Chapter 7
The rest of the week flew by too damn fast, and Tuesday morning came before I was ready.
Kyle pulled up in the Escalade and honked the horn. I was thankful Lane was nearly better now that we were going back on the bus.
I carried our luggage outside and stacked it on the porch so Kyle could load it. “Hey, man. Find your way back all right.”
Kyle nodded and tucked his hair behind his ears. “Yeah, it wasn’t too bad.”
Lane came up beside me, and I wrapped my arm around her shoulders. “I can’t believe we have to go back already.”
I sighed. “Tell me about it. I never get enough time off. Sometimes I feel like running away for a while.”
She leaned her head against me. “That’s a nice dream, but I think your legion of fangirls would track you down if you stayed hidden for too long.”
“If they’re hot, I wouldn’t mind so much,” I teased and she smacked my ass. “Ouch!”
She raised an eyebrow and shot me look that revealed she didn’t think my little joke was too funny.
I threaded our fingers together. “Come on. Let’s head back to civilization.”
About twenty minutes into our drive and hearing all about Kyle’s week with his girl Emily, Lane’s cell chirped. She dug into her purse and fished out her phone. “We finally have service.”
Even though I knew it wasn’t polite or good boyfriend etiquette to peek at her phone, I glanced down at the screen. Ten missed calls flashed before she dialed in the code to listen to her messages.
A distinctly male voice was on the line, and my ears perked up.
Lane twisted her lips as she listened and then after a couple seconds grinned. Why was she smiling? I was trying not to be a jealous dick, but I didn’t like it when another man made her face light up like that. That was my fucking job.
She hung up the phone and stared at me. “That was Striker.”
Both of my hands curled into fists on my lap. “What did he want?”
“To offer me a job,” she said. “Isn’t that great news?”
I shook my head. “No.”
“No? What do you mean, no? This is a great opportunity.”
How could she not see what he was doing? This job wasn’t a goodwill gesture. It was a way to keep her close. That asshole obviously still didn’t get it. Lane was mine and he needed to move the fuck on and quit trying to go after my girl. It wasn’t going to happen for him. “You can’t work for him.”
Lane’s eyebrows furrowed. “You promised you wouldn’t complain about any job I took. I can’t believe you’re acting like this. I know this isn’t the ideal situation or boss, but there’s nothing between Striker and me.”
A sarcastic laugh slipped from me. “Maybe on your end.”
“Noel…don’t be that way. I need this job.”
I grabbed her hand. “But you don’t need this job. I’ll take care of you.”
She pulled her hand away. “I don’t want to be taken care of. Don’t you understand? I need a life outside of us—independence. The job Striker’s offering allows me to remain on tour with you and still work. He won’t be around like you think. It’s the best of both worlds.”
I folded my arms across my chest and attempted to listen calmly. “What kind of job?”
She grinned. “It’s putting together an online marketing campaign for a new line of men’s jewelry Striker has designed with a jeweler. It’s a personal project for him.”
I raised my pierced eyebrow. “Men’s jewelry? I knew that British fucker was part fairy.”
Lane laughed and smacked my leg. “Be nice.”
I held up my hands defensively. “What? Just stating the obvious.”
She rolled her eyes at me, and I tugged her body against mine in the seat. “This is serious, Noel.”
I sighed. “I know. I’m sorry, but you have to admit he’s a tool.”
“He’s pretty nice to me.”
“Yeah, because he wants in your panties. But I’ve got news for him. It isn’t happening. Those panties belong to me.”
She gave me a pointed look. “Do they?”
I leaned down and kissed her lips before I worked my way to her ear. “We both know you love screaming my name when you come. So yeah, they belong to me,” I growled.
Lane blushed fiercely. I knew that was fighting dirty, but when it came to claiming her, there were no rules. She was mine, and I wasn’t above reminding her or anyone else of that from time to time.
We pulled into the parking lot a little later, and Big Bertha was a comforting sight with the regular crew gathered around it. Although I didn’t know the roadies all too well, it was good to see their familiar faces.
Kyle parked the SUV near the back of the bus and hopped out.
“Feel good to be back?” Lane asked as I helped her out.
“Yes and no. I miss the guys, but there’s never enough alone time with you.”
She threw her arms around my neck. “See, then you should be happy about this job.”
My shoulders tensed under her touch. “I’m just not happy about your new boss.”
She traced my chin with her finger. “Nothing will happen between me and Striker. I love you. So quit worrying.”
It was easy to trust Lane, but it was hard to trust that douchebag, Striker. Who knew what his plan was. Everything inside of me told me it wasn’t just to give Lane a job. She was a beautiful woman. Any man would’ve told you that, and that’s why it didn’t add up.
“I could always try to get the Black Falcon account back from Center Stage,” I told her, hoping it changed her mind.
She shook her head. “No. They have Aubrey working on it now, and I can’t take that away from her.”
I knew Aubrey was her best friend and she and Riff kind of had a thing, but her career wasn’t what mattered to me. I guess I was just a selfish jerk because taking something away from Aubrey to give to Lane was something I would’ve tried in a heartbeat if she wanted it. But she would kill me if I did that. There didn’t seem to be a way around her taking this new job.
I sighed again and felt utterly defeated. “You won’t be around him much?”
“If ever,” she countered.
“If it makes you happy, then I’ll try my best to be supportive.”
Her lips crushed into mine. “And that is why you’re the best boyfriend in the entire world.”
I grinned and ground my pelvis into hers. “I thought this made me the best.”
She smacked my chest. “You are impossible.”
I laughed. “But you love me.”
The skin on her cheeks was so soft as I cradled her face in my hands. I dipped my head and planted my lips on hers.
“Oh, God! Would you two get a room already?” a voice remarked behind us. “A week of fuck time didn’t get it out of your systems?”
I turned to find Trip grinning like an idiot. “Don’t be a jealous asshole. Someday you’ll find a woman you don’t have to pay.”
“Ha. Ha. Very funny, dickhead. Now come on and get your asses on the bus. We’ve been waiting for twenty minutes on you two so we could head out.”
I nodded to him. “All right. We’re coming. Simmer down, saucy.”
He flipped me off and headed for the bus. I turned back to Lane. “Come on, before he gets his panties in a bunch.”
Once inside, it was good to see nothing had changed. All the guys were present and accounted for. Tyke and Trip busied themselves with restocking the kitchen with supplies, while Riff talked on his cell with a stack of Oreos in front of him. With my girl at my side, all things were right with the world. Everyone that mattered, with the exception of my mom, was here on this bus.
Lane kissed my cheek, and I watched her with a huge smile on my face head towards the bedroom to settle in.
Tyke handed me a beer from across the island. “Good break? I see that sappy grin.”
I twisted off the cap. “Don’t hate.”
Tyke held his hands up palms up. “I’m not. It’s just going to be weird around here with both you and Riff settled down and all.”
The liquid in my mouth nearly strangled me. “Riff?” I peered over at my friend sitting at the table wearing a goofy grin while he talked quietly on the phone. “With who?”
Tyke gave me a pointed look. “Lane’s friend, Aubrey. Who else?”
My eyebrows rose. “Realllllly? Wow. I thought they just hooked up.”
He shrugged. “Apparently he spent the entire break with her in New York, and he’s been on the phone with her now for the last hour.”
“Huh.” I was shocked. My best friend was a totally the bag ‘em and leave ‘em type. The only person he’d ever had a long-term relationship with was Sophie, and even that had only lasted two months before she claimed to have slept with me, but he never acted like he was smitten with her. There must’ve been something about Aubrey that hooked him. For as long as I had known him, I’d never seen that happen before.
Tyke chugged the rest of his beer and then tossed it in the trash. “Did you hear Attack Jacket dropped off the rest of the tour?”
“What? When did this happen and why am I just now hearing about this?”
“Try getting a landline out in that no man’s land you live in. We couldn’t get a hold of you.”
“Well who did the label get to cover?”
Tyke cocked his head. “Who does the label always get to cover?”
Fuck me. Shit. Shit. Shit. Not that asshole. Now his little scheme to get Lane to work for him was starting to make sense. He knew he was going to be around her and planned on using it for an excuse.
Damn his sneaky ass.
This was so not good. Striker needed to know Lane was off limits. If I slapped a huge carat of commitment on her finger, he sure as hell would take the hint to back the fuck off.
The perfect proposal was just going to have to be skipped. When I got a minute away, I was going to buy a ring and ask her the first chance I got.