Chapter One
Nick
When my hand glides over the generous curves of a woman’s body, goosebumps prickle her skin, and a deep moan rumbles through my ears. The calluses on my fingertips from years of guitar playing make her skin seem even smoother.
Her voice quivers, shaking in anticipation of her next orgasm. “Oh god yes, right there.”
I adjust the tilt of her leg, setting it higher on my shoulder before continuing to pummel her with the rhythm that had her falling into orgasmic bliss only minutes ago. She better hurry if she wants a second taste, because my balls are constricting, preparing for imminent release.
“Oh god, oh god.”
I’m tempted to tell her God can’t help her right now, but I stay quiet. I’m not here to make her fall in love with my impressive bedroom skills. I’m here to get my rocks off.
Just as her screams reach an ear-piercing level, a door shoots open so fast, it nearly comes off the hinges. “What the fuck?!”
I freeze, and my dick softens.
Slater—my bandmate/arch nemesis—is standing in the doorway. His fists are clenched at his side, his nostrils flaring. I dart out of his bed, standing before him in nothing but a condom. When his teeth grind together, filling the room’s uncomfortable silence with tension, I shift my eyes around the homey space, seeking the closest viable exit.
My options are limited.
Other than the door Slater is guarding like a bouncer at my brother’s nightclubs, there’s a window to my right. Considering I’m as naked as the day I was born, it’s not the most practical choice.
While swallowing to soothe my burning throat, my eyes dart down to my jeans sprawled on the floor—mere inches from Slater’s boot-covered feet. When Slater follows the direction of my gaze, he smirks a shit-eating grin. He knows he has me by the throat.
After returning his eyes to mine, he cocks his brow, wordlessly daring me to make a move for my clothes. When I fail to fall for his trick, his squinted eyes shift to the bed I just left. “Get out!”
Happy to leave, I take a step forward. I barely make it two feet when Slater’s narrowed gaze pins me in place. “Not you.” His eyes narrow even further when they drift to Nikki, his fiancée. “Her.”
She’s lying on his bed with her head bouncing between us as if she's watching a tennis match. Unnerved by Slater’s furious scowl, she slides off the sticky sheets and tiptoes toward him. Bare feet padding across the carpeted floor is the only audible noise in the room, barely heard over the mad beat of my heart.
Once she’s within touching distance of Slater, she peers up at him and bats her eyelashes.Seriously? Pleading with him while buck naked. Could she be any stupider?
“I’m sorry, baby, I was just—”
Slater cuts off her pathetic excuse mid-sentence. “Get the fuck out.”
After huffing at his rude tone, she bobs down to snag her lace dress off the floor. When she bolts past Slater, he barely moves. A door slamming shut bellows up the stairwell not long later. Its loud bang advises there’s only one way I’m getting out of this situation alive: it’s time to grovel!
After another swallow, my eyes float from my bare feet to Slater. “Look, man, I was doing you a favor. I told you those rumors—”
“Shut the fuck up, Nick.”
Okay, I’ll admit it. I fucked Nikki because I was horny, and she was available, but at the end of the day, I was also helping Slater. That girl is as slutty as they come. Slater’s just too blinded by her big tits and Hoover lips to notice it. I’ve seen her numerous times wandering off with guys during our performances at Mavericks. When she returned just before our set finished, her hair was ruffled, and her lips were swollen. It didn’t take a genius to work out what “entertainment” she was participating in while Slater entertained our fans.
Although I’m pleading guilty, I try to weasel my way out of a fucked up situation. “I wanted to prove what I was telling you was true.”
I’ve told Slater numerous times what I witnessed. Not once did he listen. When he invited me back to his house for a beer after our performance, I accepted his offer. Usually, I make any excuse to leave once our set is done. My bandmates are simply that—bandmates. I don’t consider them friends. We have a kick ass group that will make me millions of dollars one day, but that doesn’t mean we need to be butt-buddies.
My pickings after tonight’s performance were slim. I was beaten to the pick of the bunch because I was stuck talking to my brother, Isaac. When Slater invited me over, I nearly said no. . . until I spotted Nikki’s eyes raking my body. She was chewing on her bottom lip, and her eyes reflected her unbridled desire. That’s when I decided to prove to Slater he should listen to me more often.
I’m drawn from my thoughts when Slater snarls, “You proved your point; now I get to prove mine.”
“What point?”
My hands grow clammy when he takes another step forward. The closer he gets to me, the firmer his fists clench. When he stops to stand in front of me, a trail of sweat dribbles down my back, the heat from his eyes too much for me to bear.
“That you don’t fuck with me.” His voice exposes how badly I fucked up. I’ve never seen him so pissed.
