Page 176 of Lyric & the Heartbeats

“It’s been a while since I’ve performed solo, but, well… I’ve got a pretty damned good reason tonight. Princess, this one’s for you.”

Lyric’s cheeks heated even more than they already were, and she ignored Henry’s knowing smile as Emerson began to sing.

His voice drifted through the arena, and much like the first time she even saw him perform, he put her under a spell. Her gaze hardly left him, and she could tell from the atmosphere that she wasn’t the only one he’d weaved into the magic. The crowd was in awe, and Lyric felt a lump form in her throat that she tried to wash away with the water.

It didn’t work.

Her eyes burned as she listened to the lyrics, a song about first chances and failures, second chances and hope.

She didn’t let a tear fall, but when Javi’s hand bumped into hers, she gripped tight and held on for dear life as Emerson made her heart feel so full she didn’t know what to do with all the emotion.

The outlet came in the form of Emerson himself when he stepped off stage. The others vacated, and a second later Desi’s voice echoed around the venue, distracting the crowd to give them a moment.

Fuckers. Planning this sweet shit. How dare they?

Lyric threw her arms around Emerson, burying her face in his shirt and breathing in his scent, fresh rain that sprinkled around her.

“That was amazing,” she praised, standing on tiptoes to speak in his ear.

“You’ve seen me perform before,” he murmured. His cheeks were burning pink, and not just from the exertion of singing.

Lyric grinned up at him. “Yeah, but not for me.”

Smiling sheepishly, Emerson shrugged and leaned down, one hand framing her shoulder. As his lips met hers, his thumb stroked over her collarbone… right over their bond mark. Chills spread over her body, a rush of warmth following that went right to her core.

She swayed toward the alpha, and when he pulled his lips from hers, a smug smile was left in place.

“Fuckin’ alphas,” she muttered, reaching up for another kiss.

His grin only grew as he lifted his hand from her collarbone, stroking the knuckles of his fingers across her cheek. In his gaze was nothing but adoration, and Lyric felt her cheeks flush.

“Let’s get back out there. Desi is tired of stalling,” Emerson said.

“Okay,” Lyric agreed absently, because her mind was still foggy with everything Emerson.

She snapped out of it by the time the beat of the music was fed through her in-ears, but the way her chest felt funny, with still new emotions fluttering through her, persisted through the night.

When she stepped off stage, Javi was waiting for her, and she smiled at his return and let him lead her to the bus.

They stopped short once she saw the collection waiting on the couch.

“What’s that?” she asked, referring to the goodies. As she drew closer, pulled in by the scent of honey and lavender, Nohen’s voice followed.

“I know we don’t have a tub on the bus, but I figured you could use them tonight since it’s our last hotel night.”

Lyric reached for one of the bath bombs, inhaling the sweet mixture of scents with a smile. “These smell amazing. Does this mean you’re going to share them with me?” she asked with a smug grin.

But Nohen’s brow dipped. “They’re for you, there’s no sharing with me.”

Lyric giggled. “I was hitting on you, dummy. You’re supposed to say yes.”

Nohen’s cheeks heated. “Ohhh. Then yes, I’m happy to share.”

“Thank you,” she said, getting to her feet and pulling him close for a kiss. “You’re so sweet.”

“Only the best for the best,” he murmured against her lips.

And it was the best. They parted ways for the evening as they checked into their hotel rooms, and a few hours later, Lyric came out of the bath smelling fresh and scented and feeling oh so relaxed. At least until she heard the hushed voices outside her door.