Dangerous Kiss (Dangerous Noise 1)

Fuck. Need to get out of here before I forget about taking it slow.

"I'll see you at the sound check tomorrow?" I ask.

"At the show. I have to catch up on school work after I finish with the books." She looks up at me. "Don't work too hard."

"You either."

She laughs. "We're so full of it, huh?"

I raise a brow.

"About working. We're addicted."

"Yeah." But I know how to get her mind off her studies. I slide my hand around her waist and pull her into a deep kiss.

Violet arches her back as she groans into my mouth. She wants more.

Every part of me, one in particular, wants more.

Somehow, I manage to pull back. I press my forehead to hers. "Goodnight, Vi."

"Goodnight, Ethan." She looks back at me as she steps inside her room.

It takes every bit of self-control I have, but I do manage to talk myself out of knocking on her door and insisting she come on my hand again.

I've filled in for Drew twice so far. Did all right both times. But all right isn't good enough.

God damn, I'm sweating bullets here. It's three minutes until Sinful Serenade is going on stage. I should be loose and relaxed with damn, Dangerous Noise killed it energy.

But I'm not.

I go through my warm-up stretches. At this point, I'm already warm, but it gives me something to do.

Mal pats me on the back. "You okay?"

I'm not okay and he knows it. I smile back at him. "Great, thanks."

He shakes his head: one day you'll get it. "If you want to back down, I know the Sinful Serenade setlist as well as you do."

I stare daggers at Mal.

He chuckles. "Break

a leg." He pats me on the back then makes his way to his Bay Area fuck buddy, a brunette in jeans and a tight red sweater.

She lights up when he greets her. He leans in to whisper—I don't need to go there.

Mal has half a dozen fuck buddies scattered around the country. He has a girl everywhere except southern California. When we're home, Mal spends all his free time with Piper.

Okay. Enough about my brother's habits.

Need my head in the game. We've got two minutes to show time. I start on another round of stretches.

A familiar voice stops me. "I've never seen you this nervous." Violet squeezes my hand. She looks up at me. "Anything I can do?"

There's a lot she can do but none of it gets my head in the game. "Wish me luck."

"Good luck." She rises to her tiptoes and brushes her lips against mine. "If luck isn't enough, take off your clothes. I guarantee that will win the crowd over."