THE BIGGEST STAGE (A Brothers of Rock - WILLOW SON - novel) (3 page)

“
Yet
you
’
re afraid of elevators
and planes.
”

“
Exactly,
”
Tessa said.

Colby stepped toward her.
“
What about rockstars?
”

“
What
about?
”

“
Are
you afraid of rockstars?
”

“
I
’
ve never met a rockstar until
tonight.
”

“
Lucky
me.
”

“
Yeah,
right,
”
Tessa said.

Colby put a hand to the elevator
wall.
“
You know, if this
were different circumstances, I
’
d
be all over you.
”

“
Different
circumstances?
”
Tessa
asked.
“
Like what? Me being
prettier? Skinnier? Already naked?
”

Colby laughed.

He has dimples when he laughs.
It
’
s so cute.
But his face is so strong, stern when he
’
s
looking and talking. I
’
m
sort of captivated
…

“
There
’
s nothing I
’
d change about you, pretty eyes,
”
Colby said.
“
Just wanted to check on a woman
who was crying. I don
’
t
like to see that.
”

“
I
’
m sure you
’
ve broken hearts,
”
Tessa said.

Now it was her turn to try and be
bold. She hit the emergency button and the elevator started to move down. It
was on the descent now.

Tessa looked at Colby, waiting for
the next move.

As much as she hated to admit it,
this was kind of fun. If anything, it was a nice distraction from everything
else in life as she rode in an elevator and flirted with a really sexy
rockstar.

Colby walked to the doors and
turned, crossing his arms.
“
Yeah,
I
’
ve broken plenty of
hearts. But I wouldn't break yours. Too pretty. Hate to see you cry.
”

“
What
if I was crying over my husband?
”
Tessa asked.

“
Then
he
’
s an ass for making you
cry. I would never do that to you. And I would never let you off the phone
before fixing whatever was wrong.
”

Shit. He
’
s good.

Tessa nodded.
“
And why aren
’
t you married?
”

“
I
am,
”
Colby said.
“
To the band. To the road. I have
a house. A really nice house. Up in the mountains in northern California. You
’
d never guess it, right? Up in
the mountains, where it snows. Nice and peaceful.
”

“
Doesn
’
t match the get up,
”
Tessa said.

“
Oh,
so we
’
re judging by looks
now?
”

“
Sure,
why not?
”

“
Little
miss business suit,
”
Colby
said. He unfolded his arms.
“
You
’
re living a life you appreciate
but don
’
t love.
”

“
And
you?
”

“
What
about me?
”

The elevator dinged and stopped.
The doors opened and a man stood there in a suit. He looked at Colby, then
Tessa. He entered the elevator and pressed the button for the ground floor.

That
’
s
when Colby took Tessa
’
s bag
and left the elevator.

She was in shock for a second, and
then hurried after him before the doors shut.

Tessa watched as Colby walked down
the hallway, holding her suitcase. She couldn't help but admire his ass in
those jeans. Colby threw the suitcase and the handle popped out. The suitcase
hit on the wheels and he kept going.

The elevator doors were shut, and
it was on the move.

Tessa shook her head.

Am I really going to chase a
rockstar down a hallway?

The answer was simple.

Yes.

(3)

Tessa caught up to Colby and
grabbed for her suitcase. He let it go and Tessa was surprised. And confused.

“
Look,
I don
’
t know what you
’
re doing
…”

“
Just
helping someone out,
”
Colby
said.

“
I
don
’
t get it.
”

“
Nothing
to get, pretty eyes,
”
he
said.
“
Come on.
”

They walked to the last door on the
left and Colby took out a keycard. He flipped it between his fingers, looking
oh-so
cool
.

“
Here,
”
he said.

“
What
’
s that for?
”
Tessa asked.

“
Never
been in a hotel before?
”

Colby stuck the card in the slot
and pulled it back out. He pushed down on the handle and the door opened.

“
What
…”

“
I
grabbed a room for myself,
”
Colby said.
“
Kind of
something dumb I do.
”

“
I
don
’
t follow.
”

Colby grinned. He reached out and
touched Tessa
’
s cheek.

Tessa begged for her body not to be
on fire, but that was impossible right now.

“
Look.
I
’
m sure you know things
about me. It
’
s actually
kind of strange, you know? I meet someone who is a stranger. I know nothing
about you except your name and your job. But yet you probably know tons about
me. I
’
m standing here
trying to figure you out, and you probably already have me figured out.
”

“
Not
a chance,
”
Tessa said.
“
I
’
m
in shock.
”

“
Okay.
”

“
Still
doesn
’
t explain why you
have your own room.
”

“
To
bring someone here to sleep with,
”
Colby said.

Tessa felt her jaw almost hit the
floor.

That made perfect sense. After all,
he was a rockstar. He had the road. He had the band. And he had whoever he
wanted, when he wanted. Like the women down in the lobby.

Yet he opened the door for Tessa
…

“
Oh,
”
she said.
“
Wait a second, Colby. I
…”

Colby grinned. His thumb stroked
her cheek again.
“
Pretty
eyes, let me be blunt with you. If I wanted you in bed, we would have been
there by now. I would have taken you to the suite upstairs. Talked about music
and money. Offered you drink after drink. Played a song on my guitar and sung
it so perfectly you
’
d be in
awe. You
’
d jump at me and I
’
d casually walk down here
…”

Holy shit
…

Tessa felt her bottom lip quivering
again. This time it wasn
’
t
because she was going to cry. This time it was because she was getting turned
on. Everything Colby was saying sounded so sexy. Definitely so wrong, but who
cared?

“
And
you
’
re not doing that with
me,
”
she said.
“
Because I
’
m
…”

“
How
about I don
’
t know?
”
Colby asked.
“
You were crying. You were
supposed to have a room here. You
’
re
not from this town. Maybe you miss your friends. Family. Your husband,
boyfriend, whatever. Take my room for the night. It
’
s all paid for.
”
Colby grabbed Tessa
’
s hand
and put two keycards to her palm.
“
That
’
s both cards. No funny business.
Just get some rest and whatever else happens
…”

“
Like?
”

“
How
about I stop by in the morning and we have breakfast?
”

Tessa nodded.
“
Yeah. I
’
d like that.
”

“
Good.
”

Colby started to move. Tessa curled
her hand around the keycards and then grabbed for Colby
’
s wrist. She missed and grabbed his shirt. Her
fingertips didn
’
t mean to
feel hard skin under his shirt, but she did.

“
Just
so you know
…
I
’
m not
…
anything
…”

“
What?
”

“
I
don
’
t have a husband. Or
kids. Or a boyfriend. Or
…”

“
That
’
s good to know,
”
Colby said.
“
I never walk away like this.
Just so you know.
”

“
Well,
now I know
…
and now you
know
…
so what would you do
right now?
”

Am I really flirting with him?
Am I really tempting him?

Colby looked down at her. His dark
eyes were instantly addicting. She swallowed hard, no idea what to think or do.

“
You
trust me, pretty eyes?
”
he
asked.

“
I
can
’
t answer that,
”
Tessa replied.
“
You know that.
”

“
What
’
s your first thoughts about me
then?
”

“
No
clue. I haven
’
t had a
chance to think about it.
”

“
You
don
’
t make quick decisions
in life?
”

“
Sometimes,
”
Tessa said.
“
But that
’
s not usually
…
my situation
…”

“
I
thought you didn
’
t have a
situation,
”
Colby said.

Tessa cringed a little. She
reminded herself that the sexy guy in front of her was a rockstar. He didn
’
t care about her life. He didn
’
t care about her sisters, them
struggling, or that Tessa had been covering all the expenses for some time now.
How Tessa wished she could just be free and work, and save, and spend, and
whatever.

But it wasn
’
t that easy.

It was never that easy.

Just like when a guy like Colby
stared at her, leaving her dangling on what was going to happen next.

“
I
have
…
whatever,
”
Tessa said.
“
I
’
m
really tired. I was going to get something to eat, but I
’
m just going to crash.
”

“
There
’
s a room service menu next to
the bed. Put it on the room.
”

“
Colby
…”

“
Pretty
eyes,
”
he said.
“
I have no idea why I
’
m doing this. So just go with
it. Promise me you won
’
t
cry when I leave.
”

Tessa smiled.
“
I won
’
t cry.
”

“
Are
you going to take a shower?
”

“
Hot
bath,
”
Tessa said. Her
cheeks burned again.

“
Damn.
So that
’
s what I get to
think about for the rest of my night?
”

Or just stay here
…

Tessa turned her head. Casual was
definitely okay and definitely fun, but with a guy like this? What would
possibly be casual with Colby?

“
Whatever
reason you
’
re helping me,
thank you,
”
Tessa said.
“
It was a long day. And my night
was pretty crappy. Up until
…
you
…”

Tessa
’
s
phone started to ring.

She cringed again.

“
You
need to get that?
”
Colby
asked.

Tessa looked.
“
It
’
s
the front desk again. Looking for me.
”

Colby laughed. He slipped a hand to
the back of Tessa
’
s neck.
“
It
’
s
been fun, pretty eyes. I
’
ll
see you for breakfast.
”

Tessa opened her mouth to thank
Colby again. What she didn
’
t
expect was for Colby
’
s
mouth to attach to hers. She saw him coming at her, but it happened so fast she
couldn
’
t do a thing about
it.

Not that it mattered.

Colby kissed her. His rockstar lips
pressed against hers. They closed around her lips, and he lingered for a few
seconds before pulling back. His forehead touched hers, and Tessa officially
had no breath. She was in complete shock.

“
Had
to,
”
Colby whispered.
“
Just to see if it was worth
losing my room for the night.
”

Tessa nodded.
“
And
…
?
”

Colby pulled back, took his hand from
her neck, and started to move away. He looked at her one last time and grinned.
“
I
’
ll let you know, pretty eyes.
”

Tessa watched Colby walk away, her
heart pounding in her chest. Her hands were shaking and her mind was spinning.

She still hadn
’
t absorbed what had actually
happened tonight.

What she didn
’
t know was that in just a couple
short hours, the police would be charging down the hallway, looking for Colby
and the rest of the guys in Willow Son.

**

Colby opened the door to the room
and all eyes were upon him. Jett, Ryker, and Van sat on the couch with guitars,
strumming chords. Brantley had a bass drum set up on the floor, his little
obsession with making a drum set function anywhere he was.

The guys weren
’
t really writing anything. Or
really doing anything.

They stared at Colby, waiting for
him to say or do something.

“
Drinks?
”
he asked.

“
We
’
re stocked,
”
Van said.
“
Where
’
s your girlfriend?
”

“
Tired.
”

“
You
wore her out that fast?
”
Jett asked.

“
Take
it easy,
”
Colby said.
“
Not like that. I wasn
’
t on the prowl. She was crying.
So I checked on her.
”

“
She
knew who we were, huh?
”
Ryker asked.

“
Who
wouldn
’
t?
”
Colby asked with a smile.

“
We
shouldn
’
t have walked out
on that meeting,
”
Brantley
said.
“
Not that I want to
be an asshole
…”

“
I
can
’
t hear it anymore,
”
Colby said. He approached the
second couch in the large suite and sat on the arm of it.
“
I
’
ve
hated the business for a long time. Suits and ties and lawyers
…
I just
…”

“
It
made us famous,
”
Jett said.
“
And rich.
”

“
That
’
s the thing,
”
Colby said.
“
Does any of it matter if we can
’
t play? I mean, we
’
ve gone through hell and back,
you know?
”

Colby felt his heart plunge a
little. He hated thinking about the past and dipping his toes in that water. He
couldn
’
t go back and change
anything that had happened. When they were young, they had been given way too
much money and way too much power for their own good. How all five of them sat
there right then, alive, was nothing short of a miracle.

“
What
’
s our plan?
”
Ryker asked.

“
I
have no idea,
”
Colby said.
“
Wait for Harry to call. I don
’
t know what these companies want
from us.
”

“
To
change our sound,
”
Brantley
said.
“
You know that. Offer
something that will sell and be super friendly to everyone.
”