Crazy Baby (16 page)

“John Lane. Good to meet you,” he replies, shaking my hand.

“Something smells good. You said you’re my nutritionist, but I didn’t know you’re a cook, too.”

“Yeah, well, I have to make sure you eat it,” he laughs. “You’ll hurt my feelings if you don’t. You wouldn’t like me when I’m hurt,” he adds with a mean, serious tone before breaking out into a smile.

“If it tastes half as good as it smells, I’m sure I’ll eat every bite of it,” I reply.

“Man, I’m starving. What’s for lunch?” Brandon asks from behind me.

“I guess you two have met since you were just drooling on my couch,” I smirk at Brandon.

“I don’t drool,” he retorts dryly, cutting his eyes at me. “And yes, we met at the ass-crack of dawn when the desk clerk said my room wasn’t ready. John was getting the key to your suite and offered to let me nap on the couch for a while.”

John shrugs. “It’s the least I could do. He’s your brother.”

“Do we look that much alike?” I ask, curious how he knew Brandon was my brother.

“You do favor. But I got the full dossier on you when I was assigned to you,” John explains.

“So you know my whole family by sight?”

“Yes, along with Andi and your other friends.”

The mention of Andi’s name still makes me bristle, and John immediately picks up on it.

“She’s still your weakness. Be careful with that. The guy you’re fighting will use that against you in the ring. He’ll say things about her, distract you, and try to throw you off your game. If he sees it bothers you, he’ll keep doing it until he beats you with it. Stay focused on what you’re doing in the ring. Nothing else,” John advises.

“It’s under control,” I reply confidently. John doesn’t look as confident in my ability to block out anything about Andi.

“Yeah?” he asks. “Did you see the latest news about her and Travis?”

“Nope,” I answer and try to keep from gritting my teeth.

“She confirmed that she’s pregnant with his baby. They’re talking about whether to have a big wedding or just run off to Hawaii for a barefoot on the beach ceremony.”

The echo of my answering roar was probably heard on the first floor…and we’re on the thirty-first floor. The glass that was sitting on the bar in front of me is now shattered into a million pieces all over the floor. I’m searching for the next thing to smash when John grabs me and pins me to the wall.

“My point exactly,” he says, menacingly low. “If you want a chance of beating this guy, get a grip on yourself. Let it make you mad—at him. Then show him what his taunts will get him. Shut him down—but don’t shut
yourself
down.”

Releasing me, John steps back to the stove and resumes cooking as if nothing just happened. Grabbing the broom out of the closet, I quickly sweep up the glass shards and think about my reaction to Andi being pregnant by Travis. John is right about one thing—I’ll get killed in the ring if I don’t stay focused on the fight. The danger of giving the other guy an opening isn’t just about getting hit. If he stuns me, he’ll keep pounding until I’m out for the count—and it could be permanent.

“You’re right,” I admit as I pour the broken shards of my heart into the trash can. “I either have to tune him out of my ear or tune her out of my life.”

“You said you have some pictures showing she cheated on you with Travis?” Brandon asks.

“Yeah.” I nod, looking down. “I’ll show you.”

Leaving them in the kitchen, I walk through the two-bedroom suite at the Bellagio and take in all the opulence it offers. Stopping in the living area, I can’t help but think that Syndi would love the classic luxury this suite has, and then it hits me how uncomfortable Andi would feel in it. They’re complete opposites in every way, and that’s probably why I feel nothing but friendship for Syndi.

Finding my bedroom, I rifle through my clothes until I find the envelope with all the offensive pictures. I couldn’t bring myself to get rid of them, but I can’t stand to look at them either. I’m too curious to see what Brandon says about them to stop now.

Walking back into the kitchen, I hand Brandon the envelope. “Here you go. Have at them.”

He eyes me for a minute, waiting to see if I’ll lose my cool again if he looks at them in front of me. “Maybe you should go take a load off.”

“Fine,” I agree. I don’t want to see them again anyway.

Brandon sits at the dining room table and pulls the pictures out. He arranges them across the table and carefully studies them, picking up one and comparing it to another over and over. His face gives nothing away as he puts them back in the envelope.

“Well?” I ask.

“Some of them are definitely real, but they’re onstage. It’s part of the act. There are a couple that are iffy, but there are also a couple that are definitely fake,” he says.

“Fake?”

“Yeah. I’ve been working with a graphic artist to create an illustration of a new construction project. I’ve learned a lot about spotting when photo-editing software has been used. There are at least two pictures in there that have been altered. Whoever did it is good, but not good enough,” Brandon explains.

“Which two pictures?” I ask.

“The one of them dancing and the one with his mouth on her neck. Definitely not real,” he says.

“And the one on the merry-go-round?” I ask.

“That one is real,” Brandon says sadly. “But, Luke, I honestly can’t tell if she’s kissing him in it. It’s very possible that it’s just the angle of the picture, especially since the others are obviously fake.”

“Why would someone take the time to fake those pictures and send them to me?”

“That’s a very good question” Brandon replies.

ANDI

We’ve played one venue after another almost nonstop for the last month. The road seems to get longer every day, and living on a tour bus isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. We’ve finished the East Coast, only a few more stops for the Midwest cities and then we’re heading to the last leg of the tour for the West Coast. Where Luke is.

It’s been two months since Luke and I split. Surviving one day to the next has gotten a little easier, but the full weight of letting go of us still hits me hard sometimes. He’s still on my mind and in my heart so much that I’m beginning to realize I’ll never fully be rid of him. It’s so hard to let go of the dream I once had for us. I honestly don’t know which is harder—if he were dead and I knew I’ll never be able to hold him again, or knowing that he’s still alive and I’ll never be able to hold him again.

The pictures that keep circulating of him and Syndi together help me to move on, though. Luke is becoming a big name in the boxing world. Syndi and Lindsey have made sure of that—his face, his muscular body, and his upcoming fight are plastered everywhere. The pictures of him and Syndi together all very clearly show that she’s got her claws hooked firmly into him. They look like the perfect, happy couple.

She’s so poised and put together. She doesn’t have pink streaks in her hair. Or a tattoo sleeve. Or scars all over her arm. She looks like the kind of woman Luke’s parents would immediately accept and expect him to marry. In other words, she looks nothing like me.

The headlines and taglines the celebrity magazines use with his pictures also make me cringe. He’s a professional athlete, but they act like he’s the newest gigolo on the block. That may possibly be my jealousy talking.

“Boxing’s new bad boy—or boxing’s new boy toy? You pick.”

“The Southern Stud-Muffin.”

“10 Reasons Why We Can’t Get Enough of Lucas Woods.”

The headlines are everywhere I look, so I finally just quit looking. It’s simply easier on me that way. Seeing them in a lip lock, an intimate embrace, or laughing like they don’t have a care in the world in every picture has been excruciating. I’d love to get
her
alone in a boxing ring. I can guarantee only one of us would walk out—
me
. They’d have to carry her out on a stretcher.

“All right, everyone, gather around,” Katelyn orders, pulling me out of my homicidal daydreams. “I have new orders from the label execs.”

We take a seat and wait as she builds the suspense and drama with her silence while she bounces up and down on her toes excitedly. “As you all know, one of the biggest fights in boxing is next week.”

Oh, hell no. She’s not about to say what I think she’s going to say.

“And we’re adding a special concert for the night before the event. It’s for a smaller audience than you’re accustomed to playing for, but it’s for Vegas royalty, along with all the fighters. This is a benefit concert, so only the really high rollers will be able to afford the tickets.

“It was requested by the nephew of the label’s president, so of course he said yes. When he says yes, we say yes,” Katelyn says in her annoying, singsong voice.

I’m convinced she’s arranged this on purpose. Probably because she still blames me for locking her in the bathroom on the bus. My menacing glare tells her as much when she summons the courage to finally meet my gaze. My eyes are throwing daggers at her and she knows it.

“Does anyone have a problem with this?” she asks.

“Yeah. I do,” Travis says as he stands. “Sound Bar and Fireflies will play, but Andi’s not performing.”

“She’s part of the package deal, Travis. All three acts were specifically requested. Andi has a large following of her own now and rightfully so. The rumors of your relationship with her have fueled sales for the last several weeks, and people want to see you two perform your songs together,” Katelyn counters.

“It’s fine, Travis. Thanks for looking out for me, but I can handle it,” I interject before a fight erupts.

“Only if you’re sure. I won’t back down from this, Andi,” Travis assures me.

“I’m sure.” I smile at him.

Over the past two months, Travis has been my rock and the reason why I keep going. He’s also been the reason why I haven’t had a complete breakdown and ended up rocking in the corner. I’ve always thought I was strong, but this has really shaken my foundation. Nothing has been overt or out of line, but everything Travis has done to help has shown that he has my best interests at heart. He genuinely cares about me.

I care about him, too. So very much. The feelings I’m developing for him scare me because I’m not ready for them. I’m not ready to move on, and I definitely don’t want a rebound relationship. Travis is not someone I’d use just to get over Luke. He’s very special to me and was my friend long before I ever thought there could be something more than friendship between us.

More and more every day, I get the sense that he feels it too. He’s always been flirty and fun, but now he’s added sensitive and caring to his arsenal. He’s breaking down my walls, but it hasn’t been long enough for me yet. It terrifies me to think of rushing into something and making a huge mistake.

After getting all the details from Katelyn, the group disperses. When the caravan makes the next rest stop, I return to my bus and my solitary respite.

“Andi?” Travis calls from the front of my bus.

“Back here,” I answer.

Leaning against the frame of my bedroom door, Travis is a welcome sight. Aside from his obvious good looks, sexy smile, his soul-penetrating eyes, and his bad-boy tattoos, he has a heart of gold.

“Hey,” he says softly.

“Hey,” I reply. “What’s up?”

“We need to talk.”

That’s never a good start to a conversation.

“Sure. Have a seat,” I say, my anxiety immediately catapulting to the moon.

He sits facing me and takes my hands in his. “Stop wringing these poor fingers. They haven’t done anything to you to deserve that torture,” he grins.

“I can’t help it. Saying we need to talk always means something’s wrong.”

Nodding, he looks back down at our clasped hands and says, “There is, but not in the way you’re thinking.” Looking up at me from under his long, black eyelashes, his eyes darken and drift over every inch of my face. “Andi, I’ve tried to keep my distance, give you time to heal, and be a good friend to you.”

I nod. And swallow hard. Oh God.

“I can’t be your friend any longer. I don’t know how to say this, Andi.”

Just like that, I can’t breathe. My heart has stopped beating, but it still hurts like hell. I can’t believe Travis is telling me he can’t be my friend anymore.

“Why, Travis? What did I do wrong?” I plead. I can’t help it. I can’t lose him, too.

His hands cup my face and panic flies across his face. “No, Andi, that’s not what I meant. I’m fucking this up. I can’t be just your friend anymore.”

He stands and paces back and forth in the small area beside the bed. “Travis, you’re scaring me and your pacing is making me nervous. Sit down,” I command.

He stops and kneels down on the floor in front of me instead. His eyes search mine. He’s asking silent questions and hoping for an answer. His eyes float down to my mouth and settle on my lips. My tongue involuntarily darts out, wetting my lips as his eyes watch and darken even more with desire.

“Fuck it,” he exhales harshly before his mouth covers mine.

The force of his kiss leaves no room for doubt. He is claiming me, marking his territory, and staking his claim. The passion behind it is consuming, drawing me into him, and making me moan at the slightest contact of his velvety smooth tongue. His fingers thread through my hair before he clenches them into fists, and then he tilts my head to deepen his access.

As he devours me like a starved man, my body quickly heats from his touch. Moving closer, he presses our bodies together as he pulls me closer to the edge of the bed. He’s on his knees between my legs. His hands slide down my sides, across my hips, and down my legs. Wrapping them around his waist, he moves his hands back up to my backside and pulls me even closer to him.

The proof of his arousal is now seated at my core as he pushes his hips forward, rubbing against my sex. It’s been so long since I’ve felt this pleasure and pain. I’m about to come undone just from this close contact. His tongue is doing wonderful things to my senses, his groans of desire are like music to my ears, and his body pressed against mine heightens my desire for him even more.

“Andi, I need to know you want me as much as I want you,” he pants against my lips. “Me, Andi. Not just my body. Not just an escape. I don’t want you to regret it later. Just tell me you want
me
.”

Before giving me time to answer, his lips are on mine again. His tongue slides into my mouth and wraps around mine in the most sensual dance. His passion drives him and it’s contagious, pulling me in and making me feel drunk on all that is Travis.

Do I want him—Travis, the man? Not Travis, the entertainer. Not Travis, the distraction from my broken heart. There’s no doubt about what he does to me physically. There’s no question that I love him as a friend. But am I ready to start a new relationship just two months after ending the last one?

Slowing the kiss and pulling back to look him in the eye, I have to make sure he understands my response. The last thing I want to do is hurt him—now or ever.

“Travis, I’m scared to jump into another relationship so soon. It’s not because I don’t want you or that I don’t have feelings for you. It’s because I do want you and I do have feelings for you. It hurts me to think that anyone would say I’m with you on the rebound.

“I’m still reeling from what happened with Luke, but it’s getting better each day. I guess I just need you to understand that from the start. You’re my friend first, and I don’t want to lose that.” I try my best to explain.

I expect to see disappointment, but instead there’s relief and understanding in his eyes. His smile slowly spreads across his face as he lovingly strokes my cheek with his knuckles.

“Always looking out for everyone else, huh? You’re too giving, Andi. But, in this case, I should warn you that I’m going to take full advantage of it. I’ll make you fall so totally and completely in love with me, in every way possible, that you’ll forget that any other man even exists.

“He never knew what he had in you, baby, and he never deserved you. I will do everything to earn your trust and your love. You’ll always be the center of my world, and no one will ever come before you,” Travis promises.

“Don’t doubt that I do want you, Travis,” I assure him. “But I need to take this a little slower than you’re probably used to.”

“I’ll wait for you as long as you need. I’m ready to give you my heart now, but I understand why you’re not. You tell me when you’re ready. In the meantime, I’m not going to stop doing everything I can to win you.”

What was that comment Cami made about these guys loving a challenge?

Should I be concerned about that now?

The bus starts moving and I look at Travis in surprise. “Looks like you missed your ride,” I quip.

He flashes his sexy, drop-your-panties smile before he explains. “Actually, I chose to ride on this bus with you to our next stop in Oklahoma City. Katelyn is on my bus, and we’re driving straight through. That means you’re all mine for the next eight hours.”

“I’m finding my strength is being tested in multiple ways lately,” I admit with an intentionally seductive smile. It feels good to be wanted again. “You know you’re testing me right now, don’t you?”

“If you find me irresistible, you can always give in. There’s no shame in surrendering when you know what you want is waiting for you right here,” he says, extending his arms out to each side.

“You know you’re making it so hard,” I complain, quirking one eyebrow up at him.

“Funny, that’s usually my line,” he retorts.

Shaking my head and laughing, I can’t help but admit that just being around him lightens my mood. “Well, since I’m stuck with you for the next eight hours, let’s find a movie to watch.”

“I have the best stash of movies on my bus.” He smiles. “If I’d known, I’d have brought a few with me to get you in the mood.”

“I didn’t mean those kind of movies!” I laugh, throwing a pillow at him. “You’re impossible.”

“Yes, I know. I’m impossible to resist, so you should save yourself the trouble and just give in now.”

He holds his hand out to me and I willingly take it. After he helps me to stand, he pulls me in close to him and wraps his arm around my waist. “I’m going to kiss you again now because I can’t help myself.”

With that, he dips his head down and places a soft, sweet kiss on my lips. There’s no tongue, but there’s no doubt that it’s a very sensual, toe-curling kiss nonetheless. When his hands cup my face, he kisses me in the same manner again.

He’s planting the thought of what his kisses are like. He’s reminding me of how mind-numbingly hot they are. With each chaste, tender kiss, he’s melting my frozen heart and making my body sing a song only he can hear.