The Wrong Right Man(45)
“A few songs,” Braxton replies, taking my hand and I know then he heard me sing with Jamie.
“Cool.” Jamie looks at me and his face softens. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” I respond, and Braxton squeezes my fingers in silent support.
“Are you heading out? Or are you going to stick around for a drink?”
I really don’t think I need to have another drink. Honestly, everything is a bit hazy right now, but something is telling me that Jamie needs to see me with Braxton.
“Want to stay for a little longer?” I ask, taking Samantha’s attention away from Lozz.
“Sure.” She shrugs.
“We can stay for a few,” I agree, looking at my brother.
“Come on then.” He motions for us to follow, and I look up at Braxton as everyone heads down the hall.
“Are you okay with this?”
“You spending time with your brother and friends?” he prompts, and I nod. “Yeah, I’m okay with that.” I lean up on my tiptoes and touch my mouth to his. When I start to pull back, he stops me. “But tonight, we’re going to have a long talk about us, Dakota.”
I lick my lips, not sure if I’m excited about having another talk with him, because part of me is scared everything between us will change, that we will never be able to agree on how things should be.
“I’m really looking forward to that,” I say sarcastically, and he smiles then lets me go and smacks my ass. “Hey, that stung!”
“Oh, beautiful girl, you have no idea the things I’m going to do to you when I get you alone.” He shakes his head and my body pulses. “Let’s go spend time with your brother so I can reassure him that you’re safe with me.”
“I knew that’s why he wanted us to stay,” I grumble, and he laughs then takes my hand. We head into the room that we were in earlier, and within thirty minutes, my nervousness about Jamie and Braxton getting along is gone. The two of them talk and joke like they’re old friends, and Braxton wins over his bandmates like he’s one of them, all but Freddie who is sitting alone drinking. Normally I would go out of my way to talk to him but tonight his mood seems dark so instead I sit with Samantha sipping a fresh drink. I smile when I hear my brother laugh at something Braxton said and turn to look at him.
“I shouldn’t be surprised that a man who wears a suit like a second skin can win over a bunch of rowdy rockers, but then again, it just goes to show how down to earth and laid back he is,” Samantha says, and I look at her. “It’s also probably why he’s as successful as he is. He can blend in in any environment and make people feel he’s just like them.”
“He is just like them,” I tell her quietly. “He’s just a guy.”
“And that right there is why he’s falling in love with you,” she whispers, and my heart seems to double-beat. “You don’t see him as a billionaire. To you, he’s just a guy you like.”
“He’s not falling in love with me,” I deny, and she smiles.
“Yeah, and I bet you’d tell me you’re not falling in love with him either.”
I don’t answer her. I look across the room, and when I do, his eyes come to me and his expression softens into a look I know I wouldn’t mind seeing from him every day for the rest of my life.
Chapter 12
Dakota
I COME OUT of the haze of sleep hearing birds chirping, each tweet making my head pound a little harder. I cover my eyes with the crook of my elbow, despising the blinding light burning my eyelids, then breathe in through my nose, smelling wet pine and earth as a cool breeze skims my skin. If I didn’t feel the soft bed under me, I’d wonder if I fell asleep outside in one of the parks near my building.
I try to remember last night, but it’s choppy, only bits and pieces coming together—laughing, drinking, Braxton, and my friends. I work up the courage to uncover my face and force open my eyes, seeing wooden beams above me, and then turn my head, finding the bed behind me empty. I glance around the sparsely decorated room, a room I’ve never been in before.
Another piece of my missing night falls into place as I remember Braxton loading me into his car with my brother’s help, the two of them arguing about me drinking too much and whose fault it was—something I thought was hilarious at the time.
I slowly sit up then look down at myself and the oversized white T-shirt I’m wearing, bringing it to my nose and smelling Braxton. After a minute, I stand and walk to the open window. I’m on the second floor, judging by the view of the forest outside, and my guess is this is the cabin Braxton mentioned to me. I go to the first door I see and am grateful when I find it’s a bathroom.
I step in and cringe when I see myself in the mirror. My makeup is smeared and my hair is a mess. I quickly start up the shower then use the toothpaste and brush in the holder next to the sink to get rid of the alcohol I can still taste on my breath. I use the few items in the shower to wash up then shut off the water and get out, looking for a towel. Not finding one, I give up and put the shirt back on, leaving my panties off. Still dripping wet but feeling a little better, I step out of the room and stop.
Braxton’s idea of a small cabin and mine are vastly different. The space below me is huge with a large kitchen and living room with a comfortable-looking couch, a stone fireplace, and a pool table. The living space is nice, but what has my attention are the windows that show the world outside from the floor to the ceiling that must be thirty feet high.