No, he still had to talk to Nik. Had to tell him how much he’d missed him and how he didn’t want to make Baseline Sins music without him. Tell him how much he needed him.
And then he realized Greg and Sabrina were there, standing off to the side, out of the way of the crew who were breaking down the equipment.
Greg had a huge grin on his face as he glanced at Johnny and Mac, and Baz remembered how he and Greg had spent an afternoon discussing Silence Divided music and how much Greg loved it.
He wanted to introduce Greg to them, wanted Sabrina to meet them and Dana. And he wanted Nik by his side, where he’d been since they were ten.
Looking around, he spotted Nik heading for the bathroom. After a quick look at Tru, he headed there, too.
He found Nik standing with his hands braced on the sink, head down, just breathing.
Shit. “Hey, you okay?”
Nik didn’t say anything at first, just kept his head down.
A few seconds later, before panic could start to rear up again in Baz’s chest, Nik lifted his head and looked into the mirror and into Baz’s eyes.
“It’s been a long time.”
“I know.”
“I’d almost forgotten what it felt like, you know? That rush.”
Baz shook his head. “I’m sor—”
“No.” Nik shook his head. “Just . . . don’t. Just stop apologizing, okay? I’m not asking for any more apologies. I realized tonight I should probably be making some of my own.” Turning to face Baz, Nik leaned back against the sink, arms crossed over his chest, intense blue eyes latched onto Baz’s. “I wasn’t fucking there when you needed me, was I? I left you hanging in the wind, even after I found out you nearly died. And that just made me even more pissed off.”
“Yeah, I kinda got that feeling the last time we talked.”
Nik dropped his head for several seconds. “I fucking suck as a friend.”
“No, Nik, we—”
“I came tonight because I knew you’d be here, and I couldn’t figure out what to say to you. I just needed to see you. And say I’m sorry.”
The self-loathing Baz saw in Nik’s eyes took him by surprise. Baz hadn’t seen that look in years. He’d thought Nik had gotten over that shit, left it behind like he’d left his childhood home and the abusive dick his mom had married who’d made Nik’s teen years a living hell.
“Nik. We’ll get through this.”
Pushing away from the sink, Nik walked straight up to Baz, put his hand on the side of Baz’s head and wove his fingers through the short hair.
The affection with which he did it wasn’t shocking. They’d never had hang-ups about touching. Hell, they’d slept in the same damn bed more times than not those first few years on tour when money was tight and they couldn’t afford more than one room for the five of them.
But when Nik leaned in and kissed him . . . That shocked the ever-living hell out of Baz.
Because this wasn’t a friendly kiss.
Nik kissed him like he wanted to make Baz kiss him back. Pressed their lips together hard, Nik’s scruffy chin rubbing against Baz’s, a sensation that made every nerve ending in his body snap to attention.
Holy fuck.
Stunned, Baz grabbed Nik’s shoulders but he didn’t push him away and he didn’t pull him closer. Jesus, he could barely breathe. Nik’s lips felt soft against his, softer than Baz ever would’ve expected a man’s lips to feel.
Then Nik stepped away, released Baz completely and stared straight in his eyes.
“We need to talk but it can wait until tomorrow. I’ll call you around noon. Maybe we can meet for lunch.”
Then he walked past Baz and out the door.
* * *
Talking with Johnny and Greg, who was fangirling all over Johnny, Tru saw Nik leave the bathroom and waited for Baz to make an appearance. The guys hadn’t been in there long enough for her to get worried that they were having a fight and Nik didn’t look any worse for wear when he left.
Baz didn’t immediately follow but she wasn’t about to barge into the bathroom to make sure he was okay. And when he finally emerged thirty seconds later, he looked a little stunned but not upset.
Looking around, he stopped when he found her and made his way to her side immediately, putting his arm around her shoulders and gripping her tight, as if he thought she might try to get away.
“I was just telling Johnny how much I love their music.” Greg nodded in Baz’s direction. “You know I love you, but Johnny and Mac have been part of my life much longer than you have.”
Sebastian smiled but she could tell it was forced. “I don’t blame you. I know exactly what you mean.”
“You sounded great tonight.” Johnny slapped Sebastian on the shoulder. “So did Nik.”
“Yeah, Nik sounded great. But then, he always does.”
“So what’d you think, Tru?”
She felt Sebastian turn to look at her and she smiled up at him. “He’s amazing but I already knew that. You wouldn’t have hired him if he wasn’t.”
His smile seemed a little more natural now and the look in his eyes promised all sorts of things he’d better not say in front of these people. Just in case, she raised her eyebrows at him and his grin turned wicked, telling her he knew exactly what she didn’t want him to say.
“Nice to hear.”
The group continued to talk and Tru listened but her gaze wandered over to Nik, who kept stealing glances at Sebastian while he talked with Mac and Dana on the other side of the room.
A few minutes later, she saw Nik hug Mac, saw him nod as Mac whispered something in his ear, then pull back and smile when Mac put one big hand on his face and patted his cheek.
Nik shifted his gaze to Sebastian and Tru saw so much frustration and longing in his expression, she couldn’t help but feel for him. Then she felt Sebastian’s arm tighten around her shoulders and she looked up to find him staring back at Nik.
The contact didn’t last long, just until Nik nodded and turned toward the door, quietly opening it before slipping out.
Beside her, Sebastian released a heavy breath and visibly relaxed.
Five minutes later, when Johnny and Mac invited everyone to come back to their hotel room with them for drinks, Sebastian immediately declined.
“I think I’ve ignored my date enough for one night,” he said. “We’re gonna get going.”
She wanted to tell him it was okay, that they could spend another hour with his friends. But honestly, she wanted to get him alone, away from everyone who had a claim to him, so she could have just a few hours to herself.
Selfish? Maybe.
Right now, she didn’t care. Because she had the feeling she wouldn’t have him in her life that much longer.
“I think we can deal with that.” Johnny smiled at them, nodding, while Mac and Dana made their ways back to join their group. “Don’t be such a stranger, kid.”
“I won’t. I promise.”
“We’re gonna hold you to that.” Mac squeezed Sebastian’s shoulder. “Nice to meet you, Tru. Hope to see you again soon.”
They said their good-byes to Greg and Sabrina, who gave Tru a private thumbs up as they were leaving.
Sebastian held his ball cap in his hand but hadn’t put it on yet, and they stopped just before reaching the outside door, where another bouncer waited to release them out into the world.
“I don’t think that’s going to do any good.” She smiled as she pointed to the cap. “If there’s a crowd waiting outside, they’re going to know it’s you because of your clothing.”
“Yeah.” He sounded resigned. “So, you ready to run the gauntlet?”
“Do you really dread it?”
He shook his head. “Not really, no. But I’m dying to get you alone and naked.”
Combined with the heat in his eyes and the sound of his voice, her body reacted as if he’d put his hands between her legs and stroked her.