Page 196 of Play Dirty (Brooklyn Dawn 1)

His jaw muscle flexed. He crossed to me. He cupped my face. “I’d scream it from the fucking rooftops that you’re mine.”

“Just not on stage.”

“The stage isn’t for me. Not anymore.”

I knew it when I asked him, but I’d hoped he would do it for me. That what we had between us was more than his fear about the stage. God, not even the fear factor. It was more that he didn’t think he deserved the stage. The lights. People to know he was behind the song.

I knew he deserved all that and more.

I lifted the spare inch between us and settled my mouth on his lightly. “It’s okay,” I said softly. “It was just a thought.”

He crushed me tight to him, his lips slashing over mine. I held on for a second—thirty, then just another few more. I tangled my fingers in his wild hair and gave back to him everything he demanded.

Then I stepped back.

He brushed his thumb over my swollen lips. “I’m trying to be what you need me to be.”

“You are.”

“Obviously not.”

I swallowed down the n

eed to lash out. For him to get that it was more than just going on stage with me. I couldn’t force it. And things were so good between us, but we were still evolving. Saying I love you didn’t mean everything magically disappeared.

“I love you, Alex. You singing with me isn’t dependent on that.”

He sighed when another knock came.

“I have to go. Will you watch tonight?”

“I’ll be here.”

I hurried over to my mirror and swallowed down the gasp. Smudge-proof lipstick my ass. I dabbed on a new layer of the stain and followed it with gloss. There was no doubt I’d gotten kissed—and well—but it would do.

Before he could stop me, I opened the door. He followed me into the hallway and down to the bowels of the stage. We were trying something a little new tonight. The stage set up for this particular venue didn’t allow for all our huge mechanics. But it did allow for the two guitar platform arms over the crowd.

I went with coming out of the under stage as my intro. It gave me a little extra piano work with the extended opening instrumental piece we used for “Judgement”.

Alex grabbed my arm just before I got to the piano. “Tell me we’re okay.”

I turned to him. “We’re okay. I promise. It was just an idea.”

I could see the indecision and the war in his body language and jawline. I had a job to do and Alex would just have to stew if that’s what he was going to do. Cooper’s crazy drum solo started and I sat at my piano.

As the hydraulics lifted me, I threw a smile over my shoulder. “I love you. Quit worrying.” I waved and he disappeared into the air jets blasting beside me that announced my entrance.

I put on my smile and shook off the nerves that had been jangling in my chest all night.

I threw myself into my playing. Even activated some of that insane Alex-style playing that had drawn me in the first time I met him. I met Cooper’s gaze and he could see the dare. I leaned into my microphone and screamed his name.

He threw his head back with a laugh and the bombastic wall of sound we created drew everyone to their feet. Finally, I grabbed my mic from the holder and ran to the front of the stage. “New York Fucking City, how the hell are you?”

My people screamed back at me.

“Sounds like you’re here for a good fucking time.” I held up my hand to my ear. “I’m not sure I could hear you. I said are you here for a good time?” I grinned brilliantly at their uproarious response. “Damn right.”

The show exploded from there. Jamie and I must have run miles by the time we got to the midpoint of the show. Maybe it was because it was home, maybe it was because I knew Alex was there on the sidelines.

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