The chattering of the girls at the table beside us dug into my ear in the same way creepy music caught your attention in a horror film, warning that bad shit was about to go down and you would do best to brace yourself. Taking my own advice, I gripped the seat beneath me and turned in time to make eye contact with Calix.
His lip lifted in a sneer. He reached for the woman in front of him and pulled her in by the throat, attacking her mouth in a kiss that was hot enough to ignite something low in my belly. His eyes burned into me as he maneuvered her head how he wanted, taking everything from the girl. I lifted a brow at him, refusing to show how he affected me. Screw him if he thought I’d be impressed by this show of dominance that would probably end in more work for me.
His icy eyes bore into me as he slowly raised his middle finger behind the girl’s back.
Squeals broke out behind me, drowning out my scoff of annoyance as my lead singer finally decided to break off the PDA and move toward the bathrooms. His saunter told me all I needed to know about what was about to go down.
Mind your business.
Miss Likes-to-be-choked beelined for her friends while I tried to ignore visions of her tripping on her heels. It’d be a shame to ruin thousands of dollars of rhinoplasty. Truly. I’d definitely shed a tear.
“Why do you look like you’re thinking violent thoughts?” Otis’s voice broke through my fantasy, and I did nothing to hide the guilt.
“She’s going to cause more work for me. I can see it now.”
He grunted, his gaze straying back toward Harvey as a commotion on the table behind us caught my attention.
“It’s already live streaming. This is going to go hella viral, just make sure you get him to say something so your fans know it’s still him.”
The girls around the table looked ready to hump blondie’s leg in their excitement for the show their friend was about to put on.
“That doesn’t sound good,” Otis muttered, the excitement apparently enough to pull his attention away from his best friend.
We watched in growing horror as the girl accepted the offered cell phone and struck a pose.
“Hey, besties. I hope you’re settled in somewhere comfortable and private because things are about to get hot and heavy with Calix Quinn from Goats and Vandals. Let’s do this, sluts!”
“Oh, hell no.” I was out of my seat and stalking after the bitch before I knew what I was doing.
“Keep an eye on the others,” I ordered Otis, jogging to catch her before she could fuck up my tour. A cloud of sickly sweet candy scented perfume tightened my throat. As her hand reached for the bathroom door, I tangled my fingers in her hair and yanked hard. Her phone clattered to the ground, and I caught a glance of the screen showing the ceiling above us as rows of hearts driftedup from the chat box. Sorry, thirsty bitches, but no one would be seeing Calix Quinn’s dick if I had anything to say about it.
Stepping forward, I brought my heel down hard, aiming for a confused emoji that drifted across the screen, and relished the crunch.
“What the fuck, bitch?!”
“Considering you were planning on filming and disseminating pornography without consent, I think I should be saying that to you.” My voice was so calm that I surprised myself.
“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.” She talked a big game, but her eyes darted toward the door, then back the way we had come before landing in the vicinity of my throat. No eye contact. Coward.
“I’m the manager who has to clean up the shitstorm you’re trying to bring to my door, and I want you to hear me loud and clear on this. If you lay a hand on the man in there. If you take footage of his naked body, even without the intent to share, I will bury you. You will find yourself so wrapped up in legal shit your grandkids will be paying off your debt. Take your little friends out there and leave. Do not pass Go, and if you even think about collecting two hundred dollars, I’ll take that from you too.”
The girl’s lips flapped. No words coming out. Just when I thought I may have scared her shitless, she scooped up her ruined cell and bolted.
Releasing a breath, I pushed into the men’s room, ready to tell Calix it was home time. Halfway across the room, I ran out of steam and flopped onto the closed seat of the vacant cubicle beside where I assumed Calix was waiting. Burying my head in my hands, I took a moment to think through the encounteroutside. Was it concern for my career or jealousy that had made me act out like that?
I didn’t want to think the thing in the shower had changed anything between us. I still hated him, but maybe…not quite as much?
Shit. I didn’t know.
“You took your time.”
I hummed in response to the deep voice echoing through the partition beside me. I had to admit, as much as I may have been confused about the man himself, his voice was pure sex. I’d known that since the first time I heard it.
“Are you ready for this, baby girl? I need you so bad.”
“Ah…” My voice was barely recognizable. High and tight and far too turned on for my liking. I needed to say something.
“Calix,” I squeaked.
