Page 80 of Extended Bridge

He licks his lips, his gaze eating me up like I was an ice cream cone. When I think he’s about to say something, he motions for me to twirl around like Nese did before. Only her gesture didn’t have his lascivious overtone.

Keenly aware I’m in front of the entire band and crew, I refrain from shaking my hips. Instead, I take my time in blinking at every wall before returning to stare at him. I want to ask his opinion of my outfit, or at least give Nese credit for it. But I’m immobile and mute until Bennett releases me from his overheated stare.

“Nese,” he bellows.

From off to the side, she replies, “You can’t fuck her in front of all of us!” Snickers follow her outburst. Of course, my cheeks become hot.

“Not going to give you all the satisfaction that’s mine alone,” Bennett says. “Iwasgoing to give you a huge bonus, but not with such a potty mouth.”

“I take it back,” Nese backpedals.

He rubs his hands together. “Check your next paycheck,” hequips to Nese. Under his breath, for my ears only, he says, “I can’t believe you’re more sexy now wearing those boots and miniskirt. Are you trying to kill me before I take the stage?” He crowds my space.

The rest of the room disappears. All my focus is on Bennett. “You like?”

“Sweetheart, if I liked the way you looked any more, I’d be in cardiac arrest. Which wouldn’t be good for performing purposes.”

I nod. “You’re right. Although, I’d have to do mouth-to-mouth to bring you back.”

With a reverent touch, he plays with my current curly locks. “All you’d have to do is kiss me once and I’d be a goner.” His gaze skims me from head to toe once more. “I have no words.”

“For a frontman, that could be a problem.”

“Yeah.” His ring-adorned fingers slowly, finally,finally, reach out and grab my hips. Tugging me toward his leather pants, he whispers, “I love you.”

Can I do this? Should I? How can I not? I wrap my arms around his neck and draw his head to mine. Inhaling, I admit, “I love you.”

Bennett’s eyes widen, his only tell that he heard me. The tip of his tongue extends beyond his kissable lips. “Are you sure? After all, we haven’t had sex yet.”

This man.Myman. Who just threw my words back in my face. I mimic his retort to me when I said the same thing to him. “You think sex is my deciding factor?”

His eyes crinkle at the corners as he chuckles. “With you, I’m not sure.”

It’s beyond time for me to lay my heart bare. “It’s never been that for me. I fall in love with a man’s soul. Even if the sex is bad, if I love him, it wouldn’t bother me.”

“Sweetheart, it won’t be bad between us. Believe me.”

“I do.” The need to come clean drives me to share. “You’ve been through so much in your life. You’ve overcome and succeeded based on your raw talent and ambition. Lots of men have good voices butnever get near a small stage, let alone the massive stadiums you pack regularly.”

He licks his lips but doesn’t say anything.

“Your internal drive has kept UC on track to reach the amazing milestones you’ve hit. More than your drive, though, it’s how you’ve reacted to all those hurts that calls out to me. You’re loved by more than me, Bennett. Your band members and Luke, all love you too. And you could love them as well, if you let yourself. They’re not Curtiss about to steal your girl and break your heart. UC performs like an amazing group, but can you imagine how everything would gel even more if you were out there with your closest friends?”

“I don’t know about that.”

“And this, right here, is why I love you.” I kiss him, but he doesn’t reciprocate.

“I don’t get it,” he admits when I pull away.

“Your vulnerability calls out to me. I love everything about you, including your potential. I want to be standing at your side when you embrace their love and reflect it back at them. I love how cocky you can be onstage, how you treat your fans with respect.” I line up my body against his again. “Above all, I love how you love me.”

“On this last thing, we both agree.” He brings our lips together for what feels like our first kiss. “I love your purity, how you cheer me on with my physical therapy, how when you simply enter a room, the air lightens and my heart sings a more beautiful song than anything in our repertoire.” He takes a breath. “I love how you see me. I hope one day to be worthy of such a vision.” On a groan, he pulls me closer. “Say it again.”

Drunk on the look in his eyes, I repeat, “I love you.” I kiss his nose. “I love you.” My lips land on first one, then his other, cheek. “I love you.”

He kisses me as if his entire band wasn’t surrounding us. As if he wasn’t getting ready to sing in front of thousands of people. As if I’m the only woman in the world. I return his passionate kisses without thought of these facts either.

A male cough from behind us causes us to break apart. Bennett keeps his forehead glued to mine. “What?”

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