I showered and changed while Levee did her set. Then the two of us smiled for the press as we made our way arm in arm to our seats. A fresh gin and tonic and what I assumed was sparkling cider waited for us at our table. I was tired and really just wanted to crawl into bed and sleep for a week. Instead, I plastered a smile on and chatted with the strangers who stopped by our table between sets.
The latest up-and-comer in country music was busy marching around the stage when Levee turned sideways in her chair and leaned back against my side.
“What do you make of that?” she asked, pointing to where Carter was standing in a cove just on the other side of the backstage door.
He was mostly hidden, but Levee, Sam, and I had the only seats in the house with the exact right vantage point to see him. His back faced us, but his shoulders were hunched over and his head bent low.
I shrugged and began clapping with the rest of the crowd as Bubba Somebody took his final bow.
Fisting the front of my shirt, she dragged me down to her line of sight and pointed at the floor. “No. Look.”
I humored her and focused my gaze at his feet, where a pair of black heels came into view. “Oh,” I breathed.
“Yeah. Oh,” she giggled.
Suddenly, a woman’s hand snaked out from in front of him and traveled down to his ass. Levee and I gasped in unison, our hands dramatically flying out to the sides to clutch each other.
“Oh my God, please tell me you saw that?” she exclaimed, tugging on my arm and pointing to where I was already looking.
Lifting a hand to my mouth, I attempted to stifle a laugh. “Holy virgin robot. Carter found another droid.”
Levee and I sank low in our chairs and commenced rolling in laughter. We couldn’t tear our eyes away as we watched Carter and his mystery woman going at it against the wall.
We gave each other the play-by-play as though we hadn’t been watching the same couple.
“I think he just kissed her!”
“Oh, he definitely just kissed her,” I confirmed.
“I wonder if he’s going to fuck her. I’m oddly aroused. I’ve never wanted to see Carter’s ass before.”
“His ass is fantastic. But what he needs to do is pull one of my equilibrium episodes and drag her to the ground. Much better leverage there.”
“This is Carter we’re talking about. I don’t imagine him being a dry-humper.”
I took my eyes off his back long enough to give her a teasing side-eye. “Why do you imagine him humping at all?”
She smirked. “Oh, I don’t know. How do you know his ass is fantastic?”
“Touché!”
We smiled at each other and went back to watching the best performance of the evening.
I was so enthralled by Carter’s make-out session that I was oblivious to the seat on the other side of me being filled.
A hand landed on my thigh, and a set of lips brushed against my cheek. “Hey, babe. Sorry I’m late. Traffic was a bitch,” his baritone rumbled in my ear.
“No biggie,” I replied absently. “Look.” I pointed to Carter.
The scruff on his jaw nuzzled against mine, and my lids fell to half-mast as the addictive high surged through my veins. Instantly relaxing, I sucked in a content breath as the world slowed.
“I’ve missed you so fucking much,” he whispered, grazing his teeth over the soft flesh below my ear.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end and chills traveled up my spine—unfortunately awakening me from my fog.
“What the fuck?” I jumped, knocking the table with my knees and sloshing drinks everywhere.
With no one on stage to drown out my outburst, dozens of eyes landed on me—including Carter, who spun to face me.
And that’s when Levee and I exclaimed in unison, “What the fuck?”
My heart was racing, and my head was a spinning wheel of emotions. I couldn’t figure out where to focus first.
On Evan, who was sitting next to me in a sexy-as-sin black suit—his hand on my thigh and his lips teasing my ear.
Or on Robin, who was standing on the other side of Carter—her lipstick smeared over both of their mouths.
THE SURPRISE ON Henry’s face was priceless and well worth the drive to L.A. Though he would have been worth a drive to Zimbabwe.
I’d lied to him. Traffic hadn’t been bad. I’d actually been in L.A. since the day before, when I’d left my house about twelve seconds after Levee’s car had pulled out of my driveway. I hadn’t even packed a bag before I’d gotten on the road.
Levee had left my tickets and a card to Henry’s stylist on the countertop. Macy was a godsend. When I’d arrived at the hotel, she’d had a designer suit and a tailor waiting for me. By the next day, after a quick trip through the mall for some toiletries, I’d been ready to attend my very first celebrity affair with the one and only Henry Alexander.
I’d been more excited to see Henry Gilchrist though.
I’d actually been standing in the hall as Levee had confronted him in his dressing room. My heart had been in my throat, fire taking its place in my chest as I’d waited for him to deny her accusations of how he felt for me.
I never could have been prepared for the way his confirmation filled me. While he didn’t pour his heart out with professions of undying love, I was still reborn in his acceptance of it all.
Levee’s leaving was my cue to surprise him, but I bitched out.