Page 24 of Hard Rock Deceit

"Feelfree."

As I snapped photo after photo of Damon's hands, capturing the shifting of muscles and the lines of his veins, my mind wassomewhereelse.

I'd have to add vulnerability to my list when Iwasdone.

I'd taken dozens of photos when a bright red head popped in front of my view screen. Cameron put on a fake-pout andglare.

"How come you haven't taken any pictures ofmeyet?"

Damon shoved his palm in Cameron's face, pushinghimaway.

"Because you were off in a closet having phone sexwithLily."

Camerongrinned.

"No reason you can't take photos of that. It's not like she's videotaping withaudio."

I blanched at the thought of shooting Cameron while he talked dirty to hisgirlfriend.

"If you go do something interesting I'll take your photo," Itoldhim.

Cameron's eyeslitup.

"Somethinginteresting,hm?"

Damongroaned.

"Don't challenge him. You have no idea what this idiot can getupto."

"I didn't actually come over here to be a camera hog," the bassist said. "We've got a three-day stop coming up soon. Ian told me Hope is planning to fly out for theweekend."

Damon's mouth twisted, lookingdisgruntled.

"Great."

"Nosulking."

Cameron poked him in the forehead. It wasn't a gentle poke. It was more like asharpjab.

"I know you hate it," Cameron continued, "but you're not the most important person in Ian's life anymore. It sucks, but that's howitis."

Damon grumbled and went back to doing his fingercrawling.

Cameron sauntered away with ashrug.

"Do you—" I hesitated, lowering my camera. "Do you not like Ian'sgirlfriend?"

Damon stopped in the middle of his exercise, still facing away from me, all five fingers spread out againstthewall.

"I don't want to pry," I said. "But I noticed a few times now you seemed…" I wondered how to put it. "You seemed less than enthused whenever anyonementionedher."

Damon bowed his head. He let out a slowbreath.

"It's nothing to do with her, really," he said quietly, voice so low I almost couldn't hear him over the noise of backstage. "Hope's a nice girl." He lifted his head to meet my eyes. He stared at me, as if gauging my sincerity. "The whole situation justsucks."

"Ian getting a girlfriendsucks?"

"Ian getting a girlfriend and ditching me sucks." His eyes weredowncast.