Hard Body Rock

by Nora Flite

  The moment Brenda left the bus, Drezden became a black hole. Alone with him so near me, my world shrank to a pinprick. His palms touched the table; mine twitched underneath on my thighs. “You shouldn't encourage her. Brenda gets off on every little win over me. She's ruthless.”

  My tongue felt heavy with fluid. “She's right though. Last night happened because the security had no clue who I was.”

  Studying me under lowered eyebrows, Drezden didn't move a wink. “Last night happened because we gave weak people a taste of power. They ran with it, it controlled them.”

  He was losing me. “What does that—”

  “Think about it!” His voice was as good as a slap. I sat up straighter. “Just because they thought you were some drunken slut looking for a ride—” My throat tightened painfully. “—doesn't excuse what they did! Those assholes should have escorted you away. Why did they need to go as far as roughing you up?”

  Nail marks formed in my palms. It took a concentrated effort to calm the muscles in my forearms. “You're only partly right.” Drezden tucked his chin, confusion blooming. “They went too far, okay. My cuts and pride will have to agree. But honestly? If they had just tried to escort me away, it would have turned into a fight anyway. I wouldn't have just gone away, I wanted inside here.”

  Drezden considered me, then cracked a smile that melted the strength from my body. The seat was much more welcome suddenly. “You'd have fought them instead of just going and finding Colt or Porter or even Brenda?”

  His honest surprise told me how little he really knew me. How could he know? My history isn't written on a CD like his. There's no way for him to understand what I've had done to me... and what I've done. Memories of a blacktop behind my middle school surfaced. Fists that pummeled, my mouth full of blood.

  Drezden couldn't tell how much I was a fighter.

  That was probably for the best.

  “It doesn't matter.” Scrunching my shoulders to my ears, I started to slide from the seat. “You said you wanted to practice.”

  “You should eat first.” Sighing, like something had exasperated him, he twisted towards the line of cupboards on the bus wall. “I wish we had more, we haven't stocked up in a while. I'll remind Brenda. Think you can stomach some plain bagels?”

  In the filtered sunlight through the open roof, I watched the back of his head. Then without meaning to, my eyes drifted down his spine. The rows of muscles barely hidden by his tight shirt were like train tracks on a course to my destruction. He was... beautiful. Why did someone so intimidating have to be so easy on the eyes? “Bagels are fine, sure.”

  Together we sat at the small table, eating stale breakfast. It was oddly normal. I didn't remember the last time I ate so casually with anyone, not even my brother. Life was always so busy... the luxury of seated meals novel.

  Picking apart the bagel, I stared at Drezden's profile in the golden glow. His jaw and nose were strong, sharp enough to cut butterfly wings. It was a face I'd seen so many times in magazines or blogsites, but in person, it served to remind me of where I was. I hadn't gotten over how, yesterday morning, I'd woken up with a tight neck on the hard seat of my brother's busted up tour bus.

  How much things have changed. The bite of bagel was dry in my mouth. I'd inevitably found my mind wandering to last night. Drezden, the bathroom, the tub... I reached over, itching at the bandage on my elbow.

  Craning his neck, his hard green eyes locked onto what I'd just done. “Do they hurt today?”

  Tingles of pink rolled up my face. Taking a swig from the bottle of water he'd found for me, I wiped my mouth, stalling. “No, they're—I'm fine. Don't worry about it. I'm tougher than you think.”

  “I think,” he whispered, “that we went over that last night.” His slow smirk was as tangible as fingers running over my thighs.

  Squeezing my knees together, I fought down a wave of—what? Lust, fear, why can't I tell the difference? “Could we not talk about that?”

  “Which part?”

  “All the parts,” I muttered. Tossing the rest of my bagel in the trash, I glanced towards the back of the bus.

  Drezden read my mind. “If you're worried about the band finding out, don't be. Brenda won't say anything to them.”

  Sucking in a slow breath hardly calmed me at all. “Okay, it's just... the aftermath.” Ugh, even talking about the incident in the tub was making my skull throb. Other parts of me as well.

  Something touched my ankle under the table. It took me a second to realize the hard material was Drezden's boot. “What about the aftermath?”

  My poker face was the worst. Widening my eyes till they ached, I watched him without blinking. How could he look so smug? Did he not care if they found out? I'd been around enough band drama to know that shit like last night never ended well. It only took one rumor—or one reality—to start a scandal or tarnish a name.

  This band is my opportunity. No way I'll risk that. I don't even fucking know what I'd be risking it for. Drezden's eyes were a slithering world of dark promises. “Listen,” I started to say.

  He pulled his foot away. It left me emptier somehow. “Lola, I'm not a fucking moron.” There, that was the harsh side of the singer that I'd seen so much of in just a day. It wasn't comforting, but it left me feeling less of a mushy mess. “I'm not going to say word one to Porter or Colt, or anyone.”

  The flutter in my heart died. His words were supposed to reassure me. Instead, they left me stiff and aching with a frustration I couldn't express. He thinks that what happened is something that needs to be hidden. He's right. Why does that hurt to hear? Squeezing my water bottle, I jumped into the aisle. “Then we're on the same page. Fine. I need to go talk to my brother.” Not giving him a chance to argue, I skipped down the bus steps.

  I did need to talk to Sean, but I hadn't been planning it. I just needed to escape from Drezden and his cloying existence. The parking lot of the Griffin was packed with cars, over-nighters. Finding Barbed Fire's bus didn't take me that long.

  Debating calling him first, I instead just clomped up to the door and pushed. It opened easily, revealing Shark at the wheel. He startled at the sight of me. “Lola! You scared me, shit!”

  “Sorry.” His genuine shock made me smile. A tug of sad nostalgia hit me. No, it's too soon for that. I only started this journey yesterday. There's time to feel wistful for this bus and the band later. “Is my brother in here?”

  “Actually,” a voice said behind me. Spinning, I looked eye to eye with Sean. He wore a gentle smile, a tray of coffee cups in his hands. “I went to get drinks for the guys. I got an extra, want it?”

  Taking the cup, I felt the heat sinking through the foam. “Thanks. Uh, I thought we'd catch up before everyone takes off for the day.”

  Sean lifted the tray, shoving it at Shark. He took it with confusion. “Hand those out,” he explained. “I'm going for a walk with Lola.”

  Also by Nora Flite

  The Body Rock Series

  Hard Body Rock (Rockstar Romance)

  Standalone

  Letting You In (New Adult Romance)

  Letting You Know (Letting You In Series #2)

  Watch for more at Nora Flite’s site.