Risky Rockstar: A Hero Club Novel, стр. 27

I can’t speak. I’ve gotta keep my mind on business here. Opening my mouth to say something—I’m not sure what—I hear Josh speak first.

“Holy shit. We got a fire in here, or what?”

Yeah, we gotta fire going here. Definitely…

“I think we might. That was really…” Catching Hayley’s eyes, seeing that blaze in them that’s just beginning to tamp down, I flounder for a moment, hunting for a word that approaches what I feel but still keeps on the right side of professional. “…really great.” Well done, Kade.

“Should we do it again? I want to try something with the beat,” Keller suggests.

Hayley grins. “I’m game.”

Josh leans in, and I hadn’t even noticed he’d walked over to me from across the studio. “Maybe this time you can do it without getting hard,” he whispers.

My eyes shoot down to my crotch, grateful to see I’m not tenting my jeans. “Fuck you, Josh.”

“Made you look though.”

“What are you, twelve?”

He laughs and saunters back to his guitar.

“Please don’t tell me you’ve been at it all day and haven’t fed the poor girl.”

We all turn and blink at Maddie, laden with a basket in one hand and a six-pack in the other. Arty’s just hit Stop on the recording, which is a good thing since that must’ve been our best take yet. We even got Hayley laughing at one point and decide it’s best to keep it in. I’ll be snagging a copy to listen to later.

“Uh…” Keller starts.

She huffs a hair out of her face. “I knew it! Would you guys give me a hand please?” Her tone is that syrupy sweet one girls get when they want to ream you but can’t because you have company. We all rush to Maddie’s side, unloading her of all her packages and placing them on the table. It’s clear we know we’re wrong. We’ve been at it for eight straight hours, and other than the bottle of water Arty offered Hayley when she got here, we haven’t given her a single thing. We haven’t even shown her where the bathroom is.

“Would you like a beer?” I hold one out to Hayley, and she smiles as she accepts it. “I’m sorry we were rude.”

Keller looks over. “Yeah, sorry ’bout that.”

“Please, I didn’t even realize the time.” Hayley lets us off the hook.

Maddie groans playfully. “Don’t tell me you’re a robot like these guys too?”

“Guilty as charged.” Hayley shrugs with a wink. “Uh, is there a bathroom I can use to freshen up in?”

“Sure, it’s down the hall to your left.”

“Thanks.”

Maddie waits for Hayley to be out of earshot and whisper shouts, “How the heck can she still be so gorgeous without any makeup on?”

Keller grabs Maddie around the waist and sniffs her neck. “What are you talking about? You’re always gorgeous, with or without makeup. Although, my preference is you makeupless, after I’ve just fuck—”

“Kel—” we all shout at once.

“Help me with the food and I might let you have your way with me later.”

As soon as they leave to get the food handled, Jeff rolls his eyes. “The wind can blow in China and she’d let him have his way with her.”

“You’re not wrong. Don’t worry, you’ll find a girl that will do the same for you,” Maddie calls.

Jeff winces when he realizes the studio’s acoustics make it so Maddie can still hear. “I’m good.” Jeff is LA’s most eligible bachelor, and he likes it that way. Hayley returns from the bathroom, and I hand her her beer. She clinks the neck of my bottle. “Great session today.”

I nod. “Really great. If I’m honest, I was a bit apprehensive.”

“Truthfully, so was I, but you guys are incredible to work with,” she admits.

Maddie appears with lasagna she baked for us, as well as her triple-fudge cupcakes, and while we eat, I learn Hayley Stephens drinks beer straight from the bottle. Seeing her tilt her head back and lift it damn near straight up as the last of the foam slides between her lips adds a whole new dimension to the many inappropriate thoughts I’ve been having about a woman I have no right to be thinking of but can’t seem to stop. Watching her swallow and the way she wipes a stray drip from her chin with the back of her hand when she lowers the bottle oughta be illegal.

And she really should not be allowed to lick her lips like that.

The delicate burp she covers with her hand doesn’t ruin it at all.

She looks around for somewhere to put the empty bottle, and I reach out to take it from her. Handing it over, she wipes her mouth with a napkin.

“Thanks. That was really great.” She laughs. “Looks like ‘great’ is our word of the day.”

My lip tugs up. There are no words to describe what today meant. Words simply are inadequate.