Page 64 of The Devil's Tattoo

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Chapter15

We hada show that night in a country town inVictoria.

The venue was small, but it had a good layout with the bar along the side, a small stage at one end, and a large open area filling the rest of the space. There was no barrier between the crowd and us, and the stage itself only came up to my waist as I stood looking up at it. Intimate shows like this one were fast becoming my favorite. I didn’t know how those huge stadium bands did it, to be honest. They were so separated from the people who’d come to see them, making it feel at least a littlealienating.

Playing at a place like this was like playingwitheveryone, not playingatthem. It was the way Ilikedit.

I found I enjoyed going out into the venue afterward and talking to people. I couldn’t pinpoint the moment my attitude had changed, but I didn’t want it to change back. After so long hiding away, I felt like I was coming up for fresh air. Dee helped me, but Will had sealed the deal, and the way he treated me made me feel amazing. He really had been telling the truth when he said he’d do anything for me. As each hour passed, I didn’t know why I’d been so afraid. Still, it was early days, and the honeymoon period was still well underway, and I hoped it would never end. The happy ever afters didn’t, and I wanted this to be one ofthose.

Once I’d let go of my fear, Will had consumed me so fast it took my breath away. I couldn’t fathom how it was possible but it was. This was reality. My past was gone, and only my futureremained.

I never understood when people said they couldn’t stop looking at their partners. How the whole world dropped away and only they existed. I could never see it, but right now, I got it. I stood in the middle of the venue, watching as Will leaned over the bar, talking to the owner of the place. I wondered if the guys were annoyed at me for ignoring them so much. It wasn’t like I meant to do it. I couldn’thelpit.

“Do you need a tissue to wipe up the drool on your chin?” Dee whispered in my ear, makingmejump.

“He really does have a nice ass, don’t youthink?”

To my amusement, he almost choked. “Ugh, Zoe. I’m straight. I don’t look at other guys’ asses.” He feigned throwing up but stopped suddenly and elbowed me sharply. “Uh-oh.”

“Uh-oh, what?” Ifrowned.

“Blonde shorty shorts zeroing in onyourman.”

While Will waited for the bartender to pour his drinks, I watched the girl Dee had noticed sidle up toward him. My eyes narrowed as jealousy flared up inside me. She was a typical young woman and one of the ones he would have flirted with before me. Even though he’d said he’d done it to make me jealous, it was still his type. I wasn’t his type, but I brokethemold.

“Well, if this isn’t a test, I don’t know what is,” Dee said, waitingbesideme.

She started talking to Will, leaning toward him and obviously flirting. When he smiled at her, I felt the jealous beast inside me rear her ugly head. Dee threaded his arm through mine, stopping me from going over and doing something stupid. It reminded me of that night at the pub in the middle of nowhere when Will had almost gotten himself into a fight over some guy trying to chat me up at the bar. I’d ripped strips off him for doing it, so if I ran over there now, how much of a hypocrite wouldIbe?

He leaned away slightly and said something, and her expression seemed to fall. Picking up the drinks the bartender set in front of him, he turned away and walked backtowardus.

“That’s all the confirmation you need, hot legs.” Dee planted a kiss on my forehead andwanderedoff.

Will strode across the room, aiming straight for me, a hungry smile onhisface.

“She looked disappointed.” I smirked as he handed me mydrink.

“Too bad,” he said, wrapping an arm around my waist. “I’m taken by this tough tattooed rockgoddess.”

“Really? Do Iknowher?”

“Shut up.” He laughed, kissing me lightly onthelips.

“I understand now,” I said and took a sip of mydrink.

“Understandwhat?”

“When you almost thumped that guy who was trying to crackontome.”

His eyes narrowed, but his lips twitched, signaling he was finding this funny. “You’d protect me from aggressivegroupies?”

“Will.”

“You told me off. Big time. Should I be doingthesame?”

“I wasn’t yours then,” I said, threading my fingers through his. “But nowyou’remine.”

“Oh, I see how it is.” Leaning down, he caught my lips in a kiss, teasing me with the tip of histongue.