Play Hard (The Devil's Share Book 5) (2 page)

My house on the Texas compound was sitting empty and unused, just waiting for me to come claim it. But I wasn’t ready. I liked being here in Costa Rica. I liked the beach, I liked surfing, I liked the laid-back way of life, and I liked the chicks. Hell. I fucking loved the chicks. They never got clingy, they never asked for an autograph, they were uncomplicated and sexy. I didn’t even need security here. They didn’t give two fucks that I was currently the drummer for one of the most popular bands in the world. And the cherry on top? None of them had fallen in love with one of my bandmates.

“You haven’t seen Landry or Halen. The kids miss you, we all miss you, Luke. Please come home. It’s time.”

The chick in my bed finally got irritated enough with my early morning phone conversation that she got up and started getting dressed. I watched as she walked naked around my room collecting her clothes. “I miss the girls, you know I do.”

“So come home, come see them before the tour. Spend some time here, unpack, and get your new house organized. A couple weeks of normalcy before the chaos of the promo tour.”

Why was one conversation with my best friend making me want to sack my plans? I did miss Landry and Halen; I would love to see them. And it would be nice to have my house all set and ready to come back to after the promo.

I gave myself a mental headshake. No. I’d made a plan and I was going to stick to it. I reached out and grabbed the chick’s arm as she turned to head out the door of my little beach house. I covered the phone with my hand, “
Quedate
.” I was suddenly itching for a good hard fuck. She smiled and walked back toward me, climbing onto my lap. “I gotta go, I’ll—”

“Who are you talking to? Me or the prostitute in your bed?”

I pulled back and looked at the girl currently grinding on my dick; she wasn’t a prostitute. Was she? Nah. “She isn’t a prostitute.” You know what else was great about being in Costa Rica? I never had to defend my choice in bed partners to anyone. “I can’t come home early because I, uh, I’m seeing someone.”
What?
Holy freaking shit.

There was a brief moment of silence, neither of us really knowing how to handle the bomb I just dropped. Then Lexi started in, “Since when?”

I ran my free hand through my hair. “Uh, a couple of weeks.”

“I talked to Amy yesterday and she didn’t mention that. I know you’ve been talking to her every few days. Why didn’t you tell her?”

She had her detective hat on, trying to sniff out a rat, figuring I’d at least tell my sister if I’d met someone. Lexi knew me better than I knew myself, and she knew that I wouldn’t start an actual relationship in another country while I was on a bender. “It was, um, new. But it’s gotten a little more serious. So. Yeah.”
Nice, Luke. Real smooth, bro.

“You’re on an extended vacay in Central America, two weeks from needing to head home, and it
just
turned serious?”

There was loads of skepticism in her voice, but I powered through. “Uh-huh.”

“You bringing her on the press tour?”

Might as well own this clusterfuck. “Um, yeah, for part of it anyway. She has work and stuff.”

I could hear the evil smile in Lexi’s voice. I loved that girl, with my whole heart, but she was slightly off her rocker. “Great. Can’t wait to meet her.”

“Oh well, I’m sure she’ll be back home by the time the promo hits Texas.” The chick rose up on her knees, shoving her perky tits in my face. I couldn’t help myself, I reached out and roughly palmed a handful. She threw her head back and slammed her body back down onto mine. I was more than ready for this conversation to be over.

“That’s okay, I’m coming on the
whole
tour.”

No. Nope. No, that was not the plan. Was she fucking with me? Did she know I was lying? “Since when? Dash said you and Halen were staying home. He emailed me two days ago.”

She chuckled. “Yeah, well, you won’t come home? Home’s coming to you, bud.”

She hung up before I could protest any further.

Shit. Shitdamncocksucker. That went fucking terrible. Why did I lie about having a girlfriend? Just to save face? That was insane. Who cared if I was nailing some stranger I picked up at a beachside club? I never thought there was any way Lexi would come out on the promo tour. I figured she would want to stay in one place with the baby, soak up the comfort of being in the new house. I was planning on reacclimating slowly. Get back to the States, spend some time with the band, and
then
go home. Later. After. As in, not right now. I closed my eyes and fell back on my bed. The girl still in my lap grabbed my dick, stroking me. The phone dinged in my hand signaling I’d gotten a text.

It’s settled! We’re all coming on tour
.
Dash, Jacks, Smith, Dylan, Bryan, Landry, Halen, and I will see you next week! Can’t wait to meet your new girl!

“Fuck me.” I groaned as the non-prostitute, whose name I didn’t think that I’d even asked, slid a condom down my shaft and climbed on.

Chapter Three

Lexi

“What was all that? Luke has a girlfriend?” Dylan was standing in the kitchen, feeding Halen a bottle. She’d walked away when I picked up the phone to call him, but had inched closer with every passing word. My little grasshopper was learning well.

I shook my head. “Nope.” I knew Luke like the back of my hand. Who did he think he was talking to? All that sun must have fried his beautiful blond brain.

She looked confused, “But you just said—”

“My best friend just fudging lied to me.”

Chapter Four

Luke

I’d sent my one-night stand home after a couple more rounds in bed. Then I’d showered, a few times, and grabbed my board and headed to the beach. I’d learned to surf as soon as I arrived in Costa Rica. It was something I’d always wanted to try. Bucket list type shit if you will. I was addicted. After riding the waves all day, I’d exhausted myself, surfing for hours on end. Now I was posted up on the sand, watching the sun set over the ocean.

The thought of seeing Lexi again had me all mixed up. I’d known her for ten years now; I’d loved her for just as long. Of course I missed her, but being here, living this easy life on the water… It was peaceful. I didn’t have to watch her love Dash. I didn’t have to see her eye fuck him side stage. I didn’t have to watch them start a family. I wasn’t the odd man out. Here, I was just me. And for the last three months, that had been more than enough. When the sun finally disappeared, I lay back on the sand and closed my eyes.

Seventeen. Driving one state over to visit my older sister while she was away at college. My first taste of total freedom and I freaking loved it. I drove with the windows down and the radio blasting the entire way. I drank enough Red Bull to kill a coke addict. Some guys thought it was lame, but I loved my sister, we were close. And I missed her so much this last year. When she’d called two weeks ago and told me to come see her, I’d almost cried tears of joy. But I didn’t. Because, you know, I’m a dude. I parked outside of the apartment she shared with some girl named Lexi, grabbed my duffel then hiked up three flights of stairs to get to her door.

“Luke!” Amy threw the door open and wrapped her arms around my neck. “I missed you so much, little brother.”

I winced as I hugged her back. She was only two years older than me and I hated when she called me little. “I missed you too, Ams.”

“Get in here, come meet my roommate Lexi.”

She dragged me inside. Amy had met Lexi while they were living in the dorms. As soon as freshman year was over, they moved into an apartment near campus. Neither one of them willing to return home for the summer. Which was why I’d driven six hours for a visit. When Lexi walked into the room, my jaw hit the floor. I’d never seen anyone as beautiful as her.

“Hey, I’m Lexi. It’s so nice to meet you. Amy talks about you all the time, Luke.” She held her hand out.

Luke and Lexi. Had a nice ring to it. “Hey, what’s up? Nice to meet you too.” I put my hand in hers, squeezed enough to show her I was a man and not a little brother.

“Amy tells me you’re a really talented drummer and that you’re in a band. That’s badass.” She took her hand from mine, because I still hadn’t released it.

“Yeah, I’m okay I guess.” It made me uncomfortable when Amy bragged on me. It was great that she was so supportive, but the limelight wasn’t my favorite place to be. My band was full of kids I grew up with, but we were pretty good. When I could get them to put their dicks in their pants long enough to practice.

“Well, girls love musicians, so keep it up.” She winked.

“Do you like musicians?”

She smiled and my heart stopped. If being a musician was what it took to get this gorgeous girl to give me the time of day, I’d play until my hands bled.

Chapter Five

Luke

Two weeks later I was on the second leg of my flight to meet up with the band in Nashville. By no means was I ready for this tour. Not because I didn’t love the new album, not because I didn’t want to promote it. No, it was because, once again, I was going to be surrounded by my family. Surrounded by couples so in love it sort of made you want to puke. I was going to have to spend day in and day out watching my best friend get mauled by my bandmate. I was going to see Lexi’s adoration for Dash in every glance and every touch they shared. And it was going to fucking suck. Not to mention the fact that I’d have to make up some stupid-ass lie about what happened between me and my “girlfriend.” I leaned my head back against the seat and let out an irritated groan. Maybe I could hire an escort or something? Just pay someone to act like my girl during the tour and then stage a big breakup. Although lies like that never seemed to work in any of those romantic comedy movies my sister liked.

“Sir? Can I get you something to drink?” I rolled my head to the side and took stock of the woman standing next to me. The flight attendant on this stretch of my trip was much younger and much more attractive than the one on the last. And by the way her eyes were raking over me, I could tell she’d be up for some mile-high fun. I’d joined the club on my flight to Costa Rica, but I’d be down to add some more miles. Maybe I could talk her into pretending to be my girlfriend for a few days too?

“Scotch on the rocks, gorgeous.” I winked then she strutted off to get my drink. Lexi hit the nail on the head when she called a couple of weeks ago. I’d become a manwhore over the last three months. I mean, I was a
whore
. I had a condom on my dick so often I thought seriously about just never leaving the house without wearing one. It would have saved me time in the long run. I’d never really seen the appeal in nailing a new chick every night. It’d never been part of my “thing.” Until now. I was making up for lost time and having a blast. Distraction. That was the key to my new and fun lifestyle.

“Um, I think you’re in my seat, sir.”

I looked over, an irritated scowl forming on my face due to the fact that someone called me sir. Did I look forty? In a shitty enough mood to ask—I was feeling horny and confrontational—I turned my head, ready to let it rip, but when I took in the girl standing next to me, I was rendered somewhat speechless. She appeared to be a few inches shorter than me, thin, with long blonde hair straight as a board and hanging almost down to her waist. Huge green eyes, a nice-sized rack, and a timid smile. She belonged in a Catholic schoolgirl uniform, not the ripped blue jeans and skull-covered midriff-baring shirt she was wearing. The sun streaming through the small oval winds backlit her and made her look like a goddess. She was absolutely stunning. “Uh, I, what?”

She held her ticket out so I could see, “You’re in my seat. I have the window. I always make sure I book the window. I am terrified of flying. Petrified actually. And I book the window so that, um, I can control the shade. I have to keep it down, and if I don’t I’ll have a panic attack.”

She was obviously nervous; she was wringing her hands together and shifting her weight from one foot to the other. Even with her anxiety clearly written on her face, I had to actually shut my eyes for a second to make myself stop staring at how pretty she was. Now, beauty aside, I still didn’t want to switch her seats. Me three months ago? I would have hopped up and apologized for my mistake. Then flirted with her and asked her out to dinner. Me now? Not so much. A pretty face wasn’t going to make me bow down. Not today, gorgeous.

“Sorry, sweetheart, I always book the window too. So you must be mistaken.”

I watched as the cute smile and kind eyes disappeared in a flash. She reached out and plucked the ticket that I’d stuck in the seat pocket in front of me, quick as lightning. “Nope. Sorry,
sir
, it looks like you are the one that’s mistaken.” Her babbling had switched from soft to snappy in the blink of an eye.

We stared at each other, neither one of us backing down. For such a sweet-looking girl, she had moxie. The flight attendant came back with my scotch in her hand and a flirty grin on her face. I perked up and leaned closer, wanting to make it clear that I was interested if she was offering. She smiled before she tapped the seat stealer on the shoulder. “We are preparing for takeoff, I need you take your seat please, miss.”

I raised an eyebrow and waved my hand toward the aisle seat. “Go ahead,
miss
.”

The blonde’s eyes narrowed; she reminded me of Dylan. Like she was trying to kill me without touching me. And then, all of a sudden, she busted into tears. “I’m…so sorrrrryyy. But I, uh, my dog just ate my cat, and then—” She hiccupped. “It made him so sick that he died too.” She put her face in her hands. “And now, I have to fly to my stepmother’s funeral, even though she never liked me, and this older gentleman is sitting in my seat and he yelled at meeeeeeee,” she finished on a wail.

The sexy flight attendant rubbed her hand up and down the crying chick’s back, a look of concern where her meant-for-me flirty smile had been moments before. “It’s okay, don’t cry, okay? I’m going to get you some ginger ale and a cookie.” She looked up, meeting my eyes. “And you, what’s wrong with you? Get out of her seat. Asshole.”