"I'm ready," she whispered. "Put it in."
"What?"
"Put it in, Eric. I want to know what it feels like for you."
"You're asking me to make love to you? All the way. For real?"
"Yes."
"Not here," he said.
He climbed to his feet, stricken by her beauty. Flushed skin, dazed expression, heavy eyelids. She gnawed on the side of her finger, and he forgot the thread of their conversation.
"What do you mean, not here?" she asked, a hitch in her voice. If she started that stuttering, he would totally lose it. "Don't you want to?"
"Our first time will be someplace nice. Get dressed. We're going to the most expensive hotel I can find."
"But-"
"No arguments, mademoiselle. I'm going to make love to you in a nice comfortable bed, not on a bench in a men's locker room."
"Why Eric Sticks, I never knew you were the considerate, romantic type."
"I was mostly thinking about how hard it would be on my back." He clutched his lower back and grimaced in pain.
"Sure you were."
***
Eric found Jon in a dressing room playing a drinking game with the vocalist and drummer of the opening band, Kickstart.
"Eric!" Jon said in his outside voice. "What's going on? Grab a chair. These dudes know how to party."
"I can't stay. I just want to borrow your car."
"For what?"
"For a while."
"Sit down. We have tequila. Good stuff. Not that rotgut you carry around in your flask."
"I've got other things to do," Eric insisted. He glanced over his shoulder and caught sight of Rebekah waiting near the door. She was twisting her hands in the hem of her T-shirt and looking entirely adorable as usual.
"Such as?" Jon pressed.
Eric forced his attention to the man he had once considered his best friend. "Important stuff. Look, can I borrow your car? If not, I'll call a cab or something."
Jon fiddled in his pocket and produced a set of keys. He held them in Eric's direction suspended on one finger. When Eric reached for them, Jon closed his hand. "You can borrow it, but you owe me one."
Eric stifled an angry retort. It was always like this with Jon. The guy could never do someone a favor out of the goodness of his heart. He always kept a running tab. And there was one thing he'd been holding over Eric's head for almost three years. If Eric hadn't wanted to take Rebekah someplace nice, he would have told Jon to forget it. He really did not want to owe the guy another debt, but taking Rebekah to a hotel where he could treat her right was totally worth it.
"Fine. I owe you one. Give me the keys."
"You're going to party with that hot little roadie, aren't you? Re-bek-kah." Jon chuckled. "She's going to take everything she can from you and leave you high and dry like the others."
Eric scowled. "She's not like the others."
"That's what you always say."
"Just give me the keys." He yanked them out of Jon's hand and stalked away.
"You're welcome," Jon called after him.
Eric flipped him off.
Rebekah wasn't just using him for her own gain. Eric refused to let what Jon said get to him. Just because all his other relationships had been sham and he'd been a sucker didn't mean this one was a repeat performance. He trusted Rebekah. Just like he automatically trusted any member of the female persuasion. Damn it.
He paused in front of Rebekah and she looked up at him, all beautiful and sweet and delicate. No way could she have some ulterior motive. Right?
"Before I do something all stupid like fall in love with you, tell me exactly why you're with me tonight," he blurted.
Her eyes widened as if she'd been caught doing something wrong, and Eric's heart plummeted into his belly. Great. Just fucking wonderful. She did have some scheme planned. Did she want his money? Someone in the band wrapped around her finger as job security? A way to get closer to Trey? What?
"You're going to make me say it?" she asked uneasily.
"Yeah. I've been nothing but honest with you. I think you should be just as honest with me."
She flushed and struggled to maintain eye contact. "Okay. You … you make me feel special."
"And?" he pressed. "What else?"
"That's it."
"That's it?"
"Well, that, and I like to be with you." She placed a hand on his abdomen and leaned closer. "I like you, period."
He couldn't help but grin. "Yeah?"
She smiled crookedly and nodded. "Yeah."