Page 20 of Backstage with a Billionaire Rockstar

It’s been a couple of hours since Evan disappeared through the door when a tall and lanky guy, who looks to be in his early twenties, walks down the long hallway straight toward me. Even though Carmen has been calling me, I haven’t told anyone about where Evan and I are going to be for the night.

The image of Evan’s shaken-up form comes rushing back, and I shiver from the memory. The stranger comes to a stop in front of me, a bag dangling from his hand, and he holds it out to me lazily.

I reluctantly take it and frown. “Who are you?”

It’s my fault for thinking the front desk of this rundown place would actually listen to my request about people not being allowed on this floor with us for the night.

“Hendrix Mart delivery service,” he says with his chest puffed out.

He’s trying to look as though he’s tough, but I could knock him out without even having to try. I arch a brow, then glance down at the bag. “And what’s the delivery?”

I’m one more step away from calling the police and having him put into the back of their car. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt, though, and allow him to explain things to me.

The boy hasn’t lunged for me, or given any bad vibes, and that’s the only reason he’s getting a reprieve.

“Uh… shower stuff and clothes,” he mumbles, then looks down the hallway before sighing dramatically. “Listen, ma’am, I’ve had a long night. Is that all with the questions?”

I nod curtly, but keep my eyes on him as he saunters back down the hall toward the elevators. I’m digging through the bag, double checking that what he said checks out, when the hotel room door is pulled open.

When I look up, more than prepared to hand the contents out to Evan, I nearly choke on the air I’ve got in my lungs. He’s no longer wearing a shirt, with a towel flung over his shoulder, and a lazy smile pointed my way.

Even though I know I shouldn’t, I can’t help but track my gaze down his frame and take in the way his jeans hang low on his hips. If he turned around right now, I’m sure his ass would look magnificent.

He clears his throat, pulling me from my wandering thoughts, and chuckles. “Do I get my items, or you gonna hold them hostage, darlin’?”

I’ve lost all sense.

Without uttering a word, I shove the bag into his chest and shiver when my fingers graze over his bare skin. My pussy responds almost immediately, pulsing with need, but I shake my head and give Evan the most professional smile I can manage.

“Please tell me you weren’t an idiot and used your real name for the delivery?”

He places a hand over his heart, mouth dropped open dramatically, and he shakes his head with a frown. “Do you have no faith in me?”

I roll my eyes and press my back flat against the wall, forcing my gaze away from him and onto the wall across from me. There’s stains covering the length of it, showing that the owner can’t bother to clean up the place, and I can smell the faint scent of cigarette smoke hanging in the air – even though it says this is a smoke-free establishment.

Looking at the carpet I’m standing on, I can see crumbs nearly everywhere and wonder how long it’s been since someone actually cleaned the place. If I had to guess, I’d say weeks – maybe even months. The thought of Evan staying in one of their rooms has me frowning, but I know this is the best place for him to be.

“Don’t get upset, I was only joking,” Evan says, interrupting my perusal of our surroundings.

“I’m not upset,” I mutter, then jerk my head to the room. “Go rest before Carmen gets on my ass.”

He places his hand against his forehead in a salute, then says, “Aye aye, Captain,” before disappearing back into the room.

Even though I’m used to being on my feet for hours on end, I’m exhausted from the situation that happened outside the stadium and in desperate need of sleep. I’d love nothing more than to curl up on one of these beds, regardless of how clean the linens are, and pass out.

That’s not my job, though.

Instead of resting my head back, I keep away from the wall and dart my gaze down each end of the hallway to make sure no one gets any funny ideas.

The hours crawl by, each minute stretching like an eternity. My mind keeps replaying the attack, the wild look in the man's eyes, the way Evan's body trembled afterward. I should be focused solely on security, but I can't shake the memory of Evan's warmth when I pushed him down, the scent of his cologne mixed with sweat. I shake my head, trying to clear these unprofessional thoughts.

The last thing Evan’s needs is for another incident to happen so soon after another.

One thing’s for sure… the stalker is escalating things and I’m worried I’ll be too late on figuring out who the hell it is.

***

I close my eyes, needing relief for a few moments, when a knocking next to my head snaps them right back open. Before I can think, I’m putting my hand at my hip where my gun rests and more than prepared to take it out.

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