My Stepbrother the Rockstar

Chapter 34

Chapter 34

So this was it. The lake cabin as Gage had been referring to it. The flight over had taken less than an hour. I wandered from room to room while he alternately voice texted and pecked on his phone locked in some sort of chat conversation with possibly a label executive involving an upcoming meeting with a producer or some type of session artist.

The entire house could fit with room to spare in a corner of his home in Los Angeles. Although it was cozy, it had every modern amenity one could want from a giant screen television over the fireplace to the Jacuzzi in the bathroom. The décor, unlike the stark ultra-chic look of his other home was decorated in woodsy wildflower colors. A hardwood floor that appeared authentically scuffed flowed through most of the rooms and cozy throw rugs dotted its expanse.

There were no interior doors except for the bathroom, and I found this odd until I noted the style of the house seemed very old, possibly pre air-conditioning years. With numerous screened windows, I supposed it had been built with catching the breeze from outside in mind. I took stock of the one bedroom and wondered what Gage would do when I insisted on taking the couch.

Ending up on one of the ginormous decks, I leaned against the rail and watched a sailboat drift on the water. Gage had neighbors on either side of his cabin, but both homes seemed empty for now. The boats at the end of the piers were covered and the deck furniture was lined up against the outer walls of the houses. I pulled one of the chairs away from Gage's house and dragged it to the edge of the deck.

Excited squeals and peals of laughter echoed over the water and drifted from a huge stone and glass home a few lots down. It was a hive of activity, and the lake around it was churning with swimmers and floats.

Tuning it out, I settled back into my morose mood. Gage and I hadn't spoken yet other than the necessary dialogue of debarking the helicopter, transferring to a waiting car, and being dropped off here at his house. He'd been fielding calls and texts throughout. If I hadn't actually heard some of the voice messages, I might have thought he was avoiding me.

Speak of the devil.

I registered the door swinging open behind me. Rascal's paws clipped noisily as he bounded from the house, crossed the deck, and disappeared down the steps to the ground level. Gage crossed the deck and leaned a hip against the rail as I had a few minutes ago, while absorbing the view. My view was his backside and I didn't mind it one bit. Sweet heaven, the man filled a pair of jeans in the most mouthwatering way. What I did mind was him ignoring my presence. The seconds became minutes in which he periodically whistled for Rascal if the dog wandered too far.

Finally, he turned, facing me. I became annoyed with myself when my breath caught and my pulse pounded. The front of his jeans rivaled the back. Jerking my eyes from his fly didn't slow my pulse much. His shades still sat atop his head, and his dark hair waved about his face. The sunlight brought out a ruddy glow in his features.

An eager gleam lit his dark gaze as it glided hopefully over my face. "Let's take the boat out."

Really?

"C'mon, Scar." He dragged my name out in that wheedling way he'd had since we were kids when he wanted to cajole me into some shenanigans. "Let's forget the shit this morning and have some fun."

"Forget that you kidnapped me?" is what I said, but my heart was screaming in a monstrous rage the words I wouldn't say aloud. Forget you're rethinking things?

"I didn't kidnap you."

"Our pilot thought so."

He scoffed with an annoying hiss of breath, ending in a contemptuous click of his vocal cords.