“Well, if you must know, yes,” Crispin answered belligerently.“The last thing we need is another Yoko on our hands.”
“What the hell are you getting at?” When no one answered, Kellcouldn’t help but frown at both his meddling housemates. “How muchdo we know about Jax anyway? Do you even trust him withBecky?”
Crispinshrugged, unbothered. “How bad can he be? We’ve known him for quitea while now. He comes around enough just to hang out. Besides, helikes her. Isn’t that enough?”
The truth was,although he’d never admit it, Crispin had gone to great lengths toinvestigate Jax’s past with the ladies. Amongst the lanky blonde’sex-girlfriends, he found nothing out of the ordinary. “I don’tsense any malice in his personality. He likes a lot of the samemusic we do, and he’s Goth. What more can she ask for?”
“I just don’t think you should pressure her into it if she’snot interested,” Kell said, tuning his bass guitar.
“What makes you think she’s not interested?” Crispin asked,gesturing towards the garage door.
Becky stoodquietly by the door and waved her fingers at her three housemates.Not wanting to miss another chance at watching them play, Becky hadsnuck out of the house, eager to see the band.
“Becky…” Kell groaned, wondering how much she’d heard. “Whatare you doing in here?”
Becky’s facefell as a result of his question and the harshness in his tone.Kicking himself, Kell quickly rephrased his words and softened hisvoice. “It’s dark out. You shouldn’t wander out here on yourown.”
“Come on, Kell.” Dorian chuckled. “It’s only a few feet fromthe garage to the house. How much trouble can she possibly getinto?”
“Besides, I’m not alone,” Becky said indignantly, looking overher shoulder as Jax stepped in behind her. How dare they talk toher like she was a child, especially in front of company! “Jax cameby just now. He was looking for you. I thought it would be fun ifwe could watch you practice.”
“Gentlemen.” The smitten blonde nodded in greeting, lookingquite chuffed with himself. Finally, he must be getting through toher. Surprisingly, Becky hadn’t run off the moment he arrived atthe house. He’d been trying to get her attention for quite sometime. Ever since that first night he’d discovered her napping onCrispin’s lap, he hadn’t been able to get her out of his mind. Atfirst, he’d assumed that she and Crispin were a couple, but Crispinhad only laughed when he’d inquired. When he had explained thatBecky was simply his housemate, Jax’s hopes soared.
She was thecutest little thing. She obviously wasn’t Goth which is how heusually liked his women, but he could work with that. She seemedquite comfortable in their midst. At least, around herhousemates.
So far thelittle waif had avoided him, though. Perhaps he’d scared her a bit.Understandable, since he was quite extreme in his Gothness. Mostwomen liked the way he looked, but then they were usually Goththemselves.
Tonight,though, much to his delight, Becky hadn’t shied away from him. Infact, she’d been quite welcoming, even offering to escort him tothe garage. Even though he would have been more than happy to makehis own way, since he’d always done so in the past. “Mind if wejoin you?” he asked, placing a possessive arm around Becky’ssuddenly tense shoulders.
“Sure, we love an audience,” Crispin said with a smirk. “Don’twe, Kell?”
“Yeah, why not?” he grumbled, tensing at the sight of Jax’sgrubby mitts all over Becky. How dare he be so… familiar with her! It was bad enoughcoping with her newfound friendship with Crispin. Jax just betterwatch himself. Becky was not a plaything.
Exchanging anervous glance with Jax, Becky followed his lead and joined him onthe old chesterfield to watch the band. Right away, he put his armaround her shoulders and pulled her into his chest. She was a bittaken aback by his forwardness, but perhaps this is what she neededsince left to her own devices, things would never progress beyondholding hands.
“Relax, Becks,” he crooned, chuckling at hertimidity.
As distractedas she was by Jax and his overbearing attentions, Becky couldn’thelp but be excited to watch the guys play. The entire experiencewas quite thrilling for her. She’d been wanting so badly to watchthe guys practice. Ever since she discovered that the were indeed aband, she’d been so curious as to what they would sound like. Inclassic Becky style, though, she’d been too shy to impose uponthem. It didn’t help that they hadn’t invited her back either.
She wascaptivated by the whole thing. The sound-checks, the primping andprancing, the tuning of instruments. My, but the boys looked goodup there on the makeshift stage. They were all eye-catching really,but Kelley was to her, the most spellbinding. So tall, so dark andentrancing. The pouty brooding glances he cast her way, did nothingto quell her escalating attraction to him. All that and they hadn’teven started playing yet. With her heartbeat already acceleratingin her chest, she was almost afraid to find out how she would reactwhen they actually performed.
“Do you like Goth music?” Jax asked, nuzzling his nose in herhair, suddenly interrupting her lusty thoughts.
“I, uh… I don’t mind it,” she said with a shy smile. In allhonestly, she wasn’t really even sure if she did or not. The stuffshe’d heard the guys playing on the stereo, she didn’t really carefor. Now and then, though, a particular song would come on that shedid enjoy. For the most part, their taste in music had started togrow on her in the last little while. As for what they as a bandsounded like, she had no idea since she hadn’t actually heard themplay.
“It’s an acquired taste,” Jax said, gazing intently into hereyes. Smitten by her, he found it incredibly hard to keep fromtouching her. Leaning in close, he ran his hand down the side ofher face and very suavely tucked a stray curl of her hair behindher ear.
Becky smilednervously and nodded. “I suppose…” She couldn’t help but shy awayfrom Jax and his intense if not expectant gaze.
Thankfully theguys decided right at that moment to kick in with their first song.Becky startled at the unexpected assault of sound and jerked herhead towards the stage.
“Wow…” she gasped, watching them go at it. Crispin wasphenomenal. She
