“Bang Aiden Murdoch for clear skin!” the woman with the braid whooped.
The other two joined in the catcalling as Thea’s mouth fell open.
“Sorry, I’m… Is this like agame?”
The glances the three women sent her were a mixture of pitying and amused, and the black-haired one spoke first. “I don’t know, does scoring a night with the best ride in town sound like a game to you?”
“None of us have climbed on board the A-train yet, so the line forms here!” The braid shimmied and slapped the blonde a high five. Then she noticed Thea’s stunned expression, and confusion clouded her pretty features. “Oh, are you not from around here? Aiden’s alegend.”
“No, I…” Thea couldn’t seem to pull together a coherent thought. “I mean, he’s aperson. Aiden. He’s not some… somesex toy.”
The women exchanged a quick round of “who invited the prude” glances before the braid spoke. “Obviously he’s aperson. He’s a person who’s great for some hot sex where everybody goes home happy. If all the participants are having a good time, where’s the harm?” She sipped her drink and gazed speculatively at Thea. “Wait, are you telling me you don’t know a single woman who’s banged Aiden Murdoch? Because that’s statistically imp…”
The woman’s words trailed off with a gulp as her friends’ eyes widened comically, and Thea knew. She justknew.
“Hey there,sugar bear.”
Her heart flip-flopped in her chest when Aiden’s hand landed on her shoulder and spun her to face him. He was smiling as he bent to kiss her, but she felt the tension in his fingers, in his lips. And unlike every other for-show kiss they’d exchanged, this one felt forced and artificial. She responded as best as she could, but she knew in her heart that they both looked stiff as hell. And why wouldn’t they? He’d busted her standing in the middle of a group of women who were talking about him like he was a prize haunch of beef at the Cavelier County Fair.
“Hi!” She smiled up at him and hoped the curve of her lips conveyed the embarrassment and apology rioting through her. Anger too. She hated the way those women had discussed him, as if he didn’t have feelings or autonomy.
He merely looked at her blankly, so she reached for his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze, holding her breath until he squeezed back. Then, to her delight, he tilted his chin and dragged his eyes down her body. “You look amazing. But you’re braving the Elephant without a coat again?”
She grinned at the chance to show their small audience a different side of the man they thought they knew. “I like to live dangerously.” She tossed her hair dramatically, and he laughed and brought their entwined fingers to his mouth.
“Good thing I tossed a jacket into my truck just in case.” He pressed a kiss to the back of her hand. “Can’t have my girl getting cold.”
“So thoughtful.” She didn’t have to fake the breathiness in her voice, and they shared a private smile, a real one this time. It made her brave enough to turn to the three women, who were sporting identical shocked faces. “As it turns out, Idoknow someone who’s having sex with Aiden Murdoch.”
She glanced up at him to see heat flare in his eyes, and without stopping to talk herself out of it, she grabbed the front of his T-shirt and pulled him down to kiss her again. There was nothing forced or awkward this time, and even though the kiss wasn’t long, it was intense enough that one of the women muttered “Daaaaaamn” when they broke apart.
He brushed a thumb over her lower lip before slinging a casual arm around her shoulder. His body was back to its usual relaxed posture, and Thea breathed a silent sigh of relief that she’d apparently undone some of the damage that the women’s gossip had caused.
“Mabel saved you a seat up front at the wives and girlfriends table,” he said. “You ready?”
“Always,” she purred, turning to wave at the three women. “Enjoy the show!”
Aiden placed a hand at the small of her back and guided her toward the stage. She was acutely aware of eyes following them as they weaved through the crowd to Mabel and Jake’s table. Her friend’s face lit up when Aiden pulled out a chair and pressed a kiss to the side of her neck after she was seated.
“You two are thecutest,” Mabel squealed.
“She’s cute enough for both of us.” Aiden brushed a lock of hair behind Thea’s ear, and she shivered at the whisper-light touch. “See you at the set break.”
He turned and leaped gracefully onto the stage, where Dave was making last-minute adjustments to his guitar and fellow deejay Skip Stevens was strumming his bass. Once Aiden was seated behind his drum kit, Dave welcomed the crowd, and the band launched into the opening lick of “Seven Nation Army.” The audience went nuts, and from there the Moo Daddies ripped through every high-energy song in their repertoire, hitting all their favorites before they lost their guitarist to daddy duty for several months.
Thea bopped away in her seat alongside Mabel while Jake limited his participation to the occasional jiggle of his knee. He only came to life when Dave pulled Mabel up on stage to sing a few songs, in accordance with Moo Daddy tradition and much to the delight of the audience.
“So you and Murdoch, huh?” Jake leaned forward to ask the question as Mabel adjusted the microphone and greeted the crowd.
“Me and Murdoch!” Thea replied brightly. Her gaze fell on Aiden, who was lit up in delight as his sticks flew across his drums. A tiny wave of regret washed over her at the big fat lie they were telling the world, but when he caught her looking and shot her a wink, everything receded. All she could see were his strong, lean forearms flexing as he pounded out a rhythm and his capable fingers curled around the sticks.
God, her fake boyfriend was hot.
At the end of Mabel’s run of songs, the Moo Daddies took a break. Before Aiden was able to unfold himself from behind the drums, Jake had surged to his feet to sweep Mabel off into a secluded corner of the bar. Aiden exited the spotlight more slowly and dropped into the chair Jake had just vacated. “Having a good time?”
“I love watching you play!” Her compliment was immediate and sincere, and he grinned at her until a waitress interrupted to deposit a large glass in front of him.
“Wow, they really have your order down,” Thea said.
