Page 323 of Rock Me All Night
Rock Your Heart Out
1
The room isdark except for the yellow light streaming from under the closed bathroom door. Quiet except for thetap-tap-tapof the shower.
Then there's no moretap-tap-tap. The shower is off.
I grope the wall for the light switch. Nothing. Still dark.
Okay. No big deal. My brother knows I'm coming. I knock just in case my ETA text messages didn't get through. "Drew. It's me. Take your time."
No response. Maybe he didn't hear me. I go to knock again but the handle turns.
The bathroom door pulls open. Light pours into the main room. It surrounds a muscular man in a soft, yellow glow.
That's not Drew.
Thank God, because he's naked.
Completely and totally naked.
There's a strange naked man in Drew's hotel room, and he's between me and the exit.
I take a step backwards. There's nowhere to go. I'm against the wall. My heart beat speeds up. This guy doesn’t look menacing but that's not enough to convince the nerves in my stomach to settle.
"Hey. Didn't think you were coming," he says.
His voice is calm. Not threatening.
I take a deep breath. This must be an innocent mistake. The guy at the front desk gave me the wrong key.
Please let it be an innocent mistake.
"Alice?" he asks.
I shake my head. I'm not Alice. Given the way he's standing, tall and proud and utterly naked, she must be a sexual partner.
He reaches for something and the room illuminates. He's no longer highlights on hard muscles. Actually, he's really familiar. Green eyes. Dark blond hair hanging wet around his face. Soft lips curled into a welcoming smile.
I know him. Know who he is.
Relief floods my limbs as I exhale. That's him. Tom Steele, the drummer in my guitarist brother's alternative rock band, Sinful Serenade.
He's not dangerous. He's my brother's best friend.
Give or take. Drew isn't really the friendly type.
"Did you change your hair?" he asks. "Your nose maybe? Don't get me wrong. You look good. Just different."
I shake my head. My mouth is too sticky to form words.
He's naked.
My eyes won't co-operate with me. They trace a line down his body. Strong jaw, soft lips, broad shoulders, sculpted torso.
I've seen plenty of men naked in photography classes, but none of them made me feel sweaty and flushed.
My gaze goes lower.
