Hillbilly Rockstar

by Lorelei James

  show that caused that wow factor, but the man himself and his music.

  Ninety minutes and two encores later, he exited the stage for the final time. But his night wasn’t over.

  Amid the congratulations from the crew for the great show, he headed back to his ready room. Liberty followed behind the security escorts and caught the door before it slammed in her face.

  Keeping his gaze on hers, he uncapped a bottle of water and drank deeply. His clothes clung to his body, completely damp with sweat. Then he began unbuttoning his shirt.

  Liberty’s mouth went dry at the sight of the sculpted muscles of his shoulders, arms, and chest. Using a bootjack, he removed his boots and his hands went to his belt buckle. “Are you really gonna stand there and watch me strip without sayin’ a word?”

  “Are you really gonna strip in front of me and expect me not to watch?” she retorted.

  Devin laughed. “First night on tour and you’re already bustin’ my balls. So what’s up?”

  “Just wondering if you want me escorting you to the party, or if you’d prefer security. And how long before you’re ready.”

  “I need to shower, so you go on. Tell the security guys to stick around.”

  She nodded. Just as she reached the door, it opened and a well-endowed blonde paused in the doorway. “Can I help you?”

  “I’m supposed to meet Devin here.”

  Liberty wondered how often that statement worked for these groupies. Her gaze dropped to the lanyard with the backstage pass. “Sorry. He’s—”

  “Very happy to see you,” Devin inserted behind her. “What’s your name again?”

  “Eve.”

  “Beautiful name, doll. Come on in.” He took her hand and tugged her into the room.

  When Liberty spun around to protest that this strange woman, whose name he hadn’t even known, had gained access to him by flaunting her tits, she was momentarily sidetracked by his bare chest. How did the man maintain that physique when he spent most of his time on a tour bus playing guitar?

  Devin murmured something to Eve and snaked his hand around her waist. He said, “I’ll see you at the party,” without meeting Liberty’s gaze and shut the door on her.

  She wanted to knock until he opened the door again and point out this woman could be dangerous and should be frisked for weapons—but then she realized how ridiculous that sounded. Eve’s outfit defined skimpy.

  The security guard to the right smirked at her. “Yes, she’s clean. We checked her. And the five others waiting in line behind her.”

  She glanced at the ladies glaring at one another from various spots in the hallway. “Just make sure he makes it to the party after he’s done.”

  Liberty cautioned herself against a morality judgment. He was a guy who used his celebrity for easy sex—no different from most of the men in the public eye.

  What she didn’t understand? Why some women were so eager to drop to their knees for a guy they didn’t know. Did they brag to their friends about giving a celebrity a blow job? Did they think they were so good at sucking cock that a guy like Devin would fall in love with them? She snorted. Men weren’t picky about blow-job technique. Any woman who put a dude’s dick in her mouth was good at giving head.

  “Hey, Liberty, wait up.”

  She stopped and faced Odette.

  Odette hadn’t changed clothes; she still wore the iridescent skirt and sequin tank top from the performance. “I wanted to apologize for earlier this morning. I was rude to you. I’m sorry.”

  Liberty started walking. “Apology accepted.”

  “It’s just . . . I’ve known Devin a long time.”

  The way she emphasized known meant one thing. “How long were you and Devin together?”

  She blushed. “A year. Being in close quarters on tour and thinking we were in love is something that a lot of musicians go through with other musicians. I’ve been with Steve for five years now. So we’re proof that on-the-road romances don’t always end in disaster.” Odette looked around. “Where is Devin?”

  “Taking the edge off in his ready room.”

  She stopped again. “You’re okay with him banging a groupie on the first night of the tour?”

  Liberty shrugged. “I’m his personal assistant, remember?”

  “But you’ve got to be more than that,” Odette blurted. “Devin never lets anyone stay on his tour bus. And you’ve pretty much moved in.”

  “All the better to offer my personal assistance whenever Devin needs it.” God. It burned her damn tongue to say that, but she let Odette assign meaning to it.

  Odette looked . . . sorry for her. Then she dropped it. “Let’s see what delectable morsels the promotion company ordered for us tonight. The first and last nights of tour are usually when they go all-out on the food.”

  Liberty was pleased the security guards manning the outer door checked everyone’s passes. The half of the room cordoned off for fans was packed, while on the other side, a couple dozen people milled about, holding drinks but not eating.

  “Hang on,” Odette said and vanished into the crowd.

  This type of situation made her jumpy. Too many people. Too many ways to get to Devin. She checked out the other four security guys inside the room. Even though they were staying alert, she couldn’t drop her guard. But since Devin wasn’t here, she should probably eat.

  She wandered over to the tables loaded with fancy food. Beautifully crafted rolls of sushi, skewers of roasted meat, mini pulled-pork sandwiches, bread with several different pesto and tomato toppings, artisan cheeses, creamy dips for the bowls of hand-cut potato chips. She didn’t see any of the freeze-and-heat type of grocery store appetizers she was used to. Next to the bowls of brined olives was a mountain of fresh-cut vegetables and plates of exotic fruit. At the end of the table she spied trays of chocolate desserts with swirled rainbow-colored icing and gold flecks that she was afraid to touch.

  A deep voice behind her said, “Seems a waste, don’t it? All this pretty, expensive damn food and no one has touched it.”

  Liberty faced Crash. “I don’t see a plate in your hand.”

  “So let’s be the first ones to load up.”

  She piled her plate high. “What happens to all this food if no one eats it?”

  “Depends. Devin has stipulations in his contract that if we’re near a kids’ home or a women’s shelter, they get first dibs. If we’re close to a military base or a veterans’ facility, it gets delivered to the mess hall. Boomer, our sound guy, is the resident do-gooder, so he makes sure it goes someplace besides in the damn garbage.”

  “I’m glad to hear that. I know soldiers would be thrilled to get grub this good.”

  They found a table that gave her a decent view of the room.

  “I’m assuming there haven’t been any problems tonight?” Crash asked.

  “None.”

  “Were there women waiting for him at the ready room after the performance?”

  Liberty shook her head. “That shit’s been stopped.”

  Crash nearly choked on his sandwich. “No women at all?”

  “Don’t pity the poor man, Crash; he’s with a woman now. The others are allowed to wait in the hallway, and they’ll be checked out before they get near him. From what I can see, the biggest threat to his safety is him suffocating from all the ladies who want to dog pile him.”

  He laughed. “And a few men too. But it ain’t as bad as all that. A lot of what you’ll hear about him and his um . . . appetites are bald-faced lies to sell sleazy magazines.” He crunched a chip. “His bandmates think you’re his new girlfriend and the PA thing is just a front.”

  “I know.”

  “You don’t have a problem with them thinking you’re a pushover for letting him fuck whoever he wants while you’re supposedly in his bed every night?”

  Her gaze met his. “Makes it easier all around if they think I’m a pushover. And to be blunt, I don’t give a flying fuck how they judge me. It’s not like I
’ll become besties with any of them.”

  “Harsh.”

  “You, Devin and I know that I’m not here to make friends. So the first time Odette asks me to have lunch with her and Tay and I decline, they’ll be fine. But the third or fourth time I say no. Then they’ll think I’m so cock whipped that I can’t leave Devin’s side even for a lousy hour. I’m good with that too. Because I won’t be having girl time or lunch with them. Ever.”

  Crash’s eyes turned serious. “You’re better at this job than I thought you’d be. Just think. We only have sixty-seven more performances to get through.”

  “Since Devin isn’t very forthcoming about his bandmates, can you give me a rundown on each one? Hookups, history, length of time Devin’s been working with them?”

  “Most of them have been with him since his third album. Jase is the lead guitar player and he’s on again, off again with Tay. Tay is the keyboard player and backup singer. Odette is our string virtuoso. She and Dev were involved for a while, but now she and Steve, our drummer have been together for years. Gage is the bassist. Leon plays slide steel. They’ve both been with him since the beginning.”

  “Are they studio musicians when they’re not on tour?”

  He shook his head. “Someone at Devin’s level could hire top-notch studio musicians and tour with them. The record label suggested that, but Devin is loyal. He trusts all of his band members and considers them his family. At one time he approached the label about rebranding themselves as the Devin McClain Band, but they shot him down.”

  “He’s amazing in concert. I was pretty blown away, to tell you the truth.”

  Crash nodded. “I’ve managed his road crew for eight years and I’ve not lost the excitement of seeing him onstage.”

  The sea of people parted, clapping started, signaling the star had arrived.

  Liberty had wondered if Devin would show up with a woman on his arm, but he came solo.

  Coming solo was probably rare for him since he had women lined up, ensuring he didn’t have to take himself in hand. She snickered. Not PC. But hey, at least she hadn’t said it out loud.

  Devin looked around, saw Crash and beckoned him over.

  “Duty calls. Enjoy your break. I figure he’ll be ready to head back to the bus in an hour.”

  Liberty watched him doing the meet and greet, and she could tell he genuinely enjoyed it. He must’ve had his picture taken a hundred times. He signed T-shirts, ball caps, posters and CD covers without missing a beat or losing his smile.

  Finally, the crowd thinned. But he wasn’t done. Looked like he had media interviews. During that time, he’d finished a bottle of water. She thought she caught him staring longingly at the food table, but he didn’t stop what he was doing to eat.

  She had the strangest compulsion to fill a plate with food and force him to sit.

  Don’t go there. It’d set a bad precedent. You’re not his caretaker; you’re his protection.

  But the truth was, Devin McClain looked like he needed a caretaker.

  “Thank you so much. I appreciate y’all comin’ to the show tonight.”

  Devin realized there wasn’t anyone else waiting in line to talk to him. Before that changed, he headed for the food tables, only to find most of the food gone, except one mini sandwich and a handful of chips. Better than nothing. He devoured it in about five seconds and glanced up to see Liberty watching him.

  She wore the blank expression of someone who’s seen it all, done it all and was bored with it all.

  That expression didn’t change one iota as he wandered to her. “Did you have a good time tonight?”

  “Not as good as you’ve had.”

  Of course she’d point that out. “I meant the show. What did you think of it?” Why had he asked when he knew how brutally honest her answer would be?

  “It was . . .”

  “What?”

  When Liberty leaned forward, her silver eyes shone with pleasure. “Fucking spectacular. I’ve never seen anything like it. And it’s lucky you had other security keeping an eye on your safety because I couldn’t look away from you . . . I mean from the show.”

  Devin grinned. “Thank you. I mean it.”

  She pushed a plate of food toward him. “I noticed by the time you got a break there wasn’t much food left. I didn’t touch this. Go ahead if you want it, although it is cold.”

  There was a glimpse of the real Liberty, the thoughtful woman behind the gun. “Thanks again.”

  “So what happens now?”

  “Usually after the first show we have a meeting with the crew to talk about problems. In fact, they’re all waitin’ for me in the arena right now.”

  She eyed the security guys. “Their shift is about up.”

  “Let them go. I’ll be surrounded by people the rest of the night. You’re here to escort me back to the bus.”

  As Liberty spoke to the security team, Devin couldn’t help but admire the way she dealt with them. Professionally, with a hint of don’t-fuck-with-me charm that should’ve been off-putting but was effective.

  Devin knew he shouldn’t be having those thoughts, but even after just one day, he knew he’d never met a woman quite like Liberty. And he looked forward to getting to know her better.

  She nudged him. “Come on, slowpoke. Crash has beckoned you over, like, two times.”

  “Sometimes I’m a little spacey after the performance high wears down.”

  “I imagine it’s hard to shut off that adrenaline rush.”

  He looked at her. “How do you know that? You’re a performer?”

  Liberty shook her head. “I assume it’s similar to being in a firefight. The intensity puts you on another plane, and when it’s over . . . you don’t crash right away. You want to do something that’ll keep up that level of intensity.”

  Shocking that she did understand. Was this her way of telling him she thought having a woman to take the edge off after he got offstage was okay?

  “But just because I get it doesn’t mean the women you use and discard do.”

  And . . . there it was. Judgment. Before he could remind her who he fucked wasn’t any of her fucking business, she spoke again.

  “Get moving. They’re waiting on you.”

  Devin grabbed a beer from the cooler and joined his crew. For the next half an hour they dissected the show from start to finish. By the end of his second beer, they’d changed the lighting on a few songs and decided on a short rehearsal tomorrow to get a better balance between the fiddle, the drums and the guitars.

  Liberty waited in the wings and fell into step with him as they exited the arena.

  “You up for a poker game tonight in your fancy-ass new ‘I’m a rockstar’ tour bus?” Jase asked.

  “Nah, man. I’m whupped.”

  “And he’s got press meetings in the morning,” Liberty reminded him.

  “Catch ya later.” Jase took off.

  Crash said, “You’ve got that hospital visit tomorrow before rehearsal.”

  He felt Liberty stiffen beside him. “I know.”

  They reached the bus. Liberty deactivated the alarm and unlocked the door.

  “You’ll have to show me how to do that,” Devin said.

  “Why? Chances are you’ll never be unattended.”

  There was a cheery thought.

  Reg peered through the beer window. “You’re back later than I expected.”

  “Been a long day.”

  “I hear ya. All was quiet tonight, except for some girls yelling how much they loved you.”

  Devin blushed. “Thanks for sticking around.”

  As soon as Reg was gone, Liberty locked the doors and pulled the curtains. Then she got right in his face. “Why didn’t you tell me you had another commitment tomorrow?”

  He scowled. “It’s personal.”

  “It’s personal,” she repeated. “Since the moment I signed on as your personal security, I’m in your personal business, Devin, all of it. What don’t you get about
that?”

  Would it piss her off if he mentioned how hot it was when fire flashed in her eyes and she went toe-to-toe with him? Definitely. Might be worth getting shot at.

  He shrugged. “It’s not a big deal.”

  “Then what is it?”

  In lieu of answering, he returned her icy stare.