I tried to hide my laughter, and Leif curled me closer, muttered my direction, “I probably should have warned you.”
Amusement played across my mouth. “You do realize who I have to hang out with all the time? This is nothing.”
Rhys pointed again, eyes wide as he looked between Leif and the rest of the band. “See. Is anyone else pickin’ up on this shit-fire craziness? She is talking about Sunder right now. Fangirl down.”
The guy toppled back onto the pitted pavement.
Putting on a show.
Richard rubbed his forehead and started back toward the theater, glancing once at me. “Hey, Sunder Princess, we need a new bassist. You know anyone?”
Rhys popped up. “I’m comin’, asshole. Don’t make me take you down.”
He ran up behind him and curled an arm around his neck. Richard tossed him off, laughing, and Rhys punched him in the shoulder.
“Don’t mind my wild boys, Mia,” Emily said. She reached for my hand and gave it a squeeze. “I’m really glad you’re gonna be here tonight. We’ve been missin’ Leif like crazy, so we figured we’d better make the trip up here to see what he’s been up to. I’m glad he’s been up to something good.”
“Emily,” Leif said, part warning, part exasperation.
“I’m just welcoming your friend, Leif. Southern hospitality and all.” She winked at me and twisted her skirt with an exaggerated curtsy before she turned and headed after Rhys and Richard who were already climbing the back steps.
The door flung open right before they got there and a girl came rushing out, her brown ponytail swinging around her shoulders.
“Mells-Bells,” Rhys shouted. “Where the hell have you been all my life?”
She rolled her eyes and tossed a thumb over her shoulder. “Working. Like you should be. Asses backstage. Soundcheck. Do I have to chase ya’ll down every damn time?”
They fumbled in, mumbling apologies and hiding their smiles.
Leif hugged me closer. “So, that’s Carolina George. Melanie is our assistant and Emily’s best friend. Four of them make up the only family I have.”
And I knew he was giving me a little more.
A piece of him.
I peeked at his gorgeous face. Heart manic. Excitement buzzing in my chest, affection riding in right behind it. “I can’t wait to hear you play, Leif. So badly I can hardly stand it. Can’t wait to see you in your element.”
And maybe that was the most dangerous thing of all.Twenty-SixMia“How am I supposed to watch out for you if you’re down on the floor?” His voice was a rumble of possessiveness.
“And how am I supposed to appreciate your talent from way back here?” I returned. “I want to see you up on the stage, Leif. Experience it. I am rock ‘n’ roll royalty, after all. I think I’m a pretty good judge.” I let the tease wind into the air.
A temptation and a dare.
Okay, I didn’t have a musical bone in my body.
But I was pretty sure I’d become adept at appreciating what he had to offer.
On a low chuckle, he curled his big hand around my hip and tugged me closer. “You might be wearin’ a crown, but I’m thinking it’s the angel kind.”
A rush of dizziness spun through my head, all supplied by the need woven in his tone and the bottle of champagne I’d shared with Emily and Melanie right before it was time for them to go on.
He inched forward. His big body eclipsed mine where he nudged me into the shadows backstage.
I wanted to swoon and sing.
I brushed my fingertips across his sharp, sharp jaw. “Leif.”
A plea I didn’t quite understand.
He dropped his forehead to mine. “How’s it possible it feels like this?”
“What does it feel like?” I barely managed to force out around the need that had grown thick in my throat.
He squeezed his eyes shut. “Right.”
He jerked himself back and stepped away, roughing an anxious hand through his hair.
Too close.
Too exposed.
“If you’re going down there, you’d better hurry. We’re on in a couple of minutes.”
“Okay.” I started to head for the hall that led to the floor.
Before I got a foot away, Leif grabbed me by the hand, pulled me back, and spun me around.
His fingers drove into my hair.
He kissed me.
Kissed me long and slow and impossibly.
His tongue a lash of soft possession. Rigid, terrified devotion. He curled his hands around my head, twisting my hair up in a mess of need, the harsh rake of his breaths panted into my mouth.
I was gasping by the time he pulled back, clinging to his shirt, unable to stand.
A small smirk ticked up at one side of his delicious mouth, his thumb coming to brush across my swollen lips. “Told you I was going to kiss that lipstick off later.”
I inched back. Inhaled a shaky breath. Grabbed the tube of it that was in my pocket and smeared it across the tingling flesh. “In case you want to give it another try later.”