My eyes widened. “Really?”

“Call it a late rebellion against the dictator that is my bitch of a mother.” He winked up at me and for some reason I couldn’t help but grin at him. “I would take a glass of tea, if you have it, though.”

“Sure. I’ll get it for you now.”

It took less than a minute to get his drink and when I retook my place at Zander’s feet, he stroked his fingers through my long hair and dropped a kiss on top of my head. I leaned into him, loving the feel of his lips on me even if it was just on my head.

Everyone else around us seemed to settle down to get comfortable once more. Wroth even went into the bedroom to ask Marissa to join us again, but she had crashed while watching the movie I’d put in for her. As he took his place on the now empty couch, he nodded for Axton to sit down beside him and asked him what song he wanted to do.

Axton scratched his chin, thinking about his selection, and then shrugged his lean shoulders. “Let’s mix it up, man. If you want to hear my full range I’d need to do several songs for you guys. Let’s start with Aerosmith, then go into some Skynyrd, and end it with some Metallica. That okay with you?”

Wroth shrugged. “Which songs?”

Axton grinned. “Surprise me.”

I nearly snorted at the arrogance of the guy, but held it back as Wroth’s talented fingers started the first few chords of Aerosmith’s “Angel.” All urges to snort or laugh at the new guy evaporated as soon as he opened his mouth and everyone in the room became entranced with the man we knew was going to take over for Noah.

As I listened, I couldn’t fight back the tears that suddenly threatened to choke me. From the first note that left Axton Cage’s mouth, I knew that there was no way OtherWorld wouldn’t go far with this guy front and center for them. He wasn’t just good; the man had a fucking gift. And it broke my heart into a million pieces. One look at OtherWorld performing with Axton singing their songs and any manager with a working brain would sign them on the spot.

Swallowing hard, I glanced at Noah. The look on his face was a mixture of amazement and gut-wrenching pain. He knew as well as I did—as well as everyone in the room—that not only was Axton going to fit with the band, but that this guy was better than even he had ever hoped to be. The pain in my heart at the knowledge that I was even closer to losing Zander than I had been just thirty minutes ago, doubled at the pain my beloved brother was going through right then.

The Aerosmith song faded easily into the Skynyrd song, “Free Bird,” and even though Axton’s vocal range changed, it only showed just how talented he really was. I lowered my gaze to the floor, hiding the tears that were so close to spilling over. I wanted so hard to hate Axton, wanted it with every fiber of my being, but I couldn’t. None of the pain I was feeling was his fault. He’d just shown up to a freaking audition, unknowingly ripping my heart from my chest with that amazing voice of his, and shattered it into a million little pieces.

I couldn’t hate him. Not when he was going to help the man I loved succeed in his goals.

Skynyrd drifted seamlessly into Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters” with Wroth’s talented fingers. Glancing at Zander, watching him keep beat with the bass, seeing how much he loved being a part of this music world, I lost the battle. One tear escaped from my eyes and was quickly followed by a hundred more. I stood, keeping my face averted from everyone as I went into the bedroom and shut the door quietly behind me.

I quickly tore off my clothes as I entered the bathroom. Turning on the shower, I climbed in before the water even had time to warm. My knees gave out and I slid down in the corner of the tub, letting the cold water beat down on me as the first sob tore my heart loose from my chest. Pulling my knees up to my chest, I hid my face in my raised thighs and cried for the loss of the man who wasn’t even gone yet.

C HAPTER E LEVEN

Zander

It was late when Axton left, but I had a grin on my face as I pulled off my shirt and jeans before climbing into bed beside Annabelle.

I thought she was asleep but, the second I wrapped my arms around her waist, she turned in my arms and brushed her lips over mine. My body was still humming from the high of the amazing jam session I just had with the guys. That plus my constant ache for her and the taste of her lips was like a detonator on my self-control. With a growl I didn’t even realize had left me, I turned onto my back and pulled her across my chest.

My hands tangled in her long pale hair, holding her head at the angle that I wanted it. Thrusting my tongue deep into her hot little mouth, I couldn’t help thinking of thrusting into her heat elsewhere. My left hand tightened on her amazing ass, pulling her down harder against my aching dick as I ground into her sweet spot through whatever pajamas she was wearing.

Her soft gasp of pleasure only revved me up that much more. Ah, hell she felt so good. I could have gotten off just rubbing against her like that and, as lost in the feel and taste of her as I was, I might have done just that if there hadn’t been a knock on the door two seconds before it opened.

I kept Annabelle right where she was, but stopped kissing her as her brother stuck his head around the corner of the door. He couldn’t see anything since the room was almost completely dark other than the small ray of light that was shining from behind Noah.

“She has school in the morning, dude. Don’t keep her up too late,” Noah spoke quietly and I could hear Chelsea laughing at something on the television in the living room. “Night, man. Night, Annabelle.”

I had to clear my throat before I could answer him. “Night.”

“Night, Noah.” Annabelle’s voice was soft, full of all the desire that I was still making her tremble against me with. My hand tightened on her ass, letting her know that I was just as far gone as she was.

After another few seconds, Noah shut the door and Annabelle tried to search for my lips again. With a groan I turned us so we were both on our sides facing each other in the dark. It took a little while before my eyes adjusted to the darkness, but finally I could make out the shape of her face. Lifting a hand that trembled, I stroked a finger down her cheek.

“We shouldn’t,” I told her even as my body was screaming that I was a fucking idiot.

“Wh-why not?” Her breath hitched as her soft hands traced over my bare chest. Her fingertips trailed over my stomach and straight for the top of my boxers, and I reluctantly caught her hands, lifting them to my mouth to press kisses to each palm. “Please, Z.”

I squeezed my eyes shut, knowing I shouldn’t let it go further, but I wanted her so fucking bad. Muttering a curse, I pushed her to her back and promised myself I’d just get her off, nothing more. I wouldn’t dare take something that I didn’t deserve, and I sure as hell didn’t deserve to be the one to take her virginity. I was too much of a fuck-up, too fucked-up in the head, to ever be worthy of something that precious.

Jaw clenched, I kissed my way from her lips, down her neck and straight for her amazing tits. Motherfucking hell. The thin straps of her pajama top came down way too easily and then I was wrapping my lips around one of her sweet nipples. Her breath hitched as I sucked harder, but she just barely kept from moaning. I quickly turned my attention to her other tit. Fuck —how did this one taste better than the other?

Selfishly, I wanted to take my time with her —Make her first orgasm be something she would remember for the rest of her life —but it was already late and she needed to get up early for school. Reluctantly, I left her tits and kissed down her flat stomach to the waistband of her pajama shorts. Eagerly she lifted her hips as I tugged them down.