can see Lucas standing behind them on the porch. Reid and Rye spot me first with a wave I return, and Lucas sounds from behind them.
“There’s the lady of the house.” Lucas smiles at me, and it’s genuine, and I’m utterly confused. Narrowing my eyes, I move to go to him when Stella spots me and stops me in my tracks.
“Mila, thank God. If I had to be here one more hour surrounded by this cock fest, I was gonna puke.” Delaying the inevitable fight with my husband, I walk over to where she’s working the machine. Stella is a force of nature, half Latina and stunning in appearance with dark hair, natural beauty and never-ending opinions that lengthen her smaller stature. She’s a fireball to put it mildly and one of the few women I respect.
I met Stella on the set of Drive, where Lucas played the lead guitarist, Rye. Though Stella is a music journalist, she decided to write a memoir of her journey with the band and her relationship with her husband shortly after her wedding. When she submitted the script, it ended up in a bidding war between two major studios. With the ball in her court, she’d made it a stipulation to oversee both casting and production along with her husband’s band, The Dead Sergeants, who wrote some of the music for the soundtrack. The Dead Sergeants were globally known, and the movie made a killing at the box office. Rye had personally charged himself to train Lucas on the guitar, and he’d done a fantastic job, but Stella was the one to suggest Lucas for the role.
It’s all I can do to keep from laughing as she waves me over to her.
“What in the hell are you doing?”
“Cardio and a buzz, it’s the same as dancing. Looks like I’m not the only one with a bottle in hand.”
“True,” I say with a grin. It’s damn near impossible to be pissed around Stella. She’s my only consolation for what the day has turned into.
She steps off the elliptical, and we toast, drink, and then hug.
“What are you doing here?”
She narrows her eyes at me. “If you would have called me back yesterday, you would know.”
“Sorry,” I say. “I’ve been busy.”
“Busy looking hot! You look good, girl,” she says with a wink. “Maybe I should switch to wine.”
“Not a bad idea,” Reid’s voice carries from the porch.
She raises her hand in his direction. “Hush, man, or no drunken sex for you and you know damn well I’m getting good at it.”
I lift a brow at Reid, and his gaze is fixed on his wife as he slowly shakes his head.
“Keep it up,” he warns before turning his back and continuing his conversation. Reid looks every bit the rock star he is and if I wasn’t living the dream with one of my own, I would be jealous of their connection. Though I have to admit today, I’m feeling a small stab of it.
Stella keeps her eyes on me.
“Is he still looking at me?” she asks.
“No.”
“I’m trying to be more assertive with his alpha before we procreate. Momming is no joke. I will not barter on certain issues.”
“Looks like it’s working,” I say.
“Really?” she asks, hopeful.
“Absolutely not,” I reply with a laugh.
She joins me. “Yeah, I didn’t think so either.”
“So, what brings you from Seattle?”
She takes the bottle from my hand and sips my wine. “Why music, of course. The boys have a concert tomorrow and we wanted to see you guys. I couldn’t get a hold of you, but Reid managed to get Lucas.”
“Funny,” I snort. “I haven’t managed to get Lucas today.”
She stops my wine bottle halfway to her mouth. “I thought this party was odd. I didn’t think Lucas got down like this.”
“Lucas doesn’t.”
“Ah, yeah, he’s a gangster now, right? I have to admit, I’m excited to see him bring it like that.”
We both glance over at Lucas who looks gorgeous in jeans and a T-shirt. He’s talking so casually and looks lighter on his feet today, like there’s less weight on his shoulders. It’s enough to curb my anger for the moment.
“So, I’m guessing this little impromptu party wasn’t your idea?”
“Nope,” I say, grabbing the bottle.
“Shit, woman, I’m sorry. If I were you, I would be dismembering people. How are you keeping calm?”
“Because fuck it,” I say simply. “Go with the flow. At least for another couple of months.”