Insider (Exodus End #1)(39)
Author: Olivia Cunning

Dare? Before she could ask what he meant, Steve and his long legs had already traversed half the hallway. He even managed to twirl a drumstick in one hand while walking.

Shrugging to herself, Toni bypassed the dressing room that Steve had just exited and paused outside Reagan’s door. She knocked and waited.

“Occupied!” Reagan called from within the confines of the room.

“Very occupied,” a deeper voice said. Toni was pretty sure the voice wasn’t Trey’s. Was Reagan’s sexy bodyguard inside with her? Toni leaned closer to the door, listening, trying to let the sounds of the milling crowd down the hall fade into the background.

Someone touched her back, and she jerked away from the door, her face flushed with embarrassment. She’d been caught snooping.

She turned slowly, one eye closed as she forced her gaze up a pair of long legs encased in leather, up a stark white T-shirt and a strong neck to a familiar handsome face surrounding a pair of striking emerald-green eyes. Dare. Did he know his brother’s woman was cheating with another man? And how had Steve known Dare would show up when she was alone? She wondered if she should be worried or intrigued.

“Oh, hey, Dare,” she gushed. She pushed her glasses up her nose with the back of her wrist. “I was just hoping to interview Reagan for the book, but I think she’s busy.”

He grinned crookedly. “She’s always busy with Trey.”

Trey. Yeah, we’ll go with that. Reagan is busy with Trey. And maybe it was Trey in the room with Reagan. He had been with her the last time Toni had seen her, but she definitely didn’t remember his voice sounding so baritone.

“You don’t like crowds either, do you?” Dare asked. His green eyes softened when he smiled. “Now that Steve’s out of the dressing room, I think it’s empty. Would you like to get away for a few moments?”

He stepped over to the band’s dressing room and opened the door. “Anyone in here?”

“I’m almost dressed,” a woman said from inside.

“Why don’t you like crowds?” Toni asked Dare as they waited for the woman to put on her shoes and leave.

“Don’t know,” he said with a shrug. “I just like my interactions with others to be more intimate.”

Even with the swollen nose, he was still easily the best- looking man she’d ever stood in a hallway with. Which reminded her . . . “I’m really sorry that Logan hit you on account of me. I guess I shouldn’t have hugged you like that.”

He grinned. “He’s being a complete ass. Guess you bring that out in him. But I’ll get him straightened out for you.”

“What’s that mean?”

Green-eyed gaze boring into hers, he licked the corner of his mouth, and she felt suddenly light-headed and dizzy. Holy father of hot men.

“Nothing,” he said. “How about that interview? I seem to be currently unoccupied.”

“Now?” she blurted. She didn’t have the mental capacity of a gnat at the moment, and her list of questions was on the bus, so she wouldn’t even be able to fake her intelligence.

“If you’d rather wait . . .” He waved a hand. “I just thought we could both get away from the crowd for a moment and get to know each other better.”

She really should be working. And she supposed getting to know Dare Mills was working. She loved this job. “I guess I can ask a few warm-up questions.”

The corner of his mouth twitched upward. “Good.”

Why was he looking at her like that? As though he was touching every inch of her body in his thoughts. And why did she have the sudden urge to peel her panties off? She wasn’t sure if being alone with him was the best idea. He wouldn’t try anything, would he? And if he did, would she have the backbone to turn him down? Surely she wasn’t that despicable. She liked Logan way too much to mess up their growing relationship by fooling around with Dare.

As if Dare could possibly be interested in her. Right.

Yet she couldn’t help but dwell on what Steve had said right before he’d walked away.

The gorgeous woman who’d been Steve’s pre-show entertainment passed through the door that Dare was holding open with one masculine hand. She paused and wrapped both arms around Dare’s midsection, giving him a tight hug. He half-heartedly hugged her back with his free arm.

“I don’t suppose you’re interested in sloppy seconds,” she said, just loud enough for Toni to hear.

“Not at all,” he said.

“Is Logan around?” she asked.

Toni stiffened.

“I think he’s hanging in the commons.”

“I love it when you guys come to town,” the black-haired beauty said. “I will get into your pants one day, Dare Mills.”

“Not tonight. I have company.” He lifted an eyebrow in Toni’s direction.

Toni’s heart produced a thud so hard, she jumped. What did he mean by that?

The woman slipped her arms from Dare’s waist and turned to give Toni the twice over. She obviously didn’t think much of her competition. “Hmm,” she said. “Interesting choice.”

She sauntered off, probably in search of Logan, whom she apparently believed was fair game. Toni wasn’t sure if she had the right to be jealous. She and Logan had openly admitted to liking each other, but neither of them had committed to anything. One thing was for sure: if he messed around with another woman, Toni wouldn’t be sharing his bed again. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared after the woman. Logan wouldn’t sleep with her, would he? Toni honestly couldn’t say she knew for a certainty.

“You have nothing to worry about,” Dare said and held his free hand out to the open door to beckon her inside. “You’re much more interesting than she is.”

Dare entered the room behind her and while she was glancing around for the best place to conduct their interview, she heard the unmistakable click of Dare locking the door behind them.

Thirteen

Logan decided that Toni had been interviewing Reagan for far too long. He didn’t want to get in the way of her work, but he couldn’t help but want to be with her. There was something about her that made him notice her. And when she was missing? He couldn’t seem to notice anything else. He stretched to his tiptoes and scanned the room, looking over the tops of heads for one very specific one. How could she not be done with her interview? What the hell could possibly be so interesting about Reagan?