Love and Lyrics (The Wild Diamonds) Read online

  I smiled, thankful to have such wonderful friends.

  “Oh my God! Look who just walked in!” Ella said, grimacing. “It’s Eli Hudson!”

  “Look out, Jaz,” Jesse teased. “He might snub you again.”

  I cringed. Eli Hudson was my idol when I was a teen. I had posters of him all over my bedroom wall. I was convinced I would marry him. So when I bumped into him backstage at our first music awards show two years before, I practically drooled all over him. I managed to string a few words together and introduce myself, but while I was in the middle of telling him how much his music had inspired me to write my own songs, he rolled his eyes and said: “Whatever.” He proceeded to walk away, muttering “Friggin’ one hit wonders,” under his breath, which reeked of bourbon. I was shattered.

  We had crossed paths at a few events since then, ignoring each other every time. I felt like such a fool for thinking he would be different to all the other people I’d met since we made it big, that he would be unaffected by the Hollywood glitz and glam. That was when I decided to stay as far away from L.A as possible.

  “Just ignore him,” I said, wanting to change the topic. “C’mon, Kells, it’s your birthday! Let’s dance!” I grabbed her hand and started pulling her out of the booth and onto the dance floor, with Ella right behind us.

  “Hang on,” Kelly yelled over the music. “I want a drink first!”

  “I’ll get it,” I offered. “You guys go have fun!”

  I pushed my way through the crowd, found a stool at the bar and took a seat, waiting for the bartender.

  Chapter Four

  ELI

  “Thirty minutes and I’m outta here,” I said to Matt as we made our way through the crowd. I’d been growing tired of the L.A nightlife, and with the big 3-0 coming up, the underage teen pop-stars that used the Starlight Club as their stomping ground made me feel old as hell.

  “Fine, fine. Kill my buzz, why don’t you?” Matt rolled his eyes. “Just let me say Happy Birthday to Kelly and we’ll go.”

  “I’ll be at the bar,” I called as he disappeared onto the dance floor.

  Turning towards the bar, I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw Jaz Malone seated on a stool in front of me. The memory of our first encounter flashed into my mind, and for a moment I thought about leaving. I had always been too ashamed to speak to her after that night, when bitterness and bourbon turned me into a complete asshole. The pained look on her face after I so rudely insulted her backstage had haunted me ever since, and it was that look of disappointment that made me quit drinking the very next day. I’d wanted to apologize for so long, but I always chickened out. Not this time.

  I stood next to her at the bar and took a deep breath.

  “Jaz?” I asked, hoping she wouldn’t slap me in the face.

  She turned to look at me, and her expression said it all. It wasn’t hurt and disappointment I saw this time, it was pure hatred. She turned away again, trying to get the bartender’s attention.

  “Ok, I deserved that,” I said, leaning closer so she could hear me. “I get it, I was a dick. I was having the worst day of my life and I took it out on you. I don’t remember exactly what I said, but I know it wasn’t cool. So, I’ll leave you alone, but I just wanted to come over and say I’m sorry. Have a good night.”

  As I turned to leave, I heard her say something that sounded like “One hit wonder.”

  “What?” I asked, confused. I knew I wasn’t the best singer-songwriter around, but with a decade long music career, six hit albums and a plethora of awards, I was far from a one hit wonder.

  “That’s what you called me and the Wild Diamonds. One hit wonders. That was, of course, after you treated me like something you dug out of your ear.”

  “Oh.” I felt terrible all over again. “I really am sorry. I didn’t mean it, and of course I know you’re not a one hit wonder. You’ve proved that again and again. Is there any way I can make it up to you?”

  “Sure, you can buy us some drinks. Apparently I’m invisible to the bartender tonight.”

  “Done,” I said, relieved to finally be putting our little feud behind us. “What are you drinking?”

  “Three beers for the others, I’ll just have a coke.”

  “You’re not drinking?” I asked as I waved down the bartender and ordered their drinks, and another coke for myself.

  “Nope, not tonight. Not for a while actually,” she said proudly.

  “But what will the papers write about tomorrow?” I said.

  Her eyes flashed with some of that hatred I saw only minutes earlier, and I immediately regretted my bad joke.

  “I’m sure they’ll have enough stories to spin about you. Which supermodel are you banging this week, by the way?”

  Her words were as sharp as her quick wit, and I couldn’t help but smile.

  “Contrary to popular belief, I don’t even know any supermodels,” I said as I took a swig of coke. And contrary to all the never-ending rumors about my love life, I hadn’t been with anyone since Melissa, my ex-wife.

  “You’re not drinking, either, I see,” she gestured to my glass.

  “Nope, been sober for just over two years now.”

  Her eyes widened in surprise. “Really? That’s awesome, congrats!” She raised her glass to mine in celebration and smiled a smile so beautiful I almost forgot to breathe.

  “Although,” she continued. “According to those pesky papers, you were on a three day bender in Vegas last week.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I was there for a friend’s bachelor party, didn’t touch a drop of booze. Hell, I had a bottle of water in my hand practically the entire time, but that’s not interesting enough for them.”

  She nodded sympathetically.

  “But what about you? Didn’t I see a headline saying something about you going vibrator shopping in a downtown L.A sex store?”

  “Actually, that one happened to be true.” She flashed a cheeky grin and my jaw dropped in surprise. “I was buying it for Kells, it’s her birthday and I know she would never dare pass the threshold of an adult store, so I thought it would be a hilarious gift for her.”

  “Did she like it?”

  “Well, she acted like she was horrified, but I bet she can’t wait to give it a try. I know I couldn’t wait to play with my first vibrator.”

  The devious look in her eyes coupled with the image of her pleasuring herself made me go rock hard instantly.

  “You really are the trouble maker the tabloids say you are, are’t you?” I was surprised to find myself flirting with her.

  “Well, sometimes. Some of what’s in the media about me has been true. But I’m changing my ways. That’s why I’m ditching the booze, among other things. It’s just not healthy to be such a rebel, ya know?”

  I knew, better than most. I hardly even remembered my early twenties, I’d just started out and I got carried away with all the fame and fortune.

  “You’re very smart, Jaz. It took me a long time to realize that.” It took getting my heart broken, too. “All that matters is you’re doing what you love and you’re happy with who you are.”

  “I’ll cheers to that!”

  As our glasses touched, I realized this had been one of the nicest conversations I’d had in a long time. It was free from self-promotion, name-dropping and ass-kissing. It was real. She was real, completely unafraid to be herself. I wanted to know more about her.

  “So, what else are you giving up?” I asked. Her cheeky smile returned and I’d wondered what I’d gotten myself into.

  “Fucking.”

  My eyes widened and I spat my coke out all over the bar in shock. Here I was thinking she was going to say sugar or gluten, something that everyone else is giving up these days, but I should’ve known by now that Jaz Malone is not like everyone else.

  “Excuse me?” I asked, her grin unwavering.

  “You heard me. No more sex. One night stands, specifically.”

  “For how long?” I’d never met a
nyone who was on a self-imposed dry-spell before. I wished I’d thought of it. It would, at least, give me a good excuse for being high and dry for the past two years.

  “I don’t know,” she shrugged. “Until I feel ready again. And until I’m excited by the idea of it again.”

  “Sex doesn’t excite you anymore?” I said, wondering if I was prying too much. I hardly even knew this woman, and here we were discussing the details of her sex life. But something told me she was the kind of girl you could talk to about anything. I liked that.

  “Not really. All the sex I’ve had lately has been completely passionless. Nothin’ but lust. I mean, it was awesome for a while, but I want something more than that now. So until I find what I’m looking for, I’m keeping my legs crossed.”

  She laughed, and I was mesmerized by her.

  I started to feel something I hadn’t felt in years. I wanted to be what she was looking for. I wanted to be the one who brought passion and excitement back into her life.

  “Jaz, what the hell?” a voice said from behind me. I turned and recognized the lead singer of the Wild Diamonds, Kelly, with the other members of the band, Ella and Jesse right behind her. All of them were eyeing me suspiciously. Clearly, they had heard about my past drunken insults towards their friend.

  “We’ve been dancing our butts off out there, are you coming or what?” Ella asked, motioning to the dance floor.

  “Oh, beer!” Jesse said as he reached over to grab the bottles off the bar.

  “Sorry, guys. Took ages to get the drinks. I’ll be right there,” Jaz said apologetically.

  Ella and Jesse went back to the dance floor, but Kelly stepped closer to Jaz, a worried expression on her face.

  “Is everything okay?” she asked.

  “Yep, everything’s awesome,” Jaz assured her. “Go have fun.”

  Kelly took one last look at me before turning on her heels and walking away.

  “Sorry about that,” Jaz said. “I’ll be sure to tell them that you’re not such an asshole after all. Thanks for the drinks.” She slid off the bar stool and started walking away, and I knew I had to make my move.

  “Wait,” I said as I followed her. She turned to face me, our bodies only inches away from each other. “Would you like to have dinner with me sometime?”

  She stared at me, uncertain for a moment. “Okay, sure. I’d love that.”

  “Great!” I said, trying to hide my delight. “How long are you in town for?”

  “I’ve got the next two days off from the tour, but we’re doing shows all next week. And after that I’m heading back to New York.”

  “Oh, well how about tomorrow night? Pick you up at eight o’clock?”

  “Sounds great. I’m at the Beverly Hotel. Room 612.”

  “Great, see you then!” I called as she began moving through the maze of people to get to the dance floor. She turned and flashed me an amazing smile that lit up the room. I couldn’t take my eyes off her, and I watched as she walked away.

  “I can’t believe I just asked her out,” I said to myself. I’d always thought she was beautiful, with her bright green eyes, long dark lashes and jet black hair chopped into a pixie cut. And her body, jeez. With her sexy curves and legs that went for miles, she had it all. But even with all that, I never thought I would ask her out. I’d told myself I would steer clear of the party girls after what happened with Melissa. They were nothing but trouble. But after talking to Jaz, even briefly, I saw so much more than a party girl, so much more than the Wild Diamonds bad girl that people always heard about.

  “Asked who out?” Matt appeared next to me, searching the club for whoever I was looking at.

  “Jaz.”

  “Jaz? Jaz Malone? Are you kidding me?”

  “Nope.”

  “Woah! You haven’t dated in two years and the first girl you choose is her? You’re in way over your head, Eli. Haven’t you heard the rumors? She’s a man-eater!”

  “I can handle it,” I said, still watching her. She was dancing now, and the sexy sway of her hips had me hypnotized.

  Matt followed my gaze out onto the dance floor and he burst into laughter when he saw who I was looking at. “Oh, man, you’re already gone!” He slapped my back. “It was nice knowin’ you, buddy. C’mon let’s get outta here.”

  As we made our way out of the club and onto the street, I could hardly wait to see her again. Tomorrow night couldn’t come soon enough.

  Chapter Five

  JAZ

  I spent the rest of the night on a high. For once, my buzz hadn’t come from downing too many cocktails, and it felt great. By the time we went back to the hotel and my head hit the pillow, any anger or resentment I’d felt for Eli Hudson was gone, and the old fantasies came flooding back.

  In my sleep, my subconscious ran wild with images of him, but one dream I had was particularly delicious.

  We were sitting at the bar of the Starlight club again, and he gazed at me with desire in his eyes.

  “I want you. Now,” he demanded, and before I could say anything, he had grabbed my hand and was whisking me through the crowd. In seconds we were out on the street, but it didn’t look like it normally did. There was no red velvet rope, no long line of people waiting to get into the club, not even a single camera flash going off. It was just us.

  He looked at me and smiled, his soft lips just begging to be kissed.

  As though he knew what I was thinking, he leaned in. The moment our lips touched, excitement lit my cells on fire. He tasted so good, just as I had always imagined he would.

  Our lips parted and he pulled me around the corner and into a limousine.

  “Drive,” he said to the driver before locking the doors and pushing the button to make the privacy screen go up.

  We faced each other as we sat secluded in the back of the limo, the heat between us palpable. I felt as though I would burst into flames at any moment if he didn’t kiss me again, touch me, make love to me.

  Slowly, he leaned in and began to kiss me with more passion than I’d ever felt in my life. I moved a hand through his thick, wavy hair, holding him closer to me.

  I felt his hands glide over my shoulders and down my back, tugging at the zip of my dress and pulling it down ever-so-slowly.

  My hands slid down to his chest and began unbuttoning his shirt, before slipping underneath it to feel his firm, toned chest.

  My breath picked up speed as my dress fell down below my shoulders, revealing my bare breasts to him.

  “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered as his fingers danced over my erect nipples, causing me to moan in delight.

  His lips moved to my neck, and I dipped my head back to give him full access to my skin, which was rising in temperature by the second.. He leaned in closer, easing me onto my back along the smooth leather seat. My body surged with anticipation as he gently pulled my dress down around my waist, passed my legs and dropped it onto the floor.

  He continued undressing me, removing my panties and heels with so much care, as though I was delicate and could shatter at any moment. He kneeled at my feet, taking in the full view of me.

  Suddenly, he was spreading my legs apart and diving towards my sex. I gasped as his tongue caressed my clitoris, taking me by surprise. I closed my eyes as he devoured me, the warmth of his tongue sending shivers down my spine. I couldn’t withhold my ecstasy any longer.

  “Ohhh, Eli!” I called as I my body trembled in pleasure. His lips brushed against my own as he sucked my orgasm into his mouth.

  Before I had a chance to catch my breath, he was ripping his clothes off, and I admired his toned, hard body as he climbed on top of me.

  He kissed me as though he needed my lips for him to survive, making me want him more and more with every second.

  My breath caught in my chest as he slid into me, every inch as glorious as the next.

  “Yes,” I whispered, kissing his neck, and he thrusted into me again.

  My moans turned into screams of bliss
as he quickened his pace, our passionate love-making causing the limo to rock back and forth on the road.

  Delectable tingles radiated throughout my entire body as one final thrust sent us both over the edge together.

  My orgasm passed through the veil of my subconscious and into reality, waking me up in a fit of pleasure and surprise.

  After I’d composed myself, I noticed that the sun had risen. Eli Hudson and his beautiful body had been in my dreams all night long, and now I felt the most relaxed I had felt in months.

  I couldn’t help but wonder what a real night with Eli Hudson could do.

  * * *

  “I can’t believe you’re going on a date with Eli Hudson!” Kelly screamed into the phone, causing me to move it away from my ear for a moment.

  “Relax, Kelly! You’re making me nervous.”

  “You? Nervous? As if! I’ve never seen you nervous before, even before our first sold out show you were as cool as a cucumber.”

  “I know, but this is Eli Hudson, remember? I used to kiss his poster goodnight all through high school.”

  “And now you’ll be kissing the real deal!” she squealed, and I was tempted to hang up the phone. She was supposed to be giving me a pre-date pep talk, not making me more anxious than I already was.

  “C’mon, Kelly. I’ve learned by now that Hollywood superstars are never what they appear to be. Trent taught me that. So I’m really trying not to expect anything tonight. We’ll just have dinner, talk about music over non-alcoholic beverages and go home.”

  “Mmmhhhmmm.” Even through the phone, I could tell she was stifling more squeals of excitement.

  A knock at the door jump-started my heart.

  “Was that a knock?” Kelly whispered.

  “Gotta go,” I said, her piercing screams echoing through the receiver before I hung up.

  I walked into the entryway of my suite and took one last look at myself in the full-length mirror on the wall. After quickly adjusting my blood red strapless mini dress, I gave myself a smile and wink for an extra boost of encouragement before opening the door.