Her sentence was interrupted by someone clearing his throat. Loudly. She closed her eyes. Please let that be Clive. Please, pretty please.
“They’re ready for us,” Trace said softly. “House band is warmed up and ready to go.”
Kylie knew her eyes had widened at the sight of him. The dark blue button-up he wore tucked into his jeans fit him perfectly. His hair was fixed differently. As in, he did more than rake his hands through it. Or maybe it was just that there wasn’t a worn-out trucker hat covering it. Either way, he was the Hollywood version of himself that she wasn’t quite used to. Not that any version of Trace Corbin didn’t have the uncanny ability to knock her senseless.
“Um, okay. Be right there.”
“Equal footing, cuz,” Tonya whispered from beside her. “Breathe.”
She did as she was told and forced a smile in Trace’s direction. He nodded once and walked toward the stage.
“Oh, my poor, sweet cousin from Oklahoma,” Tonya said, shaking her head. “You, my dear, are in big trouble.”
“I am?” Kylie asked, turning to her friend, wearing her panic all over her face.
“You’re in love. And as I’ve said before, this shit ain’t for amateurs.”
TRACE GREETED the crowd, trying his best to focus on them instead of who stood beside him.
Every time he looks at me I feel like he can read my mind.
He’d overheard her talking to the waitress-turned-manager that he knew she was friends with. What he couldn’t figure out was if she had been talking about him or the guitar-wielding asshole behind them.
What in the actual fuck Steven Blythe was doing in The Rum Room’s house band was beyond him. Besides screwing up Trace’s entire life that was.
“Thank y’all so much for coming out tonight. I can’t tell you how much it means to me. And to someone else who is very special to me. Ladies and gentlemen, Miss Kylie Ryans.”
The crowd hollered and whistled as she stepped into the spotlight. Trace couldn’t look away from her. Jesus Christ she was beautiful.
For a moment, he forgot she wasn’t his. Forgot he’d given up the right to touch her, kiss her sweet, smiling mouth. Reflexively, his arm reached out and wrapped around her. The shock was clear on her face and he removed it as smoothly as he could manage.
“Hi y’all,” she greeted the audience, taking a step away from him as she did. “Thanks for having us tonight.” When the cheers and applause died down, she continued. “Trace and I are so excited about this upcoming tour and we couldn’t wait to share the news with our friends at The Rum Room.”
She paused, and he knew it was his cue, but the words escaped him. She was wearing a red dress. It wasn’t the exact same one she’d had on the last time they’d been here together, but it was similar.
“Trace,” she prompted. “Would you like to tell our friends our exciting news?” Her expression indicated that she’d barely been able to not call him a dumbass for gaping at her like an idiot.
“Of course I would.” He turned and flashed his panty-dropping grin at the audience. “Our exciting news is that Kylie and I are expecting.”
The response was almost deafening.
A hand smacked him hard in the chest. “We’re expecting y’all to come see us on the road. Because tonight we’re kicking off our The Other Side of Me tour,” she clarified, practically shouting into the mic over the bedlam.
He winked when she glared at him.
“Ah yes. That news,” he agreed.
At the confirmation that he was just kidding, the audience both cheered and booed them good-naturedly.
Kylie nodded over at Steven, which forced Trace to muster all of his self-control. But even all of his self-control couldn’t keep the smile on his face. He prayed he wasn’t glaring at least.
The opening chords of the song they’d written together started up, and before he knew it, he and Kylie were well into it.
The world wants fun and shiny and new. But I save the best of me for when I’m alone with you.
Tumultuous past or not, they sang in perfect harmony.
I’ll keep all in, hide it under a grin, but you’re the only one who sees. Yeah you’re the only one who sees, the other side of me.
Once they were done, the crowd begged for an encore. Trace began singing Waitin’ for You to Call and Kylie chimed in along with the band. But just like everything between them had always gone, it was over too soon for his liking.
He knew he shouldn’t look at her, shouldn’t let himself fall into those pools of blue he’d nearly drowned in once before. But he’d always had issues with addiction. So he looked. Stared, really.