Love Defined Read online

  Why did she have to be our new manager? What would possess her grandfather, or even her father, to send her out on the road with a bunch of assholes like the guys and me? Was it some kind of test? Maybe that’s why she was on our ass. She had something to prove. Then again, managing us might be some sort of punishment.

  Whatever the case, I would never send my daughter on the road with a group of skirt-chasing, foul-mouthed musicians.

  Mia was out of her element. Maybe if we broke her quick enough, she’d give up. Doing so meant taking a chance of losing the Brooks family’s help, but maybe they’d send her father to take over the reins. If managing us was some kind of test for her, I suspected her family wanted her to fail.

  “Look at you.” Boone’s hearty laugh gained my attention.

  “What?”

  He shook his head then tipped it toward the other side of the bar. “For all the claims that you can’t stand Mia, you sure as hell can't take your eyes off her.”

  Heat rose in my cheeks. I shook my head at Boone and grunted. “I’m trying to figure out why the hell she’s here. I’m telling you, she followed us here to keep an eye on us.”

  Boone’s face squished together before he shook his head. “She was here before we showed up.”

  “Yeah, but why did she come here? We’re in Nashville with hundreds of bars in the area. She had to overhear us making plans.”

  “Dude,” Boone narrowed his eyes and scoffed, “this was the first bar outside the arena. She’s by herself. Why would she walk far?”

  “What’s the matter, bro?” Roman asked as he and Wyatt looked our way.

  Boone thumbed at me over his shoulder. “Big D thinks Mia came here because she overheard us making plans. He’s convinced she’s watching and waiting for one of us to screw up.”

  Roman and Wyatt looked at each other, then burst into laughter. I flipped them off and faced the bartender when he brought us the new round of shots.

  “Here.” I divided the drinks between us, sliding one toward Roman first. “Do something useful with your mouth.”

  “What’s the matter, Big D?” Roman asked. “You too afraid to admit you have a hard-on for the boss lady?”

  “You’re full of shit. I’m not interested in her. Okay, yeah, I wouldn’t mind getting a piece of that billion-dollar pussy, but that’s it.”

  “Yeah, right,” Wyatt added as he played with the glass I passed him. “That’s why you stared at her during the entire trip to Nashville.”

  “Seriously?” I waited for him to look at me, but he didn’t.

  “It wasn’t just the trip down,” Boone smirked. He glanced at Roman and Wyatt then back to me. “You watched her when she came to the dressing room tonight, before the show. When we were backstage, waiting to perform, you did the same thing. And I didn’t miss the way your eyes darted to the side of the stage where she stood after every song.”

  “Maybe it’s because I don’t trust her.”

  All three snickered, but it was Boone who replied, “Or maybe it’s because you want her.”

  “Whatever, man.” I waved off my friend’s comment and picked up my shot glass.

  “Just admit it, D.” Boone blocked my glass with his hand, preventing me from taking the shot. “You want Mia Brooks, but she’s not falling all over you like these other chicks. She’s far too smart and too fucking sexy to want your old ass.”

  Another round of laughter from my friends drew attention from other patrons. When I noticed Mia look our way, I wanted the floor to open up and swallow me. My bandmates were like brothers, but right now, I wanted to punch them in their faces.

  “I’m the same age as you pricks. Thirty-six.”

  Boone didn’t miss a beat when he shot back, “Mia’s twenty-one. You’re fifteen years older than her, bro.”

  I’d already done the math. “You guys are a bunch of dicks.”

  My response made them howl louder with laughter. It felt as though the whole bar was watching us. I hated it. While I enjoyed being the center of attention on stage, in public, it was a different story. Knowing Mia was watching made it worse. If she hadn’t been aware we were here, she knew now.

  Christ.

  I turned on my stool, ready to find an open pool table and get away from my idiot friends. Before I stood, I spotted a woman walking toward us. She didn’t look much older than Mia, but that’s where the similarities stopped. This girl was blonde and stacked with a perfect set of tits.

  When she finally stopped in front of us, she smiled. “Great concert tonight, fellas.”

  When no one else decided to speak, I took the initiative. “Glad to hear you enjoyed it.”

  Her eyes roamed over me as she stalked closer. “Oh, I loved it. You sure as hell know how to rock a stage.” She walked two fingers up my thigh. “But how good are you at rocking a bed?”

  Damn. Talk about bold. This bombshell was that and more, but I didn’t mind in the least. She was just what I needed this evening—an easy lay.

  I couldn't hide the smile creeping over my face. “I guarantee I can rock it harder than any man you’ve ever known. If you’re game, I can prove it.”

  “Oh, I’m game, sugar. That’s why I came over here.” She grabbed the sides of my face and leaned forward.

  Her lips were on mine before I could respond. When her tongue rolled with mine, all I could taste was cinnamon sweet goodness. I fought back a groan as my cock twitched. If she kept kissing me like this, we wouldn’t make it to a bed.

  When she finally pulled away, she tilted her head to the side. “Ready?”

  “Girl, after that kiss, I’m ready to take you in the darkest corner of the bar.”

  “So lead the way.” She winked.

  “Just a second, darlin’.” I showed her my glass. “You can’t waste good liquor.” Before I downed the shot, I turned toward Boone to tell him my plans, but he was already staring at the woman, mouth gaping. I couldn’t help but chuckle and lean close enough to whisper, “Who’s the old man now?”

  He raised his shot to mine, clinked my glass, then we both downed the tequila. Once I returned the empty glass to the bar, I glanced in Mia’s direction. Just as I suspected, she was looking our way. Good. I hope she’d gotten a clear view of the kiss. Her expression seemed more disgusted than upset, nothing like I’d thought it would be.

  Why was I obsessing over this? Within twenty-four hours, Mia had become the biggest pain in my ass. I had a young, sexy, perfectly fuckable girl waiting for me to take her somewhere and bang her. I shouldn’t care whether Mia saw us or not.

  “Okay, hot stuff. I’m all yours.” I no sooner stood from my stool before something forced me back into it. By the time I had my wits about me, I glanced up, half expecting to find the hot blonde chick with her fist drawn. It wasn’t what I found.

  Some bald, steroid-loving dickwad towered above me. Blondie was beside him, shouting something I didn’t comprehend as she tried to wedge between us. When he slid her to the side and grabbed my shirt, I knew things were about to go to hell.

  “Dude, what the fuck?” I pushed him back, but he didn’t release me. My shirt ripped along the neckline, sending me further over the edge. It might have been old, but it was my favorite t-shirt, and this dumbass had just torn it.

  When he attempted to push me down again, I blocked him. “Keep your hands off me, man.”

  “Keep your lips off my girlfriend,” he fired back and managed to shove me to the stool.

  This time, I reacted. Springing to my feet, I drew back my hand and slammed my fist into his mouth. Blood splattered from his lip, but he didn’t fall down as I’d hoped. He stood in silence, face reddening, as the veins in his neck grew visible.

  I saw his fist coming in time to dodge it, but I didn’t count on him stumbling into me. Boone jumped back as the guy grabbed my shirt again. He tried to swing at me but I unloaded on him.

  Fists flew and blood splattered. Anyone standing near us scattered as we pushed and shoved each other ac
ross the bar. His next swing caught the corner of my mouth. Mine landed between his eyes.

  When he staggered backward, I drew my arm back. I was about to go for another punch when someone jerked me away. It had to be Boone. Fire spiraled through me as I prepared to blast him for stepping in. Instead, I came face to face with the biggest, burliest man I’d ever seen. If it wasn’t for his size, the staff shirt he wore would have been a good indication that he was a bouncer. So did the title on his shirt. Head Smasher.

  Son of a whore. This was not going to be good.

  ~Mia~

  Music pumped from the speaker above me as I told an intoxicated, older gentleman I wasn’t interested in dancing with him. At least he had the courtesy to tip his hat to me and accept my refusal, unlike the other guy who’d approached right after I arrived. It took threatening to punch him and spray him with mace to get him to back off.

  After I watched the older man meander toward another group of women sitting at the bar, I glanced back at my planner. My dad’s assistant had texted me about this place earlier in the afternoon. He wanted me to meet a singer he was interested in signing, but the meeting was scheduled for midnight. She should have been here by now.

  Laughter erupted across the room. Everyone around me glanced in the same direction. I followed suit. By the time I realized who I was staring at, it was too late to look away.

  Darius Stone, the bane of my existence.

  He and his bandmates were on the side of the bar, opposite where I sat. Judging by the frown on Darius's face and the grins Boone, Roman, and Wyatt wore, I suspected they were teasing him about something. Though our eyes met for an instant, it wasn’t long before he spun around on the stool.

  I hoped like hell he didn’t think I was spying on them. Yeah, I needed to stay on their ass and keep them out of trouble, but I wasn’t going to babysit. They were too damn old for that type of incompetence and I had a life that existed outside of their band. It’s why I was here. Business. Their reason was pleasure.

  That fact became a reality when a tall blonde approached them. The smiles Darius’s friends wore quickly vanished. I could narrate step by step what would happen next. It would be no different than what I’d witnessed in the past when groupies flirted with band members. All it took were long legs, big tits, and a fake smile for some fan to end up in her favorite musician's bed. These guys were no different than other musicians I knew.

  The blonde woman leaned closer to Darius. Any second she would… Yep. Right on cue. The kiss.

  Did she think she was impressing Darius with the way she held his face in her hands and rubbed her tits against his chest? How unimaginative. She should at least be a little creative, like another woman I’d once met. She had asked the lead singer of a group to tug a string on her shirt. Within seconds, the fabric separated and her breasts popped out. That girl went to the trouble of doing something different. I gave her kudos for it. As far as I knew, she and the lead singer dated for several years after.

  When Blonde-and-busty pulled away from Darius, he motioned her to give him a minute. He pinched his shot glass between his fingers and said something to Boone. Once his friend cheered him, he and Darius downed their shots.

  The instant Darius put his glass down, he glanced toward me. I didn’t miss the gleam in his eyes. If he thought for a minute I was jealous, he needed to get over his ego. Yeah, he was good looking and all, but his personality left something to be desired.

  He was too busy gawking in my direction to notice a man approaching him. The stranger stopped a foot away just as the girl who’d kissed Darius grabbed his arm. Everything from that point unfolded in a domino effect, none of which surprised me.

  Darius stood from his stool and turned, almost bumping into the man, who had a foot on him in height. The blonde, I concluded, was the Goliath-sized man’s girlfriend or sister. It was usually one or the other. She attempted to wedge between them, but it wasn’t long before the man swept her aside. He and Darius exchanged words. Then a fight began.

  I slid off my stool and made my way through the crowd. People began backing up, making it harder for me to maneuver my way through the throng of bodies. Once I was close enough to see the fight, I said a silent prayer when one of the bouncers parted the crowd like the sea. He made his way toward both men just as Darius drew his arm back for another punch.

  If he swung at the bouncer, this wouldn’t end well. I only had a small window of opportunity to stop what I feared might happen.

  Parting the couple that stood in front of me, I worked my body between them and rushed toward the bouncer. “Whoa! Hang on a second.”

  Darius lowered his hand back to his side and turned to look at me. So did the bouncer. He narrowed his gaze at Darius then looked at me. “You know this guy?”

  “Yes.” I nodded. “I’m his manager.”

  “Then you better get your client the hell outta here before I bust his forehead with mine.”

  “Man, I don’t have any beef with you.” Darius retorted.

  “Guess we could just call the cops,” the bouncer added as he grabbed Darius by his shirt.

  “Shut up, Darius. Let me handle this.” I seethed the words in a warning tone before refocusing on the bouncer. “I apologize for my client’s behavior. If you allow me, I’ll get him out of here. There’s no need to involve the police.”

  The bouncer’s lips thinned as he glanced at Darius for a moment, then back toward me. “Fine. I’ll follow you to the door.”

  Darius opened his mouth like he wanted to argue, but I grabbed his arm and jerked him toward me. “Don’t say another word. I mean it, Darius. Keep your damn mouth shut until we leave this bar.”

  He scoffed at me but did as I ordered. I motioned to Boone that we were leaving. All I got was a thumbs up. He said something to Roman and Wyatt, but I didn’t wait to see if they were staying or following. Getting Darius out of here was my sole focus.

  A few people complained as we walked past them. Darius wasn’t being polite to anyone. He barged through the crowd, glaring at every person who dared to look his way. As soon as we made it outside, I led him down the sidewalk. He jerked his arm out of my grasp and stumbled forward.

  “I’m capable of walking,” he barked at me.

  “You sure?” I smirked. “It doesn’t look like it.”

  “Just give me my space.”

  When I spotted a taxi waiting at the curb, I rushed up to his door. “Are you free?”

  “I actually have a fare at the Southern Escape hotel I need to pick up.”

  “Perfect. That’s exactly where we’re headed.”

  The taxi driver thumbed over his shoulder toward the back seat. “Hop in.”

  “Thanks. Let me grab my, uh, friend.” I didn’t say client in fear that the driver would think I was a prostitute or call girl, heading back to the hotel with her John.

  “Come on,” I told Darius as I advanced in his direction. “Get in the cab.”

  Darius stumbled toward the car. As soon as he slid into the backseat, I joined him and shut the door. We were two blocks away from the hotel, thankfully. Our car ride would be short.

  As soon as I spotted the hotel sign, Darius turned in his seat to face me. “Where are we going? The bars are back the other way.”

  “Yes, I know, but our hotel is this way.”

  One of his brows arched. “So? I’m not ready to go to the hotel.”

  Great. Here it came. The argument. He was too drunk for his own good.

  “Darius, you may think you’re ready to bar hop tonight, but trust me on this. You need sleep, not another drink.”

  “Pfft. Whatever.”

  I ignored him as the taxi pulled underneath the hotel awning. As soon as the car stopped, I glanced at the fare. The money was out of my purse before the driver could tell me the amount.

  “Thank you,” I told him and exited the car. By the time I reached the other door, Darius already had it opened. I waited while he dragged himself out of the seat a
nd shut the door behind him.

  “This way.” I motioned him to follow.

  He did as I asked for a change, quite a surprise for someone who wanted to argue with me not even a minute ago. I wouldn’t complain, though. The thought of dragging him through the hotel had me cringing.

  We made our way through the lobby and past the main desk until we reached the elevators. When the doors opened, a father with his two children stepped out. The youngest hung on to her father’s neck and appeared half asleep. The eldest held his father’s hand. They were so adorable, they helped me forget my anger with Darius.

  I couldn’t help but notice him staring at the man and his kids. If he said anything cross, I’d smack him up the side of his head. He made it a point to turn around and watch them head toward the lobby.

  “Cute kids. Aren’t they up really late?” he asked.

  I didn’t answer. As soon as they disappeared from our sight, I guided Darius into the elevator and pressed the button to our floor. No one else boarded before the doors shut. I didn’t think much of it until I turned to face him.

  Darius crept closer to me, eyeing me from head to toe. “You already think the worst of me without hearing my side of what went down in the bar.”

  “Don’t pretend you can read my mind, Darius. You know nothing about me.”

  “Nor do you know me.” He gritted his teeth as his nostrils flared. “I didn’t go looking for trouble tonight.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest and met his gaze. “Trouble seems to find you anyway. Why do you think that is?”

  He shrugged. “What can I say? Women want me. I can’t help it if they’re unfaithful to their men. How was I to know the girl tonight had a boyfriend?”

  “Did you bother to ask?” I waited for him to answer, but all he did was stammer for a response. Just as I expected. “No. You didn’t bother, because deep down, you don’t care.”

  “Oh, I care,” he retorted. “I care about a lot of things. You have no fucking idea what matters to me.”

  “Sure I do. Beer, boobs, and big bucks, just like every other musician I know.”