Wait… what the hell am I thinking?
Shaking my head, I laugh at the audacity of that thought. We just freaking met.
“Hey,” Raven says on a laugh, regaining my attention. “What’s going on in that head of yours?”
“Just thinking about how much I’m enjoying this moment.” That isn’t a lie, but there’s no way I’m copping to those thoughts this soon.
Tilting her head to the side, her eyes narrow. “You sure that’s all it was? You went from smiling like a loon to pensive in a nanosecond.”
Note to self… she’s perceptive.
Spinning her out, I grin at how easily she follows my lead. “Nope. Just lovin’ how well you move.” I twist her in and out of a pretzel-like move, then pull her close again and tease, “It doesn’t hurt that you smell good either.”
“Well… uh… thanks. Not quite sure how to take that... But for the record, you don’t smell so bad yourself. I…”
Whatever Raven’s about to say when Nick Conners booms through the speaker is cut off. “As I live and breathe… is that Finn McGowen out onthisdance floor? Ladies and gentlemen, please excuse me for a second. I think I’m hallucinating.”
Turning my attention to the stage, I grin at the jackass, ruining this moment. “Hey, man, it’s been a minute.”
To the crowd, Nick says, “We’ve got an amazing drummer here, ladies and gentlemen… scratch that… He can play almost any instrument he touches. He was a huge help when I recorded in Nashville a few years ago… Man,” he says, hopping off the stage. “It’s good to see you.”
Reaching out, he shakes my hand, then pulls me into a bro-hug, thwacking my back three times before releasing me. Looking toward Raven, he grins like the Cheshire cat.
“And who do we have here?”
Without skipping a beat, Raven reaches out her hand and says, “I’m Raven. It’s so nice to meet you.”
“Well, Raven…” Nick exhales theatrically. “In all my years of knowing Finn McGowen, I’ve never seen him look at a woman the way he looks at you. I really hope I get to chat with y’all later after the show.”
Then as if he suddenly remembers he’s in the middle of a live performance, he grins. “Well… I think I should probably get back up there and finish this set.”
Without skipping a beat, he returns to the stage and slips seamlessly into his next song. Raven hops up and down, clapping her hands together. “Ohmigod, I love this song. I had“Believe in Me” on repeat in high school. Not only did I just get introduced to Nick, but now he’s playing one of my favorite songs. How the hell did this become my life?”
“Uh, your sisterisengaged to Jax Cartwright,” I point out on a laugh. “Aren’t you used to being around famous musicians by now?”
Raven practically snorts. “Hell no! I spent the last year busting my ass to finish college. I don’t really think of him as being anything special—other than the fact he lights up my sister’s whole world. I’m not really impressed by fame… but…” she looks at the stage, “Nick Conners was on my wall growing up. It’s a bit surreal.”
“I get it. I was the same way when I met Stevie Nicks.”
Raven gasps. “Oh, that must’ve been amazing.”
“It was, trust me.”
Nick starts into the bridge, and I reach for Raven, pulling her close so I can whisper in her ear, “With this being your favorite song, let’s make some memories.”
My body pulses with energy as we walk to Finn’s car. Nick Conners was on fire tonight. I’d only seen him in concert with Riser. On his own, he was so much more memorable. Though it might have more to do with the sexy man holding my hand as we walk down the street, than Nick Conners.
Leaning into Finn, I can’t help but smile at how much fun this evening has been.
Thank God, when Nick stopped by our table during one of his breaks, I didn’t say anything embarrassing. After my initial small moment of internal fangirling on the dance floor, I was relieved to find he was just a normal guy, who happened to be fucking amazing at playing music. I was captivated with each story he and the guys talked about. At one point, Finn teased him about going on tour again, and Nick just grinned like he’d won the lottery when he explained that he’d only be home through the summer, due to his growing family.
Nick may command the stage like the sexy rock star he is, but the man melted my heart when he broke out his phone to show us pictures of his family. The first was of his son, Jacob, and his very expecting wife Simone. Jacob is the most adorable five-year-old ever and their daughter, Emery, is the spitting image of Nick, with his beautiful smile and eyes. Apparently, they’re expecting number three in the next week or so, or Simone would’ve been here tonight.
“Now, it’s my turn to ask what’s going on in that head of yours?” Finn chuckles as he wraps an arm around me, pulling me close. “I’ve never known you to be so pensive.”
Inhaling deeply, I sigh. “Just thinking about Nick Conners.”
Finn stops and faces me with a mischievous grin and a raised brow. “Somethin’ I ought to worry about?”
