Page 9 of Don't Fall For A Rockstar

I sighed and ran a hand down Nate’s bare shoulder. I couldn’t stop touching him. His skin, unlike mine, was so soft and smooth. Well, except for his fingers. He had calluses like every guitarist I knew.

“It was by necessity rather than choice.”

Suddenly, a lump formed in my throat. Talking about the past always did that to me.

“You don’t have to, I—” Nate started to move away.

I held on tighter. Strange how I didn’t want to let him go.

“I grew up in Nashville. After high school, I decided to become an electrician, so I applied to an apprentice program,” I whispered. “I was living with my stepdad at the time. My mom passed when I was sixteen, and he was my only remaining family. Anyway, around that time, shortly after I turned nineteen, I decided to come out. It was time. I thought everything would be fine. But it wasn’t. He was disgusted by the fact that I was queer. He kicked me out. I had no job, no money, and no more apprenticeship.”

“Jesus, Tommy.”

Nate hugged me tightly.

And for once, I didn’t mind being vulnerable. “I lived on the streets for a while, and then at a homeless shelter, where I finally got help looking for a job. Everything changed when I was introduced to Ace. His brother volunteered at the shelter. Next thing I knew, Ace offered me a job with his crew, and I hit the road. Haven’t looked back since.”

“And you like it?”

“I love it. The people, the music, even the chaos when things go to shit,” I chuckled. “Being part of a group like Wayward Lane is more than a job. We’re our own kind of family. A motley one, but still.”

I felt Nate’s smile against my shoulder.

“All the guys are great. It’s been fun meeting and performing with them. We went out to another club a couple of nights ago and shit, can they party,” Nate admitted. “And I can tell by the way they talk about you, how much they like and respect you. I watched you set up tonight. It was impressive. Not just how hard you work, but how much pride you have in that stage.”

“Those instruments are my babies,” I confessed. “Well, not mine, but I take good care of them.”

“Do you play?”

I nodded. “Guitar. Not great, and not for anyone but me.”

“You never caught the performance bug?”

“No, thanks.” I shook my head. “I like working behind the scenes.”

“And what about when you’re not on the road?”

“I have a condo in Nashville. It’s small, but it’s all I need. And I…I do some volunteer work with the shelter when I’m home.”

Nate leaned back and looked at me. “I get it. The concert tonight, the fundraiser for Harvest King, is a cause near and dear to my family. Food scarcity is something we lived with growing up. So, I like to give back any way I can.”

My respect for the man and the musician only grew. It made my heart race and my chest tighten in a way I’d never felt before. I had friends and lovers, but no one who was ever both. And fuck, I’d only had one shot of tequila tonight, but I was surely punch drunk.

“Well,” I cleared my throat, trying to get my head back to working order. “The concert was a total success all around.”

“Did you enjoy our performance?” Nate asked hesitantly and then tried to pull away again. “Wait, you don’t have to answer that.”

For a rockstar on the rise, Nate was sweetly humble. I stared into his eyes and pulled him closer until he was lying on top of me.

“I got to witness the sexiest singer with the most incredible voice.”

Nate flushed and shook his head. He better get used to the praise. There was a lot more coming.

“Even with the Halloween costume?”

“Oh, yeah,” I nodded and wrapped my arms and legs around him. “You in that dress and those red glitter heels? Hottest thing I’ve ever seen.”

Nate

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