No Place Like You Page 13

  “God, no. My parents live only a few blocks away. And you know what Cloud Bay is like. You’d only have to drive your car up and park out front of my house once and the entire island would have us engaged in about five seconds flat.”

  “Well, what then? I mean, I guess there’s always the studio. But sex on the carpet gets old pretty quick.” He grinned at her. “And it’s kind of hard to explain why you have carpet burns in awkward places.”

  She considered the problem. She had to confess she hadn’t thought this part through. Because she hadn’t expected Zach to change his mind. Apparently she was a slow learner. “We going to be working pretty long hours, so that explains us hanging out. I mean, making music isn’t all about recording time. Faith is busy with CloudFest, and with the wedding, and Mina’s house could practically burn down around her ears when she’s painting. She’s got a show coming up soon. So I think, as long as we’re careful, it shouldn’t be a problem. We’ll figure something out. We seem to have gotten away with it tonight, anyway. Neither of your sisters have come knocking at your door, demanding to know if my intentions are honorable.”

  “And if one of them did appear?”

  “Then I guess we’ll deal with that when it happens,” she said. “But I’m a big believer in not borrowing trouble before you have to.”

  “Okay, but if we get caught, then I’m telling them this was all your idea. After all, Faith is your best friend, so you get to be the one to deal with her.”

  “She’s your sister,” Leah protested. “Why don’t you have to deal with her?”

  “For one thing, I’m trying to mend fences with her. So I don’t think I need her getting mad at me for banging her best friend. If she asks, this was all your idea. You’re the one who’s the evil seducer in this scenario.”

  Leah snorted. “Leaving aside how gross the term ‘banging’ is for a moment, I’m happy to tell Faith what happened. But let’s just make one thing clear—you’re the one who made the move this time.” She moved a little closer to him, stared up into his face, and lifted a hand to run her finger along the line of his six-pack under his T-shirt. The shiver that ran through him was pleasing, and it made her want to take things further. Which was a little unnerving, since she could already feel that she’d be sore in the morning. Sore in places that hadn’t been sore for quite some time. But here she was, wanting to get down and dirty with Zach all over again.

  “Yeah,” he said smiling down at her. “I remember.”

  “Me too,” she said. “So why don’t you take me back to bed?”

  chapter ten

  Apparently when you mixed hours of hard work at the studio and hot nights with Leah, time sped by. Zach felt like he’d blinked, and a week had passed. Apparently Leah’s theory had been right on the money. Things were easier between them while they were working—no more awkward pauses. But now he had a new problem, namely, that he had to work pretty damn hard to keep his hands off her. Which was a whole other kind of distraction.

  They worked hard, but his attention still wandered. He found himself watching her, caught by the spill of dark hair down her shoulders or the curve of her mouth as she laughed or the way her hands cut through the air excitedly when she talked. But he wasn’t the only one who had more than just music on his mind. He caught Leah watching him too, and then their eyes would meet and the air would go thick and hot and still around them while color rose in her cheeks.

  So far they’d managed to keep their hands off each other while they were working. Leah had put her foot down about fooling around in the studio, saying it was too risky—too easy for someone to come in and catch them. And lust was a lot easier to deal with when he knew that he’d have her in his bed again when they were done for the day. So he’d contented himself with hot looks and just enjoying being with her, and then waited for her to appear at the door of the guesthouse each night.

  But on Thursday night Leah, having spent almost every night or part of it with him since they’d first gotten together, had left him to his own devices. She had to go home for a family dinner for her parents’ anniversary. Not an event that Zach could easily muscle in on without raising the sorts of questions from Leah’s folks that neither of them wanted to answer.

  So he found himself at loose ends. And, naturally enough, ended up drifting back around to Billy’s house to hang out with Eli. He’d sort of fallen off the face of the earth for the last week, and hoped Eli and Billy wouldn’t have been wondering too hard about why.

  But neither of them seemed particularly surprised to see him when he strolled out onto Billy’s deck to join them sometime around seven. Eli simply passed him a beer and pointed to the pizza boxes on the table. “Grab some if you haven’t eaten.”

  “Thanks,” Zach said, scooping up a piece. He’d eaten lunch at some point, but the afternoon had sped by while he and Leah had wrestled the bridge of his current song into submission. He devoured the pizza in about five bites and reached for another slice.

  “I was wondering when you were going to emerge from the depths of that studio,” Eli said with a grin. “I was starting to think that Leah must be a total slave driver.”

  Zach shook his head, taking a seat on the lounge beside Eli and staring out over the ocean as he finished the second slice. Then he picked up the beer. “She’s damn good at her job, that’s what she is. But no, she is letting me set the pace.”

  “But the recording’s going well?” Eli asked.

  Zach nodded. “Yes, it’s good.” He didn’t offer anything more. Eli knew he didn’t really like to talk about music while he was in the middle of making it.

  “Tricky thing,” Billy said.

  Zach looked over to where Billy was standing by the rail of the deck, a bottle of San Pellegrino in his hand. He looked tanned and healthy, his short graying hair sticking up in spikes. But he didn’t look entirely relaxed, his dark eyes focused on Zach.

  “What’s tricky?” Zach asked.

  Billy flipped his free hand at him, the gesture somehow dismissive, as though Zach should’ve known what the hell he was talking about. “Making a comeback. Comebacks are a bitch.”

  Zach frowned. “I wouldn’t call this making a comeback exactly. It’s not like I’ve done a solo album before. This is more like adding another option.”

  Billy raised his eyebrows, but he only grunted in response and then turned to stare out at the ocean. Zach studied his back for a moment, wondering if he was going to add anything more to his pearl of wisdom. Or what exactly he’d been trying to say. After all, after Grey had died, Billy had seemed to transition smoothly into his new role with Erroneous. The band was doing very well and Billy always looked like he was having a good time playing with them, sitting up at the back of the stage, behind his drums, pounding away.

  Of course, “very well” for Erroneous was nowhere near the heights that Blacklight had reached. Did Billy miss that, that being on-top-of-the-world feeling? It had to be hard to give it up once you’d had it. The adrenaline buzz of the crowd could be an addiction, no matter who you were or how well you were doing.

  As the crowds got bigger, the buzz did too. Zach knew that as well as anybody. Though for him, it was the music that gave him the buzz, not necessarily the crowd. He couldn’t deny that hearing hundreds or thousands of people singing along and cheering while he played wasn’t satisfying, but it was riding the music itself that he loved.

  But maybe he just hadn’t hit the level where the crowd would take over as the source of the fix. Fringe Dweller were doing okay, but they weren’t making a meteoric rise by any means. More like a slow build, and maybe that was better. Blacklight had catapulted to the heights early in their careers. And while that had brought money and financial security, it also caused all four of them problems over the years. Drugs, alcohol, family pressures from grueling touring and recording schedules. Along with the stress of always having to top your last effort, though that was the same for any musician. Hell, it was what he was trying to do no
w.

  “Any tips for changing paths?” he said.

  Billy turned back to him, shrugged. “Make great music. The rest doesn’t mean shit.” He straightened his shoulders. “Right, I’ve got crap to do. You two have fun.” He walked off the deck and disappeared into the house.

  Zach looked at Eli. “He’s in a mood.”

  Eli shrugged. “He always starts getting antsy a month or two before a tour.”

  “Isn’t being here supposed to be distracting him from that?” Billy had always been the most tightly wound of the four Blacklight guys. Grey and Danny had been wild, and Shane was quiet in comparison to the other three. But Billy had been … well, the one who’d seemed to take the weight of the world on his shoulders. He’d used his share of drugs and booze to take the edge off, just like the others had, but it had always seemed to Zach that Billy had been the one to start fights.

  “He’ll be fine,” Eli said, glancing back over his shoulder in the direction Billy had gone.

  Zach hitched a shoulder. “If you say so.” He picked up his beer. It was still early. He didn’t really feel like going back to the guesthouse. What he really wanted to do was swim, but with Eli still bandaged and braced, it would be kind of a dick move to suggest that. Lansing wasn’t exactly known for its wild nightlife. So the options were limited. But there was one place they could go. “If Billy’s in a mood, why don’t we go to Salt Devil? Get out of his hair for a while?”

  * * *

  Eli hadn’t objected to his proposal, so twenty minutes later, Zach found himself sitting on the deck of Will’s bar, beer in hand and fries and onions rings on their way. Two slices of pizza hadn’t exactly cut it as dinner. He looked out at the ocean, tilted his glass at the view in appreciation. In all the time he’d spent away from Lansing, he’d forgotten how chilled life could be here. And how much he missed the ocean never being far away.

  “You look happy,” Eli said. “I take your sessions really are going well?”

  Zach nodded, propping his feet up on the deck rail. “Yeah, we’ve made a good start on three songs this week.”

  Eli swung his own chair around to stretch his booted foot out on another chair opposite Zach and then sampled his own beer. “It’s working out with Leah then?”

  “Yeah, she knows her shit. She’s killing it, actually.” Zach said. “But don’t worry, I still want you to work on those two songs with me. Just let me and Leah get through this first week, find our groove or whatever.”

  Eli was still watching him with an odd expression in his brown eyes.

  “Unless you don’t want to do that anymore?” Zach said. Was that the reason that Eli was looking so weird? He’d changed his mind?

  Eli shook his head, face clearing. “Nah, I’m still happy to do it.”

  “Then why are you looking at me like I just grew a second head or something?”

  “Just trying to remember if I’ve ever seen you look this happy over a couple of songs before.”

  Zach narrowed his eyes. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Eli shrugged. “Just that things must be going really well.”

  His jaw tightened. Where the hell was this going? “They are.”

  “You sure that’s all it is?” Eli asked.

  Zach froze, beer bottle halfway to his lips. “What else would it be?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. Usually when you get that goofy look there’s a girl involved.”

  “Have I told you lately you’re full of shit?” Zach said. He brought the bottle to his lips, sipped slowly and deliberately, as though Eli’s words hadn’t bothered him at all. But crap, his brain was racing. Had Eli caught on to what was happening between him and Leah? Not good. She’d been pretty clear that she wanted to keep this thing quiet. He wasn’t entirely sure he didn’t agree with her. It would make things simpler. But he didn’t like their chances of trying to sneak around for the next few months in a place as small as Lansing without anyone busting them. But being busted was one thing. Him outing them was another altogether. Leah would not be happy with him if he did that.

  “I may be full of shit,” Eli said. “But that doesn’t mean I’m wrong.”

  Zach shook his head, trying to keep a neutral expression. “Maybe we need to start working on those songs sooner rather than later. You’ve obviously got far too much time on your hands. Otherwise you wouldn’t be making up weird-ass theories about my good mood.”

  Eli laughed, not looking convinced. “You keep telling yourself that, buddy.”

  Zach shook his head. Right. Time to change the subject. “I meant it about the getting-to-work thing, though,” he said. “We should get into that. I’d like at least six songs ready for the CloudFest set. Which means having them down in the studio and having time to rehearse. Leah said something about maybe having another chunk of studio time free next week. I can check with her and book it, if you want.”

  Eli’s expression changed from amused to focused. “Sounds good to me. It beats listening to Dad talk about his boat all day. When did you want to get started?”

  Good. Eli had taken the bait. Subject safely changed. “Let me talk to Leah, double-check the timing. Like I said, I want to finish off this week with her, then those two songs I showed you are the closest to finished, so it makes sense to work on those next. We just need the studio time. I mean, we can use Grey’s studio for a while if we need to, but I’d prefer to keep things consistent. Leah is getting a great sound up at the main studio.”

  “Whatever you want. Just let me know.”

  * * *

  Surprising Zach naked in bed had seemed like a good idea. But now Leah wasn’t so sure. She’d been sitting on his bed for nearly thirty minutes now and she had absolutely no idea where he was. It wasn’t like there were many options—particularly at this time of night. She’d checked Grey’s studio on her way to the guesthouse, just in case he’d been there. He definitely wasn’t at the Harper studio. There’d been no lights on in the building when her cab had dropped her off there. Given she knew all of the cab drivers on the island, she’d figured that was the safest option—it was plausible for her to be wanting to get some work done late at night after all. Less likely for her to be visiting Caleb and Faith at midnight on a Thursday. So she’d gone to the studio and then walked over to the guesthouse in the moonlight, not entirely sure why she was there at all.

  But she’d spent the night with her parents and her family and their friends, watching everyone congratulate her parents for thirty-three years of marriage. She wasn’t blind. She’d seen the looks thrown in her direction. The “poor Leah, she couldn’t make her marriage last even ten years” looks. And by the end of it, she’d just wanted out.

  Marriage. She’d tried it. It hadn’t stuck. And maybe one day she might try it again but not any time soon. After all, she knew her parents’ marriage hadn’t been all parties and champagne toasts. They’d had their share of tough times and fights and tensions. Particularly early on when Blacklight had been at the height of their fame and her dad Sal had been one of the crowd who partied with them on the island. And sometimes off it too.

  Marriage was hard work and compromise and a lot of other things. Right now, she just wanted fun. The good bits. The screaming orgasms and the thrill of that giddy stage where your blood bubbled and fizzed and ran hot just thinking about the other person. The easy part. All the wanting and none of the hard work.

  And so she’d come to Zach. Who could give her all that. And wouldn’t ask for more.

  Who could strip her down and lay her on his bed and make her forget about pitying looks and the tiny doubtful voice in her head that said maybe those looks were right. Who could make her feel like Leah again. Make her feel strong and confident and happy.

  One thing that getting divorced had taught her was that “happy” was pretty damn important.

  She wanted some happy now.

  The only problem was that the source of her happy fix wasn’t here.

  And there was on
ly so long she could wait before it became obvious coming here was a bad idea. Question was when to call it and leave?

  She and Zach were just casual. So the right thing to do would be to cut her losses for the night and go home, right? Lying here waiting for him might just be moving into territory that was a little more serious than she wanted.

  Right. She climbed out of bed, pulled on her clothes, grabbed her purse and phone. Straightened the bed so there was no sign she’d been there. She’d go back to the studio, call a cab and go home. Alone.

  But she reached the front door just as it opened and Zach stepped though. He started when he saw her, then hit the light switch by the door.

  “Leah? You nearly gave me a heart attack.”

  Yeah, she hadn’t thought about that part. About what someone who’d grown up living with security like Zach had might feel about coming home to find someone in his house when he hadn’t been expecting her. Even though he’d given her the code to the guesthouse. “Sorry,” she said. “I thought I’d swing by. I should have called.”

  He raised an eyebrow. When she’d left the studio she’d told him she’d see him tomorrow, so she couldn’t exactly blame him for being surprised to find her here now. “Don’t worry about calling. I was only at Salt Devil with Eli.” He smiled then. “In fact, don’t ever worry about calling. I’m always going to be happy to see you.”

  She stared at him for a moment, not sure how to take that. Then decided to ignore it. “Male bonding time?” It came out crankier than she’d intended. She had no right to be annoyed. He didn’t have to tell her where he was at all times. That wasn’t what they were, no matter what Zach had to say about always being happy to see her.

  “Something like that.” He closed the door, punched in the alarm code, and turned back to her, offering no further explanation.

  She wondered if he’d been talking to Eli about the songs they planned to work on together. And ignored the sharp sting of jealousy that twisted briefly inside her. She’d known that Zach wanted to work with Eli. He wasn’t hers exclusively in any sense of the word—least of all when it came to his music—and she needed to remember that. “And how is Eli?”