Page 46 of Fractured Dreams

Noah laughed and shook his head, while Zac frowned, then jerked his head in the negative. Eden tensed as the host turned to Tex. “What about you Tex? I’m sure there are plenty of women in the audience who’d like to know if you’re available. So, tell us, is there anyone special in your life?”

Eden held her breath, not sure what Tex was going to say. She might have been the only one who noticed the slightest of pauses before the corners of his lips tipped up and he drawled, “No, no one special.”

Eden’s stomach twisted. Even though she knew he couldn’t do anything other than deny he was in a relationship, not without raising a whole host of questions from the others, hearing the words still sent a frisson of doubt through her. It was the apparent ease with which he said it, and the sexy half-smile he gave the crowd when they cheered their approval. She knew it meant nothing, but still, it only seemed to add to the agitation that had been building in her over the last few weeks.

The band ended the show by playing one of their hit songs for the studio audience, and Eden let her irrational fear fade away as she listened to them play, swept up as always in the music.

That was it for the interviews, so they all headed back to the hotel to change before going out to dinner and then on to a club owned by a friend of Drew’s.

Eden dressed for the occasion of her first night out in New York City in a shimmery, champagne-colored wraparound dress that hugged her curves and had a neckline low enough to expose the inner curve of her breasts. The long, hot look that Tex gave her when he saw her made her pulse rate skyrocket.

Once again, they were escorted to the club’s VIP section which had its own dance floor. But this time Eden didn’t have eyes for anyone but Tex, looking so incredibly sexy in just tight jeans and a plain fitted T-shirt. She wished they could be back at the hotel rather than out for the night, and she knew Tex felt the same way, because he couldn’t seem to keep his eyes off her. The pounding beat of the music, the heat of Tex’s gaze as he watched her while his thumb rubbed slowly and seductively over his bottom lip, the thought of what he would do to her later, all had her shifting restlessly in her seat.

“Do you want to get out there and dance?” Lexie asked, and when Eden glanced at her, the knowing look in Lexie’s gray eyes told her at least one person had probably figured out their secret.

When she nodded gratefully, Lexie stood and tugged her up by the hand, leading her past the guys. Connor as always, only had eyes for Lexie, Zac was talking to a girl in the corner, Noah was frowning as he scrolled through his phone. And Tex… well, Tex was sitting back in his seat, eyes glittering and a lazy smile on his face as he watched her pass. Eden’s breath caught and she had to drag her gaze away from him.

Out on the dance floor, Eden tried to let go of her restlessness and lose herself in the music. She swayed to the beat, moving her hips as she danced with her eyes closed. She imagined what was going to happen when they got back to the hotel, when Tex would come to her door, when they had the whole night together again. Or close to it anyway. She saw him in her mind’s eye, grabbing the hem of his T-shirt and pulling it off over his head, exposing his hard chest and abs. She imagined pressing her lips to every inch of ink on his skin, working her way down—

Lexie’s voice in her ear brought her out of her trance. “Incoming,” was all she said.

Eden’s eyes flashed open, meeting Tex’s hard-eyed stare.

“Can I talk to you for a second, Eden?” His request was polite, but his tone and the expression in his eyes was anything but.

“I need a break anyway,” said Lexie. “I’ll head back up.” She flashed a smile at Eden, then turned and headed to the seating area. Eden looked for Noah and found him and Zac in conversation with two women. No one was looking in their direction.

Tex put his hand on Eden’s back and herded her through the dancers to a dark corner, out of sight of where the others were sitting. Satisfied no one could see them, Tex spun her and pushed her up against the wall, resting his forearm above her head as he leaned down close to her, his hot breath tickling the shell of her ear. “Do you have any idea what you’re doing to me?” His eyes were dark, pupils dilated. “I want you so fucking badly. Watching you move your body like that is torture.”

Eden’s heart was beating fast, and she licked her suddenly dry lips before responding, “I want you too, Tex. I was imagining tonight, us together, while I was danci—” That was as far as she got before his mouth was on hers, his lips almost bruising, his hands at her hips pulling her into him so she could feel the hard ridge of him against her. Eden moaned, her arms going around his back as she arched up into him.

Voices coming closer caused Tex to break the kiss, both of them breathing heavily. He took a step back from her and raked his hands through his hair, blowing out a frustrated breath.

“Come on,” he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her with him as he headed back toward their seats. Too soon, he let her go, only guiding her in front of him with a hand on her back. They needn’t have worried, since Noah still seemed distracted by the woman he’d been talking to before. But Eden noticed Zac had an enigmatic smile on his face as he watched them approach. When he noticed Eden looking at him, he merely winked and raised his glass to his mouth for a drink before turning back to the woman talking his ear off.

What with Lexie and now possibly Zac, this might end up being the worst kept secret ever.

Just before Eden sat down next to Lexie, Tex bent down and murmured, “Tonight,” in her ear.

She shivered.

Chapter 27

Eden woke with the familiar sweet ache which told her she’d spent the night with Tex. She opened her eyes, turning her head to see him gone from the bed. She’d been expecting it, but still, not seeing him there sent a dull pain through her.

Eden put her hand out and rested it on the mattress where he’d been lying when she fell asleep, but the sheet was cool to the touch. He’d gone, leaving nothing to show he’d been there except the marks he’d left on her body.

Without warning, tears welled up and overflowed, trickling down her cheeks. All the anxiety she’d been feeling over the last few weeks finally burst forth.Thatwas what she was afraid of; it wasn’t just Noah’s reaction she feared. She’d been trying to keep reality at bay and stay in the little bubble she’d created with Tex, where she felt safe, like she was in a beautiful dream where nothing could hurt her.

It had been easy to pretend nothing could go wrong when it was just the two of them wrapped up in each other. But everything would change once they revealed their relationship. It wouldn’t just be the two of them anymore, it wouldn’t even be just their friends and family, it’d be the whole damn world because of who Tex was. And Eden couldn’t stop the feeling that when that happened—when reality hit—it was all going to blow up in her face. That the beautiful dream she’d been living would prove to be nothing more than an illusion. That Tex would disappear as if he’d never been there at all, the only thing left to remember him by, the damage to her heart.

Even after only two months, Eden knew she’d fallen crazily, irrevocably in love with Tex. Her previous relationships hadn’t prepared her for how terrifying it was to give her heart to someone so completely—how vulnerable it made you. She’d been shocked by how quickly Tanner had replaced her; and terribly hurt by what Mason had done. But losing Tex now would hurt far, far worse than that, and she wasn’t sure how she would cope if it happened.

But reality was coming whether or not she wanted it to. In less than two weeks, she was leaving, and she had to tell Noah before then; it wouldn’t be fair leaving Tex to deal with keeping that secret on his own. But as much as she tried telling herself that it would all work out, that there was nothing to be nervous about, this time she couldn’t rid herself of the irrational fear coursing through her—the fear that the next ten days might be all that was left for her and Tex.

Eventually the tears tapered off, and Eden wiped the wetness from her cheeks. She was being ridiculous; both she and Tex wanted this to work. Well, she was fairly sure Tex wanted that anyway. Eden frowned, realizing it had been a while since he’d said anything to her about telling Noah. Then she shook her head at herself; now she was just being paranoid.

Eden climbed out of bed and headed for the shower. Tonight, Fractured was going to be performing live, with the new album being announced on social media straight afterward. And then she’d get to spend the night with Tex again. But until then, while the guys were going to be busy with sound checks, Eden and Lexie were going to do a little shopping. She pushed her fears aside. Hopefully she’d feel better after a bit of retail therapy.

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