Stroke It - Brooke Page Page 0,19
tabloids?” I teased.
She laughed. “I think I’ll keep that one for bragging rights.”
We danced around the group of people. If any women had their eyes on me, I didn’t notice. I couldn’t take mine off of Regan. She was radiating now, smiling and giggling, chatty and playful. Her attention to me was different than other girls.
She was genuinely interested in what I had to say, and didn’t look at me for being Jet Ryder, the lead singer in Addicts Unite, or as a pain pill popping junkie.
She saw me as a normal guy, eyeliner and all.
It should have been a warning sign how exposed she made me feel, but I couldn’t resist answering her non-invasive questions. She was full of them.
“What’s your favorite instrument?”
“How do you warm up for a concert?”
“Is it true there are days you have to go without speaking because your voice gets so tired?”
“Is tour life really that bad?”
“Where are you staying tonight?”
I slowed our dance, pulling her closer. I wanted to stay with her, but my smooth player talk was stuck in my throat. For the first time in my life, I didn’t want to just fuck a girl, and comprehending what that meant was confusing.
“Regan,” I deep voice announced from behind me. Her eyes went wide, then narrowed.
Her jaw tightened and chin lifted with defiance. “Kyle.”
Chapter Seven
Raina, Present
When the music stopped and our voices faded, a silence filled the giant arena. It was so quiet, I could hear my own breathing. I pressed my lips tightly together, well aware the duet was more than just music.
It didn’t help that he was staring at me, the passion exuding through his words and eyes delving deeply into mine, right into the depths of my soul.
“That. Was. FANTASTIC!” Marco broke the silence. “We’ve got something, here, Seb”
Jet’s cold gray gaze was still locked on mine, and I darted my attention toward the empty stadium, unable to hold his gaze any longer. I might have had sunglasses to block my eyes, but he was piercing me right through the dark lenses.
He always had wonderful stage presence and spot on vocals. I admired his talents before anyone even knew my name. He was as sharp and on point as ever. He had the ability to get under my skin like no other person on this planet. He was cocky and full of himself, unable to keep his critical comments to himself, yet I was drawn to him like a moth to a flame. Why did doing something as simple as the octave of his voice turn me on?
Chemistry can be messed up sometimes.
Sebastian climbed onto the stage. “Should we run it again?”
“No, I’m all set,” I snapped, breezing by him in a hurry to get away from Jet.
“I think they’ll be just fine tonight,” Marco assured Seb.
“Drama queen has more important things to do,” Jet hummed intentionally loud enough for me to hear. I stopped dead in my tracks, damn near to the point of shouting back at him that I needed to get away from his cocky ass, but I knew that was what he wanted. He loved to poke and get a rise out of me, he had been that way since the night we had met. What would possess a man to find gratification out of arguing was beyond me.
I clenched my jaw and marched off the stage, Calvin quick to my heels.
“Whoa, girl,” he gasped, linking his arm with mine and matching my pace. “That was…”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” I snapped, tugging him in the direction of my security. “Would you please take me back to the hotel?”
The security guard nodded, leading the way toward the exit.
“Are you sure we can leave?” Calvin asked, looking over his shoulder. “Marco is a fine wine and all, but he can be a demon if he isn’t happy with your stage presence.”
“I’ll deal with him,” I said under my breath. “I need to get out of this venue.”
Calvin and I waited with security for the driver to come to the exit. I was thankful there weren’t any reporters waiting at this particular exit. For being in New York City, and at the biggest venue in the country, they had great security, but paparazzi never ceased to amaze me.
Calvin didn’t say anything to me the whole way to the hotel. Keeping his lips glued shut wasn’t an easy task for him, but he knew I wasn’t in the mood.
He didn’t speak until the door to my