Page 61 of Wild Stars

The eternal moment ends only a second later, and before I know it, Hailee is tugging on my sleeve as the band leaves the stage.

I shake my head, realizing she’s pulling me toward security again, and I follow her without question.

“Oh my God!You guyskilledit!”She squeals as she abandons me and runs up to the band backstage.

Every one of them is covered in sweat, from head to toe.I fight the urge to stare at Dare, running a towel through his wet, dark hair, the sweat on his chest glinting in the low light.

“Thanks!”Richie says with a sheepish grin as Ines and Spike fist pump the air.“I’m so glad you guys could make it tonight.”

Hailee gives him a hug and I stand off to the side, letting them have this moment, but also because I feel like a third wheel.

Dare wraps his towel around his neck.His ripped jeans hang off of his hips deliciously, and I struggle to not look at his curves.

Everything about Dare is larger than life.His attitude, his personality, his fashion sense.

Like a supernova, exploding stardust in the dark

No planet could hold you

Because you are a wild star...

The words come to me easily, and a spark inside of me fuels.I want to tell him, to suggest them, but...

God, they sound so desperate, so awestruck, and....

I’m not entirely sure I can expose myself like that to Dare, let alone in front of my sister and his entire band.

So, I swallow my words as Dare’s gaze catches mine.

“Hey Matty, the eighties called, they want their sunglasses back,” he quips, flashing me with a devilish smirk, and I can’t help the way my jaw tenses, or the way my palm twitches.

Or the way Dare cockily grins, because heknowsjust how to push my fucking buttons.

“Ah, yes, well, one needs shade when you’re blinding everyone in a five mile radius.”

I don’t miss the way Dare’s eyebrows knit together, or the falter in his expression.

Does he not understand how utterly bright he is?

“So, I believe someone said there would be drinks,” Ines says as he elbows Richie.

Spike chimes in, nodding as he grabs a bottle of water from the pop up table next to him, downing it within seconds.

“Oh yeah, of course!”Richie says as Ines hands him a towel.“We should all go grab a drink and celebrate!The tour kicks off in less than a week!I can’t believe we’re almost there!”

Hailee nods in agreement.“I know, right?It seems like yesterday they announced all the acts, and in just a few days we’ll all be performing the kick off show and then we’re off!”

Dare tugs on the towel, covering his pale chest and nipples, and a part of me wishes he wouldn’t cover himself as he is.

Richie, Ines, and Spike seem to have no qualms about exposing their tanned, solid and bare chests.

And then I catch Dare’s gaze, the way it dips to them and then to the floor.

As if he is embarrassed, or ashamed.

Gone is the confident rockstar who owned the stage, and I realize that while Dare may know how tocommandattention when it comes to an audience, apart from the stage...

“Does Rosie’s sound okay?”Hailee’s voice brings me back to the here and now.

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