July Flames

by Mari Carr

  Fergus’s jaw clenched. “He’s here?”

  Marcus shrugged. “A couple of roadies said they thought they saw him before the show, backstage. I’ve got a bunch of guys looking for him, but if he was here, he appears to be gone now.”

  “How the hell could he get backstage?” Fergus asked. “I read the security guards the riot act after the last time. Threatened to have the whole lot of them fired if he got in again.”

  “I don’t know. They’re working in teams, and all of them swear they didn’t let him in. They mentioned being afraid of losing their jobs. I honestly think if they knew who’d let him in, they’d rat the guy out. None of them appear to know anything. They did point out there are a couple of locked doors that weren’t manned. Maybe he’s got someone else on the crew helping him sneak in and out.”

  Fergus ran his hand through his hair. “We’re going to have to add a couple of guys to the security detail at future shows. This is getting old. I told the asshole in no uncertain terms to stay away.”

  “I thought that worked. He stopped emailing me after the two of you talked. I haven’t heard a peep from him since. Is everyone else okay, accounted for?” Aubrey asked.

  Fergus knew what prompted her question. Doug had been lurking around at all three shows where someone was injured. Perhaps that would imply guilt without question, but he’d also been at other shows where nothing untoward had occurred.

  And while Fergus wasn’t the type of investigator who worked entirely on gut instinct, after talking to Doug, his gut told him the “dude” was harmless. He was a drifter and a leech, a male bimbo who seemed sorrier about getting caught and losing his free ride than actually cheating.

  “Everyone is fine. The van is here whenever you’re ready to head back to the hotel.”

  “Okay. I’ll just change out of my costume and then we can go.”

  Marcus looked at Fergus, who nodded at Aubrey. “I’ll be right outside if you need anything.”

  He and Marcus took their leave, and Fergus remained stationed at her door. One of the roadies and Erick approached, letting him know they’d searched the entire backstage area, but hadn’t found Doug.

  “Thanks,” he said.

  “Is Aubrey a-alright?” Erick asked, flushing as he said her name.

  “She’s fine,” Fergus said, smiling. “I’ll tell her you were concerned.”

  Erick blushed an even darker shade of red, bobbing his head in unspoken thanks before walking away.

  The other roadie, Rich, hung back and rolled his eyes. “Poor guy has it bad.”

  Fergus chuckled. “He’s not the only one. I figure half the crew is in love with her.”

  “And the other half is female,” Rich joked.

  The two of them shared a laugh, and then Rich returned to his regular duties.

  Fergus took the few quiet moments to try to regroup. He thought he’d managed it until Aubrey opened the door, stepping out in her jeans, light blue T-shirt and boots. She’d slid on her standard ball cap and sunglasses—even though it was night—in an attempt to hide her identity.

  The second he saw her, he knew his battle to resist her was lost.

  He led the way to a back entrance, the van pulled up close to the door, so they could hop on quickly. A couple more guys from the security detail were already in the vehicle. All of them rode to the hotel without speaking.

  When they arrived, Fergus escorted her from the van toward the back entrance of the hotel. He was grateful for the nights they spent in hotels, away from the bus. If he never saw another bus after this, it would be too soon.

  “Aubrey!” someone yelled, the call followed by loud screams.

  Aubrey had some tenacious fans. They’d clearly discovered where she was staying and had planted themselves at the back entrance in hopes of catching sight of her. The other security guards held back the rushing fans as Fergus shielded her, guiding her quickly to the secured entrance.

  They used the employees’ elevator, taking it straight up to her suite. Once again, he would be staying across the hall. Given the size of the crowd gathered outside, he foresaw another restless night. If he knew the rest of the security detail better, he’d ask another one of the guards to remain outside her door for the night, but until he figured out who her obsessed fan was, he remained a one-man band.

  They were nearly to her door when Fergus spotted the rose waiting outside her room, on the floor.

  He held his arm out, holding her back.

  “Wait a second, Aubrey.”

  She stopped, frowning as he walked over and picked up the rose. There was a card attached to it.

  He slid it out of the envelope, instantly recognizing the handwriting. He’d studied the other notes enough.

  We’ll be together soon.

  Aubrey stuck her hand out. He shook his head, but she persisted. “Let me see it.”

  Fergus handed it to her, and she closed her eyes wearily after reading it.

  “Fuck,” she murmured.

  Fergus glanced down the hallway and spotted the video camera on the ceiling. It was smashed.

  He kept her room key for her. Sliding it out of his pocket, he unlocked the door. However, rather than letting her walk in without him, he led the way, searching each room. No one was supposed to have access to this floor except a handful of people—the tour manager and personal assistants, he and Aubrey, Hunter and Ailis, and members of their security detail.

  The fact that the stalker managed to leave the flower right outside her door was alarming—because Fergus couldn’t figure out how the man knew which room was hers and how he’d gained access to the floor.

  Aubrey remained near the door to the suite, watching as he did his sweep.

  “Okay,” he said once he was satisfied no one had gained entrance to her room. “It’s clear.”

  She tried to stifle a yawn, the lack of sleep taking its toll.

  “Why don’t you head into the bedroom, Aubrey? I’m going to go over to my room and grab my things.”

  She frowned. “Why?”

  “Because I’m sleeping on that couch tonight.”

  Aubrey shook her head. “No. You’re not.”

  Fergus crossed his arms and grinned. “Yes. I am.”

  If she hadn’t been so exhausted, he suspected she would have kicked up one hell of a fuss, but Aubrey looked as wiped out as he felt. “Fergus. About what happened in the dressing room—”

  “I’m sleeping on the couch, Aubrey. Nothing more. Go to your room. It’ll be okay.”

  She sighed, then walked past him. For a moment, he thought she looked disappointed. There was a day of reckoning coming for them, but not tonight.

  Neither of them had a clear enough head to make any decisions.

  She went straight to her bedroom and shut the door. He didn’t miss the sound of her locking it behind her.

  He grinned. Smart girl.

  Fergus walked over to the couch, not bothering to grab his bag. He was too tired. Lying down, it occurred to him as he closed his eyes that tonight could be his first peaceful night in a week. He liked being close to her, knowing she was only a few feet away if he needed to get to her.

  Finally, he could protect her…and rest.

  Which meant the sleeping arrangements for the rest of this tour were about to change.

  And with that happy thought, he slept the sleep of the dead.

  Chapter Seven

  Aubrey laughed as Ailis finished telling her about something silly Hunter had done last night after his set. She had escaped the bus shortly after they’d arrived in Houston. She wouldn’t have left the bus at all if she hadn’t spotted Ailis sitting on a bench just outside the convention center. It was unusual for Ailis to be out and about so early, so Aubrey had stepped out to make sure everything was okay.

  She also needed a few minutes of fresh air, somewhere she didn’t feel like she was living and breathing nothing but Fergus.

  She’d thought they had been inseparable before.
<
br />   But ever since finding the rose outside her hotel room, Fergus had closed ranks even more, now sleeping on the couches in her hotel suites. He’d moved to one of the long couches in the lounge area of the bus as well, which meant she either stayed in the bedroom or sat on the other couch, watching him sleep, while pretending to work on her songs.

  She couldn’t turn around twice without bumping into him.

  So far, he’d kissed her just once. It had been the most chaste kiss of her life. It had also been the most exciting.

  She wanted to do a hell of a lot more with him.

  It was all she could think about, dream about, write songs about. She was consumed with thoughts of him.

  Fergus wanted to control her, dominate her in the bedroom. That knowledge had fueled her fantasies for weeks, making it impossible for her to concentrate on anything else happening around her. He probably mistook her quietness of late as her pulling away, but the truth was, she was too hot and too fucking bothered.

  She didn’t have a doubt in her mind Fergus would never hurt her physically. More likely, the man would rock her world. She spent most nights imagining his lips and hands roving all over her body. She could almost feel the tickle of his beard between her legs. He’d come here with a five o’clock shadow, but he’d stopped shaving last week. It had only improved his stunningly good looks.

  Fergus had been nothing short of a complete gentleman, but there was some primal part deep inside her that responded to what she knew lurked beneath his skin. Fergus radiated confidence, control, patience. Those attributes made him a good bodyguard…but they’d make him an amazing lover.

  The sex would be off the charts. And if that was all that was at stake, she would trust him with her body.

  But it was more than that. Her heart was on the line too.

  The more she got to know him, the more peeks he offered into his life, his family, his past, the higher the risk of her falling for him.

  She’d sworn after Doug she wouldn’t go back there, wouldn’t give someone control of her heart, her emotions. Every drop of love she’d had left vanished the day she found Doug in bed with her mother.

  Fergus Collins was her bodyguard…for only two weeks more.

  Nothing long term could come of this, so the devil inside her kept urging her to indulge. After all, how much could happen in just two weeks?

  Sadly, she knew the answer to that.

  She liked him. And she was deeply, deeply attracted to him.

  Then the stronger, more terrifying voice spoke up.

  This was more than attraction. She was starting to trust him.

  And that was the one thing she couldn’t do.

  Wouldn’t do.

  So she shoved the fantasies away.

  Ailis glanced toward the road as a vehicle passed, and Aubrey got the sense Fergus’s cousin wasn’t just outside enjoying the breeze.

  “Are you waiting for someone?” Aubrey asked.

  “Just the van,” Ailis said, though her tone suggested her response wasn’t totally the truth.

  The second she had spotted Ailis, she’d thrown on some clothes and snuck off the bus, desperate to escape before Fergus woke up and her hormones started doing the talking for her.

  Ailis was welcome company, very much like her cousin. She was an entertaining storyteller with an easy humor. Aubrey was jealous of how simple it was for Fergus and Ailis to be themselves, to be so comfortable in their own skins, while Aubrey’s scratched like wool on a rash.

  “Uh-oh. Someone looks like they woke up on the wrong side of the bed.”

  Aubrey turned, looking to see who had caught Ailis’s eye, even though she had her suspicions.

  Sure enough, Fergus was storming across the parking lot, headed to where she and Ailis sat on the bench, soaking up some of the early-morning sun. They were in Houston for the next two days. Typically, after they arrived at a venue, vans would take them to their hotel. In this city, they were staying in the Four Seasons. She could see the hotel from where she was sitting. It was definitely close enough to walk to. Regardless, by some unspoken law, rock stars didn’t walk to hotels. Therefore, they were waiting for transportation.

  It was Saturday, so the downtown area surrounding the Toyota Center was quiet. It always amazed Aubrey how huge cities felt like ghost towns on weekends.

  “What are you doing, Aubrey?” Fergus didn’t bother with hellos. He didn’t even acknowledge Ailis, which spoke to his level of stress. He was usually very kind to his cousin. The past few weeks together had left both of them exhausted, well beyond the breaking point. And while she appreciated his need to keep her safe, she was tired of…well, of fucking everything.

  “Aubrey,” he repeated.

  Why did his voice have to be so damn sexy?

  She closed her eyes, cast that unhelpful thought aside, then stiffened her spine and threw her head back. She was tired of being a captive. “Hanging out with Ailis. Enjoying the day. Being a normal person.”

  Fergus sighed. “I didn’t say you could never leave the bus. You shouldn’t be out here alone. Why didn’t you wake me up?”

  “I’d hardly say she was alone,” Ailis said, waving her hand as if to remind him she was present.

  “You know what I mean.” Fergus ran his hand through his hair, causing one lock to fall back over his forehead in a very sexy, very bedhead way.

  Ailis must have noticed how exhausted Fergus looked as well. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with Aubrey letting you get some rest. To be honest, I’m not sure how you manage any sleep at all in the jump seat of that bus.”

  Fergus glanced away from his cousin, back to Aubrey, neither of them speaking quickly enough. “I, um…”

  Ailis smiled. “Unless…you weren’t in the jump seat.”

  “He sleeps on the couch,” Aubrey replied. Except for that one incredible night when he’d told her a bedtime story and lay down next to her.

  Fergus held his hand out to Aubrey, intent on pulling her up from the bench. “I’d feel a lot better if you two would chat inside the bus.”

  Aubrey took his hand without thinking about it, then reconsidered, trying to draw it back. He didn’t relinquish it. They struggled for a moment.

  “Aubrey.”

  She dug in her heels. “Let go.”

  He gripped tighter, his eyes narrowing. “No.”

  “Goddammit! Let go of my hand. We’re just talking, Fergus.” She didn’t mean to lose her temper, but she was wrecked, physically and emotionally.

  “And there are plenty of crew members milling around to see. You can’t pretend to know what sets this guy off, Aubrey.”

  “What is that supposed to…” Aubrey’s chest tightened, panic setting in. If she’d put Ailis at risk, she would never forgive herself. “I didn’t think—”

  “That’s right. You didn’t think.”

  Fergus’s words enraged her. “Listen,” she started.

  “It’s okay, Aubrey.” Ailis shot Fergus an impatient look. “I’m not in any danger. She’s been sequestered on that bus and in hotel rooms for weeks, Fergus. Even prisoners in solitary confinement get a bit of time outside.”

  Fergus tightened his grip on her hand, using it to propel Aubrey toward the bus. This time, she didn’t fight him. “Dammit, Ailis. I don’t care if she spends the next two weeks locked on that bus twenty-four-seven. People are getting hurt, and this guy clearly wants to get to her. Until I can figure out who’s doing it, I want the two of you safe.”

  Ailis, who was always so patient and peaceful, patted Fergus on the arm, trying to calm him down as she walked next to them. Hunter’s bus was parked next to Aubrey’s. As they walked, Ailis continued to look down the street. She was definitely waiting for something, and Aubrey didn’t think it was the van.

  “It’s okay. And you’re right,” Ailis said. “I should have suggested we chat on the bus. It’s just such a pretty day. A perfect day. I can’t tell you how much I’ve been looking forward to Houston.” A
ilis threw her arms up, pointing out the blue sky, the brightening sunshine and cool breeze. “So let’s start over. I’m going to go wake Hunter up. See you two at breakfast at the hotel?”

  Aubrey nodded, curious about Ailis’s enthusiasm. She wasn’t sure what made Houston so damn special, but it was nice that someone was happy.

  Fergus waited until his cousin entered the bus she shared with Hunter, then led Aubrey to hers, following her inside.

  “Dammit, Aubrey,” he exclaimed once they were inside. Joel, the driver, had already disembarked, joining the crew for breakfast before heading to the hotel himself.

  She raised her hand to cut him off. “Don’t start with me, Fergus.” She’d been so hell-bent on escaping the bus, she hadn’t considered she might be putting Ailis at risk. She felt bad enough on her own. She didn’t need another one of his lectures. “I’m in no mood. Trust me, this won’t end well for you.”

  If someone could have scripted the exact worst thing to say to him in that moment, those probably would have been the words. His brows furrowed, his eyes darkened with anger.

  “Not in the—” His voice was a blast of noise in the quiet bus, but he regained control quickly. Very quickly.

  Aubrey wondered what it would be like to push him too far, to tempt the beast out of its lair. Impulse overrode common sense. She wanted Fergus, and she knew exactly what to do. He responded to the brat, the haughty diva.

  And if that failed, well, at this point, she’d take the fucking fight.

  “I’m not your prisoner.” She walked away from him toward the refrigerator, eyeballing the half-consumed bottle of white wine, very tempted to pop the cork and take a long swig.

  Instead, she pulled out a bottle of water. “If I want to take a walk, I will, and there’s not one thing you can do to stop me.”

  The bottle flew from her fingers when Fergus gripped her arm, spinning her to face him, backing her up against the wall. It was an alpha move that had her body clenching in sweet anticipation.

  “You don’t want to push me on this, Aubrey.”