Author: Olivia Cunning

Rebekah almost fell on her face as the case rolled forward with no resistance.

“Let me help,” Jake offered.

Together they directed the rolling case down the ramp. Jake held most of the weight, but Rebekah worked hard to help keep it on track. “Marcus says I’m supposed to assemble the drum kit,” Rebekah said, “but I don’t know how. Can you show me?”

“Ask Eric. He’s really pissy about everything being in exactly the right spot.”

Rebekah couldn’t stop heat from rising into her face. “He does know exactly the right spot,” she murmured. And apparently, Eric’s propensity to say exactly what he was thinking, no matter how inappropriate, was already wearing off on her.

“You and Eric?” Jake said. “Really?”

“Don’t get the wrong idea,” Rebekah said sternly. She attempted to hide a grin but wasn’t able to keep a straight face. “We totally got it on last night.”

Jake’s grin spread ear-to-ear. “Right on!”

Once they had the equipment case in the building, Rebekah went in search of Eric. She found him laughing with Jace outside the bus. As soon as Jace spotted her, he turned beet red. He offered Rebekah a slight wave and headed for the bus steps. “Later, Eric.”

Eric gifted Rebekah with a brilliant smile. “Hey, gorgeous, what’s up?”

She flushed with pleasure. “I was wondering if you have time to show me how to set up your drum kit properly.”

He glanced at his wrist. He wasn’t wearing a watch, but said, “I think I have the next hour open. If you don’t mind listening to me sing the chorus of ‘Sever’ over and over the entire time. I need to practice.”

“Is that the new single?” she asked eagerly.

“Yep. Have you heard it yet?”

She shook her head.

“Don’t listen to the radio much, do you?”

“Since Dave’s accident, I haven’t been keeping up with the outside world much. Do they play it a lot?”

“It’s number one on the rock charts.”

She hugged him. “That’s awesome. Congratulations! We’ve got to make the song sound amazing tonight.” Just the thought of putting her little stamp on a Sinners’ song had her euphoric.

Eric stopped walking to keep her securely in his arms. Just as he had all last night while they’d slept and touched. It had taken every shred of her willpower not to engage him in lesson two. Watching him pleasure himself every time he got too excited to hold back had really turned her on. Not that she’d come away from the experience unsatisfied. On the contrary, he’d made sure she received more than her fair share of pleasure.

“We really need to rehearse.” His hands gently massaged her lower back as he kept her near. She melted against him, relishing his touch. He was so free with his affection. How could she not respond with complete surrender? And even more perplexing, how was he still single? “Is Jon here yet?” he asked.

He switched from one topic to another so quickly it made her head spin.

“Jon? Jon Mallory?” Dave had mentioned that Jon had been on tour with Sinners when they’d done the Canadian leg of the tour, but Dave had said something about Sed never wanting Jon near the band again.

“Yeah, Jon is supposed to play thirty seconds of Jace’s bass line while Jace plays piano for ‘Sever’s’ intro.”

“I haven’t seen him.” She would have remembered seeing Jon. He was even better looking than Trey. At least in Sinners’ old music videos he had been. She’d never seen him in person. He had piercing gray eyes and thick black hair that hung in loose curls around his perfectly proportioned face.

“He had better show up,” Eric said. “This is his last chance. I won’t stick my neck out for him again.” Eric squeezed her. “I need to kiss you now.”

She chuckled at his mind-boggling change of subject and tilted her head to offer her mouth. “If you insist.”

“I do.” He kissed her until her head was spinning, and she was clinging to his hard body for support. “Now I’m all hard and excited,” he murmured into her ear. “Is it time for lesson two yet?”

“Not until tomorrow.”

“Damn it. Well, let’s go set up a drum kit. Maybe it will allow me to think of something besides rubbing my cum all over your sweet little ass.” His hands slid down to grip her butt.

Maybe she should be offended by his crass compliment, but it made her heart sing. She couldn’t help but smile when he took her hand and led her into the venue through the back entrance.

The stage had already been assembled by a combination of temporary workers and Sinners’ regular roadies. Marcus was barking orders like a general. He scowled when he noticed Rebekah. That scowl deepened when he saw that Eric was holding her hand.

“Your drums are behind the stage,” Marcus said, before turning to find some other temp to bellow at.

“He doesn’t like me,” Rebekah told Eric.

“Do I need to kick his ass?”

She rolled her eyes and shook her head.

“I’ll do it. I will. Say the word.”

“Stop it, Eric. Let’s get your drum kit set up.”

They started with the bass drums. He explained how important it was to get the three of them in the proper order. “Or I’ll sound like shit.”

“I seriously doubt that.”

They worked on the toms next and then the cymbals. He placed his stool in the center of the kit and took a seat. “Something’s missing,” he said. “Something that usually sits between my legs here.” He pointed to the empty space between his thighs with both hands.

“Your snare?”

He tugged her body in front of him. “Nope, it’s you.”

He retrieved a set of drumsticks from the inner pocket of his black leather vest and tapped a cymbal to his left before entering into an amazing drum solo. She wasn’t sure how he managed to keep a beat and try to remove her shirt with his teeth at the same time, but she was laughing so hard by the time he finished that her stomach ached. He had a couple inches of her belly exposed and blew a loud raspberry on her skin. She laughed even harder.

“My snare sounds a little off. I think a few adjustments are necessary,” he said.

She straddled his lap and wrapped her arms around his lower back. “Is that better?”

“Yeah,” he said breathlessly. “Maybe move it a bit closer so I can reach it properly.”

She snuggled against him, pressing her breasts into his hard chest, her face into his neck. She inhaled his scent and couldn’t seem to stop herself from sucking gentle kisses over his throat.

“Gah! Boner time,” he said and wrapped both arms around her to shift her closer. He wasn’t just saying that to make her giggle until her cheeks hurt. He really was hard. She felt him against her mound.

She wrapped her legs around his waist, pressing the heat between her thighs against him. He groaned and kissed her forehead. “If you don’t stop encouraging me, I’m going to tell you all the things I want to do to your hot little body and embarrass the hell out of you.”

“Try me,” she murmured, kissing the sexy cleft in his chin and then sucking his lower lip into her mouth.

“Are you going to fuck her right here in front of everyone?” an unfamiliar voice said from the other side of the drum kit.

Rebekah swiveled her head and caught a glimpse of Jon Mallory before Eric and the stool toppled backward, taking her with it. A cymbal clanged.

“Ow,” Eric protested.

His body had cushioned her fall.

“Are you okay, Reb?” Eric asked.

She grinned at his concern. “Me? You’re the one who hit

the floor.”

“Who’s the girl?” Jon asked, circling the drum kit and offering a hand to Eric. Rebekah tried not to stare. Jon had aged twenty years since she’d seen him on TV last and that had only been five years ago.

“Our new FOH,” Eric said, climbing to his feet and helping Rebekah scrape herself off the floor.

“No shit? What’s your name, sweetheart?”

She offered Jon a friendly smile. “Rebekah.”

“Jon.”

“Well, yeah. I think I know who you are.”

He grinned, his gray eyes sweeping up her body. “I suppose this is the reason Marcus has his panties all in a bunch. He about took my head off when I asked him where my bass was.”

“He best be getting over it,” Eric grumbled.

Rebekah understood why Marcus was upset, but she wasn’t going to relent and give up her position as FOH, even if he did have seniority. She had to live up to Dave’s expectations, and the band’s, and most importantly, her own. “I suppose I should get to work on the mics,” she said. “You guys ready to rehearse?”

“I’d rather keep you as my snare,” Eric said and wrapped both arms around her back.

“Sounds pretty violent,” Jon said.

“Keeps her between my legs.”

“Wouldn’t you rather be between hers?”

“Maybe someday,” she said and wriggled out of Eric’s grasp.

She shuffled through equipment cases and found the microphones she’d read about in Dave’s notes the day before. She set them up from memory, making sure they were in the right location and the perfect distance from the drumheads.

“You sure you haven’t done this before?” Eric asked as he watched her set things up.

“I have done this before. In college and on-the-job training. I just never got paid before. Besides, Dave gave great instructions.” Speaking of, she’d left the notebook in the equipment truck. She’d probably need it to figure out the wiring configuration. “I’ll be right back.” She headed out of the venue and into the truck, which was now empty. The amplifier she’d left her notebook on was gone. The notebook, also gone. Rebekah’s heart sank. She raced back into the building and found Jake changing the strings on one of Trey’s guitars.

“Hey, Jake, have you seen a wire-bound notebook with a black cover? I left it on an amp in the truck, and it’s gone.”

“Sorry, sweetie, haven’t seen it. Maybe Marcus or Travis know where it is.”

Rebekah asked Travis next. She really hoped Marcus hadn’t been the one to find it. He’d probably give her a hard time for needing it. Travis was helping someone she hadn’t met set up a light panel behind the drums. “Hey, Travis!” she called. “Have you seen a notebook around here? I left in the truck.”

“Sorry, sugar, haven’t seen it.”

“I think Marcus might have it,” the temporary roadie said.

Great.

“What’s the matter, Reb?” Eric asked. He had his snare in place now and was shifting his drums and cymbals around slightly to get them lined up to his preferred specifications.

“Nothing,” she assured him. Her heart was thudding as she approached Marcus, who was connecting wires to a soundboard next to the stage. She really didn’t want a confrontation with the guy.

“Um, Marcus?” she asked.

He glanced at her and then turned his attention back to his work. “What?”

“I seem to have misplaced my brother’s notebook. Have you seen it?”

“Nope.”

He plugged in another wire, and she could tell their conversation was over. She wasn’t sure if she believed him or not. He probably knew exactly where her notebook was, but she wasn’t going to accuse him. The guy already hated her enough.

“Okay, thanks,” she said.

She could probably hook up most of the sound equipment from memory. It was the nuances of Dave’s specific configuration that concerned her. She wanted everything to be perfect for this show. She wanted to make a good impression on the band. She wanted to prove to them that she could do this job and prove to herself that she wasn’t destined to be a failure in everything she tried.