Carpathian 12 - Dark Melody

as a greeting. "My name is Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
    Cullen Tucker." He wished he had a pickup line that would make him stand out from all the men staring at her, but he hadn't tried to attract a woman in years.
    "Lisa Wentworth." Lisa stuck out her hand and flashed a blazing smile while Corinne seemed to shrink back into the shadows, her face slightly averted, her hair spilling down like a silken shield. "This is Corinne. Corinne Wentworth."
    Cullen raised an eyebrow in inquiry. They looked nothing alike, although he thought them both beautiful.
    "What would you like to drink?"
    "We're both just drinking water," Lisa offered, a flirty smile curving her soft mouth. "I'll let you get it for us if you promise to sit with us."
    "I'll be right back," Cullen commented, rather pleased that Lisa wasn't staring up at Dayan with that look he recognized in so many women. He had learned, in traveling with the band, that few of the groupies cared what the band members were like, only that they were famous and played in a band.
    "What are you doing, Lisa?" Corinne hissed. "Are you crazy? You never pick up men. What are you thinking? Tell me you aren't using him to meet the guitar player."
    "Of course I'm not. I don't know – there's just something about him. He's cute. He isn't looking at me as if I'm something to drape on his arm and show off. It gets tiring. Do you mind so much if he just talks to us? You can stare some more at Dayan while he plays." There was a hopeful note in Lisa's voice.
    Corinne took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She wasn't being fair to Lisa. Lisa needed to have fun.
    She had been taking care of Corinne for months now. Carefully Corinne hid her trembling hand out of sight in her lap and forced herself to shrug casually. "I suppose I can do that. But I'm not looking at him anymore. Just hearing him play is overwhelming. He's almost too good."
    Lisa's eyes were on the man at the bar, surveying him with interest. His shoulders were square and he stood very straight. She liked the way he looked her right in the eye. There was something else, something that touched her heart. She couldn't define or explain it to Corinne, but he looked like a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders and no one to ease his burden. The plain truth was, she liked the look of him.
    "I'll take Cullen," Lisa said half seriously, "and you can go for the guitar player."
    Corinne flashed a saucy smile. "He's too good to be true. Men like that break hearts everywhere they go. They have that element of danger because they really are bad boys. Women think they can change them, but the truth is, they're bad and there's nothing to be done about it. If you're a smart woman, which I am, you only stare at them and fantasize; you don't go near them or you get your fingers burned. I'll just listen to him play and be very happy."
    Cullen made his way through the crowded club back to the booth where the two women were seated.
    He had no idea what he was going to say to them. The blonde was striking terror in his heart. He couldn't possibly become interested in a woman, not with a pack of murderers hounding his footsteps. Very carefully he set a bottle of water before each of them.
    Lisa smiled up at him and scooted over, allowing Cullen to sit beside her. The room was crowded and it was very loud. She wanted to hear every word this man spoke. Corinne shifted slightly to give Lisa a little more privacy to work her magic. Lisa deserved to find a nice man. Someone. She would need someone Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
    very soon.
    The music continued, but Corinne noticed the moment Dayan stopped playing. The beauty and clarity were gone from the music, leaving an okay group making up for their lack of genius with enthusiasm. She couldn't help it; she stole a quick look at him from under her long lashes. He was standing up, a casual, almost lazy move that reminded her of a large jungle cat stretching. He was careful with his guitar, setting it against the far wall out of reach of any light-fingered fans or rowdies. For a brief moment he surveyed the crowd, most of whom were staring up at him in rapt adoration. A flicker of what could have been impatience crossed his face.
    He turned his head and looked directly at her. Instantly she felt the weight of his stare. Intent. Hungry.
    Corinne's heart seemed to stop beating. He was looking at