Ishot a grin at Ty with the final lines and chords, and the applause engulfed mein confidence. I looked down at Kylie, her cheeks flushed and her smile wide,and I was overwhelmed with the desperation to feel her body against mine. Tokiss her and taste her and ride the waves of my energized joy with thepleasures of sex. She bit her lower lip, dragging her teeth over its fullness,and I wondered if we’d even make it to the car.
Fuck.I was glad my guitar concealed my hard-on.
Thenight was a rollercoaster of boners and gratitude, of awe and emotion. When Ithanked the crowd one final time, I could barely keep my shit together as Iwhipped my guitar around my back and walked to the edge of the stage. A fewpairs of daring hands reached to grab at my legs, but my eyes were set onKylie. She sensed it and grinned, extending her arms as I hoisted her up. Ipulled her intently toward backstage, leading her with my hand and eyes.
Wemade it as far as the hallway.
Ilifted her up, pinning her against the wall. My fingers interlocked with hers,raising them above her head as her legs hooked around my waist and my tonguewas plunging between her lips, reaching the furthest corners of her mouth.
Andif it weren’t for Robbie’s obnoxious wolf-whistle, I would’ve forgottenentirely where I was. I would’ve had her right there, and I wasn’t sure she’dstop me.
“Fuck,”I groaned, my lower lip between her teeth, and she released, turning her headto see Robbie staring, his shoulder against the wall.
“Oh,please, don’t stop on my account,” he said with a mischievous jump of hisbrows. “The rush does that type of thing to people. It makes youwannafuck.”
Withdisappointment, I lowered Kylie to the floor and discreetly adjusted myselfbefore turning to him, spotting the other guys milling around behind him withbottles of water in hand. Chewing on some snacks that’d been laid out.
“Thatshow was …” Incredible? Amazing? Out of this fucking world? I rounded a hand tothe back of my neck, searching for a suitable adjective that could adequatelydescribe what I’d just experienced, when Richard startled me with a one-manapplause. “Fucking outstanding,” he said.
Iwhirled around on my heel to see him standing there in his crisp suit, handsclapping noisily in the tight space. Kylie’s cheeks blazed crimson, eyes pinnedto me with only one thing on her mind, and I swallowed. Conflicted betweenwanting to leave and make love toher, andwanting tohear what he had to say. What he thought I could do differently, what hethought I did perfectly.
“Didyou know that hashtag ‘daisies and Devin’ has been popping up all overInstagram and Twitter for the past week?” he asked casually, slipping his handsinto his pockets. Kylie nodded. “In one week, it has gotten over nine-thousandtags throughout the country.”
“Iknow,” she replied. “I’ve been watching.”
“Thecountry?” I repeated, unaware that my music had made it much furtherthan the Connecticut border.
Henodded. “Good news travels fast, and good songs travel faster. People aresharing with their friends, and their friends are sharing withtheirfriends. They love you, they want you, and that’s why, in a couple weeks, we’reheading out on a national tour. I’ve already gotten the venues lined up.”
“That’spretty short notice,” I commented. “I usually buy concert tickets months beforethe show.”
“We’restriking while the iron is hot,” Richard said. “When you’ve made a lastingimpression,thenwe can think about booking a tour more in advance. Wewant people to see younow. We want them to remember younow.”
“Andeven before the full album is out?” Kylie asked, pressing herself to my side.
Richardnodded. “The EP is already out and spreading like crazy. We can jump in thestudio after the tour and bang out an album, and that can be released in just amonth or two. We want to push as hard, and as fast, as we canrightnow.”
“RichieRich knows what he’s talking about,” Robbie tossed in, pulling a cigarette frombehind his ear and lighting it. “You’re on fire, my friend. Don’t want to letthat flame die down before it’s gotten a chance to burn.”
Theguy was an ass and couldn’t keep his big mouth shut to save his life, but whenit came to the music industry, I trusted his word. If I was going to do this, Iwas going to do this right, and I was going to do itnow.SoI nodded, allowing my smile to consume me, and I gaveRichard my consent.
Because,if that first show was any indication of what the rest of my shows were goingto be like, I needed to keep it going. Needed to feel that rush again as soonas possible.
I’dgotten a taste, and I was addicted.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Kylie
“Come on tour with me.”
Devinwas pleading with me, curling his body around mine in the darkness of ourbedroom. The show the night before had stoked a fire in him, excited him in theway I knew it should. He felt powerful and strong. He felt likeTitanic’sJack Dawson, king of the world—ourworld—and I was more than willing tohand him his crown. Except that logic told me I couldn’t tour the country withhim, as deliciously exciting as that seemed. I wanted to see the Grand Canyonand Mount Rushmore, but the call of responsibility kept me from leaping at thechance.
Ihesitated in my response and sighed. “Devin …”
“No,come on, KJ. I want you there. Ineedyou there,” he said, nuzzling intomy neck, hugging me tighter in his arms and legs. “I need to see you in thefront row at every fucking show.”
“Butthe shop, Dev ... and Eddie …”
