Total pages in book: 37
Estimated words: 33965 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 170(@200wpm)___ 136(@250wpm)___ 113(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33965 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 170(@200wpm)___ 136(@250wpm)___ 113(@300wpm)
I barely have time to even say hello to my perfect wife before she and Shelby vanish out the door again. I don't hide the fact that we're married. We hired our manager this time, not the record label. He works for us. He's shocked by the news but takes it in stride. What else is he going to do? It's not like he has a say in what the fuck I do.
We run straight to sound check after our meeting.
"There's an entire army of fans outside the hotel," Shelby informs us as we're taking the stage to ensure everything is good to go. "It's a madhouse."
"Fuck my life," I groan. "How'd they find us?"
"Same as usual, I guess."
I kind of hoped we could ride through Chicago with minimal fuss. Apparently, that isn't in the cards for us.
"Their top floor is secure. You have to have a keycard for one of those rooms to access it. We're booking it out for the rest of the weekend for you guys. Xander will have security posted at the elevators."
"Ireland stays with me," I growl.
"Figured you'd say that. Dani is moving her stuff to your new room." She hands me a keycard and then grins. "Good luck keeping up with her mess. You're going to need it."
"I can handle it." I smile, slipping the keycard into my pocket before jogging onto the stage.
Ireland waves from her seat in the front row.
I shoot her a wink before we huddle up and figure out a game plan for sound check. We decide to run through one of the new songs and take our places. I keep my eyes on Ireland the entire time, crooning the lyrics to her as we sing and dance our way across the stage.
She claps and whistles, dancing along in her seat. When the song ends, she jumps to her feet, cheering loudly.
For the first time in a long time, I realize that I'm proud to be a member of this band. It may not have been the dream I had when I left Nashville at sixteen for Julliard. I don't think it was Mason's dream when I met him there, either. It wasn't Asher or Jax or Jameson's dream when they answered the audition call either. None of us imagined we'd be thrown together in a boy band. But what we did mattered then. To us and to the fans. And it matters now, too.
I'm fucking proud of that.
I jump down from the stage, pulling her into my arms.
"Hi, rockstar," she whispers, grinning up at me.
I claim her lips, devouring her like the little treat she is.
The guys whistle and cat-call, but I lift my middle finger in the air, ignoring them. The only thing that matters right now is the woman in my arms and the way she clings to me, kissing me back as if she never wants to stop.
"Thank you," I murmur when I finally let her up for air.
"If you're thanking me for kissing you, you're very welcome. And also, please do it again soon." She shoots me another impish grin, making me chuckle.
"That's not what I was thanking you for, smart ass." I tuck strands of her wild hair behind her ears, smiling. I swear, I've smiled more since I met her than I've smiled in the last ten years. "Thank you for reminding me that what we do is important. I'd forgotten that."
"Oh. Um, you're welcome. But I don't know how I did that."
"Just by being you, baby. Watching you out there having the time of your life reminded me that what we do matters. It's always been about the music, the fans, and bringing people together. I'm fucking proud of what we've accomplished."
She throws her arms around my neck, hugging me like I just gave her a fucking present. "I'm proud of you too, Crue. Your music has brought so many people together. It probably sounds silly to a lot of people for a group of grown women to follow a boy band around the country, but it isn't just about you guys, you know? We found each other through you, but our friendships have grown beyond that. This trip is a celebration of our friendship and how it all began as much as it's a crazy adventure about a hot boy band."
"A hot boy band, huh?"
"Well, I mean, maybe ten years ago," she mumbles. "Before the gray hair set it."
I dig my fingers into her side, making her squeal. "I'm just kidding! You're the hottest old man band ever!"
"That's it." I haul her up over my shoulder, smacking her ass before I plant my hand on it to keep her skirt from rising and exposing her panties to the world. She screams with laughter, pounding my back to get me to put her down. I ignore her, stomping toward the steps that lead up the stage while the guys shake their heads, laughing.