“There you are!”

Damon’s drumsticks halted in midair and Gabe paused the chord he was playing at the sound of my mother’s shrill voice.

“What on earth are you all doing in here?” she demanded, striding into the room on her high heels.

I saw Damon’s eyes darken before he dropped his gaze to his lap and lowered the drumsticks. Gabe looked between us, an eyebrow raised in interest rather than concern. I wasn’t sure how, but he seemed entirely unperturbed by April Allen.

“Chloe?” Mama stopped beside me. I was the one who specialized in explanations in our family. Usually to protect Damon from her disapproval.

“I was just coming to get Damon and take him back to the party and the boys started jamming,” I told her.

“Jamming? Chloe, your guests are wondering where you are!”

I stifled a sigh. “I’ve only been gone ten minutes.”

“Actually, it’s been about half an hour,” Gabe said, standing. He put the guitar back on the stand carefully. “And your mother’s right. You’re missing your party.”

My mother straightened and blinked several times, her fake lashes doing a little dance. “Well, then. Which one are you?”

I thought I saw the corner of Gabe’s mouth twitch. He walked over to us and offered Mama his hand. “Ma’am, I’m Gabriel da Silva, the drummer. Thanks for having us tonight. Your house is something special.”

My mother blinked again but allowed Gabe to shake her hand. I knew she hated being called ‘ma’am’ but she was a Southern girl and couldn’t resist good manners.

“Why thank you, Gabriel. You performed beautifully tonight. I hope you won’t mind if I escort my daughter back to her party.”

“Not at all. I’m sorry to have monopolized her time, but I can see where she gets her charm and beauty.”

Damon and I shared a wide-eyed look and I was pretty sure we both fell a little harder for Gabe in that moment. Johnnie may have oozed sex appeal, but I was beginning to see Gabe’s attractiveness lay in his quiet self-assuredness.

“Why thank you, sugar.”

Damon and I shared another look and I reached over and caught Mama’s arm. Once she started calling men ‘sugar’ it was time to leave.

“Come on, Mama. Let’s head back to the party. Have I missed anything?”

My mother let her gaze linger thoughtfully on Gabe for longer than was necessary and then she turned to me, waving a hand theatrically in the air. “Oh, just the usual. Candace is making eyes at your father again, never mind he’s remarried. And I think some of the young ones are rather drunk, but then aren’t we all?” She flashed Gabe a winning smile.

“I haven’t said hello to Candace tonight, so let’s go.” I guided Mama toward the door and made the mistake of looking back.

Gabe’s knowing smile caught me off guard and I stumbled. Mama righted me.

“How much have you had to drink, young lady?”

“No more than you.”

My mother frowned, then shrugged. “You should be fine then.”

I was pretty sure she’d had too much as well but she’d never been a good judge of her alcohol consumption.

I mouthed ‘sorry’ as I was whisked out the door and prayed my brother would be alright left alone in Gabe’s company.

*

SEVERAL HOURS LATER, sometime around three am, I kicked off my heels and headed for the bathroom. I was dying to pee so instead of heading upstairs to my room, I ducked into one of the guest bedrooms that was closer.

“Oh!” I skidded to a halt several feet inside the door. “Johnnie.”

“Hey, sweetheart.”

Johnnie gave me a lopsided grin from his position on the bed. He was naked from the waist up, his black jeans sitting dangerously low on his narrow hips. I was momentarily distracted from my urgency to go to the bathroom by the tapestry of tattoos that covered his chest and stomach. “You like what you see?”

I snapped my mouth shut because I’d been gaping and darted a glance toward the bathroom. “Actually, I really need to pee.”

A flicker of surprise lit Johnnie’s dark eyes and then he threw his head back and laughed. “I must be losing my touch.”

I darted another glance at the bathroom. “Sorry.” I rushed into the bathroom off the guest bedroom and closed the door. After I’d relieved myself, I studied my reflection in the mirror while I washed my hands.

Not too bad, all things considered. My eyes were a little bloodshot from the alcohol—which I’d stopped drinking hours ago, just to be safe—but the rest of me appeared normal. I think my mother had instructed the waitstaff to ply me with as much food as possible, too. Even so, I could feel my body struggling to deal with the amount of champagne buzzing around my system.

Satisfied, I made my way back into the bedroom. Johnnie still lay comfortably on the bed. He hadn’t bothered to cover up, either.

He patted the empty space on the bed next to him. “Come and join me.”

I raised an eyebrow at him and he grinned. “Relax, I won’t bite. I just want to see how you enjoyed your party.”

I narrowed my eyes at him but did as he suggested. I perched on the edge of the bed so there was still a few feet between us.

“Chloe, I’m serious. I don’t bite. Lie down and chat with me.”

Johnnie actually sounded a little wounded, so I brought my legs up onto the bed and smoothed my skirt down over my thighs, but I didn’t lie down.

“Should I even ask why you’re in here?” I asked.

“I think you know the answer to that.” His innocent smile turned plain indecent.

“Where’s Faith now?”

He shrugged, then frowned. “She’s not the type to stick around. Usually that’s my move.”

Nice, I thought, but I liked that Faith had kept the upper hand in this instance. “You sound upset by that,” I observed.

“Nah, not upset. Just surprised and kind of in awe. She’s a firecracker.”

“I really don’t want to know.”

“Aw, go easy on a guy. I’ve just been blindsided by a vixen in a gold dress. I’m doing my best to recover.”

I stole another glance at him. Johnnie did actually look genuinely stupefied. His hair was all messed up and he had a dazed look in his eyes.

Go Faith.

“I doubt I’ll see her again,” he said.

“What? Why?”

He shrugged again. “Let’s just say it takes one to know one.”

I couldn’t help myself and turned to face him. “Do you want to see her again?”

“Hell—see her, feel her, touch her. She’s amazing.”

“I don’t think she does relationships,” I told him, not to wound him but because it was probably better if I was honest.

“Yeah, neither do I. Still. I’d do her again, anytime.”

“How romantic.”

“What? You’ve never been so hot for a guy you’d let him use your body?”

“I—” I closed my mouth and willed my complexion to stay a neutral color. Gabe’s stormy eyes popped into my mind and I bit my lip.

Johnnie propped himself up on his elbow and studied me with interest. “Sweet, innocent Chloe,” he said softly. “It’s not all an act, is it?”

I cleared my throat and avoided his gaze. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I just seem innocent in comparison to Faith, that’s all. We’re very different.”

“So you didn’t have Gabe tonight?”

I sucked in a breath and shifted away from him. “Excuse me?”

“I’ll take that as a no, then. Not that Gabe’s easy to get into bed, but I thought he would make an exception for you.”

I didn’t know where to look, or what to do, but the obvious thing seemed to be to finish this conversation before it got more out of hand. I scooted across the bed and dropped my legs over the edge.

“Wait.” Johnnie caught my arm and crawled on all fours so he was next to me.

I swallowed at his proximity. He didn’t have the same effect on me as Gabe, but having his dark brand of masculinity focused on me was still distracting.

“So he didn’t even kiss you?” His voice was a low rumble.

I shook my head and tried to free my arm but he held onto me—not hard, just enough to make it clear he wanted an answer.

“No, he didn’t kiss me.” Why was I even telling him this? It was none of his business.

He muttered an oath and let go of me. I couldn’t understand why he was so upset.

Instead of getting up and leaving the room, I turned to face him. “Why does it matter to you, anyway?”

Johnnie frowned, his dark eyebrows troubled. “You’re the birthday girl, Chloe. Doesn’t seem right I’m in here with Faith and you don’t even get a birthday kiss.”

“I’ve had a great night,” I assured him. “And I’m not the least bit bothered by you and Faith.” In fact, as far as I knew, it had been a long time since Faith had been with a guy, so I was happy she’d enjoyed tonight. It was hardly the relationship I secretly wished for her, but it was better than nothing. I went to get up again.

He caught my hand, more gently this time. “Still. It doesn’t seem fair.”

“I’ve had a great night, Johnnie. Really.” And for what it was worth, the moments I’d spent in Gabe’s company I knew I’d remember for years to come.

He grinned at me. “I’ll give you a birthday kiss.”

It was my turn to frown. “No, that’s not necessary.” God, he was such a flirt. And it seemed weird and a little wrong given he’d just been with Faith.

I stood up and straightened my dress. “Thanks for a great show tonight, Johnnie. Oh!”

With the grace of a panther, Johnnie leapt up beside me and I was in his arms.

“Johnnie,” I cried, out of breath.

“Just on the cheek,” he pleaded, like it really did matter to him.

I rolled my eyes. “Seriously, why is this bothering you so much?”

“Because a beautiful girl like you deserves a birthday kiss on a night like tonight.”

I shook my head at him and pointed to my cheek. “Fine. Plant one here, but that’s it, alright?”

He grinned like a kid who’d just been told he had free reign over the cookie jar.

“Just one,” he whispered.