If she would even still go home with me after this.
If it even mattered who I had sex with, because I sure as hell wasn’t sleeping with her.
And most likely never would.
“Mr. Dallas? A word?”
I tore my gaze away from the dressing room area that Teagan had disappeared into. My shoulders relaxed as I spotted Riggs following her. Thank fuck.
I glanced back at Decker. “Now?”
He nodded. “If it’s possible.”
I gave Zane a quick smile and handed over my Sharpie. He held both hands up with a marker in each. “I’m signing for the big guy.”
A woman came forward and spun around. She had one of those backless shirts that tied at the neck. “Sign my back?”
Yep. I was out of there. Even if I had to talk to the suit.
I waited until Decker and I had made it past the densely packed group of fans. “Yeah?”
Decker was spinning his ring again. “I have a request.”
“That would be for Lila, man. I just bash the drums.”
His eyes narrowed. The unnatural blue of them made me want to look away. However, I’d learned long ago that showing any weakness just caused more trouble down the line.
“I doubt that very much, Mr. Dallas.”
“Just Dallas, or Coop. Whichever.”
He cracked his knuckles. “Look, we’re dumping formalities. Works for me. I’m a fan. This isn’t just a write-off.”
My eyebrow winged up. “Huh.”
Decker shrugged. “I bought this place so I could actually bring decent music into the area again. Goddamn techno is taking over most of the clubs.”
“Has its place.” I said it merely to be an asshole. I hated the shit, but I was still pissed about him licking his chops over Teag.
“Not in this place. Well, unless Jennifer Lopez wanted a meeting. Then I might be swayed.”
I tried not to smile. I didn’t want to like the guy. “She’s not techno.”
“No, but they remix the fuck out of her shit. Sacrilege.”
“So, your request isn’t going to be ‘Get Right’?”
Decker laughed. It was a full belly laugh with his head tilted back. “You know the name of one of her songs?”
“Dude, she’s ‘Jenny From the Block.’”
“Bronx girls ’til death.”
“Well, I started in Montana, but I’m an honorary New Yorker.”
“I won’t hold it against you.”
I shook my head. “Just don’t say ‘Freebird’.”
“While an amazing song, I was thinking a little more 90’s.”
“Please don’t say NSYNC.”
“Dear God.”
I crossed my arms and just gave up on hating the guy. “Should I keep guessing?”
“‘Black’.”
“As in “Paint it Black”?” Not that the original was from the 90’s, but I was pretty sure some of the covers had come out then.
“A solid choice, but I was thinking more of the Pearl Jam persuasion.”
“Oh.” Huh. Well, that was interesting. And one that we played often when we were just fucking around with instruments when we weren’t on stage. “Actually, Jamie does a killer version of it.”
Decker’s eyes brightened. “Is that right?”
“Yeah, she doesn’t sing often, but she’s got this Pat Benatar husky killer thing when she really lets it rip. Bet I can even get Oz to sing with her.” I rubbed my hands together. “Maybe this charity gig is going to rock, after all.”
“Thought that would be a harder sell.”
“What are we selling?”
“Speak of the devil.”
Jamie shook back her ultra-violet tipped hair. “Aww, and I forgot my horns.”
“Or you left them at with your kidnap victim,” I quipped.
“Dude, he was enjoying every second of his incarceration.”
Decker’s eyebrows shot up.
Jamie tapped one long finger against his lapel. “Care to be my next victim?” In her boots, she stood eye-to-eye with Decker. “I’ll only make you beg a little.” She licked her wine-colored lips. “Or a lot. Depends on the ask.”
“Down, girl.” I hooked my arm around her neck and drew her away from her future mark. The woman was shameless. “Decker here wanted to know if we could play a song.”
“Is that right?” Her voice cooled.
“Don’t worry it’s not something lame.”
She tucked her thumbs into her low-slung leather pants and cocked a hip. “Now I’m more interested.”
To Decker’s credit, his gaze didn’t drop to her bare midriff. Jamie used sex as a weapon more effectively than any woman on the planet. Lesser men had fallen victim to her charms. Most of them didn’t even mind the scars she left behind.
I laughed. “He’d like to hear Pearl Jam’s ‘Black’.”
Her slash of a mouth tipped up at one corner. “Now I’m intrigued.”
“Even better, you should sing it.”
“Barbie will love that.” She tapped an ebony-tipped finger against her belly. “Actually, she might like a break so she can suck on her Irishman’s face for a few minutes.” She stood up straighter and dropped the sex kitten mask. “This’ll be fun. I’ll go talk to Tarzan and see if he’s into it.”
She turned on her heel and disappeared into the crowd of fans.
“She’s a little terrifying.”
“More than a little.”
Decker dipped his hand into his pocket and checked his phone. “As much as I’m enjoying this, my club manager is about to lose her mind if I don’t show my face upstairs. She’s unaware I’m actually her boss.”
“Strong-willed females are sexy as fuck.”
“Indeed.” He held out his hand to me. “I knew having you guys head this benefit was a good choice.”
“Thanks, man.” I shook his hand, tightening my grip. “Look at Teagan like she’s a snack again, and I’ll break your neck.”
Decker’s grin turned into a full-fledged smile. “Understood.”
“Cool. See you after the show.”
Seven
So much for talking to Teagan before the show.
She made sure not to be in my sphere before we went onstage. God forbid I get a chance to explain what had happened with that fan.
I still didn’t know why I was bothering. One of the benefits to being single was not having to explain yourself to anyone.
Too bad I’d missed that memo.
The suit dude opened up the benefit. Decker talked to the crowd like a politician. Charm oozed from him like cologne as the
