Love Desired

Chapter 2-1

2

~Ayden~

I didn’t want a relationship. I’d convinced myself of that, yet I’d let Randy mess with my head. All the questions he’d asked about our being there, and the weird responses he gave, caused my brain to turn down a road it hadn’t traveled in four years. The thought of a woman wanting me or making special arrangements for the band had me eager to meet her. It made me rethink my position on dating.

What an i***t I’d become.

Lucky for me, this woman was interested in Bentley. At least she appeared to be. Good. Now maybe my brain would get back on board with my heart.

She had a lot to offer, from beauty and grace to an undeniable sexiness. That much I could confirm. I understood why her attention dazed Bentley. It still didn’t give him the right to ignore me when I said his name. Twice.

As she left the spot near the opening and walked our way, Bentley shifted from one foot to the other. His mouth parted slightly, and when he turned to me, I thought he was about to speak.

Nope. He mouthed two words to me. Holy s**t.

I snorted. We had plenty of lengthy discussions about women after I broke things off with my ex. Bentley encouraged me to be more like him, a man who appreciated women but wanted nothing serious. He swore he would never let a woman get under his skin, nor would one have the opportunity. Did he believe his own bullshit? I didn’t, because this woman had mesmerized my friend.

“Hello, gentlemen.” She approached us quickly. I waited for her to walk to Bentley, but to my surprise, she came to me first. “My name is Andrea Williams, but everyone here knows me by Andi. I’m Mia Brooks’ assistant. You’re Ayden, correct?”

I nodded when she shook my hand. Instead of saying anything else directly to me, she took her time welcoming each of us. She wasn’t who I thought she would be. That meant we still had to meet the mysterious Mia Brooks, CEO of Music Haven.

Once Andi finished, she made her way back to Bentley and me. “I hope your trip from the airport was pleasant. I know it’s a bit of a drive from Vegas, but it beats the layovers you would face if you flew into a smaller airport.”

“Don’t apologize,” Bentley told her. “We have no complaints about the ride.”

He and Andi stared at each other. When it grew awkward, I cleared my throat hoping it would break their concentration.

It worked. A second later, Andi glanced my way. “Mia wanted you guys to have a comfortable trip. Speaking of which, she wanted to know the minute you arrived. If you’ll excuse me for a moment, I’ll see if I can locate her.”

As she walked away, a grin formed on Bentley’s face. His eyes were glassy like they were when he was drunk. Was he that enthralled by Andi?

I wanted to razz him, but Randy’s voice penetrated my thoughts. “She’s something, isn’t she?”

“That she is,” Bentley mumbled. Jason and Ryan snickered. I fought the urge to laugh, especially when he looked at me and said, “What?”

“Nothing, man. Nothing at all.” I said the words without telling him what I really thought. He was a p***y. Sure, he talked a mighty fine game when he was around the guys and me. After seeing the way he looked at Andi, I was calling his bluff. If my gut was right, Bentley’s infamous playboy role was about to end.

Switching my focus back to Randy, I waited until he finished the last drink of his beer before I prodded him for more information. “What’s the deal, man? Is there something you’re not telling me about this Brooks chick?”

“Dude, I swear, it’s nothing serious.”

“Okay. Then tell me this. What’s she like?”

Every ounce of Randy’s attention shifted. He stared in the distance, not saying much at all. His mouth moved, but no words came out.

“Wow,” Jason snickered. “It must be bad if Randy’s speechless.”

The comment brought Randy’s focus back to us. “I’m not speechless. I’m at a loss for words. Mia is indescribable. You will see for yourself. By the way, Ayden, Mia isn’t some married rich chick with an inattentive husband. She’s not married at all.”

As much as I wanted to tell him I didn’t care if she was single, I couldn’t help but grow curious. He felt the need to point it out while sporting an impish grin. The message he was attempting to send me was mixed.

Before I could decipher it much further, I glanced toward the left side of the bar where Andi had disappeared. She came into view a second later, and someone was behind her. When Andi slowed her steps, the other person joined her side. The music switched tempos as the bass drum formed a rhythm that matched the one in my heart. It didn’t take me long to realize who this person was.

Mia Brooks.

By her looks alone, I assumed she was the same age as me. Both she and Andi were the same height, about five-foot-five. Dark, wavy hair fell to her shoulders. Her slim waist made her appear delicate, but the confidence in her step said she was strong.

There wasn’t a part of her I didn’t notice. From the beaded, short-sleeve shirt she wore that drew my eyes to her cleavage, to the long legs that stretched below her skirt, she was sheer perfection.

Look away.

I told myself those words until they became a mantra. Still, I didn’t heed my warning. Instead, I concentrated on the woman approaching the guys and me. By the time I got my s**t together, she was standing in front of us.

She was nothing like I expected. That posed a problem because the woman standing in front of me was causing my body to react. Only, it was more than that. She was stirring something I’d buried years ago.

My desire.