Her voice was warmer as she answered. She touched his cheek with her hand, and he wondered how she’d found his face in the dark. “You’re my friend, silly. You’re a hot guy in one of my favorite bands ever. I had to make this connection if I could.”
Why was his throat constricting? He wanted to ask if he was now just another notch in her belt, but he already sounded pathetic to himself. Bad enough that he’d lost his virginity to her; he didn’t need to seem like a vulnerable pussy on top of it. He shoved his cock in his underwear and zipped up before saying, “So this is it then?”
She giggled. “Um…do you plan to unfriend me on Facebook?”
“No.”
“Then it’s business as usual, pal. Oh…except there’s no way to get your virginity back. Once that genie’s outta the bottle, that’s it.”
He laughed in spite of himself and tried to focus on the joy and gratitude he’d been swathed in moments earlier. So maybe Jake was right. Maybe Beth was a groupie—and he knew the needy feelings of love and yearning would fade. He now had a great memory of his first time…so maybe he should shower and go to bed in the cool air of the bus. After all, he’d earned it.
No…he needed it.
* * *
Brandon woke early the next morning—well, early for him. He’d let Beth keep his lucky drumsticks, realizing—like Jake had noted—that the good fortunate they seemed to bring to him was nothing but pure superstition. His playing and the success of the band as well as the enjoyment of the fans had nothing to do with if he was able to practice or play with his lucky drumsticks whenever the mood struck.
Besides, he was pretty sure Beth would appreciate them more than he would as the years went on. She’d told him she collected rock memorabilia, and then he knew they would have a good home with her. He signed them with the Sharpie she had in her pocket and then she’d kissed him one last time, hard and with meaning, before holding his hand loosely in hers until they parted inside the festival.
He rubbed his eyes and pulled back the curtain to his bunk, jumping down as soon as he saw the coast was clear. He pulled his jean shorts off the bottom of the bunk and put them on. Because their show had been last night, he’d half expected everyone to still be in bed, but Mollie, Kyle, and Garrett were all sitting at the table drinking coffee. Brandon had never cared much for coffee, but he felt like today was a good day to try again. He grabbed a mug and poured half a cup before sitting down with everyone.
Mollie was saying to Kyle, “You might think about switching it up.” Then she looked at Brandon. “And how are you, young man? You disappeared from the show awfully fast last night.”
Kyle stifled a grin. “He had a hot date. At least, I hope it was hot.”
“It had to be. It was still in the eighties or nineties when the show was over.”
Brandon rolled his eyes. As much as his world had been rocked last night, he did not want to talk about it. It all still felt new and intimate and not quite real. And, more than that, it felt precious. Yeah, sure, it had been a one-night stand, but that didn’t mean he wanted to share it. It had been his first time, after all. That was for him and him alone.
Mollie cocked an eyebrow but brought her cup to her lips. Garrett said, “So the two of you finally hooked up, huh?”
“What would you know about it?” Brandon eyed the suspicious roadie, remembering his odd behavior of yesterday.
Garrett smoothed his beard and looked down at the table. “Well…I kinda helped.”
“Helped how?”
“I gave her your cell number.”
Mollie almost visibly bristled. “You what? You gave Brandon’s cell number—to whom?”
Garrett’s eyes grew wide. “To a super fan. She’s friends with him on Facebook. Has been for a long time now. She showed me.”
Mollie’s jaw was rigid as she shook her head. “That is absolutely uncalled for. You never, as in never ever, give out the number to anyone in the band. Is that clear?”
Brandon tried not to grin. Mollie was a tiny thing but intimidating as hell. Both she and Kyle were forces to be reckoned with and, if anyone ever thought women were the weaker sex, they had only to meet these two females he worked with to lose that notion. Garrett nodded. “Yes, ma’am.” He looked over at Brandon. “My apologies.”
“No harm done, dude.” He took a sip of his coffee and almost spat it out. Yuck. Still tasted like oily tree bark. “It worked out okay. Did you give her my drumsticks?”
“Yeah, I found them and gave them to her—but she promised to give them back to you. Did she renege?”
“No. I let her keep them.”
“Aw, isn’t that sweet?” Kyle reached over and tousled Brandon’s hair. This morning, it didn’t bother him so much that they still treated him like a kid…because he knew that today he was a man, and nothing could change that. “Hey, we’re gonna get breakfast as soon as Jake gets his ass out of bed. You game?”
“Yeah, I’m starving.”
Soon, they were heading downtown to grab a bite before the shows started for the day. Brandon was going to get to kick back and relax, listening to some of the best music and best bands on the planet. And who knew? Maybe he’d find another girl and get to practice his techniques.
As the driver made his way down the crowded street, Brandon asked, “Hey, any of you mind if we stop off at a store really fast before we head back?”
“Nah, that’s okay with me,” Mollie said—and, if it was okay with her, it was okay with everyone else. Brandon still had a condom in his pocket, courtesy of Jake, but he was ready to buy a few more…because he was ready to rock and roll, and with two days left in this festival, he wanted to make sure things stayed as hot as he could make them.
* * *
If you loved the stories in this box set, you might want to check out each entire series:
BULLET
TANGLED WEB
VAGABONDS
SMALL TOWN SECRETS
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If a fake engagement story is your thing, you’ll love CHARADE, the first installment in the Pretense and Promises series.
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About the Author
1. Imagine 2. Play some music 3. Write 4. Blow readers away 5. Repeat
Jade C. Jamison is a steamy romance author, heavy metal fangirl, wife and mom, coffee connoisseur, cat lover, and vegan foodie—not necessarily in that order. She loves life and believes we learn our wisest lessons when reading, especially if it’s fiction. Her heroines are fierce, her heroes all but broken, both seeking redemption together. Whether in a small Colorado town or big city, she strives to take her readers’ breath away...one story at a time.
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Dirty Boys: Bad Boy Rock Star Romance Box Set Page 123