Read Only in Time (A Mystique Antiques Novella) for Free Online Page A

butt. He had definitely passed his limit.
    Gazing back at the centers of attention, he played some riffs, hoping to gain a glance. Mainly from the brunette. Might as well have some fun while he was here. God knows Theo would get a kick out of it.
    Jonah couldn’t quit staring at the two beauties. He remembered two other girls who could dance like that. How they used to tease all the guys at their school dances, capturing their undivided attention. Including his.
    But these girls…they couldn’t be one and the same. Not after the one left him years ago, broken hearted, taking with her his last chance of happiness. His last chance to tell her how he felt. Yet the more he watched these girls shake their hips, the more he wondered about the possibility.
    No. It couldn’t be. It was this town. All the memories it contained. Granted, there had been good ones, but the last few months that he lived here…those memories outweighed the good.
    Pushing the thoughts from his mind, he stared at the women, wondering if they were the type to approach the band after the show. While he hadn’t planned on sampling any of the local flavors , the more the dark haired honey shook her hips, the more he reconsidered.
    She hadn’t paid anyone a worthwhile amount of attention, but one of the fellow onlookers had a gleam in his eye. Like he stood a chance. Jonah didn’t like it. He couldn’t explain why he felt a pull toward the woman below, but he knew that whatever the man had on his mind wasn’t good. Not if Jonah wanted a chance to talk to her. He couldn’t compete with a guy whose biceps doubled his.
    Why did any of this matter? He wasn’t interested in—
    A set of dark eyes fell on the stage. Beautiful eyes that caused something in his chest to snap. When he noticed her looking at Theo, a twinge of jealousy filled him. Of course his little brother would get her attention. Not many women could resist his ice blue eyes or his jet-black locks. It didn’t matter if Jonah’s hair was identical. Theo had the looks and the charisma. This woman probably came to see him in the first place.
    Her eyes shifted again, to Jesse and his bass. They lingered a moment before moving to Allen, who had zoned into his drums so much, he didn’t know anyone existed.
    Then her eyes were on him.
    His next breath caught in his chest. It burned with all the intensity the fire in her eyes held. The look she gave him pulled at his mind, nagging it with some instance of recognition. Until she glanced away.
    Hiding behind the rim of her glass, she took a sip, averting her gaze. The sip turned into a gulp. And then another. Every time he thought she’d meet his eyes, the cocktail glass prevented it. He didn’t understand why he needed her to look at him, or why a surge of happiness washed over him when the glass emptied.
    Her eyes still hadn’t met his. He had to change that. The need for her to stare at him overcame him. As did the urge to jump off stage and rush to her side. And just when he thought he couldn’t wait a second longer, he had her attention again.
    He slid his fingers over the fretboard, taking the rhythm to a funkier beat. She seemed to like it. The way her lips hinted at a smile was all the proof he needed. She pressed her back against her friend’s, dipping lower.
    The riffs he gave her had her body grooving that much faster. God, she had some moves. Each shimmy and shake increased his need to play faster. And he did.
    Telling himself to close his mouth, he took a step in front of the amp. His body heated at the thought of seeing her dance in private. Just how low could she go? He’d love to find out. No girl had affected him like this since…
    Shit!
    It couldn’t be her. No way possible. She was somewhere up north, living out her dreams the last he’d heard. This woman in front of him—she had to be a look-alike.
    He shut his eyes, losing himself in the music, wishing like hell he could forget about her and focus on the beauty in