Disclaimer: The characters belonging to Janet Evanovich are used strictly for entertainment purposes.
A/N: Thanks so much to M and Alf for all the help with the wording and details in this chapter. Thanks to my readers for the continued support and reviews. And please don't worry. :) Also, I'm posting earlier than normal today. It's my husband's birthday and I probably won't be around to post at my normal time.
Ranger sent a powerful roundhouse kick into the heavy bag Tank held for him and nearly sent the big man onto his back, not to mention the crack from the beam where the heavy bolts secured it in suspension over the mat. With a grumble, Tank got back into position and held it as another powerful kick sailed through the air. Another loud crack sounded and the tired man stood aside, hands on his hips, and stared at his friend. "I think you, me, and the damned bag have had enough."
Ranger ignored him and began to pummel the bag with his fists, then dodged when it swung toward him. He'd been beating on it for the past two hours, throwing kicks, punches, ramming his shoulder into it, and slamming his body against it. "We'll need better supports if it can't handle a little action like this," Ranger growled as he slammed his fist into the center of the solid sack.
As if in surrender to a powerful enemy, the bag crashed down to the floor with a loud whomp. The metal bracket, now free from its bolts, swung down and glanced off his shoulder, but Ranger hadn't seemed to notice it or the gash it left behind. An explosion of sand plumed into the air and filtered down over the two men. The angry Cuban man stood and stared at the mess for several minutes and then swung a heavily muscled leg back and kicked the defeated bundle, sending sand flying over the dunes created by the bag's demise.
Tank stared at his wild friend and shook his head. "Better call Brown. That cut needs stiches."
Grabbing a towel, Ranger ignored Tank's statement and swiped at his face to remove the sheen of sand-caked sweat. "Call Luis to fix this," he tossed back at Tank as he headed toward the locker room. The cinder block room echoed as he stripped off and palmed his bottle of gel. He swiped a fresh towel from a shelf stacked full, thanks to Ella, and then strode back to the shower area. He yanked open the glass door, which also threatened to break behind the angry force he'd used. When he stepped inside, he banged the safety glass shut and turned on the water to the hottest tolerable temperature.
Ranger stood under the steamy, hot spray for ages before he squeezed some of the gel into his hand to wash his body and hair. After another long soak beneath the sharp deluge, he turned off the water. He stepped out onto the bath mat and wrapped the towel around his waist, then headed to his locker. Ranger saw Tank against the tall row of metal when he turned the corner and frowned at him. "Did Luis come down to handle bag?"
Tank shook his head and settled an annoyed gaze on Ranger. "It's bad enough you dragged my ass down here at one in the morning. Now you expect me to wake Luis to come fix that dead punching bag in the middle of the goddamned night?" He narrowed his eyes slightly and stared at Ranger. "What's up with you, man?"
Ranger set his arm up against the cold metal and rested his forehead on his forearm. "My life used to have order; I used to be in control." He stood back up and opened the metal catch to swing open the door and pull out fresh clothes. "Now I have nothing. I ended my contract after my last mission."
Tank's eyes widened and he stared at his friend in shock. "You ended it? Just like that?"
Ranger nodded. "My contract expired. They asked if I wanted to re-up, I said no."
Tank shook his head as if to clear it. "You chose the military as a lifelong career."
"I did." Ranger tugged on his black sweats and yanked a black t-shirt on over his head. "It was time."
Realization dawned on Tank and he felt deep remorse for his friend. "You thought you'd come back here and beg Bombshell to listen to you, explain the situation, and then win her over."
A sad smile played on Ranger's lips as he slipped his feet into his trainers and tied the laces. "Yeah, stupid plan. I really thought she'd be back by the time I returned. Guess I was wrong."
*\/*\/*\/*\/*
"…just let me go." Stephanie finished the final line of the song and held the chord. She kept her head down and her heart beat wildly within her. She didn't know if she'd have the strength to stand and walk off the stage to join the rest of the band. They'd completed the set and moved off for her to sing her song alone on the stage with just her acoustic guitar, a soft spotlight, and a microphone. She knew M&G awaited her just off stage right.
Her head rose when the applause began and she nodded her thanks to the audience, unable to speak due to the emotions congested in her heart. She slipped off her stool and carried the guitar off the stage with her. Geo took the instrument from her shaky hands and Merc, with eyes full of emotion she couldn't comprehend, pulled her into a tight embrace and pressed his lips to hers. A fire ignited within her at the contact and the kiss deepened.
Merc lifted his head first, an expression of shock on his face. He slid his hands away from her body and took a step back, cleared his throat, and said, "Belle, you were amazing." Unsure of whether he meant the performance or the kiss, Stephanie gave him a small smile.
"Truly amazing," Geo repeated with a sly grin. Merc cast his brother a dark look and took Stephanie's hand to tug her backstage to the small room they used to dress and prepare for concerts. The three of them walked through the door and Ryan jumped up from the couch and ran over to scoop her up in a fierce hug, then swung her around.
"Awesome job, Chelle." He set her down and gave her a wide grin. "I'll never get tired of your song, babe."
His words washed over her like ice and doused the response Merc had set off within her. She managed a meager smile and allowed Iggy to smack a kiss on her cheek and give her a quick hug before he exited the room. The door opened and closed; she and Merc were left alone in the room. She turned to him with a helpless expression and his eyes softened on her face. "It's hard to remember your aversion to certain nicknames all the time, Belle. Cut him some slack?"
"I know." She took a slow, deep breath and smiled. "He caught me off-guard."
"It's a common nickname for some people, you will have to get used to it at some point." His words weren't unkind, but spoken soft. She knew he was right.
She nodded. "Yeah, you're right. It's just the first time I've heard it in a long time."
He walked over and pulled her into an embrace full of comfort and support. "You deserve better than he gave you. Just remember that." And the emotion he evoked from her earlier filled her again; it was the desire, the need to be held and comforted by a man. His arms tightened and she realized he hadn't been immune to their close contact, either.
She looked up into his face and felt her breath catch. Reflecting back at her was a man offering her openness and honesty, and maybe something she didn't want to acknowledge. "Thanks, Merc."
He nodded and pressed a kiss to her forehead to avoid possible smudges to her stage makeup. "Thirsty?"
"You bet."
He took her hand and led her out to the bar for a large glass of ice water with lemon. She'd been so caught up in her own experience, she forgot about Devin Stone-Croft and his attendance. Dodging her hormones was one way to overcome the nerves she'd expect to feel with a talent scout in attendance.
"Any word from the big man?" she asked Geo, who sat beside her at the bar.
"He's still here, it's a good sign." He winked at her.
She grinned and shook her head. "Ever the optimist, Geoff."
He nudged her arm and turned around when he felt hands settle on his shoulders. "Luc, you made it." The two men shared a warm gaze and Lucio squeezed Geo's shoulders in affection.
Stephanie beamed a smile at Geo's boyfriend. "Luc! Good to see you."
"You, darling, were excellent." He wrapped her in a warm hug and kissed the top of her head. "I couldn't keep my eyes off you, you're gorgeous. Expert job with the costume." His eye roved over her ruffled mini skirt in hot pink and black. Beneath it she wore black knee length leggings and knee high black patent leather boots. Above it, she wore a shimmery black camisole with no bra and a fitted, unzipped hot pink leather jacket with three quarter length sleeves. Silver bangles adorned her wrists and large silver hoops dangled from her ears. Tonight, her Cleopatra eyes were silver, black, and fuchsia. She wore fake black lashes adorned by pink crystals which framed eyes enshrouded by amethyst tinted contacts. Her facial stencil was done in metallic silver body paint tonight. Around her neck, she wore a thin, black lace ribbon tight against her skin, but not tight enough to leave a mark.
She laughed. "Thanks. It's loud, but fun."
"Uh-uh, honey. It's fab; you're a true rock star tonight." He leaned down and whispered, "Make up is great, too. Gotta jet, someone wants to meet you." He tilted his head behind him and slipped off into the crowd.
She turned around to greet a couple of college girls and their boyfriends who'd come up to meet the band and ask for autographs, something which still shocked her. Stephanie Plum from Trenton didn't have adoring fans or get requests for autographs. This new life felt surreal, but it was the time of her life and she wouldn't trade it for the world.
After about twenty or so of those surreal experiences, the band went backstage to prepare for their second set. They'd planned for their first song to be Merc's penned tune Scream the Night Away, on which he took over lead guitar and Stephanie played rhythm. It was a solo piece, but Stephanie sang a harmony line above in a repeat of his lyrics at times, other times there were 'ahhs' or 'ohs' to accent the phrases. The next song, she played lead and sang backup to Hero. They moved through the set and Stephanie and Merc alternated vocal and guitar parts, with Geo occasionally joining in with a second harmony line. The final song, the band's angry metal tune Drying Up My Soul, completed the set. Afterward, they mingled again until the bar closed at three. They were stunned to see Stone-Croft had waited to meet with them after the crowd left.
"You have a few minutes to talk?" the industry big wig asked Merc, the clear leader of the band by the way he had directed them during a quick wrap up meeting after the concert on rehearsal times for the next day.
"Not a problem. Ronnie!" he shouted over his shoulder to the bar tender. "Can we have a couple of pitchers and glasses?"
"You got it, Thaddeus."
Stone-Croft raised an eyebrow. "Thaddeus?"
Merc grinned. "Ronnie's known me a long time. We appreciate you staying after, Mr. Stone-Croft."
"Call me Devin. Shall we sit?" Geo and Ryan shoved two square tables together and rounded up the seats. By the time the group sat around the table, Ronnie had set out two pitchers of Stella Artois lager, glasses for everyone, and two bowls of pretzels. He knew the band members were often ravenous after concerts and needed munchies.
"How long have you been together?" Devin asked.
"Well," Merc began, "all the guys here have been together for about four years. Michelle joined in practices a few months ago and had her first performance with us two weeks ago." His hand settled on Stephanie's knee when he mentioned her, but quickly left. Stephanie resisted the urge to rub the spot he'd touched and ignored the hormones humming beneath her skin.
Devin looked at her. "It appears that everyone gets along well. You're the only female in the group, which can potentially make dynamics strained, but it doesn't."
She smiled and looked around at the guys. "Yes, they've accepted me with open arms, my little brothers." Merc nudged her with his shoulder and she flashed a quick grin at him.
"Where did you play before joining?"
Stephanie's eyebrows went up and she sent Merc a nervous glance. Merc slid an arm behind her shoulders and rubbed a hand over her upper back to calm her. "Actually, Michelle had her first guitar lesson about a year ago and we found out she has a real gift with the instrument. Learned faster than I did."
Shock ran through her. She hadn't known he'd thought so much of her ability, though he often praised her. Devin looked a bit surprised as well. "You've only been playing for a year? Play any other instruments?"
"Uh, none. Well, I had piano lessons for a couple of weeks when I was a girl, but nothing solid."
Devin grinned. "You should be proud of yourself; it's quite an accomplishment. I guessed you to be a five-year player by your skill level. Your transition through your chords was flawless and, from what I could tell, you never miss a beat. Your improv is fantastic."
Stephanie had no words in response, but the rest of the band smiled. "We've tried to tell her the same thing for months, Devin," Merc said as he reached his hand up beneath Stephanie's wig to lightly squeeze her neck, which sent a tremor through her entire body. She leaned forward in her seat to disengage his hand, but he left it there for a few seconds longer before finally releasing her.
"Well, I like what I heard and I want you to come to the studio to do a sound test," Devin said with a smile. "You've got a great sound and the music style is popular right now, we're always looking for bands with an edge and you've got it. We'll see what America thinks."
The band members looked around at each other in shock and then huge grins broke out on their faces. "Seriously?" Ryan asked.
Devin nodded with a pleasant smile on his face. "There are a lot of people with good things to say about your band. I've continually heard more and more about you. Let's go over some details and I'll answer any questions you may have."
He began to explain the process of the demo and contract process and what the band should expect. Stephanie tried to focus on what Devin said, but her body had other ideas. Merc had again raised his hand to lightly stroke the bare skin above her camisole and she mentally kicked herself for taking off her jacket when the conversation got underway. From the first moment Devin spoke, Merc had reached out to touch her several times. She knew his touches were brought on by nervousness and excitement, but his absent-minded caresses sent her overactive, underutilized hormones into the next galaxy.
His fingers moved up to trace tiny circles on the nape of her neck and her thoughts took a sharp turn. The hormones she'd carefully tamped down into submission for the past year were awakened and refused to stop. Okay, he can't keep this up or I'll combust. It had been too long since she'd had an orgasm and the Hungarian minx was now awakened.
Devin leaned over and handed Merc his business card. "Call my office next week on Tuesday. We'll have a schedule set for the demo."
"Thanks, Devin. We appreciate you coming down to hear us tonight," Merc said as he stood to shake Devin's hand. They all stood with him and Merc's arm slid around Stephanie's waist. Stephanie worked to keep her breathing even, but she fought an uphill battle. When Merc pulled her against his side, she closed her eyes in frustration. She'd worked hard to ignore her libido around him for the past month, ever since his touches had become more frequent. Tonight, every lingering caress of his fingers made it harder and harder to think of him as just a friend. She wondered if he knew what he did to her control.
Devin shook Geo's hand, and then Ryan and Iggy's. He turned to Stephanie, who stepped forward to free herself from Merc's arm, clasped her hand, and brought it up to his mouth in a grand gesture. "Michelle, pleasure to meet such an extraordinary talent; keep it up. A few more years and you'll be unstoppable, if you aren't already."
Stephanie flashed him a friendly smile. "Thank you so much. It was nice to meet you, Devin."
Devin nodded to everyone and left the bar. Geo looked at Merc with eyebrows raised. "Have plans for tonight, bro?"
"I thought about running Michelle to McDonald's since I didn't let her indulge earlier." He sent a grin Stephanie's way and she gave him a quick smile, then averted her gaze from his.
She looked around at the guys and wondered about her sanity when she said, "He's right. He thought it would upset my stomach before the concert."
Geo grinned. "No kidding."
"Shut it, barbell." She'd given him the pet name since he'd gotten his ears pierced and then complained about them endlessly while they healed.
Geo flipped her off and laughed when she scowled at him. "You know I love you, Belle. In fact, I think we all love you – in one way or another." Stephanie didn't miss his pause and now she began to panic.
Ryan and Iggy moved toward the bar's entrance. "We gotta drive home, see you tomorrow," Iggy said. Geo called out to Ryan to hold up and asked him about a cable he needed for the keyboard.
Left alone with Merc, Stephanie rubbed her hands together and then pulled on her jacket. Since the excitement of the meeting wore down, she noticed the chill in the room. "I didn't realize it was so cold in here."
Merc smiled draped an arm over her neck. "Ready for dinner?"
She looked up and got caught in a sea of gold. "Uh–"
Merc's gaze grew intense and he leaned forward and brushed his lips over her nose. "You know, food? Nourishment?"
She nodded and cleared her throat. "Why do I feel a little set up?"
Merc caught his lower lip between his teeth in thought. "Well, I think you feel set up because I think we were just set up." He laughed lightly.
She smiled up at him and shook her head. "But why?"
"I think my brother is trying to play matchmaker."
Her brow furrowed. "Matchmaker?" She touched her index finger to the center of his chest and then her own. "You mean, um, us?"
Merc looked around. "Do you see anyone else?"
Stephanie grinned. "No, smart ass. Why would he do that?" Her voice grew hoarse as she spoke. His eyes had gone from bright gold to deep bronze in the space of a second. "Oh."
Merc shook his head as if to clear it. "I'm sorry, Belle. I think he just knows things about me I haven't – I hadn't planned to admit to myself, let alone you. Kinda hard to hide from a twin; he can practically read my mind."
"I know what you mean," she murmured. Her breath froze in her lungs when he took a tiny step forward, his eyes staring into hers intently.
"You see, I have a problem and I think," his hands cupped her waist and brought her a step closer, "you have the same problem."
"Problem?" She tried to swallow, but for some reason her throat ceased to work. Her lungs hiccupped and, for some reason, now her legs felt like rubber.
"Yeah," he took the last little step and enfolded her in his long, muscular arms. "This." Then he bent his head down and claimed her lips in a sweet, gentle kiss. The cold forgotten, heat swept through Stephanie's body and lit several small fires in strategic places. He tightened his arms and pressed her against his hard body. He slowly straightened until he stood with her clasped against his chest.
He kept his kisses light, waiting, asking permission. In a daze, and completely overwhelmed by sensation, Stephanie gave a small moan and opened her mouth to him. His tongue made a tentative sweep inside to taste her. When electric heat zinged through her body, she lifted her hands and buried them in his hair. "Thad," she moaned into his mouth.
He turned around and set her on a bar stool, then trailed his hands over her arms, shoulders, and down her back to settle on top of her thighs. His fingertips splayed up over her hips and onto the outer curve of her behind. Stephanie tugged on his hair in a request to deepen the kiss. He complied and tilted his head to the side to plunge his tongue into her mouth.
She spread her legs and gripped his thighs with hers. Spurred on by her action, he stepped forward between her legs and reached his hands up to push her jacket off her body. It fell with a smack to the tile floor and his hands roved over her back, kneading her muscles and rubbing over her thin, silky top.
He broke the kiss and pulled back to look into her eyes. "I wish I could see your real eyes right now, Belle," he whispered. She'd forgotten about the tinted contacts and lowered her lashes. "No worries, even with the barrier, I can see how dark they are. Kissing you is more intoxicating than I imagined." He leaned down and trailed soft, tiny kisses down the side of her neck.
Stephanie moaned and arched her back, her arms wrapped around his shoulders, tugging him against her and his hands slid up her front to rest just beneath her breasts. He didn't move any higher and didn't kiss lower than her neck. She sensed he'd go no further without permission.
She tightened the grip of her thighs and he moved his hands to her shoulders and slipped his fingers under the thin strap of her camisole. The warmth of his skin on her bare shoulder caused her heart to teeter on the sharp precipice between staying true to who she loved and the desire for this man building within her. A sudden chill engulfed her body and she brought her eyes open in time to see Merc stumbling three steps back. Stephanie gasped a deep breath into her lungs and tried to sort through the confusion that crowded inside her head.
"Belle, I didn't mean for this to happen so fast." He labored for each breath and Stephanie stared at him. "Don't look at me like that, sweetie. I just think maybe we need to talk about this. A lot."
She blew out a breath and worked to regain her composure. "Okay. Uh, I'm still hungry."
"It might be best if you phrased that differently right now." Merc's words sounded like he was in pain and, from his posture, it was a safe bet things were a little tight below the belt.
"How about we hit McDonald's Drive-Thru now?"
He gave her a half smile. "I think it's a very good idea." He held out his hand and she took it. Her purse sat on the table where she'd kept it during the chat with Devin. She went to retrieve it while he grabbed her jacket from the floor. She reapplied her pink lip gloss and then slid her arms into the jacket he held up for her. "Do I look like I just got kissed senseless?" she asked.
Merc winced good-naturedly. "Yes. Do I have any of your lip gloss on my lips?" She laughed and reached up to rub her thumb over his lips. He grabbed her wrist and kissed the pad of her thumb, then released her. "We need to leave right now." He tugged her out of the bar and she trailed behind, her mind whirling with thoughts about the kisses they'd shared. One word came to mind: Shit.