If the audience reaction was anything to go on, they loved the new music, though they screamed loudest for the classics. Once the album dropped, that would change somewhat, but for now, at least they didn’t boo.
Nik had the audience eating out the palm of his hand, which was par for the course. He’d always been an engaging front man, talking to the crowd between songs, getting them to sing along and occasionally wading out into the pit. Nik fed off the crowd’s energy, maybe even more than Baz. That connection when they all sang with him, there was nothing like it.
They had another half hour to play when Nik grabbed the mic stand and set it center stage between songs. Baz didn’t think anything of it until Nik started to talk.
“So we hope you’ll bear with us a minute.” Nik held his hand up to get the crowd to settle into a dull roar. “We’re about to play something you’re not gonna expect from us. But trust me when I say it’s for a good cause.”
Nik turned and looked at Zach, who smiled and grabbed a tambourine. Why the fuck did Zach even have a tambourine with his kit?
Baz looked at Nik for an explanation but Nik had taken a few steps away from the mic as Jase exchanged his electric for an acoustic guitar.
Then someone tapped him on the shoulder and he turned to find Teri, his guitar tech, handing him an acoustic.
He mouthed “What the hell?” at Teri, who shrugged with a shit-eating grin on his face.
Okay, he had no idea what was going on.
He looked back to find Nik setting sheet music on a stand in front of the mic.
“Now, this is a dedication for a special girl.” Nik lowered his voice until he sounded like one of those late-night DJs taking requests from the lovelorn as a few members of the crowd hooted. “She’ll know who she is.”
Then Nik gestured for Baz to come to the mic.
Narrowing his gaze, Baz closed the distance and leaned down to speak in Nik’s ear.
“What did you do?”
“Something you wouldn’t. Don’t fuck it up.”
When he pulled away, Nik’s expression told him nothing but his gaze burned.
Then Baz looked down at the stand.
And started to laugh.
* * *
When Sebastian began to play, Tru had no idea what the song was.
It’d been obvious that he hadn’t known what the song was before looking at the sheet music. But then he smiled and laughed and thrummed the strings once before getting into it.
Behind her, she heard Greg laugh but her gaze was glued to Sebastian. Who only had eyes for her.
He sang directly to her and, even though she had no idea what he was singing, she heard the intent in his voice. And saw the heart-felt emotion in his eyes. All for her.
Then he hit the chorus. And she laughed. Couldn’t help it.
The tattooed rock god was singing “Truly Scrumptious.” For her.
Except she was pretty sure someone had changed the lyrics. And added snippets of music she recognized from Sebastian’s score for the movie.
It was beautiful. And she couldn’t stop smiling because it seemed so ridiculous.
Suddenly, Greg swung her up in his arms and handed her to a security guard standing near the front of the stage. Obviously, he’d been expecting her because he immediately hoisted her up to Xander, who appeared out of the wings to take her and set her on her feet just out of the spotlights trained on the band.
While the other guys continued to play, Sebastian stepped away from the mic and walked toward her.
Her heart beat so hard, she thought she might pass out. And the look in his eyes made her want to cry. Because he was offering her so much more than a song.
When he stopped in front of her, he was no longer smiling and his gaze asked a question.
It was only when she smiled and nodded that he grinned.
He grabbed her and kissed her in front of a packed audience and made her knees weak.
When he finally let her up for air, Zach, Trev, Jase and Nik had all come to the mic to continue singing and she was smiling so hard her face actually hurt.
“I love you, Truly.”
She leaned forward, lifting onto her toes so she could rub her nose against his. “I love you, Bastian.”
His smile shone brighter than the spotlight. “Damn right you do.”
* * *
Baz kissed Tru again. And again. And again.
Even though he had her naked and under him in his suite at Haven, he couldn’t quite believe she was here.
Pulling away, he knelt between her legs, watching her eyes open to hazy slits of sky blue. She reached for him.
“Come back.” Her voice held a purr that made his cock throb.
“I’m right here. And I’m not planning on going anywhere fast. But I want to see your face.”
“I missed you.”
Grabbing the spare pillow, he tapped her hip and watched as she arched her beautiful, naked body so he could slide the pillow under her ass.
“I missed you, too, babe.” He rose onto his knees and moved forward until he was at the perfect position. “I will miss you every single day we’re apart. But when we’re together, it’s just gonna be you and me,” he slid inside her slowly, forcing his eyes to stay open as hers closed the deeper he went, “and this.”
Grabbing her hips, he pulled her forward, burying himself completely inside her.
Her groan was music to his ears. He swore he was going to write a song composed of the sounds she made in bed. He’d never let another soul hear it.
“Bastian.”
Leaning forward, he watched her face as he moved in an excruciatingly slow rhythm. He could barely breathe. Everything in his world had shrunk down to this room with this girl. And the way she took him inside her.
“Yeah, babe. I’m right here.”
She lifted both hands and he laced their fingers together, pulling her closer and working his cock that much deeper.
“God, Bastian, don’t stop.”
“Not gonna, sweetheart.”
And he meant that sincerely.
Only his body had other ideas. His body wanted to come, and then he’d have to stop. He’d been holding off his orgasm as long as he could, but apparently he’d reached the end of his rope. She’d pushed him into it.
He thrust hard, felt her spasm around him and call out his name. And that was all it took.
With a groan, he came, watching her face as she opened her eyes.
When he could finally breathe again, he fell to the bed beside her and wrapped his arms around her.
“It’s gonna be fun, Truly.”
He’d make damn sure of it.
Stephanie Julian is the author of many novels including Do Not Disturb, Over Exposed, No Reservations, and By Private Invitation. She’s been a Daily News reporter, a freelance feature writer and a movie, theater and music critic but what she loves most is writing sexy, hot romance. She’s also a very slow runner and a hockey fan and she can’t wait for summer and the Warped Tour . . . and Mayhem Fest and anywhere Avenged Sevenfold and Bullet For My Valentine are playing. She’s happily married to a Springsteen fanatic and is the mother of two sons who love her even when they don’t have any clean clothes and dinner is a bowl of cereal.
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