Page 9 of Madd Love

I don’t care if it is his head and shoulder, it’s too intimate, and I don’t fucking like it. And Jen, fuck, she looks beautiful. She’s wearing a sleeveless black dress; even if I can’t see anything from her torso up, I know this dress like the back of my hand. Zipper on the left side, and when I unzip it and trail my fingers down her bare flesh, she shivers.

He better not be unzipping that damn dress tonight. I respond by hitting the angry emoji. I set my phone on the table and scrub my hand against my trimmed beard. My frustrations with this situation and my inability to have the one conversation I so desperately need to have with her are bringing me to the brink of a meltdown.

Fuck! Who the hell is this guy?

I hit the search engine app on my phone and type in his name. When the results pop up… “Aw hell!” I mumble to myself; the man is a damn billionaire.

Hell. That’s okay. Jen isn’t concerned with money or status. I’m not broke but still, a fucking billionaire. And he was good-looking—the damn bastard.

The noise on the bus grows louder with each passing second, and I’m in no mood to party. I stand up, tucking my phone into my pocket when Tricia walks this way, or is what she is doing considered a saunter? Anyway, she’s treating the aisle in the bus like a catwalk as she makes her way over to me.

“Hey, Madd. How are you?”

Tricia is a beautiful woman, but there’s always been something off about her. Almost like she tries too hard, and I don’t know, something is just off.

“I’m good, Tricia. How about you?”

She closes the distance between us, and I’m caught so off guard that I don’t know what to do when she places her hands on my sides and starts pushing me back to the bedroom. We don’t use this room for anything other than gaming while traveling, and we all have bunks we sleep in.

I grab her wrists. “Hey, now. Getting a little wild tonight, are we, Tricia?” I ask and laugh a little nervously.

I’m trying to make light of the situation. I don’t want to be mean, but I also have no intention of going anywhere with this woman now or in the future. Beck has got to stop being so kind and let us ban her ass from our shows. The other guys need to stop letting her tag along. Because that is what it is. She tags along, and no one wants to be mean to her because she was once Beck’s girl. Personally, I don’t know how Beck hasn’t cussed her ass out by now. She did him dirty.

“You have no idea, Maddox Case! I’m about to show you what Beck gave up.”

Thankfully, Beck comes out of the back behind us and blocks Tricia from pushing me farther down the hall. Hell, I’m onlymere steps from the door. This little lady is strong as hell, freakishly so.

“What’s happening, Beck?” I ask, giving him my best, please-fucking-help-melook.

“Just grabbing some chargers and heading to the hotel room. You coming?”

Oh, thank fuck he can read my mind!

“Yeah, I’m ready whenever you are. My charger is right here.” I reach over to my bunk, which is on top, and pull the chord from where it lies coiled up on the bed.

“Hey, Tricia,” Beck says as he walks around her, and she turns her eyes, watching him like a lost puppy dog.

I take that as my cue and bolt around her. I hope none of my other bandmates drink too much and forget just who the hell that woman is.

I want only one woman touching me, and Tricia is definitely not her. I exit the bus with only one woman on my mind and a growing mountain of worry. I’m afraid my window is closing with Jen Haner.

SEVEN

Jen

“You know we catered a party for the owner of this restaurant once.”

As we pass, John sips his scotch and places a generous tip in the jar on top of the piano. The pianist nods and mouths thank you to John, who tips his head in return.

“You did?” he asks, pulling out a seat for me at a nearby table before taking the seat beside me.

I set my phone and water down on the table before me. “Yes. And Evelyn accidentally lit his wig on fire.”

John chokes on his scotch. “You’re kidding me.”

“Oh, but I wish I were. Not only did she accidentally light his hair on fire while trying to relight an outdoor candle, but she also took the flaming wig from his head and dunked it into the pitcher of lemonade.” I laugh, throwing back my head and clapping my hands. Tears fill my eyes from memory.

John isn’t fairing much better as he laughs and hits the table with his fist. “Your friend is wild!”

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