he seems to snap. His soft kisses turn demanding. Rough fingers tease under the edge of my shirt, tickling my skin. My heart pounds in my ears. His breathing quickens. This inescapable attraction between us still burns lightning-rod hot.
The crunch of gravel invades our moment. I draw back and peer over his shoulder. My van rolls into the parking lot. “Well, shoot. The band’s here.”
Rooster’s mouth twitches and he kisses the tip of my nose before setting me down. My gaze drops to the bulge in his jeans, and I slick my tongue over my lip.
He groans. “Don’t. I’m trying hard not to fuck up your night.”
I tip my head to the side, meeting his burning stare. “What?”
“Shelby.” He leans down and brushes his lips against my ear. “It’s taking all my control not to bend you over my bike, yank your jeans down, and—”
“Shelby!”
Dammit, Trent!
Rooster’s eyes turn hard as he twists around to see who dared interrupt us.
“Rooster.” I grip his chin and turn him to face me again. Curling one finger, I beckon him closer. “You owe me new panties.”
Curiosity erases his murderous expression. “How’s that?”
I wiggle my hips and he groans. “These are soaked because of you.”
The scrape and crunch of several pairs of boots puts an end to my teasing. Rooster’s not finished, though. He leans down again, whispering, “I’ll require proof later.”
“Shelby?” Trent stops next to us and I straighten, dropping my arms to my sides. Rooster keeps me close, his hand curled over my hip, our bodies pressed tight. “Did you check things out yet?”
“No, we just got here.” I wince at the shaky wobble to my voice. Trent’s disapproving big brother face shouldn’t have any effect on me. “I spoke to Greg, though.”
Trent grunts and gestures toward the loading dock. “I’ll grab someone to help us unload.” He sends a dismissive glance Rooster’s way. “Let you get ready.”
“Thanks.”
Rooster glances at the van. “You need help?”
“We’ve got it.” Trent rejects Rooster’s offer with a quick shake of his head.
Rooster’s eyes narrow, and I tug on his hand. “You’re with me.”
The usual nerves that leave my stomach fluttering before a show seem to have taken a vacation with Rooster here. Hand in hand, we stroll toward the loading dock and climb the stairs to the backstage area. A gentle breeze blowing through the open structure keeps the summer heat bearable.
“I want to do whatever I can to help you out,” Rooster says.
“You already are.” I nudge him with my shoulder. “You can play bodyguard if it makes you feel better.”
His protective, growly expression returns. “Do you need a bodyguard?”
Am I going to tell him about the guys who get too handsy night after night? Nope. He already had a taste of that mayhem in Texas and ended up getting into a brawl over it. “I’m fine.”
“That didn’t really answer my question.”
His concern wraps around me like a warm security blanket. More often than not I’ve felt like a petal tossed in the wind on this tour. My emotions twist and tangle. Should I share some of my fears and doubts with Rooster? Or pretend it’s all roses?
“Everything’s perfectly peachy.” I smile up at him. There’s no reason to dwell on negative things he can’t help me fix.
Because one thing I know for sure.
Our time together always has an expiration date.
Chapter Five
Rooster
I’ve never been a master at keeping my hands to myself. With Shelby so close, it’s damn near impossible. But I didn’t show up today to distract her or jack up her pre-show anxiety.
After her concert? Game on.
“Shelby! You ready for soundcheck?” Someone calls out.
“Yup! Coming.” She jogs down the long corridor toward the stage, hair bouncing around her shoulders and down her back. I have to quit gawking at her and pick up the pace, she’s moving so fast.
“Here.” Greg stops me with a hand on my chest—a hand he’s dangerously close to losing. I open my mouth to issue a warning, when he offers a shiny laminated rectangle with the name of the festival and VIP: All Access in big black letters across the bottom, strung on a black lanyard. “You need to wear this so no one hassles you backstage.”
Well, now I almost feel bad for wanting to break his arms. “Thanks.” I sling it around my neck and search the area for Shelby.
“She’ll be out onstage.” Greg points to a stack of amps a few feet away, near what looks like an entrance to the stage. “You can watch from there.”
“Okay.”