Chapter Four
Theo
It’s late morning before I stir. I groan, rolling onto my stomach. I’m still tired. We’ve pulled all-nighters before that have left me feeling less tired than I am right now. Fuck, I must be getting old. The thought makes me laugh. Twenty-six and burned out already.
I haven’t given much thought to what comes after Triple Threat. I’ve always thought the three of us would go on forever, even when the band is a distant memory. Our bond is stronger than the music we make, forged during a less-than-ideal childhood. None of us had role models to fall back on—no examples of functional relationships. We only had each other.
Tanner and I took the brunt of the abuse growing up, protecting Noah, who is two years younger than us. Tanner can be a grumpy bastard, but he had it the worst. His mom’s alcohol problem landed him in foster care a few years before Noah and me, which is where the three of us met and why we bonded so strongly.
Despite the lack of love and affection in our lives, part of me always knew I’d fall hard and fast when I met ‘the one.’ But I never dreamed how hard or how fast. One look at Maggie Drake, and it was game over. She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen—and I’ve seen a lot of beautiful women—but there’s something different about Maggie, an innocence, a vulnerability that appeals to me on another level. There’s strength there, too, though. From the sounds of it, she’s survived a tough home life.
Once Maggie realized she wasn’t going anywhere, Noah grabbed her belongings from her car while I showed her to one of the empty guest rooms, making sure she was comfortable before we left her to get some rest. Tanner stayed back in the living area, which didn’t surprise me. He holds a lot of himself back, but the way he was looking at Maggie makes me wonder if she might be just what he needs. She’s special, but I wouldn’t stand in his way if it turned out Maggie wanted him.
I pull myself up short. What the fuck am I thinking? She’s not here permanently. In fact, she’ll probably be leaving soon.
I jump out of bed and grab a quick shower, pull on shorts and a t-shirt, and head downstairs. To my surprise, I hear laughter coming from the kitchen, and I enter to find Maggie perched on a breakfast stool, watching Tanner and Noah make breakfast. Her eyes light up as she sees me, and I suddenly feel ten-fucking-feet tall. Even her swollen cheek doesn’t detract from her beauty.
“Morning, Slugger,” I grin, feigning a few air punches. “How did you sleep? How’s the cheek?”
“Like a baby, and fine, thanks,” she says, returning my grin. “Thanks for letting me stay. I really appreciate it. Especially after the entrance I made.”
Images of her soft body snuggled under the comforter assail me. Does she sleep naked? In sexy shorts and a tank? Maybe just a pair of lace panties? My cock stirs in my shorts, and I turn away quickly, so I don’t poke her eye out with my massive boner.
“Like I said, you’re welcome,” Noah replies, flipping bacon in a frying pan while Tanner toasts thick slices of bread.
Fuck me, it’s like the Brady Bunch in here this morning. Since when did we indulge in domestic bliss?
“I called our lawyer earlier,” Tanner says, liberally buttering the toast. “He said it’s going to take a few days for him to look into your claims. He’ll need to trace your information back through the records from the management company.”
“Oh.” Maggie’s face falls. “I guess I should’ve expected that. But I want you to know that I’m not doing this to be difficult or greedy. I just want what I’m owed. Maybe it’ll be enough for me to rent a place of my own.”
We all pause and look at her.
“What?” she asks self-consciously. “You think it won’t be enough?”
Tanner pulls his phone from his pocket and taps away on the screen before holding it up so she can see his calculations. “This is what you’ll be owed in royalties if your claim checks out.”
Maggie’s eyes widen. “Are you serious?” She looks between the three of us for confirmation. “I—It’s too much!”
“It’s what you’re owed. Potentially,” I add, seeing Tanner’s frown.
“Have you written any other stuff?” Noah asks, placing four plates piled with eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, and toast on the breakfast bar.
Maggie nods. “Loads. I have my notebook with me if you’d like to see?”
“Love to,” Noah says around a mouthful of bacon.
“Okay. I’ll just be a sec,” she says, running from the room.
“God, she’s fucking awesome,” I mutter, watching her ass cheeks jiggle in the tight leggings she’s wearing.
“Preciosa,” Noah agrees, his brown eyes soft with a kind of emotion I’ve never seen in them before.
Tanner doesn’t say anything, but his eyes speak volumes.
Well, shit! Looks like we’ve all got it bad for our beautiful intruder.
Maggie returns with a dog-eared book clutched to her chest. “Be gentle,” she says, taking her seat and placing the thick notebook in the middle of the island. “I’ve been writing songs in here since I was twelve.”