The toilet in the stall next to hers flushed for the eighth time and Christa grimaced. She’d been hiding in the bathroom for the past twenty minutes like some kind of fugitive because she couldn’t muster the guts to go out there and risk Tai’s rejection.

Again.

The pain was still fresh from the night before. She’d never forget that icy look in his eyes. Even now it twisted her up inside. If she went out there and he looked at her like that again it would crush her. But he’d risked far worse for her and if that was what he felt he needed to do, so be it.

She drew in a deep breath and opened the stall door to the now-empty restroom. The bar had been pretty slow since she’d arrived right after the concert. She’d managed to score some last-minute scalped tickets to see the show, but they’d been crummy seats.

Not that she minded. It gave her two blissful hours to watch Tai do what he loved. Watch his eyes close as he lost himself in the music. See his beaming smile as he interacted with his band-mates, toes tapping, hips twitching to the beat. It was as if all his cares melted away.

Those two hours could’ve carried her through until tomorrow’s concert, where she’d managed to get floor seats and hopefully have the chance to talk to him again. But fate, that fickle wench, had stepped in for the home team this time and she wasn’t going to have to wait after all. Tai and the rest of the band were coming to Moody’s. If she played her cards right, she might be able to try to talk to him tonight.

She’d planned to give herself a week. One week of going to shows, just letting him know she was there. That it wasn’t a whim and she wasn’t giving up so easily. This time. If he still wouldn’t talk to her, then she’d leave knowing she’d done everything she could. Because if there was one thing she couldn’t abide anymore it was living with regret.

She took a quick look in the mirror, wincing at the pale face and haunted eyes that stared back at her. That wouldn’t do at all. She pulled out her makeup bag and swiped a fat blush brush over the apples of her cheeks. After a quick check to make sure she didn’t have any lettuce in her teeth, she slicked peach gloss over her lips. With a fluff of her hair, and smoothing hand over her sweater, she headed to the door.

She stepped into the main bar area and scanned the stools and tables. No Tai yet, or any of the band members, for that matter.

A flash of white-blonde hair caught her eye. What had her friend called her? Anya, that was it. She’d overheard them chattering in the parking lot after the show about meeting the band here.

Christa watched as the other woman adjusted her cleavage while ordering a drink and her heart sank a little. Was that the type of woman Tai was attracted to now? She sent a pitying glance to her own modest cleavage.

Decidedly lacking.

A surge of envy pulsed through her before she was able to stop it. Big boobs weren’t the be-all end-all, right? Too bad she also had on a super sexy mini-dress that showed off a mile of leg and a spectacular bottom to go along with it.

Christa turned away with a groan. What had she been thinking, wearing jeans and a sweater? She’d been going for soft and approachable and instead ended up looking as if she should be in the carpool line at an elementary school.

She smoothed her sweater again and made her way to the opposite side of the bar. Maybe she couldn’t change her clothes but there was no point in setting up a side-by- side comparison shot either. It was a race she just didn’t have enough horse to win. Hopefully her history with Tai would give her some leverage to at least get his attention for a few minutes so she could say what she needed to say.

“Help you?” The slim, bald bartender approached. Beads of sweat clung to his forehead, and he gave her a rushed smile.

There were only thirty or forty people in the place, but he seemed to be on his own. “Just a glass of Merlot, thanks.”

As he strode off to get her drink, she kept her eyes locked on the door. Not thirty seconds later, almost as if she’d conjured him, Tai stepped into the frame.

The breath whooshed out of her as she took in the sight. He’d changed from his stage clothes into a white button-down shirt left untucked, which still managed to cling lovingly to his lean muscles, paired with faded, much-loved jeans. His black hair was damp from the shower and a bolt of lust hit her right between the thighs.

She swallowed hard and tore her gaze away as the bartender returned with her drink.

“Cash or you want to start a tab?”

The ten-dollar bill she’d been holding was crinkled and a little moist as she handed it over with an apologetic smile.

“Keep the change.”

She swiped her damp palms on her jeans and took a long sip of her wine. If seeing Tai from across the room made her this nervous, how the hell was she going to have a conversation with him?

Get a hold of yourself, girl.

Before she had the chance to obey her own command, a squeal cracked the air.

“You made it. Whoohoo!”

Christa didn’t need to look to know it was Anya yelping, but she did anyway. Tai stood next to Anya’s stool and was giving her a melt-worthy grin. “I said we’d come out for one, didn’t I?”

Gigi closed in behind him. “Hi, again,” she said with a tolerant smile at Anya and her friend.

The women barely acknowledged Gigi with a quick nod, then both focused their attention and their breasts back toward Tai. “So where’s Beau? And is Rex coming too?”

Tai started to speak, but Gigi cut in. “Beau, my fiancé, is outside taking a photo with one of the bouncers and Rex is with his wife checking on their baby.” Every word was delivered with a smile, but her tone was dead serious.

“Hey, girl,” Beau called to Gigi as he approached, wrapping his big arms around her from behind. “You getting cranky without your big daddy already?”

Christa bit back a smile as Gigi rolled her eyes while simultaneously flushing with pleasure.

Christa had liked Gigi the second they’d met, and Beau’s warmth and buttery Southern charm had practically oozed off the stage. It was a delight to get to watch them together. If she ever found that combination of genuine like for someone along with the passion they obviously felt for each other, she’d hold on tight and never let go. She’d had it once…or at least she thought so.

“Who wants to do some body shots?” Anya squealed, her eyes locked on Tai.

Tai shook his head. “Show tomorrow, so I’m just here for a beer. Sorry, babe.”

His endearment made the wine in Christa’s mouth go sour and she turned away.

Clearly, this was more than just a couple of groupies following the band. She’d stepped right in the middle of a planned hookup, or worse, some kind of weird date, and there was no way she was going to put herself through the torture of watching it to its inevitable conclusion.

“What about you, Maya? Wanna show Tai how to do a body shot?”

Oh lovely. Now they were going to crank up some girl-on-girl action to try to lure him in.

Make up your mind. It’s go big or go home, Christa.

She’d flown to Cincinnati for two reasons. To try to find out what had happened to Tai that night so many years ago, and to see if there was any chance that he might give her another shot. She’d let her father keep her from him then, and had spent the next ten years regretting it. She was a grown woman now.

She squared her shoulders and pushed off the stool.

No regrets.