Bassist Instinct (The Rocker Series #2) Read online

  “My love?” Connor asked.

  “Just water, thanks,” Genna said back to him with a smile as she poured Piper’s wine. “Tess tells me that every time she went anywhere off campus she ran into you. From the movies to the Folger library, I think it’s funny you have such similar tastes,” Genna said.

  “It is, isn’t it? One day I was standing watching the lemurs at the zoo and she came up next to me and said we could save on gas if we just went together. I’ve honestly never had a student who was such a grown up before. We even bumped into each other at the Kennedy Center for Der Ring Des Nibleungen. I never expected to see a student at a fifteen hour opera, I tell you.”

  “She was there with my father, he’d been sitting on those tickets for over a year,” Genna laughed. “He couldn’t talk my mother into going, and Tess was game.”

  “Tess is unusual, she’s older than her years.”

  “I’ve always thought that, too. Old souls, we call them in Ireland,” Connor said.

  “We call them that here, too,” Genna said beaming at him. He was on his hands and knees wiping up various bits of food from his namesake, Alex was riding his back as if he were a placid horse. She loved that he thought of it. She also loved the shape of his glorious ass. He gave her a grin and she knew he knew she was checking him out.

  She took a deep breath and refocused on Fiona. Tate was looking at Fiona’s mouth, and when she licked the wine from her lips his eyes darkened. Uh-oh, Tess is not going to like that. Genna looked up as Tess stepped in through the swinging door and she rolled her eyes at her mother. From Tess’s expression, Genna knew at that moment that she was manipulating Tate. By being told “don’t,” Tate couldn’t help himself. Tess wanted him to flirt with her professor. The sly fox, what was she playing at?

  “Let’s go out to the living room, my parents won’t entertain in the kitchen,” she turned and looked at Connor again. “Unlike my husband.” Connor winked at her and Fiona chuckled, thinking of him on the counter moving like some kind of rock star. He was gorgeous, she had to admit. But the whole family was, starting with the very pretty man, Tate, Tate Dylan. She followed Genna back out of the kitchen. They were followed by Piper and Edgar.

  “Hop off, laddie,” Connor said and Alex, who jumped off his dad and followed Genna into the other room. “Tate, a word,” Connor said and Tate hesitated.

  “I know, I promised Tess I wouldn’t, but Connor, she hasn’t got the first clue who we are. No idea at all. It calls to me like nothing else. And Christ, look at the wee lass…”

  “Tate, calm yourself. Just don’t be an asshole about it. It’s clear to me she doesn’t have the first clue, which might give you an edge in this particular instance,” he grinned at Tate who didn’t think that was funny at all. “She’s a serious woman, not unlike my Genna, she holds a real job, and she’s not likely to drop everything to follow you around. Just consider your actions for a change, mate, she not like the usual bit of fluff, and you know it. Tread gently, aye?”

  “She’s a grown up, Connor,” he said and walked out of the kitchen. Connor looked at the door swinging closed and remembered he said that exact same thing to Ryan about Genna. He huffed out a laugh, washed his hands and went in to be with his family.

  Xav and Genna were each sitting next to Tess, with Alex at Tess’s feet, his small body wedged between Tess’s and Genna’s legs, unable to get enough of Tess for the brief holiday. Tess was holding forth about a demonstration she and Fiona marched at last spring on the Mall downtown, with Amelia’s tortoise shell cat, Desdemona, curled up in her lap getting scratched behind her ears.

  Connor sat on the other side of Genna and she smiled warmly at him and took his hand in hers. He had never known a closer family. By the time Genna’s first husband died, her little family had forged a tight bond, and they generously, even lovingly, allowed him and his son, Alex, to share it. He knew he was a lucky bastard. He put his arm around her and she leaned into him. He kissed her fingertips, feeling her satisfied sigh.

  “There were probably a hundred thousand people on the Mall, and Fiona and I crashed into each other, quite literally, it was sort of chilling,” Tess said.

  “Tess looked at me and said: ‘Oh, there you are, do you need a lift home?’ We laughed and went and had lunch,” Fiona said.

  “What’s the Mall? Is it a shopping mall?” Alex asked.

  “No, it’s the National Mall, it’s the stretch of land that runs from the Capitol building all the way to the Lincoln Memorial,” Tess explained. “Remember when we went to see the monuments last year?” Alex nodded. “That’s the Mall.” They smiled at each other.

  “Were you there on your own?” Genna asked. “Aside from the other 99,999 people there, that is.” Tess chuckled.

  “That’s another thing, we had both gotten separated from our respective groups, and we had both become bored with them, too. We texted the guys and took off to everyone’s satisfaction,” Tess smiled and Xav gave her a look and leaned over to ask something quietly and Tess giggled a little and nodded at him.

  “Out with it, Mite,” Alasdair said and Tess got a little red.

  “Well Lally, if you must know, the guys I went with got into a little trouble after I left them. And one of them was being a bit too friendly, if you know what I mean, so Fiona was rather a Godsend.”

  “So you are,” Tate said very softly next to her. She turned her head to see if she was imagining things, but he was looking right at her with a decidedly sexy look on his face.

  “What kind of trouble?” Genna asked.

  “They got arrested for drunk and disorderly, and there may have been some nudity involved,” she and Xav laughed a little. “Don’t worry Mom, I don’t hang out with them much.” Genna rolled her eyes.

  “Glad to hear it,” Genna said.

  “Sounds like some of the antics we got up to, right Con?” Tate said with an evil grin.

  “So Fiona, you’re a music theorist, what kind of music do you theorize about?” Connor changed the subject. His father-in-law didn’t need to hear anything more about his antics, drunk or otherwise. “And what do you listen to when you’re on your own?”

  “Hmm. I usually let my students choose any kind of music they want when it comes to assignments. I mostly perform music and teach music, but I don’t listen to the radio, I’m afraid,” she said.

  “Fair enough. We’ve established that you play the piano, what do you play? Classical?” He said.

  “Almost entirely, I might be able to plunk something out if you hum a few bars and I’ve heard the song before, but yes, mostly, but not exclusively, classical.” Tate looked so happy she gave him a questioning look. He clearly had a secret joke and it was at her expense, she thought. She’d like to wipe that smug look off his face. She’d like to kiss those perfect lips, too. Oh God, what was she thinking?

  “If you should be so moved,” Amelia gestured to the piano in the connecting room. “We’d love to hear you plunk something out.” Fiona looked at the piano, it was a lovely old grand. As tempting as it was, she thought she’d pass.

  “I’ll need a little more fortification for that, I think,” she said with a smile and Tate leaned over and filled her glass with the delicious wine. She gave him another look that made him smile and want to kiss her.

  “Then you’d be the only one, this room is full of egos dying to play for you,” Amelia said with a charming grin that seemed to take the edge off the insult. Connor laughed.

  “And Ryan’s not even back down yet,” he said and Amelia gave him the grin again.

  “After dinner, then,” Tate said, it wasn’t a question.

  “Shall I fetch my pipes?” Alasdair asked teasingly.

  “Oh God, Lally, no!” Tess said and he reached over and squeezed her hand.

  “Only you could get away with that, my dear,” he said fondly to his granddaughter.

  “I wouldn’t mind hearing them, Alasdair,” Fiona said.

  “I’ll need a wee bit mor
e fortification, too,” he said and they laughed.

  “Who’s your favorite rock band, then?” Tate asked. He studied her features.

  “Favorite rock band? Probably The Beatles,” she said smiling at him.

  “You do know they broke up, aye?” He said and she laughed.

  “Oh no!” She brought the back of her hand to her forehead and he grinned at her.

  Ryan and Christie came down just as the caterers were setting up. Christie had a raw patch of beard burn on her throat from her husband’s attentions, and they both looked flushed and happy. Connor and Tate rolled their eyes at each other knowing exactly what they had been up to, having seen it a hundred times before. Amelia announced dinner was served and everyone went into the dining room.

  The table looked as if Martha Stewart herself set it up. There were several cornucopias set up along the long table, spilling exotic gourds and fruit, tall candles on ruthlessly polished silver candlesticks, small candles floating in shallow bowls of water, and copper and red chrysanthemums everywhere.

  They ate a superb dinner, served and cleaned up by the caterers. Tate hadn’t taken his eyes from Fiona the whole meal, and everyone noticed. He had moved the place cards so that he sat next to her and made every effort to touch her, inciting shivers from her again and again. He was encouraged by them and found himself extremely turned on by the obvious effect he had on her. She flushed when their gazes met, and Tate was completely charmed by it, and by her.

  “Give us your phone number,” he whispered into her ear. The heat of his breath on her neck nearly undid her, and she blushed crimson at the lust that swept through her. She tried to ignore him, but she couldn’t help it, she was definitely aroused by him and he took up most of her attention. The second time he asked for it she wrote a number out on the tablecloth between them with her finger. He literally bounced in his seat with excitement and Fiona laughed out loud.

  “I missed half of that, do it again, love,” Tate said and Fiona just smiled at him. “Don’t tease me, love.” All that got him was another smile.

  Tess watched Fiona and Tate interact and hoped she hadn’t made a mistake in setting them up, but Fiona needed to be nudged a little, she needed to feel beautiful, and nobody did that as well as Tate did. Fiona was beautiful, inside and out. Her shiny black hair fell to her mid back and curled slightly around the bottoms of her shoulder blades. She had delicate features; a narrow nose, giant blue eyes, and full lips, which Tate seemed to be completely absorbed by if his intent looks were any indication.

  Tess loved the fact that Tate appreciated beauty in every form. Tess had always noticed things about people, and one of the first things she noticed about Tate when she met him was that he loved women and women loved him. He was eager to please, and easily pleased, and right now he was staggering toward rapture if Tess didn’t misunderstand that look. Looking around the table she noticed her grandfather scrutinizing her. She smiled at him and he lifted his rather formidable brow at her. Lally was the hardest person to read, he always had been, but she had the impression that he knew exactly what she was up to, and he approved. She looked at Xav. Xav had always been the easiest person for her to read, but she’d known him all his life. He winked at her.

  Connor was rubbing off on them all, she’d never met anyone who winked as much as Connor did. Maybe it was just that he joked around so much, life was pure pleasure for that man, and for her mom, now that he was with her. They were all lucky to have the rock band in their lives.

  “How’s Razz?” She asked thinking of the missing band member.

  “He’s grand, he’ll be in New York for the…interview thing,” Tate said, suddenly evasive. “Mary’s pregnant again.”

  “Cool!”

  “Will Mary come to New York?” Genna asked.

  “Not bloody likely, she has the girls to mind. She’s not keen on traveling, and for the first time she’s not loving being pregnant, I think that means it’s a boy this time,” Tate said.

  “Aren’t you the scientist, then,” Christie said and they laughed.

  “Are you all going to New York?” Tess asked.

  “I was going to fly back home with the boys. I’ve been away for a long time. I miss my animals,” Genna said.

  “I’m going,” Christie said and no one was surprised. Christie and Ryan barely separated for anything.

  “I miss you already,” Tess said with a beautiful pout.

  “When are you due, Genna?” Fiona asked.

  “March,” she said and Fiona saw Connor squeeze her hand.

  “Do you know the gender?”

  “Yes, my doc says it’s either a girl or an extremely shy boy,” Genna said smiling.

  “And since we’re fairly certain I’m the father,” Connor said to general laughter. “She’s a girl, there’s no shy gene in me.” He was grinning ear to ear.

  “Heaven help you, my dear,” Amelia said to Genna and everyone laughed. “I’m so pleased to see you are enjoying my mother’s pearls, my dear.” She gestured to the long string of pearls around Genna’s throat. Connor choked on his wine, swallowed and coughed a few times very loudly. Genna bit her lip and looked at her husband.

  “I love these pearls, Mum,” she said and laid her hand on Connor’s back. He leaned over and kissed her on the lips quickly and then beamed at Amelia.

  “As do I,” he said hoarsely. Amelia was immediately suspicious and she narrowed her eyes at them both.

  “Amelia, this is truly delicious,” Xav said to the agreement of the table. “Great American cuisine. But let’s discuss Irish cuisine for a moment.” His slow smile made its way around the table and Genna leaned up against Connor to enjoy whatever was coming.

  “Are you going to say that’s an oxymoron, lad?” Ryan said giving him a look that said “Tread carefully.”

  “No, not at all, but since you mention it…” A roll flew past Xav’s head and was caught by Edgar who glanced at Amelia to gauge whether or not to throw it back at Ryan. Nope, he put it next to his plate and she smiled at him. Only Piper’s mother could frighten the ex-army ranger with nothing in her arsenal but eye contact. Piper took Edgar’s hand for reassurance and he grinned at her and offered her the roll. She shook her head and he sank his teeth into it lustily.

  “When we go to Dublin we eat really well,” Xav continued. “Every version of Dublin coddle is delicious, but hey, anything with bacon and sausage has got to be good, right?”

  “Hear, hear,” Tess said and Xav nodded at her.

  “Where are you headed with this?” Ryan asked suspiciously. Xav was clearly setting something up and Ryan knew it. There were already smiles around the table anticipating Xav’s punch line.

  “I was heading toward stew, actually, Ryan. No one makes stew as well as the Irish in my estimation,” he said.

  “You need to spend more time in Scotland, my lad,” Lally said.

  “Haggis, Lally. That’s all anyone needs to say on the subject of food in Scotland,” Xav said and everybody laughed, but no one more than Alasdair.

  “We brew a fine cup of tea,” Lally said, almost to himself.

  “Irish stew, yessiree. Lamb stew, bean stew, beef stew…” Xav continued.

  “Bean stew? Irish bean stew? Are you mad? When we were growing up,” Ryan pointed at Connor who nodded, grinning. “It was cabbage stew, and you’d be lucky to find a bean within a block of it,” Ryan said setting him up nicely.

  “Aye, the cabbage was bad enough,” Connor said to more laughter.

  Xav raised his index finger professorially to get the attention of the table back to him.

  “As it happens, there is a very precise recipe for Irish bean stew, you know? Did you know that there are exactly 239 beans in Irish bean stew, and do you know why?”

  He had the attention of the entire table, and Tess, who knew where this was going, hid her mouth behind her hand as she watched Ryan, because really the joke was for Ryan.

  “Enlighten us, why don’t you, lad?” He said
.

  “Because Ryan, just one more bean, one single bean, and the stew would be too farty.” The Americans giggled but the Irish faces were unmoved. This made the Americans laugh even harder, and then Alasdair hooted, which brought the house down.

  Even the caterers were laughing.

  Amelia, who had her fill of bodily function jokes decades ago, signaled for the coffee and tea to be started, and the caterers wiped the tears from their eyes and escaped. They could hear the laughter from the kitchen. Ryan pretended to stand up and Xav nearly killed himself trying to escape the table.

  “Is it stand-up comedy you’re going to do when you grow up, mate? You’ve a way with it,” Tate said.

  “No, I want to be a rock star,” he said to more laughter.

  “Good luck with that,” Ryan said.

  “He’s always been funny,” Tess said. “Otherwise we’d have ditched him long ago.” She smiled at her brother.

  “Rick would do that, too,” Piper said. “That man was funny. Mostly because he was very quietly observing, and then he’d come up with a gem when no one expected it.” She looked at her sister, wondering if she had stepped over the line bringing up Genna’s dead husband, but she was smiling. Genna leaned back up against Connor and he put his hand on her thigh and gently squeezed.

  For Fiona’s sake Genna elaborated. “Rick was my first husband, he was Tess’s and Xav’s father, he died a few years ago,” she said. “Xavier has his delightful sense of humor, although I’m not sure I remember Rick ever making fart jokes at the table.” Genna’s eyebrow went up at her son. Fiona loved how Genna said the name Xavier in the French pronunciation.

  “You laughed as hard as anybody else, Mom,” Xav said with a playful grin. “And so did the nutmeg, I could see her bouncing around in there.” Genna put her hand on her abdomen and nodded.

  “She’s still laughing,” she said. Alex came over and put his hand on Genna’s belly. She took it and placed it right on the spot where little feet were drumming out a tattoo. His eyes went wide and his mouth made a small delighted O. Tess came over to her, too.