“Look, it’s your calling card, fire boy.” August snorted, his eyes crinkling with amusement. “Were you ready to dash off for an extinguisher?”
“Shut up,” I muttered, the sound muffled with my palms on my face. Clearly, I’d been working as a firefighter for too long. But seriously, shouting fire in a venue wasn’t the smartest plan.
My brain whirred. Wait, maybe we could work that into a bit.
If I could even convince them to do thefundraiser show.
The first song kicked off, fast-paced and fun. I found my foot tapping instinctively. I’d checked out their music online ahead of time, and they had a pretty wide range between punk and alt rock. Plus, they were ridiculously talented.
August craned forward. “Is that Ethan?”
“What?” I asked, scanning the stage. The band had a lot of energy, everyone in motion, and the crowd reacted in turn. It was such a dynamic shift between the last act and this one, and I couldn’t help but notice.
“The vocalist,” August said. “I’m pretty sure that’s Ethan.”
“That an ex?” I asked. The guy singing was the quintessential scene guy—black gauges, dark hair, guyliner. Definitely attractive, but he didn’t hold a candle to August. No one had captured my attention like him in a long, long while.
“Nah, a client,” he said, his elbow brushing against mine. The thrill that rippled through me from the mere touch was incendiary. All too easily I could imagine finding a dark corner, a bathroom stall, and crowding him up against it, fucking him until he was babbling. Except something about our last encounter had struck a spark within me, and this fantasy had burned through my brain until it was all I could think about.
And if he came home with me tonight, we’d have the chance to fulfill it.
His words broke through the haze of lust that descended. “Wait, a client of yours? Like you could get me in contact with him?” I asked, then realized how that sounded. “Unless that crosses some lines.”
August shook his head, his blond strands moving with the motion. “Nah, he’s always asking about gigs. These guys would be a great fit for your fundraiser.”
My heart thumped hard. There was an ease to August that I craved, like the languid waves rolling to the shore, so different from the adrenaline I normally chased. He lured me in, like a tether to stop a free fall, and I couldn’t help but text him, make plans, touch him, kiss him. Fuck.
Standing next to him and not having my hands all over him was driving me insane. I wanted to touch him constantly, just to get the feedback loop of electricity that existed between us.
“Yeah, if we could book these guys, I could guaranteed bring in some money to fix up the kitchen.”
August wrinkled his nose. “I think he’s in my book tomorrow. Want me to ask?”
I swallowed hard, trying to tamp down my excitement. Everything about August ticked my boxes—his goofy sense of humor, his insane talent, his calm energy. Two concerts in and we’d wandered far outside of hookup territory.
And I didn’t hate it, even though I should.
“Shit, if you don’t mind,” I said, clutching my nape. The lights flashed as Spring Fires ended their first song, and I let out a holler in appreciation. The crowd lit up with shouts and applause, but the band didn’t even hesitate before launching into their next song.
I inched closer to him, so our shoulders bumped.
August glanced my way, and his breath hitched. Fuck. The urge to kiss him again rose something fierce, but I’d come here to check this band out, not to make out with a hottie.
“What are you doing after the show?” I asked, hedging my bets.
August’s eyes grew a little more intense. “I’m free.”
“Want to come over?” I asked. The tension percolated in the air between us, thick and pervasive. He licked his lips, the light gloss there entrancing.
“Only if I can crash at yours,” he said, an impish grin on his lips.
I couldn’t help the smile that rolled to my lips. “Like I’d let you out of my bed.”
Chapter eleven
August
Irolled up in front of Drake’s house, a pale colonial with a dark roof. It cut a pretty figure on the street, even this late at night. My pulse thrummed, and not from the excellent show I’d just seen. Ethan had been talking about his band for a while now, and I’d always meant to get out to see them. Just so happened I got to on this not-date.
