Noel scratches the back of his neck. “I don’t get you, Lane. One minute your hot for me, the next you shove me away. Aren’t I more important than some lame job?”

“Noel…”

He shakes his head. “You know what, forget it. Sorry I crossed some invisible line you have drawn in your head.”

I watch him stalk off towards the bedroom and slam the door.

A few hours later, when Aubrey and Riff are forced out of their sex nest, I stand back stage with her while we wait on the guys to come out of their band meeting. She grins from ear to ear as she goes over every sordid detail of her sexual escapade last night. I roll my eyes at the part where she gushes about how great Riff is in the sack, and she gives me a playful shove.

“So you’re telling me nothing happened with you and Noel last night?” she questions. “You two were pretty cozy on the way back.” I sigh, and she laughs. “I knew it! Tell me!”

I hold my hands up in surrender. “Okay. Okay. Jeesh, get a grip. We kissed.”

Aubrey raises her eyebrow. “A kiss? Was it like a polite peck or was it full on tongue I-want-your-body make-out?”

I frown. “It definitely wasn’t polite.”

“Lanie, God, sometimes I swear for someone so smart, you sometimes act like an idiot. You should be ecstatic right now. Reconnection with your first love is something people dream about and you’re getting that. I don’t see why you don’t just let loose and let it happen.”

“But the job—”

“But, nothing. Don’t make me give the ‘jobs aren’t everything’ speech. Jobs don’t keep you warm or make you feel sexy, but Noel Falcon totally can. Anyone can see the guy is crazy about you.”

Is it really that obvious to other people? I know he’s been trying to get in my pants since we meet back up in Houston, but it wasn’t until last night I found out he has actual feelings for me, and that scares me a little. It’s obvious I hurt him in the past, and I don’t want to do that again. Things are going smooth between us now, but what happens when my two weeks are up? Will he go back to sleeping with random groupies while I’m back in New York? If he did that, I would end our relationship…again.

Then there’s the job.

I don’t think I’m ready to risk anything just yet.

Aubrey stares at me expectantly. “Quit doing that.”

I flinch. “Doing what?”

“Over thinking things. You’ll never know until you let down your walls a little.”

I run my fingers through my hair. “Why are you pushing this? You hated him before.”

She shrugs. “Because you’re my best friend, and I love you. I want you to be happy. Plus, he’s not the asshole I thought he was.”

I give her a weak smile and then wrap my arms around her.

“Hey now…” I turn and find Riff staring at us. “Nobody gets this girl’s lovin’ but me.”

Aubrey giggles like a giddy kid at Christmas when Riff grabs her up in a hug. “Riff!”

I roll my eyes. “On that note, I’m out of here.”

I wander around back stage and find an empty bench. The roadies rush back and forth connecting cables and tuning instruments. The opening act for Black Falcon is set to take the stage in the next few minutes. I’m really enjoying all the great music I’ve heard the last couple shows and I’m curious as to what band is playing with them tonight.

“Lanie, love, didn’t expect to see you again so soon.” I jerk my head towards the voice and set my eyes on a grinning Striker. His long, dark hair hangs in a low ponytail and a few shorter strands fall haphazardly around his face. The brown in his eyes is so dark they almost appear black from a short distance. Tight leather pants accompanied with a sleeveless dress shirt shows off his body and array of perfectly placed tattoos. I’m definitely intrigued by him.

I smile at him. “Hey, Striker. I didn’t know Embrace the Darkness was opening for Black Falcon.”

Striker must take my smile as an invitation because he plops down next to me on the bench and causally stretches his arm behind me. “We do from time to time. Same record label and all. Say, you think you might fancy getting a drink with me later?”

When I gave my number to him the other day, I didn’t even think about the possibility of something happening between Noel and I. But, since we kissed last night, I feel like that changes things a bit.

“Striker, I’m not sure…”

“Ah, come on. Just one drink.” He winks at me, and when I hesitate with my answer, he says, “Don’t tell me you’ve got a thing going on with that Noel, bloke. He’s not worthy of a lovely such as you.”

I raise an eyebrow, taken back at his forwardness. “And you are?”

Striker takes my hand into his and then raises it to his lips. “I would treat you like the queen you are.”

The skin on the back of my hand tingles from the touch of his lips. His eyes meet mine, and there is no trace of humor in them at all. I swallow deeply, unsure of what to say. Noel and I’ve already had a relationship that’s fallen apart. Who says that won’t happen again? This thing with Striker is new and unexplored, and frankly a little scary because our apparent attraction to one another feels intense.

“What the hell is going on?” Noel’s face is angry, and he’s staring daggers at my hand in Striker’s.

I yank my hand away, and my heart pounds. Where did he come from? “Nothing. It’s not what you think.”