Lady Sings the Blues Page 5

  She sighed, trying to ignore how shaky it sounded. “I made a mistake, didn’t I?”

  “Somehow I don’t think you’re talking about switching the brands of bottled water we carry.”

  “No.” Alina settled her elbows on the blotter then rested her forehead in her palms. “I usually don’t have regrets. I can make a decision and be done. This feels like a wrong decision.”

  Her manager leaned back in the club chair, the dark suit hanging elegantly on his wiry frame. He fit in with everyone from presidents to pimps, which was the main reason she’d stolen him from her former boss when she opened her club. “You want me to be real?”

  Uh-oh. Alina shifted uneasily. Salazar and Bobby were the only people on her staff who’d known her before she’d bought the club, the only two people who automatically looked her in the eye. When Emilio Salazar broke out the accent, she usually ended up in trouble. “I’m not going to like what you have to say, am I?”

  “Probably not,” Salazar answered. “I wasn’t gonna drop it on you at all because I thought you’d figure it out yourself before now.”

  “Figure what out?”

  “It’s your same M.O.—break up with the guy before he breaks up with you.”

  Alina opened her mouth in automatic denial, then closed it. “It’s that obvious?”

  The club manager nodded. “Let me break it down for you. You wear those corsets like a sexy stop sign, making sure you keep everyone out. You get all bent about people relating to you because of how you look. Hanover’s the only one you’ve let in for a good long time. Maybe you decided to roll with him because he’s blind?”

  “That’s ridiculous. I decided to date him because he’s hot, he’s creative, and he’s damn good with his hands. He makes me feel special and normal at the same time, and I love that about him. I love his smile, his wicked sense of humor and the fact that he doesn’t give a rat’s ass what other people think.”

  Salazar smiled. “Do you hear what you’re saying?”

  She mentally replayed their conversation. “Oh hell. Did I really say love?”

  “Sounded like it to me. What did it sound like to you?”

  “It sounds like I’m in love with Joshua Hanover.”

  The words hung in the air between them. Alina waited for a panic attack or a lightning bolt or some other sign, but nothing came. Instead, she felt a tiny smile tremble across her lips, an outward sign of the fledgling emotion fluttering in her chest.

  She released a rueful laugh. “I think you’re in the wrong line of work, my friend.”

  “You know a bartender’s one part chemist and two parts psychiatrist,” Salazar answered. “I haven’t been behind a bar in a while, but I still got skills.”

  “Impressive skills. I think you just earned yourself a raise.” She pushed away from her desk, then climbed to her feet. She loved Joshua, and she’d hurt them both by not realizing it sooner. Now all she had to do was tell him the truth. The rest would sort itself out. At least she hoped so.

  She’d made it to the door before she realized it. Pausing, she turned back to Salazar, nervous and hopeful. “Wish me luck?”

  “Like you need it. The man’s just as head over heels as you are, know what I’m sayin’? Go get him.”

  Alina moved quickly through her office. A wall of sound hit her as soon as she opened the outer door, hard and angry.

  Joshua Hanover was pissed, and everyone in The Scarlet Lady knew it.

  The band was as tight as ever, but the bouncy, party songs had been expunged from their set. Joshua’s solos deteriorated into angry, wailing diatribes. Even “Red-Letter Woman” had soured from a song of admiration to a tune of condemnation.

  Ignoring the acid bubbling in her stomach, Alina squared her shoulders then moved down the stairs to the lower level with as much bravado as she could. It was time to end this, one way or another. Her club suffered, Joshua suffered. And, she could finally admit, she’d suffered too. It was time to put on the big girl panties and deal. She had to tell Joshua why she’d been so incredibly stupid. He’d probably be too angry to care, but she had to let him know how she felt about him.

  She made her way to the stage after their last set, while they were breaking down and packing up. Besides the band, only a handful of her crew was left to witness her potential embarrassment.

  Pete stepped in front of Joshua, blocking her view. “May I help you?”

  She lifted her chin. “I’d like to talk to Joshua.”

  The mountain of a man folded his arms. “I think you’ve said all you need to say to him.”

  “Pete,” Joshua called. “Let it go. I’ll talk to her.”

  Dark sunglasses covered his eyes, she noted, and he unfolded his cane as soon as he packed his guitar away. He took his time leaving the stage, relying on the cane to guide his steps even though she made sure the tables were set precisely in the same spot every night after their show.

  “What can I do for you, Miss Scarlet?” he asked, his voice remotely polite.

  She bit her lip against sudden tears. “Okay, I deserved that. I’d like to talk to you privately, if you don’t mind.”

  He gestured with his cane. “Lead the way.”

  She offered him her elbow, then led him towards the front of the club, just beneath the staircase leading up to the VIP level.

  “Joshua, I need to apologize to you.”

  “Really?” His voice retained that cool, distant tone, but she could feel the tension in his hand. “For what?”

  “For lying to you. You thought that I didn’t want to be with you because of your blindness, but that isn’t true.”

  “Could have fooled me. You didn’t want to go to dinner with me, you didn’t want to meet my family, but you sure as shit had no problem fucking me. Why the hell would the smoking hot Miss Scarlet stoop to date a blind man when she could have any guy in the city?”

  She couldn’t stop the gasp of pain his words caused. Just because she deserved it, didn’t make it easier to take. “I’m sorry, truly deeply sorry for letting you think that. It’s not true, I swear to God it isn’t.”

  His jaw worked for a moment. “Then what’s the truth?”

  “The truth is, I’ve always known what type of girl I am.” She had to force the words past a sudden hard lump in her throat. “I’m the kind that guys like to hang with, have sex with, the hot chick that everyone wants to have but no one wants to keep. They don’t take me home to their parents, or to their office parties. Since I hit puberty, I’ve always inspired lust, not love, and I know it. That’s why I became Miss Scarlet.”

  He laughed, but it was a bitter, empty laugh that hurt to hear. “That’s what you thought this was? Lust? That’s what you thought I felt?”

  She heard the past tense. “I’ve never experienced anything else. People only wanted Miss Scarlet, not Alina. After a while, that was all that I knew how to give.”

  He moved away from her. “Did I ever call you Miss Scarlet before today?”

  “No.”

  “Did I ever say all I wanted from you was sex?”

  “No.”

  “Wasn’t I the one who had to convince you to go out with me?”

  She hung her head. “Yes.”

  “Wasn’t I the one that took you to meet my family?”

  “Yes, but—”

  “So how the hell can you say that guys like me don’t want to date women like you?” He threw his arms wide. “As far as I’m concerned, I’ve been dating you all this time! What does that tell you?”

  She heard the present tense, and the ache in her heart eased. “It tells me that you’re crazy.”

  His lips curved. “Yeah, I’m fucking certifiable. About you.”

  “Joshua—”

  “Dammit, Alina, I can’t see you! It was never about Miss Scarlet to me. You wanna know what made me pop a woody for you? Your voice. From the beginning, when we were sitting in your office hammering out the performance contract, your voice made me hard. Not
your leather, or your tits, or your legs. Your voice. And that goddamn laugh. Holy shit, that low and sexy laugh drives me fucking nuts.”

  He spun away, then back. “And you know what’s the best part about making love to you? Not your legs wrapped around my waist, not getting you out of those boots. Not cupping your breasts in my hands. The best part of making love with you is hearing that catch at the back of your throat just before you come. It’s feeling your body tighten around mine. It’s tasting your sweetness on my tongue. And yes, it’s even smelling our sex mixing together.”

  He held out a hand to her. “But the best part, the absolute best part about being with you, Alina, is that you see me. I’m just a man with you. Not a guitarist, not a blind guy, just Joshua. You see me. Even when you want me to think you don’t.”

  “Joshua.” She shook so hard she thought she’d fall apart, but she reached out for him, took his hand, and her world steadied.

  “You see me, babe, and I see you,” he said, his voice unsteady. “I see you in the way that matters, right here.” He drew her closer, holding her hand to his heart.

  His name cracked in her throat. She wrapped her arms around him and held on tight, unable to say anything else, do anything else.

  “Goddammit, Alina.” His arms engulfed her. “What the hell else can I say to let you know that I love you?”

  “Say that.” She buried her face against his chest, tears spilling from her eyes. “Just say that.”

  “That,” he murmured against her hair, then gently cupped her face with his. “That, and that,” he said again, then claimed her mouth.

  Applause sounded around them. “All right!” she heard Bobby cheer. “Miss Scarlet and the blues man.”

  They sheepishly broke the kiss, but still held each other close. “You can be Miss Scarlet to them all you want, but you’ll always be Alina to me,” Joshua told her.

  Her heart overflowed. “Miss Scarlet’s going to retire. We’re going to have a contest to find several Scarlet Ladies to take my place.”

  Then because she couldn’t hold it in any longer, “I love you. It’s been a miserable week of wallowing in my own stupidity, and I just want it to be over. Can we leave now? You asked me for everything, and I’d like to give it to you.”

  “Absolutely.” Keeping his arms securely around her, Joshua turned back towards the stage. “Show’s over folks. The encore’s going to be just the two of us.”

  About the Author

  Mallery Malone lives on the outskirts of the Little Five Points area of Atlanta, a community known for its funky, eclectic vibe. When not writing, she shovels down tater tots at the Vortex, drools over the shoes at Abbadabbas, and walks her mutt Bailey with her own personal guitar hero, also called Bailey.

  To learn more about Mallery Malone, please visit her at http://www.mallerymalone.bravehost.com/index.html. Send an email to Mallery at mallerymalone@gmail.com.

  He can run, but he can’t hide

  Reckless

  © 2008 Maya Banks

  A Red Hot Summer story.

  Sheriff J.T. Summers promised to keep an eye on his best friend’s little sister. What could possibly go wrong? A lot. “Little” Nikki Durant isn’t so little anymore. She’s sex on a stick, and she’s pointed right at him.

  Nikki has always loved J.T., and she’s through waiting for him to come around. The soaring summer temperature is nothing compared to the heat generated when she sets fire to his senses. With a take-no-prisoners attitude, she’s out to get her man. But no matter how many ways she offers it, J.T.’s not buying.

  What’s it going to take to get him to realize her love for him isn’t a passing fling? Get herself arrested? Hmm…

  Warning: This title contains one very frustrated hunky sheriff, one very determined heroine, sex by the pool, sex in the office, and yes, they do make it to the bed. Eventually.

  Enjoy the following excerpt for Reckless:

  J.T. pulled to a stop in front of the ranch and wiped the sweat from his brow. He couldn’t wait to jump in the pool. There weren’t too many safe places left in Barley for him to hide, but he was safe here.

  He climbed out and strode to the house in his swim trunks, flip-flops and T-shirt. He knocked then rang the bell, but when no one answered, he opened the door and let himself in. Jasmine had said they might not be here. Which was fine with him. He could use the alone time to work off some serious sexual frustration.

  He made his way through the living room and to the glass patio doors. Beyond, the pool shimmered a sparkling blue, and he nearly groaned as he imagined how nice it was going to feel to immerse himself in its coolness.

  He shut the door behind him, kicked off his flip-flops and made a beeline for the deep end. But when he got there, his gaze drifted to the lawn chair situated just a foot from the diving board. And to the beautiful, naked woman stretched out, sunbathing.

  Fuck me. Fuck him. Fuck a duck.

  Nikki was laid out, butt-ass naked, her gorgeous tanned skin glistening in the sun. There wasn’t an inch of pale skin anywhere on her, which told him she was no stranger to tanning in the nude.

  Her slender legs were slightly bent at the knees and parted, just enough to give him a prime glance at her pussy. He groaned. Dear God, this was so unfair.

  His gaze drifted higher to her trim waist and the diamond teardrop ring at her belly button. It glittered in the sun and lay in the hollow of her taut belly. Then he settled on her pert breasts. Perfect. Just fucking perfect. Not too large but not small by any means. Just big enough that they stood erect. Not a bit of sag. If he didn’t know better, he’d say they were fake, but he’d been up close and personal, and they were way too soft, too fleshy to be silicone.

  Her nipples were dark, maybe from tanning, but they were mouthwateringly erect. Brown, darker than her skin. Puckered and pointed. He closed his eyes and tried to stop the inevitable meltdown.

  “I expected you a half hour ago,” she said lazily.

  His eyes flew open to see her watching him with hazy contentment.

  Jasmine. Hell. He’d been royally set up and screwed. So much for friendship. Damn women stuck together like thieves.

  “I’ll just be going,” he muttered. How the hell was he supposed to go for a swim with a woody the size of a tree trunk and her lying in the sun gloriously naked?

  “Coward,” she said bluntly.

  He blinked. “Excuse me?”

  She sat up, and he couldn’t help but watch the way her breasts swayed with her motion. Or the way he’d caught the most spectacular glimpse of her pussy when she’d spread her legs to put her feet down on either side of the lounger.

  She pushed herself up and walked to where he stood. His tongue flipped and tied itself into about thirty knots. He was so going to hell for this.

  “You. Are. A. Coward,” she said as she jabbed a finger into his chest.

  Before he could react, push her away or whimper like a girl, she slipped her hands down to his crotch and cupped him through the fabric of his swim trunks. Busted. He was so completely busted. There was no hiding that kind of erection from her.

  She glanced up at him, her eyes glinting in satisfaction. Then she worked her hands underneath the legs of his shorts, and he sucked in his breath as she found his balls.

  “Close your eyes, J.T.,” she said in her sweet, husky voice. “Work with me for a second.”

  Despite his vow to resist her at every turn, he found himself closing his eyes as her fingers kneaded his sac. Jesus that felt good.

  “Now imagine this. It’s hot. You head to the pool for a swim. Only when you get there, you see a woman sunbathing in the buff. She’s attractive. You wouldn’t mind getting some of her ass.”

  J.T. frowned. He didn’t like where she was going with this, even if she was dead-on.

  “The woman opens her eyes, and she sees this really gorgeous man staring at her. The man can see she wants him too. She gets up, and he watches her breasts. Imagines what they’d taste like. She’
s imagining his mouth around her nipples, and she wants him. God, she wants him.”

  J.T. clenched his fists at his sides as her fingers brushed lightly over his dick.

  Her voice lowered to a whisper. “She walks over, wanting to touch him, needing him to touch her. She runs her hands up his trunks and feels his balls, so big and tight. And then his cock. Like an iron bar. So hard. So rigid. And she begins to fantasize about taking him inside her.”

  His chest swelled until he feared exploding. He’d never been so thoroughly seduced by a woman’s voice before.

  “Do you know what she does next?”

  “No,” he croaked. But he wished. Man, he wished.

  She pulled at his trunks, sliding them down his legs until his dick sprang free of the waistband. She knelt on the hard concrete and cupped him in her hands. Her mouth was close, so damn close he could feel her breath over the crown of his dick.

  “She takes him in her mouth,” she said just before her lips closed around him.

  Sometimes love won’t come. Other times it just won’t go.

  Color My Heart

  © 2008 Red Garnier

  A Red Hot Summer story.

  Hannah Myers has had disastrous relationships in the past, but catching her now-ex-boyfriend cheating on her was the worst. As she picks up the pieces of her shattered heart, the last thing she expects to find in the hall outside her apartment is a young god asking if he can help. Yeah, he can help! He can take her clothes off, for starters…

  Billy Hendricks has dated in the past, but he’s never met anyone like Hannah. Their sudden affair is supposed to be just a casual summer fling. But to Billy it is anything but casual. He’s seen the passion in her artwork, and he wants more from her than sex.

  Hannah tells herself she will not fall in love with Billy. A smart girl needs to safeguard her heart. But how can a smart girl get hunky, wonderful Billy out of her system? Why, with another man!

  With Hannah flinging her summer love right and left, things are bound to get colorful.