Fortunately, we were spared from going deaf. They just stared at him as if he was a delusion brought on from not enough caffeine in their systems.
Recovering first, two high-fashion-model wannabes sashayed toward us, their moves graceful yet predatory. Neither girl seemed aware she had competition also stalking her prey. Like a lioness going in for the kill, each was focused on one thing and one thing only. I wasn’t even sure they noticed me walking alongside Nolan. Which was just as well. I didn’t want to be considered part of the equation, an element they were eager to eradicate.
Both were tall and gorgeous, with shiny blond hair cascading down their backs. They could’ve just stepped off the pages of a fashion shoot. Next to these two, I was invisible. Cute, but invisible.
“Oh my God,” Blonde #1 said. The only difference between her and Blonde #2 was their eye color. Blonde #1 had pale blue eyes; Blonde #2’s eyes were amber. “You’re Tyler Erickson.”
“That’s right.” Nolan smiled at the two girls. It wasn’t the same smile that had graced his lips last night. This smile was the polite smile you gave your fans…when you weren’t seducing them out of their panties.
Blonde #1 read a different message in the smile—a message that apparently said, Please stroke my chest and abs.
Nolan stepped away, not a huge amount, but enough to break her contact with his body. I turned my head so she didn’t catch me grinning.
“I love your music,” Blonde #2 gushed, but the way her eyes stripped him naked suggested it was more than his music that she loved. “And I love your tattoo.” Her gaze dropped to the tiger tattoo on his arm. At least she got the message and didn’t try to touch him, although I didn’t doubt she’d be all for touching him and exploring his body, given the chance.
Heck, who was I kidding? I’d be all for that too.
Heat rushed to my lower belly at the memory of his fingers brushing against my tank-top-covered nipple. Not inclined to miss out on the fun, my nipples tingled at the memory. It was all I could do to restrain the moan hovering at the back of my throat.
I was so busy mentally dousing the heat with cold water, I almost missed Blonde #1 scribble on a piece of paper and shove it in the pocket of Nolan’s gym shorts.
“Call me,” she said as Blonde #2 did the same, although I could’ve sworn Blonde #2’s fingers stayed in his pockets for a few seconds longer.
I wanted to rip the offending fingers out and tell her where to go, but the need to not make a scene overruled that desire by a narrow margin. A very narrow margin.
Besides, wasn’t this part of Nolan’s job? Socializing with his fans went a long way toward selling albums, especially if the band wanted to do even better next time. The fans were the ones to put them there. And Nolan deserved that…even if it meant I had to watch these girls practically drool on him.
Just as I was about to leave him to his fans, a pair of masculine hands covered my eyes. My heart rate spiked until I remembered whom the hands belonged to, and then it settled back to its normal pace.
“Hey, Chris.” I didn’t have to look to know it was him. He did it every time he saw me.
He dropped his hands from my eyes, and I turned around to talk to the personal trainer, a former NFL player whose career had ended due to a knee injury. He was the guy Blonde #1 and Blonde #2 usually fawned over. Yes, rock stars and former football players were their men of choice.
“Didn’t expect to see you back so soon.” His gaze traveled over my body, but not in the same way the two girls had checked Nolan out. Chris was checking me over for broken bones and other visible injuries.
“You know me,” I said. “I can never get enough of this place.”
His eyes darkened and a muscle twitched in his jaw. “Shit, if I hadn’t canceled on you at the last moment, you would have been with me and not in Westgate. Do the cops know who did it?”
I shook my head. “And it doesn’t help that I can’t remember what happened. I don’t even remember you canceling.” Heck, I didn’t even remember we had planned to meet up.
“The moment you feel up to it, you’re taking a self-defense class.” He fisted his hands on his hips, going all alpha on me and daring me to defy him. The same way Dad had been when he called this morning to make sure I was okay and told me the exact same thing about the class.
“You mean a refresher course. I took a self-defense class two years ago.” It had been after there was a rash of campus rapes. I had no idea if it had helped me or not during the attack. I had no idea if I even remembered anything I’d learned during the class.
A high-pitched giggle rose up from Nolan’s little group. Chris glanced at the groupies and Nolan. “Wow, that guy looks a lot like Tyler Erickson.”
“That’s because it is Tyler Erickson.”