Page 54 of Rock Out Together
The thought of Emily out there, caught in that chaos, made my blood boil and I vowed to keep a closer eye on the crowd tonight.
“Who even crowd surfs in their underwear, Em!” Zara pulled back, trying to glare at her friend, while laughing at the same time.
My wayward crowd surfer giggled and pulled my leather jacket closer around her waist. When Emily cried, she had anaura of beautiful sweetness about her; but when she smiled and laughed with her friend—she was radiant. Her laughter was like a melody I wanted to hear again and again.
I shuffled in my seat, feeling the tightness in my pants. I was contemplating how to stand up graciously, without showing the world my appreciation for this beautiful stranger, when Rowan burst in.
“Bro, we gotta get out there. Cameron flew off stage like a bitch because you came out to rescue that girl in the Care Bear panties.”
Emily's face went beet red. “Oh, God, how did everyone see my underwear?” She hid her face against Zara's chest and hugged her. Zara bit her lip, face scrunched, fighting back her laughter.
“Can you give these two pretty ladies some VIP lanyards?” I asked the security guard standing nearby. “Emily? Would you and your friend be my guests at the side of the stage?”
Zara’s eyes bulged, but Emily stuttered, “I-I-I don’t know. Maybe we should go?—”
“Of course we will!” Zara said at the same time, then flicked Em’s earlobe.
“Ouch! Zara, we can’t stay. I lost my skirt!”
“That’s okay. Here.” I stood, took off my T-shirt and handed it to her. She was so distracted, gaping at my naked torso, that I had to take her hand and shove the T-shirt into her grip. It was hilarious. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“You should,” she choked out, still staring at my chest.
“I'll see you at the side of the stage,” I said, more to herfriend because she was still zoned out, staring at my tattoos. Luckily, Zara could comprehend what I said and nodded.
To Emily, I grinned and said, “Make sure you keep yourself covered. I want to be the only one getting that Care Bear stare.”
Her face turned bright pink, and she giggled nervously, and I knew that the connection I was feeling between us—she felt it too.
three
. . .
Emily’s Encore
“Jake Steele saw your underwear, Em! That’s something you can tell your grandkids!”
~Zara Quinn
Emily
One of the other band members peeked his head into the tent. “Steele, we gotta go! Plenty of time later for the ladies.”
Steele? My eyes bulged. “Jake Steele?” I squeaked.
The lead singer of Steele Horizons? How the fuck had I missed that?
Jake Steele. Right here—in front of me. I felt a rush of heat flush my face from the embarrassment. He pulled me out of the crowd in my underwear.He saw my ass.
And yet, his gentle touch and piercing blue eyes made me feel seen in a way I’d never experienced before.
Now, he was standing in front of me shirtless, hotter than a Calvin Klein model. I couldn't help but be attracted to this famous man, who was virtually a stranger. The shock from the mosh pit couldn't stop his magnetic presence from pulling me in.
He had to be a foot taller than my ex-boyfriend. Where Blake had had a blond, surfer-boy look, this man had deep brown hair, slightly too long and tousled at his neck. He wore dark, tattered jeans and biker boots, a chain linking his jeans to his back pocket. The ratty T-shirt he gave me said “Heisenberg Says Relax” printed on the front. I would've laughed at theBreaking Badreference if I weren't so freaked out.
His cheeks sported a deep five o'clock shadow. Ocean-blue eyes captured me like a tractor beam. He had a young Chris Cornell vibe, with tattoos peeking from under his T-shirt and up his neck. Each inked line told a story I ached to unravel.
I jerked my head to Zara, who was gesturing for me to say something. My social awkwardness was turnt up.
