Page 159 of Play Dirty (Brooklyn Dawn 1)

“I know all their names. Would you care for a list?”

Shame was thick and sour in my mouth. “I’m here to deal with it, aren’t I?”

Donovan unrolled his sleeves, taking a cufflink out of his pocket to fasten the cuff at each wrist. “I’m glad we could come to an agreement. Now I have to ready myself for another meeting. Mr. Jordan will be waiting for you in Richmond when you return to the tour.”

“I’m not trying to be unreasonable.”

“I know you’re not. But I’ve been reading people for a very long time. And as good as you are, I can see the fear in your eyes. That’s not the first incident. Obviously, they’re escalating. And I’ll be sure to mention that to Noah. Make sure all details are given to him.”

I’m sure there would be a full report on Donovan’s damn desk before I went on stage.

“Understood.”

“Good. As for things between the two of you, that’s not my business. You’re adults.”

“Most of the time,” I muttered.

Nash grunted behind me.

I stepped forward and touched Donovan’s arm. “I do really understand. And I’m not going to make things difficult for anyone. I can’t control the band of course, but I’ll let it be known that I’m fully cooperating.”

“I appreciate that. They look to you. You may not have started as the leader of the band, but you’ve become their voice. All I ask is that you don’t abuse it.”

“Thanks for seeing me on short notice.” I stepped back and Nash’s hand went to my hip, his grip a little more proprietary than I liked. Especially in front of Donovan. But I understood that everyone was worried about me.

“I always have time for my musicians.” He opened the door for us. “Be safe, Lindsey.”

The trip downstairs was a quiet one. When we got out to the street, I turned to Nash, curling my arms around his shoulders. He immediately clasped me tighter to him.

“Can we just be us for the rest of my time off?” I drew back, not caring that people were pissed that we were blocking half the sidewalk. I went on my toes and kissed him as night started to creep in on the city, then I linked our fingers. “This new us, where we’re actually figuring out who we are to each other?”

“Sounds like a plan, duchess.”

Thirty-One

Our time together contained many firsts.

I’d taken the subway with Lindsey yesterday for the first time in more years than I could count. I found it to be dank and infernally hot in the tunnels, so I didn’t make a point of venturing down there often.

Make that at all.

But this morning, I’d been the ass who suggested we have a touristy day of fun before she went to Richmond for tonight’s show and the band meeting before it. Granted, I’d been fresh off orgasm number two to start the day, and that was after a full evening of them yesterday when we’d lounged around in various states of undress eating Chinese takeout and watching a slew of movies from Goodfellas to Bridesmaids.

Bridesmaids had earned me a blowjob good enough to make my head explode. Both of them. Which had been an entirely fair trade, because Jesus Christ, a man could only tolerate so many chick flicks.

For her, I would try. Just as I would try to enjoy this day with a minimum of teeth grinding and veiled insults.

So far, I’d made it for forty-five minutes. I was on a streak.

“Are you sure about this?”

Outside the stone arches of Saks Fifth Avenue, Lindsey turned back to me, her big blue eyes earnest. She wore one of my caps pulled low with her sunny hair tucked up underneath it. Big shades had covered her face until a moment ago when she removed them to peer up at me. She wore another of my old concert shirts knotted at her hip and frayed jeans she’d snagged at home on the trip we’d made back to her house last night. Although she’d packed a bag of her own clothes to take on the road with her for tonight’s show, she’d still chosen to wear my shirts.

I couldn’t say I minded. Her gorgeous tits pressing against my ancient The Cure T-shirt was a memory I’d take with me for all my days. As long as she didn’t wear that other shirt.

It was a daily fight for me to try to forget it even existed.

Blowing out a breath, I fixed the glasses back on her face and leaned down to give her a quick kiss. “We’re playing proper tourists today, remember? That means shopping. And if you picked up a few scanty pieces for the bedroom…” I trailed off and rubbed her pouty lower lip with my thumb. “I don’t suppose I’d mind.”

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