friend.”
Kade didn’t let go of my hand as we weaved through the throng of people. As we did, I bumped into a group of girls accidentally. I was about to apologize when Tammy bared her teeth at me, as did Grace.
Tammy narrowed eyes heavy with mascara at Kade, then at our joined hands. “You’re dating her?” she asked. “Are you kidding me?” She put her hands on her hips. “Grace told me you were, but I didn’t believe her.”
Anger bubbled to the surface. I hated rumors. When I’d started playing baseball at Crestview, I was supposedly sleeping with the boys on the team. I tried to pull my hand from his, but he squeezed it tighter. Oookay .
“Tammy,” he said. “Don’t make a scene.”
Grace whispered something in her ear, and she huffed, disappearing between bodies. Grace shuffled behind her.
“Can I have my hand back?” I asked, looking up at him. “You’re cutting off my blood supply.”
He grinned. My stomach flipped a few times. Then he let go.
“Excuse me,” I said to three guys who were chatting near the stage. They moved out of the way.
“Lacey,” Lenny said, jumping down. Lenny was a good-looking guy in his late twenties with shoulder-length, cinnamon-colored hair, a strong jaw, and a nice smile. Unlike J.J. from Zeal, Lenny had more of a male following. His style of music was bluesy rock, and all of them in the band hailed from New Orleans. I wasn’t surprised that some of the girls were infatuated with him. He’d just released a killer song, appealing to the young female audience. Dad had suggested he write a ballad or two to help increase his female fan base.
“Wow. You look amazing. The last time I saw you…well…”
The last time I’d seen Lenny, I’d been in Eko’s studio in California. Occasionally I would visit Dad after school, when one of the bands was recording. He liked to use me as a gauge, especially if it was a band who played to my age group. On the day I’d met Lenny, I was in a
major funk. I couldn’t remember what I wore, but most of the time I was wearing baggy clothes and a ball cap. Who dressed up after a losing two loved ones?
I pushed up onto my toes and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you.” I eased back. “It’s good to see you, too. Dad tells me you guys are doing great.”
“Yeah. If it weren’t for your dad, we’d still be playing those dives in New Orleans.” He pointed with his chin. “Are you going to introduce me?”
I glanced over my shoulder. Kade had one of his masterful blank expressions. “Oh, I’m sorry. This is Kade.”
“Boyfriend?”
“God, no.”
Kade tugged me to him, his fingers pressing into my hips.
Lenny’s eyebrows shot up. “Mmm. I don’t think he agrees with you, Lacey.”
I lifted a shoulder. My back molded to Kade’s chest. Was Kade staking out his territory ? Then Kelton’s words rang in my head: Kade doesn’t share his women . A miniscule sliver of me warmed to the idea, then I quickly discarded it. I didn’t belong to anyone. I itched to knee him in the balls again. I would’ve, if it weren’t for the subtle circles he was tracing on my hips. Didn’t predators calm their prey before attacking ?
“Nice to meet you, Kade,” Lenny said.
“Same here, man. I like your music.” With the barest of movements, he mashed his thighs against me.
Desire rushed south. Annoyance climbed north.
Placing my hands over his, I dug my nails into his flesh, hoping the act would cause him to release me. Instead he pulled me even closer. His tall, hard body, all male, all hotness, pressed into me. My cheeks warmed, as did other places on my body.
Lenny laughed. “You sure about that, man? I’m not convinced coming from someone wearing a Zeal shirt.”
Kade laughed. “What can I say? I like them too.”
“Fair enough. Lacey, are you going to hang around to listen?” Lenny asked.
“That’s why I’m here.”
“Good. See you later then.” Lenny hopped up on stage.
I didn’t move. Neither
Kade didn’t let go of my hand as we weaved through the throng of people. As we did, I bumped into a group of girls accidentally. I was about to apologize when Tammy bared her teeth at me, as did Grace.
Tammy narrowed eyes heavy with mascara at Kade, then at our joined hands. “You’re dating her?” she asked. “Are you kidding me?” She put her hands on her hips. “Grace told me you were, but I didn’t believe her.”
Anger bubbled to the surface. I hated rumors. When I’d started playing baseball at Crestview, I was supposedly sleeping with the boys on the team. I tried to pull my hand from his, but he squeezed it tighter. Oookay .
“Tammy,” he said. “Don’t make a scene.”
Grace whispered something in her ear, and she huffed, disappearing between bodies. Grace shuffled behind her.
“Can I have my hand back?” I asked, looking up at him. “You’re cutting off my blood supply.”
He grinned. My stomach flipped a few times. Then he let go.
“Excuse me,” I said to three guys who were chatting near the stage. They moved out of the way.
“Lacey,” Lenny said, jumping down. Lenny was a good-looking guy in his late twenties with shoulder-length, cinnamon-colored hair, a strong jaw, and a nice smile. Unlike J.J. from Zeal, Lenny had more of a male following. His style of music was bluesy rock, and all of them in the band hailed from New Orleans. I wasn’t surprised that some of the girls were infatuated with him. He’d just released a killer song, appealing to the young female audience. Dad had suggested he write a ballad or two to help increase his female fan base.
“Wow. You look amazing. The last time I saw you…well…”
The last time I’d seen Lenny, I’d been in Eko’s studio in California. Occasionally I would visit Dad after school, when one of the bands was recording. He liked to use me as a gauge, especially if it was a band who played to my age group. On the day I’d met Lenny, I was in a
major funk. I couldn’t remember what I wore, but most of the time I was wearing baggy clothes and a ball cap. Who dressed up after a losing two loved ones?
I pushed up onto my toes and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you.” I eased back. “It’s good to see you, too. Dad tells me you guys are doing great.”
“Yeah. If it weren’t for your dad, we’d still be playing those dives in New Orleans.” He pointed with his chin. “Are you going to introduce me?”
I glanced over my shoulder. Kade had one of his masterful blank expressions. “Oh, I’m sorry. This is Kade.”
“Boyfriend?”
“God, no.”
Kade tugged me to him, his fingers pressing into my hips.
Lenny’s eyebrows shot up. “Mmm. I don’t think he agrees with you, Lacey.”
I lifted a shoulder. My back molded to Kade’s chest. Was Kade staking out his territory ? Then Kelton’s words rang in my head: Kade doesn’t share his women . A miniscule sliver of me warmed to the idea, then I quickly discarded it. I didn’t belong to anyone. I itched to knee him in the balls again. I would’ve, if it weren’t for the subtle circles he was tracing on my hips. Didn’t predators calm their prey before attacking ?
“Nice to meet you, Kade,” Lenny said.
“Same here, man. I like your music.” With the barest of movements, he mashed his thighs against me.
Desire rushed south. Annoyance climbed north.
Placing my hands over his, I dug my nails into his flesh, hoping the act would cause him to release me. Instead he pulled me even closer. His tall, hard body, all male, all hotness, pressed into me. My cheeks warmed, as did other places on my body.
Lenny laughed. “You sure about that, man? I’m not convinced coming from someone wearing a Zeal shirt.”
Kade laughed. “What can I say? I like them too.”
“Fair enough. Lacey, are you going to hang around to listen?” Lenny asked.
“That’s why I’m here.”
“Good. See you later then.” Lenny hopped up on stage.
I didn’t move. Neither
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