Reid looked around the stage, his brows pulling together in staged confusion. “Did Chloe bail on us?” At the mention of her name, the crowd went wild.
“Chloe?” Reid called into the mic. “The show’s not over yet. Get your ass back out here and suffer with the rest of us.” Catcalls erupted seconds later. Reid smiled and turned toward the side of the stage, his smile slipping when he saw Chloe. She’d piled her hair on top of her head, revealing more of her colorful ink, but it was her outfit that caused his throat to tighten. Her top was the equivalent of a tank top cut off just below her breasts and her midthigh, gauzy skirt sat low on her hips, the loose material swaying with every step she took. His eyes roved over the curve of her waist, following the intricate pattern of a tattoo he hadn’t known existed.
When they’d taken a small break earlier to switch out instruments, Chloe looked as though she was going to pass out. Her clothes stuck to her body and her face was bright red. Unlike the guys, she couldn’t start yanking off clothes to combat the sweltering heat of the stage lights. Tom had called Inky to find Chloe something cooler than her floor-length skirt and off the shoulder long-sleeved top. When Tom signaled Inky was back, Chloe dashed off the stage to change. Reid hadn’t realized that something cooler was the equivalent of nearly naked.
Chloe held her violin at her side, her bow propped against her shoulder as she moved to stand beside Reid. She smiled and shrugged one shoulder. “Sorry, guys. I just needed to slip into something a little cooler.” Whistles and cheers of approval rang out as Chloe lifted her violin into position. With a sly smile, she turned her head in Reid’s direction. Reid swallowed then matched her mischievous smile with one of his own.
“Well, Chloe, you might be cooler, but you just made things a hell of a lot hotter for the rest of us.”
Chloe laughed before tapping her bow against the strings of her violin, the small motion causing a thumping sound to flood through the speakers. A beat later, Drew joined in, then Greer. Reid moved his guitar into position, his eyes never leaving Chloe. The lights flashed, bright streams of colors slicing into the dark, smoke-filled stage. The sound of Reid’s voice permeated the arena, husky and honeyed. He turned toward Chloe and she mimicked his position. It was a move they had done time and time again, but this time it felt different.
Reid stepped to the left and Chloe to the right. With each step they took, their circle became smaller and smaller. It looked as though Reid was a predator luring his prey. His heart thundered in his ears and he struggled to remember the lyrics of his song. The sight of Chloe’s playful smile, her lip pulled between her teeth, and the drop of sweat slipping down her neck to the valley of her breasts made it hard to concentrate on anything other than her.
Without warning, he stepped forward, causing Chloe’s smile to morph into a look of surprise. Reid grinned at her wide-eyed confusion. He leaned forward until their noses nearly touched as he crooned the bridge of the song. For a moment, she stood stone-still before closing her eyes and leaning into her violin. When she opened them again, she smiled before mouthing the word trouble. Reid gave her an easy smile and shrugged before nodding for her to move into position. Chloe turned and pressed her back against Reid’s. In perfect harmony, they played in tandem, their bodies swaying with the beat of the music. When the final chord faded, the applause was the loudest it had ever been. In the midst of the deafening roar, Reid and Chloe turned toward the crowd and joined hands, lifting them high into the air before sprinting to the side of the stage.
“Shit,” Chloe gasped as the rest of the band joined them. “Water. I need water.”
A crew member rushed over, passing out bottles to everyone. “We tried to get the stage fans working, I swear. We have no idea what happened.”
“Nice improv out there,” Greer remarked, his eyes sweeping over Chloe in a way that made Reid’s jaw tick. “Good luck convincing people there’s nothing going on between you two now.”
Reid shrugged even though a sinking feeling bloomed in his chest. He hadn’t considered the consequences of his little stunt. “You heard the way they reacted when she walked on stage. I took advantage of the situation and played it up. Chloe knew what I was doing.”
Chloe swallowed and smiled, but something about it seemed off. “Yup. Why not make the most of the fact that Inky dressed me like a gypsy stripper?”
Greer laughed and threw his arm over her shoulders. “Inky should dress you more often.”
Chloe lifted her water bottle and flicked her wrist, splashing Greer in the face. “Shut up,” she giggled.
“Encore?” Tom asked.