metal detector and we’re finally allowed through.
It’s crowded. It was the last show of the tour and people are partying. There’s an air of celebration. They must have a huge crew. And, of course, the entourage of everyone who’s lucky enough to get close to them.
The VIP lounge looks like a nightclub. The music is loud. There’s a bar at the far end. Ruby’s there to meet us and we make our way through the crowd. A waitress takes our orders and asks Ruby for her autograph.
The brothers haven’t arrived yet but the room is full of people, talking and mingling and waiting for the superstars to arrive.
Rose is bubbly and fun and Ruby talks to the people who stop by our group to congratulate her. Ruby introduces us to Roxie, the brothers’ manager and sister, who’s petite and gorgeous. Her eyes are the exact same color as Vaughn’s. She takes in my hair, my dress, studying me in a way that makes me think she knows something about my … connection with Vaughn, if you could call it that. She smiles at me almost ruefully. “Now I get it,” she says, even though I have no idea what she’s talking about. “He’s been in an absolute bitch of a mood.”
Before I can ask her what she means, an excited murmur goes through the crowd and I glance over to see Travis and Kade walk in. Travis sees us and starts making his way through the crowd. Kade heads toward the bar.
My heart is beating fast.
Maybe he’s not coming to the after-party.
Maybe he’s already left with some other girl.
But then … there he is. All 6’3’’ of amped-up rock god perfection. His eyes are wild, his hair still damp with sweat. He’s wearing black jeans and a black sleeveless t-shirt that shows off his muscular, inked arms. Moody aggression radiates off his wide shoulders as he pushes past several people to get to the bar. He seems impervious to the crowd of adoring fans surrounding him. A girl touches his arm but he turns away from her as the bartender serves him a drink. He tips it back.
He surveys the crowd, as though he’s searching for someone.
It’s at that moment that he sees me.
I can’t even breathe.
His eyes widen and his gaze drags down to my high-heeled sandals and slowly back up again.
He starts walking over to me.
My pulse is rioting but I do my best to stay calm, and not melt into a puddle on the floor, of lust, love and heart-pounding anticipation.
Before, Vaughn always had a coolness to him, a cocky, laid-back arrogance that made him seem like nothing affected him too deeply.
That’s gone.
The look in his eyes is feral and wrought.
He reaches me, and he glares down at me, like he’s furious.
It never occurred to me that he might be angry that I’ve come here.
But then his warm, rough palm slides under my hair around the nape of my neck. Vaughn’s mouth takes mine in a scorching kiss, his tongue touching mine. Right here. In front of his family and this crowd. He pulls back and there’s a smug challenge in his eyes, like he’s just made some kind of point. “I can guess why you wanted to surprise me. Did I pass your test?”
“It … it wasn’t a test.”
“I don’t believe you.” His fingers lace themselves through mine in a steel-strong grip. “And I need to talk to you. Alone.”
He guides me through the room. I glance back to see Rose giving me a thumbs up. Travis looks pissed off. Roxie has her hand on his chest and Ruby is holding his arm, like they’re restraining him.
I hear the murmurs of the people we pass. Isn’t that the same girl he was with at Speakeasy? Who is she?
I can feel the ferocious tension in Vaughn’s body as he keeps me close to him, until we’re at the door, where several security guards take us to a limo.
We don’t talk much on the way. Despite the erotic conversations we’ve been having until late into the nights, our relationship is too new. We’ve only spent a matter of hours in each other’s company. His fierce energy isn’t scaring me … in fact it’s making me feel reckless because I know what he’s going to do with all that pent-up temper. He’s going to use it on me.
And I want him to. I want all of him.
We’re taken to a hotel where we’re escorted through a door to a