Chapter 40 Shitty Taste in Women

Nico

Oh, fuck, this cannot be happening! Not now. Not when I'm so damned close to have everything I have ever wanted in my life.

"Sunshine, I didn't touch - "

My heart seized in my chest as Allie gently patted my face and whispered "You need to wash her lipstick off your jaw, honey."

Fuck! I was going to kill that bitch. I swiped at my jawwith one hand while still holding tight to Allie with the other. I had to make her understand that I hadn't done anything.

"Sunshine, please, you have to believe me, she just - "

"Really, Nico, you're going to pretend that we weren't going to pick up where we left off last time?" The snarky voice made the blood boil in my veins as I felt Allie's body stiffen even more in my arms.

"Last time?" Allie whispered shakily, so softly that I could barely hear her. She wouldn't meet my eyes, and I whirled around to look at the trouble-making bitch I only remembered in my nightmares.

I tried to keep Allie behind me, so that she didn't have to see the smug look on the bitch's face, but she wasn't having that. She shifted to my side, pushing my arm off of her waist so that she could move around in front of me. I pulled her back against me, grateful that she at least let me wrap my arms around her again. I couldn't fucking lose her, I just couldn't.

I narrowed my eyes as I looked at the last woman I'd slept with two years ago. I only remembered her because of the way I'd felt when I had walked through my front door less than an hour later. I'd already been disgusted with myself for trying to use another woman to get over my obsession with Allie. That feeling of disgust had only gotten worse when I'd stepped foot inside the house that Allie had helped me pick out, reeking of sex and the overpowering stench of this bitch's perfume. That had been the last time I'd touched another woman, until I'd kissed Allie at the Grammy after-party.

I narrowed my eyes at the still-smirking bitch and told her, "I don't know what the fuck you're trying to pull, but we weren't doing anything. I assumed that it was Allie when the door opened, and you grabbed on to me before I even had a goddamned chance to turn around!"

The icy fury dripping from every word seemed to drop the temperature in the room by about twenty degrees. I chanced a look down at Allie, to find her shooting daggers at the booking manager. The bitch was glaring right back at her as if she wanted Allie dead.

Allie felt my gaze on her and looked up, her furious expression morphing into one of pain and uncertainty as she gazed at me solemnly.

I let every ounce of the fear and devastation I was feeling show on my face as I turned her in my arms and held her close.

"I swear to you, Sunshine, nothing was going on. I was getting ready to shove her off me when you walked in."

Allie gave me a small smile and squeezed my waist gently. "I know, I heard you right before I opened the door," she whispered so that only I could hear.

The tension in my body eased for a second, right before the bitch opened her mouth again.

"Well, it's not the first time you've mistaken me for your precious Allie , now is it?" Her voice was harsh as she tossed out that fucking little gem and I couldn't help but flinch at the fuzzy memory of that night. I really had been such a sorry sonofabitch then, but that was no excuse for the shit she was trying to pull here.

"Look, Jenny, I - " I began.

"It's Jenna. Jenna! " she screamed at me, completely losing her shit that I hadn't remembered her name correctly.

I winced, and shot an apologetic look at Allie for being such a bastard in my previous life. I loosened my hold a bit as Allie tried to shift to stand next to me. She put her arm around my waist, softly running her hand up and down the small of my back. I relaxed a little more at her sweet touch.

"Sorry, Jenna ," I corrected. "I don't know why the fuck you would think it's OK to jump on me like that, but -"

"You sure as hell didn't mind me jumping on you two years ago, did you, Nico? she asked slyly, looking at Allie to make sure she understood the implication. Allie looked up at me and rolled her eyes, and I tightened the arm lying on her shoulder.

"That was a mistake, one that I regretted as soon as it happened. I was drunk and didn't know what the hell I was doing, but I am sorry if you think I led you on or something." I was so fucking uncomfortable having to get into this in front of Allie. I had already confessed to her about that night, but having to come face-to-face with a former hookup couldn't be easy for her, especially one as nasty as this bitch was being.

"You must have been even drunker than I thought if you mistook me for this cow!" Jenna spat at me angrily. "Do you even remember calling me ' Allie ' that night? It was bad enough when I just though you got my name wrong, but then to find out that Allie was an actual person and that you had called me by her name? I mean, really, how the fuck could you have been so drunk that you thought that this body," she ran her hands along her skinny figure," belonged to that fat dumpy woman?"

I felt Allie's body tense again, and her hand dropped from my waist to wrap around herself, as if warding off a physical blow.

"That's fucking enough!" I roared, pulling Allie back into the shelter of my arms. I wrapped myself around her, praying to whoever might be listening in the universe that this wouldn't drive us apart.

I heard footsteps pounding down the hallway and looked over my shoulder to see Matt and Josh appear in the doorway, with Tony just a couple of steps behind them.

"What's going on here, man?" Matt asked with a wary look as he stepped into the room. I moved aside to give them room to come in, and had to let go of Allie in the process. Tony took one look at her pale, strained face and reached for her, drawing her away from the battle brewing between me and Jenna. He'd clearly put the pieces together, remembering my confession to him after the Liam debacle.

I ignored them all for a moment, and focused my gaze on the furious bitch on the other side of the room.

"Look, I am sorry for that night, more sorry than you can possibly fucking imagine. It wasn't right, and if I hadn't been so drunk I would never have even touched you. The extra shots you gave me when we got to your place sure as shit didn't help though, did they? I don't remember much about that night, but I do remember you kept pouring shots and urging me to drink. Still, the fact that I had sex with you was my mistake, and I'll own up to it. But none of that gives you the right to grab me and try to kiss me tonight, and it sure as fuck doesn't give you the right to insult the woman I love like that. You are completely fucking out of line here."

Jenna gave a scathing laugh. "Oh, I think the tabloids might disagree, Nico baby. When I get done telling them how - "

"You won't be telling them anything, unless you want to be sued for every dime you can ever hope to make, Jenna. Or are you forgetting the NDA you signed this afternoon, you know, the one you conveniently forgot to sign last week? Or the one you signed two years ago? Those NDAs cover any and all interactions you have with the band or any of it's employees or representatives. If you spread one word of your shitty little story, Michael Drummond's legal team will come down on you so hard your grandchildren will still feel it fifty years from now."

A huge smile spread across my face as Allie defended me. My sweet Sunshine could be fucking fierce when she wanted to, and this display right here was turning me on as much as it was scaring the shit out of me. I made a mental note to never, ever, piss off my girl like this again. Jenna started to open her mouth, but Allie kept right on going, her hand on one hip and the other flying around, gesturing to emphasize every word out of her mouth.

"And I promise you, if one single fucking hint of this story of yours gets leaked to the press, I'll make sure that everyone knows that you got a man drunk and took advantage of him, then tried to blackmail him over it. Let's see how that plays out in the press, shall we? I wonder how Mr. Cameron will feel about all of this? I mean, the poor guy lost his wife and half of every thing he owns because of you, and this is how you repay him? You chase after another man's dick in his very own club? I don't think he will be pleased when he hears about this."

Jenna's face paled during Allie's diatribe, then suddenly flushed with color at the reminder of her boss and rumored lover. She let out a blood-curdling screech, then pushed past us and stalked out the door of the dressing room. Tony peered out into the hallway, apparently watching to make sure she actually left.

Allie turned to me and raised a brow, a move that turned me on even when it was directed at me. "You," she poked me in the chest, "had shitty taste in women. I'm glad you wised the fuck up."

My knees actually went a little weak with relief at her words. I wasn't out of the doghouse yet, but at least she wasn't going to leave me over this shitshow. I just prayed like hell that the bitch's words hadn't done more harm to Allie's self-esteem. We had just gotten to the point that Allie truly believed how much I wanted her. It that bitch's poisonous words had set us back, well, I would just have to work twice as fucking hard to make Allie understand how much she turned me on. It would be my absolute fucking pleasure to show her, over and over and over again.

I laughed as I agreed with her, pulling her into my arms to hold her close. I buried my face in the crook of her neck, inhaling the subtle vanilla and honeysuckle scent that always seemed to surround her.

"I'll give Michael and Lana a heads-up, in case she starts any more trouble," Matt said, pulling his cell phone out of his pocket and stepping back out into the hallway.

"Are you OK, doll?" Tony asked, looking at Allie closely.

She pulled back a little and turned her head to smile at him. "Yeah, I'm fine, just pissed off. She was a complete bitch to me earlier today. I guess now I know why." She gave me a sharp look and I felt another pang of guilt that my past had come back to hurt her like this.

Fuck, I'd be lucky if Allie didn't just say the hell with me and walk away. First there was all the shit with the after-party and the tabloids, then the online bullying, Psycho Barbie, and now this fucking mess.

I cupped my hands around her face and dropped a gentle kiss on the tip of her nose.I pressed my forehead to hers and closed my eyes, sighing deeply.

"I'm so sorry, Sunshine. For everything."

"I know. It's OK. This was not your fault. I mean, if you ever call me by another woman's name, I'll probably rip your balls off, but Jenna was a bitch before that ever happened."

She reached up and pressed a kiss to my lips, and I heard Josh and Tony excuse themselves, pulling the door shut behind them.

I led Allie over to the sofa in the corner of the room and sat down, pulling her down onto my lap. I settled back, thankful for the feel of my girl in my arms.

Allie peered at my face with a grimace. "You still have a smudge of lipstick on your jaw, and I can smell her perfume."

I froze. Fucking hell! I quickly shifted Allie off my lap and went into the attached bathroom, turning on the shower.

"Give me a minute, Sunshine. Let me wash off her stench and I'll be right back," I called.

I pulled a towel off the rack and turned toward the shower stall, catching movement out of the corner of my eye. I glanced over my shoulder to find Allie leaning against the bathroom door frame.

"Stench is the right word for it," she said with a frown. "You only have about twenty minutes before you guys are supposed to take the stage. You get showered and changed. Your Pride shirt is in my bag, so let me get it and make sure it isn't wrinkled."

She turned to walk out and I saw her reach for her bag, which she had apparently dropped on the floor just inside the door to the dressing room.

I pulled back the shower curtain and stepped into the shower, grabbing the body wash that was in there. I quickly but thoroughly scrubbed every inch of my body, paying particular attention to my neck and face. I didn't want any hint of that bitch on my skin when I touched Allie again.

A few minutes later, I stepped out and dried off, wrapping the towel around my waist before stepping back into the dressing room. Matt, Tony and Josh were back, keeping Allie company. I was glad to see a smile on her face at whatever Matt had been saying.

"Here," Allie said, handing me a black T-shirt. I grabbed the jeans I'd been wearing earlier, and the duffel bag with clean boxers and my toiletries that I'd brought with me to get ready tonight.

"I'll be ready in a few minutes," I said, stepping back into the bathroom and closing the door.

"Good, we're on in fourteen minutes, man," Matt called to me.

I toweled off my hair and ran a brush through it, then pulled on my clothes. I ran a bit of styling cream through my hair to tame the waves a bit, then grabbed the hairdryer to finish up. I ran my palm along the bit of scruff that had appeared since I'd shaved yesterday morning. No time to get rid of it, but luckily, our fans didn't mind the scruffy look. Neither did Allie, for that matter, although I would have to be careful not to scratch her delicate skin later. If she was willing to let me get that close to her, that is.

There was a knock on the bathroom door. "Two minutes. Hustle your ass, pretty boy!" I heard Josh say with a laugh. I opened the bathroom door to find the guys walking out of the dressing room, followed by Becca and Min, who had apparently arrived as I was getting ready.

Allie waited for me, and I grabbed her arm before she could turn to follow the others.

I cupped her face in my hands and peered down at her, watching the expression on her face carefully.

"Are we OK, Sunshine?" I asked quietly, hoping like hell that her answer would be yes.

She nodded and smiled, "Yes, honey, we're good. Although I think you owe me an orgasm or three for this when we get home."

I laughed out loud, the relief rushing through me at her words. "Gladly, Sunshine. I'll give you orgasms every day for the rest of your life, that's a promise."

The production assistant who had helped with our sound-check earlier appeared in the doorway.

"Uh, sorry to interrupt, Nico, but we're ready for you."

"Sorry," I said. "Just couldn't resist kissing my girl one last time before I go on-stage," I said with a wink at Allie. She blushed and swatted a hand at my ass as I turned and led her from the room.

We made our way to the backstage waiting area to join the others. Security escorted Allie, Becca, and Min to their seats in the wings. I could see Michael and his wife Jayne, as well as Lana and her date already seated there waiting for the show to start.

I was able to peak out and get a glimpse of the crowd before the house lights lowered, and I was fucking stoked to see so many fans wearing Pride and rainbow clothing, rather than the usual Storm Front gear I was used to seeing. I pointed it out to the rest of the guys and clasped Tony's shoulder in support as the sight brought tears to his eyes. I gave him our usual one-armed man hug as he surreptitiously wiped his eyes.

We took the stage to a roar of applause, which always took me by surprise no matter how many times it happened.

The concert went off without a hitch. We played some of our biggest hits in between a few songs from the upcoming album. The new songs were all well-received, even though only one of them had been released as a single for radio play at this point. There wasn't a standard meet-and-greet scheduled, so after the show we were all escorted back to the dressing area so we could get showered and changed. We were always a sweaty mess after performing under the hot stage lights, so we automatically brought a change of clothes with us.

I showered quickly and dried off, running the towel over my head a few extra times instead of opting for the hair dryer again. I was anxious for a few minutes alone with Allie before we had to join the other for the ride home.

Opening the bathroom door, I found Allie lounging on the sofa drinking a bottle of water and scrolling through her phone. I lunged for her, scooping her up and sitting back down as she squealed and grabbed me around the neck. I settled her more fully across my lap. I leaned my head on her shoulder, rubbingnose along her collar bone and nuzzling down into the neckline of her shirt.

"I missed you," I whispered.

"I missed you, too," she whispered back.

I looked up and shot her a teasing grin. "I wasn't talking to you, Sunshine, I was talking to your tits."

I ducked and laughed as she whacked me on the shoulder with a huff. "Oh, you, I'll get you back for that one, mister," she warned with a wag of her finger. "You'd better take a good look now, because you aren't going to see them for a long time after that smartass remark."

I shifted us so that she was straddling my hips and held her tightly. I leaned forward and nuzzled her cleavage again. "Oh, no, Sunshine, you can't be that cruel. You know I miss you every second you're away from me."I gave her my most pitiful pouty look, and she laughed at my expression.

A knock on the door drew us apart, and she hopped up from my lap as Matt called from the hallway "Are you decent in there?"

"Unfortunately. Come on in!" I called back, and just shrugged and grinned when she rolled her eyes at me.

The door opened and Matt popped his head in. "Michael said the cars are waiting for us.You guys ready to head out?"

"Yeah, let me get my stuff out of the bathroom and we can go." I picked up my bag and grabbed Allie's hand, and we followed Matt to the back entrance where everyone was gathered.

Matt and Becca joined Josh and Min in the first SUV since Matt and Josh lived fairly close to each other. Michael walked with Jayne, Lana, and her date Darren, to the second one. Tony was going to ride with us, since his penthouse was on the way to our place. I held Allie's hand and led her toward the third SUV, with Tony bringing up the rear. We had only taken a few steps when all hell broke loose.