Page 25 of The Pursuit of Happiness (Satan’s Angels #2)

Selene gives us all a prideful look but it doesn’t look like the pride is for us, but rather herself.

“Yes, and I do things behind the scenes all the time. Don’t act surprised now.

You should all be thanking me. I gave you classy pieces to wear instead of that street corner shit you wear all the time.

You can all stand to learn a few lessons from me. ”

Harvey grins and I can tell he’s fighting back a laugh.

Slater on the other hand, does not try even a modicum to hide his amusement.

He’s full blown hysterically laughing and I can’t help but smile because damn is the sound of his laughter intoxicating.

I watch as he laughs, his eyes lighting up with amusement and I get so lost in the sight of him.

He hasn’t smiled so genuinely around me in a while and I know it’s because I’ve been a pain in the ass to deal with.

I just can’t help it. Can a bitch spiral in peace for a little? Damn.

“So you’re telling me that somewhere in my closet there could potentially be a…

turtleneck?” Ivory whisper yells, panic in her voice.

To a normal human being, this wouldn’t be a catastrophe, but to Ivory Aslan who models lingerie as a hobby for fashion magazines and brands, this is the end of the fucking world.

Ivory has always been very comfortable with her body, always wearing the least amount of clothing possible when we go out or perform.

It’s part of her brand so the idea that a turtleneck is lingering around her house somewhere like a cockroach is making her panic.

Selene grins and Harvey wipes his face to hide his smile, “Maybe. I guess you’ll never know.”

“What other secrets are you keeping?” Brody asks suspiciously.

Selene shakes her head as she begins walking out of the studio, most likely to wreak havoc on someone over the phone.

She laughs an evil laugh, the sound permeating around the room like a chill.

As she opens the door she looks over her shoulder and pauses, “Just the cameras I have installed in all of your homes.”

We gasp, “WHAT?” We all shout in unison.

Seeing the fear on our faces, Selene grins and winks at us.

“She’s kidding, right? She has to be kidding?” Ivory fretts.

“I don’t know, am I?” Selene flashes us her perfect smile before stepping out of the office.

Just as the door is about to close behind her she demands, “Playtime is over. Get to work or I’m sending one hundred turtlenecks to each of your houses.

” The door slams shut and she’s gone, the only remnants of her presence Harvey’s smile and Sly’s laughter.

There’s also those scared expressions on Brody and Ivory’s faces too. Probably my own as well. Was she messing with us or does she really have cameras?

Brody looks over her shoulder at Harvey, “Does she actually have cameras?”

Harvey laughs, his eyes softening when they land on her, “I wouldn’t put it past her. That woman is a shark.”

Brody’s face pales and Harvey can’t help but laugh at her expression. Sly’s laughter is dying down and I don’t want it to go away. “What’s so funny?” I ask him, a smile in my voice.

He shakes his head, regaining his breath. “I used to wonder why everyone was so scared of Selene Stone in Hollywood, but I get it now. That woman is scary. Funny too.”

Ivory assures, “You think that was scary? Try watching her Nan call her to reset her email password from Florida.”

Brody snorts a laugh, “Nan has always had a special talent for pissing Selene off.”

I add, “Yeah and an angry Selene is a scary one.”

Harvey inserts, “She’ll be even scarier if you guys don’t get to work on this album.”

“Bossy,” Brody blushes and I gag at Ivory who laughs. Sly shakes his head at me, a smile on his lips.

Harvey walks over to Brody and kisses her on the lips before taking a few steps away towards the door. “You love it. I’ll see you at home, Little Rockstar. Sing your little heart out.” He makes it to the door and says a quick goodbye to the rest of us before leaving.

Brody is still staring at the door after he leaves, hearts in her eyes.

I snap to get her attention, “Focus. We have to get started.” I pull my messenger bag off my shoulder and grab my notebook from inside, flipping to the first finished song I can find.

“I’ve been writing a lot and I have about four and a half songs written.

I pass Brody the notebook since she’s the one that’ll be singing the words on the paper and Sly sits at her vacated spot at the drums. He starts twirling the sticks around in his fingers and I get so distracted by how sexy it is.

I always thought it was cool when Brody did it but Sly?

My mind is immediately wandering back to that club hallway and I force my thoughts and body back to focus.

Do not tread over to the dangerous territory, Aria. You’re better than this.

She looks up and glances at Ivory, a worried look on her face. Ivory gives her a questioning look and she reverts her attention to me, “These are…very depressing, R. They’re dark.”

I shrug, playing it off, “Yeah well, we needed a new sound for the album since Sly is on it, so I thought some new lyrics would be cool too.”

She gives me a sympathetic look, “Are you okay?”

I nod almost too quickly, “I’m fine, seriously. Just stressed, but I’ll get through it.” Does it feel like I’m going to get through it? No. Why? Because what happened will always come up in an online search when someone looks me up. This will always be tied to my name.

She gives me a look like she doesn’t believe me but she drops it, thank God. “So,” I focus my attention on Sly. “Show us what you’ve got, drummer.”

He twirls the sticks around again and winks at me as if he’s fully aware of the effect it has on me before he grins, “I thought you’d never ask.”

He brings the sticks down aggressively on the drums, heavy on the cymbals and the bass drum.

There’s no denying he’s good. Brody acknowledges it too, an impressed look on her face.

His sound is heavy, a lot heavier than anything we’ve ever played before.

His style is more metal where we’re usually hard rock.

I like it, though. Enough that I quickly grab my guitar from the wall and start messing with it as Sly continues playing the drums.

I try to match his vibe and it doesn’t come right away but after trying a few different things, I make a sound on the strings I’ve never made before.

It’s heavy in a metal way and matches the sound that Sly is making perfectly.

We play together, just the two of us and the room around us along with everything else seems to disappear.

There’s nothing I love more than playing the guitar, but playing it with Sly on the drums? I feel like I’m on cloud nine.

It’s just Sly and I and as we stare into each other eyes, each playing our instrument, we share a moment of intimacy that blows our moment in the hallway and our sex tape out of the fucking water.

Sly finishes his piece with a loud crash on the cymbals and I meet him with a fading riff. When it starts to grow silent, the room comes back into view along with Brody and Ivory. They’re jaws are wide open with shock and what looks like awe.

I can’t focus on them though. The only thing I can focus on is Sly. Why does this man have to be tempting at every second when I’m around him? As if his beauty wasn’t enough now he has to start playing in perfect tandem and harmony with me. The sounds linger in my head and send chills up my spine.

“That,” Ivory breaks the silence, “was fucking amazing !” Her entire face is lit up.

Brody agrees, “That was the perfect fusion between Satan’s Angels’ sound and Thunderstrike’s.”

Sly flashes me his signature grin, “We sound pretty good together, Kane.”

The sound of my last name on his lips brings me back to the hallway, his fingers inside of me and his lips on me. It felt amazing and I want it again so badly but I know I can’t have it. My cheeks turn red under his stare and I give him a small smile, “We do, Nicks.”

––––––––

ABOUT FIVE HOURS LATER, we’ve made progress. We have the foundation laid for two songs and Brody and Sly seem to be getting along a lot better. I think Brody stopped blaming Sly for her not playing the drums on this album which is good because it isn’t his fault. It’s mine.

Ivory seems to like him too. Our trio has such a specific dynamic that most people don’t fit into.

That’s why Sly fitting in so well shocks me.

I guess if anyone was gonna fit in with us, it would be the happiest person on the planet.

I think it’s physically impossible to hate Sly. Trust me, I’ve tried and failed.

“Why can’t you just be a permanent member of Satan’s Angels?” Ivory asks him.

He gives her a menacing look, “I don’t think Aria would like that very much.”

Ivory pouts at me and complains, “Can we keep him? Please?”

I roll my eyes, “He’s not a puppy, Iv. Besides, Thunderstrike needs him.”

Sly walks away from his drum set and walks over to where I sit on the couch.

He plops down next to me, so close that he’s almost seated in my lap.

He wraps an arm around the back of the couch behind me the same way he did the night we met and I cross my legs to staunch the sudden desire I feel flooding my veins.

It’s like I have absolutely zero self control where he’s concerned.

He leans in close to the side of my face, “You really don’t want me?” He asks, a playful note to his voice. I know exactly what he’s doing. This isn’t about the band, he’s playing games with me . He knows I’m incredibly turned on wherever he is concerned and he’s taking full advantage of that.

I frown, “No,” I lie. We both know it’s a lie.

He smirks, “Liar.”

Brody pulls her phone out of her back pocket and points it at us. “Smile, guys. Or do something cute.”

I stiffen, “What? Why?”

She gives me a look as if the answer is obvious, “Because the media needs to see pics and videos of you together outside of public appearances if we wanna sell this fake relationship shit.”

Sly nods, “You’re right.” He turns to me and looks like he’s trying to stifle a laugh, “Give me a kiss, Kane.”

The look of shock that crosses my face from his boldness only makes him smile harder. “What?”

“Don’t act like you’ve never kissed me. You don’t have to act shy in front of your friends,” he teases.

“Okay, can we take the fucking picture already? There’s a lot of pent up sexual tension in here and it’s making me uncomfortable,” Brody complains.

If Sly wants to play this game, I’ll play it better.

I know exactly what he’s doing. He thinks that he’s winning by catching me off guard and making me choke on my own words.

He thrives off making me nervous. I refuse to lose!

I grab his face in my hands and kiss his cheek, wrapping a leg around his waist to really sell it to social media.

Brody snaps a picture and sighs in relief, “Perfect. Can we all leave now?”

I pull away from Sly and try to quickly get off the couch and go literally anywhere but here, but he stops me by grabbing my arm and pulling me into his lap. He wraps his arms around me in a bear hug as I lay sprawled out in his lap and he leans into my ear, “What do you think you’re doing, Kane?”

“Winning,” I frown.

He laughs, “Yeah? By playing with me?”

“You did it first,” I argue.

He shakes his head in disagreement, “That’s where you’re wrong. Nothing about the way I act towards you is a game.”

I want to respond but I don’t know what to say.

Instead, I just stare up at him from his lap with wide eyes.

He looks like he’s waiting for me to say something, but when I don’t, he exhales the way he usually does after I reject him.

I feel so horrible that this is becoming a regular thing between us.

He makes himself vulnerable and in return, I hurt and reject him because I’m too scared that crossing that line with him is gonna make the media rip me apart more.

All I’ve ever truly wanted was happiness in my life because it never seems to last consistently. I just don’t see how I can have that while still caught in the middle of this scandal. If I could have happiness, I often find myself wondering if it would be with Sly. I know it would.

Brody clears her throat, “Ooookay, lovebirds. This is making me deeply uncomfortable. I just snapped a pic of this very intimate moment you’re having so you’re welcome for that.” She grabs her bag off the floor and throws it over her shoulder, “I’ll send those images to you and be on my way.”

Ivory grabs her bag and looks at me, “Are we still on for a hangout or are you gonna stay here and end up naked on our studio couch?”

I jolt right up with embarrassment and remove myself from both Sly and the couch. I do not want anyone making sexual allegations or innuendos about Sly and I. It’s a sensitive topic, especially because I’m sexually frustrated.

Brody mutters to herself, “Not you too.”

“What?” I gasp.

Ivory’s face lights up, “You’ve had sex on that couch, B?”

Brody’s face turns red and she rushes for the door. “Of course not. Bye!” She says a little too loudly before practically running out the door.

Ivory grabs my arm, barely able to contain her excitement, “She’s totally fucked on that couch.”

Sly jumps off the couch and makes a repulsed, retching sound, “Gross.”

The three of us exchange a long, disgusted, but also amused look before we all fall into fits of laughter and for a second, just a single second, it feels like everything might be okay.