Tell
me more.”
He kissed her. “Next time,” he promised. “I want to
keep you coming back to me.”
Her arms tightened around him. “As long as you’re
sure there will be a next time.”
“I guarantee it.”
Chapter 11
Gabe climbed the tour bus steps, walked down the
aisle, and tossed his overnight bag into his bunk. Owen and Kelly
were already sprawled on the semicircular caramel-colored sectional
in the seating area near the front of the bus, but there was no
sign of Shade or Adam. Gabe pulled his cellphone out of his pocket
and checked his messages. He had a few texts from friends in Austin
and a voicemail from his mother asking him when he’d be in town.
She said she had a nice girl she wanted to introduce him to. Gabe
was pretty sure his mom thought it was her duty to find him a woman
or she would never be a grandmother. He wondered what she would
think of Melanie. Would Melanie count as a nice girl even though
she had a deliciously naughty side?
“Don’t you dare call her yet, dude,” Shade said as
he dropped his bag on the floor next to his bunk. “She’ll know your
balls belong to her.”
“I wasn’t going to call her,” Gabe insisted. At
least not for thirty minutes or so. He’d secretly been hoping she’d
called him by now. He missed her voice already. Shit, Shade was
right. He hated when Shade was right.
Despite all of his talk about relationships, he
hadn’t really been sure if he’d ever call her. Hadn’t been sure if
the complications would be worth it for either of them, but
especially for her. When he’d seen the tears in her eyes, he’d
known he couldn’t stay away. Until that moment, he hadn’t been
positive that she’d really want him to keep in touch. Now he was
sure; she wanted him as much as he wanted her. He hoped she was
strong enough to have him in her life. Few women had what it took
to love a man married to the road and a music career.
“I don’t believe you,” Shade said as he snatched the
phone out of Gabe’s hand.
Gabe shrugged and sat next to Owen on the sofa. He
knew how Shade ticked—you didn’t spend ten years of your life
living in close quarters with someone and not know how his mind
worked. Well, Gabe understood Shade, but Adam was clueless
and let Shade push all his buttons. Gabe knew Shade pretended to be
cool so no one figured out how insecure he was about certain
things. Not about women. Not about his singing. Shade had absolute
confidence in those arenas. Shade had become a master of hiding
secrets about himself that he was not open to sharing, but Gabe saw
through his façade of cool. And he knew the best way to deal with
Shade was to never rise to his bait.
“Are you going to call that little hottie you hooked
up with, Shade?” Owen asked. “What was her name? Nikki?”
“Darling Nikki,” Kelly said. He reached into the
mini-fridge near his end of the sofa and hauled out two bottles of
water. He handed one to Owen and kept one for himself.
“Maybe we should do a remake of that song,” Owen
said. “It could be metal.”
“Been done,” Shade said.
“You’re not going to call her, are you?” Gabe asked.
He didn’t want his newfound relationship with Melanie sabotaged by
Shade fucking things up with her best friend.
Shade shook his head. “She didn’t want me to.” He
shrugged. “You know how it is.”
Gabe took a deep breath and nodded. Owen and Kelly
exchanged knowing glances.
“Whatever,” Shade said. “She did say next time we
come to Wichita she’d love to hook up again. Maybe she’ll get her
stick-in-the-mud friend to open herself up to a little fun next
time.”
“She’s not a stick in the mud,” Gabe said, a bit
more perturbed by Shade’s taunt than he should be. He didn’t
usually let Shade’s bullshit bother him.
Shade chuckled. “As if you would know the
difference. You’re a dud in the bedroom yourself. Probably think
doggie style is adventurous.”
Gabe forced a puzzled look on his face.
me more.”
He kissed her. “Next time,” he promised. “I want to
keep you coming back to me.”
Her arms tightened around him. “As long as you’re
sure there will be a next time.”
“I guarantee it.”
Chapter 11
Gabe climbed the tour bus steps, walked down the
aisle, and tossed his overnight bag into his bunk. Owen and Kelly
were already sprawled on the semicircular caramel-colored sectional
in the seating area near the front of the bus, but there was no
sign of Shade or Adam. Gabe pulled his cellphone out of his pocket
and checked his messages. He had a few texts from friends in Austin
and a voicemail from his mother asking him when he’d be in town.
She said she had a nice girl she wanted to introduce him to. Gabe
was pretty sure his mom thought it was her duty to find him a woman
or she would never be a grandmother. He wondered what she would
think of Melanie. Would Melanie count as a nice girl even though
she had a deliciously naughty side?
“Don’t you dare call her yet, dude,” Shade said as
he dropped his bag on the floor next to his bunk. “She’ll know your
balls belong to her.”
“I wasn’t going to call her,” Gabe insisted. At
least not for thirty minutes or so. He’d secretly been hoping she’d
called him by now. He missed her voice already. Shit, Shade was
right. He hated when Shade was right.
Despite all of his talk about relationships, he
hadn’t really been sure if he’d ever call her. Hadn’t been sure if
the complications would be worth it for either of them, but
especially for her. When he’d seen the tears in her eyes, he’d
known he couldn’t stay away. Until that moment, he hadn’t been
positive that she’d really want him to keep in touch. Now he was
sure; she wanted him as much as he wanted her. He hoped she was
strong enough to have him in her life. Few women had what it took
to love a man married to the road and a music career.
“I don’t believe you,” Shade said as he snatched the
phone out of Gabe’s hand.
Gabe shrugged and sat next to Owen on the sofa. He
knew how Shade ticked—you didn’t spend ten years of your life
living in close quarters with someone and not know how his mind
worked. Well, Gabe understood Shade, but Adam was clueless
and let Shade push all his buttons. Gabe knew Shade pretended to be
cool so no one figured out how insecure he was about certain
things. Not about women. Not about his singing. Shade had absolute
confidence in those arenas. Shade had become a master of hiding
secrets about himself that he was not open to sharing, but Gabe saw
through his façade of cool. And he knew the best way to deal with
Shade was to never rise to his bait.
“Are you going to call that little hottie you hooked
up with, Shade?” Owen asked. “What was her name? Nikki?”
“Darling Nikki,” Kelly said. He reached into the
mini-fridge near his end of the sofa and hauled out two bottles of
water. He handed one to Owen and kept one for himself.
“Maybe we should do a remake of that song,” Owen
said. “It could be metal.”
“Been done,” Shade said.
“You’re not going to call her, are you?” Gabe asked.
He didn’t want his newfound relationship with Melanie sabotaged by
Shade fucking things up with her best friend.
Shade shook his head. “She didn’t want me to.” He
shrugged. “You know how it is.”
Gabe took a deep breath and nodded. Owen and Kelly
exchanged knowing glances.
“Whatever,” Shade said. “She did say next time we
come to Wichita she’d love to hook up again. Maybe she’ll get her
stick-in-the-mud friend to open herself up to a little fun next
time.”
“She’s not a stick in the mud,” Gabe said, a bit
more perturbed by Shade’s taunt than he should be. He didn’t
usually let Shade’s bullshit bother him.
Shade chuckled. “As if you would know the
difference. You’re a dud in the bedroom yourself. Probably think
doggie style is adventurous.”
Gabe forced a puzzled look on his face.
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