Page 89 of Cherry Beats

“If ever you lose those standards, give me a call.”

“Go fuck yourself, Rhett,” Presley cut in.

Rhett laughed and broke eye contact, turning to make idle chat with Big D who was busy bouncing his knee and beating out a rhythm on his thighs with his huge hands.

Presley squeezed my hand tighter and let out a contented sigh. I liked it. I liked the sound of peace falling from his lips. I liked that I was the one who made him feel that way.

We eventually pulled up outside a club. They guys didn’t move for ages, and I could feel a frenzy building outside.

“Dicky’s gonna cut a cock or five off for this,” Coops declared.

“Let’s hope he has a sharp knife for my beast,” Rhett retorted.

Presley groaned, and Hawk threw his used chewing gum at Rhett’s head, causing a friendly commotion in the back.

“You ready?” Presley whispered against my ear. It immediately sent a shiver down my spine.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

His eyes were warm and filled with want, and I was the girl they were aimed at.

“Stay close,” was his only response.

I did.

When the doors flew open, and the cameras started flashing, I held on tight, my hand in his while my other hand gripped his wrist. The lights were blinding, and I squinted the entire way up a small pathway to the entrance of the club. It was only once we were inside, and I saw the white neon signs on the black billboards that read ‘VINYL!’ that I recognised the name of the infamous building we were in.

VINYL! was the music scene for the celebrities, but not just any old reality star. This was exclusive, and you had to have been invited by the management before to even think about getting a foot anywhere near the door. Only credible, established acts were welcome, and the fact that Presley and the guys had waltzed in like they owned the place said a lot about who they were in the music industry already.

I couldn’t even begin to imagine where they could be in ten years.

Cries of Presley’s and Rhett’s name echoed off of every wall as soon as people recognised who was among them. Management came to greet them, staff looked eager to please, and the Botox women, who looked undeniably gorgeous and perfectly put together, stood to attention at once. And there I was, little bartender girl, with her fucking Bryan Adams T-shirt on and her plaid shirt tied around her waist.

Small fish: Pretty gorgeous pond.

I let go of Presley’s hand and brushed my hair back with my hands, working it into a high, messy ponytail before I rearranged the strands of my fringe to look smoother. I ran my fingers under my eyes to get rid of any mascara that had bled, and I wondered if it would be trashy of me to head to the ladies’ toilets for the sole purpose of accosting a woman in there and asking to borrow her lipstick.

“What are you doing?” Presley frowned, looking down at me shuffling around, rearranging the T-shirt on my shoulders.

“I amwayunderdressed here, Presley,” I said so only he could hear, looking up at him through big, innocent eyes. I felt innocent in this world. Iwasinnocent.

“Says who?”

I scoffed and gestured wildly to the beautiful women around us.

That confident smile of his lifted one side of his mouth, and he moved to cup my cheek. I leaned into him without thought, melting from his warmth and the familiarity of his touch.

“Do you trust me?” he asked softly, his minty breaths intoxicating me—making me close my eyes for just a second to soak him in before I opened them again.

My response was a gentle nod.

“Then believe me when I tell you that I don’t want you to look like anyone else. They’re all the same. Except for you. You’re perfect to me. You’re beyond perfect exactly like this. I adore you because of the fact that you can walk into a place like this, wearing that…” He paused, gesturing sarcastically to my T-shirt before he stared back into my eyes. “And you somehow manage to knock the wind out of my fucking chest.”

My skin tingled with a need to take him right here, right now. “I’m in so much trouble with you, aren’t I?”

“Screwed with a capital S.”

Presley ran his thumb down over my mouth before he leaned down for a kiss and captured my bottom lip with his teeth, tugging it out and releasing a seductive groan.

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