Nights Embrace (Others of Seattle) (3 page)

Trevor followed Roxy out of the cafe and down the road. Between appreciating her seductive scent, and admiring the view, he considered asking about Jordan.

No, dumbshit. She thinks you
’re human,
he reminded himself. No one was going to believe he heard their conversation from across the room.

Sh
e looked over and met his gaze, a smile gracing her lips. The breeze shifted her hair, wrapping him in her essence. He was tempted drop his face to her shoulder and breathe her in as he pressed her against the wall. His hands itched to touch her skin, his lips wanted to brush over hers
.
He knew her lush curves would be heaven against his body.

She nudged him, and he pulled himself out of his fantasies.

“Sorry.” He licked his lips, but he was at a loss as to what to say.

“Don’t worry about it, but that’s it.” She nodded to the sign a couple doors down. “The Monsoon. I eat here
most mornings. Usually after I spend some time at the Jitterhouse.”

Most mornings
?
“I take it the food is good,” he asked with a raised brow.

Her eyes slid away, a slight blush colored her cheeks.
“I like it, but I’m not big on cooking.”

He hurried past her to open the door. Her eyes grazed over him as she walked past
with a shy smile.

Damn
, but she was adorable, and hot as hell.

He followed
her into the diner. The walls were deep brown, the tables wooden, and the booths had black leather seats. Hard rock played quietly in the background.

The waiter looked up and
walked to them. He gave her a friendly hug. “Hey, Rox. Your table’s open.”

“Thanks, Jason.” She nodded toward Trevor. “Jason, meet Trevor
. Trevor, Jason.”

Jason gave him an appraising look before offering his hand. The
guy gave him a silent warning with his eyes, but Trevor didn’t sense any lust or love for Roxy from the waiter, only concern.

The more Trevor learned, the more intrigued he was.

Roxy let out an exasperated sigh. “Watch it, Jason,” she warned before grabbing Trevor’s wrist and pulling him toward a booth in the back. She glanced up at Trevor with a huff. “Jason means well. He’s like another brother.”

Trevor nodded.
“Friendships as strong as family are a blessing, Roxy.”

She slid into her seat and lifted a single shoulder. Trevor sat down beside her in the curved booth. When she looked into his eyes, she sighed.
“Can be, but it can also be a nuisance. He sees me as a baby sister who needs to be watched like a hawk. It gets old.”

That he understood. There were times his clan did the same for him, but they had their reasons.
Now he was curious why her friends were so protective.

* * * *

Trevor’s dimple made an appearance as he studied her. Roxy wanted to brush her fingertip over the indent. Looking away with a dreamy sigh, she wondered what she was getting herself into. He seemed so damned perfect, but she knew better. No man was perfect.

Jason dropped into the empty side of the booth
with an easy smile.

Before Jason could say anything, Roxy arched a brow his way.
“So, where were you last night?”

He pushed his fingers through his hair
and glanced away. “Amy and I are back together. She had me
tied
up.”

Roxy couldn
’t help laughing. “That I can believe. You missed an amazing show, and I’m not talking about my set. Trevor fronts Lunar Storm. You have to hear them.”

Trevor shook his head.
“She’s too modest. Their set blew ours out of the water.”

Jason laughed.
“Maybe next time I’ll see you both.” He slid a menu to Trevor.

Frowning, Trevor asked,
“No menu for Roxy?”

“Oh, she doesn’t need one. She knows the menu by heart, and she hasn’t changed her order in the last four or five years.
What can I get you to drink?”

“Coffee, please,” Trevor answered.

“I’ll be back,” Jason hopped up and walked off.

Trevor looked back down at the menu
, but set it aside as Jason came back with two coffee mugs, and a bowl of creamer cups he placed in front of Trevor.

Jason gave Trevor a nod
as he slid his hands in his back pockets. “Go ahead and order.”

Trevor
asked for steak and eggs, rare and sunny side up with sourdough toast. Jason was on his way.

Roxana fought off a shudder. The thought of rare steak made her queasy, and his eggs weren
’t much better. At least he drank his coffee black.

“You’re looking at me like I kicked your pup
py. Did I do something wrong?” he asked lightly.

She giggled, feeling foolish.
“No, but your breakfast doesn’t sound very appetizing.”

He licked his lips.
“Oh? And what is it you ordered?”

A crooked grin lifted one corner of her mouth.
“Crispy bacon, eggs over medium, with dark wheat toast.”

He nodded.
“Hmm.”

“Hmm, what?”

“Hmm is all. I’m getting to know you.”

She couldn
’t help herself. “And what do you think so far?” He’d been studying her every move and seemed pleasantly surprised by every word.

“You’re enchanting, talented, smart and a little unpredictable. The way your drummer was acting, I thought you were with him. I’m guessing he was someone important in the past, but now
he’s a nuisance?”

Her smile fell.
“You are correct, but I’d rather not get into the past. However, I will say I haven’t been with him in a very long time, and will never be again.” She glanced away and closed her eyes.

“Fair enough,” his voice was gentle, thoughtful.

She looked back and noticed the tattoo on his forearm as he brought his cup to his full mouth. She studied the crest. A wolf on the top left, another on the bottom right. There was a moon in the top right, and a couple in a lover’s embrace in the lower left.

Roxy gave into temptation and ran her fingers over the symbol
.

She looked up into his
captivating gaze and nearly got lost there. “It’s amazing.”

His lips curved into a warm smile
. “Thank you. My clan created it long ago. It has a lot of meaning behind it, but it’s hard to explain.” He looked down at the pattern and brushed his fingers over hers before looking back at her. “The rest of the guys in the band have the same tattoo.”

“Really? Are you all family?”

“You could call them extended family. We grew up in the same town. It was a very tight knit community.”

She pushed her hair behind her ear.
“Why did you all move out to Seattle?”

He looked far away for a moment,
sadness creeping into his expression. “That’s a long story. Maybe after we get to know each other better, I’ll tell you.” He sighed and traced her fingers again, sending a warm tingling all the way to her toes. “Right now, I’m in a good mood and I don’t want to spoil that lovely smile of yours.”

Heat
warmed her cheeks again. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d blushed so much. He made her feel desired, something she wasn’t used to feeling. Wanted, yes, but not desired. Trevor seemed truly interested in what she had to say.

His eyes dropped back to where
she had pushed her sleeve up. He gently turned her arm to see the letters on her forearm. One dark brow arched. “‘Disaster?’ Why would you think that?”

She felt silly as she explained,
“When you read it the other way, it says ‘Beautiful’. That’s me, a beautiful disaster. I’ve always been told how talented and pretty I am, but in reality, my life is a mess.”

His fingers trailed down her arm to take her hand
in his. “We all have disasters to deal with. Once we get through them, we’re stronger for it,” he murmured.

His touch sent a burning shiver all the way to her core. For the first time
, in what seemed like forever, she desired a man. Not any man, only the one sitting before her, staring into her eyes as if he could see all the way to her soul.

Stupid, Rox. He could be the
world’s best actor, playing you like a fool. He has all the charisma in the world and could easily have any woman he wants. So what the hell makes you think he wants anything more than a little naked fun time?

She swallowed hard and pulled her gaze away.
“And sometimes you need to move on.” Roxy had learned the hard way that things weren’t generally what they seemed.

His smile drew her gaze
. He waited until he had her attention, and with a gentle tone, he told her, “I hope that’s not a reference to me. We’ve only just met, and I would love a chance to know you.”

“Not you.
” She sighed, drawing circles on the tabletop with her fingers. “Things I should have left behind years ago, but sometimes it’s hard to give up completely.” Her train of thought was depressing, and she wanted to think about anything else.

Jason brought their food before the conversation could go any further. Her nose wrinkled at the steak that would probably moo if it were attached to the cow. She quickly covered her initial reaction by shoving a piece of bacon in her mouth.

* * * *

Roxy pushed her plate away
before she sat back and gulped down the rest of her coffee. When she finally looked away from Trevor, she caught Jason’s sour expression as he nodded to the door where she saw Jordan stumbling toward her table.

Her stomach dropped out.
More often than not, he skipped out on their writing sessions because he couldn’t be bothered to wake up before noon. Now she was with a man she was actually interested in, and Jordan was hunting her down before eight in the morning.

She scrunched down in her seat, hoping he wouldn
’t notice her. Too late, Jordan made a beeline for her.

Jason
moved to the table in a valiant attempt to block Jordan.

Trevor pushed a couple twenties into his hand and said,
“Keep the rest. I think we’ll be going.” Trevor smiled pleasantly, but his posture was full of tension as he watched Jordan intently.

Jordan stepped up to the end of the table and glared down at her.
“What do we have here? Meeting up with this talentless loser? Were you with him all night?”

Rox
y took a deep breath and managed to brush off his accusation as she pushed past him and made her way to the door.

He
didn’t let her go so easily. Catching her wrist, Jordan spun her around.

“Hey,
” Jordan glowered, “you can’t ignore me, Rox. You’re supposed to meet me at twelve for a writing session.”

Her laugh was bitter as she jerked her
arm away. “You’re one to talk.” She turned back toward the door and walked away from Jordan before she gave in to the urge to slap him.

She reached for the knob as
Jordan’s hands closed over her shoulders. She stopped, shaking her head.

Jordan snarled.
“You’re actually going to ditch me? Just bail on me? What happened to all of your lectures about showing up when I’m supposed to?”

Roxy refused to look back. Her tone was heated but controlled
. “Yeah, well you never do. Do you? And after what you said last night, I don’t have the patience to deal with your bullshit.”

His hand slithered across her stomach before he tried to pull her into his body. She threw his hand
off her and stepped away. “Sober up, Jordan. I can still smell the vodka. And remember, I’m not yours. I haven’t been in a very long time.”

Jordan stepped closer.
“I’ll see you in a couple hours.”

She glared over her shoulder.
“You don’t get it, do you? I’m not going to be there at noon, or any other time. I can’t deal with you today.”

She slipped out the door. It took all she had not to bolt, but Trevor caught up
. His big fingers gently threaded through hers.

Man, he really didn
’t know what he was getting into. She wondered how long before he would have enough of the drama in her life. Hell, she was nearly at her breaking point.

Trevor could sense her warring emotions. He wished he could take it all away. “Want to talk about it?” he asked softly.

“No. He’s the past, distant fucking past, but he doesn’t get it.” She stared straight ahead as she wiped the back of her
free hand across her face. “Maybe we should do this another time.”

“Are you planning to go to the session?”
He seriously hoped not, but he wouldn’t argue.

She stopped in her tracks and glared up at him with fire in her eyes.
“No. I’m done with Jordan and his bullshit. I just don’t want to drag you into all the drama. It never seems to end.”

He
moved closer, and gently caressed her face. “If you’re still up for it, I do want to go to Pick… I mean
Pike
Place Market.” He gave her his best innocent smile.

“Yeah,” she whispered, but her eyes were full of hope. Her voice was a little stronger. “
That sounds a hell of a lot better than me trying to write through my frustration.”

Trevor
wore a shy smile as he brushed his knuckles down her face, and neck. His hand turned so his fingertips traveled down her arm to her palm, until he recaptured her hand in his. He watched as her breath caught and a shiver went through her.

“Want to walk?”
he practically purred.

“Yeah. Sounds good.”

Together they started down the hill. She moved closer to Trevor as the tension slowly left her. He couldn’t help but wrap an arm around her, pulling her into his side. There were a thousand questions he wanted to ask, and a million things he wanted to tell her. But now was not the time. Not yet.

He looked over at her, but she
stared straight ahead, seemingly lost in thought. For the moment, he was content to let her be.

* * * *

Trevor’s warmth enveloped Roxy as he pulled her closer, chasing back the chill that had settled in. An army of butterflies took flight in her stomach, and she felt at home in his embrace.

Too good to be real. There has to be something seriously wrong with this guy.

He finally broke their easy silence, “So, what’s the market like?”

Roxy looked up at him to see his flirty little smirk. She nodded down the hill as they took the corner.
“See for yourself.”

The main entrance was a block below, full of vibrant energy
from the diverse crowd, and countless funky vendors. It was easy to lose herself and pretend she was someone else for a little while.

“Wow,” he whispered
in awe.

Grinning, she tugged his hand and pulled him toward the Flying Fish. She came to a stop
so they could watch the men throwing fish around as customers ordered.

Trevor stepped in behind her and wound his arms around her waist. Anyone else and she would have moved away, but she found herself sinking into his warmth as she leaned back into his hard chest.
He leaned his face against hers.

A
giant salmon flew inches in front of them and she gasped. He chuckled, his breath fanning across her cheek, his chest moving against her as he squeezed her tighter. She wanted to turn around and fall into his kiss.

“Come on
. Let’s walk.” Her request came out breathless. She pulled out of his arms, but took his hand to lead him through the upper level.

“Sounds good,” he
murmured as he closed the distance. She gravitated toward him, craving his touch.

Trevor v
eered them towards a stand full of colorful bouquets. His eyes swept over the display before meeting her hers. “What kind of flowers do you like?”

She shrugged.
“They’re all pretty, but I’m not really into cut flowers.” She’d rather see them growing naturally, than in a vase where they were destined to wilt and die.

He swept her hair behind her ear and traced her cheek with his thumb
, lighting a desire stronger than anything she had ever felt before. His dimple appeared as he studied her with a thoughtful smile.

Turning back to the
ancient vendor, peeking up from her wicker chair behind the display table, Trevor pointed to the exotic pale blue flowers. “Could I get one of those for this lovely lady?”

Blushing, Roxy ducked her head
.

“Of course.” The merchant handed him
a flower but wouldn’t take his money. “Consider it an old woman’s blessing for a young love.”

“Thank you.” Trevor gave her
one of his sweet smiles and the little woman nearly fainted. Roxy didn’t blame her. Between his charm, that accent, and his sweet smile, not to mention his striking looks, he was any woman’s fantasy.

Trevor turned back to her and closed the distance. He swept her hair back and put the flower behind her ear.
“It matches your eyes.”

The way he looked at her made her weak in the knees, and those gentle caresses were more erotic than
any touch she had ever received. At a loss for words, she stared back at him.

He dropped his gaze, color flooding his cheeks.
“Sorry. I couldn’t resist.”

“No, you’re fine. I just…” she sighed.
The thought was ridiculous, but she took a breath and uttered the words anyway. “I don’t think anyone has ever looked at me the way you do. Like you truly see me, all of me.”

He glanced back up, his eyes locking on hers.
“I don’t see how I can be the first. You’re all I’ve seen since I laid eyes on you last night.”

Her heart thumped in her chest at the sincerity in his words
. She melted even as doubt floated around the edges.

Roxy
couldn’t resist a smile. “I know the feeling. You’ve been on my mind too.”

His smile brightened.
“We should probably walk,” he murmured.

* * * *

They walked the loop through the upper level several times, but Trevor had a hard time focusing on the merchants and their various wares as Roxy captivated all of his attention He was already searching for the right way to share his secrets with her.

She stopped in her tracks and looked around with a nervous giggle.
“Is it me, or are we too engrossed in each other to actually pay attention to anything else?”

He gave her a crooked grin
. “Oh no, it’s not just you. Maybe we can find some place quiet?”

“Mmm, good idea.” She pulled him down a set of stairs and brought him out to a balcony next to a playground
. From the rail, you could see the street below, with the waterfront a little further down.

The rain kept most of the tourists inside, so it was quiet for the moment.
She walked to the railing to stare off toward the Puget Sound. “I love it here. I don’t know why.”

He leaned
next to Roxy, and watched her. “I don’t know why either, but I’m falling in love with Seattle,” he admitted, though a large part of that had everything to do with Roxy. Until last night, it was just another city at the end of a long list of places he’d lived.

Never in his life had he ever fel
t a pull so strong. He craved her company, and so much more. Roxy lit a desire deep in his soul, and he was terrified of what it meant. He knew he would shatter into a million pieces if she couldn’t accept what he was, if she shunned his beast.

She finally looked up at him
, and once again he was struck by her unusual eyes that drew him in and bound him to her. Her head tilted to the side, her dark hair falling loose. “What?” she whispered.

He heard footsteps coming
down the steps, and caught Joey’s scent. “Shit, I think Joey found me.” He stepped away from the rail, and turned toward the upper level.

Her brows drew together.
“What? Who?” Her nose scrunched in the most adorable way as she followed his gaze.

Trevor nodded toward the giant of a man who came bounding
down the stairs.

Her eyes widened
as she looked up—way up at Joey, who was solid muscle. He grinned at her, his dark eyes twinkling.

“Who’s your new friend, Trevor?” He hadn’t lost a bit of his deep Irish accent.

She still looked confused which fueled a confident smile on Trevor’s face. “Roxana Nights, this is Joseph Mullins, but we all call him Joey. He’s our drummer.”

“Oh, right.”
A sheepish smile pulled at her lips. “You guys were amazing last night.”

Joey
gave her a wink with a slight bow. He arched a single brow at Trevor when he straightened. “Found what you were looking for?” He turned back to Roxy and eyed her from head to toe. “I almost didn’t recognize you without the hot little outfit and make-up.”

Trevor narrowed his eyes at Joey.

She laughed, drawing Trevor’s attention. “Thanks. I think.” Looking to Trevor, she swept her hair behind her ear.

Joey slapped Trevor on the back.
“I think Trevor’s enthralled. He couldn’t peel his eyes from you last night, and you seem to be missing the death-glares he’s shooting me now.” Joey ducked away.

Tempting as it was, he wasn
’t going to start fighting with Joey in front of her. Not until he had a chance to explain who and what he was. Instead, he took a breath and shook his head. “Don’t listen to him.”

Amused,
Roxy smiled up at Trevor and he had to rein himself in before he pulled her into his embrace and claimed her mouth, or worse, stripped her bare to bury himself in her lush body.

“Might want to be careful. Lover-boy here is already obsessed with you,” Joey teased.

Her brow creased as she tossed him a glance. “Why do you say that?”

“We couldn’t get him to leave until you were off the stage, and then we still had to drag him out of the club. It was hours before he finally shut up about you. No offense, but it got old after an hour of non-stop chatter. Don’t worry
though, you’ve turned him into a puppy-dog.”

Trevor threaded his fingers through hers
, and she brought her gaze back to his.

“He’s right
,” Trevor admitted, hoping he didn’t sound like a stalker. “You’ve captured my interest. I believe I mentioned that.” He winked.

She nibbled her bottom lip. He
could hear her heart racing as she took a shuddering breath. “As you’ve caught mine,” she finally acknowledged.

That shot straight to his heart. He wanted to send Joey away
and keep her all to himself. His beast was prowling, ready to fight for her, even though Trevor knew Joey wasn’t interested, no matter how he might tease.

* * * *

Holy shit, the way he looks at me…
She didn’t know what to say. Her mouth was dry, and she ached for his touch.

Roxy glanced away, regretting the path her mind took.

Joey laughed out loud. “Don’t worry, Roxy. Trevor is the nicest guy around. In fact, he’s a perfect gentleman.” Her gaze snapped up and he waggled his brows. “Now, if you ever find yourself in need of a bad boy…” he pointed to himself with a wicked leer.

She snorted.
“I’m done with bad boys. Trevor seems to be exactly what I’m looking for.” Her eyes rounded as she realized what she openly admitted.

Trevor chimed in triumphantly,
“Ha. See, not all women want the bad boy.”

“Fine. Fine. Spoi
l all my fun,” he let out a put-upon sigh. “I’m meeting Sorcha. She should be here any time now.”

Did Trevor know about Pike Place? Most likely. Everyone knows about Pike Place
. She didn’t mind the deception even though she knew she should. It was a good excuse to spend a day with a total stranger, and he had definitely brightened her mood, even if her ex had tried to wreck it.

“Sorcha?”
Roxy asked. Trevor had mentioned her earlier, and she couldn’t help wondering about her.

“Aye, she’s my girl,”
Joey smiled, shoving his big hands in his pockets as he rocked back on his heels. “She thought you were amazing.”

“Nights Embrace was amazing.”
The feminine Irish accent drew Roxy’s attention. Black eyeliner rimmed bright blue sparkling eyes, her lips were painted crimson to match her chin length hair. The punker chic look might have seemed out of place on anyone else, but Sorcha had the attitude to pull it off.

She walked straight to Joey who put his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close.

Joey chuckled. “So you say.”

Sorcha
grinned up at her man. “You were out there shaking your ass to every song Nights Embrace played.”

A smirk twisted Roxy’s lips.
“Hey, I’m Roxy. I take it you keep him in line?” She nodded up at the giant wall of man. Joey’s default expression seemed to be a wicked grin.