Page 79 of Before Now

“You get high before shows now?” Felix whisper-yells.

Foster ignores the shocked responses and stands. He comes over, slipping the spy glasses from my hair, and he slides them into his. His visual assault continues but closer, then he stalls on the high neckline of my sheer black top. It has white suns and moons and shows my strapless top beneath it. What it doesn’t show is the brazen mark he left below where my shoulder meets my neck.

“What is this aesthetic?” He’s between me and the rest of the room. Music plays, but he still keeps his voice low. “Mystical goth?”

“Yes. Is that a problem?” I ask, suspecting it’s not.

He shakes his head, confirming, and flicks his eyes up to mine. “No. I very much approve. And now I know to bite higher to accommodate.”

My mouth almost falls open as he retreats to take the first shot with his band.

He disappears not long after, and the other two dig into their own rituals. Felix ups his extra shot to gulps straight from the bottle of whiskey. I hate that I notice, but I’m not the only one. Colton props on the wall beside my equipment.

“He’s stressed.”

I nod and force a small smile. “Yeah. They all are.”

He sighs and tips his head back. “It’s when he stops trying to hide it we’ll worry, okay? Then he’s not putting the doc and band first anymore.”

The connected strings pull tighter, but I won’t acknowledge them. “Hopefully it doesn’t happen during the two-week break.”

His lips purse. “Hopefully.”

Glory and Nate check in with me before Of Men and Wolves take the stage. Once they verify they’re set and we breathe through the panic after Glory shares an opinion, I wait in the hall for the band to walk.

I’m trying to provide space where I can, so the guys won’t feel suffocated by me at least. I refuse to add to the stress any more than I have to.

Christian swings the door open and winks on his way past. “Always a pleasure to see those legs, Sinner.”

“One day I’m going to cut off your man bun,” I call after him.

He throws his head back on a chuckle, and I smile with the weightless threat. When the band’s sequestered for writing sessions, which are most of their days off, he’s not the worst company. He even remembers my coffee order now.

Dev’s backing out of the dressing room as I turn around, and we collide. He catches my arm to save my balance and grins down at me. “There are better ways to get my attention, you know?”

I roll my eyes in time for Felix to exit. “You can always have my attention.” He gives an up-down with his eyebrows and then adds, “Get my good side tonight, sweetness.”

Foster’s next with Colton right behind, the first’s lips twitching and the second’s in a full smile. By the time they’ve all vacated, I’ve dismissed the concerns of them feeling crowded by me. I might even have my own place in the pack.

I go in to swap batteries, but I only make it a few steps before the door clicks shut behind me. I spin and barely process Foster before his hand slides into my hair and his mouth ravages mine.

Fast cars have nothing on my pulse, calm to rapid in a breath.

He claims my tongue with his, grasping my ass and yanking me against him while my fingers tangle in his shirt. I always knew I never stood a chance against him, but he’s proving it anyway. I’m entranced by him, surrounded by cedar and leather like in his bunk. His pillow I shamelessly buried my nose in after he left.

When his palm settles against the front of my neck, he nips at my bottom lip and presses his forehead to mine.

“What…” I trail off as he kisses me again, only gently. Soft and deep, a flash of everything Foster and I were supposed to be. Should have been.

He shrugs at my unfinished question and backs away. “I wondered what it’s like to kiss you before I go on stage. Next time I’m going to tongue your cunt so I taste you when I’m up there.”

I smile, all tingles and flutters in a very specific place as he waltzes out the door.

Next time.

Foster saidnext time.

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