As soon as they stopped, Connor hopped off and then reached up to lift Lyric down. She was buzzing with energy. Her muscles jumped and jittered and she beamed from ear to ear.

He took her hand in his and led her back to her dressing room. He was gratified to see that food and drink were waiting for her. A few people with security passes milled about. Lyric ignored them, latched on to a bottle of water and chugged it down without taking a breath. She tossed the plastic and then reached for another as she slumped onto the couch.

“I have it on good authority you’re going to be having company in a very few minutes,” Connor said dryly. “You want to shower and change and I’ll hold them off for you?”

She sent him a puzzled look.

“The girls. They have passes with their tickets. I thought you knew.”

Lyric’s face lit up. “Oh that’s great. I asked Phillip to make sure they were taken care of but I wasn’t sure what arrangements he’d made for them.”

“The blue-haired brigade will descend.”

She chuckled. “You make us sound like a horde of little old ladies.”

“Hey, it wasn’t my idea to dye your hair blue.”

“Okay, let me shower and get into some nonsweaty clothes. You can let them in. They can wait in here so they won’t be pushed and shoved around by the crew outside.”

Connor nodded and checked his watch. He needed to call and get a report from the police on whether charges would be pressed against Frick and Frack.

CHAPTER 27

As soon as the hot water hit Lyric, she wilted like a flower in a hundred-degree weather. All the adrenaline left her and she sagged against the wall as water beat down over her. All those sleepless nights were catching up and all she really wanted to do was go to sleep for about a week.

It took considerable effort but she washed her hair and rinsed off and then stepped out to dry. She combed through her hair but left it wet and then pulled on jeans and a T-shirt. It was nice not have to be meeting with regular fans. She could relax, kick back with the girls and not have to worry about a façade.

And Lord, but she was starving.

She trudged back into the dressing room to see Faith, Serena, Julie and Angelina sprawled on the couches while their guys stood to the side talking to Connor.

It was evident Connor had been watching for her, though, and it sent a giddy little thrill coursing through her veins. He looked up, and when he saw her, he broke from the group of men and came directly to her.

“You okay?”

She smiled. “Yeah. It was a good show.”

He leaned in to kiss her, shocking her into silence. Everyone was watching them but he didn’t seem to give a shit.

“You were fantastic. Now come sit down and rest. I’ll get you something to eat.”

A warm buzz, not unlike an alcohol-induced haze settled over her as she went over to the couch. She was smiling. Not just smiling but smiling ridiculously, and it had nothing to do with the show.

“You were awesome, Lyric!” Faith exclaimed when Lyric plopped onto the couch next to her.

“Terrific show,” Serena said in agreement. “You looked kick-ass out there.”

“Thanks, guys. I’m so glad you’re here.”

Angelina shifted position and Micah came to stand behind her. He slid his hand over her shoulder and offered a gentle squeeze. He leaned down and whispered something in her ear, and Angelina smiled and shook her head.

“Very well done, Lyric,” Damon Roche said as the guys gathered around the girls. “I think Serena mentioned that we’d caught one of your shows in Vegas. We enjoyed it and tonight very much.”

“The chute seats were awesome,” Julie said with a grin. “All those cowboys so close I could almost touch them.”

Nathan scowled. “I swear I can’t take you anywhere.”

“Thank you all so much,” Lyric said sincerely. “It was a fun show. I admit I had reservations about bringing my act here. Wasn’t sure it would be appreciated given the venue.”

Gray settled on the other side of Faith and shot Lyric a sly grin. “I think you may have converted Mr. Tight Ass, who only listens to country music.”

Lyric’s eyes widened innocently. “I can’t imagine who you’re talking about.”

Connor snorted as he set a plate of food on the coffee table in front of Lyric. “I admit to a few musical prejudices.” He glanced up at Lyric. “Eat,” he said softly.

She didn’t need any encouragement. She sat forward and began to eat the yummy assortment of sandwiches and finger foods.

“We all need a picture together,” Julie said. “The Smurfettes and all, you know.”

The men groaned.

“At least it’s just the tips,” Damon said with a grin. “They can be trimmed.”

“You’re not touching my hair!” Serena gasped. “I think we look awesome.”

“Well, there’s no denying you ladies look fantastic,” Micah said with an easy smile. “I was worried we’d need some of Lyric’s security detail just to escort you girls back here. There were a lot of good ole boys sizing up our muscle.”

Angelina laughed. “You’re so full of shit, but we love you for it.”

Lyric leaned back with her plate and sighed. A few weeks ago, she would have never guessed that she’d meet such great people or make actual friends. Real friends. People who didn’t want anything from her. Who liked the real Lyric.

Now that her show was over, she had a few days to do nothing and then she’d have to move on. Things to do. Albums to record. More concerts. For the first time she felt regret over her nomadic existence and the fact she didn’t have a home base.

How great it would be to get to come home after days on the road and have friends like this group where she could relax and not worry about what face she was presenting to the world.

The yearning was so keen that it made her chest ache.

“I hate to break this up, but Lyric’s tired and I really need to get her home so she can rest,” Connor said.

She blinked in surprise and realized she’d zoned out on the couch while conversation went on around her.

“I’m okay,” she said. “They don’t have to go.”

“You look exhausted,” he said bluntly.

“Of course you need to go rest,” Serena said as she stood gracefully from the couch. “I can’t imagine how you’re holding your head up after such an energetic show. We’ll see you again before you leave Houston.”

Lyric managed to get up and hug all the girls. “Thank you all so much for coming. It really meant a lot.”

“Thank you for the great seats!” Faith exclaimed. “Even the guys had fun.”

“More like we didn’t trust you out on your own again,” Gray muttered.

The women rolled their eyes.

Angelina smirked. “Think of how boring your lives would be without us.”

“Dear God, did you say a mouthful,” Nathan said. “I can safely say that’s one word that will never apply to our lives ever again.”

Julie wrapped her arms around the big guy and grinned cheekily up at him. “Admit it. You led pitiful existences before we swooped in and saved you.”

He lowered his mouth to kiss her, smiling all the while. “I don’t dispute that either, honey.”

Lyric walked them all to the door as the men herded the women, and then she was left alone with Connor and Kane and her security detail.

She closed the door and turned. “Any word on R.J. and Trent?”

Connor shook his head. “I have a call into the lieutenant handling their questioning. He’s supposed to call me when he knows something.”

She sighed. “Call me naïve but I just can’t imagine them doing this. What could they possibly have to gain? It doesn’t even make sense.”

“I’m inclined to agree with you,” Kane said. “But the evidence does support their involvement. We’ll let the police do their job and see what they come up with.”

“The important part is that you don’t have to worry about them anymore,” Connor said.

She didn’t miss his face darkening at the mention of them. He looked . . . jealous. Her lips twitched but she didn’t smile. Maybe later she’d tell him that she hadn’t slept with either man for the last several shows. For now, she liked the idea that he was possessive of her.

“You ready?” Connor asked. “You really do need to get some rest. You’re going to fall over soon.”

“Yeah, let’s go. I could use a cupcake and maybe a cup of hot chocolate. An evening in front of the fire sounds really nice right now.”

He pulled her into his side and they walked out to the waiting car.

Lyric lay against Connor on the couch, her feet stretched to the end, watching the flickering flames from the hearth while Connor absently ran his fingers through her hair.

An empty cupcake wrapper lay on the coffee table beside the half-finished cup of hot chocolate. She was warm, sated and drifting closer and closer to the veil of sleep.

“This is nice,” she murmured sleepily.

He didn’t answer but pressed a kiss to her hair in response.

“If I fall asleep, will you carry me up to bed again?”

She smiled as she awaited his response.

“You don’t have to be asleep for me to carry you up to bed.”

“Mmm.” She snuggled deeper into his chest and rubbed her cheek against the solid wall of muscle. “I kind of like you carrying me around. Makes me feel small and dainty.”

Connor snorted. “You are small and dainty. You don’t even come to my chin. I could probably stick you in my pocket and carry you around.”

“So what do we do now?”

He tipped her chin up so she looked at him. “What do you mean?”

She shrugged. “I mean now that the show is over. There never was a real threat to me. Whatever reason R.J. and Trent had for leaving those notes, I don’t believe for a minute they were going to hurt me. So that’s resolved.”

“Well, if I remember correctly, the point of this whole venture was for you to do your show, take some down time and lay low. So I guess the answer to your question is, you can do whatever you want.”

“And you?” she asked hesitantly.

He cocked his head. “Lyric, if there’s something you want to say, say it. I’m not a mind reader.”

“I just wondered if you’d want to do stuff with me. I mean just us. Not job related.”

His eyes gleamed in the low light. His thumb ran over her jaw and then to her lips, rubbing softly over her mouth.

“I’d like nothing more than to spend some time with you.”

He followed his hand with his mouth, turning her face up to meet his lips. Warm and melting, his heat invaded her, moving sluggishly through her veins like a narcotic.

He was dangerous to her. He did things to her heart and mind she couldn’t explain. He made her want things she’d always been afraid of. But now she wanted to try. She wanted a normal relationship, but how was such a thing ever possible for her?

“In fact, what I’d really like to do right now is take you upstairs and make love to you and for you to sleep in my arms afterward.”

She swallowed and nodded. She’d try. God, for him she’d try.

He pushed himself from the couch and then reached down to curl her into his arms. He lifted her effortlessly from the couch and carried her up the stairs to her bedroom.

She curled her arms around his neck and tucked her head under his chin. If she could stop time, she’d live in this moment forever. The entire past week had been nothing short of . . . life changing. It sounded corny and melodramatic, but it was absolutely true.

Maybe she’d finally found purpose. Or maybe she was finally growing and stretching beyond the past. She’d simply existed for so long but now she wanted to live. She wanted to grab on and enjoy every moment and take nothing for granted.

He laid her gently on the bed and tonight she didn’t play coy. She wanted him. Wanted him skin to skin, his body on hers. She got up on her knees and circled his neck, pulling him into her kiss.

He tasted like chocolate and he smelled of wood and smoke from the fire. It was a heady, intoxicating blend that she savored.

Her hands drifted over his shoulders and then to his chest, rubbing and caressing his tight body. Lean and hard and so damn delicious.

“Take your shirt off,” she said huskily. “Take it all off. Right there while I’m watching, and then come back to me.”

His gaze never leaving hers, he shucked his shirt and pants, and his underwear quickly followed. She sucked in all her breath as he stood naked, a thing of beauty, all hers to do with what she wanted. Oh damn. It would take a week to do everything she wanted with him.

“If you don’t stop looking at me like that, it’s going to be all over before it begins,” he growled.