Page 36 of Extended Bridge (Passionate Beats #2)

My cheeks flush. Guess you don’t get to be the stylist for a group of guys without having their foul expressions rub off on you.

I glance down. “Are you sure this all works together?”

“Only two things are out of place now—your hair and makeup. Lucky for you, we’ve got that covered too, and they’ll be excited to have a new head to work on.

Go see the artists in the back and come back when you’re done.

I think you’re my favorite masterpiece.” I turn to head out when she stops me.

“I need a photo!” She takes like a million pictures of me and us.

“Now go. I can’t wait to see the band’s reaction when you’re done.

Make sure you let me introduce you to them, got it? ”

“You deserve one hundred percent of the credit for this outfit.” When I realize I haven’t given one thought to Michelle or Lissa or the speech that may or may not happen tonight, I give her a fierce hug. “Thank you for this, Nese. It means the world to me.”

“You’re amazing. Don’t let anyone try to make you feel otherwise.” She sends me to hair and makeup.

After I’ve been powdered and eyelined and curled and primped and prodded more than I thought imaginable, I’m ready to go back to The Closet and present myself to Nese. All the women back here have complimented my outfit, yet I still can’t help but feel out of my element.

I stand in the hallway, out of sight of the crew and roadies hustling to prepare for tonight’s concert. From inside The Closet, I hear the band laughing. Even Pierce. It has to be a good sign, right?

On this hopeful thought, I text Nese that I’m ready and waiting. A couple of minutes later, she bursts through the door, stopping on a dime. “Holy. Shit.”

My cheeks half inflate. “Is that a good holy shit or a bad one?”

“A fucking great one. Turn around.” I comply. “You’re perfection. I can’t wait until Bennett gets his eyes on you. All of UC, for that matter.” She tugs on my arm. “Walk behind me. I get to do the grand reveal.”

I’m swept up in her element. Inside The Closet, I remain behind her, holding her hand. All around us, the guys keep going about their business. “Hey guys,” Nese says.

They keep talking.

She clears her throat and tries again, to no avail. I squeeze her hand, but she shakes her head. A second later, she brings her right hand to her mouth and whistles loud enough to alert the concertgoers on the other side of the stadium.

At least she gets her wish. All eyes are on her.

“That’s better. I want to show off my latest work of genius.”

She moves to the side, leaving me alone in front of the band. I force my hands to remain at my sides and not to shift my weight between my feet. It’s not easy.

“Take me to school with you, Jenna!” Río’s the first out of the gate.

Coop quips, “I can be your teacher.”

“Looking fine, Miss Westfield,” Tristan adds, ever the gentleman.

Bennett steps forward, cutting off the peanut gallery’s comments. He doesn’t say a word, merely advances toward me in his body-hugging leather pants. I need to thank Nese for this gift—as does all womankind.

He licks his lips, his gaze eating me up like I was an ice cream cone. When I think he’s about to say something, he motions for me to twirl around like Nese did before. Only her gesture didn’t have his lascivious overtone.

Keenly aware I’m in front of the entire band and crew, I refrain from shaking my hips.

Instead, I take my time in blinking at every wall before returning to stare at him.

I want to ask his opinion of my outfit, or at least give Nese credit for it.

But I’m immobile and mute until Bennett releases me from his overheated stare.

“Nese,” he bellows.

From off to the side, she replies, “You can’t fuck her in front of all of us!” Snickers follow her outburst. Of course, my cheeks become hot.

“Not going to give you all the satisfaction that’s mine alone,” Bennett says. “I was going to give you a huge bonus, but not with such a potty mouth.”

“I take it back,” Nese backpedals.

He rubs his hands together. “Check your next paycheck,” he quips to Nese. Under his breath, for my ears only, he says, “I can’t believe you’re more sexy now wearing those boots and miniskirt. Are you trying to kill me before I take the stage?” He crowds my space.

The rest of the room disappears. All my focus is on Bennett. “You like?”

“Sweetheart, if I liked the way you looked any more, I’d be in cardiac arrest. Which wouldn’t be good for performing purposes.”

I nod. “You’re right. Although, I’d have to do mouth-to-mouth to bring you back.”

With a reverent touch, he plays with my current curly locks. “All you’d have to do is kiss me once and I’d be a goner.” His gaze skims me from head to toe once more. “I have no words.”

“For a frontman, that could be a problem.”

“Yeah.” His ring-adorned fingers slowly, finally, finally , reach out and grab my hips. Tugging me toward his leather pants, he whispers, “I love you.”

Can I do this? Should I? How can I not? I wrap my arms around his neck and draw his head to mine. Inhaling, I admit, “I love you.”

Bennett’s eyes widen, his only tell that he heard me. The tip of his tongue extends beyond his kissable lips. “Are you sure? After all, we haven’t had sex yet.”

This man. My man. Who just threw my words back in my face. I mimic his retort to me when I said the same thing to him. “You think sex is my deciding factor?”

His eyes crinkle at the corners as he chuckles. “With you, I’m not sure.”

It’s beyond time for me to lay my heart bare. “It’s never been that for me. I fall in love with a man’s soul. Even if the sex is bad, if I love him, it wouldn’t bother me.”

“Sweetheart, it won’t be bad between us. Believe me.”

“I do.” The need to come clean drives me to share. “You’ve been through so much in your life. You’ve overcome and succeeded based on your raw talent and ambition. Lots of men have good voices but never get near a small stage, let alone the massive stadiums you pack regularly.”

He licks his lips but doesn’t say anything.

“Your internal drive has kept UC on track to reach the amazing milestones you’ve hit.

More than your drive, though, it’s how you’ve reacted to all those hurts that calls out to me.

You’re loved by more than me, Bennett. Your band members and Luke, all love you too.

And you could love them as well, if you let yourself.

They’re not Curtiss about to steal your girl and break your heart.

UC performs like an amazing group, but can you imagine how everything would gel even more if you were out there with your closest friends? ”

“I don’t know about that.”

“And this, right here, is why I love you.” I kiss him, but he doesn’t reciprocate.

“I don’t get it,” he admits when I pull away.

“Your vulnerability calls out to me. I love everything about you, including your potential. I want to be standing at your side when you embrace their love and reflect it back at them. I love how cocky you can be onstage, how you treat your fans with respect.” I line up my body against his again. “Above all, I love how you love me.”

“On this last thing, we both agree.” He brings our lips together for what feels like our first kiss.

“I love your purity, how you cheer me on with my physical therapy, how when you simply enter a room, the air lightens and my heart sings a more beautiful song than anything in our repertoire.” He takes a breath.

“I love how you see me. I hope one day to be worthy of such a vision.” On a groan, he pulls me closer. “Say it again.”

Drunk on the look in his eyes, I repeat, “I love you.” I kiss his nose. “I love you.” My lips land on first one, then his other, cheek. “I love you.”

He kisses me as if his entire band wasn’t surrounding us. As if he wasn’t getting ready to sing in front of thousands of people. As if I’m the only woman in the world. I return his passionate kisses without thought of these facts either .

A male cough from behind us causes us to break apart. Bennett keeps his forehead glued to mine. “What?”

Luke says, “Five minutes.”

Bennett’s entire being rises and falls. “Never enough time.” We remain locked together for a couple more minutes, until he steps back. “Make sure you’re backstage in my line of sight. I need your spirit with me. Oh, and 007 has agreed to join us on stage tonight when we talk with the audience.”

My body sags in relief. “I want to thank him.” Bennett bows his head, and I leave my man to approach the bassist. “Pierce.”

He turns to me, his light blue gaze a chilling winter blast. “Hey.”

I swallow. He’s not going to make this easy for me. “I, uh, wanted to thank you for agreeing to address the audience tonight. I’m not self-centered enough to think you’re doing it for me, but it means the world to Bennett that you’re standing up for him.”

“Yeah, well, no matter what, he’s my brother.”

I’m not going to push him anymore. I lean forward and give him in a hug—which he doesn’t reciprocate. I’m fine with that. “Thank you.”

Our awkward moment ends when the band’s called to huddle in The Closet. Without looking at me, Pierce joins the rest of them for their pre-show ritual, which ends with a collective whoop. Then they bound toward the stage.

I use this time to gather my scattered wits.

I walk over to the curtained area to gather my discarded clothes.

My cell shows one missed call from Ma. Not going to return it since I have a concert to attend, so I shoot her off a text that we’ll talk tomorrow.

Leaving everything, including my phone together with all of the bands’ stuff in a pile on a chair, I enter backstage and am rewarded when UC plays their first song to the crowd.

I inhale the buzz. The speech tonight will clear the air, it has to. The press release will take care of Michelle at home. I should listen to Court and Nese and trust the system. Everything will be all right from this point forward.

It has to.