Page 28 of Extended Bridge (Passionate Beats #2)

Several hours later, we collapse onto the bed in his hotel room. “That was fun.” I giggle. I down more than my share of sips of the brown water.

“Have to say, I had a blast.” His head flops toward mine. “Thanks for forcing me to join the guys. I’d almost forgotten how enjoyable hanging out with them can be.”

It’s as if my limbs gain fifty pounds. Why does he block his road to happiness with the band? I’m going to make him see they have his back. I turn to my side. “They like you, Bennett. They treat you like their friend.”

“I don’t know about that. You were probably looking through bourbon goggles.”

“I wasn’t.” I lift onto my elbow but can’t keep my balance and wobble. “You need to see the band like I do. You’re all in this together. Fighting against annoying media reports. Performing in front of thousands of fans. Let them in.”

“What if I have everything I need without sharing my stupid shit with them? I have a great career, amazing venues to play music with my band, and you. I don’t need anything else.”

Ignoring the final part, I focus on how he described the band. My finger rubs against his stubbly chin. “That’s the first time I’ve heard you call UC ‘my band.’”

He bites the inside of his chin. “Well, I guess it is ‘my’ band. I’m the lead singer and all.”

“That’s not what you meant. The members of the band are your people. You are a group of friends getting together to play music, and not a bunch of individuals who perform onstage like you first described Untamed Coaster.”

His eyes close. “I don’t know, Jenna. I don’t do friends.”

I need to push him on this. I want him to understand he is amongst friends. “What am I?”

He sits up. “Jenna, what do you want me to say? ”

My back hits the hotel’s plush upholstered headboard. “Only what you feel. I can tell you what I see, but if you don’t feel the same way, what good is it?”

He contemplates my question for a long while. “I don’t know. There’s always been a disconnect between me and the rest of the band. We enjoy performing together and have fun being on tour. However, I don’t share my secrets with them.”

“Not even with Luke?” Their manager is close with Bennett. He told me so.

“He knows more than most, but not everything.” Bennett cups my cheek in his hand. “You’re the closest one to knowing all of my secrets.”

“I’ll never betray your confidences. Ever.” I reach over and kiss his nose. “I’d like for you to share more of your burdens with others. Maybe let Luke in. Tristan seems like a good guy, if you’d feel better with someone not original to the band.”

“Have a crush on Tris, do you?”

“Oh, yeah.” The back of my palm flies to my forehead. “I can’t wait to get closer to him by spending all my time with you, like a good Black Widow would.”

His hands cover my shoulders and pin me to the bed. “I better not be a way to pass the time.”

A sarcastic retort is on the tip of my tongue, but it dies when I see the hurt look in his green eyes. “I was kidding.” My honest reply fills the room. “I only want for you to open up to your bandmates a little more. Let them in. You might be surprised at their perspective on things.”

“Why does this matter to you?”

I collect my thoughts and say, “Because you walk in a world few understand. They do. Let them help you wrestle all the pressures you’re under.”

He settles over my body, every part of his long frame warming me.

“No one has ever cared about me the way you do, Jenna. You make it seem like I can share my life with the band, that my truths won’t make them run away.

They don’t need to know my monsters; they have their own problems. To them, I’m the cocky lead singer, who handles all the minutiae and keeps UC running. ”

My gaze roves over his perfect face. “What if they saw a fraction of the truth? Maybe about how hard it was when your father passed and you decided to join the band?”

His cheek ripples. “They were there.”

“I’m sure they knew your dad died and you dropped out of high school when Darren asked. But did you share your feelings back then?” I trace his eyebrows. “How hard this was for you?”

“They knew.”

“Fine,” I relent. “They didn’t leave you all alone to study for the test, did they? I know for a fact Darren used to quiz you for the GED. The others helped you prepare, too. Does that sound like a group of guys who didn’t care?”

He drops onto his side. “Well, no. I thought they didn’t want a high school dropout representing the band.”

“Oh, Bennett. Darren told me how proud he was of you for passing the test on the first try. All of you took the GED together, because you all studied for it.”

He doesn’t say a word, but I can see him processing. After a few minutes, he whispers, “I guess you’re right.” He smiles at me. “We all celebrated when I passed.”

“Because you let them in to help you. Can you remember how that made you feel?”

“Good. Proud.”

“As you all should. How about when you selected Tristan to join the band?”

“It was a grueling process. Applicants submitted videos, which our team screened, passing along only the top ones. We met with a few candidates, but Tristan vibed with us right away. It took some time for him to be a part of UC, but he’s here now.

” His face swivels toward mine. “The rock climbing outing cemented it. ”

“See what happens when you come together as a unit to achieve a goal?”

“I’m not sure what goals we still have to achieve.”

“How sad.” I turn on my side. “Don’t you—meaning UC as a band—have any milestones you still want to achieve?”

“We’re selling out stadiums, have won a few awards.” He waves his hand. “I guess it would be cool to win an Oscar for best song in a movie.”

I latch onto this. “What an awesome goal! What do you have to do to make that happen?”

He shakes his head. “I have no idea.”

“How about this. Why don’t you research what it takes to win, and then talk with your band members about it?” I use the pronoun “your” on purpose, and consider it a win when he doesn’t correct me.

“Or, I could ask Luke. It could be fun to work toward a goal again. See if we can reach it.”

I nod, keeping the tears in check. This man is opening up to his band whether he realizes it or not. “The challenge will be worth it.”

His hands skim down my body. “Thank you. I haven’t felt this much excitement about UC in a long time.”

“Glad to be of service.”

His pupils dilate. “I know how else you can be of service.”

“The doctor said two more days.”

“Fuck the doctor.”

My hand flies in front of my mouth but it doesn’t prevent my giggle from escaping. “I’d rather not.”

“Good thing, for his health.” He covers my lips with his and our kiss escalates to off the charts in no time flat. Before I know it, I’m naked and his mouth has trailed between my legs. “I now have only one goal, and it’s to hear you scream my name.”

He slides two fingers into my body and pumps while his tongue encircles my clit. “Oh, Bennett. Right there.” My hand clamps down on the top of his head.

“Got you, Sweetheart. ”

Boy, does he. Tingling begins at my toes and races throughout my body until I’m clenched around him. With one more flick of his tongue, I spiral into the stratosphere, shouting, “Bennett!”

When I return to earth, I loll my head to see him smirking. Guess he earned it.

“You’re so responsive, Jenna. It’s like you were created for me.

You challenge me not for what you can get out of it, but to make my life better.

You make me do PT so I’ll heal faster, not letting me go off script and reinjure myself.

You encourage me to be a better man.” He brushes the hair away from my face.

“How could I not fall in love with you?”

“You can’t.” The words escape my mouth without direction. My heart pounds.