Page 70 of Take My Hand

Me working downstairs in my makeshift photography studio, him playing music in his home studio and working on projects he can do like sanding down and repainting all the kitchen cabinets. We take breaks to eat, have sex, and talk. For hours and hours on end. I’ve never met someone who I can sit with day after day and not run out of things to say.

We talk about music, our favorite bands and he promises to take me to see some of them once his schedule is done. He tells me about his parents, and their never-ending patience for the trouble he and his brothers gave them growing up.

I tell him about my dad and growing up on construction sites. How hard he tried to play the role of both mom and dad for me and how one day, all I want to do is to be able to take care of him the same way he did for me.

We’ve fallen into a rhythm together, and it’s the most comforting thing I’ve ever experienced. So that’s why it took me by surprise when he didn’t immediately seem to like the idea of us going public with our relationship.

But once I talked myself off the ledge and he explained his hesitation, I understood where he was coming from.

The last of the girlfriend to be introduced to the public was Scar, and damn, did people online dig some shit up from her past and throw it in her face. Granted, she was garnering attention on her own as her music career rose while on tour with the band. But still, Hayden saw firsthand how much that hurt both Walker and Scar, and I did too. I was right there with Scar, watching her learn to navigate her newfound fame and the ugliness that came with it.

So I understand that he’s doing it more to protect me. He hasn’t had any very serious girlfriends in the past that he’s had to navigate the attention with before, and he doesn’t want to put me in a spot that I don’t want to be. And knowing that photos were for sure going to be taken tonight and published tomorrow, our relationship won’t just be for the two of us anymore.

But if he thought that would scare me away, he was wrong. I know exactly who I’ve been falling for and what a relationship with him means. His job puts his life out there for public scrutiny, and therefore, will also put me and our relationship out there on the same scale.

It’s nerve wracking, but with him by my side and holding my hand, it’s worth it.

“Welcome to Inferno.” The club owner’s voice is barely audible over the heavy beat of the dance song reverberating throughout the dark area as we step inside. White strobe lights flash across the crowd dancing in the middle of the floor, making them appear as if they’re moving in slow motion. Bodies grind and writhe as one, filling the space with energy and electricity.

Nikolai and Walker greet the owner and we all fall into step behind him as he leads us over to a roped off area with two bouncers manning the entrance. They step aside for us to pass and I shoot an excited grin at Hayden.

“I’ve never been to the VIP section of a club before,” I yell excitedly into Hayden’s ear. He cranes his head to look at me as we continue walking through the space to our section and gives me a crooked smile.

“What?” I ask.

“Nothing.” He shrugs. “I just like seeing you excited. Makes it all feel new again.” His hand releases mine, and he winds an arm around my waist, fingers digging into my hip. We stop in front of a circular booth covered in dark leather and a crystal table with low legs in the center of it. The lighting is dim over here, the space relying on the flashing strobes to illuminate the way enough to at least see where you can set your drink or have a seat.

But not many people in the area are sitting down at their similar sections. People are mingling, dancing, yelling in each other’s ears to be heard over the loud music. The crowd is a mixed blend of men in expensive suits and women in even more expensive dresses, and then a more casual crowd like ourselves.

The guys are all dressed in similar items to what I’ve seen them wear onstage, except Walker. His shirt actually has sleeves on it for once.

But Hayden…you’d think I would’ve never seen him in a black button up and dark pants before. We almost didn’t make it out of the door when he came to pick me up with his sleeves rolled partway up his arms, showing off the ink below them that I adore so much and pants that cling the lean muscle of his thighs and ass like they were tailor made for him. And hell, they probably are.

His hair is mostly pushed back from his face tonight with just a few rogue strands hanging down delicately across his forehead. I reach up and brush one of the strands aside, causing his eyes to dart to my own. His stare burns me up inside, making me want to do dirty, dirty things to him.

And by the way he brings my body flush to his own and presses his hardening cock into my stomach, he can tell exactly where my mind is wandering.

“This dress,” he groans, fingers reaching down and toying with the hem of the flimsy material. “I’d rip it off with my teeth if it wouldn’t mean that every other man in this club would be able to see what’s mine.”

My thighs clench at his words and nipples strain. I’d bought this dress with him in mind, knowing it would drive him wild. It’s a red so dark it’s almost black. The same color as his favorite bass. It dips down low not only in the front, but also the back. Although the material is flowy, so it doesn’t make it as scandalous as it could be.

“If Arun wouldn’t hunt me down and drag me by the ear to get me here tonight, I would already have you tied to my bed, balls deep in you by now.”

“Hayden,” I whimper. “You can’t say shit like that to me when you can’t do anything about it.”

He smirks at me and it about melts the panties clean off my body. A small tap against my ass and then he pulls away, allowing air to enter my lungs once again.

A waitress comes over with a bottle and line of shot glasses. Nikolai helps pass them out and the five of us raise them in cheers.

For an outsider, they would look at us and think everyone is having fun, ready to celebrate and kick the night off right. Everyone is smiling, downing the shot with ease and clapping each other on the back and making moves to get out onto the dancefloor.

But I know these guys better than that. I see the strain around Hayden’s mouth as his eyes rapidly scan the crowd, the two bodyguards brought with not enough to settle his unease. I see the way Walker and Reid always have someone in between them, as if standing next to each other is even too much these days. The cracks are there if you know where to look for them.

Tonight though, I’m determined to get Hayden to let loose and have a little fun. As annoyed as I was that he didn’t want to make his birthday a big deal, I’m still going to make sure he enjoys himself.

“One more drink and then do you wanna dance with me?” I ask.

He nods and quickly gets us each another shot. The vodka is cold as it overflows onto my hand as we clink the glasses before downing the liquid fire. My nose wrinkles at the burn as it courses down the length of my throat and settles into my stomach. But I relish in the warmth it spreads throughout my gut and the looseness it gives my body.

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