I’ve been losing myself in him since the night we met but this adds a touch of magic to something that’s already intense. And I’m trying really hard not to overthink it.
“Oh my God, they’re amazing!” I yell in Ryleigh’s ear.
She laughs. “They are. This is your first time seeing them live?”
I nod.
“Wait until Tate’s solo.”
And she’s right.
He’s magnificent.
So beautiful and talented and…sexy. The way he moves, the look on his face when he closes his eyes and just lets his fingers dance along the neck of the guitar. It’s truly something ethereal from my perspective. Like he doesn’t even think about it—it’s simply part of him. I know he works hard, practices a lot, but this is God-given talent. That’s the only way to describe something so insanely breathtaking.
And I can’t help but throw myself into his arms the moment he comes off stage.
He doesn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around me, kissing me deeply.
“Rock and roll turns you on, huh?” he teases.
I laugh. “Maybe a little. You were amazing. Truly. Like, this might be my favorite concert ever.”
“Better than Waylon?” he asks dryly.
I shrug. “Sadly, he passed away before I got a chance to see him live, so I’m going to go with yes.”
“I’ll take it.” He takes a towel from his guitar tech and then grabs my hand as we head for the dressing room.
“We’ve got some local music execs coming backstage,” Angus says once we’re tucked away in the small but comfortable dressing room. “So we’ll need to give them some attention.”
“No press here tonight,” Ryleigh says. “But there are also some radio people and I think there’s a contest winner.” She looks at something on her phone. “Yeah, someone named Sadie Waller. She won tickets and a backstage photo experience. Did Sasha send the merch we’re giving her?”
“Yeah, Mark has it.”
They talk around me for a bit and I hang back, letting them do their thing.
“Does the magic wear off?” I ask Kirsten.
She shakes her head. “Never. I’ve been in love with Sam since the first time I saw him play—and it only gets stronger.”
“How long have you been dating?”
“Just over a year. I was seventeen when we met, and he was twenty-two, so there was nothing going to happen until I turned eighteen. And even then, he made me wait months, to make sure it was what I wanted.”
“How are these guys so nice?” I demand. “Aren’t rock stars supposed to be jerks?”
She nods thoughtfully. “I think about that a lot. Like, Sam is so gentle and sweet and patient. Sometimes I wonder how he’s real.”
“Believe me, I spend a lot of time thinking the same things about Tate these days.”
“There are guys—musicians, rock stars, whatever—who are jerks. The band they were touring with? Karnal Death.” She shudders. “Absolutely horrible human beings. Well, most of them. Dusty’s okay. But the other guys? Terrible. It’s not my story to tell, but maybe Taryn will tell you about what she went through with Callum.”
“So this band is an anomaly?”
“Not an anomaly because believe me—they party hard. Jonny is probably the biggest man whore, but he owns it. And he’s single. He’s allowed. Just like Sam was allowed while I was busy becoming legal.”
We chuckle.
