Cheri trembled as she walked toward the entrance to the venue. Her legs felt as unsteady as a newborn foal, and her mouth was bone-dry.

She had been a mere inch from Dev’s face, soaking in his woodsy male scent, willing him to kiss her. The clothes he bought her were as sexy as sin, and for the first time she felt truly grown up in his eyes. The look he’d given her when she’d first walked out of the dressing room had made her knees weak.

His eyes said he wanted to devour her, making her ache inside. Making her forget that she was Bug, the tagalong, and confirming she was a woman. A sexy, desirable woman.

The look in his eyes was unequivocal. She might be inexperienced, but she recognized lust when she saw it. It thrilled her that his lust was focused on her. But would he look at her like that again? How could she get closer to him when circumstances kept forcing them apart?

She was still daydreaming about it when a young man dressed in an orange security t-shirt held up his hand to stop her.

"Sorry, miss. You can't come back here."

"But I work here. I'm on the road crew."

The security man looked her up and down with a skeptical frown. Dressed as fancy as she was, she probably didn't look like any road crew member he’d ever seen road, who usually showed up in t-shirts and jeans.

"Move along, miss, or we'll have the venue security hold you until the cops arrive."

"Call Bill or one of the guys in the band. They'll identify me. And I tell you, they’re going to be pissed I'm not back there helping them."

"Cheri!" called Gina coming out the back door and pushing toward her. The fangirls crowded the door as she tried to leave, then pulled back with a groan of disappointment when they saw Gina and not a member of the band. "There you are. Where were you all d--"

Gina stopped in her tracks and gawked at Cheri.

"Holy shit. How?"

"I'll give you all the gory details if you vouch for me. This security person doesn't think I work here."

"That's Cheri Galveston," said Gina, tapping her foot impatiently. "Not only is she the drummer's sister, she's our Social Media Director. Please let her pass."

"She should be wearing her ID," the security man grumped.

"We’ll make sure to get on that. Let's go, girlfriend." Gina threw an arm around her shoulder and they strolled into the bowels of the amphitheater. "Look at you. Hair, nails, clothes. Those black boots are wicked. What the hell happened to you? Did a beauty bomb drop out of the sky and you were standing at ground zero?"

“Nope. Apparently, this was lesson one with Dev.”

Gina let out a low whistle. “Wow, he’s not kidding around about this, huh?” She was still smiling, but Cheri could see the worry in her eyes.

“I’m not going to get hurt, Gina. I’m going to take life by the balls and go with it for now, with the knowledge that, once this tour is over, so are me and Dev. Don’t kill the dream for me, okay?”

Gina nodded. “Okay. Last word on the subject, I promise.”

She’d had an amazing day with Dev, a memory she would cherish forever. Maybe Dev didn't want her for the long haul, but she would take what time she could get with him. And she wasn’t going to waste a second of it on fears for the future.

* * *

"Bout time,” said Rory as Dev entered the amphitheater.

"I’m here, aren’t I," said Dev. He tried to keep his tone light, but Rory frowned at him anyway.

"It’s not like you to be MIA all day."

There was no point in lying when he didn’t have to. They hadn’t done anything wrong anyway.

Not for lack of desire, his conscience bleated.

He shoved it aside and shrugged. “I took Bug shopping for some new clothes."

"That was you? Her old clothes were fine," Rory said with a groan. “Now I’m going to have to deal with dudes trying to hit on her left and right.”

"She’s worked hard for the band all these years without any pay. And you see how Gina dresses."

Rory shrugged. "Yeah, but she's our publicist. She’s gotta look sharp."

"And Cheri is our Social Media Director. She gets seen as much as Gina does. It's good for Cheri to present a slick image, especially now."

Rory rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, I guess. Just promise to back me up if I have to kick a motherfucker’s ass for trying to bang her."

"Will do,” Dev muttered, silently vowing once again not to be that motherfucker. “Now let's get to work."

They did, running through sound check, but it was all Dev could do not to trail Cheri’s every move with his gaze. By the time the show started, he’d given in to the urge.

Her new layered haircut swept back as she moved energetically toward the sound board. Dev's stomach twisted as he caught Cobb staring at her, practically panting as she spoke to him. And when she put her hand on the sound man's shoulder, Dev wanted to toss her over his shoulder and carry her out.

Ridiculous. He had no right to be jealous.

Memories flashed through his mind. Maybe she had always looked at him differently than she did the other guys. And maybe he mostly ignored it because of his relationship with Rory. But it was more than adoration, or hero worship whenever she looked at him. It was as if she saw straight into his soul and didn't shy away.

Dev never thought of himself as a complicated man. He was into his music and hanging out with good friends. Life was simple on that front. As long as he wrote songs, and his basic needs were taken care of, he was a happy guy.

Until recently, when he began to question the band's lifestyle. How many times did he need to entertain a string of faceless women while drinking far too much for that to get old? Was there something more to life that he was missing?

Unlike his parents, Cheri never judged him for living his freewheeling life as a musician. She knew him. All sides of him, and she liked him anyway, without reservation. What he couldn’t pinpoint was, when her opinion of him had started to matter so much? Because today? Right now?

The thought of her looking at another man the way she looked at him wrecked him.

He was still grappling with that realization when she moved away from Cobb and he couldn’t hold back his sigh of relief.

The rest of the evening rushed past. Before he knew it, they’d performed the encore and walking off the stage dripping with sweat and satisfaction.

"You nailed it, guys!" Bill, backstage, was jumping on his toes showing rare excitement. "Excellent work, just excellent!"

"What's the plan, plan-man?" said Connor bursting with enthusiasm. "What are we going to do now?" He was always keyed up after a show and needed something to do to wind down.

"I'm up for some late-night dinner," said Rory. "I didn't get much to eat before the show."

"What about it, Bill, where can we go to wind down?"

"Oh," said Gina passing by, "he's the wrong person to ask. Get Hawkins to tell you a place to go in Charlotte. He knows all the good ones."

"Did anyone ever tell you that you’re bossy?" asked Rory, cocking an eyebrow.

"Me?" said Gina, all innocence.

"Trouble," insisted Rory in a teasing voice.

"Yes," she said. "Just the kind of trouble you don't need, band boy. Richard," she called as she saw Richard pass by, "food, drink and dance in Charlotte. Where to?"

Richard rubbed his chin, "Yeah, there's a place. Let me check to see if it’s still there. Here it is. I just sent all you guys an email."

The email tone on Dev's phone sounded. He opened to find Richard's mass email to the cast and crew.

"Randy Andy's?" he said with skepticism.

"The crab mac and cheese alone is worth the price of admission. Now, if you don't mind, rock stars, I've got to put this show to bed. Come on, people," Richard yelled to the crew milling aimlessly. "We have contractual obligations. Move it! Bug, excuse me, Cheri, go see what's holding up hair and make-up."

Cheri nodded and made tracks toward the dressing room.

"You boys," said Gina, "go ahead, and scout the place out while we finish load out."

"Ride with us, Gina," said Rory.

"Nope. If I don't hang around and drag him to the bar, Hawkins will go back to bed like a lame-o. See you later, boys."

"You guys can't go out without security," said Bill. In a flash he was on the walkie-talkie and, soon, two huge guys in black t-shirts and jeans joined them in their tour bus on the way to Randy Andy's.

It was a redneck bar, plain and simple, though it did have a kitchen and a small stage for their music acts. The walls were covered in wood paneling plastered with neon signs advertising different beer and liquor. The bar stools sitting in front of the long wooden bar were stainless steel topped with red vinyl and white seats. Tonight there was a country band on the stage and the clientele of the restaurant was gathered on the dance floor line dancing.

"This is Charlotte?" said Mac with incredulity.

"A very special piece of Charlotte," said Connor grinning ear to ear. "Hey, look, pool tables. I haven't played in, like, forever."

The waitress seated them in the corner with a good view of the stage and the dance floor.

"Can we put a bunch of tables together?" said Dev. "We've got a few more people coming."

"Sure, sugar," said the waitress with wink and a southern drawl. "You boys aren't from around here, are you?"

"We're here just tonight," said Dev.

"Business or pleasure," she said.

"A little of both," said Rory.

"That was your bus out there?" she said.

"Yes," confirmed Quinn.

"I knew it! Sub-Zero here at Randy Andy's. You have to play for us."

"Love too," said Dev. "But the lawyers have us all locked up. We can only play our contracted venues."

"Oh, bummer."

"But I'll have our publicist bring a picture when she comes, and we'll autograph for you right here."

"Cool. Okay, boys. What are you drinking, and eating?"

They were well into their second round of drinks, having eaten their midnight snacks already when the crew showed up. Dev searched for Cheri in the group, feeling a sense of disappointment as he reached the end of the crowd. When she walked in a few minutes later, Cobb's arm was around her waist and Dev’s gut twisted. Her face was shining with excitement as Cobb whispered something in her ear. She laughed with a sexy confidence Dev hadn’t seen before, and he noticed other men stripping her naked with their eyes.

Fuck. Rory was right. He’d blown it. Just a little makeover to shine what had been there all along for anyone taking the time to look, and now guys would be crawling all over her.

Dev downed his drink, slamming his glass to the table too hard, and stood.

"Where are you going?" said Connor.

"Line dancing," he rasped.

Connor stood. "Sounds like fun."

Maybe, maybe not, but it was better than drinking, since looking at Cobb draped over Cheri made him want to down the whole goddamned bottle.

All this time, he’d been trying to make good on his promise to Cheri without crossing the line. But that line was fading by the second. Pretty soon, he wasn’t going to be able to see it at all if he wasn’t careful.

And no one had ever called Dev Lachlan careful.