Jimmy went straight to Audra and never took his eyes off the thigh-high boots that covered her legs. His eyes flashed as bright as his smile. “Baby, you’re hot as fuck in those boots.” He placed his arm around her shoulder and walked her out of the room.
“Hey!” Alyssa called after them. “Whatever you plan on doing, you’d better not cheese on my boots!”
“I’ll do my best,” Jimmy called over his shoulder, “but I’m not making any promises!”
Chapter Ten
Angel stood at the side curtain with his bandmates and listened to the familiar chant that rose up from the audience. It was the same at every show. The impatient mantra of “Imooortal Aaangel” had become the song of the crowd. A white drape hung from the rafters and shielded the fans from view. The circulation of air puffed out the curtain every few seconds like a static heartbeat and made the band’s winged logo appear as if it was about to take flight.
Anticipation had Angel’s foot bouncing on the floor, and he fought the urge to peek at the crowd. There was an itch to be back on the stage. The entertainer inside him wanted to perform. It needed to break free and deliver the uninhibited, spontaneous havoc that could only be unleashed in front of a live audience.
Tommy came up next to him with his fingers poised over the string of his Les Paul.
“It’s been too long, my prince. The stage beckons to us and demands our presence.”
“Stand a little closer to me without a shirt and I’m gonna demand your presence in the back room.”
Angel was already hard. He didn’t need the seductive musings of his husband to turn his dick to steel. The rush of adrenaline that fueled his soul already had every fiber in his body standing on end, but Tommy drove his arousal over the top. He pushed Tommy against the wall. “Don’t tease me. You know I can’t control myself around you when the energy of the stage has me riled up.” Tommy’s slightly parted lips called for Angel’s tongue, and he responded with a deep, penetrating kiss. “I’ll fuck you against this wall right now if you’ll let me,” Angel said, and he meant it.
A haze of lust covered Tommy’s eyes and turned them a dark sapphire. “Uh . . . my guitar is in the way.”
“Knock it off, you two,” Damien said as he walked by. “Curtain time is in five.”
Angel groaned with frustration. “I can be done in three!” He was only partly joking.
“Save it. Your designer is looking for you. Something about a jacket.”
Angel almost forgot that Jessi was fixing a loose stitch on his jacket. The clap-clap of her boots grew louder as she raced toward him with it in her arms.
“Slow down.” Tommy retrieved the jacket from Jessi. “Careful, hon. No need to rush.”
Angel pulled his erection into a more comfortable position. The quickie he was hoping for would have to wait. The audience beckoned. He slipped his arms through the sleeves of the jacket, and Jessi adjusted the fit.
She stepped back to admire it. “Perfect. Don’t worry if you lose some of the rhinestones. It’s inevitable, especially the way you grind on everything, including Tommy.”
The lights went down and Angel’s heart rate skyrocketed. Jimmy slapped him on the back. “It never grows old, man. The first show of the tour is always the same for me. It feels like the first time we ever played an arena. My insides are a jumbled mixture of nerves and excitement. My stomach is a tight ball of anxiety, yet I’m ready to bust onto the stage and rip down the curtain so I can beat the hell out of my drums for the fans. What’s it like for you, man?”
Angel listened to the crowd and let their voices infiltrate his soul. “It’s like my heart is beating outside my body. I hear the crowd call my name, and it exhilarates me. It makes me feel like I can fly. I want—–”
“Whoa, man, don’t you dare stage dive again. Audra almost shit her pants when you did that last time.”
A hearty laugh rose from Angel’s throat. Nothing he did on stage was planned, other than the set list. Once he stood in front of the crowd, they transferred their energy into his veins, and he responded with pure instinct. From the first note to the last, the show was a blur of hands in the air and loud beats.
Tommy’s signature guitar solo rang through the arena. “Ready or not, it’s show time!” The curtain came down, and Tommy sailed across the stage, his Les Paul leading the way.
Normally, Angel was last to set foot on stage. He loved to taunt the crowd and heighten their anticipation. It usually gave him the extra high to push his performance to the next level, but tonight he ran on stage right after Tommy. The crowd hollered with surprise at Angel’s unexpected entrance and pumped their fists to punctuate their screams. A banner dropped over the side of the balcony that read, “Immortal Angel 4Ever.” It was their own personal flag, and fans saluted it with rock and roll horns.