Takes place after COMPLETED and DYLAN AND JEN.
Hannah's POV:
“If I’m not
welcome, it’s totally your fault.”
“It’ll be fine.”
A minute later, he
stopped at a large iron gate, rolled the window down, and typed a code into a
keypad. The gates opened.
Whoa. The property was huge. The driveway split in multiple directions, curving left to a modern house, right to a multi-car garage, and straight in between. Mike parked by the garage next to a vintage truck.
“Dylan is here.”
“Okay.”
He removed the
shades and looked at me. “Our bassist.”
“Oh.”
“His girlfriend
Jen might be here, too. She’s a writer.”
He got out of the car and walked around front before I could open my
door. Offered a hand. I placed my hand on his and he tugged. “That’s a great dress, by the way.”
His eyes made my
tummy flutter. I glanced away. “Thanks.”
Mike dropped my
hand and started for the house only to veer around the side. Going to the back? Tucking my hair behind my ears, I
followed. The backyard was even more
beautiful than the front. There was also
a second house visible beyond the pool deck.
He wasn’t kidding when he called it a compound. A dark-haired woman my height hugged him.
“You made it.
Who’s your friend?”
“Beth, this is
Hannah.”
The woman had a
firm handshake. “Hi, I’m Beth Lindsey.
The boys call me Bethie because Jacob has since we were kids.” She swatted Mike’s bicep. “You didn’t tell me you were bringing a
date.”
“We’re friends,” I
said.
“Grab a drink and
sit. Celeste texted they’re on their way, so we’re only wanting on Aaron.”
“Might as well
eat, then,” a man with a British accent said.
He placed a veggie tray on the table and kissed Beth’s cheek. “You’re getting a little sun.”
“I put on
sunscreen. Damn.” She went in the house.
“Who’s this, Mikey?”
he asked, nodding to me.
“Hannah.” Much as I didn’t want to, I couldn’t stop
staring. Jake Lindsey was dazzling. He had this intense eye contact thing that
made you think he saw all your insides and his irises were so blue in the sunlight. And
the smile. I’d never seen a face so
symmetrically perfect before.
A man shorter than
both of them looked at me and laughed, jolting me out of my stupor. “Jake does it again.”
“What did I do?”
“Rendered some
poor young woman speechless. We’ve all seen it a thousand times.” He picked up my hand and shook it. “I’m Dylan, by the way.”
“Hi.” My face was hot.
“This is Hannah,”
Mike said.
Dylan glanced at
him, then me, then him again. Hmm. “I see. Well, more the merrier. Jen will be
here soon.”
“Coming from Big
Bear?”
A shake of the
curly-haired-man’s head. “Her mom’s.
Seeing her sister.”
“Right, the kid
with no filter.”
Dylan
grinned. “You remember.” He was stockier than Jake and Mike, though
maybe it appeared that way because he was less than six feet tall.
Beth returned
carrying a baby girl. “Someone woke up
for lunch.” She handed her to Jake. He bent his nose to the baby’s neck.
“Munchkin sleep
well?” he cooed.
“She’s going to
think that’s her name,” Beth said, returning with a bottle. He took it from her, sat, and offered it to
the baby’s mouth.
“Don’t listen,
Princess. You can be anybody you want to be.”
The guys
eye-rolled. Beth shook her head with a
smile. This didn’t seem like a new
conversation.
A short woman in
her fifties wearing a blouse and slacks walked out with a tray of glasses. Dylan tried to reach for them, but she shooed
him down.
“Maria, your
back,” Jake said.
“Is fine, Mr.
Lindsey.” She went to the grill and
raised the lid.
The mouthwatering
aroma of barbequing meat made my stomach gurgle. Mike glanced at me and grinned. I covered my belly with my purse.
The group didn’t
seem to care I was here. I don’t think
they’d have cared if I wasn’t here, either.
I’d never been…accepted didn’t
feel like the right word, but he was right that they wouldn’t be bothered. Maybe they trusted his judgment that much. I didn’t know him well enough to know.
Now I’d gotten
over the stun-gun effect of Jake’s looks, he did seem familiar. I’m sure I’d seen him on TV. But right now, he was merely another
first-time father completely smitten with his little girl. Had my father ever looked like that holding
me? I’d never know.
“You’re quiet,”
Mike said quietly. “You okay?”
I nodded.
Car engines
stopped by the garage and everyone’s attention shifted. Dylan left the table.
A tall blond man
with a curvy redhead arrived before he returned. Had I seen them on a magazine in the checkout
line? “Who’s the fresh meat?” he
asked. She smacked his chest.
“Have some
manners, Bob.”
“Let Dylan get
back with Jen and then I’ll make introductions,” Mike said, on his feet. His hand was on the chair back by my
shoulder, fingertips brushing my skin.
My arm had
goosebumps.
“Beth?” The redhead went in search of our hostess.
Dylan walked
around the corner with his arm around the shoulders of a woman with light brown
hair. “Mikey brought a friend,” he said.
“Jennifer,” she
said, offering her hand.
I stood and shook
it. “Hannah. Sorry to intrude,” I said
to the group.
“Nonsense,” Beth
said. “Do you think Aaron will show up
in the next ten minutes?” The men
laughed. “What I thought. Everyone grab
a plate and a seat. Maria’s about done with the grill. If we have to wait much
longer, it’ll be shoe leather.”
The redhead set a
platter on the rack next to the grill.
Beth handed her a glass and the redhead opened the bar fridge and
grabbed two beers. Maria set a plate of
grilled veggies on the table, then returned to the meat to take it off the
fire. Jake took the platter from her now
the baby was on Dylan’s lap. To me it
looked like they all did this often, circulating naturally around each
other. Mike had called them family.
The ache in my gut
since Dad’s death flared up again. I
didn’t have this. Everyone related to me
was dead except, well, I didn’t have family.
At least with the food on the table, no one was paying attention to me. The guy they’d mentioned—Aaron—didn’t show up
for lunch. Enjoying themselves, I’m not
sure they noticed.
They’d cooked
steaks and chicken thighs along with the grilled veggie variety. Lean protein meals in L.A. didn’t surprise me anymore. Once the food was gone, Maria took the baby
into the house and returned with dessert.
The guys had actually taken the dirty plates to the kitchen.
The writer sat in
Mike’s chair. “How long have you been
dating, Hannah?” Jennifer asked.
“Oh, I’m not, I
mean, we’re friends. I guess. This is the second time I’ve seen Mike in
person.”
One blonde brow
arched, but she didn’t comment. “Well,
it’s nice to not be the new girl anymore. Cute dress.”
“Thanks. You and
Dylan are recent?” It hadn’t seemed that
way from all the cuddling.
“Since Christmas.”
“Oh. I wouldn’t
have guessed.”
She grinned. “Yeah, it feels like I’ve known him forever.”
Must be nice. Granted, it’d be difficult to NOT swoon over
any of these guys! Did every band member
need to be smoking hot? I’d never been
in the presence of so much gorgeousness before.
But…it was still only Mike that gave me butterflies. Something about those coffee eyes and the
slight upturned curve to his lips like he was ready to smirk or grin any
moment…
Well, Mike
grinned. Brian smirked, and his eyes
were empty. His face moved in all the
right ways, but after getting to know Mike, I saw the masks Brian wore and
wondered how I could’ve been so blind before.
I hated being
needy.
Movement brought
me out of my musing. Mike’s hand setting
a paper dessert plate in front of me with a fudge brownie on it. “Hope you saved room.”
Jen had moved out
of his seat and he resumed it now.
“Are they good?”
“Maria is a
goddess in the kitchen.” He cut a corner
off with a fork and fed it to me.
“Oh my God…”
He grinned. “Uh-huh.”
Can taste buds
have an orgasm? “That’s dangerous.” How were the Lindseys still slender?
Mike slid another
bite into my mouth, then set the fork down and started eating his own brownie
by hand. His eyes fluttered closed as he
chewed. The pleasure on his face…wow.
I needed a drink refill. With ice.
With most of the band coupled up now, Mike is the seventh wheel. Realizing he hasn't cultivated a life outside the band in years is a lonely epiphany. When a young woman mistakes him for someone else, the awkward encounter turns into a possibility for something real. Something lasting. Something like love.
Hannah, a recent arrival in L.A., is looking for a connection in her new life. Despite meeting Mike under less-than-ideal circumstances, she accepts his invitation to a Memorial Day BBQ with his friends, never expecting them to be famous rockstars with hearts of gold. Mike couldn't be nicer and sparks are flying, so when he insists on taking their time to get to know each other, part of her is flattered and the other side is frustrated he won't get naked. How far can she tease him before he gives in?
Settle in for a sweet and spicy romance in the My Once and Future Love Revisited universe where finding yourself means finding true love. This story is intended for readers over the age of 18 due to adult language, sexual content, and adult situations.
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$4.99.
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