Double Score

“Thank y’all for inviting me here tonight.” She grinned at the front row. “Because this is a special occasion. And I’m honored and blessed to be here with you to open the children’s wing of Austin’s Westwood Hospital.” She knew when to pause for the applause. “So, tonight this is a celebration. It’s a night to feel good about what we’ve done for these children, and for all of the children who are going to walk through those doors.” She pointed behind the crowd.

“So don’t be bashful. We have a lot to celebrate. And we still have a lot of funds to raise. Put your hands together and let’s get this party started.”

She began to clap and the crowd was in unison with her. I looked around at the spell she had cast over these people. They were happy. They fucking loved her.

And that’s when I realized there was a part about the football glitz I loved. The flood of adrenaline. The fans chanting my name. The cheerleaders screaming on the sidelines. It was fucking amazing. The rush of football. It was everything to me. And for a split second, Lexi Wilde looked at me and I felt it. I felt that same rush.

And I couldn’t move. I couldn’t turn away. The gentle sway of her hips and the way her eyes lit every time she turned toward my end of the stage captured my full attention. I was stuck. Stuck listening to something angelic in her voice. Stuck waiting for the next song to play.

I followed her legs and those sexy boots as she moved from one end of the small stage to the other. There was something fascinating about Lexi Wilde and I had to figure out what it was. Why I couldn’t turn away. Why I stared. Why I suddenly picked up my phone and needed to cancel my car.

6

Alexa

“Babe, that was beautiful. You were beautiful.” Jake met me at the back of the stage, handing me a bottle of water, and planted a kiss on my cheek. He looked almost as flush as I was.

I twisted the cap and took a few sips. It wasn’t one of my full-blown concerts, but it was an entire set and I could already feel my voice starting to crack. He had pushed me too hard to do the extra meet and greet, and added an interview with the Austin Times.

“Thanks.” I held the bottle against my chest. It started to soak through my white shirt.

“The press is going crazy. You should see the social media accounts. They are blowing up. I can’t keep up with all of them.”

I glared at him. “Jake, these are sick kids. I’m not trying to exploit that.”

“No, you leave that part to me.”

He was like an evil genius I couldn’t control. I didn’t know when the switch had occurred for him. There was a time when he was a friend, a confidant even, but now he was hungry to be at the top. And I was his only way to stay there. He didn’t care if that meant using sick children for photo ops, or offering a free concert for national publicity. He was starving for every headline I could capture.

“What time do we leave tomorrow?” I asked. I rarely knew my schedule ahead of time, but I had been promised a few days home in Nashville. I had visions of sleeping in my own bed.

He steered me toward the side of the stage where we could talk without fan interruptions. “First, we have more photo ops. The mayor wants a picture.”

“Of course she does.”

“And before we take off in the afternoon I have you scheduled to stop by as many of the kids’ rooms as possible. Take your guitar and play a few of their favorites. They’ll want autographs. Meet a few of the doctors. You know the drill, babe.”

“That I don’t have a problem with.” I was about to lay into him about all of the other things he expected of me when my back slammed into something as solid as a wall, but it had arms and a chest.

I turned slowly and looked up. I knew that chiseled face and grin. I had seen those bedroom eyes pop up more than once in the headlines. What was Luke Canton doing here? This was definitely not his kind of scene.

“Sorry,” I eked.

“No, don’t apologize. I was coming back stage to see you. Good show.”

I stared at his massive frame. “You came to see me? You like my music?”

He shoved his hands in his pockets. “I liked it tonight.”

I laughed. “I guess I’ll take that. I just don’t see you as the country fan boy type.” The Warriors’ quarterback was notorious for partying, and I didn’t think any of my songs would make it on to his playlist.

That made him chuckle. “I have a lot of different tastes.”

Jake grabbed me by the shoulders and whispered in my ear. “We need to keep moving, Lex.”

Luke was in front of me, and he didn’t look like he had any intention of stepping out of the way.

“I was hoping we could talk.” His voice was low. “I like what you did up there.”