CHAPTER 54
Lex
When the crew shuffled off to dinner, I stayed behind to have a moment alone. I sat on the stage, my feet hanging over the edge and my eyes sweeping the open-air venue. Whispers of the night broke through the surrounding air. The main theater lights were off, but there was enough illumination from the perimeter to give me a faint view of it all. Adrenaline still soared through my veins from earlier, and I could only imagine how intense that same feeling would be in front of a real audience.
Seven thousand. That was the seating capacity of Zappos at Planet Hollywood. That was how many people would be watching when I performed Reggie’s routine on opening night—and every night afterward. Chills rushed over me. I let out a breath and smiled as I shook my head in amazement. It was all so surreal.
“Psst.” The sound came from behind me. I swiveled my head to see who was trying to get my attention, but no one was there. A familiar chuckle came next, and I smiled. I couldn’t see him, but I knew it was Theo calling to me from the wings, stage right.
“C’mere.” His voice broke through the steady Vegas noise. With bars and casinos open twenty-four seven, there wasn’t a dead hour of night.
I stood and adjusted my spandex shorts and long gray shirt. Then I made my way toward the noise, past the black show curtain, past the wood crates and massive walls of cords and switches, until I reached a cluttered space where all the props were stored. Pushed against the back wall was a giant hamster wheel Reggie would be dancing in during the song “Catch Me If You Can.” There was a box made entirely of mirrors that Winter would be walking in and out of it with a costume change for her “Black Magic” number. Tons of shelving held a variety of accessories for the rest of us—glasses, canes, hats, and more.
An arm shot out from the dark, and my breath caught in my throat before I could scream. I felt myself yanked off balance until I was falling into a man whose scent had become my home. I giggled and buried my face in his chest. “What are you doing?”
I felt him lean down, his lips just a breath from mine as he slid a hand over my ass and gripped it. Chills burst from my skin, and heat pooled between my legs. “I can’t stop thinking about your hot mouth on my cock.”
“Shh,” I whispered and narrowed my eyes. Even in dim light, he could see me as well as I could see him. He smiled. “Anyone could see us right now,” I reminded him.
He wrinkled his nose and looked around. “Not a fucking person here, babe.” He pulled me closer and leaned in again. “I couldn’t wait until after dinner. I just wanted one of these.” He pressed his lips to mine. The kiss was soft and slow as his mouth parted mine, and my head swirled at the feel of his warm tongue darting between my teeth. I curled into him, melting with each second. His palms moved from my ass to my back, and his thumbs made circle patterns against me. It was the perfect kiss.
He pulled away but didn’t let me go. Thank God. I might not have been able to support my own weight. Not with my head spinning and my heart pounding like crazy. “You were a fucking rock star today, you know that?”
I bit my lip, feeling the giant smile that was about to blossom on my face. “It felt … incredible, Theo. If it felt that good today, I can’t even imagine a live show.”
“It’ll be a thousand times what you felt today. With the crowd feeding you their energy with their excitement and screams. When I’m up on that stage, dancing is the closest thing I’ve ever felt to flying.”
“I can’t wait.” I beamed and leaned in for another kiss. Then I pulled back, remembering something. “What was that about between you and Reggie today?”
Theo’s eyes flitted away, as if he wanted to roll them but didn’t. “He was just being Reggie. Nothing to worry about.”
I wasn’t sure I believed him. Their exchange looked heated, but I wasn’t able to make out anything. “Okay,” I finally said, letting the subject go. “But now we really need to get out of here.”
He nodded and kept his eyes on me as I backed away. “You’re coming to our room tonight?”
I bit my lip as I considered my plans. “Yeah, I’ll figure something out. Maybe I’ll finally have that talk with Amie.”