The solid, tough looking man waved a drumstick at me, then his boyish grin lit up his face, making a little more sense of his nickname.
“Guys, this is Corina. She’s basically our boss from now until the show.”
Rob nodded, grinning widely as he ran a hand through his spiky black hair. “Thanks for helping us out, Corina. It’s a relief to have a professional on the team.”
“Did you guys go over names for the band?” I asked.
They all shot each other narrow-eyed glances. “Yes,” Todd said, “We’ve narrowed it down to two possibilities.”
“That’s amazing!” I exclaimed. “Why don’t you all think about it for at least a day, and see how they both feel?”
“Oh good,” Ethan said, breathing a dramatic sigh of relief. “You work so fast that we thought you might have to get it today.”
“No, but I do need the photos today,” I said, setting my purse on a chair and digging out a small camera. “Could you guys please play a song, and pretend I’m not here?”
Ethan strapped on his guitar, then Skippy counted them in. Instantly the four of them became completely animated, as if their personalities had been cranked from level five to level ten.
As they bounced around, singing a song about communication being too convenient, and not leaving people enough time to wonder, I couldn’t stop staring at Ethan.
He was clearly the leader of the group, but they were also a team. His deep, clear voice was absolutely enchanting. The music had a lightness to it, even though there was a solid, pulsing drive.
Circling them slowly, I took a ton of photos of the four of them, without ever quite losing track of the way Ethan watched me.
The connection between us was unmistakable, yet I was amazed at how strong it was from his side. It honestly felt like he was already completely taken with me, and wanted us to be a couple, immediately.
He already had real feelings for me. I was already falling incredibly hard for him, too. The only question left was whether I should follow my head or my heart when deciding how quickly we should end up in bed together.
Ethan’s eyes locked on mine at every opportunity, but I could feel his smoldering glance all around my snug black dress, as if he couldn’t wait to tear it off.
As he blew me a kiss at the end of the song, I had a memory card full of photos, and no doubt in my mind that we were going to create some incredible memories tonight.
To my utmost shock, I was more excited than terrified. Which helped my decision solidify itself.
6
_____
Ethan
As soon as Corina seemed satisfied with the array of band photos, we shut everything down. Usually the guys stuck around for a coffee or a beer after rehearsal, but I’d told them in advance that I needed some time alone with my new girl.
The second they were gone, I joined her on the couch. “Did you get everything you need?”
“Yes, thanks.”
“Did you like the music?”
Her grin unhinged the last of my self-control, as I slid my arm around her shoulders.
“Yes, I really did,” she said, turning toward me. “It has all of the elements of classic rock that I love, but in a fresh way.” She stopped, shaking her head. “Sorry, I’m not a music expert. I should send your album to my friend Brynn. She could describe it better.”
‘I’m just glad you like it, because you’re going to be hearing it a lot over the years.”
“Years?” she asked, her voice so soft it was almost to the point of breaking.
“Yes,” I murmured, leaning in to run my mouth along the side of her neck until she shivered.
She licked her lips nervously, obviously having no idea what that did to me.