Dangerous Fling (Dangerous Noise 4)

The bouncer thinks I'm cute.

Mal thinks I'm cute.

Maybe… I don't know. All those years of rejection, of feeling worthless, of not understanding why… it hurts.

But I can't talk about it.

Thinking about it is already making bile rise up in my throat.

No more.

I'm enjoying this night. I'm enjoying these two months with Mal. Period.

I clear my mind as I step into the club. Backstage is bustling. It's a tiny room attached to a narrow hallway. The lights are dim. Equipment is everywhere. And everyone is looking at Mal like they want a piece of him.

We go through five hellos before we clear the first corner.

The only music flowing into the room is from the club's speakers. The crowd outside is chatting and singing along with a ten-year-old pop-punk hit. My eyes go to the setlist on the wall. That's the opening band's biggest hit.

Oh my God, that's a huge band.

Are they here?

They must be here. They're set to be on stage in thirty minutes.

The speakers switch to another ten-year-old hit. The club is smart. They're getting the crowd in the mood.

God, they have the fucking best videos. I'm much less nervous about running into rock stars and much more nervous about the likeliness that I'll tackle one of them and threaten awful, awful things if they don't hand over their director's phone number.

Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God.

That's Logan Kingston, the lead singer of Wicked Beat. And he's coming towards us.

"Nice to see you, Mal." He turns to me. "You must be the girl from the video."

My cheeks flush. "I, uh… I'm Lacey."

He shakes my hand. "Logan Kingston. Don't worry. I had to promise Mal really select tour dates to get him to show me that video early."

"What did you think?" I ask.

He gives me a long once-over. "Something tells me Malcolm won't appreciate me offering you the lead role in our next video."

Mal stares back at him. "Lacey cut the video together."

"Beauty and brains. That's the total package. I've only got the former." His smile lights up his light eyes. "Mal can't punch my lights out, 'cause… I guess he can."

"Does Mal punch?" I ask.

He shakes his head. "No, he plots more elaborate revenge."

I laugh. "I can see that."

He gives me another long once-over. I'm not imagining things. Logan Kingston wants me. He's clearly a total player.

But still.

He wants me.