The lights flicker on. That's my cue. I'm the one who starts this. The crowd screams as I strum my guitar. My nerves make my fingers slow and stupid. Little by little, I shake off everything but the music flowing from my instrument and the energy flowing back from the crowd.
The crowd bursts into applause when we finish the first song.
Miles looks back to me and motions come here. Then he's blowing kisses to the crowd. "I'm sure you all remember Mr. Ethan Strong, the lead guitarist of Dangerous Noise."
The crowd cheers and claps for me the same way they do for Sinful Serenade. Then people are chanting my name.
Miles laughs. "He's doing us a big favor filling in for Drew tonight." He waits until the crowd stops screaming for Drew. "He wanted to be here, but his girl's expecting and he's quite the committed baby daddy."
The cheers get the loudest they've been. I guess it figures that Sinful Serenade's predominantly female fan base would swoon over a responsible rock star father-to-be.
"I know you're crying your eyes out that I'm off the market." Miles winks at me. He turns to the crowd as he holds up is left hand to show off his wedding ring. "But Ethan here is single. So how about you let him know how badly you want him… to play."
I know how to play my part. I'm the sexy manwhore guitarist. I find a girl in the general admission and wink at her. She gasps and squeezes her friend's arm.
I look back to the side of the stage. Violet is standing there, watching me with a smile spread across her face. When she catches my gaze she motions take it off.
Good advice. I tug at my t-shirt, teasing the crowd. The cheers get louder. Louder. Fuck it. I pull the t-shirt over my head and toss it into the crowd.
The woman who catches it squeals with pleasure.
Miles laughs. He motions for me to hit my cue.
And I do. This time, my fingers find their footing by the third note.
The crowd screams as the lights go off.
My hands are aching and I'm so slick with sweat my guitar won't stay in place.
Instinct is the only thing that gets me off the stage. Then I'm backstage, being ushered by Jim into a private room. It's nice for a dressing room. It's clean, bright, and empty save for a couch and a table with snacks.
Miles pats me on the shoulder. "Good job. You killed it."
Tom nods. "Fucker, that's my line." He smiles at me then he turns to Miles. "You gotta remind women I'm taken or they'll get disappointed."
"Yeah?" Miles raises a brow. "You think there's anybody alive who doesn't know you're married when you post photo by my wife next to every naked pic on your Instagram?"
"Want to show off her talent." Tom laughs. "We're a talented couple."
"Her name—" Miles motions to his hipbone "—is in half the shots. People get it." Miles turns to Pete, the Sinful Serenade bassist. "Did take balls getting Willow that close to his dick."
Pete chuckles. He brushes a long, dark bang from his face and makes eye contact with me. "You did kill it, Ethan. We all owe you one."
"You guys would have done the same." I slide my hand into the back pocket of my jeans.
Tom shakes his head. "Fuck no. You couldn't pay me to play for three hours straight." He looks to Miles. "Would you?"
Miles shakes his head.
Pete too.
"Damn, we're all old and jaded." Tom winks at me. "When I first picked up a pair of sticks, you had to pry me away from my drum kit. And Ethan jumped to fill in for Drew. Fuck, I should bow or some shit."
"You should," Miles says.
Tom does bow.
I laugh. I appreciate the positive feedback, but I don't need another three guys looking at me like I'm their little brother.
"You want to hit the town, Ethan? I know Miles is gonna say some shit about how he has to catch up on his reading. And I know my brother's about to head to his bunk for some way too loud phone sex." Tom sticks his tongue out in disgust.
Pete chuckles. "Don't listen if you don't like it."
"Don't have a fucking choice in the matter. You're loud on purpose," Tom says.
"That's how Jess likes it. Not about to leave her high and dry because you can't bother to buy ear plugs." Pete feigns innocence.
Miles says, "At least he's creative. When you do it—"
"Like you're better." Tom folds his arms, indignant. He looks to me. "What do you say, Ethan? You a boring old man like the three of us or you want to have some fun?"
Miles laughs. He leans against the wall as he turns to me. "Didn't you see the hot redhead who was staring at his ass?"
Tom nods. "I have eyes. And I know Violet. They were unstoppable together. I was sure you were gonna put a ring on that."
"With a girl that fine—you gotta let her know you're committed," Miles says.
"Give him a break. He's just a kid," Tom says.
"How old are you, Ethan?" Miles asks.
"Twenty-four."
"You're only twenty-five." Miles shakes his head at Tom. "You think you're more mature than him 'cause you convinced a nice girl to marry you?"
"Yeah. Means I'm doing something right." Tom looks to me. "You gonna make that happen?"
Last thing I need is more people getting in my business. I shrug with as much nonchalance as I can muster.
"Nobody's buying that," Tom says. "Especially not me. You looked at that girl the way that pervert over there—" Tom nods to his brother, Pete "—looks at a bass guitar."
"Why don't you say he looks at her the way Pete looks at his wife?" Miles asks.
"Because the way he looks at his wife is grosser than the way Ethan looks at Violet. Ethan's not a disgusting pervert like you two," Tom says.
"Sounds like an insult to me. Don't take shit from Sticks," Pete says. "You can be as much of a pervert as you want to be."
Miles turns to me. "Don't let the hand cramps stop you, Ethan. That's why man invented the vibrator. It's a tool. Like an amp. Doesn't make you any less of a man."
"I think the guy knows about the vibrator," Tom says.
"You're the one saying he's not a pervert," Miles says.
"Okay, sorry. Ethan's a pervert! Are you happy?" Tom asks.
"Peachy." Miles blows Tom a kiss.
Pete chuckles. He tosses me a spare Sinful Serenade t-shirt. "You gonna listen to our bullshit, or you gonna go satisfy your girl?"
"She's not my girl," I say.
"Not with that attitude," Pete says.
The man has a point.
We have a few hours until we're due back on the bus. As much as I enjoy the company of the Sinful guys, I want to spend that time with Violet.
I pull the t-shirt on.
Miles claps. "That's my boy."
I nod a thanks as I step into the hallway. It's crowded with crew and hangers-on. But I can see Violet in the corner, chatting with Joel. God knows what the drummer is telling her.
People offer congrats and good jobs as I cut through the crowd. Any other day, I'd stop to soak in the admiration. Right now, I need to be near Violet.
Fuck, I need to be inside Violet.
"Excuse me for cutting in." I slide between her and Joel.
"Hey! Don't be rude. We were just gossiping about you," he says.
I keep my eyes on Violet's. "Is that right?"
She nods. "Debating whether or not your ego will get too big to fit through the door. My money's on yes." Her voice is light. She's teasing and she's having fun doing it.
"Mine too. Not a good debate really." Joel laughs. He leans in to whisper in my ear. "I can keep Kit and Mal distracted for an hour tops if you want the bus to yourself."
Fuck, when did Joel become such a genius? "Sounds good."
Violet arches a brow. "Have I become the subject of gossip?"
Joel shrugs. "Sorry, Valentine. No one is immune. You're still my favorite." He blows her a kiss as he walks away.
She laughs. "He hasn't changed at all." Her fingers graze my bicep. Then she's tracing the lettering on my t-shirt. "I
like your taste. Hot pink is a bold choice for a man."
"Thanks."
"Suits your complexion too." She looks up at me. "You know, I heard what Joel said, about us being alone in the bus."
"Just Joel, being Joel."
"Oh." She presses her lips together with disappointment.
"Vi, every inch of me wants to fuck you." I lean close enough to press my forehead to hers. "But I'm not in a rush. I want you to be sure you want it too."
She looks up at me. "I… I don't want to lead you on, Ethan. It will just be sex."
She's wrong about that. But we can start with it just being sex. "Okay." I press my palm into her lower back and pull her body into mine.
She sighs with pleasure as she arches her back. "Fuck." She presses her cheek against mine. "You're making it hard to think."
I rock my hips so she can feel my erection. "You have no fucking idea how badly I want to pin you to that wall and fuck you until you're screaming my name."
"Why aren't you?"
"Don't want an audience." I run my fingers through her hair.
She leans into the gesture. "I don't want either of us to get hurt. How about some ground rules?"
"Sounds reasonable."
"Good." She slides her hand under my t-shirt and drags her fingers over my side and back. "This is just while I'm on tour with you. When I step off the bus in New York, the two of us being friends with benefits is over."
Gives me eight days to convince her she wants to be mine again. I can do that. "Okay."
"We'll be exclusive." She looks up at me with uncertainty.
"You really have to ask?"
She nods.
"You're the only person I want." I pin her to the wall. "I'm clean. Always use a condom. Even for oral. You're the only person I've ever gone bareback with."
She groans with pleasure. "Really?"
"Yeah."
"I am too. And I still have an IUD." She drags her lips over my neck. "Okay. No condoms. I don't want anything in the way."
Damn, why did I wear such tight jeans?
I'm tempted to fuck her here. With the way she's arching her body into mine, I know she'll say yes. But I don't want an audience. I don't want anything in the way of her screaming my name.
I slide my arm around her waist and lead her to the side door.
Chapter 15
Ethan
So much for not having an audience. The barricades that form a perimeter around the venue are packed with fans desperate for autographs and introductions. A few women look ready to party. One flashes her bra when she spots me.
I stand in front of Violet instinctively. Her fingers dig into my sides, pressing my t-shirt into my skin.
"You really are a rock star now." Her voice is nervous. She tugs at my t-shirt, pulling my back into her chest.
"Yeah." I nod to the bus. It's a solid thirty feet from the crowd, but I can feel Violet's fingers curling into my skin.
She's nervous.
"The windows are tinted. Nobody will see us," I say.
"Yeah it's just—"
"A mindfuck?"
She nods.
I squeeze her hand as I lead her to the bus.
Violet looks back to the crowd. There are plenty of women shooting her dirty looks. Actual groupie-types get off on the envy. But Violet's not like that. She does everything she can to deflect attention.
I pull the door to the bus open for her and lock it behind me.
The tinted windows keeping people from looking in but they do nothing to obstruct our view.
Need to shut out the rest of the world. I close the blinds. That's enough to get Violet's shoulders to drop from her ears.
Violet sits on the couch. Her eyes go to the floor. She crosses and uncrosses her legs. "Are you used to all that?"
"Mostly."
She looks up at me. "You like the attention?"
"On stage, yeah. I'm there to entertain. If I have attention, I'm doing it right."
"Offstage?"
"Sometimes it makes me feel good, like I'm important. It's lonely on the road. You've seen the way Mal, Kit, and Joel look at me like their fuck-up little brother."
"They don't look at you like a fuck-up." Her eyes meet mine. "You're not a fuck-up, Ethan."
"Lost you, didn't I?"
"I guess I can't argue with that." She plays with the hem of her short black dress. "Do you tell women you love them?"
"No, but I have plenty of player bullshit lines, if that's your next question." I kneel on the ground in front of her. "No worse than when we met."
Some of the apprehension drops off her face. "I really thought you were this generous guy who loved giving back scratches."
"Who says I'm not?"
"You offered to get my bra off."
"You'd already decided you were gonna fuck me that night. I saw it in your eyes."
"Did you?"
I nod as I unzip her boot and peel it off her leg. "You have the same look in your eyes right now." I peel her other boot off her leg. Then the socks. Then my hands are on her smooth skin. Damn, those legs. I could die between those legs.
She lets out a heavy sigh as I slide my hands behind her knees and spread her legs. "Ethan… I… I've missed you a lot."
"You say that to all the guys who are about to dive between your legs?"
"No. I…" She slides her hand into my hair and cups the back of my head. "Fuck, how are you so smooth? I don't know how to say suave shit the way you do."
"You don't have to say anything. You just have to come on my face."
She groans with pleasure. "I want to do that. God, I want to do that." She swallows hard. "But I have to say this first. I don't want to hurt you. And I don't want you to hurt me either. No bullshit, okay. It scares me that you're famous now. It scares me that you're rich. That there are a hundred women outside this bus who are ready to drop to their knees to suck you off."
"I'm only sleeping with you."
"I know… but I don't know if you're the guy I fell in love with or if you're some rock star playboy douchebag, like you are in the tabloids."
She looks me up. I nod like the revelation is no big deal.
"But the way you played for your friend, even though you were nervous, even though it was hard, and you kept acting like it was nothing— that's the guy I loved." She presses her lips together. "God, why am I talking? All I can possibly do is talk you out of going down on me."
I shake my head. "You can't talk me out of going down on you."
She lets out a nervous laugh. "I guess since I'm still talking this must be important. I just want to say that I'm not using you, Ethan. This isn't like the other night, after the bar. This is casual, but you do matter to me. And I want to matter to you too. I don't want to be another groupie you fucked on the tour bus."
"Vi, you have no fucking idea how much you matter to me." I drag my lips over the inside of her thigh. Need to stop talking before I start saying shit that scares her. "Now, I'm gonna make you come until you beg me to stop or until one of the guys is banging on the door for us to stop."
She nods, but she's still nervous.
That's okay. I'll help her relax.
I drag my lips over the inside of her knee until her fingers knot in my hair. Then I go higher, higher.
I push her dress to her waist.
Her hands slide around the back of my neck. "Can you get the zipper?"
She's still shaking.
I need to slow down.
I push myself onto the couch and plant my body next to hers.
Violet turns so her back is to me. I drag my lips over her neck as I pull the zipper down.
She groans with pleasure.
Damn, that sound is music.
Violet peels her dress off her shoulders. She lifts her ass to push it off her hips.
She's wearing matching underwear—a black lacy bra and thong.
Fuck, she looks amazing.
I suck on her earlobe as I trace the o
utline of her bra. "You wear that for me?"
"Yes." She shifts onto my lap so my erection is pressed against the flesh of her ass. "Do you think about me?"
"All the time." I slide my fingers into her bra to tease her nipples.
She groans and grinds her ass against my crotch. "When you touch yourself?"
"All the fucking time." I play with her nipple until her groans are heavy with need.
"Ethan…"
The way my name falls off her lips makes it hard to keep this slow. Not sure how, but I manage.
I do away with her bra. "Say that again."
"Ethan." She presses her neck against my mouth.
I nibble on her neck as I tease her. My hands are spent. I have to keep my touch light, but that only makes her needier.
It feels so fucking good having Violet in my hands, making her moan and scream my name.
I tease her until I can't take it anymore then I place her on the couch and shift onto the floor.
I want a good fucking look at her.
I want to taste every fucking inch of her.
She looks down at me. There's a hint of apprehension in her eyes but it's overwhelmed by desire.
She wants this.
Badly.
I slide my hands around her hips and pull her to the edge of the couch. "Spread your legs for me."
She does. She looks at me with all the trust in the world.
Maybe Violet doesn't trust me with her heart, but she sure as hell trusts me with her body.
Need to prove I'm worth trusting.
I drag my lips up her leg, from the inside of her knee to the apex of her inner thigh.
She squirms, pressing her legs against my shoulders, beckoning me to continue.
Her hands knot in my hair.
"Ethan, please," she groans.
Fuck yes. I lick her from top to bottom. I do it slowly, reacquainting myself with every inch of her. She smells amazing. Tastes better. I suck on her lips, the right, then the left, then the right again.
She pants, rocking into my mouth.
Right now, Violet is mine. Right now, she needs me more than she's ever needed anything.
Fuck, do I need her.
I take my time teasing and tasting her. Her groans get lower, needier. She tugs at my hair to hold my head against her.
Dangerous Kiss (Dangerous Noise Book 1) Page 10