Page 49 of Let Me Love You (Excess All Areas 5)

He strummed the last chords, but then couldn’t remember where they were on the set list.

Shit.

Was that the encore finished?

Alex was first off stage. He always was, especially now that Zoe was waiting for him.

Ben waved one hand in the air at the crowd, then followed Alex, releasing the strap of his guitar and handing it to his tech, exchanging it for a bottle of water. “Perfectly tuned yet again.”

“I can’t believe we’re all here,” Iz shouted over the screams and storming feet of fans as Ben downed the cool water in one go. “It’s like the band is back together.”

Chaya grinned. “I’m glad I didn’t miss all of this. I mean, I know there’ll be other tours, but this one feels important.”

Ben tossed the bottle into the trash and reached for her. He squeezed her hand, her grin as wide as his own, and pulled her to his chest.

“Ben,” she squealed, which made him hold her even tighter.

The steady pull had always been between them, but there was also something deeper now. Something hot and flammable that came from giving in to feelings that had never been expressed. A steady undercurrent of desire.

It excited him.

But first, they should talk.

Matt and Luke came off stage together. Both drenched. And Luke kissed Zale’s nose, then Willow, before his tech draped his shoulders in huge ice packs.

Jase bounded to the edge of the stage, then limped off it once the audience couldn’t see him. He plunged his head into a waiting bucket of ice and water, submerging for a painful moment, before lifting it out, shaking his head like a dog, and doing it again.

“Let’s go out,” Alex said and signed so Zoe could understand.

Luke shook his head. “We need to get Zale back to the room, but have fun.”

Matt looked at Iz. “Want to go out?”

“Hell, yes. We’re only here a couple of days. Let’s make the most of it.”

“Jase?” Alex asked.

He shook his head and pointed to his throat. “Dying,” he mouthed, just as one of the crew dropped a mug of steaming honey and lemon in his hand. “Thanks,” he said, his voice sounding rough as glass shards.

Ben looked to Chaya. “What do you think? Night out?”

She stood on tiptoes, her lips to his ear. “What if I said I really wanted to go back to the room and get naked?” He shivered at the combination of her words and the whisper of her breath against him.

He placedhislips next toherear.

“While seeing you naked is right up there on my list of life goals, what if I reminded you that I said we are going to date?” He tapped her on the nose for good measure.

Chaya pouted, and he nearly caved. “You are such a spoilsport.”

“We’re in. Just give us a minute.” He took her wrist and led her to a quieter spot. “You just got out of a relationship that went at hypersonic speed. It didn’t work for you. I don’t want this to crash and burn too.”

“It’s hardly the same.” She looked up at him from beneath dark lashes. “I’ve known you most of my life. But I understand why you might not think I’m a safe bet yet.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know. What is it called when someone is flaky in a book or movie? Oh, right, yeah, an unreliable narrator. I guess I’ve been a very unreliable narrator for the last… year.”

“Chaya, it’s okay. It’s—”

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