Page 50 of Rock Giant
Paul cuddled Dani to his side.“Just you and me then, maid.”He even risked a sore nose by leaning in to give her a peck on the cheek.
“In your dreams, mate.”Xane claimed his girlfriend, who immediately leapt into his arms and straddled his hips.Rather than stay and watch them smooch, Paul barged past them into their canvas dressing room.Luthor was occupying one corner, and Ronnie sat cross-legged on the floor before a bench, lining jelly tots up in rainbow order.Paul unpacked his stuff, making sure to take up as much space as humanly possible.Given that he was a giant, that was a lot of space.
Xane eventually wandered in, his throat marked by a brand new hickie.He eyed Paul’s territory and gave his head a shake.
“By the way, Elspeth’s onsite.She says hi,” Paul informed him.
“What?”
It wasn’t Xane who groaned, but Ash.
“Was she best man at your nuptials last night?”Xane asked, strangely calm.
“No.She’s hanging with Toys in the Attic.I’m just letting you know, in case you want to avoid them and a scene.”
Xane squinted at him.“Right.Thanks, I think.”
Paul left him exchanging various mutterings with Spook and Ash.
CHAPTER 16
Paul “Rock Giant” Reed
Paul found Jodi right where he predicted she’d be, standing in the stage wing, at the head of the ramp that led from the mat-covered grass at the back of the main festival stage.Ear defenders covered her ears, and her messy blond hair sat in a knot at the back of her head that left her neck exposed.She was dressed in cutoff trousers and a Ghost Boys T-shirt, swaying her hips in time to the racing drumbeat, her attention on the stage.It wasn’t the greatest view of the performance she could have found.All you could really see were a bunch of arses.
Feeling naughty, and because the guys were all far too busy preparing to go on to notice what he was doing.Paul slipped up behind her, stood a moment, breathing in that summer child smell of fading flowers and sunshiny salt and sweat, before bowing to press a kiss to the little stretch of skin between her hairline and her collar.
Shocked, she jolted and gave a squeak, then turned to face him, pulling off her headphones.
“Hey,” he said, offering up a grin.
“Rock Giant!”She swallowed hard, before throwing a wary glance at the stage.
The Ghost Boys were mid-number, so no cause for worry there.He guessed words had been had, and he’d be villainised.Sure, he’d roll with that part, if she needed him to.
“If he’s any sense, his attention is focused on the mad bastards out there, not what’s going on in the wings.”
She glanced again at her fiancé singing his nuts off for the crowd.He was no Xane, and Paul said that as a Xane sceptic, but he did have the audience singing along with him.He vaguely recalled exchanging a handful of words with the guy yesterday, now that he got a look at him.
“Are you in deep shit with him, because, honestly, it’s ninety per cent his fault.Dumb fucker shouldn’t have stood you up.Did he have a great excuse?”
She swallowed again and peeped up at him warily.Damn, he hated the unease he saw etched into her face, wanted to lean in and kiss the lines around her mouth away.
“I don’t want you to badmouth him.I’m still engaged to him.That’s not about to change.”
He made anhmsound in acknowledgement.
“Please.I don’t want my mistake to cause trouble between your band and his.”
“Your mistake?What mistake did you make, Jodi?”
He knew what she’d intended to say.It pleased him immensely that she couldn’t say it.The vows they’d exchanged had been no mistake.“There are no current plans to boot them.”Unless she gave him one.“Are they going to bail on us?”
She shook her head vigorously.“No.I don’t think so.It’s a big deal for them.A huge honour.I’d hate to be responsible for mucking it up for them.They’re my friends.Good friends.You do know that I’m taken, don’t you, Paul?I know what you were implying earlier, but we can’t be anything to one another.Nothing more than friends, that is.I’m engaged.I’m planning my wedding to Curtis Nash.”She pointed to him as if he needed identifying.
“Still committed to the man who stood you up.You’re either loyal or stubborn.”
“Paul,” she chastened.“I’m in love, is what I am.”Her gaze sank down to a spot between their feet.“I know he’s not perfect.Nothing in life is, but he’s said sorry, and he’s been there for me, when I needed someone.Look, we’ve forgiven each other, and what I did was far worse than what he did.I wasn’t in a position to be making promises to you.It was wrong of me, and the fact I was off my head isn’t an excuse.”She snatched an upward glance at him.“What promises did I even make?I can’t remember.Do you?”
