Night with Sole Regret

TRY ME XII

“Kelly,” Owen corrected. He grinned as if he was in possession of some guarded secret. Again, Melanie was much too intimidated to pry.

“Chicks don’t like the name Kelly,” Kelly said. “I told you to start calling me Kellen in front of the ladies or just stick with Cuff.”

“But she’s with Gabe,” Owen reminded him. “You don’t have to impress her.”

Melanie wasn’t sure how anyone could tell she was with Gabe. He’d started ignoring her the instant they’d sat down.

“I like the name Kelly for a guy,” she said.

Kelly had long, brown hair and a raw sensuality that seemed to reach across the table and grab her by the womb. She definitely remembered him playing on stage the night before. And poking fun at Adam and Shade. She wondered if his hair felt as silky as it looked. It was definitely better kept than her own unruly tangle of locks.

“See, I told you that chick was just a b***h,” Owen said. “Not everyone thinks your name is a girl name.”

“You’re the only one who still insists on calling me Kelly,” he said.

“You’ll always be Kelly to me,” Owen said with a sweet smile.

“How did you end up with Gabe anyway?” one of the other guys interrupted.

Melanie recognized him as the cute roadie who’d given Nikki her backstage pass the night before. Jack.

“I thought you and that other hot chick were both supposed to hook up with Shade last night. She said you two were in love but still liked to double-team a guy because even a double dildo is never as good as sharing one real dick.”

Melanie chuckled nervously. All the band members were gazing at her with interest now. Even Gabe had lowered his menu. “Nikki made that up. We’re not lovers, just friends.”

“You sure? The way she kissed you . . . ”

“I’m sure. She completely caught me off guard or I never would have allowed it. We’ve never double-teamed a guy. Or a dildo.”

The roadie frowned. “But you two were so hot together. I walked around with a boner half the night just thinking about it.”

Kelly reached over and slapped him in the arm. “Don’t talk like that in front of a lady.”

Melanie assessed Kelly a little more closely. She wasn’t really attracted to men with long hair—or mohawks, until recently—but he was gorgeous too. Strong features. Dark mysterious eyes. A woman could get lost in those eyes for hours.

“So what do you want to eat, Mel?” Gabe asked. “I thought you were starving.”

She settled her hand on his thigh and leaned closer to share his menu. When he planted a gentle kiss on her hair, she looked up at him hesitantly. He smiled. There was a longing in his gaze she didn’t understand. It differed from the look of s****l longing that made her crave his body. This one made her want more than a single night with him. But that was stupid. She knew a relationship with him would never work out. Why would he even suggest it when he could have as many hot-and-heavy, no-strings-attached affairs as he wanted?

“What are you having?” she asked.

“Steak and eggs.”

“That sounds good. Will you order for me too?”

“Of course. How do you like your steak?”

“Medium-well.”

“Eggs?”

“Over medium.”

“What do you want to drink?”

Gabe was still staring at Melanie as if this totally normal conversation meant the world to him. She cupped his strong jaw in one hand, delighting in the roughness of his beard stubble against her fingertips, and lured him closer for a tender kiss. When she drew away, she stared up into his green eyes and released a dreamy sigh. It took her a moment to remember he’d asked her a question.

“Cranberry juice, if they have it,” she said.

“If they don’t, I’ll make sure they get it.”

He ran a hand over her hair and twined one curl around his index finger. The dead silence around the table became noticeably uncomfortable. Melanie’s face warmed when she realized everyone was watching them. Gabe’s brow furrowed as he turned his gaze to the other men in the group. They were staring at him as if he were a pod person.

“What are you all lookin’ at?” Gabe grumbled.

In unison, five pairs of eyes turned upward to gaze at the ceiling.

A waitress approached and set plates of food in front of those who’d arrived before Melanie and Gabe.

“Force!” The waitress whipped a black Sole Regret T-shirt from her apron pocket and handed him a silver paint pen. “Will you please sign this for me? All I need is Shade and my collection of signatures will be complete.”

“Sure,” Gabe said.

“The concert last night was awesome! I was stoked when I found out you all were staying here.”

“Glad you enjoyed the show.” Gabe signed the T-shirt, and the waitress took his order while the ink of his autograph dried.

He ordered for Melanie first—which made her feel special, cherished even—and then for himself.

“And can I get some fresh fruit as well?” Melanie asked. She didn’t usually eat such a heavy breakfast, but her stomach was up for it this morning.

“No problem,” the waitress said. “What I wouldn’t give to be in her shoes,” she muttered under her breath as she walked away with her autographed Sole Regret T-shirt draped over one shoulder.

Melanie was suddenly delighted to be sandwiched between two sexy rock stars and having breakfast with most of the members of Sole Regret. Thanks to Nikki’s impulsiveness, she had an amazing story to tell her grandchildren. She’d skip the s*x parts, of course.

Apparently, Melanie wasn’t the only one who was starving. Everyone with food fell silent as they devoured their meals. Gabe held her hand under the table, stroking the sensitive skin below her knuckles with his thumb.

“I wonder where Nikki and Shade are,” she said.

“Screwing in the sauna,” Adam said.

Melanie turned her head to look at him.

“He took two security guards with him to ensure their privacy.”

“Sounds hot,” Melanie said. “And I don’t mean sexy hot. Hyperthermia hot.”

“I’m sure it’s hella sexy hot,” Adam said. “And I’m sure Shade will tell us all about it later when we’re bored on the tour bus.”

“I’m sure Nikki would prefer he didn’t,” Melanie said, embarrassed for her friend. Yeah, Nikki could be slutty, but she made no excuses. If she wanted to f**k a guy in the sauna, she f****d him in the sauna. Melanie sometimes envied Nikki’s lack of inhibition, but Melanie also pitied her, because she knew that what Nikki really wanted was for someone to love her. She was just going about it all wrong. Melanie recognized that she was going about it all wrong too, but then she’d never expected to feel anything for Gabe besides lust. She was feeling things for him that she had no business experiencing, much less expressing.

“I have some time after breakfast,” Gabe whispered in her ear. “Are you planning on sticking around until the bus leaves?”

“Do you want me to?” she asked.

“That’s a stupid question.”

“You don’t want to f**k in the sauna, do you?” She crinkled her nose.

Beside her, Adam inhaled sharply and then started choking. The guy who was sitting on his opposite side pounded him on the back. Adam’s chains rattled in time with the pounding.

“Are you okay?” Melanie asked.

He nodded, still coughing, and reached for a glass of water. He knocked it over when his attention diverted to Nikki, who danced into the room, positively glowing with happiness. Or maybe her face was rosy from all the time spent in the sauna. Everyone at the table stood in unison, piling fancy cloth napkins on the puddle of water spreading across the table. Nikki trotted across the room and wrapped her arms around Gabe’s neck.

“Did you have fun with Mel?” she asked, giving him an affectionate squeeze. She tilted her head to the side, grinned at Melanie, and offered her a little wink.

Shade stopped behind her and cleared his throat. Nikki untangled her arms from Gabe’s neck and hugged Shade around the waist, resting her head against his broad chest like a docile kitten. He cupped the back of her head in one large hand.

“I suppose you thoughtless assholes didn’t bother ordering for the rest of us,” he said. Melanie couldn’t tell who he was looking at, because he was wearing his damned sunglasses again. She wondered if he wore them to bed. And while f*****g in the sauna.

“You’re the only asshole I see here,” Adam said and sat in the booth again. He tackled his omelet with vigor.

There was an uncomfortable moment where everyone stared at Shade, and then, when he didn’t engage further with Adam, they all sat down again to continue their breakfast. Shade sat next to Owen, who shifted closer to Kelly to make room. Nikki perched herself on Shade’s knee.

“Where are you heading next?” Nikki asked.

“Dallas,” Shade answered.

“Can I come with?”

“Not this time, kitten.”

Nikki’s bottom lip jutted forward, but Shade squeezed her shoulder, and she smiled again. Though Melanie had told the guys that Nikki wouldn’t want Shade to share all the dirty details of their night together, Melanie was sure she’d be getting an earful of naughtiness on their drive back to Wichita.

The waitress delivered Melanie’s cranberry juice and Gabe’s cup of coffee before insisting on an autograph from Shade. He obliged her and then ordered for Nikki without asking her what she wanted. Melanie watched her friend for signs of distress, but she looked as pleased as an honor roll student receiving a shiny gold star.