We’d been home all of thirty seconds when the buzzer sounded.

Hannah was the closest to the intercom.

“Hello?” she answered through the speaker on the wall.

“Yes, hello, I have a delivery here for a Miss Watson?”

“Come on up,” Hannah replied, holding down the release buzzer for the front door of the building.

She looked expectantly at me.

I shrugged. “I got that last shipment of makeup… I haven’t ordered anything else.”

My phone dinged in my bag at the same time the knock came at the door.

“Be me,” I told Hannah as I rummaged in my oversized bag for my phone.

I heard Hannah making small talk with the delivery guy and then the door shut.

I finally located my phone along with the kitchen sink and hurriedly checked it.

The message was from Parker, and just the sight of his name made my heart flutter.

“Going in for sound check… I’ve been thinking about you all day. Please come? I’m going crazy without you, legs.”

I frowned at the screen. “Come to what?” I thought aloud.

Hannah’s squeal stole my attention. “His fucking concert, baby!” she shrieked.

I spun around to face her. She’d ripped open the box and was bouncing up and down holding some sort of pass on a long cord.

“You’re shitting me.” I gaped as I made a beeline for her and what she was holding.

“Nope!” she shrieked again, cuddling the piece of plastic to her chest like it was her most prized possession. “Side stage… V.I.P. passes.” She swooned.

I reached for the pass that Hannah didn’t have in a death grip and stroked the silky plastic.

Oh, he’s good.

I grinned to myself. “Very slick, Mr. Sloan,” I muttered under my breath as I caught sight of a note that Hannah had obviously overlooked in her excitement.

I unfolded it and the sight of the manly script did strange things to my belly. I could almost imagine Parker, leaning over, pad resting on his knee, his calloused hands scrawling away.

“Charlotte,

I’m sorry I couldn’t get these to you myself, but you have them now.

I want you to come and watch me perform, babe… hell; I’m dying to see you standing on the side of that stage.

J will look out for you.

There’s a car coming for you at six.

– P”

My mouth fell open and I thrust the note towards Han.

I rushed across the room and swiped my phone off the hall table.

I messaged him as fast as I could.

“I can’t believe you did that… thank you, I can’t wait to see you sing.”

His reply was almost instantaneous.

“It’s nothing. But I do have a few surprises for you tonight...”

I grinned like crazy reading his reply. The little dots appeared at the bottom of the screen and I waited to see what else he might say.

“Fuck… I gotta go. See you at the show, legs x”

I was elated. At the risk of sounding a bit like a fan girl, I was so pumped to see Parker perform live. He was an amazing singer, and I knew the magnetism he possessed would make for an electric performance.

“I don’t think I’ve ever loved you as much as I love you right now.” Hannah’s voice pulled me from thoughts of Parker on stage.

I laughed at her, she was practically radiating delight.

“A Parker Sloan concert,” she squeaked.

“Down girl,” I warned her. “We can’t have you humping anyone’s leg.”

She threw a wadded-up bit of paper at me. “I make no promises.”

I shook my head and laughed. Thanks to Parker, this was definitely going to be a night to remember.

 

 

“You ladies can watch from right here.” Jasper gestured to the most prime location this place had. We were side of stage and the view of Parker would be completely unobstructed.

“Thanks, Jasper, we really appreciate the tour,” I told him with a smile. Hannah had appreciated the tour a little more than me, but still, I’d loved every minute of seeing where the magic happened.

The only place we didn’t go was into Parker or the band’s dressing rooms. Part of me was disappointed, but the other part of me was content with the slow burn of desire building within me. I had a feeling that seeing him up on that stage was going to send me into overdrive.

“Pleasure,” Jasper drawled in a thick, fake southern accent and tipped an invisible hat in our direction. “And Park would kick my ass if I didn’t give you two the royal treatment,” he added with a cheeky smirk.

He was dead on about the royal treatment.

Parker hadn’t been kidding when he said a car would pick us up at six. Six on the dot, the buzzer had sounded and a dapper-looking gentleman had appeared at our door.

A glossy black limo had been waiting for us outside and Hannah had nearly lost her shit, she was so excited.

I’d assumed we were going straight to the venue, but I’d been mistaken. A note from Parker sat inside the car, a single red rose with it.

“Hey baby,

I’m impressed you got in this car willingly, wasn’t so easy the last time.

Dinner’s on me.

Eat, drink, relax…

I’ll see you soon.

– P”

I’d snorted out a very unladylike laugh at the memory he was referring to.

We were treated to a dinner at the most exclusive and expensive restaurant in town. We had wait staff at our beck and call, and nothing was off limits. Our waiter had even been instructed by Mr. Sloan himself that we were to have nothing but the very best.

I felt like a princess.

Two bodyguards had escorted us from the car, into the back entrance of the venue, and we’d been informed that they would be our shadows for the night.

I’d let out a disbelieving laugh, but Jasper hadn’t thought it was too funny.

“I swear to god, Charlotte, I can’t deal with him right now, I know damn well you don’t need a shadow to go take a piss, but try telling him that,” Jasper had told me, utter exasperation on his face.

I’d held up my fingers in scouts honour and promised not to give hulk one and two the slip.

Parker must have been one scary bastard when he wanted to be, because the look of relief on Jasper’s face was palpable.

And then, here we were. In a position hundreds of thousands of women, and probably a hell of a lot of men, would kill to be in.

The noise of the crowd drew me in and I couldn’t resist any longer. I peeked out of the alcove and gasped at the sight in front of me. There were more people out there than I’d ever seen in one place. My eyes bulged.

How the hell does he deal with that?

“What happens now?” Hannah asked Jasper excitedly.

I pulled back away from the madness in front of me.

Jasper flicked his wrist to check the time. “In about… two minutes, I’ll go out there and introduce your boy.” He winked at me as he said the last part and I felt myself blush slightly.

Parker’s not mine… is he?

My mind spun with the possibilities.

Jasper carried on, oblivious to my brain explosion. “He’s got the band up there with him tonight, so he’ll work the crowd, introduce the guys, and then smash the shit out of those tunes we all love so much.”

I giggled. Jasper was a funny guy. A bit quirky… incredibly chilled… I liked him. I could see us being friends, given the chance. I could also see him and Hannah being a problem. I didn’t miss the little looks he was shooting her every few minutes.

I got it.

Totally got it.

Hannah was a knockout. She’d taken my advice and calmed the hell down with her outfit choices. Tonight, she’d gone with a pair of black skinny jeans that were so tight they looked like they were painted on, sky-high black heels and a white spaghetti-strap camisole. Her hair was styled into a sleek bob, and her makeup was smoky and seductive.

She looked smoking hot. Jasper would have to be blind not to notice.

I already had the two of them pinned as a one-night stand ending in disaster.

But hell, what do I know…

I glanced around the stage again. There were crew members, dressed all in black, darting around all over the place. They moved like a well-oiled machine.

“Mikey!” Jasper called to one of them. “Sort that fuckin’ loose cable out man, you break Park’s neck and I’ll have to kill you.”

The man quickly complied. I hadn’t even noticed the hazard. Jasper was obviously not as blasé and oblivious as he liked to make out. He barked out a few more orders about things I never would have even considered an issue.

I was impressed.

I was about to tell him as much, when I felt eyes on me.

Parker…

I turned to search for him, but came up empty. Parker was there somewhere though, I just knew it.

Jasper clapped his hands together loudly, causing me to jump slightly. “Show time, ladies.”

And just like that, he sauntered out onto the stage, the light following him as though it was some perfectly synchronized routine.

I guess it is...

The noise that followed was deafening. I couldn’t even imagine how loud it would be when the crowd caught sight of Parker.

“Good evening, beautiful people,” Jasper drawled into the mic in the centre of the stage. “How we all doing tonight?”

The crowd screamed and yelled until they all blended into one.

“Holy hell,” Hannah muttered in my ear.

I nodded in agreement.

“I’m gonna get me a piece of that fine ass, if it’s the last thing I do,” she half yelled, so I could hear over the roar of the crowd – her eyes fixed firmly on Jasper.

Called it…. totally called it.

I shot her a look of indifference.

If Han wanted to get it on with Jasper, chances are, she would. Hannah was a girl who got what she wanted ninety percent of the time.

The crowd had begun chanting Parker’s name, at the request of Jasper.

“Alright, alright.” Jasper chuckled. “Here he is… ladies and gents… Paaarrrrkeeeerr Slllloooooaaannn.” He drew out his name like a boxing announcer does and I couldn’t help the goosebumps that broke out over my skin.

Parker stepped out onto the stage, black jeans, white singlet and his guitar slung over his back. His hair was dishevelled, like he’d been running his hand through it, and I’d never seen someone look so utterly appealing. It took everything I had in me not to run out onto that stage and lick him all over.

“Parker!” a woman screamed so loud it made me cringe.

“Parker Sloan.” Hannah shook her head with a look of disbelief.

“Rock star,” I breathed.

He turned as though he’d heard me, and shot me the most breath-taking smile I’d ever received.

I nearly staggered backwards.

He’s so beautiful.

I don’t know how I hadn’t seen it before. This man was perfection. Pure sex and sin rolled into a delicious package.

I must have been doing a terrible job of keeping my thoughts off my face, because he shot me a knowing smirk before turning his attention back to the crowd, bumping fists with Jasper and stepping up to the mic.

The rest was a blur. I had no clue what song he sang first, or what the drummer’s name was. I couldn’t tell you if I sang along, or just stood with my mouth hanging open.

Watching that man sing was like foreplay. I wanted him so badly I couldn’t even focus.

But even I didn’t miss when he switched things up.