Hot Ticket (Page 48)

“We’re heading out in a couple minutes. Did you get all your stuff on the bus?”

Since her suitcase hadn’t been recovered, she didn’t really have stuff. Just the things she bought at the discount store earlier. “Yeah.”

“How’s Jace?”

“He’s sleeping.”

Brian grinned, his intense brown eyes softening. “You wore him out already?”

She flushed under his attention. Why was she flushing? Brian was married. And she liked Jace a lot—loved him even. She just wasn’t used to being around men who weren’t customers. That had to be it. “He’s wounded. Doesn’t take much to wear him out.”

“Well, make yourself at home, Aggie. If you need anything, let me know.”

“Thanks.” What a totally nice guy. No wonder he was married.

The sexy one (or was he the ornery one?), Trey, nudged Brian aside with his huge duffel bag. He tossed it into the back bedroom with a loud thud. “Shhh,” Brian said. “Jace is sleeping.”

Trey rolled his eyes. “You are such a drag since you traded your balls for a wedding band. Thank God, Myrna’s not here. You might act like something other than a pu**y for a change.”

Brian grabbed Trey in a headlock and rubbed his knuckles over his scalp vigorously. Trey pretended to protest, but Aggie saw the pleased look on his face that he hid from Brian. Trey placed his palm flat on Brian’s belly and halfheartedly tried to escape his torment. Aggie decided that these two had a thing. Well, Trey definitely had a thing. She wasn’t sure about Brian.

When Brian released Trey, Trey said, “It’s such a relief to not have any stuffy chicks on tour with us this time.”

Aggie cleared her throat.

Trey looked at her. “Fuck, you’re a stuffy chick? I took you as the kick-ass party girl type. You know. Fun.”

“Myrna’s fun,” Brian protested.

Trey’s eyebrows lifted. “Yeah. Whatever you say, dude.”

The hunky one (or was he the cocky one?), Sed, entered the bus and carried several brown paper bags to the kitchenette. He set the bags on the counter and started stocking the refrigerator with beer.

“See, Brian, we get our beer back when your stuffy wife isn’t around,” Trey said.

“Myrna is not stuffy,” he insisted.

“Uh, yeah, she is,” Sed said. “But we love her anyway.”

“I miss her,” Brian said miserably.

“Which means you need beer,” Trey said, grabbing a bottle out of Sed’s grip, twisting the top off, and pressing it into Brian’s hand. “Get nice and drunk so I can molest you in your sleep.”

“Ha. Ha. Very funny,” Brian said, tossing back his beer and swallowing half in several gulps.

Aggie got the feeling that Trey wasn’t joking. Watching those two go at each other would be sexy as hell.

Eric entered the bus with the pervert-jerk, Jon, on his heels. “Everybody ready?” Eric asked.

“Let’s get this show on the road!” Jon said.

“Who’s driving?” Sed asked, crumpling a brown paper sack and tossing it on the floor.

The most ordinary guy on the planet leaned around Jon. While every male on the tour wore leather pants or jeans and a black T-shirt, this guy was dressed in khakis and a green polo shirt. His light brown hair was neatly trimmed and swept off his forehead with a light application of gel. One word described him perfectly: normal. “That would be me.” His blue-eyed gaze fell on Aggie. “I’m Dave,” he said with a wave. “Live audio engineer and designated driver.”

She placed a hand on her chest. “Aggie.”

“Jace’s girl,” Eric clarified.

“Nice to meet you,” Dave said. “All right, we’re heading out. Did everyone go potty?”

“Brian didn’t go,” Trey said in a singsong whine.

“You’re such a tattletale.” Brian belched and tossed his empty brown bottle in the sink. He grabbed Trey in another headlock, but this time he backed Trey through the open bathroom door. Trey stumbled over the rim of the stall and into the shower. “Say you’re sorry, or you get soaked.”

“If you’d go potty when Dave tells you to—”

Brian turned on the water.

“Ah, cold!”

Trey grabbed Brian’s shirt and hauled him into the shower. They wrestled and hit each other beneath the flow of water as Brian tried to escape, and Trey tried to get his hands on as much of Brian’s wet skin as possible. If they started making out, Aggie swore she’d rip off her clothes and join them. Jace would just have to get over it.

Sed nudged Aggie in the ribs with his elbow. “Those two should just f**k each other and get it out of their system, don’t you think?”

“Oh yeah. Can I watch?” Aggie murmured.

Sed laughed. “Just what they need. A witness.”

Brian tumbled out of the shower, landing on his face between the toilet and the sink. A puddle of water spread beneath him, flooding the white linoleum floor. He scrambled toward the door, laughing so hard, he was gasping. Trey grabbed his ankle with both hands, pulling him back into the bathroom.

“If you two want to shower together, you should get undressed first,” Sed said. “Myrna will kick your ass for making a mess.” Sed glanced at Aggie. “Or maybe Aggie will.”

Aggie shook her head, grinning. She was enjoying the show immensely. The two sexy-as-hell guitarists could flood the bathroom all they wanted.

The bus eased forward, and Trey slipped on the wet floor, hitting the back of his head on the wall. “Ow, f**k!”

“It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt,” Aggie said.

“And then it’s hilarious,” Eric said. He peeked into the bathroom and shook his head at his two drenched bandmates. “We don’t need more injuries in this band.” He pulled a bright green rabbit’s foot out of a pocket and rubbed it between his thumbs. “No more injuries.”

Brian’s demeanor changed the instant he saw Trey holding the back of his head and wincing. Brian reached up and shut off the water. Kneeling before him, he took Trey’s arms in both hands. “Did you hit your head? Are you okay?”

“I think I might have another concussion. Are my pupils the same size?”

Brian leaned closer, looking into Trey’s eyes. “I can’t tell.”

“Closer.”

Brian moved in. Trey grabbed him around the neck and kissed him on the mouth.