I ground my hips into his hand, working toward the orgasm I needed so desperately.
The song ended and the lights went out.
Drenched in darkness, the crowd roared.
Anticipation weighted the audience, building until the strum of guitar strings broke the heavy expectation.
Shouts rang out, then lighters flickered to life, turning the sea of people into thousands of fireflies.
A spotlight hit the stage, revealing Brett sitting on a bar stool, shirtless and glistening with sweat.
His chest was hard and defined, his abs ridged with muscle.
He lowered the height of the microphone stand and the piercings in his nipples glittered with his movements.
The women in the audience screamed, including Shawna, who jumped in place and gave an earsplitting whistle.
I totally got it.
Sitting there as he was, with his feet propped on the rungs of the chair and his muscular arms covered in sleeves of black and gray tattoos, Brett looked insanely sexy and extremely fuckable.
For six months nearly four years ago I'd debased myself to get him naked every chance I could, so infatuated with him and desperate to be loved that I took whatever scraps he threw me.
Gideon's fingers began to slide in and out of me.
The bass kicked in.
Brett began to sing a song I'd never heard before, his voice low and soulful, the words crystal clear.
He had the voice of a fallen angel.
Mesmerizing.
Seductive.
And the face and body to enhance the temptation.
Golden girl, there you are.
I'm singing for the crowd, the music's loud.
I'm living my dream, riding the high, But I see you there, sunlight in your hair, And I'm ready to go, desperate to fly.
Golden girl, there you are.
Dancing for the crowd, the music's loud.
I want you so bad.
I can't look away.
Later, you'll drop to your knees.
You'll beg me please.
And then you'll go, it's only your body I know.
Golden girl, where'd you go? You're not there, with sunlight in your hair.
I could have you in the bar or the back of my car, But never your heart.
I'm falling apart.
I'll drop to my knees, I'll beg you.
Please.
Please don't go.
There's so much more I want to know.
Eva, please.
I'm on my knees.
Golden girl, where'd you go? I'm singing for the crowd, the music's loud.
And you're not there, with sunlight in your hair.
Eva, please.
I'm on my knees.
The spotlight went dark.
A long moment passed as the music faded.
Then the lights came back on and the drums exploded with sound.
The flames winked out and the crowd went crazy.
But I was lost to the roaring in my ears, the tightness in my chest, and a confusion that had me reeling.
"That song," Gideon growled in my ear, his fingers fucking me forcefully, "makes me think of you."
His palm pressed into my clit and massaged, and I climaxed in a rush that took me by storm.
Tears came to my eyes.
I cried out, shaking in his arms.
Gripping the railing in front of me, I held on and let the unstoppable pleasure pulse through me.
* * *
When the show was over, all I could think about was getting to a phone and calling Cary.
While we waited for the crowd to thin, I leaned heavily into Gideon, drawing support from the strength of his arms around me.
"You okay?" he asked, running his hands up and down my back.
"I'm fine," I lied.
Honestly, I didn't know how I was feeling.
It shouldn't matter that Brett wrote a song about me that painted a different light on our fuck-buddy history.
I was in love with someone else.
"I want to go, too," he murmured.
"I'm dying to get inside you, angel.
I can barely think straight."
I pushed my hands into the back pockets of his jeans.
"So let's get out of here."
"I've got backstage access."
He kissed the tip of my nose when I leaned back to look up at him.
"We don't have to tell them, if you'd rather get out of here."
I seriously debated it for a moment.
After all, the night had been great as it was, thanks to Gideon.
But I knew it'd bother me later, if I denied Shawna and Arnoldo - who was also a Six-Ninths fan - something they'd remember for the rest of their lives.
And I'd be lying if I didn't admit to myself that I wanted to catch a glimpse of Brett up close.
I didn't want him to see me, but I wanted to see him.
"No.
Let's take them back there."
Gideon grabbed my hand and spoke to our friends, whose excitement over the news gave me the excuse to say I'd done it solely for them.