“Yeah, bro?”“Watch out for her for me, okay?”Dare smiled. “Will do.”“Thanks.” Trey slid off the equipment case and approached Reagan who was having advice thrown at her from Max, Steve, and Logan all at once. She looked from one man to the next as if they were speaking some obscure foreign language.“Guys,” Trey interrupted. “Give her a moment to breathe.”She looked so relieved to see him that he thought she might burst into tears. He strengthened his resolve. Champion, not crutch. “I’ve got some stuff to do. I’ll see you tonight, okay?”Her look of desperation turned his resolve into a wet noodle. “You’re leaving?”“You’ll do great, Reagan. I have faith in you.” He gave her arm a rough bro-tap with his knuckles and turned to go. Maybe he should have kissed her good-bye instead.In her dressing room on opening night, Reagan concentrated on walking in her new high-heeled ankle boots without breaking her neck. She’d promised Sam that she’d try this his way before reverting back to h
She popped her feet out of both boots, tossed them to a stage runner, and stood barefoot on the stage wriggling her toes in delight. “Now I can get my rock on.”She played a random string of notes that sent the crowd into a frenzy. Okay, so this was a lot of fun. She dug her fingers into her hair, messing it all up and feeling damned good about it. She threw up her devil horns on both fists, shaking her extended pinkies and index fingers at the crowd.“I’m ready to get dirty,” Reagan said.Dare chuckled into his microphone. “Oh hell yeah,” he said in a sexy growl.“I’ll get dirty with you, Reagan,” Logan said.“Let’s all get dirty,” Max yelled, and the band segued into their gritty ballad, “Stained.”Reagan made an effort to get involved in the rest of the show. Not too involved. She didn’t want to overstep her bounds and upstage anyone else in the band. She felt she did an excellent job mimicking Max’s guitar work and was rather proud of that, even though she felt a little disconnect
“How do you feel about Ethan?” Trey asked.She stiffened. “What do you mean?”“Do you love him?”“He’s my best friend. Well, you are too. You’re both my best friends.”“We’re also your lovers.”“If I tell you I love him, will you break up with me?”Trey chuckled softly. “Sweetheart, you’re the one who is trying too hard. You can love him. It’s not like you can help it, and he’s a wonderful man. He treats you well. He’d do anything for you. You’ve been through a lot together.”“Do you love him?” Reagan asked.“I like him.”“That’s not the same thing.”“I’m well aware of that.”“Do you think you could love a man?”Trey needed to tell her his deepest remaining secret. He trusted her with it. He wasn’t sure if she’d accept it or understand, but if he expected her to be open and honest about everything then he had to treat her with the same respect. “I do love a man.”“Do? Or did?”“Do. I’ll never stop loving him, but he’s out of reach.”“What’s his name?”His stomach clenched with apprehe
“I thought I might ask my girlfriend to dance, but after seeing the company she keeps, I’m not sure I’m famous enough.”Reagan wrapped both arms around Trey and squeezed. He couldn’t reciprocate; his hands were full. “Dare told me what you did.”He stiffened slightly. “What did I do?”“You saved his life.”“Oh that. I didn’t really have a say in the matter. I couldn’t even string an entire sentence together then. Trey, do you want to donate some bone marrow? Ba-ba da-da yeah-yeah. They assumed that meant yes.”She snuggled her face into his neck. “I still think it’s heroic.”“Did he tell you he almost died last year?” Dare asked, helping himself to one of the beers in Trey’s waistband.Reagan drew away to look up at Trey. “No, he did not. What happened?”Trey took her hand and directed it to the side of his head. She fingered the narrow scar that arched over his ear.“Got hit in the head with a ball bat,” he said. “Some bleeding on the brain. A couple of grand mal seizures. No big dea
“I understand,” he said. “This is enough.”But it wasn’t and Reagan knew that. “I should have been more discrete with Trey too. If I can’t be open about both of you, I shouldn’t be open about either of you.”“We can publicly pretend to break up, if you want,” Trey said.“Don’t be stupid,” Ethan said. “It’s fine. I said I understand. I just hope we’re alone as often as possible.”“We’re alone right now,” Reagan said. She looked up at Ethan and he cupped her face in both hands before kissing her. Trey moved up against her back and wrapped them both in his arms. Ethan released her lips so he could kiss Trey. Pressed between her two loves, she didn’t care if the rest of the world disappeared forever. She had everything she could ever want or need right here.*******They’d arrived in San Francisco earlier that morning for the second show of the new tour. While Reagan worked through a full dress rehearsal with Exodus End, Trey sat on the edge of his bunk and watched Brian sleep. Reagan was
Trey stared at him for a long moment, no longer hurt, just kind of numb. “Yeah.”“I’m sorry, Trey. I didn’t know you felt that way. If I had, I would have set you straight.”“No reason to be sorry. I’m never sorry for the idiots who fall in love with me just because I f**k them.” And if he’d made them all feel this worthless and used, he was the one who was sorry. He’d never meant to hurt anyone. But this… this hurt.“You should have told me sooner,” Brian said.Why? So Trey could’ve had his heart shredded before he’d found Reagan? No thanks. He had a powerful need to see her now. Surely, she was almost done rehearsing. He needed her love to fill the gaping hole inside him. “Can I go now? Or would you like to twist the knife in my chest a few more times?”“This isn’t going to affect our music, is it?”“Give me some credit, Brian. Has it been an issue before? Forget I said anything. Okay?”This time when Trey forced his body out of the corner and headed for the exit, Brian let him go.
The double meaning wasn’t lost on Ethan. He rested his weight on one elbow and used his free hand to stroke Trey’s cock. Trey’s eyelids fluttered as he lost himself to pleasure, but he didn’t look away. Even when he let go in Ethan’s hand, he continued to stare into Ethan’s eyes. Ethan shuddered as he followed Trey to bliss, equally lost in the connection between them as he was in the release offered to his body.He kissed Trey’s lips briefly. “That felt good,” he said.“Of course it did.”“I mean to finally tell you I love you. I’ve known since our first time together. Now that you know, are you going to make me leave?”Trey shook his head and touched Ethan’s face. He searched his eyes for a moment. “It’s gone,” he said.“What’s gone?”“The emptiness. Reagan filled much of it, but there was a part of me I thought only Brian would ever touch. I don’t need him to feel loved anymore. I think… I think I need you for that, Ethan.”Ethan smiled, his heart thudding with joy. “Do you mean th
Trey held her on his lap and stroked her hair as he spoke to her. She seemed groggy but coherent. “We’re going for a ride in an ambulance. Doesn’t that sound fun?” Trey asked her.“I’d rather ride in the limo.” She groaned. “Damn, my head hurts.”“How’s your neck?”“I don’t know. I feel sort of numb. And tired. And nauseous.” She turned her head and stared at the guy who had Ethan’s knee in his back and his arms pulled up behind him at a sharp angle. He wasn’t going anywhere. Reagan shook her head and laughed. “I can’t believe I’ve been afraid of Pyre this whole time. In a fair fight, I could take him down myself.”“I’ve got him pinned, if you want to take a cheap shot at him,” Ethan said.“Maybe later,” she murmured.“Are you okay, Reagan?” Sed asked, looking from her to Pyre as if he couldn’t decide if he’d rather comfort her or kick the shit out of Pyre.“I’ll be fine. I’m just tired.” Her eyelids fluttered and Trey gave her a harsh shake.“Try to stay awake. Okay?” he said. “I’m p