Sinners On Tour 03 Hot Ticket (14 page)

“Yeah, but that washed off.”

“After a week.”

“Great friend you have there.”

Jace lowered his eyes. “Yeah.”

She saw something in him at that moment that she’d never seen before. Vulnerability. Could she get him to open up? She knew if she pushed him too hard, he’d completely shut himself off.

“So what’s the story with the Eric guy?” she asked.

He didn’t speak for a long moment. “He’s the reason I became a bassist.”

“What, is he like an old guy or something?”

Jace shook his head. “Not even five years older than me.”

“And he had that much influence over you?”

“I saw a Sinners show when they were just starting out. I was fourteen and in a bar with a fake ID.”

“How did you pass for twenty-one when you were fourteen? You’re so cute, you scarcely look twenty-one now.”

His scowl told her she’d said the wrong thing. She could practically see his wall of defense rise.

“Are we gonna fuck or what?” he said.

She wasn’t going to let him change the subject that easily. “So you saw Sinners when you were fourteen. Then what? How did that make you a bassist?”

More silence. She waited.

He took a deep breath. “They were amazing even then. Brian and Trey have always been completely in tune with each other—two halves of a whole. Sed’s voice is unbelievable, and Eric is the best drummer on the planet. I just stood there. Stunned. I couldn’t move. All I could do was listen. I could scarcely breathe. The four of them were so incredibly talented. And then there was their weak link. Jon Mallory.”

“Let me guess. Their bassist?”

“The band deserved better. He’s totally average. Not horrible. Just not as good as the rest of them, and I think he was high or something. He wasn’t into the music. He was into himself.”

“So you decided to become their bassist.”

“No. I didn’t know how to play bass. I’ve always loved music and had some talent, but it never occurred to me to make a life of it. At the end of the show, Eric tossed his drumsticks into the crowd, and I caught one. I didn’t even reach for it. It sort of connected with my hand. It was a wake-up call for me. I’d spent the previous four years getting into trouble, but right then, I knew what I wanted to do with the rest of my life—what I had to do. It was fate. I had to become part of Sinners.”

This was the most Jace had ever spoken to her at once. Aggie was careful not to say something that might encourage his silence again. “So how long did it take you to become their bassist?”

“Six years. And if it wasn’t for Trey’s brother, I’d probably be playing with another band now.”

“Trey was the guitarist who was hurt, right?”

“Yeah, his brother, Dare, is the lead guitarist for Exodus End.”

Exodus End? They were huge worldwide. And Sinners were pretty big too and growing. “Wow. It just occurred to me that you’re famous.”

He chuckled. “Not really. Brian? Maybe. Sed? Definitely. But I’m just the bassist.”

“I want to see you in concert.”

“You do?”

She nodded. “Yeah, just thinking about it is making me hot.”

“We’re supposed to have a show in San Francisco this Saturday. I could get you tickets if you want to go, assuming Sed can sing by then. Knowing Sed, he’ll find a way.”

“Really? I’d love to go. Count me in.”

“I’ll make the arrangements then.”

His eyes lowered to her mouth, and he ran his tongue over his top lip before gnawing on it. She could only imagine what he was thinking. Hopefully, something sexy. She decided they could talk later.

“Let’s go to my bedroom. No telling when my mom will show up, and you’re sort of naked.”

He glanced down at his body. “Ah, I hadn’t noticed.”

“Well, I have, and you look fucking hot. I can’t be expected to keep my hands off you.”

“Even with the smiling flower tattoo?”

She laughed. “Especially with the tattoo. You explained why it’s special.”

“Special?” He laughed. “Yeah, it makes me feel real
special
.”

The front door opened. Jace’s eyes opened wide.

“Shit, that’s my mom. Put your pants on.”

Aggie grabbed his pants, tossed them at him, and then scrambled to her feet. She smoothed her hair and plastered an innocent smile on her face. Her mom tossed her purse on the counter.

“Any luck?” Aggie asked.

Mom sighed. “No. It’s impossible for a woman over thirty to find a job in this town.”

She lit a cigarette and pointed its glowing red tip at the single rose in the tumbler of water on the counter. “What’s with the crumpled up, half-dead rose?”

Aggie scowled. “My boyfriend gave it to me.”

Said boyfriend climbed to his feet to stand beside her. He had managed to get his pants on, but was still shirtless.

He took a deep breath and extended a hand toward Aggie’s mother. “I’m Jace.”

Mom shook his hand briefly. “Tabitha,” she supplied her name and then glanced at Aggie. “Since when do you have a boyfriend?”

“Since about ten minutes ago.”

Mom lifted an eyebrow at Jace. “You move fast, Maynard.” She nodded toward the floor at his feet. “And you seem to have dropped your condoms. All twelve.”

Jace’s eyes widened, and he bent to scoop up the strip of condoms. He shoved them into his pocket. He retrieved his T-shirt and tugged it on over his head. “I’ve got to go.”

“Don’t go,” Aggie said, her heart sinking with disappointment. “You just got here.”

“I-I’ve got stuff to do. I should probably check on Sed. Make sure he’s okay. He just got out of the hospital.”

Funny how he always showed up when one of his friends was injured. Aggie made a note to ask about it when her mother wasn’t staring at him with brutal scrutiny.

“Don’t mind me, Maynard,” Mom said, taking a deep drag off her cigarette. “By all means, continue to boink my daughter on the kitchen floor.”

“
Mother!
”

“What?” Mom shrugged and took another drag, smoke curling toward the ceiling slowly.

“Why do you always do this to me? I really like him.”

“So boink him then. This is your house. I don’t care what you do. Could I get something to eat before you continue? Your boinking is blocking the fridge.”

Jace picked up his socks and boots and headed for the front door. Aggie scowled at her mother and then went after him.

“You’re not even going to say good-bye?” It had been a long time since a guy had hurt her feelings, but unshed tears burned her eyes and made her forehead ache. She rubbed her brow in annoyance.

He turned toward her, his eyes downcast. She’d finally gotten him to open up with her a little, and her stupid mother had to show up and ruin everything.

He nodded toward the dining room. “I forgot my jacket.”

“If you don’t want to stay here, we can go somewhere. And we don’t have to do anything sexual if you don’t want to. I’m sure my mother creeped you out and put your sex drive in park.”

“More like reverse.”

“That’s okay. I just want to spend some time with you.”

His eyes rose to meet hers. “You do?”

“Yeah. We can talk.”

“I don’t talk much.”

He just had, but she wouldn’t push him away by pointing that out. “Then I’ll talk. You listen.”

“I’m good at listening.”

She stepped closer and wrapped her arms around him. “That’s not the only thing you’re good at.”

Aggie slid her fingers into the hair at his nape and drew him closer for a plundering kiss. Slowly, he relaxed into her. She could feel his heart thudding in his chest against her breasts as their mouths melded.

“Agatha, where’s the Tabasco sauce?” Mom called from the kitchen.

Jace stiffened and pulled away.

“I’m going to change clothes. You can wait for me outside if it makes you feel more comfortable.”

He nodded appreciatively. “Bring my jacket out with you, please.” Still barefoot, he let himself out of the house.

Aggie stormed into the kitchen. “I could just slap you right now,” she sputtered at her mother.

“You shouldn’t get messed up with your clients anyway, Agatha. They’ve got more baggage than a 747’s cargo hold.”

“I didn’t ask for advice. Do you want me to end up like you? Alone and miserable and bitter. No money. No job. With a hit out on you because you’re stupid enough to borrow money from the Mafia.”

Mom’s eyes narrowed. “I think you’re the one who needs to be slapped, young lady.”

Aggie shook her head in annoyance. “I’m going out, not that I need your permission. And shouldn’t you be leaving?”

“Yeah, I’m leaving soon. I’d already be gone if I had a choice in the matter.”

“You chose to get yourself in trouble, so I don’t want to hear it.”

“Isn’t your boyfriend waiting for you?”

“Yeah. And don’t wait up. I plan to boink him all night.” Aggie fled the kitchen, feeling like an intruder in her own house. She needed to get away from her mother in a bad way.

After changing into jeans and a T-shirt, Aggie grabbed her leather jacket along with Jace’s and then met him at the curb. He sat on his bike, gazing up at the sky. She touched his arm gently, and he started.

“Do you always think that hard?” she asked, handing him his jacket. He slipped into the worn leather garment.

“Mostly.”

“Where do you want to go?”

“Anywhere.”

So he was back to answering her questions with as few words as possible.

“Do you want to go someplace quiet where we can be alone? Or crowded where we can have a lot of fun?”

“I don’t like crowds.”

“Then let’s just ride.”

“You’d like that?”

“Yeah.”

He smiled, and her heart melted. “Me too.”

He took her hand and helped her climb onto the bike behind him.

“Aggie?”

“Yeah?”

“I really like you too.”

She slid her arms around his waist and put her chin on his shoulder to try to see his expression under the light of the corner street lamp. “I’m glad to hear you say that, Jace, but what brought it on all of a sudden?”

“You told your mom you really liked me, and I didn’t say it back.”

She kissed the edge of his ear. “You were probably too uncomfortable to form words.”

“Kinda.”

“I know my mom is overbearing, and I’d like to say she means well, but I don’t think she does. Sometimes I think she’s trying to make me into her. And I don’t want to be like her. I’m not her.”

“I had a father like that.”

“Had?”

He started the bike, and they headed out of town. He never answered her query.

They picked up some takeout Chinese food and headed to the desert. Sitting on a huge rock in the middle of nowhere, they ate quietly, enjoying the sunset on the horizon.

“How long have you done what you do?” Jace asked.

She glanced at him, surprised he was the one to break the comfortable silence between them. “Which part?”

“All of it.”

“A long time. I started hitting men in my teens and decided to apprentice under another dominatrix about eight years ago to become pro. I worked in a sex club with a few other dommes for several years and then went out on my own. But first I needed to buy a house, so I started dancing to earn extra money. I never meant for it to become a permanent career, but I do enjoy it.” She chuckled. “Well, most of the time. And it does make it easier to find clients.”

Jace scowled.

“I never would have met you if I wasn’t dancing.”

“I guess.”

She pressed on. “My grandmother taught me to sew and do embroidery when I was seven. I’m sure she never thought I’d use that skill to make leather corsets. She had a stroke when I was nine and died. Then my mother took over
raising
me.” If what her mother did counted as raising a child.

“You make corsets?” he asked.

She nodded, noting how he always avoided conversations about family. “It’s mostly a hobby. I started out making them for myself, but people see me wearing them and ask where I buy them. When they find out I make them, they want me to make one for them. I like doing it. It’s fun.”

“You mean you make those corsets you wear by hand? The ones with the designs on them.”

She nodded.

“Wow, babe, you’re really talented. Artistic.”

She felt herself flush. Or maybe it was the desert heat. “It’s just a hobby.”

“Don’t hobbies make the best careers?”

“Yeah. My first hobby was making men cry.” She leaned over and kissed his temple. “So what’s your family like?”

He erected a reinforced emotional barrier between them so fast, she feared she’d suffer whiplash. “Wanna go to a hotel?” he asked.

She wanted to know more about him. She already knew he was good in bed. “I thought we were going to talk.”

“How about some pillow talk?”

He stole a kiss, and she decided they could talk some other time. A month without Jace’s intoxicating touch was a month too long.

It was almost ten when Aggie’s cell phone rang. She smiled when she saw Jace’s name on the caller ID. Her plane had landed safely in San Francisco a few minutes ago and was sitting on the tarmac waiting for an open gate. She couldn’t wait to see Jace in concert the next night and tonight she had big plans for him in their hotel room.

“Hello.”

“Aggie, I know I’m supposed to be picking you up at the airport right now.”

“
Supposed
to be?”

“Could you do me a huge favor?”

“How huge?”

“Bail me and Eric out of jail.”

Jail?
She dropped the phone in her lap. Picked it back up. “Why are you in
jail
?”

“Because Eric is an idiot.”

“How in the hell was I supposed to know that was illegal?” some guy said in the background. “How soon can she get here? That guy is looking at me again.”

“Are you in Los Angeles?” Aggie asked. “That’s a long way from here. I haven’t even gotten off the plane in San Francisco yet.”

“No, we’re downtown. In San Francisco.”

“I can’t believe you got arrested when you’re supposed to be picking me up from the airport,” she grumbled. “It would serve you right if I let you rot in there.”

“I know. I don’t have a problem with a night in jail. Eric seems to think he’s going to be raped.”

“You saw the way that drunk guy keeps looking at me,” the same guy, apparently Eric, said in the background.

“He’s trying to figure out why your hair is green.”

“Not all of it is green. Just one little section. Besides, my hair is not on my ass.”

“You sure about that?”

Aggie shook her head, wondering why Jace had called her if he was going to argue with Eric the entire time. “Don’t you have someone closer who will come get you? I don’t even know where to pick you up. This is my first time in San Francisco.”

“There’s no one else. When Eric called Brian and Trey, they just laughed their asses off.”

“And Sed is having the orgy of his life on a sailboat with Jessica,” Eric added.

“Neither of us has any family or friends around here, and the roadies have been threatened with job loss if they bail any of us out of jail. Ever.”

“So is she coming?” Eric asked.

“I dunno. Shut up.”

“We should have called Jerry,” Eric said.

“Jerry will string us up by our balls. You know that.”

“Jace,” Aggie interrupted.

“Sorry. Eric is freaking out. He’s driving me crazy. He’s driving the cops crazy. And he’s driving six or seven pissed-off drunk guys crazy. He does this pacing-yelling thing when he’s upset. If it was just me, I’d say forget it, but—”

“I’ll see what I can do. Why are you in jail anyway?”

“So we could win a bet.”

Well, that explained everything. Not!

“Defacing public property and disturbing the peace!” Eric called. “Nothing worth getting raped over, I tell you that.” Apparently, he was listening in on their conversation.

“Eric, will you
shut
up
?”

“No, but I will kick your ass, little man. That’s what I
will
do.”

Jace sighed heavily. “If you can’t come, Aggie, I understand. But if I beat him to death with his own shoe, it’s going to be on your conscience.”

She sighed with resignation. “Where do I go to get you bailed out?”

He handed the phone to a police officer who explained the process. She jotted down some notes. She could probably catch a taxi to the courthouse without a problem, but so much for the delicious night she’d planned with Jace between her thighs.

Jace got back on the phone. “Thanks, baby. I owe you one.”

“You’ll be making this up to me for years,
baby
.”

By the time she had Jace and Eric in her custody, it was well after two a.m. “Let’s get to the hotel and get some sleep.” Aggie knew she had a serious crankitude, but she couldn’t help it. What kind of idiots thought it was okay to ride a motorcycle down the pedestrian sidewalk on the Golden Gate Bridge and drape the national monument with enormous banners? Her boyfriend and his drummer friend apparently. It was pretty sweet of them to help Jessica propose marriage to Sed, but not smart.

“Sounds like a plan. I’m beat,” Eric said. He was tall and slender—good-looking in a rugged, crazy haircut kind of way. She vaguely remembered him being the guy who’d been escorted from the club by the bouncers the night she’d met Jace. Under normal circumstances, Aggie might have appreciated Eric’s graceful masculinity, but at the moment, she really wanted to kick him in the teeth.

“Uh, get your own room,” Aggie grumbled.

“The hotel is booked, and he doesn’t have any place to stay tonight,” Jace said.

“There’s a perfectly good park bench right there.” Aggie indicated a bench already hosting a sleeping, reeking man, who was snoring softly under a newspaper.

“Aggie,” Jace murmured close to her ear. “Why can’t he sleep in our room? It’s not like you’re going to let me touch you in the mood you’re in.”

“And why am I in this mood, Jace?” She hadn’t even let him kiss her yet.

Eric grinned. “Because he was supposed to pick you up from the airport and take you out for a nice dinner before you two trashed a hotel room in a lust-crazed frenzy of sex. I’m guessing none of that’s happening tonight.”

No argument. Aggie collapsed into the backseat of their cab and slid to the far side. “Fine. Eric can sleep on the floor. It will make it easier to stomp on him repeatedly in the morning.”

“Dude, your chick is hardcore,” Eric said to Jace.

Jace slid into the cab beside Aggie with a wicked grin affixed to his gorgeous face. “I like that about her.”

Eric folded his long form into the backseat. “She’s also a total babe. You’ve been holding out on me. So how did you like his new tattoo, Agster?” Eric sniggered. “Is it wicked awesome, or what?”

“I was just glad it was you who picked it out and not him,” Aggie said. “I wouldn’t want to think a guy I’m fucking has the taste of a total pussy.”

Eric licked the side of Jace’s forehead. “He does sorta taste like pussy.” Eric smacked his lips as he contemplated his palate. “A touch saltier than lady sauce, but not bad.”

Aggie tried to maintain The Cranky, but it was impossible. She burst out laughing. Jace wiped Eric’s spit from the side of his face, obviously annoyed. “You are paying to get my bike out of impound, jackass.”

“Uh, no, I’m not.”

“The whole Golden Gate Bridge thing was your idea.”

“You could have said no.”

Aggie took Jace’s hand in the darkness and gave it a squeeze. She knew that he couldn’t easily say no to Eric—what with the hero worship thing he had going on. Now that Aggie had met Eric, she understood Jace’s devotion to the guy even less. She had been expecting the mentorly type, not this crazy dude with the wacky sense of humor.

“You should pay half,” Jace said.

“I’ll pay half. Only fair.” Eric poked Jace in the side, a huge grin on his face. “At least we won the bet. What kind of tattoos should we make Brian and Trey get on their asses?”

“Smiley-faced daisies?”

“No way. That’s vintage Jace Seymour. I was thinking more along the lines of kittens and unicorns.”

“And rainbows?”

Eric’s eyes lit up. “Yeah, definitely rainbows. Good call, man. Good call.”

***

There were too many hands on Aggie’s body. She recognized the one tangled in her hair and the one resting on her back as belonging to Jace, but the one on her ass? Nope. Not familiar. Or perhaps a bit too familiar. She lifted her head from Jace’s shoulder and turned it to find Eric Sticks grinning at her.

“Good morning,” he said, blue eyes sparking with mischief.

“Is there a reason why your hand is on my ass?”

He removed it and winked. “It felt right at the time.”

“You’re supposed to be sleeping on the floor.”

“It’s hard on my back, and I have a concert to perform tonight. I knew you’d understand.”

“The only thing I understand is you getting out of this bed.”

“Shh,” Jace murmured, his arms tightening around Aggie. She’d used him as a pillow all night because Eric had insisted that he needed three pillows if he had to sleep on the floor. That left one pillow for Aggie and Jace to share. “Early…”

“We can get it on while Jace sleeps,” Eric whispered. “He doesn’t join the living until noon.”

“I did bring Jace’s favorite flail,” Aggie said. “It’s in my luggage. I’m sure you could use a good, hard beating.”

Eric’s eyes widened. “You’re joking.”

Aggie lifted her eyebrows. “Do I look like I’m joking?”

“Don’t worry. She won’t break the skin,” Jace mumbled.

“I think I’ll pass.” Eric scooted over a few inches and flopped onto his back to stare up at the ceiling. “I’m bored.”

Aggie snuggled closer to Jace. She was starting to think he could sleep through an earthquake.

“So Aggie, what do you like to do for fun?” Eric asked.

“Besides make men cry?”

He laughed uncomfortably. “Yeah, besides that.”

“She sews,” Jace murmured.

“Sews?”

“Yeah, sews.”

“What? Like pot holders?”

“No, like leather corsets,” Aggie said.

“She makes them by hand and sews designs on them,” Jace said, starting to sound more alert now.

“Embroidery,” Aggie clarified.

“They’re works of art.” Jace’s hand stroked her hair lethargically. “And sexy.”

“Oh,” Eric said flatly. “Well, that gives me a boner. Now I’m bored
and
horny.”

“And I’m wide awake,” Jace said. “Time for you to leave.” He reached over Aggie and shoved Eric onto the floor.

Eric climbed to his feet and stood at the side of the bed with both hands resting on his narrow hips. “Why do I have to leave?”

“Because those plans I had with Aggie last night…”

“Destroy the hotel room in a lust-fueled frenzy of sex?”

“Yeah, those plans. I’m ready to get started now. We have a lot of making up to do before the concert tonight.”

Jace rose up on one elbow to stare down at Aggie with his most smoldering look. She smiled, knowing she was about to have a wonderful day.
Rock
on!

“So I’ll help you,” Eric offered. “I owe her too.”

“Get lost, Eric,” Aggie said, her body already thrumming with anticipation.

Jace lifted his gaze to Eric. “You heard the lady.”

“Aw, come on, little man. I’m dying here. Just let me watch a little.”

Jace shook his head. “Not this time. Now go away before I kick your ass.”

“Yeah, right.” But even as he said it, Eric reached for his shirt and tugged it on over his head. “I’m starving anyway. Who needs sex when you can have scrambled eggs?”

“I’ll see you at the arena,” Jace said.

Eric launched three pillows at them before showing himself to the door. “Don’t forget we have that thing to rehearse for Jessica.”

“I’ll be there.”

The door closed, and Jace turned his attention back to Aggie.

“What thing for Jessica?” she asked.

He smiled. “You’ll see. It’s a surprise. For everyone.”

“Eric’s a bit…” She scrunched her forehead, trying to think of the proper adjective.

“Eccentric?”

“Yeah, I guess that’s the word.”

“Most geniuses are.”

“You think he’s a genius?” Aggie stuck a thumb in the direction of the door Eric had just exited.

“I know he’s a genius. I’ve seen him compose.”

“You’re the genius,” she whispered and tugged his lips to hers for a kiss.

“I really am sorry you had to bail me out of jail last night.” He trailed suckling kisses along her jaw.

“I’m glad you realize you can depend on me.”

He froze. There she went scaring him off again.

“But I do think you need to be punished for ruining my evening,” she added.

He relaxed again, took her hands in his, and drew her arms up over her head. “Later,” he said. “First, I need to offer my apologies. Consider every kiss an ‘I’m sorry.’”

It didn’t take her long to realize how very sorry he was.