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The third song started when she finally found Bunny on the floor. She had a bottle of beer between her fingers and a smirk on her lips. Fuck, Bea wanted to wipe that smirk from her face again. Bunny moved closer to the stage, sliding through the throng of people so that Bea could more easily see her face in the edges of the stage lights.

Someone gasped.

By the time Bea finished the third song on her setlist, the crowd was cheering. But they weren’t screaming for her, they were chanting Bunny’s name. Bunny worked hard to ignore them, drinking her beer and not turning around to face the crowd.

There was no way she was going to be able to ignore the fact that Bunny was here, because the crowd simply wouldn’t let her. Bea locked her eyes on Bunny’s face, speaking into the microphone. “I see we have a VIP in the house tonight.”

Bunny scowled, and a sick sense of amusement ran through Bea’s chest into the pit of her stomach. Payback was a bitch, and Bea was going to have some fun while she had the power inthe room. She could make Bunny do pretty much anything right now, couldn’t she?

“Bunny, from the band Bunny and Piper, is here for the show, you all. Give her a huge round of applause.” Bea laughed while shaking her head. “Most of you know that my baby sister and Piper have gotten closer in the last month. So Bunny and I are trying to get to know each other better, since we’ll be in each other’s lives for the next while.”

The people went wild, having Bea finally acknowledge Bunny’s presence.

“Why don’t you get me a beer, love, and then you can come up here with me,” Bea said the words straight into the microphone as she stared at Bunny, wanting to see exactly what her reaction was going to be.

Bunny’s shoulders tightened sharply, and another thrill ran through Bea. This was a small crowd, but even she knew one person could take things and run wildly with the information. The fake engagement had shown that enough, so Bea left her comment purposely vague, to allow for whatever might happen in the future. No matter what, with as much press that had gone out about the engagement, they were going to have to issue a statement about what was going on. Bunny didn’t have to move as another beer was set into her hand by a waiter.

Bea’s lips bowed gently as she beckoned Bunny on the stage with a wave of her fingers. “Oh, perfect, love. Why don’t you come up here and give it to me?”

Bunny scowled, but she did as she was told, climbing onto the stage to stand next to Bea. As Bunny handed the drink over, she whispered into Bea’s ear, “I hope you have a damn good plan for this.”

“Sometimes the best plan is no plan at all.” Bea winked as she took the beer and a slow sip, completely entranced with the way Bunny’s eyes trailed all over her, following the line of her neck asshe tilted her head back, the swipe of her tongue across her lips as she chased the drops of beer. “Ready?”

“For what exactly?”

Bea didn’t answer. She turned back to the crowd. “What you might not know is that our two bands have been in someintenserehearsals for a Christmas event coming up for the Holbrook Foundation. You’ll get to see Bunny, Piper, and Jo there if you want to support a fantastic cause of helping single mothers. The concert is on Christmas Eve, and you can buy tickets online.”

“Bea…” Bunny muttered loud enough for Bea to hear.

Again, Bea ignored her. “Can we get another microphone up here? Because I think you all want to hear Bunny at her finest. Unrehearsed and on the spot. I’ll tell you that it was a pleasure to find out she is as human as the rest of us.”

“Devilish woman.” Bunny chugged the rest of her beer and waved to the waiter for another one. When the microphone was handed to her, she held it up to her lips. “What are we singing, Bea?”

“We?” The thrill that had only been slight became a wave that knocked her over.

“Bea and I did some tinkering with a quite popular Christmas song, and I think we might be able to manage it, just the two of us.” Bunny turned to the band and bowed to them. “Not that I don’t think you all can keep up, but this song was made for voices.”

“What are you doing?” Bea said, moving the microphone away from her lips.

“What do you say? Sing a duet with me?” Bunny held out her hand.

Bea paused, waiting for the other shoe to drop, for the anger and fear to pull up and rear its ugly head again, but it didn’t. Sliding her fingers into Bunny’s hand, she laced them together.

“Give me a G, would you?” Bea said.

The guitarist plucked the note. Bea shook her head, not taking her eyes from Bunny’s. She was going all in on this one. Humming slightly, she waited for Bunny to join her in matching the note and nodding.

Here we go,Bea thought. She smiled and turned back toward the audience, leaving her hand firmly in Bunny’s. The words fell off her tongue, floating through the air and the crowd. They hit her hard, and she squeezed Bunny’s hand tightly.

“I really can’t stay…”

THIRTY-ONE

bunny

“Meet me backstage,” Bea had whispered into Bunny’s ear so delicately.

Standing in the dressing room before the show was one of the hardest things Bunny had done. Standing there now was impossible. She’d sung a few songs with Bea to appease the crowd, but then she’d bowed and headed off the stage to give Bea the spotlight.