Page 2 of How Good It Was (Excess All Areas 3)

Ben looked over at Luke and mouthed what the fuck.

“Want to bet his daughter’s success is the first thing he mentions to anyone he meets,” Luke whispered to Cerys.

Cerys glanced over her shoulder. “I thought exactly the same thing. It might be judgemental of me to assume he’s probably never achieved anything in his life beyond being Willow’s sperm donor.”

“Cerys,” Jimmy warned, but Luke grinned. He’d thought the exact same thing.

Darrin approached a woman, maybe early twenties. She had the hair he always associated with California. His sister had called it something strange. Bronde. Brunette and blonde at the same time. It was pulled back off her face and she swayed to the music playing, obviously recording herself on her phone.

Great rack and tiny waist highlighted by a cropped black T-shirt and jeans that sat low on her hips. Hips that you could get a hold of.

Fuck.

“Did her dad just knock her arm down?” Luke asked over Cerys’s shoulder. He’d seen Willow’s wince mar what was otherwise a pretty face.

Cerys scowled. “If I’m being generous, I might say he was encouraging her to stop filming, but it did look like that.”

“What a dick. Dad always used to say that to judge a man, you should watch how he treats a woman,” Luke said.

“Your dad sounds like he was a wise man.”

“Yeah, he was.” Andrew Bryson had been a hero. A supportive husband, a loving father, and a firefighter who stayed too long in a warehouse fire and never come out.

Darrin approached them. “Willow, this is Sad Fridays. Can you believe your breakup video ended with them coming to record their album here? What we were able to do for them? Would you guys be up for filming some content for Shamaze?”

While Darrin gloated, Luke caught Willow rolling her eyes.

Jase put his hands up. “Sorry, mate. Happy to take a picture but the whole dance choreography storytelling thing is your territory, not ours.”

Luke nodded. “We’ve got rhythm, but not necessarily moves.” Plus, while he’d definitely help Willow, he didn’t want to do one thing to help the slimy bastard who was living vicariously through his daughter’s success.

“I’m sure I could teach you.”

Willow tipped her head to one side and smiled at Luke. The kind of smile that said a lot more than hello. It held promise, one he couldn’t help but respond to. “I might just let you.”

“We could do photographs,” Jase suggested.

“That would work. I’m Willow. It’s great to meet you all.”

Luke watched as Jase introduced everyone. Willow nodded and smiled, but occasionally glanced his way, as if waiting for the moment they would be officially introduced.

Perhaps tonight would turn out okay after all. Because he loved fucking almost as much as drumming.

“This is Luke, our drummer,” Jase said as Luke reached for her hand. It was soft, her nails short and painted a pale pink. Deliberately, he rubbed his thumb over her skin.

“Pleasure,” he said, sliding his fingers along hers as he let go.

Doe eyes glanced up at him through long lashes. Hazel flashed with gold.

Damn.

“It’s nice to meet you. I was hoping to meet you during the day. I’m a total early bird,” Willow said.

Cerys looked at him carefully before turning her attention back to Willow. “Bands are very often night owls. We came straight from the studio.”

“I’m probably the only one in the room who’s an early bird. Without the opportunity to meet with you, I would have snuck to bed with a good book hours ago.”

He liked the idea of her in bed—only with him, instead of a book. Perhaps it was all the stimulants coursing through him, but the image of the two of them in bed played in time-lapse. Bed. Shower. Against the wall. Yeah, fuck, he was horny, high, and morally bankrupt. “You’re doing partying wrong. Come hang out with us one night. We’ll show you how it’s done in England.”

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