My thumb slipped, sharp nail jabbing into skin.
"You've done well for yourself," he continued. "A professional recording contract? Impressive."
I inhaled sharply. "You know about that?"
"Of course," he said, amused. "An indie band shows up on the scene called Cherry Lips and you think I wouldn't take notice?"
"I didn't think I'd made that much of an impression on you," I said.
"You did."
My heart reacted the same way it had years ago.
It fluttered.
Back then, that flutter had been the first time I'd felt anything in a long time.
This moment was only the second time. I'd never felt it since.
But the feeling wasn't unfamiliar — just long forgotten. I'd had those feelings when I was younger. Much younger.
Back when I didn't know any better.
Someone bumped into me from behind. Liam put his arm around my waist, steadying me. The heat of his palm pressed against the small of my back even through my black lace shirt.
Despite my better instincts, I allowed his arm to stay around my waist. I even let myself lean into him. He tightened his grip, hugging me to his side.
"So tell me about that contract," Liam said. "That's a pretty big deal."
"We really scored with that one," I nodded. "But I always knew Cherry Lips would make it."
"Did you?" he asked, amused.
"It's my band," I said. "I'm the driving force behind it all. I won't settle for anything less than world domination."
"Sounds like you've got big dreams," he said.
"They're not just dreams," I said confidently. "I'm going to make it happen. We're already well on our way with our new album and tour."
"You're going on tour?" Liam asked. "That's a big push for a new band."
"Well," I hedged. "It's a local tour. Only cities within a few hours drive. And only for a few weeks." I straightened my back. "But if this goes well, I don't see any reason why they won't sign us on for a second album. That's why tonight's performance is so important to me. It's our first headliner since we went pro. This is the first night we play our new songs in front of a live audience. We're going to blow everyone away."
The amused smile on Liam's face could have been considered condescending, but the glint in his eyes told me something different. He liked that I was boasting. He liked that I was confident.
He bent forward, putting his mouth to my ear so I could hear him over the noise of the club.
"I'm proud of you," he said. "You're really strong up there."
I took in a slow, shaky breath. Not because of lips brushing my skin. Not because of a hand wandering from my back to my hip. I was enjoying the physical sensations, yes, but that wasn't the reason I was so taken aback.
It was the words that were important.
Liam Knight thought I was strong.
The faintest sensation of tears threatened to burn the back of my eyes. I refused to let them fall. I refused to let him know how much those words meant to me.
It shouldn't have affected me that much. I was Cerise Moreau. I was the co-founder and lead singer of up-and-coming, soon-to-be hit rock band Cherry Lips. I was a fucking rock star.
