Twice he popped by late at night when exhaustion hit just to kiss her before he headed home. She’d invited him in both times. But both times he’d been exhausted. He didn’t want their first time together to be a quick shag. So he let the building desire simmer.
But he had plans to solve this. And solve it soon.
Tonight they were gonna try out some of the new beats at Brek’s Bar. Small audience, good atmosphere, and Brek brought in extra security whenever Dimefront took his stage. Eventually the line outside would wrap around the block, but Brek kept the inside of the bar light on the Tens so the guys could get the feel of the music without insane distraction.
Becca and Courtney had agreed to swing by and pick up Ashley and Sam. Bring them in through the back and show ’em the break room Brek kept available for the band whenever they played. If shit got too intense on the floor, Sam could hang out there.
“Hans,” Tanner called the band manager over.
Hans was built as all hell—hitting the gym like a bodybuilder. The guy could be a bouncer if he wasn’t the manager of the band. He kept their shit tight. Knew everything about each of them and had a lock on his lips, so nothing accidentally slipped out.
“What’s the ETA?” Tanner asked.
“Any minute,” Hans said with a wink. He was totally team Sam, even though he’d yet to meet her.
The band worked through the initial sound check before Brek would open the doors.
“Sam never leaves. She’s always here, given the amount Tanx talks about her and talks to her. She’s got a permanent recliner in my brain,” Mach said, then he shook his head as though trying to remove her.
Tanner warmed up his hands doing some drumstick gymnastics—moving them from finger to finger like Val Kilmer in the original Top Gun. Tossing and catching them. The guys eventually stopped giving him shit about his pre-concert calisthenics because they couldn’t argue with the results.
Tanner tapped a beat on the snare, adding a hint of bass. “I had to sit and listen to each of you when Knox was losing his mind over Irina, and Bax waxed on about Courtney and how she hated him.”
“But not me with Becca,” Linx said, plugging in his bass guitar.
“Because you were in the middle of breaking up the band,” Bax said, bringing up history that really didn’t belong in the present.
Mach slipped a glance at Tanner, shaking his head because this could be a whole Pandora’s box.
“Wasn’t me who knocked up my sister.” Linx shrugged and lifted his eyebrows to Bax.
“I fucking hope not,” Mach said.
Just like that, Sam moved through the back of the bar and right into Tanner’s vision and he lost all threads of communication with his bandmates.
She stopped at the entrance, seemed to be soaking in the experience.
“She’s here,” Hans said, with a chin lift toward her.
“Got that.” Tanner jumped up from the stool and headed straight to her. He didn’t greet her with words, because they’d used up all the words this week.
He tilted her chin up and poured everything he’d missed about her into that kiss. Everything he’d wanted her to know.
In return, she gave it right back.
Which, he should note, he did not mind. Not one bit.
Eventually, they had to separate. Air was important to survival. Also, the doors would open soon, and he’d agreed to staying away, so no one had a Sami Jo sighting.
Brek’s Bar was owned by Dimefront’s former manager—Brek.
He’d handled Linx, Knox, and Bax through their breakout years before he found love and settled down in Denver with his wife and family. That’s why Dimefront picked Denver for their home base. Brek was the glue that held the band together for so long. He was the one who pushed them to give Mach and Tanner a shot.
In so many ways, hewasDimefront.
Brek reserved a booth for Ashley and Sam in the back for extra anonymity. There were no phones allowed at these sets. No cameras. Somehow Brek made that happen. The paparazzi lens didn’t make it into Brek’s Bar unless Brek wanted it to.
Things moved fast after that. The wives all took their usual booth up front. He couldn’t see Sam from the stage, but he knew she was there. Knew Brek and Hans had her in their sights, so she’d be okay.
