Chapter Four
Kit
When his phone rang, I used that as my excuse to get away. I didn’t even look back as I bolted from the bus, grabbing my backpack from its spot on the couch. I scurried around the front of the bus that was parked next to ours and made my way to the women’s restroom behind one of the tents. I ignored the two women who were washing their hands and stepped into a stall, throwing the lock as soon as the door closed. I put my feet up on the toilet and crouched down, covering my face with my hands. I inhaled slowly, hoping to calm my rapid heartbeat, but I couldn’t get his face out of my head or the taste of him from my lips.
Aiden Hawke made every ounce of my body turn liquid whenever he touched me. There was no denying that we wanted each other, and I knew it was only a matter of time before I’d let him bury himself between my legs. I felt all of my inhibitions draining away, and I would’ve let him fuck me right there on the table if he’d asked for it. His kiss was electric. Hell, anytime he touched me, I felt like I’d willingly grabbed a live wire with both hands just to feel the jolt to my soul.
My point of us together was valid. We couldn’t cross that line, but we had. Being with Aiden was sure to destroy my career. It would make things awkward, but damn if I didn’t want to let him touch me. I couldn’t risk being put out of this band because I fucked my lead singer. I couldn’t afford losing everything for a night of what was sure to be the hottest sex I’d ever had.
I was finally making money doing what I loved. Granted, I’d just sent all of my savings to the landlord to keep from being homeless, but I still had a steady income hitting my bank account on a monthly basis. This tour was going to make it so I could move out of that trashy apartment and find myself something that wasn’t in the slums of Phoenix.
When my uncle called, I knew immediately that something had gone wrong with my mom. When I left for this tour, all I did was drop a note on the kitchen table, telling her that I would be gone for the next few weeks. She’d been passed out on the couch and never woke up by the time I closed the door. At that point, I had to quit worrying about her and live my life for me.
I didn’t know how long I stayed there before my phone chimed for an incoming text. Steven was throwing a fit because I had less than ten minutes before I was due at the side of the stage. Hitting a reply and telling him I was on my way, I hurried out of the stall to use the bathroom’s mirror to darken my makeup. I grabbed my comb and hairspray from my bag and hastily made my hair stand up just a little more.
Shrugging, I put everything inside and walked out into the hot Nevada sun, turning for the stage. My thoughts about Aiden would have to be put on the back burner for the next hour. I sure as hell wasn’t going to let my hormones fuck up this show. I’d deal with my feelings toward him when I was alone.
I stopped beside the stage and rolled my head around to loosen the kink that had settled in the back of my neck. There was nothing I could do about the heat that still rolled through my core after Aiden had kissed me on the bus. Our crew was just putting the final touches on the stage, adjusting our microphones to the height we needed.
“You ready to do this?” Kade asked as he came to stand beside me with a smirk on his face. He jutted his chin out and looked over my shoulder. “Oh, this is going to be fun.”
I turned my head and finally got a good look at the crowd. There had to be a few thousand people out there, bodies pulsing as they all crammed in as close to the stage as possible. Bodies swayed, people were bouncing beach balls across the crowd. I’d only seen crowds like this from televised concerts.
“Holy fuck,” I breathed, feeling my heart thunder in my chest.
I’d never played for this many people in my life. The past week, our tour stops had been packed full of fans, but the venues we played only held about a fifth of the people that were waiting at this festival to see Something Wicked. This event was big…huge.
“You’re on in three minutes,” a tech said as he walked toward us holding Aiden’s microphone.
“Thanks,” Aiden said from behind me. I hadn’t even heard him approach. When our eyes met, I saw the fire in his, and the pull was stronger than ever. His gaze roamed my body like he was taking stock of every inch. Like he was calculating the minutes until he could have me all to himself, and he looked hungry…very hungry.
Jude moved to my right and stretched, bending from side to side. Aiden wrapped his arms around us, pulling the band into a circle. We bowed our heads and let Aiden do his preshow ritual of reminding us that the show would not be a success unless we gave it our all and then some. As soon as we broke apart, the tech nodded and we walked up the stairs to the side of the stage. I strapped on my bass and took a deep breath.
It was time to work.
My feelings toward Aiden would have to wait.