Blood Song: Refrain (Blood Song Series Book 2) Read online

  “I’m counting on it,” I retorted.

  “Oh, and Toven, you rock a suit very well. But when you go to the night club, you need to dress down.”

  “What do you mean?” My brow furrowed as I gazed down at my attire. The suit was over $4000.

  “Dress a little more casually. You’ll fit in better.” Patronizingly, he patted me on the shoulder.

  “OK. I’ll see what I can do.”

  6

  Celesta

  Earlier . . .

  Sandra had propped open the door at the end of the hall in anticipation of my arrival. She squealed when she saw me and drew me into a hug.

  “The photos of you and Mr. Adams looked wonderful. I knew you’d be a knockout in that dress,” she gushed.

  I followed her into the quiet interior of the spa. “Yes, Jacque really outdid himself. It’ll be interesting to see what he comes up with for next week.”

  With a hand on my back, she directed me into a small room off to the left of the salon area. “What’s next week?”

  “Oh, Ace invited me and Toven to attend his movie premiere in LA.”

  “Wow, that sounds so exciting. I’ll ring some of my associates there to schedule you for hair and makeup and whatever else you may need.” She lifted a lock of my hair, examining it.

  I frowned and shook my head. “You don’t have to go to all that trouble.”

  She patted my shoulder. “It’s no trouble at all. You just let me know where you’re staying, and I’ll send my friends to your hotel room. I’m guessing the premiere will be Thursday night, and you’ll probably go to dinner first. So, I’ll book you with them from two until five, but they’ll be flexible.”

  “Thank you. That takes a load off my mind because I’m sure the paparazzi will be out in full force, and I don’t want to look like an idiot.”

  “You won’t. Now, let’s get to work on whatever you need today. Would you like me to touch up your highlights and roots?”

  “Yes, please.”

  Sandra handed me a robe to change into so I wouldn’t mess up my clothes. “I’ll wait for you out there.”

  I quickly undressed and slipped on the fluffy bit of heaven. The self-consciousness that had been my constant companion last time was quiet for this visit. Standing tall, I strode out to where Sandra waited by her salon chair.

  Once I sank down in the seat, she set to work on my hair. I’d experimented with my hair color since I was a teenager. Currently, it was a few shades darker than my natural color with some highlights added. I’d never gone this dark with my hair before, but when I decided to leave New Mexico, I wanted to change up my look a bit to keep myself from being so easily recognized as the daughter of the man who stole millions of dollars and then killed himself.

  As Sandra worked on my hair, she noticed how rigid I was. “Why are you so tense today? Are things not going well?”

  “Things are going perfectly. I worked all day yesterday hunched over a computer so now I’m a little stiff.” And I was dying for sexual relief from the perpetual ache that Toven and thoughts of him incited in me.

  “While your dye sits, I’ll tweeze you and put a mud mask on. Oh, and I’ll touch up your nails. Then after I wash the dye out, I’ll send you to Jay for a massage while your hair dries. How does that sound?”

  A blissful sigh escaped my lips at the thought. “It sounds heavenly.”

  I submitted willingly to her ministrations, thoroughly enjoying the pampering. Once I was dyed, plucked and touched up, she wrapped my hair up in a towel and led me down the hall to the room I’d spent so much time in before.

  “Let’s make sure your wax job is holding up since you’ll be at the beach next week.” She helped me disrobe and lifted my arms to inspect underneath. She ran her hands up and down my legs, finding them still smooth, and then she helped me step out of my underwear. When her inspection was completed, she declared me still silky smooth. Thank goodness.

  She removed my bra then helped me climb onto the table. A towel was draped over my rump before she settled some earbuds in my ears. “Relax and enjoy. When he heard you were coming in, Jay hoped you’d need a massage,” she announced with a wink.

  Oh crap. My mind flashed back to the exquisite massage delivered by the sexy sounding, flirty Jay I met last week. Heat crept over my skin as I recalled his offer of a happy ending the next time I came in for a massage. Since I was last in this position, I’d become a lot more hot and bothered, with no real relief in sight. The sound of a happy ending had way more appeal today than it did last week. But Jay wasn’t the one who I wanted to deliver my happy ending.

  My thoughts were derailed by a draft of air kissing my bare skin with the opening of the door. I squeezed my eyes shut, not daring to look at him. For some unknown reason, I preferred to cling to my fantasy image while I got my massage today. Perhaps, I could pretend it was Toven’s hands skating over my bare skin.

  Fingers trailed up my left leg as I felt Jay move to stand by my head. His fingers traced a path up my spine and over to my ear, removing my earbud.

  “Celesta, it’s so good to see you again. Sandra said you spent all day working at the computer yesterday. I see you’re paying the price for it today,” Jay said then proceeded to tsk at me.

  “Got to do my job, though.”

  “I must say, I didn’t imagine hours in front of a computer would be what your contract would entail.” He shifted the little metal table closer to where I lay.

  “Oh, really?” I refrained from cracking my eyelid open to check his facial expression.

  “Yeah. It seems like such a waste of your beauty to have you chained to a computer all day. There have to be more . . . enjoyable tasks for Toven to have you doing.” The sound of liquid flowing into a metal basin filled the next few seconds.

  Heat crept up my neck, flushing my cheeks at his innuendo.

  “Well, he hired me for my marketing expertise.”

  “I bet he did,” he snickered.

  “Oh, just shut up and put those magic fingers to work on my knots.” I had to shut down the direction of this conversation, so I wasn’t tempted to tell him how wrong his assumptions were about what Toven wanted from me. Or how needy I’d become from his controlled affections. Jay was a potential temptation I might not be strong enough to resist.

  “Yes, ma’am.” He replaced my earbud and started to work the kinks out of my neck and shoulders. My teeth sunk into my lower lip—it was all I could do to keep from moaning out loud.

  Classical music filled my ears, soothing my soul as Jay’s enchanted digits mollified my muscles. The tension slipped from me like water raining down. By the time Jay had worked my arms, shoulders and neck, I was pretty near melting into a pile of goo. When his hands began to knead my lower back, I practically purred.

  He worked my feet, which was pure heaven, and I almost dozed off. His hands moved up my calves, slowly massaging out aches I didn’t even know I had. With a feather-light touch, his fingers moved just above my knees. My breath caught in my throat when one hand drifted just beneath the edge of the towel covering me. I swallowed hard as his hand froze on its journey. He leaned forward, and the heat of his body warmed the bare skin of my back. Pulling the cord on my earbuds, he removed the music from one ear and replaced it with his warm breath.

  “So how about that happy ending this time?” His fingers on the back of my upper thigh twitched almost imperceptibly.

  That moment in time stalled while I contemplated being ushered to release by something other than my own hand. The prospect was appealing—very appealing. But my heart ached at the thought of anyone else’s hands on me, bringing me pleasure besides Toven’s.

  I drew in a deep breath and turned my head to look Jay in the eyes. When I opened my eyes, my heart faltered. Jay was an Adonis sent to walk among mortals. Dirty blond hair begging for fingers to tousle it topped a perfectly chiseled face. Sexy stubble lined his jaw, and the most gorgeous blue eyes sparkled with mischief and desire. And t
hen he smiled at me. I totally lost all thought as I examined his features. Reality was way better than fantasy. This god incarnate had his hands all over my body, soothing the tension. All his work was for nothing because one look at him had me coiled tightly again.

  He smiled at me again. “Earth to Celesta.”

  Shaking my head, I snapped out of it. “I’m sorry. I kind of zoned out there for a moment. What did you ask me?”

  He chuckled and said, “Happy ending? Did you want one?”

  Though my body responded to his appearance and begged me to utter one small three letter word, my heart shouted no. I’d always followed my heart. Today wasn’t going to be the day I stopped.

  With a sigh of resignation, I said, “Sadly, not today, Jay.”

  His grin faltered for a split-second before slipping back into place. “I figured not, but you can’t blame a guy for trying.”

  “Why did you figure not?”

  “I saw the photos of you and Toven. I saw the way you looked at him in them. I didn’t think I had a chance, but I had to take a shot and see. I’d regret not trying.” He shrugged and started working the new knots in my neck and shoulders.

  “Oh.”

  An awkwardness swirled around me that wasn’t there before. His hands stilled on my skin.

  “Let me help you get up.” He draped my robe across my back then helped me sit up on the massage table. My hands grasped the edges of the robe to cover my body as best I could.

  “Thanks.”

  “Sandra gave me your clothes before I came in. They’re on the chair. I’ll give you some privacy to get dressed. You can meet me in the hallway.”

  Once the door shut behind him, I slid off the table. Damn, why couldn’t I have met Jay before giving my heart to Toven? I hadn’t officially given it to Toven, but the way he inhabited it, it would never belong to anyone but him.

  I dressed in haste and gathered my wits so I could face the handsome man who, for some odd reason, wanted me.

  Walking out, I joined Jay, and all the awkwardness of the previous moment had vanished. We strolled down the hall like friends to where Sandra waited to blow-dry my hair. I laughed and joked with the two of them as she styled my hair. I’d been following their conversation and participating, when all of a sudden, every thought fled my mind except for Toven. He was never far from my mind, but for some reason, in that moment, his presence dominated my brain with no motivating factor.

  I’d really missed him the past day and a half. How long was he going to stay away? His distance hurt more than it should have. I needed to up my game somehow to draw him closer to me.

  Before I knew it, Sandra was done. Jay pulled me from the chair and offered to escort me out. We walked to the doors leading out of the salon. He hip-checked me as I laughed at Sandra’s teasing of him behind us. I stumbled a bit, causing him to place his hand on the small of my back to steady me. Jay opened the door, and we walked through.

  The air around me became charged all of a sudden. Every part of my body stood at attention as if in anticipation. It was a confusing feeling. I glanced at Jay to see if he noticed the weird quality to the air, but his expression revealed that nothing seemed amiss to him. He continued talking normally.

  “It was a pleasure seeing you today,” he said, smirking down at me.

  “Thanks for relieving my tension. I’ll try to not sit for such long spells next time.”

  “I’m here anytime you need more knots unraveled.” He winked at me.

  I smiled up at him and said, “Thanks.”

  As he returned my smile, I decided the crackling in the air must not be due to some voodoo mind trick by Jay. His smile didn’t do anything to me.

  7

  Toven

  Jacque had left me sitting in the reception area with the bag of garments. I kept my stare trained on the closed door to the spa. After waiting for several minutes, my heart rate picked up. Training my ears on the closed-off corridor, I heard a heartbeat I’d recognize anywhere. My heart immediately harmonized with the rhythm of hers. The quality of the air shifted as she came toward me. My body responded to her nearness in a thousand ways—from my heart syncing with hers, my smile reaching megawatt luminescence, my fidgety feet anxious to carry me to her airspace, my arms itching to hold her, my lips yearning to taste hers, and finally, my cock aching to bury inside her.

  Heat raced over my skin as I listened to her approach. Where I sat, I was perfectly positioned to fill her field of vision when she stepped across the threshold. I hoped she’d be surprised and thrilled to find me waiting for her instead of William. I envisioned a smile spreading across her features.

  Except, when she walked through the door, her head was turned sideways as she laughed at something the handsome blond man said beside her. My smile dropped as I took in his hand on the small of her back, his complete focus on her, his touch familiar on my girl. She spun my way and paused as if she couldn’t believe I was here. I let a small smile grace my lips to reassure her, erasing the look of uncertainty which clouded her features.

  “Toven,” she whispered, and her face lit up. She stepped away from Mr. GQ and ran to me. The force of her body colliding with mine nearly knocked me back to the seated position I was in before the door opened moments ago.

  I tamped down the jealousy because of her exuberance upon seeing me. My arms wrapped around her, clutching her to me. Before I could say anything, her lips pressed to mine in an eager kiss. Aware that we had an audience, I only indulged a little—one passion-heated moment of our tongues tangling and exploring—before I pulled back and rested my forehead against hers. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Circe, the blond and the receptionist staring at us. I wouldn’t let their presence prevent me from enjoying Celesta in my arms after a day and a half of emptiness.

  “I take it you’re happy to see me?” I murmured.

  “Yes, I missed you . . . a lot. But what are you doing here? I thought you had to work all day today too.”

  “I’m the boss,” I whispered and winked at her. “So, I get to set my schedule. Besides, I needed to pick up some clubbing clothes for you from Jacque. And I missed you too. Probably more than is proper.”

  “Ooh, we’re going clubbing?” she squealed, her eyes lighting up.

  “Yes, we’re going to my night club tonight . . . if that’s OK with you.”

  “I’d love to go clubbing with you. It’s been a while since I’ve let loose.”

  Oh, hell. Could I handle Celesta letting loose without something dark in me getting loose?

  8

  Celesta

  Seeing Toven when I walked out of the spa righted my world—and I hadn’t even been aware that it was askew. At least not really. My mind didn’t process my response; I just reacted on instinct when he filled my vision. Embarrassingly, I barreled into him, throwing myself into his arms. I didn’t comprehend in that moment I was making a spectacle of myself. My only thought was I’d missed him so much more than I’d even realized, so much more than I probably should have. The single thing in my mind was that he was right there in front of me, smiling at me, and I needed to close the distance between us, physically and emotionally.

  By the time we were safely tucked away from bemused gazes my wits had returned. I couldn’t believe he was here after putting the brakes on the other night. But even more than my disbelief at his appearance out of the blue, I couldn’t believe my reaction to seeing him after roughly thirty-six hours apart. I never thought I’d be that girl—the one counting the hours until a guy graced her with his presence again, the one who needed a man for validation, the one whose life revolved around a man. What the hell had gotten into me?

  “Who was that guy walking you out?” his voice had an odd quality to it, and I couldn’t quite place it. His tone was a bit sharp without sounding overly angry, but it wasn’t merely curious either.

  Casually, I answered, “That was Jay. I met him last week when I came in to get ready for the gala. He’s the masseur here.�
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  His spine stiffened as he sucked air through his teeth. “Ahhh. So, he gave you a massage to help relax you before the gala last week?”

  “Yep. He gave me one today too. By the time he was done, I thought he was going to have to scoop me up from a puddle on the floor.” My weight shifted from foot to foot as the elevator continued its descent.

  When I happened to glance up at him, the muscle in his jaw twitched. He looked angry. Why would he be angry over a massage?

  “So, he’s um . . . good with his hands?”

  I shrugged. “Well, it’s his job, so I guess so. I was relaxed by the time he was done.”

  “He certainly is handsome,” his tone was carefully measured.

  That explained it. Toven was jealous.

  “I didn’t even see his face until today. Last week, I had a beauty mask on and couldn’t see him. But I suppose he is good-looking. And he’s nice and funny. And . . . not my type though.” I shrugged nonchalantly. “I prefer broody musicians.” I bit back a grin as I peeked up at him.

  The tension drained off him like water off a tin roof. I needed to change the subject. Glancing around, I noticed a bag by his feet. In the excitement of seeing him, I’d totally overlooked the large canvas bag he’d brought into the elevator with us.

  “What’s that?” I asked, pointing.

  “Jacque put together some clubbing clothes for you.”

  I squared my shoulders and resisted the urge to roll my eyes. “I have clubbing clothes. You didn’t have to go to any extra trouble. I wouldn’t have embarrassed you with my attire in that setting.”

  “You could never embarrass me. And it wasn’t any trouble. Clothes are part of the terms of your contract with B.I.T.-10. Plus, I wanted to surprise you with something new. Kind of an apology,” he rambled as he dragged his fingers through his hair, making it stick up randomly. Though it was still adorably sexy.