I stared, transfixed, as Darkest Days took their places on stage.

August Summers sat at the drums near the back and to the side. His platinum blond hair lit up like a halo in the stage spotlights. His eyes, like chips of ice, were intense and focused. He twirled the drumsticks between his fingers in complicated patterns. It didn't seem like his injury was bothering him at all.

Damon and Ian Drake situated themselves in the middle of the stage. They shared the same mischievous grins with equally glimmering green eyes. With their guitars slung over their shoulders, they ran their hands up in down the fret boards in identical motions, feeling the strings, getting ready.

Cameron Thorne had his bass slung slow around his hips. His bright red hair seemed to sparkle, as if he'd tossed a handful of glitter over the strands, and his blue eyes were rimmed with thick kohl. He was already playing to the audience, winking, strutting and slapping hands as they reached out from the pit, a wicked smirk on his face.

Noah Hart stood front and center, his dark eyes narrowed and heated. He caressed the microphone stand up and down in a sensual motion, imitating the motion of his fingers trailing along a woman's soft skin. He didn't speak, just stared out at the audience, scanning the crowd slowly, as if making eye with each and every fan.

August hit the drums. Damon and Ian let loose on their respective guitars, leaning back to back as they played. Cameron thumbed the bass, sending reverberation through my chest. Noah let out a long, low wail.

The audience roared in approval.

The Darkest Days concert had begun.

I watched, mesmerized, as the band performed.

Damon jumped to the side of the stage, playing at the edge near grabby fangirl hands. He slid down to his knees, hips canted forward as he shredded wildly. The screaming and shrieking increased to a fever-pitch. He pulled on the whammy bar one last time, jumped to his feet and went back to his place next to Ian, leaving mourning fans in his wake.

It was only when my lungs began to burn that I realized I hadn't breathed in minutes.

Damon really was a rock and roll sex god.

The other bandmates girlfriends' were also backstage, having come to their latest concert to support them. Cassie wore a look of pride. Jen and Lily were both in awe, with just a hint of lust in their eyes as they stared at their boyfriends.

I prayed to god I didn't have that same besotted look on my face.

I saw my sister staring at me, a teasing smile playing on her lips.

Shit. I was just as besotted, wasn't I?

Well. If I had to be besotted, I supposed I couldn't have chosen a better man to swoon over than Damon Drake, genius, sexy guitarist of Darkest Days.

The band only played a few more songs, as was appropriate for an encore. They left the stage, leaving a roaring and cheering crowd behind.

Damon pushed his way through the curtain. Sweat dripped from his forehead, turning the strands of his hair a dark chocolate as they stuck to his flushed cheeks. His eyes sparkled brightly. He grinned as he and his brother fist bumped each other.

I couldn't hold back any longer. With three long strides I rushed over and threw my arms around the man I loved.

Damon caught me around the waist with one hand, the other still holding his guitar.

"You're so hot on stage," I murmured in his ear. "I just want to lick every drop of sweat from your naked skin."

Damon's eyes turned wicked. "I thought you didn't do make-outs at work."

"Technically Kat's still in charge," I pointed out.

Damon's eyes narrowed with heat. He leaned in for a kiss. I met his lips with a fever. I didn't care who was watching.

"You're even worse than Cameron and Lily," said a voice from behind me.

I jumped back out of Damon's arms. Noah stood a few feet away, mouth twisted into a grimace. The rest of the band and their girlfriends were behind him, including the aforementioned little sister and bassist.

"What's with the audience?" Damon asked.

"We all wanted to thank Faith." August stepped forward his arm around Cassie. "Although this is Damon's event, we're all grateful to Faith for putting it together." August shot the others a wry smile. "I think I speak for most of us when I say we're not exactly the most well-adjusted crowd."

Ian snorted. "Tell me about it."

"Understatement," Noah murmured.

"Being able to help these kids really means a lot to us," Cameron continued. "When you think of some of the shit we've deal with…" he gave the group of them a rueful look. "Giving back just means a lot to us."

"Thank you," Noah said with a quick nod.

A lump formed in my throat. I'd been thanked for planning events before, but never with so much heart, and never for such an important cause. I squeezed Damon's hand.

"It was my pleasure," I told them.

"It was also great to have a reason to get back on stage," August said. "I think the others would have coddled me for the next three years if it weren't for this event."

"I'm still not one hundred percent happy about that. But you were awesome out there." Cameron shrugged. "So I stand corrected."

"What's next after this?" I asked. "Back on the road?"

"Unfortunately not," Cassie said, mournfully. "Although I'd love to continue photographing them on tour, that's done for now."

"You've got your own photography business," August pointed out. "You don't need to be stuck on a cramped tour bus with a bunch of unruly assholes anymore."

"Maybe I've grown found of unruly assholes," she said playfully. "After all, I dealt with your cranky ass while you whined your way through physical therapy, didn't I?"

"I didn't whine," August said. "I merely pointed out that certain exercises were completely unnecessary for my recovery."

"He thought he knew better than his doctor and his therapists and everyone else," Cassie fake-whispered.

"I usually do know better than everyone else," August said archly.

"But you're fine now?" I asked.

"I'm in even better shape than before," he replied.

I still hadn't learned the details of August's injury, but I was happy on Damon's behalf that his friend was okay now.

"So if you're not going on tour, what are you guys going to do?" I asked.

"We're going back into the recording studio soon," Jen said.

"We?" I asked.

She nodded happily. "Noah and I are working on some songs together. I'm also going to be playing some background instruments on the album."

Noah tucked her against his side. "Jen's one of the best. A real musical genius." He looked down at her with a smile, dark gaze soft and loving. She returned the look with equally loving eyes.

"I think the true artistic genius is Lily," Cameron declared. "She's been hired by the label to design our album cover."

"I've been offered a chance by the label," she corrected him with a hand on his chest. "They still need to approve my initial concepts."

"They'll approve them," he said with absolute confidence, puffing his chest out with pride. "Everything you create is brilliant."

She laughed up at him, eyes shining. "It's a good thing you think that, considering you've covered half your body in my art."

"Six tattoos!" he protested. "I get six new tattoos and all of a sudden it's all, why are you so obsessed Cam? and, don't you think one lily tattoo is enough, Cam?"

"I think Cameron is competing with my brother," Lily said with a glowing smile. "They both want to be the one covered in the most Lily-designed ink."

Noah and Cameron both threw glares at each other and began counting tattoos. Jen and Lily shared an amused, indulgent smile.

"So if the guys are working on another album, you're going to be pretty busy at the label, aren't you?" I asked my sister.

"Not so busy I can't spend some time with my family." She beamed up at Ian. "Dad said he would love to have dinner with all four of us when he's out of the hospital."

"All four of you?" Cassie giggled. "So you're really going to do the twins-dating-twins thing?"

"Hell yeah we are," Damon said loudly, as if announcing it to the world. He snatched me into his arms and pulled me in for a kiss in front of everyone, not caring who saw.

I kissed back, not caring either.

I was in love with Damon Drake. Damon was in love with me.

It was terrifying.

It was thrilling.

Every moment spent with him made the earth fall out from beneath my feet.

With his lips on mine and his arms around my waist, I knew Damon would always be there to catch me.

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