Assured (Soul Serenade #2) (24 page)

“I still can’t believe people have been hanging around here since we checked in just to get a glimpse of us.”

“Welcome to my world.”

“It’s kind of my world now too, you know?”

“You’re damn right it is.” I pull her into a kiss. She finally let me kiss her yesterday. Fuck you, strep throat!

“Yeah, I mean, I’m the band’s assistant to the assistant, or whatever you want to call me.”

No, you’re mine.
“You’re more than that,” I correct her as I kiss her again.

“Hmmm, you’re right. I’m the lead singer’s wife’s best friend.”

She’s baiting me. That’s fine—I’ll tell her a thousand times a day, if that’s what it takes.

“You’re that too, but there’s still more. The most important.”

“Let’s see.” She taps her index finger against her chin. “You’re right! I completely forgot about Tristan, Gavin and Kacen. Those guys are like brothers to me.”

What? She brings my boys into this before me? “You’re mine,” I growl before crashing my lips against hers. Thankfully, my cell beeps, reminding me that we need to go.

“That’s Tristan. We should head out.” I kiss her one more time. Our privacy is gone again, at least for the next four weeks. After that, I’m locking us both in my place for a week, maybe longer. I don’t know that I’ll ever be okay with sharing her.

She steps back, but I grab her and pull her close again. “I need to hear you say it, sweets.”

Smiling up at me, she crooks her finger, beckoning me closer. I bend down until her lips are next to my ear. “There’s this guy. His name is Cole Hampton, and he’s this big-time rock star, but it’s more than that. He makes my heart skip a beat every time he tells me I’m his.”

I crush her to my chest. “Always,” I breathe against her neck.

My phone goes off again. Fucking Tristan. I’m having a moment with my girl.

“Sweets, we have to go.”

“I know. If my boyfriend, Cole, finds me with you, he’s going to be pissed.”

I smack her ass and she runs toward the door, laughing.

“Come on, slow poke, Tristan’s waiting.”

When we walk on the bus, they all stop and stare at us. This is the first time we’ve seen them during the break.

“How are you feeling?” Logan asks Stacy.

“So much better. I’m no longer contagious, I’ve been fever-free for over forty-eight hours, and I’m still taking my medicine.” She crouches down in front of Logan, who is sitting on the couch. “How’s this little guy? You been feeling okay? I didn’t get you sick, did I?”

Logan laughs. “No, I feel great. This one,”—she pats her ever-growing belly—“he likes to pretend he’s playing soccer, and there really isn’t that much room.”

“How long, eight weeks left?” Stacy asks.

“Yep. I had a checkup yesterday. We actually went to this ‘Mommy and Me’ place, and I got to have a 4-D ultrasound. You have to see these pictures.” She goes to stand, but Tristan scolds her.

“Don’t move, woman, I got this.” He pulls the pictures from the clip off the refrigerator and hands them to Stacy.

“So, you ready for one of those?” Tristan asks, pointing to the pictures the girls and Kace are now gushing over.

Am I? “Someday,” I reply, brushing him off. I’ve never given it much thought until now. I like kids, and Mia is a ball to be around. I’ve never thought about being with one woman long enough to want my own, but standing here, watching Stacy smile with Logan as they look at the pictures, I can see it. I can see her growing round with our baby. The thought doesn’t scare me; a year ago, it would have.

“She good?” he asks, nodding toward Stacy.

I clap him on the shoulder. “Yeah, man. She’s good.” Better than good—she’s fucking amazing.

“Now that we’re all here, the label is putting together an after-party. It’s scheduled right after the show in two weeks. They would like for all of us to attend,” Gavin explains.

“I guess we’ve been lucky up to this point. This is the first time they’ve summoned us,” Kacen comments.

“I thought we were going to get lucky,” Tristan adds.

“Is this a bad thing?” Logan asks.

“Not really, it’s just a fucking dog and pony show. The last thing any of us want to do is schmooze after putting on a show,” Kacen explains.

“Girls’ night,” Stacy says, high-fiving Logan.

“Oh no, sweets. ‘All of us’ includes the two of you.” I hold a hand out to help her up, and she immediately tucks into my side. I fucking love that shit. Love that she knows that’s where I want her.

“But we’re not part of the band,” Logan chimes in.

“Baby, you’re my wife. Of course you are.” Kacen kisses her.

“And you.” Stacy lifts her head to look at me. “You’re mine, remember?” I say, just for her ears only.

She grins. “I might be able to get away from my boyfriend, but he gets jealous easily, so we’ll have to be covert about it.”

I kiss her.

What the hell else am I going to do with her? She gets me, yet she’s still mine.

“Ugh, I have nothing party-worthy that fits. Do we have to go?” Logan whines.

“Yes, baby, I want you there. You look beautiful in anything. Besides, it’s two weeks from now, which gives you two time to find something new,” Kacen croons.

“Something sexy,” I whisper in Stacy’s ear.

“I’ll let them know that we’re in,” Gavin announces.

“Do we have a choice?” Tristan fires back.

“No, but it’s nice to make them think we’re playing the game. Because that’s exactly what this is,” Gavin replies.

“Fucking Wilson,” I mumble. The CEO of Stone Records is a dick. He knows we hate this shit, especially after a show, but he doesn’t care. It would be different if the party was for the band, because we could come straight from the show, but it’s the label’s shindig. We have to appear “presentable”—straight from the dick’s mouth.

On the bright side, my girl gets to buy a sexy dress, and this time, she’ll be going home with me at the end of the night. She makes everything better.

Two more weeks and we’ll be back home. It’s been exhausting being on the road, and I’m so ready to sleep in my own bed. That is until I remember that Cole won’t be in it. We’ve managed for both of us to sleep in either his or my bunk every night since we agreed to take this thing between us to another level. Cole insisted that there was no way in hell I was sleeping without him, so we make it work. I was reluctant at first, but I can admit that I would rather be squished in that bunk with him than sleep without him. Surprisingly, it’s not all that bad. I snuggle in close and he keeps his arms around me. That’s how we both like it.

We haven’t talked about how things will be with us when we get home. There’s a part of me that’s still afraid that the shine of a new relationship will wear off and we’ll drift apart. Then I see the way he looks at me and I know I’m being crazy. Cole Hampton doesn’t do anything he doesn’t want to do, and he
wants
to be with me. I believe that. He’s made it a point to assure me each and every day.

Tonight’s the after-party. Logan and I went shopping in every city we hit these past two weeks, finally settling on something while in Arkansas. Now we’re in Iowa. Logan found a dress that makes her look like a sexy mamma; Kacen is going to shit himself when he sees her. I, on the other hand, went with your basic little black dress with fuck-me heels. I was trying to spend wisely, and I can use a little black dress again. I’m not married to a rock star. I do make decent money, but I’m not sure if my job with the band extends to when the tour is over, so I’ve been banking as much of it as I can just in case.

The six of us were going to have to get ready on the bus, since we can’t get a room tonight. The guys agreed to get ready in their room backstage and give us girls the tiny bathroom on the bus. I think they got the better deal for sure.

The guys have a show tomorrow night in Missouri, which Cole says is a good thing. We stop in, make an appearance at the party, and use the tour schedule as an excuse to cut out early. It’s a seven-hour drive to our next location, so it will be wheels up as soon as we make it back to the bus.

Logan and I are in our assigned seats—side-stage. The crowd tonight is loving our boys, who went back out and played three songs over what the set usually is.

“They’re stalling!” Logan shouts over the sound of what we hope is the last song of the night.

I throw my head back and laugh. “I think you might be right. Is this guy really that much of a pain in the ass to be around?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. He came to the wedding and we briefly said hello. Other than that, I’ve had no interaction with him. They all say he’s a jerk. I think that’s part of the reason Gavin is learning as much on the business side as he can. They’re all starting to want more than what the label can give them.”

I reach over and rub her belly. “Like this little guy?”

Her face radiates happiness. “Yeah, I mean, Cole is the only one who’s settled down”—she bumps her shoulder into mine—“but I think the others want it too. It’s just a feeling I have.”

“Maybe. I’ve not seen them sleeping around and partying it up. That’s kind of what I expected from all three of them,” I confess.

“I have to admit, I kind of did too. But I know they’re good guys. I think they sleep around because they can and because there hasn’t been any one to hold their interest. Look at Cole.”

“You’re just as surprised about that one as I am. He was relentless.”

“They’re all that way. Once they set their mind to something, it consumes them.”

“I’ve only seen Cole, and Kacen with you, but they’ve both been persistent at getting the girl. You think Gavin and Tristan will be the same way?”

“I do. They are all a lot alike. They want what they want and never waver from that. It’s going to be fun watching it happen. Trust me, I got to do it with you.”

“Ha ha. Well, I got to watch it with you and I agree; it’s going to be rather entertaining.”

Kacen tells the crowd good night, and this time it’s real. I keep my eyes on Cole as he hands off his guitar and makes his way to me. He’s done this after every single show. Even before we were official, he always heads straight for me.

Makes a girl get all emotional and shit.

I stand to greet him and he immediately engulfs me in his arms. “I missed you,” he says against my neck.

“I’ve been right here all night.”

“No, you’ve been in that chair all night. I wanted you here.” He pulls me closer as if trying to explain.

“I don’t think you could have played your guitar with me in your arms.”

“You doubt me, woman?”

“No, I would never do that.” I laugh.

“Let’s go, you. I’ll walk you to the bus.”

“You guys have to get ready too. All we really have to do is change our clothes and freshen our makeup. The guards will be with us.”

“I don’t like it.”

“You and me both,” Kacen chimes in.

“Seriously, it’s going to be fine. They paparazzi already have a ton of pictures of us, what’s a few more? Besides, we made an effort tonight,” Logan states.

“Right? We should probably pose for them,” I add. I know it’s driving the guys crazy. They worry about the paparazzi and the attention that this lifestyle gets will scare us away.

“They go straight to the bus,” Cole tells the guards who are standing just behind us.

“Yes, sir.” They both nod with their serious faces in understanding.

I appreciate them, but I would hate to have their jobs.

“Be careful. Don’t go anywhere without one of the guards,” Cole warns.

“Got it. Now, go shower, you’re all sweaty.”

“You like me all sweaty.” He leans in like he’s going to wipe is hair on me.

“Watch it, Hampton! You mess me up, you’ll be going to this party by yourself.”

“Noooo, I need you there. You’ll make it bearable.” Bending down, he lightly presses his lips to mine. “I’ll see you soon, sweets.”

He really has no idea the effect he has on me.

“Ready?” Logan asks.

“Yes.” I link my arm through hers. Flanked by the guards who have been assigned to us for the tour, we make our way back to the bus.