Dangerous Kiss (Dangerous Noise 1)

This time, I'm ready to bend.

I just hope Ethan is ready to meet me halfway.

The show at Madison Square Garden is like something out of a dream, even from my spot on the side of the stage. That's Ethan, the man I love, the guy who grew up dreaming about performing on the famous stage, playing to ten thousand screaming fans. This show is huge, at least twice the size of any of the previous tour stops.

I force myself to take in all the Dangerous Noise guys. Mal and Ethan have a fun stage dynamic. They riff off each other's energy, tease each other, even swap places and guitars mid song. The singer stays coy and untouchable. Ethan stays energetic and welcoming.

Joel shows no signs of his frustration with Mal. He's an animal on his drum kit and he captivates the crowd every time he pauses to wipe his sweat with his shirt or blow kisses.

Kit is in his corner of the stage, rocking his bass guitar, inviting the crowd to look but not touch. Every time he brushes his mass of curly hair from his eyes or waves at the crowd, a thousand women scream his name.

Right now, there's no doubt in my mind that the four of them belong here. There's no doubt that the frost between Joel and Mal will fade. There's no doubt that they'll go on to record platinum albums and win Grammys.

After Mal and Ethan take turns teasing the headliners, the lights go down, the crowd screams, and Ethan goes straight to me.

His strong arms envelop me. His heart is beating so hard I can feel it against my chest. This is what he wants, everything he's ever wanted.

Can I really ask him to give up any of it?

My thoughts evaporate as he presses his lips to mine.

When the kiss breaks, he looks into my eyes. "Stick around. I have a surprise for you after the show."

"Oh yeah?"

He nods. "You'll love it." He kisses me again. It's hungrier this time. "It will be a while."

"That's okay." I brush a strand of dark hair from his gorgeous blue eyes. "Go tend to your fans."

"You can come with."

I shake my head. "I don't need to incite the rage of the jealous fangirls who want you to themselves."

He cocks a brow. "You wouldn't defend my honor?"

"What honor?"

He laughs. "Vi, I…" His eyes go to the floor, then they're on mine. "I'm glad you're here." He pulls me into another tight embrace. "Now stay here. Or at least stay around."

"I will."

I kiss him goodbye then watch as a dozen people stop to offer congrats or support. Sinful Serenade is halfway through their set when Ethan finally clears backstage.

After their show—they're as amazing as always—I hang out with Joel, then Kit, then Mal. They take turns chatting with fans, entertaining me, and avoiding each other.

It's well past midnight when Ethan scoops me into his arms. "Come on." He nods goodbye to Mal and leads me out to the stage.

The room is cleared out except for staff. The stage is empty except for the mic stand, a few amps, and a guitar. Not just any guitar but Ethan's guitar.

His blue eyes light up. "You want to be a rock star?"

I shake my head, but my feet have other ideas. I walk straight to the mic stand and look out at the empty auditorium. The place looked massive from backstage but this goes beyond massive.

This is insane.

How does he play when the room is packed? I can barely manage to stare at the empty seats without trembling.

Ethan slings his guitar over his shoulder. He motions to someone in the sound booth. His lips curl into a smile. "I know you know this one."