Page 135 of Cadence
“Finally pulled your head out of your ass and told her how you feel, huh?”
“Something like that.”
He grins, clapping my shoulder. “Loved having you guys with me. Europe’s next, baby, and we’re gonna fucking kill it.”
“No doubt,” I say, watching as he turns and jogs toward his sound tech guys, preparing for his home crowd.
Cheers still echo behind me, the buzz of the night starting to fade. Slipping into the wings, she’s waiting for me, foot casually leaning against the wall like she owns the shadows, eyes trailing down my body, cataloging what’s hers. She pushes away, a sexy-as-hell smile curling the edges of her lips as she meets me halfway, knowing exactly what she’s doing to me.
“I was wondering how long it’d take you to come find me,” she says, her voice low, her tongue swiping along her lower lip. There’s sweat on her collarbone, her chest rising and falling, skin glowing under the dim side-stage lights.
My hands grip her hips, crowding her back until she’s against the wall in one smooth move. Her breath catches, hands fisting my shirt, lust shining from her blue eyes. One hand lands above her head, caging her in with my body, and I lean down, brushing my mouth just beneath her jaw.
“You were hard to miss,” I murmur, lips grazing her skin as I speak.
She tilts her head, giving me more of her neck. I take it, teasing her with my lips, my teeth, slow and deliberate, tracing a salt-slick path from her pulse point to the corner of her mouth without ever giving her what she wants.
Her fingers tighten in the front of my shirt, a breathy whimper escaping her lips, loud enough for only me to hear.
“You looked so fucking good out there,” I whisper, moving lower, my hand skimming down her side until I reach the laces on her thighs, crisscrossed tight, stopping just above her knees. My thumb drags down the tied line, fabric and skin taunting my touch. “I can’t wait to get you out of these.”
Her teeth latch onto my ear, nipping hard. “Then what are you waiting for?”
With a smirk, I press my hips against hers.
“Say the word, baby,” I breathe, kissing her until she’s panting, “and I won’t even wait to get you home.”
Epilogue
Paige
2andahalfyears later
“Dallas. Make some noise for Sip Station…”
From the wings, I watch the crowd, bodies packed shoulder-to-shoulder under the electric haze of the arena lights. New Ruin are up onstage, halfway through their set, hyping the crowd with the same energy we used to pour into every second as an opener.
Their lead singer is practically vibrating, oozing seduction in his tight leather pants and bare chest, pacing the edge of the stage, working the fans like it’s second nature.
Two years ago, that was us getting them loud and ready for Reign Cooper.
Two years ago, I stood behind the same curtain, sweating through my shirt, trying to pretend I wasn’t terrified.
Well, the first show jitters are well and truly gone, because back then, we were the new kids, the ones trying to win over a crowd that wasn’t there for us.
Now?
Now, they’re ours.
Now, we’re the main event.
The lights start to strobe as New Ruin plays their final chords, and the noise in the arena rises to a scream. I move closer to the stage, hidden in the shadows, looking out over the crowd, at the flashlights dotted around, the signs being waved around near the front, so many already wearing our merch.
“Crazy, isn’t it?”
Maddox wraps his arms around my waist from behind, tugging me back against him like he’s done it a thousand times, which at this point he has. His chin rests on my shoulder, his breath warm against my neck.
“You finally got your dream,” I say, leaning into him. “Look at them all. I can’t believe it.”
