Olivia Cunning - Double Time

“You were awesome!”

“Thanks,” she said.

“Good show,” multiple people said to her as she was ushered through the crowd back to her dressing room. She was expected at the after-party, which was being held at the hotel across the parking lot. She wanted to find some shoes that didn’t cripple her toes before she headed over.

“Nice work,” Dare said to her just outside her dressing room door. “We’ll rehearse again before tomorrow night’s show in San Francisco. See if we can’t figure out what’s causing your disconnect.”

So he’d noticed that, huh? She bit her lip and nodded.

“I’ll see you at the after-party,” he said and left her standing there feeling unsure of herself.

“What disconnect?” Ethan asked her.

“I’m not really feeling the music.”

“I couldn’t tell. You were fabulous up there. Everyone loved you.”

She smiled. “I thought it went well. After I got rid of those fucking boots.”

She entered her dressing room and reached for a bottle of water. She chugged half of it before she noticed the bouquet of flowers sitting on her dressing table. How thoughtful. Who had sent her flowers? Trey? Obviously not Ethan, because he looked as surprised to see them as Reagan did. Maybe one of her friends. Someone from the record company. Or dare she hope they were from her daddy?

She practically skipped across the room and pulled the card from the bright assortment of gerbera daisies.

Her name was printed neatly on the outer envelope. She tugged the card free and read it. Her smile faded.

You took what was mine, bitch. Don’t think you’ll keep it for much longer.

Ethan snatched the card out of her hand. “Fucking son of a bitch,” he growled. He lifted the vase and looked at the bottom, examined the card more closely, and then the envelope. Looking for clues. A habit left over from his past police work.

“You go to the party and have fun. Just don’t allow yourself to be caught alone,” Ethan said, giving her an encouraging squeeze and rubbing her arm briskly. “I’ll find out who sent this to you and fuck him up.”

The ballroom of the hotel was packed wall-to-wall with people. Reagan searched the crowd until she caught sight of Trey surrounded by his usual posse of admirers. She hurried to his side, ignoring curious stares and the few people who called out to her as she passed. She needed to decompress and she wanted to spend some time alone with Trey. To thank him for being there when she hadn’t known she’d needed him to be. And to pretend she wasn’t afraid of whoever kept sending her threatening messages.

She caught the tail end of Trey’s conversation when she stopped beside him. “… he never did find his pants.”

No fewer than ten people laughed at whatever Trey happened to be talking about. She touched his arm and he glanced at her. A huge smile spread across his face. “Hey, Reagan. I was wondering when you’d make it. Somebody get the newest member of Exodus End a beer.”

Three beers were thrust in her direction. “No thanks,” she said.

“Would you like something else? Open bar tonight.” He lifted his beer and his enamored audience cheered.

She shook her head and leaned close to whisper in his ear. “I want to go up to my room for a little while. Will you come with me?”

“Are rhinos always horny?”

She hesitated, her brain even more exhausted than her body was. “Um. Yes ?”

He chuckled. “Right answer.” He took a swig of his half-finished beer, handed the remainder to the nearest person, and took Reagan’s hand. “Have a great night,” he said to his entourage.

“Are you leaving?” asked a gorgeous redhead in a figure-hugging, purple evening dress.

Reagan’s hand tightened on his. While she never got jealous of Ethan, Reagan couldn’t claim she was unaffected when sophisticated, beautiful women tried to get their claws in Trey.

“Yes, he’s leaving with me,” Reagan said hotly.

“Easy, tiger,” Trey whispered in her ear. “She writes freelance for a couple of major music magazines.”

That didn’t mean the woman didn’t want in Trey’s pants. “Then she can write about the serious relationship between Trey Mills and Reagan Elliot.”

Reagan hurried through the crowd, tugging Trey behind her. She was so focused on getting to the door that she didn’t realize Dare was in pursuit until Trey came to a sudden halt behind her.

“Jeez, where’s the fire?” Dare said, his hand fisted in the back of Trey’s T-shirt. “I have some people I want to introduce you to,” he said to Reagan.

“She needs to crash,” Trey said.

Both brothers offered her a look of concern.

“Of course,” Dare said. “I’ll cover for her.”

“Thanks, Dare.” She gave him a hug. “I might come back down later. I just need a few moments of peace.” And to get away from the flowers in her dressing room. And that note.

“Good luck with that,” Dare said.

She wasn’t sure what he meant by that, but she grabbed Trey by the wrist and tugged him out in the corridor. A bunch of camera flashes went off and reporters yelled questions, but Reagan couldn’t make any sense out of the chaos.

A pair of Exodus End’s security guards escorted Reagan and Trey to the elevators. “Is it always this crazy?” she asked Trey.

“Exodus End only throws a party this big on their opening tour date. It will settle down. A little.” Trey wrapped an arm around her shoulder and gave her a squeeze. “Overwhelmed?”

“You have no idea.”

The security guards stepped onto the elevator with them and pressed the button to the eighth floor.

“Are you going to follow us all the way to our room?” Reagan asked one of the guards.

“The band has rented out the entire eighth floor. There’s already security on that floor. We’re just here to make sure no one tries to get on the elevator with you.”

Reagan stared at the carpet inside the elevator as the car lifted to their floor without incident. Trey rubbed her back but didn’t say anything. He seemed to realize she craved quiet and calm. She knew she had signed up for this, and she didn’t regret it, but it was going to take some getting used to. She’d never imagined she’d need security to ride a freakin’ hotel elevator. And she’d never thought she’d crave their protection.

When they exited the elevator, they found several additional security guards. They didn’t escort her to her room, but they watched her closely until she and Trey were safely inside.

The instant Trey had Reagan alone in the hotel room, he tumbled her onto the king-sized bed. “Everyone said you were phenomenal tonight. How did it feel to be up on stage in front of all of those fans?”

“I was nervous until I saw you standing in the shadows at the side of the stage.”

“You saw me?”

She nodded.

“Shit. Sorry. I know you said you didn’t want me there, but I couldn’t resist. Do you know how sexy you are when you play?” He rolled on top of her and captured her hands in his.

“It’s the corset, isn’t it? It makes me look like I actually have boobs.”

Her tits did look fantastic in her corset, but that wasn’t what had drawn him to watch even though she’d forbidden it. “It’s that face you make when you let the music take you. It’s even hotter than the face you make when you come.”

“I don’t make a face.”

He grinned. “Yeah, you do. I hope I didn’t make you self-conscious about it. It would ruin my life if you stopped making it.”

She laughed. “I highly doubt that.” She scowled. “I’m not sure the fans like me taking over for Max.”