? Is that what made her heart beat faster whenever he looked at her?
They were both obstinate and headstrong. They were like two bulls butting heads over stupid things, like whose chord progression sounded more pleasing to the ear. He was the master. She didn’t need to question the music he wrote. If Lucas Blade thought his riff worked better, who the hell was she to argue? Why was she always ready to challenge him? A smile crept onto her lips. Because she enjoyed the power play. The arguing ignited the heat between them, until they couldn’t control themselves and real feelings burst through. Feelings she didn’t know she had. But she needed to put those feelings aside and lock them back up, because this was a dangerous game. “Don’t look at me like that, Lucas.” If her voice would have been stronger, without the nervous waver, her warning may have held weight.
Lucas saw right through it. “You know there’s something between us. I know you have feelings for me. Don’t fight it.”
Her shoulders fell, and she let out a deep breath. “You can have any woman you want. Why me?”
“Why not you? You’re smart. You’re funny. You’re feisty. Talented. Independent. We have similar styles on the guitar. We’re a lot alike.”
Arguing with him had been easy in the past. But she had no words to combat him today. All she could do was huff out a breath and run her fingers through her hair. “You need to let this go. We’re trying to do something big here. I need this opportunity, but I’m not going to sleep with you to get it.”
He jerked his head back, insulted and offended. “I’d never do something like that. Why would you think that? You already have the gig. We wouldn’t be teaching you all of our songs if you didn’t. I told you the job was yours. My word means something. We’re just waiting on a background check to finalize the deal. I have no control over that. One of my fathers, Angel Garcia, is the band’s manager, and he’s in charge of that. Not me. I can’t tell him to nix procedure and get the contract from the lawyers. Besides, Tessa and Mason are two-thirds of this band. You were voted in. Unanimously. I can’t oust you. And I don’t want to. One thing has nothing to do with the other.”
“Please, Lucas. I don’t want to screw this up. The band is the first good thing that’s happened to me in a long time. Let’s not complicate things by messing around.”
He stared at her, without the bright smile and some of the light in his eyes missing. His penetrating gaze and the darkness that shrouded his face somehow rendered it even more handsome. She wished things were different and he was just a regular guy instead of the man who held the key to her future. She knew she couldn’t have both, and she wasn’t going to screw up her chance at success because she couldn’t control her urges. She needed to choose between Lucas and the band, and she chose the band.
