“Oh my God.” Mason stood from behind his drums. “Do you two do anything except argue?”
“Don’t blame me.” Sindy pointed at Lucas. “It’s him.” Today’s disagreement was on whether or not Sindy’s twist on the spur-of-the-moment riff she added worked or not. If Lucas wasn’t so God damn talented, she’d swear he was jealous that he didn’t think of her additions to the song himself. She didn’t know why he just couldn’t admit that her contributions made the songs better.
“It’s not me!” Lucas exclaimed. “You constantly play over me. Do you want to play lead guitar and I’ll play the rhythm?”
She was so fucking tempted to say yes, just to see him explode. His eyes would open so wide, the bright blue irises would look like pools of turbulent water. His cheeks would redden, accentuating his pale blond hair, and his chest would rise and broaden.
“Forget it!” Lucas fumed. “Because that’s not happening.”
“I know it’s not happening.” She smirked. No one ever made Sindy as angry as Lucas did. He riled up all of her senses and made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. She felt like a fox with its hackles raised, ready to take on an animal three times its size. Lucas’ constant lack of ability to bend and give in drove her mad. The man was as stubborn as they came. Just because he was a gifted guitarist, with more know-how and charisma than anyone she’d ever met, he thought he could call the shots.
On her own since she was a kid, Sindy always fought to get her voice heard, and she would not be intimidated by Lucas Blade. He was so damn self-righteous all the time. Just because he had a degree in music and an IQ higher than hers didn’t mean her point of view was wrong. So what if she didn’t have a fancy education or her parents weren’t world-famous rock stars? She knew what sounded better to the ear. She knew music. It was the only thing she knew frontwards and backwards. She was an independent woman and not about to back down, even to the great Lucas Blade.
“That’s it. We’re taking a break,” Tessa announced, sticking her mic back in its stand. “You know what?” She unplugged her bass from the amp and threw the wire down to the floor. “We’re done for today. Actually, me and Mason are done. You two stay down here for as long as it takes for you to work out your shit. Playing music together shouldn’t be this hard.” She looked at Lucas and Mason. “We agree that we want Sindy in the band, right?”
The question made Sindy hold her breath for several seconds. Her inclusion in Prodigy was offered on a handshake. The final contract still needed to be signed. And she wanted this opportunity. Sheneededit.
Mason nodded. “Of course.”
“Yes.” Lucas answered adamantly. “This is just a professional disagreement. All artists clash when it comes to their music. It’s just passion for our craft.”
“Well, work it out because you two are giving me a headache. Let’s go, Mase.”
Mason dropped his sticks in his stick bag and left his kit. He slapped Lucas on the back as he passed. “Pull her hair, bro.”
It must have been some kind of inside joke, because Mason laughed, and Lucas socked the drummer in his arm.
“Why don’t you ever listen to me?” Sindy demanded as soon as Tessa and Mason were out of sight.
“Because I don’t think that little riff you threw in fits with the esthetic of the song, and that’s my number one concern. It changes the tempo halfway through the song. I’m not saying it wasn’t good. It was original, but not right for this particular song. It’s too hard.”
She was furious that he was so God damn adamant and just overruled her so quickly, unwilling to take a chance on something knew. “Why are you so stubborn? Why can’t you do the song my way?”
“We are doing songs your way. Just not this one. Stop arguing with me. That’s it. We’re not changing it.”
She hated nothing more than being treated as if her opinion didn’t matter, and she saw red. “God damn you, Lucas Blade! Who the hell do you think you are? You think you can order me around, and I’m just going to cower to you because you’re the great Lucas Blade and your fathers are famous rock stars and because you grew up in the industry?”
His mouth hung open. As long as he wasn’t talking, she couldn’t stop herself.
“Or because you have a BA in music?” She spread her hands through the air while she spoke, as if she was making a grand announcement, mocking the way he loved to brag about his degree.
“No! All I’m—”
“You’re so self-righteous. You think you know everything about everything.”
“That’s not true! Why the fuck would you think that? You’re so . . . so . . . so . . .” He let out a noise that sounded like a growl and lunged at her.
She recoiled and held up her hands, ready to defend herself, but his intentions weren’t to hurt her. His mouth came down on hers with heat and passion. Hard and fleshy, his tongue circled hers with ferocious pent up passion that she never expected from this man. Again, who the fuck did he think he was? Just because he had a charismatic smile and the face of a god and played guitar like a superstar, he thought he could have any woman he wanted. Did he think that just because he had the body of an Adonis that she would cave to his sexuality? Did he think his rock hard muscles against her body would make her succumb to his masculinity? Did he think that the way he held her in his arms, with strength and dominance, would make her submit? Did he think that the way he ran his hands, with possession and confidence, up and down her back would render her helpless? Just because he made her entire body tingle under his touch didn’t mean she couldn’t control herself around him. Even though her legs wobbled like jelly and her panties were so . . . fucking . . . wet. “Mmm,” she moaned into his mouth as her body fell into his, and she pressed her breasts against the round muscles of his chest.
He grinded his erection into her crotch, and she melted into him. Deep gusts of breath filled the room when only moments ago shouts of anger and frustration had echoed within their walls. Every aggravated nerve inside of her quaked and turned into want for this stubborn, beautiful man.
He pulled back, breaking their heated kiss and held her gaze for a moment which turned her insides to liquid. She watched as he reached behind his neck, causing his bicep to bulge in all the right places, and tugged his T-shirt over his head. Her eyes immediately dropped to his chest. Smooth, clean flesh covered his upper body, unblemished, without a freckle or tattoo. Unable to look away, she gaped at the round curve of his pecs and the shadows that outlined his abs, which reinforced her earlier statement that this man was, indeed, perfect.
She reached out to place her hand on the mound of his chest, but he startled her before her palm made contact with his body by grabbing the neckline of her top and ripping it down the center.
“Lucas!” She looked down at the remnants of her top, annoyed and a little turned on. “What the fuck?”
He scooped her in his arms and carried her over to the couch where he gently placed her down, removed her bra and then tugged the jeans off her body. He shed his clothes and was on top of her before she had a chance to take in the exquisite naked body in front of her.
