Backstage Pass

by Olivia Cunning

Page 15

  Author: Olivia Cunning

  “I need a shower,” he said. “But I think I’l lie down for a bit first. ”

  Her body thrummed, pumped ful of adrenaline. She didn’t know why he needed to lie down. Unless…

  “Yeah, I think you should lie down. Can I join you?”

  “What do you think?’ He looked down at her. “I’m getting sweat al over your dry-clean-only suit. ”

  “It’s disposable as far as I’m concerned. ”

  He grinned. “Seeing me on stage real y worked you up, didn’t it?”

  “What do you think?”

  She unfastened the buttons of her suit jacket and shrugged it off her shoulders. She tossed it on a random pile of jeans and black clothes before working on the smal buttons of her silver, satin blouse.

  Brian took her hand. “Come on. No tel ing when a roadie or Eric wil show up. ”

  He led her to the back of the bus and through a door at the end of a narrow passage. They entered a smal bedroom, its space dominated by a queen-sized bed.

  “I’m not sure how clean the sheets are,” he murmured, helping her with her buttons now. “We’re slobs. ”

  “Wonderful. Al of you. ”

  He paused, looking into her eyes in the dim interior of the room. The only light came from the streetlamps outside, filtering through the metal blinds. “Oh God, you aren’t lusting after Sed now, are you?” he asked. “I lose more women that way. They see him on stage and—”

  She covered his lips with her fingers. “I’m lusting after you, Master Sinclair. ”

  “Don’t cal me that here,” he said against her fingers.

  “Brian. ” She replaced her fingers with her lips, kissing him hungrily.

  Her shirt fluttered to the floor. His fingers moved to the fastening of her skirt. He unzipped it and it dropped to the floor around her feet. He glanced down her body with a sexy smile on his lips. “I’m glad you decided I was worthy to see what was under that suit. Very nice. ” Col apsing face down on the bed, he bel y-crawled to the pil ows and sighed in exhaustion. “I need a nap. ”

  She climbed up on the bed with him and straddled his body. She tugged his shirt off and sat back on his thighs, massaging his shoulders and back.

  Brian sighed contentedly. “Exactly what I need, Myr. Thank you. ”

  She leaned forward to kiss the skin along his shoulders, her tongue darting out to col ect the salt of his sweat.

  “I can use some of that, too,” he murmured drowsily.

  “Do you want me to leave you alone? I can tel you’re tired. ”

  “No, I like your company. This is nice. I don’t have the energy to devour you. You’re probably disappointed in me. ”

  “Never. ” She took his hand in hers and massaged the base of his fingers and his palm.

  “Mmmmmm. ”

  She lowered her head to kiss his fingers. “These are magical. ”

  “We both know there’s only one magical body part in this bed. I think the fans liked your solo, Myr. ”

  “Your solo. ”

  “That’s al you, baby. I just play it. ”

  She smiled. She knew she didn’t deserve any credit. “You’re sweet. ”

  “Shhhhh. Don’t tel anyone…”

  He slept. So much for an hour of amazing sex before they had to go their separate ways. Myrna stretched out beside him, her hand tracing lazy paths up and down his back. Was she real y here? This had undoubtedly been the most amazing day of her life. And even if she never saw this remarkable man again, she’d never forget him.

  A short time later, there was a commotion outside the bus. Loud chattering and laughter moved closer—a mix of masculine and feminine voices.

  Myrna climbed from the bed, separated the metal blinds with her fingers and looked through the smal window facing the stadium. The rest of the band had emerged from the building. They moved toward the periphery of the blocked-off lane and mingled with their excited fans. Separated from the crowd by the metal barrier, band members passed out hugs and autographs and posed for photographs with enthusiastic admirers.

  Myrna glanced over her shoulder at Brian, lost in dreamland. She wondered if he always kept to himself or if he indulged the fans on occasion. She returned her attention to outside. Sed lifted a scantily clad young woman over the barrier and added her to his entourage of females. When his attention turned to signing an autograph, the girl did a happy dance behind him and then pul ed her skirt down to cover the tops of her thighs.

  Myrna wondered about the girl. Myrna doubted she knew Sed. Doubted Sed knew her. Would she sleep with him without hesitation? Myrna was pretty sure the answer to that question was yes, but did the young woman hop into bed with any guy, or was it Sed’s fame that seduced her? Myrna had to ask herself the same question. Why was she so wil ing to sleep with Brian? Typical y, she felt the need to get to know a man personal y before she got to know him physical y. And honestly, she hadn’t known many men wel enough to sleep with them. So why did she act differently with Brian?

  Brian sighed in his sleep, his hand stretching across the bed to the location she’d been when he’d drifted off. He took a deep, startled breath as he regained consciousness and lifted his head. When he saw her standing near the window, he smiled and dropped his head back to the bed, stretching his arms above his head, then out to the sides.

  “That was a quick nap,” Myrna said.

  “I was dreaming about you. ”

  “Was it a good dream?” She stepped away from the window and sat on the edge of the bed next to him.

  “Not real y. I was chasing you and you wouldn’t stop running from me. ”

  “I’m not running now. ”

  His hand moved to squeeze her thigh. “I guess you’re not. ”

  She wiped at a black smudge under his eye. “Your eyeliner is running, however. ”

  “I fel asleep on my face again. ”

  There was a sharp knock on the door. Brian groaned. He climbed from the bed and opened the door. “Yeah?”

  One of the roadies said, “We’re heading out in an hour. ”

  “Al right. Thanks for the heads up. ” He closed the door and turned to look at Myrna. “An hour. ”

  “I’ve got to go anyway. ” Why did she suddenly feel so lonely? “I have to drive back to Kansas City and I need to get a head start tonight so I can make it home tomorrow. ”

  He glanced at the ceiling, his expression thoughtful. “How far is it from Des Moines to Kansas City?”

  “Des Moines? We’re in Chicago, sweetie. ” She smiled. “Have you lost track of where you are?”

  “No, tonight we’re driving to Des Moines for tomorrow’s show. Maybe you’d like to stay the night with me on the bus and leave from Des Moines in the morning. ”

  Her heart thudded with excitement. In three short hours, she could drive from Des Moines to Kansas City. When she realized it wasn’t actual y feasible, her heart sank. “I can’t. I need my car. ”

  “One of the roadies can fol ow the buses with your car. They’re used to driving al night. ”

  “I suppose that would work. ” She smiled, her loneliness evaporating instantly. “I’d very much like to stay the night with you, Brian. ”

  He moved toward her, where she sat on the edge of the bed, and eased her to her feet. He drew her body against his and kissed her deeply. She shuddered, stil excited by his stage performance.

  There was another knock at the door. Brian stiffened and broke the contact between his lips and Myrna’s.

  “Sheezus,” Brian muttered under his breath. “What?” he yel ed at the door.

  The door opened and Sed ducked his head in. “You busy?”

  “I was about to get that way. ”

  “I think you’ve hogged the bedroom for long enough. ”

  “The other bus—”

  “Trey’s occupied over there. Besides, you promised. ”<
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  “Yeah, I know. ” He looked down at Myrna. “Let’s go get your car. ”

  She nodded, positioning her partial y naked body behind Brian so that he blocked her from Sed’s view. “Just let me get dressed. ”

  “Two minutes. ” Brian held up two fingers in Sed’s direction.

  Sed closed the door. Brian pecked her on the cheek and retrieved her blouse from the floor.

  “Sorry about that,” he said. “I promised him he could have the bedroom tonight. Of course, that was before I knew you’d be staying. Ah…. shit. ”

  “It’s okay. We can just hang out. I’m fine with that. ”

  He smiled broadly. “Real y? That sounds nice, actual y. ”

  She slid into her blouse and skirt, buttoning and tucking as fast as she could. Brian pul ed his T-shirt over his head. He reached for her hand and led her to the door. Exiting the room, they continued down the narrow hal , flanked on either side by bunks concealed behind curtains, and into the main room. Myrna counted eight people. Sed, three girls, Eric, and a few roadies.

  “Al yours, Sed,” Brian said.

  Sed picked up the nearest girl, tossed her over his shoulder and headed down the hal toward the bedroom. The attractive young woman squealed in delight as he burst through the door and tossed her on the bed. The other two girls and Eric fol owed in their wake, excitement emanating from their bodies.

  Myrna must have looked as stunned as she felt. Brian laughed at her expression.

  “He’s always like that,” Brian said. “I’m surprised he didn’t just burst in on us earlier. It’s not like Sed to knock. ”

  “Sed’s reputation precedes him for a reason,” one of the roadies said. He could have passed as a member of the band himself. Tattooed. Dark hair. Sunglasses at night. Chains, piercings, and muscular.

  “Who’s driving tonight, Travis?” Brian asked.

  “I’ve got the truck. Matt the other bus. I think Dave’s driving this one. ” He nodded at the normal looking blond guy to his left. Dave gave a curt nod.

  Brian turned toward a third roadie, who was without a driving assignment. “Jake, would you do me a favor?”

  “Anything,” he said without batting an eyelash.

  “Myrna needs someone to drive her car to Des Moines. ”

  Jake smiled slyly. “I see. Sure, no problem. ” Tal and slim, sporting a short mohawk hairstyle, he looked down at Myrna. “Where’s your car?”

  “It’s out in the parking lot. I’l go get it,” she said. “Should I just park it outside the bus and give you the keys?”

  “That would be perfect. It isn’t some lame minivan, is it?”

  “Erm… ’57 Ford Thunderbird convertible. I just had her restored to mint. You’l be gentle, won’t you? I’m sort of protective of her. ”

  “Sweet,” Dave said. “I’l trade you, Jake. You can drive the bus. I’l take the Thunderbird!”

  “Hel , no,” Jake said. “Brian asked me. ”

  “I must warn you that it’s pink,” Myrna interrupted.

  “Pink? Aw, how could you do that to a classic car?” Jake said, running a hand over his forehead and mohawk. She laughed. “I am a girl, you know. ”

  “I’m pretty sure everyone here recognizes that,” Brian said into her ear. Her entire body throbbed in response to his low voice.

  “I’ve got no problem with pink,” Dave said, his blue eyes wide with eagerness. Dave looked like a clean-cut kid. Myrna wondered how long he’d been working with the band. Jake, on the other hand, looked wild. Based on looks alone, Myrna would prefer Dave drove her car, but she knew that wasn’t fair. The roadies al worked hard, and the band trusted them with expensive equipment and their lives. “Trade me, Jake. Come on, dude. You like to drive the bus and you know I hate it. ”