She was excited to see him perform again. It felt like forever since she had been backstage with him and Chloe. Trihn and Damon had come a long way since they first started dating.
“What are you thinking?” Damon asked.
“Nothing. Why?”
“You’re smiling.”
“Am I?” she asked, unable to mask her grin.
“You are.”
She shrugged. “I’m just happy for you. Excited to see the show.”
“It’ll be good to have you here again. I’m more involved musically with the whole production. I only sing on the two tracks, but since I play so many instruments, production let me switch instruments songs. It’s more interesting, I think—or at least more fun,” he said with a smile.
“Good. You’re too talented to play backup.”
He chuckled. “‘We Never Met’ is sitting at number one on the charts under my name. I don’t think I’m playing backup.”
“True.”
Damon stood from where he had been seated at the piano and walked over to Trihn. He held his hand out for her, and she took it. He hauled her to her feet. She stepped easily into his arms. Then, he started moving. Slowly, their hips swayed back and forth, their bodies were pressed tightly together, and he was drawing her hand up to twirl her in place.
She laughed. “What are you doing?”
“Dancing.”
“You’re about to go onstage in front of thousands of people, and you’re back here, dancing with me?”
“Mmhmm,” he said, pulling her back in and nuzzling her neck.
She sighed into his embrace and couldn’t deny how amazing this was.
Their bodies moved together in a seductive dance that they were all too good at. She dropped his hand, wrapping her arms around his neck. He gripped her hips. Her fingers threaded through his hair, and suddenly, he claimed her lips.
They were still dancing, despite the fact that there was no music. If they had been back at the hotel, this would have been leading straight to that king-size bed again. But now, it was just hot and sensual and making her completely weak in the knees.
Then, the door swung inward.
“Damon, I just wanted to go over—” Chloe abruptly cut off.
Damon didn’t jolt away from Trihn, like she’d expected.
He kissed her on the lips and smiled at her before turning to Chloe. “What’s up?”
Chloe was beet-red. She cleared her throat. “Sorry to interrupt. I just wanted to go over that one part in ‘Heartbreaker.’ It’s hell on my vocal cords.”
“Sure. Let me get you in key.”
Damon kissed Trihn’s cheek one more time, and then he and Chloe sat at the piano and worked on the song she had sang a hundred times before.
Chloe had real talent. It was clear why she was successful. But her insecurities about her success were also blatant in the way she always looked for reassurance from others around her. Trihn would never have seen it before, but she recognized things about Chloe the Girl that she would never have seen in Chloe the Mega Superstar.
By the time they finished up, an assistant came by to collect them, and then Trihn was deposited backstage, so she could watch the show.
It was different this time, seeing Chloe and Damon onstage together.
That first night, Damon had been a nobody. He had played one song, and Trihn had felt so proud of him.
Now, when Damon walked on that stage, there were as many cheers for him as there were for Chloe. The fans adored him. He wasn’t here by chance or luck. He was here because he was meant to be here.
All the hours recording and doing promotional tours, all the endless tour dates away from home, all the time he’d had to be away from her had coalesced into this one moment. Damon Stone had been made to be on that stage.
He hadn’t been joking when he said that he played a bunch of instruments. He went from guitar to bass to drums and back to guitar. He played three songs on the piano, and then, he ended up with a trumpet that he recorded live and then fed into the feed for the crowd.
His talent and complete adoration for the music mesmerized Trihn. Somehow, he had taken Chloe’s tour and made it about both of them.
By the time “Heartbreaker” and “We Never Met” were played as the grand finale, the crowd was in an uproar. Philips Arena was on its feet, and Trihn couldn’t blame them. Damon and Chloe made a rocking duo.
Damon came offstage with a wide grin and sweat dripping down his face. He took off his baseball cap and wiped his forehead with his soaked shirt. Chloe followed behind him, living off the energy from the concert.
Chloe catapulted into Damon’s arms. He laughed and swung her around before placing her back down on her feet.
“That’s the best it’s ever been!” she said, jumping up and down.
“It really was,” Damon agreed. “God, that crowd. It’s like a life force.”
“It so is. One more bow!” Chloe grabbed his hand and pulled him back toward the stage.
He apologetically looked at Trihn, but she didn’t say anything as he and Chloe ran back out together.