Read Songbird for Free Online Page B
Authors: Victoria Escobar
I couldn’t stop myself
from quivering.
“Thank you.” I gave up the fight on breathy.
I could barely breathe, so breathy was okay. “You need to hold more
of your weight I can’t breathe.”
“It’s not me.” His nose rubbed the side of my
face and I felt his mouth drifting across my jaw. The hand that
wasn’t on my hip was traveling up my side and flirting dangerously
with the side of my breast. Thank God my gun was on the other
side.
I turned my head as his lips reached my mouth
so he only brushed over my cheek. I called as loudly as I dared
without upsetting Nicholas. “Shamus.”
When I got no response, I fisted a hand and
tapped it against the wall. “Shamus.”
I don’t know what he saw when he stood at the
bottom of the stairs but he came up them three at a time. “Hey,
Nick, let’s give Miss Bianca some air.”
Shamus took most of Nicholas’s semiconscious
weight and studied me as I brushed hands down my skirt. “You
okay?”
I nodded without looking at him. “Knocked the
wind out of me mostly. Let’s get him in the car. The guys can help
cart his ass onto the tour bus.”
Shamus nodded and helped Nicholas down the
stair with me behind them. I ignored my shaking legs and tight
stomach. Nicholas was drunk and out of it—he wasn’t interested in
me as a person.
I was a little shaken by the experience. I
wasn’t cheap. At least what I told myself. I most certainly wasn’t
aroused. There was no reason for that kind of reaction. Was he good
looking? Yes. Was I interested in the philander? Absolutely
not.
I checked my watch, calculated, and figured
I’d be cutting it close to get us back to the buses on time. I
followed Shamus and Nicholas down the stairs and outside, using the
time to steady myself. After Shamus dumped Nicholas into the car, I
nodded to him and walked around to the driver’s side.
“Thanks so much. The… girl is in the
shower. Escort her out and make sure she doesn’t take anything
that’s not hers.”
“Not my first rodeo.” Shamus smiled. “Have
fun on tour.”
I gave him a thumbs up and climbed into my
car. I checked to make sure Nicholas’s seat belt was fastened
before pulling out of the drive. With rush hour so close the
highways were a no go and I had a schedule to keep.
I sped through the side streets of town as
fast as traffic would allow. I had been in Nashville long enough to
know some of the most obscure roads to get through town in a pinch.
Nicholas leaned against his door with his face pressed to the glass
and by all appearances seemed back asleep. My tires squealed around
the turn into the garage and the stop was less than gentle. Four
minutes to go. I tapped the horn lightly twice and hopped out.
“Come on, Walker. It’s time for bed.” I
unbuckled his seatbelt and hauled him out.
Three sets of very surprised eyes bulged at
me. I tossed the keys to Max. “Get his stuff out of the back and
grab my purse and phone.”
“You smell like mysteries and exotic places.”
Nicholas leaned heavier against me. I stumbled a little and was
grateful when Guy came to Nicholas’s other side to take some of his
weight.
“So tired,” the singer muttered.
“Bed’s on the bus. I promised, remember.”
We were forced to move one at a time onto the
bus. I went first in case he toppled forward and Guy came up behind
him. He staggered up the stairs a lot easier then he’d stumbled
down them at his house.
“Keeping promises is important.” He swayed
and I wrapped fingers around his wrists guiding him cautiously
forward through the bus.
“I never break a promise.” I told him as I
back stepped into his space.
When I pushed him down on the bed he
automatically pulled off his shirt and wriggled out of his pants
and boots as he climbed up to the pillows. I only shook my head and
pulled the covers over him as the now naked Nicholas settled into
deep sleep once more.
I closed the door as I stepped out and back
down to the lounge area. “Thank you.”
from quivering.
“Thank you.” I gave up the fight on breathy.
I could barely breathe, so breathy was okay. “You need to hold more
of your weight I can’t breathe.”
“It’s not me.” His nose rubbed the side of my
face and I felt his mouth drifting across my jaw. The hand that
wasn’t on my hip was traveling up my side and flirting dangerously
with the side of my breast. Thank God my gun was on the other
side.
I turned my head as his lips reached my mouth
so he only brushed over my cheek. I called as loudly as I dared
without upsetting Nicholas. “Shamus.”
When I got no response, I fisted a hand and
tapped it against the wall. “Shamus.”
I don’t know what he saw when he stood at the
bottom of the stairs but he came up them three at a time. “Hey,
Nick, let’s give Miss Bianca some air.”
Shamus took most of Nicholas’s semiconscious
weight and studied me as I brushed hands down my skirt. “You
okay?”
I nodded without looking at him. “Knocked the
wind out of me mostly. Let’s get him in the car. The guys can help
cart his ass onto the tour bus.”
Shamus nodded and helped Nicholas down the
stair with me behind them. I ignored my shaking legs and tight
stomach. Nicholas was drunk and out of it—he wasn’t interested in
me as a person.
I was a little shaken by the experience. I
wasn’t cheap. At least what I told myself. I most certainly wasn’t
aroused. There was no reason for that kind of reaction. Was he good
looking? Yes. Was I interested in the philander? Absolutely
not.
I checked my watch, calculated, and figured
I’d be cutting it close to get us back to the buses on time. I
followed Shamus and Nicholas down the stairs and outside, using the
time to steady myself. After Shamus dumped Nicholas into the car, I
nodded to him and walked around to the driver’s side.
“Thanks so much. The… girl is in the
shower. Escort her out and make sure she doesn’t take anything
that’s not hers.”
“Not my first rodeo.” Shamus smiled. “Have
fun on tour.”
I gave him a thumbs up and climbed into my
car. I checked to make sure Nicholas’s seat belt was fastened
before pulling out of the drive. With rush hour so close the
highways were a no go and I had a schedule to keep.
I sped through the side streets of town as
fast as traffic would allow. I had been in Nashville long enough to
know some of the most obscure roads to get through town in a pinch.
Nicholas leaned against his door with his face pressed to the glass
and by all appearances seemed back asleep. My tires squealed around
the turn into the garage and the stop was less than gentle. Four
minutes to go. I tapped the horn lightly twice and hopped out.
“Come on, Walker. It’s time for bed.” I
unbuckled his seatbelt and hauled him out.
Three sets of very surprised eyes bulged at
me. I tossed the keys to Max. “Get his stuff out of the back and
grab my purse and phone.”
“You smell like mysteries and exotic places.”
Nicholas leaned heavier against me. I stumbled a little and was
grateful when Guy came to Nicholas’s other side to take some of his
weight.
“So tired,” the singer muttered.
“Bed’s on the bus. I promised, remember.”
We were forced to move one at a time onto the
bus. I went first in case he toppled forward and Guy came up behind
him. He staggered up the stairs a lot easier then he’d stumbled
down them at his house.
“Keeping promises is important.” He swayed
and I wrapped fingers around his wrists guiding him cautiously
forward through the bus.
“I never break a promise.” I told him as I
back stepped into his space.
When I pushed him down on the bed he
automatically pulled off his shirt and wriggled out of his pants
and boots as he climbed up to the pillows. I only shook my head and
pulled the covers over him as the now naked Nicholas settled into
deep sleep once more.
I closed the door as I stepped out and back
down to the lounge area. “Thank you.”