Page 124 of A Little Broken

I can feel her looking at me, but I can’t stop staring at Paxton playing the guitar. The easy way he holds it. The way his mouth moves as he joins in on the chorus. It’s sexy as hell. He’s sexy as hell. As if he can feel my gaze, his attention cuts across the beach, and his mouth lifts into the most seductive smile I’ve ever seen. I’m too stunned to speak. Or move. Or do anything, really. I haven’t seen Pax in his element since my twenty-first birthday. And maybe it’s because I didn’t know him back then, or maybe he’s only gotten more attractive with age, or maybe he’s simply a better guitarist than he was before, but I don’t even need to know the reason behind it. All I know is I’ve never been nervous around a guy. Never felt giddy and swoony and speechless, and a little nauseated, if I’m being totally honest. But right now? Right now, I do. I really, really do.

Still holding my gaze, he leans a little closer to the drummer, says something to him, then sets his guitar down before pushing to his feet. Without missing a beat, the rest of the band keeps playing. Cooper’s voice is like a freaking angel as he continues singing the song while Pax jogs toward us.

“You made it,” he says.

“We did,” Rory returns. “And also, bravo, Paxton.” She motions toward the bonfire, then gives him a slow clap. “Seriously.”

He smiles at my best friend. “They were supposed to be at the party the other night but got held up. Figured a little show on the beach by the fire was a solid Plan B.” Squeezing the back of his neck, he turns his attention on me. “What do you think?”

My heart thrums faster and faster as I take him in, unsure what to say.

And it’s funny. Seeing how careful he’s acting. It’s as if he knows exactly how easily I could be scared away if he doesn’t play his cards right.

Joke’s on him.

After a surprise like this, he’s holding a royal flush. The question is, does he know it?

“Well, I think you hit it out of the park,” Rory announces. “Shall we?”

With a slow nod, Paxton steps aside and places his hand on the small of my back. I swear it scalds me to the bone, but I don’t pull away. I don’t want to pull away. The realization is staggering, and I fold my arms as he leads us to the bonfire.

Blankets lie scattered along the sand, along with a few beach chairs, a cooler full of drinks, and all the supplies needed for s’mores.

Other than the members of Doomsday, a few groupies and superfans are peppered throughout the circle, each of them singing along with Cooper. Noticing there’s only one spot beside Paxton, I move toward a blanket on the opposite side, reaching for Rory and tugging her with me so she doesn’t have to sit alone.

Pax doesn’t question it as he moves back to his empty spot, picking up his guitar and strumming right where he left off.

By the time the next song starts, I’m singing the lyrics, soaking up every single note. Seriously. Talk about a dream concert. The man I grew up idolizing is so close I can see his perfectly straight smile while he gives me the performance of a lifetime. Song after song, the band plays until my vocal chordsache. It’s perfect. Absolutely perfect. When the final notes ring out across the sand, cheering ensues, and Cooper turns to Pax.

“You wanna take the next one?”

Paxton’s eyes meet mine across the fire before he raises a shoulder. “I guess I should probably represent IndieCent Vows, huh?” He hesitates. “Uh, let’s see…”

His sandy-blonde hair falls forward on his guitar as he begins plucking at the strings, and I’m not going to lie. It’s hot as hell. The way his straight white teeth dig into his bottom lip. The slight furrow of his brow. The way he leans forward slightly, his spine curving, as he plays the intro to a familiar song.

Oh, and did I mention the stubble along his jaw, or the natural curl of his lashes, or the veins along his forearms? Yeah, I’m a goner. A big, fat, wet-pantied goner. And then he opens his mouth, surprising the shit out of me.

Cooper might have the voice of a fucking angel, but Pax? Pax has the voice of a natural. It’s a little grittier. Less trained. More raw. It’s less raspy than Dodger’s, but just as unique. Tilting my head, I watch him, refusing to blink in case I miss a single second. A single note. A single word.

It takes me a second to place it, thanks to the slower, lulling rhythm. I think it’s in a different key, too, making the lighter theme of the song feel…sexier, almost. Forbidden, even.

Calls to Meby IndieCent Vows. It’s about a girl he can’t get out of his head. A girl who drives him insane. A girl who isn’t his, but one he can’t let go of, even though he’s tried.

Before tonight, it was one of my favorites. This version, though? It’s something else, entirely, and I’m so enthralled, I can hardly breathe.

Feeling Rory’s stare, I glance at her, confirming what I already knew. Yup. She’s watching me. When she knows she’s been caught, she squeezes my hand. It’s a silent promise. That she’s here. That she knows how conflicted I am, despite both ofus knowing I have no reason to be. And it’s true. I have no reason to feel conflicted. No obligations to anyone.

So why do I feel…guilty? For falling for the man in front of me. Being interested in him. And not just his body, which is pretty much carved from stone. But his soul, too.

Yeah. I always knew Pax was dangerous. Always knew he could make me feel this way if I gave him the chance. I just didn’t know he’d manage to slip past my defenses even if I didn’t open the door.

By the time he finishes the song, I’m officially soaked and need a minute to regroup, because this? This isn’t safe. But it is tempting. More so than I’m willing to admit, and if I have any hope of surviving the rest of the night, I need to get my head on straight. And soon.

“I’m going to the restroom. I’ll be back in a second,” I whisper to Rory.

She gives me a thumbs up, then leans back on her hands as Doomsday takes over for another song.

36

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