“My favorite band is Metallica.”
“My favorite artist is Luke Bryan.”
Declan chuckled. “Luke’s a good guy.”
“You know him?” I demanded, slightly awed.
“We’re not best buds or anything, but we’ve hung out a few times after award ceremonies and he’s good people.”
“That’s very cool.”
“Who else do you like?”
“Garth Brooks, Reba, Dolly, and everything in between. Put on some Waylon Jennings and I could sit for hours.”
“What’s your favorite Garth song?”
“Depends on my mood but ‘Shameless’ is up there. And yes, I know Billy Joel wrote it.”
“That’s one of my favorites as well.”
“You listen to country?”
“I listen to everything. Rock, rap, country, pop, even classical. I love music, all music, and as a musician, I’d like to think I’ve been influenced by all genres.”
“That makes sense. I like some classical music, like Ravel’s ‘Bolero.’ Andre Rieu does fantastic versions of so many of the classics. ‘The Blue Danube,’ ‘Second Waltz,’ stuff like that.”
“If you enjoy violin, you should check out an all-girl violin quartet called Bond. They have some amazing music. My favorite is called ‘Fuego.’”
I pulled out my phone and typed myself a note. “There. Now I won’t forget.”
“Excellent.”
We played trivia for a while longer but his fingers were lightly resting on my bare shoulder now and we’d edged our seats closer together. The sides of our thighs were touching and every time I looked at him, he was already looking at me. This was the best non-date I’d ever been out on, and despite being at a table full of celebrities, they’d accepted me and my friends into the fold like we did this every day. Jenna was flirting with Ford nonstop, Kiki was deep in conversation with Lexi, and Gordie was talking hockey with Zaan.
Meanwhile, the sexiest man I’d ever laid eyes on kept staring at me like he wanted to lick me from head to toe, and I would have been lying if I’d said I didn’t like the idea.
Our eyes met and he leaned forward, gently brushing his lips across mine. “Wanna get out of here and go somewhere we can talk and be alone?”
“Yes, I’d like that. Where?” My heart was pounding with equal amounts of excitement and trepidation.
“A buddy of mine is working on a movie in Europe and I’ve been keeping an eye on his house for him. He has an epic pool and jacuzzi. And no one there to bother us.”
“I don’t have a suit with me.”
“Neither do I.”
Oh my god, he wanted me to go skinny-dipping with him. And I was going to.
“Okay.”
He put some money on the table as we got to our feet and he wrapped his hand around mine.
“See you tomorrow,” I called to Kiki.
“I won’t wait up!” she called back.
We got outside and he paused. “You want to ride with me or did you drive here?”
“I drove and I’d rather not leave my car here after closing. I can follow you, though.”
“Cool. I drive the Escalade over there.”
“I drive the Honda over there.” I dug my keys out of my purse.
“See you in a few.” He kissed me again, ever so lightly, one hand on the side of my face. It was as gentle as a summer breeze but as intense as a hurricane. When my eyes reopened, his were filled with passion. We exchanged a knowing look before he turned and made his way to his SUV.
* * *
The house we pulled up in front of a few minutes later was amazing. A literal mansion with a fountain out front, two three-car garages, and marble steps leading up to a magnificent front door. It looked like something out of a movie, and I couldn’t believe there were houses like this in Las Vegas. There were millionaires here, of course, but this place was over-the-top and spectacular.
“Wow,” I said, getting out of my car and joining him in front of the house. “Your buddy owns this place?”
“Remember the sitcom from a few years ago called Heavy Medals? It starred Ron Hebert and Callie Martins?”
“Oh, sure,” I nodded. “The one where the former Olympic champions are down and out and they start a rock band or something? I saw a few episodes but I don’t watch a lot of TV.”
“Well, I was a guest star on an episode and Ron and I got to be good friends. I don’t have a private pool at my condo, so he said I can use his whenever I want because he’s not here much. And in exchange I make sure the house is okay and his maintenance crew is keeping up with everything.”
“That sounds like a good deal.”
“I think so.” He took my hand and we walked up to the massive double doors. He punched in a code and they swung open.
I was surprised to see that the house was essentially empty and said so.
“Ron’s only here a few weeks a year, so his bedroom, the kitchen and the pool area are set up, but the house is mostly empty. He’s thinking about selling it.”
“Holy shit.” The pool was as spectacular as everything else and I leaned against Declan as I took it all in. “This is breathtaking.”
“I guess.” He slid an arm around me and pulled me against him. “But not as breathtaking as you.”
I sighed happily as his lips touched mine and I all but melted into him. It had been more than six months since I’d had sex and I’d never been with anyone as enigmatic as Declan. He was a rock star, and probably the sort of bad boy I normally stayed far away from, but one night never hurt anyone and my body was already acutely aware of his nearness.
As his tongue slid between my lips, our mouths moved together hungrily, and I wrapped my arms around his neck. He was an enticing combination of soft and hard, sinewy muscle beneath warm skin. His lips were firm against mine, our tongues wrestling for dominance even as I stopped thinking and allowed myself to get lost in him. I was embarrassingly aroused and moaned when he slid his hands down my back to cup my backside. He pulled me against his groin and he was thick and hard beneath his jeans.
“Wanna get naked?” he whispered against my mouth.
4
Bash
* * *
God, she was beautiful. That reddish-brown hair, those green eyes, and her now well-kissed lips had me so hard it was painful. She hadn’t answered my question, but she’d taken a step back and pulled her T-shirt over her head. Her skin was pale, her waist small, and her tits were fan-fucking-tastic. She wore a simple white bra that didn’t show much cleavage, but I saw the shape clearly through the thin fabric.
“Your turn,” she said in a breathy whisper.
I automatically pulled off my shirt and we both just stood there, staring.
“You’re beautiful,” I said softly.
“You are too.” She slid her denim skirt down and let it puddle around her ankles before stepping out of it.
Her underwear was pretty simple too—just white cotton bikini-style—but I saw enough to make my mouth water. Rounded hips, shapely legs, and a fucking pierced belly button that made me want to suck on it.