Page 7 of Rock Giant

“Yeah, all right, brains.Anyway, there’s a guy conducting handfasting ceremonies, and I figured…” He raised his dark eyebrows suggestively.

Reckoned what?Wait.“Us?Get handfasted?But neither of us believe…”

“Come on.That part doesn’t matter.It’ll be fun, and we can tell people we’ve tied the knot.It won’t be officially recognised, but it might shut Harry up.”He nudged her elbow with his.“Come on, what do you say?”

“Harry?Shut him up about what?About me?”Harry Storm scared the fuck out of her.He stank of privilege, though she wasn’t certain he realised that.He seemed to think he was one of the guys, but that’s because he was a rich boy who couldn’t conceive of not being universally loved.

Nash sighed and brushed his fingers through his hair leaving the top strands mushed in a way she loved but would probably upset whichever stylist had had their hands on him.“Apparently, we’re a hotter commodity if we’re all single.Don’t get hung up on that.It’s irrelevant.You’re my girl, and it should be about the music anyway, not whether I’m available or wearing the right stuff.”

She nodded, but the Nash she knew mooched around in T-shirts with stretched out of shape necklines, and either cargo pants or joggers and was forever losing socks so that virtually every pair he owned were mismatched.

“So, what do you think?We should do it, yes?Yes?”

She gave a tentative nod.

“Yes!”He smacked a kiss against her lips.“Cool.We’ll have some drinks, have a chill, swear some oaths and…” He pulled her closer to his body, an arm around her neck, so that his breath whispered hot against her ear, laden with promises.“Then you and me are gonna enjoy some good old-fashioned rutting.”

“In your tour bus bunk?”she wondered aloud.

“Maybe.Or maybe I’ll have you right there in the middle of that there sacred ring of stones.”

“Not sure Harry will approve of that.”

CHAPTER 3

Jodi Castle

Two of the remaining three Ghost Boys drifted in their direction a few moments later.

Lee, typically head to foot in green, dirty blond hair resting loose about his shoulders, stopped five or six paces off and opened his arms wide.“Jo…” Duly prompted, she ran to him.The moment they were toe-to-toe he wrapped her in a killer embrace, squashing her tight against his chest and accidentally giving her a mouthful of his hair.As Jodi wiped the strands clear of her mouth, Balin embraced her from behind, his stubbly cheek colliding with hers.She scented beer on his breath.

“Good to see ya, Jo-Jo.Has Curtis here told you the news?”

“Just.It’s amazing.Congrats.You guys are going to be so big.You’re not going to want to know me.”She summoned every scrap of enthusiasm she could muster to put into her expression.It seemed to do the trick.They all started backslapping one another again over their good luck.Not that it was pure luck… They were talented.That had been obvious from the off.Still, she loved these boys.They were her world, her family.She prayed fame wouldn’t take them from her.

“…nah, it’s our frankly audacious talent that’s won us a cushty gig…”

“It’s deserved,” she said, nodding at Balin, the Ghost Boys bassist.

“It’s down to you, Jo-Jo.”

Sweet but untrue.

“You brought us together.”

Ish.In circumstances she preferred not to dwell on.

“And you sort us all out.”

She did her best.They were a shambles if left to their own devices.

Interestingly, both Balin and Lee were draped in their usual attire of cargo pants and washed-out T-shirts.

“How come you two haven’t been made over?”

Balin scoffed.“What’s the point in designer denim and shirts that cost two hundred quid a pop but don’t look any different to the ten-quid knockoffs?Besides, they were probably made in the same sweatshop.”

“What he said,” Lee echoed.“Also, we’re just the backdrop.”