“She’s fine,” X said while staring at me.
“I know.”
“Cooper won’t let anything happen to her, and she needs the quiet right now.”
“I know,” I snapped.
“Do you?” X asked.
“We have to get back out there, we still have another set to play,” Seth said.
“She’ll be fine until we get finished,” Eli added.
“I know,” I growled.
“Well get your shit together then,” X gritted out.
I grabbed my guitar from the tech and slung it around my shoulders then stomped back on stage. The other three guys followed behind and we quickly launched into the next song. The entire time I was on stage though, I couldn’t get Jules pale face out of my mind. I didn’t even want to think about what would have happened if we weren’t taking a break between sets and got to her. I’d have to put Cooper or Ian on her when we were on stage, I didn’t want to ever see that again.
I missed a note, which had Xavier glaring at me, so I forced Jules out of my head and focused on the show. Though I wasn’t feeling it like I had before the break, I still put everything I could into it. The sooner it was over the sooner I could check on her before the meet and greet. What I really wanted to do was pack this shit up and get her on the bus where she would be safe.
I reminded myself once more that she was Max’s girl. She was here because my brother trusted me to protect his girl. I stood back and watched as Seth and X bantered back and forth riling up the crowd. I didn’t hear any of it, just played when I needed to play and tried to bat away the image of Jules standing there pale and shaking.
Finally, half way through the second set, I was able to really focus, that’s when I noticed someone had hung a bra from the neck of my guitar. I looked up and noticed X smirking at me, I quickly flipped him off before breaking into Broken. I joined in on the banter, and let the high from being on stage take hold. It was the best rush I’d ever felt. Before I knew it, we had played our first and second encore and were exiting the stage for real. I handed my guitar off to my tech, shook hands with the bigwigs, then finally headed to the dressing room where I could take a quick shower and change out of these sweaty clothes.
When I walked into the dressing room, my eyes instantly went to the Jules sleeping form. She was curled up on the couch with her hoodie covering half her body. She looked peaceful and I felt a tension leave my body. She was safe, I cocked my head taking a closer look, and drooling.
Chapter 12
Jules
I didn’t remember going to sleep, but from the hazy feeling running through my body, I knew at some point I’d fallen asleep. I felt someone’s arms adjust as they lifted me and my eyes fluttered open. The first thing I saw was a very hard, defined chest beneath a soft T-shirt that made me want to rub my cheek across. I forced myself to look up only to find Sam looking down at me with concern in his eyes. I did rub my cheek against his chest at that point and smiled sadly up at him.
“I’m okay,” I murmured.
“You scared me, I mean us,” he said lowly.
“Didn’t mean to.”
He cleared his throat. “Does that happen often?”
“Not in the past few years,” I mumbled.
I noticed that we were moving and I looked around to find that we were going down a non-descript hallway.
“Where are we going?”
“The bus, we’re done and heading out.”
“I can walk.”
“I, uhm, are you sure?”
I nodded.
He looked down at me and sighed before stopping and gently standing me up keeping a hand on my arm to make sure I was steady. I instantly missed the feel of his body against mine, which is exactly why I needed to walk out on my own. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to handle anything with Sam right now or worse a rejection.
“You need to stay close,” Seth said from behind me. “We’re not sure what it’s going to be like outside, Coop is going first, then me, then you, then Sam. You need to hold on to one of us at all times, we’re going to be moving fast.”
An anxious feeling started at the pit of my stomach. “Did something happen?”
X looked back and grinned at me. “Nah, this is normal.”
“Line up,” I heard someone bark and I watched as the guys quickly arranged themselves in a single file line with me snugly crushed between Seth and Sam. I grabbed a hold of Seth’s shirt in front of me and felt Sam’s hand thread his fingers through mine.
“Don’t let go,” Sam whispered in my ear causing the hairs on the back of my neck to rise.
“I won’t,” I whispered back; he squeezed my hand then the doors opened and we were moving. It was pure insanity, women were screaming while fans pushed on a fence that separated the parking lot from them. I would have been concerned about it falling if I wasn’t being pulled into a fast walk while Sam kept his front to my back propelling me faster. From the corner of my eye, I saw Eli and X break off and head towards the fence to sign autographs. We quickly stepped up on the bus where the doors wooshed shut behind Sam.
“That was insane?”
Seth chuckled. “No, that was tame.”
I frowned. “Are Eli and X going to be okay?”
“They’re fine,” Sam answered looking out the front window. “They have a team of security with them.”
“Come on, I’ll show you around,” Seth said grabbing my hand and pulling me farther in. “This is the front lounge,” he said gesturing to the room.
I looked around the lounge, there were couches lined against one wall, the other side had two captain chairs with a table in the middle. All of it was decorated in creams except the dark grey table top. I had to laugh at the huge flat panel TV above the captain chairs. The thing that threw me off though was how clean it was. I thought coming in here where four men were living it would be a disaster area.
“It’s clean and larger than I expected.”
Seth chuckled. “There isn’t much space so everyone has to pick up after themselves or it becomes chaos.”
I nodded. “That makes sense.”
“Just because the lounge is clean doesn’t mean the rest is,” Seth said with a wink.
He pulled me farther in. “This is the galley.” He then went to show me where everything was stored. Where the refrigerator was and stove, two things I’d never have found on my own. Across from the galley was a four-person booth. Then there was the tiny front bathroom that didn’t hold much more than a toilet and a sink.
“Now we have the bunk area, we have six bunks in here. Everyone has their own, that one’s yours.” He pointed to the left side bottom bunk, which was basically a cot on the floor. “It has an ipad built in above so you can watch movies or whatever. Also a curtain you can pull back for the illusion of privacy, and there’s a little drawer over there for personal belongings.”
I noticed that my three bags were lying on my bunk, I’d have to give the guys the bag Devi packed for them after we hit the road. Also, there were clothes scattered around the floor in here so you couldn’t see the tile floor beneath.
“Almost done,” Seth said grinning at me. He opened a door and we stepped inside a bedroom that had a large bed along with tons of storage space. “These are your drawers,” he said pointing out two. “Anything else you can’t fit, put in here.” He pulled open what looked like a closet but was instead a place with eight sliding shelves that held suitcases and duffle bags.
“And last but not least…” He opened the last door in the room where there was a bathroom, it was larger than I expected to see on a tour bus. There was a counter with a sink in it, a toilet in a corner but the main feature. A walk-in shower that looked like it could fit two people, there were all kinds of levers and knobs that I had no idea what to do with. “Someone will show you how it works tomorrow, though I prefer to shower at the arenas, it’s easier if you want to give that a try. We switch out who gets the big room each night, though you
don’t have to take a turn if you don’t want to. Sam doesn’t and neither do I unless Devi’s here. For now, why don’t you get unpacked and come back out to the lounge.”
“Okay,” I said trying to take in all the information.
“Hey, you don’t happen to cook do you?” He asked with such a boyish desperate face.
“Mac ‘n’ Cheese and bacon is my limit.”
“I’ll take it,” he said grinning like he won the lottery. “Better than frozen TV dinners and take out.”
He walked out heading back to the lounge and I went to check out my bunk before unpacking my clothes. It would be an interesting couple of weeks, while the bus was larger than I expected, I had a feeling that it wouldn’t take long before the walls began to shrink in.
Sam
“How is she?”
“She’s fine, putting her things away,” Seth said sitting down on the couch.
“You’re sure she’s fine?” I asked biting my thumbnail.
“She seemed fine to me,” Seth said eyeing me as I paced from the lounge to the galley and back. “If you like her, why not do something about it?”
“I don’t like her,” I snapped.
“Sure,” he scoffed.
“I don’t and she’s Max’s girl.”
He tilted his head and looked at me. “Why would you think that?”
“Haven’t you seen them together?”
“I have, and I’ve seen the way he looks at her versus the way you look at her?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means talk to your brother,” Seth said then turned on the TV.
I continued pacing while watching the doors for Eli and X to come back from where ever they took their groupies. I’d already told them to stay clear of the bus tonight; I didn’t want Jules exposed to that yet. I’m sure they’d show up soon, we were leaving in half an hour and they both knew I wouldn’t have a problem leaving their asses behind. They could catch a ride with one of the roadies’ buses; I’ve done it before when they were late.
Stan, one of our drivers, climbed on and I nodded to him while continued pacing. What the hell did Seth mean talk to my brother? What was I supposed to say, so Max I know you’re in love with Jules but hey do you mind if I make a pass at her? Yeah, that would go over great. On top of that, I didn’t want a relationship, every time I tried to have one it always turned out being a nightmare. All women seem to want is my money or the infamy that comes along with being with me, and they weren’t always particular which person in the band they landed for their fifteen minutes of fame. I sighed and sat down on one of the captain chairs, this was getting me nowhere. I was better off just ignoring Jules, with that decided, I turned and got lost in watching House of 1000 Corpses.
Chapter 13
Jules
I put as much clothing as I could in my allotted two drawers then realized I forgot to pull something out to sleep in. I sorted through the drawers until I finally found a pair of black yoga pants. It was a pair Max had gotten me for Christmas, down the pant leg it had Cranky Pants in sparkly pink. I pulled out the one pink shirt I owned, I couldn’t resist when I saw it, it had Ariel from The Little Mermaid with gauged ears, tattoos, and a pearl necklace and the best part—pasties. I dropped everything on the bed and quickly disrobed dropping things on the floor as I went. After I was down to my purple lace boy shorts, I reached down to grab my clothes off the floor and heard, “Fuck me,” groaned behind me and I jerked up.
“What the…” I trailed off when I found Xavier staring at me, lips parted and staring. “Xavier,” I snapped.
“Huh?”
“Uhm, naked here,” I groaned covering my small breasts.
“That’s fucking amazing,” he murmured walking farther into the room.
“Uhm, I’m pretty sure you’ve seen a naked girl before,” I quipped, I knew I was blushing, feeling the heat spreading through my body.
He waved me off. “Not that, your back piece. Who did it?”
“Oh that? Cris, Max, and Devi.”
“All of them?”
“Yeah, Cris did the top, Devi did the black and grey, and Max did the background.”
“Fuck, I knew you had something on your back I just hadn’t realized.”
“Okay, can I get dressed now?” I was really beginning to feel uncomfortable, not so much because of X’s presence but showing off this particular tattoo. It was extremely personal, I allowed them to take pictures and put it in their portfolios, but that was different. In their portfolio, I was anonymous, when you saw it on my back it gave too much away about me.
He laughed softly. “Yeah sorry, uhm, lock the door from now on.”
“Will do,” I said and watched as he walked out the door and shutting it. I quickly pulled on my clothes and shoved the clothes I’d just taken off in my empty duffle bag. The other duffle bag that had my bartering items I’d shoved at the very back. Well, minus the condoms, those I plan to put in my bunk’s storage cubby. I grabbed my slippers and hopped out of the room trying to pull them on while still moving towards the lounge. I finally pulled on the first one and started on the second when I collided with a brick wall. I looked up and blinked. “Huh, not a brick wall,” I murmured.
“What exactly are you doing?” Sam asked amusement laced his tone while his hands shot out and grabbed me before I fell.
“Drooling,” I answered without thinking.
“Not currently, but you do drool when you sleep.” He quipped.
“Huh?” was my brilliant answer, my brain had short-circuited. He was standing in front of me shirtless, with a pair of low hanging pajama pants. I swallowed and swallowed again to make sure I didn’t actually start drooling. He was fucking ripped. I wanted to drop to my knees before him and run my tongue along the indents of his abs. Oh god, I groaned internally he had that V, the one I thought was only a myth. My eyes trailed up his side where the logo for My Misery Muse was tattooed on his ribs. Fuck, that was hot. I wanted to bite his pecs, leave a bruise, and mark him as mine.
A hand appeared in my eye line screwing up my visual perusal and then fingers snapped and my head jerked up. “Yes,” I croaked.
“You okay?” he asked smirking.
“Not sure,” I mumbled and felt my face flame.
“What were you doing?”
Trying to decide where to bite first, I thought but had enough common sense not to say aloud, maybe my brain was beginning to work again. “Trying to put on my slippers.”
“Wouldn’t that be easier if you weren’t walking?”
“Probably, but not as much fun.”
He looked at me oddly then chuckled. “Come on, Stan is about close up the wings.”
“The wings?”
“Uhm, they’re these things that slide out when we’re stopped to give us more room.”
“So we’re about to have less room?” I asked incredulously looking around the bunk area.
“Yeah, I hope you’re not claustrophobic.”
“Not usually,” I murmured looking at Sam’s chest again.
“Well, come out to the lounge.”
“Just a sec,” I sat down on the floor on top of the clothes.
“What are you doing now?”
“Putting my other slipper on” I pulled on my other slipper, grabbed my kit, and the duffle bag Devi had filled for the guys from my bunk. I stood up and followed Sam while rethinking where to bite first, his ass was looking rather scrumptious.
“I’ll introduce you to Stan,” Sam said over his shoulder, and I was once again caught checking out his ass. I decided though it wasn’t my fault, if he didn’t want girls drooling over his butt he should get a beer belly, scratch himself, and ask me to make him a sandwich. Though if he did that I may cry over the loss of eye candy.
“Sure,” I chirped.
He led me to where the driver was sitting, “Stan, I’d like you to meet Jules, Jules, this is Stan, he’s been with us since the beginning.”
I smiled and waved, “Hi.”
“Hello,” he said smiling warmly, “glad to have you aboard, maybe you can keep the guys in line.”
I snorted. “That would take an act of god, or Devi.”
“We’re not that bad,” Sam mumbled.
Stan and I looked at each other and both started laughing.
“Keep telling yourself that, moody,” I teased. “It was nice to meet you, Stan.”
“You too, Jules.”
I turned and walked back into the lounge, which was a whole three steps.
“Uhm, Jules, what the hell is on your feet?” X asked.
I looked down and grinned. “Slippers.”
“Uh huh,” he said eyeing my feet. I walked over to him and he snickered. “Did your purple unicorn slippers just wink at me?”
“Yep!” I grinned. “Aren’t they awesome?”
Eli looked down then back at me. “You’re an odd duck.”
I shrugged. “This coming from a man with a tattoo—”
Eli jumped up and slapped a hand over my mouth. “Shut up,” he growled, I licked his hand and he yanked it away giving me a dirty look.
“What was that?” Seth asked eyeing Eli up and down.
I looked over at Eli who was wiping his hand off on his jeans giving me puppy dog eyes, I sighed. “Nothing.” I leaned in towards Eli. “You better be nice to me, or I swear I will out you.” He eyed me for a moment then nodded slightly. “Oh and I want the story sometime.” I grinned when his face flushed and I flounced off to sit on the couch beside Xavier.
Sam
“Seriously, what’s up with the slippers?” X asked looking down at Jules’ feet.
“They’re Stompeez, why you don’t like them?”
X laughed. “They fit you.”
“Thanks, I fell in love with them when I went shopping with Devi before meeting up with you.”
Xavier bumped shoulders with her. “What else did you buy?” He asked wagging his eyebrows.
She pursed her lips and I wanted to punch Xavier. “Pretty much everything.”
Believed (My Misery Muse) Page 7
