Five rockers and one mini rocker were seated on the two long couches and the two recliners. I put my hands on my hips as I eyed the room. There was nowhere for me to sit, since Liam and his casted leg were taking up a majority of one couch. “Why do I have to ride with you? Your meds aren’t due for a few more hours.”
Liam shrugged. “I like having you close.” When I raised a brow at him he turned his gaze toward Axton who was sitting at the end of the couch with him. “We like having you close.”
“Fuck you,” I bit out before pushing Zander out of one of the recliners and dropping down onto it. I pulled the latch and propped my feet up while around me the band started warming up.
Wroth and Liam had their guitars while Zander had a portable keyboard in front of him along with his own guitar close by. Devlin had a few percussion instruments around him, but nothing very bulky and I wondered how he was going to get the effect he needed. I didn’t have to wonder for long because with his drumsticks in hand he proceeded to make me breathless with the way he could make what little he had in front of him come alive in a way that I’d never experienced before in my lifetime.
I’d never been impressed with drummers before. To me they were just there to keep the rhythm of the rest of the band. Nothing all that hard about that. But watching Devlin, with the passion seeming to flow from him as he rocked out, was almost exhilarating for me. Suddenly, I could see exactly what had caught Natalie’s attention, and why she would be so infatuated with this long-haired, beautiful man.
The band worked through three songs, and I tried to keep my eyes from straying toward Axton. Tried to keep my heart from beating my lungs to death as the rich, almost smoky quality of his voice washed over me. Of course it didn’t work, no matter how hard I tried. By the end of the first song my panties were wet. Before the second even started I was one big throb of need for a man who wasn’t good for my sanity.
When song three was over, my mind was foggy with desire and I was squirming in my seat. My cheeks warmed when I felt his gaze on me, knowing that he knew that he was affecting me so completely. I dared to look in his direction to glare at him, but when my eyes locked with his, I saw the same need burning back at me.
Quickly I looked away. Not good. Not good. When he looked at me like that I got weak. My resolve to keep my distance became nonexistent. It put crazy ideas in my head that would leave me full of regret when the desire-filled fog evaporated.
I need to keep my distance. I need to keep my distance. I. Need. To. Keep. My. Distance.
I wasn’t going to be able to keep my distance.
Being backstage at a concert was a first for me. I’d never even been to a real concert before. The madness of backstage gave me a headache and I didn’t know how Natalie could keep up with all the shit she had to do, even with Emmie helping her through the Bluetooth set that seemed permanently attached to her ear from the moment the bus stopped.
OtherWorld had exactly half an hour to get dressed in their dressing room before they took the stage. The road crew had arrived well ahead of us and was already setting up the stage since the two opening acts had already performed. I went with Linc who was helping Liam get ready just to make sure he was comfortable.
The dressing room was set up with a small buffet of sandwiches, fruit and veggies. I grabbed a few carrots and celery sticks while Linc helped Liam get dressed. Behind me four other men were stripping down and changing into fresh jeans, new OtherWorld T-shirts, and shit-kicker boots. They didn’t seem to mind that I was in the room with them, and I had no qualms about seeing their man parts. I was a nurse and nudity was not a big deal for me…
Liar, a voice in the back of my mind whispered sardonically. You would be so fucked if you saw Axton’s man parts right now.
I rolled my eyes at my inner voice and stuffed a strawberry in my mouth, hoping to shut that bitch up before I ended up strangling myself just to keep her quiet.
Natalie entered the room, freezing in place when she realized that the guys were all basically naked, and quickly turned around. Her face was blood red and her eyes were wild. I bit my lip at her reaction. Honestly I hadn’t kept up with whether she was a virgin or not, although I was sure Linc would have known that little detail with as much time as those two spent together. Linc and Nat went clubbing often but I had never heard about her going home with a guy, and there had never been any strange men walking around the apartment—unless you counted Linc’s one-nighters. But that rarely happened anymore.
Clearing her throat, Natalie finally focused on me. Her hands were trembling slightly as she handed me a backstage pass. I attached it to the bottom of my shirt, making sure that it was secure to give her a few extra seconds to compose herself. When I raised my head I pretended not to notice the change in her. “Where do I need to go? Should I go back to the bus? Or stay here in case Liam needs something?”
“You’re going to be backstage with Marissa,” Axton called out and I turned to find him doing up his belt. He dropped down onto a chair and started lacing up his boots. “If anyone gives you any shit, let me know. The crew knows that you will be with us. That doesn’t mean that venue security won’t give you some trouble. The passes will let them know you are with the band, but those guys can be real pricks sometimes.”
I shrugged, deciding not to argue because really I didn’t have a valid argument ready. I grabbed a few more carrots. I wasn’t hungry, just needed something to keep me occupied so that my eyes would stay away from things they had no business being on.
“The crew have already done the sound checks. You guys have five more minutes before you have to take the stage,” Natalie informed them as she turned, but kept her eyes on something just below the ceiling. “Emmie said to make sure you all are hydrated. Especially you, Ax.”
“Keep me a few bottles of water on the side of the stage. I’ll be fine.” He moved to the table where a whole case of water bottles were on ice. Picking up three, he handed them to me. “Thanks, babe.”
Of course I still had a mouthful of carrot and couldn’t tell him to hold onto his own freaking water. I gave him a glare, but didn’t put the bottles down, even though I had a sudden daydream of opening the bottles and pouring every cold drop over his head. Seeing my glare, Axton winked, making my panties instantly wet.
Four minutes later I followed the band to the stage, but stayed just past the curtains so that no one could see me but the band if they looked in that direction. Marissa and Harris were already there. Neither of them seemed all that impressed about what was going on around them and I figured it was because this had been part of their lives for so long that it was all second nature to them.