Page 103 of Filthy Rock Stars

I collapse against the furniture, and Shadow pulls me back up and into his arms. “Fucking sexy,” he growls in my ear. “You never cease to impress me.”

I laugh. When I glance in the mirror, I see how disheveled I am, and more pounding on the door throws me into action.

“Oh fuck! We’re at the VMAs!”

I scramble, cleaning myself up and recovering clothes. Shadow laughs and casually fixes his pants. “Fuck yeah we are. And giving them a real iconic moment, too.”

I tuck my shirt in and adjust my belt. “Agreed. Although I’m not so sure we got away with keeping our hookup a secret this time.”

He shrugs. “What’s the accusation? I fucked my boyfriend?” He grabs me by the waist and pulls me to him. “I’ll do it again tonight.”

There’s another knock, this time followed up with a cheerful yell. “Oh hey. Nico?” Star calls out. “This is your band calling. It’s time for sound check.”

I throw my hands over my face. “Oh shit! I have to perform!”

“He’ll be right there,” Shadow calls out. He fixes my jacket for me. “You look great, by the way.”

“Thank you.”

Shadow grabs the chair, removing it to open the door. Star stands in suspenders and heavy black eye shadow, offering us a casual smile, backstage crowded behind her. “Hi, Shadow.”

“Uh, hi.”

She waggles a finger between us. “Naughty boys,” she whispers, then nods toward the stage. “Want to come sit at the table with our band?” she asks Shadow.

He rubs the back of his head. “Yeah. Sure.”

“Cool.” Star pats my back and gives me a funny smile. “Come on. It’s our time to shine.”

I give Shadow a quick kiss, grab my keytar, and go. People are crowded nearby, everyone trying to get a look. Star guides me past the flashing cameras and toward the stage, where Mare and the rest of the band are waiting.

“Hey sweetie,” Mare says, flashing me a warm smile. “Having a good night?”

Case chuckles. “Tease him later,” he says. “They’re giving us the countdown.”

The lights go up again, and before the announcer can finish introducing us, the crowd goes wild. Applause roars through the theater, and I throw myself into the music, allowing the full force of the dance ballad to flow through me. The new song features an early keytar solo, and when I step forward and launch into my moment, the cheering and yelling grows even louder.

The music pours out of me, and my eyes find Shadow near the stage. We smile, beaming at each other, and I bring the song home.

EPILOGUE

SHADOW

One year later

“Fucking hell.”I run my hand through my wet hair as I stare into the foggy mirror, studying myself.

“What?” Nico asks. He slides behind me. He’s naked and wet from the shower we just stepped out of, and he wraps his warmth around me. “Something wrong?”

“I just can’t believe I’m nervous about an album release. I feel like a rookie.”

Nico laughs and kisses my cheek. “It’s cute. And it makes sense. This is the first time you’ve cared about an album since when? Your second one with Destiny?”

I lick my teeth. “Damn. It has been that long.” I sigh. “I should probably comb my hair.”

Nico runs his hand over my stubble. “Wow. My man is getting fancy. All I had to do was to get him to contribute to my space opera.”

Kissing Dirt was nice enough to give Nico the occasional time off to work on a side project. At first, I thought I shouldn’t help with his space opera. It’s Nico’s thing, and I felt like I was butting in. But he insisted, thank god, and so I’m playing a supporting role on the album, just the way I like it.

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