Page 98 of Rock Giant
“Put me down.”
He let go of her enough for her to turn around and face him, only to be engulfed by another swaddling hug.She tapped against his pecs.“Can’t breathe.”
“You’re cute.”He smiled down at her.A pair of goggles sat perched atop his shaven head, and he had one eye shell in that rendered that eye entirely black.Iris, sclera, the lot.It was freaky, but cool.“This is a fun surprise, but what are you doing hanging around these pair of reprobates?”
“Favours for Lee.”She pointed to the sunglasses Luthor was holding.“Just delivering them.The guys are about to go on.”
“Time to hang for a bit, then.”He tucked her under one arm and guided her over to where he’d been getting ready.They passed Ash, who had a games device in his hands that was taking up all his focus.A squad of four young ladies were sat in an arch around him, but it seemed doubtful that he was even aware of their presence.
“I should really get to the wings.”
“Five minutes,” Paul insisted.
“What for?”
“So I can look at you.”
“Stop it,” she said, but he just grinned.“Did you get into trouble for skipping sound check?”
“Na.”He fastened a leather cord hung with a pendant around his neck.“Guess I’m done.They can love me or lump it.”He rubbed a hand over his scalp.“A lot less prep to do since this came off.You’ve never said what you thought of it.”
“Whether I like you better with or without hair?Not sure.”She reached up to feel, and he obligingly bent down so that she could reach.She expected prickles, but the new growth was soft.“You look good both ways.Not sure I’ve a preference.Whichever you’re most comfortable with.”
“Spoken like a true diplomat.”He scooped a hand around the back of her neck, and she feared he was going to lean in and deliver one of those magic, knicker-soaking kisses he was capable of, but she raised a hand between them just in time.“None of that, now.Friends don’t snog one another.”
That earned her a laugh, and the slide of his thumb against her cheek.“Tell that to Xane sometime will ya?Come on, Castle, I’ll walk you to your destination.”
“Not sure I need an escort along two corridors.”
“You’d be surprised by the number of people who come amiss in corridors,” he said, utterly deadpan.“You can’t be too careful.”
What she feared was what he was capable of doing to her in a corridor, particularly, an empty one.
CHAPTER 28
Jodi Castle
Jodi gave the dressing room a hard pass after The Ghost Boys left the stage, staying instead to watch Black Halo put on a show.Those guys knew how to rock.Xane had a way about him.He’d glide across the stage in a floating, almost ethereal fashion then electrify the crowd with something mean and sinister, only to switch things up again.His death growl eviscerated, while his clean vocals created the sort of frisson that painted goosebumps all over her body.Ash and Spook were goddamned perfect, especially when they’d torment one another by duelling.Luthor did an impressive job on drums, and while Ronnie was mostly confined to the keyboard, when they let him out to sing one of his solo numbers, multiple ladies in the front row swooned.
And then, there was Rock Giant.Larger than life.Never content to fade into the background.Besides, Black Halo’s recent stuff had scores of killer bass lines of the sort that underpinned the lead riffs and the lyrics and inked their notes into your soul.Plus, it was hard not to be won over by that much raw sex appeal.The man oozed charisma of an earthy grounded variety, not the vampiric mesmeric sort exuded by Xane.
“You were fantastic,” she spluttered, when he came off drenched in sweat and after an hour and a half of gothic-inspired metal mayhem, throwing her arms around his middle.
“You stayed for the whole show.”He floored her with a dazzling grin and hugged her back in an equally dramatic fashion.“Castle, careful, I’ll start believing you’re into me.”
She gave him a playful hip bump, and they wandered backstage.As they approached Black Halo’s dressing room, one of the Ghost Boys roadies popped his head out from behind a stack of cases he was shifting.“They’ve gone back to the hotel to clean up.”
“You mean they left without me?Buggers.”
Paul dropped a sweaty arm around her shoulder.“It’s fine, you can hitch a ride with us.Let me grab my stuff.They’re onto something.The showers here are shit.Ash reckons there’s something up with the water pressure.Plus, no waiting around to take turns at the hotel or the accompanying risk of standing in jizz.”
Six sweaty guys and her piled into a chauffeur-driven people carrier.“Where are all the ladies tonight?”
“Allegra’s still working,” Spook said.That’s right, she was part of their tech team.Sound and lights, or something.
“Ginny fancied a quiet night, and I think Dani stayed with her.”Ash pulled his games device out and was instantly absorbed with the screen.
“New release,” Paul explained.“He’s addicted.The bottom wobble on this version is better than ever.”She never got the name of the game and didn’t ask.
