We slept like that for several more days until we were positive that Liam was out of the woods. I wasn’t surprised when Marissa decided to sleep in her own bed again, but I was definitely disappointed. Which told me that I was getting too close. If I got addicted to having her in my arms, then it was only going to worsen and my need for her would turn into an obsession.

After returning to Tennessee, I attempted to distance myself from her, but that wasn’t easy. I hated being away from her for more than a few hours. When I wasn’t touring with OtherWorld, I spent my evenings with Marissa either watching movies or just talking before bed. Simple things that didn’t mean much to most folks, but meant the world to me and kept my head from exploding with images from my past. Marissa kept my demons quiet, soothed my pain and regret of things I’d done while in the marines.

In the end I ended up seeking her out more often than staying away, so much so that I ended up spending more time in her company than I would have normally. That should have told me I was getting weaker where she was concerned, but I’d ignored all signs.

The night of our first concert was where my heart overruled my head and let my natural instincts take over. Those instincts that told a man to take what was his, brand it, tell the world that it—she—was yours and yours alone…

The music was blaring throughout the club. It was just me and Axton in the VIP room. Zander was off hooking up, and Liam and Devlin had stayed on the bus. I kept thinking I should have stayed on the bus too, talked Marissa out of coming and made an early night of it. But she had wanted to come and since Devlin was staying on the bus there was no need for her to be there to watch out for Harris. If she was going to a club then I had to go. No way was I going to let her go out without me. Who would protect her from all those pricks that would want to seduce her?

Not long after we had arrived at the club, Marissa had talked Dallas into dancing with her and the two chicks had disappeared into the crowd downstairs. I’d wanted to object, but Marissa had been having fun and I didn’t want to ruin that for her. It wasn’t often Marissa got to hang out with other women, and I trusted Dallas. She was not only smoking hot, but able to take care of herself. She would protect Marissa if anything happened.

I was just finishing the last of my first beer when Marissa and Dallas walked into the VIP room. I hadn’t consciously kept tabs on how long they were gone, but I’d counted the songs and they’d been down there dancing to four. Axton put his phone away as soon as Dallas and Marissa sat down beside us on the huge couch. Natalie had arranged for our group to be the only ones in the VIP room that night so the room felt empty with just the four of us in there.

Marissa picked up her glass of white wine, taking a thirsty swallow before fanning her sweat-damp face. “That was fun.”

“You’ll have to ask my date.” I thought I heard Dallas say.

“What the fuck?”

I turned my head at Axton’s growl with a frown. Axton was normally the laid back one of the five of us, but when it came to Dallas he was anything but his normal self. She brought out a fierceness in the rock star that resembled my own for Marissa. Lucky bastard could act on his feelings though, while I was trapped in my own head with my feelings for my girl.

Dallas giggled and picked up Marissa’s hand. “I told you, she’s my girl tonight.” She lifted Marissa’s hand and nibbled on her fingers, wiggling her brow at Marissa suggestively.

She meant to tease Axton, which from the sound of his tortured groan, he was. But the sight of her sucking on Marissa’s finger, something I’d been fantasizing about just the night before when she had licked a smear of chocolate off her fingers made my jeans suddenly unbearably tight. Up until that moment I didn’t think my dick had ever been so hard in my entire life. The groan that escaped me was strangled from my throat and I clenched my jaw before another sound could escape.

Marissa giggled and pulled her hand away. “Go on, Dallas. Have fun. I’m going to sit here and try to talk Wroth into ordering me something a little stronger than wine.”

Axton stood, holding his hand out for Dallas, but his eyes were on mine. I put everything I had into that one look, practically begging my friend and bandmate not to leave me. I was almost to the point of no return from simply watching Dallas teasingly suck on Marissa’s fingers. How the fuck was I supposed to keep my hands off her if they left me?

The fucking bastard gave me a grimace that said he was sorry, but he wasn’t going to help me out. He tightened his hand around Dallas’s fingers and pulled her out the door. Leaving me trapped with the star of all my wet dreams for the last four years.

Fucking hell.

Marissa turned her smiling face up to me. “Well, how about it?”

My throbbing dick twitched against the material of my jeans. “How about what?” I choked out.

She laughed. “How about ordering me something stronger than wine? Dallas’s rum punch looked refreshing and I’m thirsty.”

The thing about Marissa was that she was a light weight when it came to alcohol. She didn’t do things that were going to mess with her decision making skills. Especially after watching what drugs had done to her brother. She drank a glass of wine every now and then but never more than one glass. “Rum is a hell of a lot stronger than wine, Mari.”

Her eyes lit up when I used that particular nickname that only I had ever called her. I knew she loved it when I called her that and only used it when I wanted her to give in to whatever I was trying to persuade her to do. Of course there were times that that name slipped out, but now was not one of those times. I needed her as sober as possible if I was going to keep my hands off her.

“I’m aware of that, Wroth,” she assured me with a smile. “But I want to relax a little more. And you’re here in case I do something stupid. I trust you.” She rested her head on my shoulder and gazed up at me from under her lashes. Those long, thick, dark lashes. Surrounding the bluest eyes the world had ever seen.

Did she know what she did to me? Did she even know that she could do this to me? Make my body ache and my chest burn with a need that was all consuming. Or was she completely clueless to how much I wanted her, how much I loved and adored her?

When the door opened I nearly jumped out of my skin, feeling like I was a kid caught by my mother about to make out with my first girl. Looking up I saw that it was a waiter, bringing in more bottles of beer and water. I snatched another beer off the man’s try before he had a chance to place them on the table in front of us.