Page 529 of Rock Me All Night
"You hear the tragic news?" Miles asks the crowd. "Tom Steele is now engaged."
The crowd is a mix of cheers, awws, and boos.
Willow giggles. She grabs my hand like it's a reflex. Wow. We're fast friends. Or she's that excited about her engagement. It's sweet, really, how transparent she is about her love.
Tom too. He's looking in our direction, squinting like he can't make anything out. No doubt, the stage lights are far too bright for those details.
He blows her a kiss anyway. She squeals and blows back.
My attention goes to Pete. He's standing on one side of the stage, his guitar strap tugging his t-shirt down enough to expose a lot of chest. Mmm. He looks grander on stage. A presence. There's something inviting about him. But it's not like Miles or Tom. He isn't welcoming the crowd in.
He's like a cat. He's there. And I want his attention all the more because I don't have enough of it.
Miles is an engaging performer but my focus stays on Pete.
When the next song starts, he shifts into this amazing concentration. He's damn sexy playing, lost in music. He looks up, moves towards the front of the stage like he's teasing the crowd.
Girls cheer. They want him. Hard to blame them, but, tonight he's mine.
Then he's back, lost in the music again. I watch his shoulders flex and relax, his hands speed over his bass, his hips shift in time with the music.
Mmm. Those hips.
Damn. It's not like he's the only sexy guy in the band. I force myself to take a moment to watch each of them. Miles is already without his shirt, clawing at his tattooed chest like he can't help but touch himself. Tom plays his drums like a God damn animal.
And the guitarist—must be Drew—is intense, focused, and playful at the same time. His arms are thick with tattoos, his dark hair is short, his tight jeans show off a sculpted lower body.
I went to a Sinful Serenade show once with Madison. How did I not notice how hot these guys were? It was the night before finals. I was distracted, but still… how could I not have seen the way Pete's hips and hands and lips move?
* * *
Ethan disappearsin the middle of the third song. My attention stays fixed on Pete until the band finally takes their leave.
A few minutes later, he's back. Tom too. And there's another couple with them—the tattooed guitarist and a short, curvy woman in a gorgeous cream dress. She's completely clean cut except for the tattoo of an ornate key on her shoulder.
She squeezes his hand. Oh, there it is. Another shiny rock. So she's his fiancée. They are a cute couple. He slides his arm around her waist protectively, pulling her body into his.
I bite my lip, trying not to get ahead of myself wishing Pete would touch me like that. Falling for him is out of the question. Falling for him is a surefire path to my heart being torn to shreds.
Pete joins me on the couch. He nods to the guitarist. "Drew—" then to the pretty twenty-something woman, "Kara, this is Jess. Myfriend."
My shoulders relax. The truth is such a relief.
"Oh. Of course." Kara beams as she shakes my hand. "Nice to meet you. It's great that you could come to the show."
Why does everyone keep looking at me like they're already sure I'm Pete's girlfriend?
His fingertips skim the edge of my skirt. It makes it difficult to think about anything but coming on his hand.
"You want to get out of here, Kendrick?" Drew pulls Kara into a tight embrace.
"That's her last name," Pete whispers. "It's their thing. Don't ask."
"After I see the ring." She bounces to Willow. "Show me again."
"You picked it out," Tom says.
"Exactly! Need to see if it looks as gorgeous as it did in my mind." Kara takes a long moment to check out the ring then she whispers something in Willow's ear.
