“That’s Jim and Pete.” I pointed out the guys, who were still on stage grabbing some of their gear.

“And this here…” I clapped down on the big man’s shoulder as he approached us. “Is Ricky.”

Charlotte gave him a warm smile.

“Ricky, Charlotte, Charlotte, Ricky,” I introduced them with a wave of my hand.

Ricky shot Charlotte what I’d started to call his ‘full beam’ smile. I’d seen the guy literally charm the pants off women with that thing.

“Hey, Little Red,” he quipped, teasing her.

I tensed slightly, expecting Charlotte to chew him out with some of that spit and fire she’d thrown my way when we first met, but she just let out a half snort, half laugh.

“Like I haven’t heard that one before,” she deadpanned. “If you’re gonna give me a nickname, at least attempt to be original,” she added with an amused gleam in her eye.

He clutched his chest in a dramatic fashion. “Urgh, you wound me, Little Red.”

“That’s gonna stick, isn’t it?” she demanded, her hands finding residency on her hips.

He grinned and nodded enthusiastically. “Like shit to a blanket.”

“Well, I’d call you ‘Big Rick’…” she drawled. “But we both know how that’s gonna play out.”

Ricky let out a loud, booming laugh.

I couldn’t help but join in and laugh at the two of them, ribbing each other like old mates.

That was Charlotte for you; the girl wasn’t intimidated by anyone. Not even a six-foot, two-hundred-and-forty-pound drummer, with more tattoos than brain cells.

Ricky let out a big, rumbling laugh. “Cool chick, Park. I’ll have some fun with her.”

I didn’t even get time to answer before Ricky was calling out to Pete and Jimmy.

“Petey, Jim-Bob, come meet Little Red.”

“Motherfucker,” Charlotte muttered, giving Ricky a playful jab in the ribs.

And just like that, she was part of the family.

Right where I want her to be.

 

 

“C’mon, Parker, rock my world.” Charlotte giggled from her spot in the booth.

She’d been going with the rock puns for a solid half hour. It shouldn’t have been funny anymore, but my brain was so far gone on this girl, I couldn’t help but egg her on and join in her silly game.

“Oh, I’ve got something rock hard for you, babe.” I smirked.

Her mouth formed a small ‘o’ as her eyes darted between my face and my crotch.

“Tease,” she muttered under her breath when she realised I was messing with her.

She snuggled back into my side and eyed up the club scene surrounding us. The boys were all milling around, some of them picking up chicks, some just drinking and watching. This is what happened after every show, for some of the guys, the after party was the highlight of the whole night.

Charlotte didn’t seem the least bit phased by the hordes of groupies that were hanging around – not that I’d spared any of them a second glance. She seemed totally comfortable here with me, even if we’d barely moved out of our cosy booth.

I was more than happy to be antisocial tonight.

Got everything I need right here.

“I want to play a game with you,” she whispered in my ear, her breath was warm and smelt of vodka and lemon. I let my gaze travel down the length of her body. She was pure seduction right now and she didn’t even know it. Her dress had ridden up slightly, revealing another inch of her creamy thighs… and those boots.

God-freakin’-damn.

Those fuck-me boots would be the death of me.

“I’m in,” I answered without hesitation.

She ran a finger down my arm. “It’s called…” She paused dramatically, and a giggle slipped out. “Paper, scissors, rock.”

I chuckled loudly, shaking my head at myself. “I should have seen it coming.”

“But yet, you didn’t.” She laughed, thoroughly impressed with herself.

I must have been ten kinds of messed up over this girl – I was still laughing. It wasn’t necessarily her joke, but hearing her laugh that made me smile.

“You know I don’t actually play rock music, right?”

She nodded. “But ‘pop star’ just doesn’t have the same ring to it.” She smirked.

“I wouldn’t call it pop either, smart-ass.”

“Hip hop?” she prompted.

I shook my head.

“No,” she agreed, shaking her head along with me. “You just don’t fit in any of the boxes.” She feigned disappointment with a pout.

I grinned. “Well I sure do my best to fit in your box, babe.”

She laughed long and hard at that. “Touché, Mr. Sloan, touché.”

She tossed back the rest of her drink and I grinned. Charlotte was well on her way to being drunk. I doubted it was something she did very often, and I was enjoying watching her let her hair down.

I’ll keep her safe.

I’d even stopped drinking a couple of hours ago; I was having way more fun watching my girl let loose anyway.

 

 

“Do you think they’d play ‘We Will Rock You’ if I asked?” Charlotte pondered aloud, a shit-eating grin on her face at her latest rock star pun.

“Okay… time to go you little smart-ass.” I chuckled.

“No, no, no,” she insisted, her hands flying around in overly large gestures. “Let’s dance,” she slurred, nodding enthusiastically at her own suggestion.

I chuckled to myself. At this point, I doubted Charlotte could even stand up straight.

“This club is jumpin’ jumpin’,” she added with a lazy smile.

“Did you just reference Destiny’s Child?” I asked with a grin.

Her eyes widened. “Oh my god.” She grabbed my bicep in a death grip, her eyes wide. “Do you know Destiny’s Child?”

Sweet Jesus.

“Annnnd, we’re out of here,” I announced.

“Noooo,” she whined.

“Yessss,” I replied.

I won the argument.

Charlotte was so drunk, she protested with the power of a wet kitten.

I hoisted her up and slipped my arm around her middle, supporting her weight. It would have been easier to carry her, but I didn’t think Charlotte would have appreciated the whole club witnessing that.

“Let’s get you home,” I murmured in her ear.

“Your place,” she demanded.

The thought of Charlotte in my bed, even just for sleeping – and possibly throwing up, if her current state was anything to go by, gave me a thrill that rivalled playing live.

“Yeah, babe, my place,” I reassured her as I placed a kiss on the top of her head.

She gave me a dazzling smile.

I caught Jasper’s eye across the room. Hannah was standing next to him; something I’d noticed had become a reoccurring theme throughout the night. I gave him a subtle chin lift, and looked at Hannah.

Get Hannah home safe.

Jasper responded with a chin lift of his own.

On it, man.

We didn’t need words to communicate.

I could count on J to keep Hannah out of trouble. Although if that look on his face was anything to go by, the two of them would be making trouble together.

At home…

In between the sheets.

“They...” Charlotte pointed lazily in their direction. “Are totally… going to bang.”

I laughed loudly. Wasted Charlotte was oddly insightful.

“Wait!” She came to a screaming stop, pulling my arm back with her. “We haven’t got the hulk.” She attempted to swing around and look for Sammy, she was so wobbly on her feet I had to physically catch her to stop her from falling.

“He’s here, legs, we’re good.” I chuckled at her sudden concern for my burly bodyguard.

“No, no, no,” she insisted in her drunken slur. “We can’t just leave him here.” Her eyes widened.

“Legs, he’s right here,” I insisted.

I didn’t even have to look around to know that Sammy wouldn’t be far behind me. He was the best of the best. He kept a low profile, didn’t miss a single thing, and moved whenever I did. If I asked him to – he stayed behind, but the closest I’d ever gotten to an out-of-control situation, since having Sammy on staff, was the night I met Charlotte. And that was all my own doing – even given my crazy state that night, Sammy and his team had kept things under control.

“But h—”

I stifled a laugh. Apparently, Charlotte lost the ability to let things go when she got drunk.

Sammy chose that moment to make his presence known. “I’m right here, Miss. Now, how about we get you home?”

“Sammy!” Charlotte crooned, apparently overjoyed that he was in fact very much present and okay.

She reached out for him and looped her arm through his, much to his surprise. “I was so worried….” she rambled.

Sammy shot me a ‘what the fuck do I do?’ look, but I just shrugged and laughed.

Drunken Charlotte had him now.

 

 

Damn…

Turned out I’d been right about the vomiting.

We were on round three now, and if I hadn’t seen it for myself, I wouldn’t have believed that Charlotte could hold that much liquid in her tiny body.

“Do you feel better yet, babe?” I asked as I wiped her face with a cool cloth.

She nodded. “I’m never drinking again.” She groaned.

“I’ll second that motion.”

“I’m so sorry,” she mumbled as she tried to push the damp hair off her face.

I lightly moved her hand away and completed the action for her. “Honestly, Charlotte, as disgusting as this is, I still like taking care of you.”

She made a noise of disbelief.

I didn’t blame her. Cleaning up someone else’s vomit wasn’t exactly the top of my to-do list, but I was in over my head with this girl – nothing was off limits.

“It’s fine, babe,” I reassured her. “You sure you’re feeling better?”

She nodded in response.

“Good.” I kissed the top of her head. “Bed.” I lifted her into my arms, her hands lightly holding onto my bare shoulders, her big blue eyes looking up at me with gratitude.

“I could walk,” she commented quietly.

I knew she could. I just liked holding her.

I sat her on the side of the bed. “Strip off,” I instructed as I moved towards my drawers. I found a Guns N’ Roses t-shirt and tossed it back in her direction. “Put that on, legs, I’ll just take a shower.”

“You should wear no shirt more often,” she replied, her eyes glued firmly to my body as she licked her lips.

Jesus…

Keep it together, Sloan.

The only reason I wasn’t wearing a shirt right now, was because she’d thrown up all down the front of it.

I shot her a smirk in an attempt to cover my reaction and strode to the bathroom quickly. There was no way in hell I was going to watch her undress. And I couldn’t take much more of her ogling me like that without reacting.

Not tonight.

Charlotte wasn’t up to it, and I knew myself well enough to know that my self-control would snap if I saw what she had on under that dress.

Even if we both smell like puke… I still want her.

I showered quickly and slipped back into the room wearing only my boxer briefs.

Charlotte’s light snores filled the room.

She was curled up in my bed, her red hair a dark, wild mass against my white pillows.

My heart tightened in my chest at the sight. I’d imagined Charlotte in my bed, in a variety of different scenarios, but no matter how hot or heavy my fantasies got, nothing even came close to this.

I slipped under the covers, being careful not to wake her and curled myself around her body.

“Goodnight, beautiful, this is only the beginning,” I whispered to her.