Relief floods me, loosening the knot in my chest. I rub a hand over the back of my neck, trying to mask how her answer makes my heart feel like it’s skipping beats.
“Good,” I murmur, my voice warmer than I intended, betraying more than I should. Because, truth is, I’m more than okay too—my pulse is still racing, skin tingling everywhere she touched.
She glances at the rumpled cushions behind us, the corner of her mouth curving in a faintly embarrassed smile. “Guess we, uh… left our mark.”
I follow her gaze and can’t help grinning at the sight of pillows toppled in every direction. “Just breaking it in,” I say, stepping closer to brush an imaginary piece of lint off her sleeve. “Why have a nest if we aren’t going to test it out?”
Her cheeks warm, and she bites her lower lip, eyes flicking from the cushions back to me. “I think it’s sufficient, what do you think?”
“We could stay here and I could show you what I think,” I say suggestively with a flirty wink.
She snorts. “Point taken, but if we did, you wouldn’t make it to the show tonight.”
“Do they need a drummer?” The smile that spreads across her face tells me everything I want to know. I gather her up in my arms again, pulling her close. Then press my lips to hers, before trailing down her neck with little feathery kisses, until she lets out a breathy laugh. I let her go and step back, taking in her happiness. This is how I like her. Smiling with that light in her eyes, just for me.
A beat passes. Her smile slips a tiny bit as she glances toward the door. “We should probably see what the others are up to.”
I raise my eyebrows, letting my hand slide away from her. “If you think we really have too.”
She laughs, the sound low and affectionate, and my stomach does that little flip again. “For now.”
“Mmmm, I like the sound of that.”
She grins, a flicker of humor lighting her eyes. “I’m sure you do.”
For a second, we just stand there, a silent acknowledgment passing between us of how things have shifted. Something deeper, something neither of us wants to back away from just yet.
Finally, she inhales, a playful glint returning to her gaze. “Let’s go, hotshot. Before I decide that Primal Pulse will be missing their drummer tonight for real.”
My grin spreads, and I gesture for her to lead the way. “Wouldn’t blame you,” I say, voice trailing off suggestively.
She shakes her head with mock exasperation, but her cheeks stay warm and pink as she heads for the door. With one last glance over the cushioned chaos behind us, I follow, heart thudding with a mixture of anticipation and excitement.
Because if this is what “more than okay” feels like, I’m all in.
CHAPTER 45
Ashlyn
I still can’t believeI’m doing this. Thatthisis real. No one is faking touches or kisses anymore—we’re not putting on a show for the cameras. The paparazzi keep snapping photos, shouting questions in every direction, but the reason I melt into Jake’s arm right now is because Iwantto. Because it feels natural.
His arm wraps around my waist effortlessly, guiding me through the chaos of flashing lights and shouted inquiries.
“Over here!”
“Will you be making it official?”
“Ashlyn, it’s a big step being on tour with them—what about your job?”
They’d be shocked to know thatthisismy job right now. Not that it feels that way. We slip past the crowd, ignoring the rest of the questions, and duck into the backstage entrance of tonight’s venue. The second the door clicks shut behind us, the roar of the paparazzi fades into a distant echo.
Jake drops his arm, but before I can miss his warmth, West quietly appears at my side, handing me a bottle of water. “You doing okay?” he asks, voice low and concerned.
I take a sip, nodding. “Yeah. Thanks.”
Xayden’s already halfway down the hallway, jokingly lamenting that the drum kit won’t set itself up, and Todd trails behind him, clearly amused. There’s a comfortable ease among the four of them that tugs at something deep in my chest—like we’ve found a rhythm again, one that includes me in all the ways I used to dream about.
We gather in the green room, a surprisingly cozy space with worn couches and the typical spread of snacks. Xayden, true to his word, vanishes to check on his drums, while Jake and Todd huddle over some last-minute changes in the setlist. West stands by the window, tuning his guitar with quiet focus.
