The smoldering stare of the man across from me lifts to my eyes and I take a soul-soothing breath. I’m okay. For now.
I don’t look at my brother as I make my way back into the warehouse and lift Oz onto my shoulder, murmuring an apology for treating him so carelessly. My tongue darts out and runs along my swollen, thoroughly kissed lips.
I’ve taken the first hit and already I’m addicted. This will have to hold me over, will have to patch the dam I nearly destroyed.
I play better than I ever have. I’m alive and on fire from the brief memory of Gavin’s mouth on mine. Dallas asks what has gotten into me and my face heats as I shrug and replay the kiss a thousand times in my mind.
I tell myself that I can do this. Can feed off this. I have to. For four more nights at least.
As for how I can survive touring with a man I love and can’t have, I have a plan. One that will either allow me to work in close proximity to Gavin for the foreseeable future or set fire to the world as we know it.
Chapter 10
Austin MusicFest—Day 2
THE SECOND NIGHT OF AUSTIN MUSICFEST IS EVEN MORE INTENSE than the first. Thankfully I didn’t have to throw myself together in two seconds and hitch a ride this time. Tonight I’ve donned my carefully selected leather and lace-layered top. My jeans are well worn and torn in all the right places. It’s cooler tonight; the breeze holds the promise of rain. I breathe it in, closing my eyes and playing my fiddle the way Gavin kissed me only hours ago. Passionate. Hungry. Desperate.
The crowd is larger. The sun sets slightly earlier, granting us—the opening act—that blessed darkness that somehow makes music more magical and mysterious.
Tonight we’re on stage eleven, which is farther from the main strip. The band we’re opening up for hasn’t arrived and the coordinating crew members keep signaling to Dallas to keep going. We’re four songs past our set list and reaching the point of making it up as we go when the headliner finally shows up.
“Living a Past Life” is a Christian rock band with a huge fan base. Their manager is explaining to the crowd about being stuck in traffic as we exit the stage. We’re swept off with a soundtrack of ardent applause. Whether it’s for us or the band taking the stage, I have no idea.
“I’m going to hang around, talk to their manager a bit,” Dallas tells Gavin and me with a nod toward the stage we just left, once we’ve packed our equipment into the van. “Y’all can take the van back to the hotel if you want.”
If I thought for one second that Gavin would come to my room, I’d take Dallas right up on that. But judging from how hard he’s been working to avoid close contact with me, I’m betting he’d lock himself safely in their room without so much as a good night.
“It’s a nice night. Think I’ll walk around the strip a bit before heading back.” I don’t wait for permission from either of them before turning to leave. “See you later, boys.”
I almost smile to myself. No way in hell either of them will let me walk around Sixth Street alone. It’s chaos. Everyone’s thoroughly inebriated. Most people are looking to hook up. For once, I’m most people.
“Wait up, Bluebird,” Gavin calls out from behind me.
Turning around slowly, I see him coming toward me with an amused smile on his lips. My heart sings.
“You really think Dallas would let you loose out here without a chaperone?”
I smirk because we both know he wouldn’t.
“Ah. So you do know how to manipulate men after all. And here I thought innocence was part of your charm.”
“Maybe I did learn something in college after all. How about that.”
He grins and shakes his head. My fingers twitch at my sides, aching to reach up and plow through his hair, bringing his lips back to mine, where they belong.
“So . . .” Gavin says softly, jamming his hands into his pockets as we walk farther into the crush of the crowd.
“So,” I repeat.
“We should probably talk, I guess.”
“You guess?”