Chapter 16

Myrna rolled over, her arm landing on Brian's flat stomach. Sheets of paper crinkled beneath her. She smiled. He'd had a very productive day of song writing and she'd be bow-legged for life. His arm moved to wrap around her back, drawing her closer to his side.

"At this rate, I'll have the entire new album written by next week." He paused. "Except you're leaving in two days."

He didn't sound very happy about the idea. He frowned. She smiled. She hoped the band accepted her as their tag-along. She really did want to spend more time with Brian. He rocked her world in more than one way.

"Do you think the guys are up yet?" she asked.

He tilted his head back to look at a digital clock on the side table. "It's two already?" He sat up. "Yeah, I'd say they're up."

From the bed, he collected the sheets of music he'd composed, peeling one off Myrna's sticky back when she rolled over for him. She needed a shower. And about a liter of water. She'd gotten quite a workout in the past five hours. Treadmills had nothing on this man.

"I can't wait to show this to Trey." Brian held up one of the scores. The one he'd written while fucking her hard on the floor. "He's going to flip."

"I can't wait to hear it. It sounded fantastic when you were screaming it at me."

He beamed like a kid at Christmas. "Yeah, it's good, I think."

Myrna crawled from the bed, unsteady on her feet. "I still need to talk to the band. Should I wait until after you've gone through all your new music with them?"

"What do you want to talk to them about?"

"You're included in this," she said.

"In what?"

"I want the entire band to make the decision. So when we're talking this over, I don't want you to think of me as your lover."

"Yeah, that's possible." He laughed. "Not!"

He set the sheets of music on the dresser near the door and wandered around the bed. He drew her naked body against his, hand sliding over the curve of her ass. "So tell me what this is about."

She kissed his jaw. "I have to talk to all of you at once," she insisted.

He pouted. "I'm not special?"

"In this case, no."

He sighed. "All right, I'll call this band meeting for you." He found his discarded pants and slid into them, fastening them around his slim hips. "Get dressed. I'll be back."

He picked up his sheets of music and left the room shirtless and barefoot.

Myrna found the bags of items she'd purchased that morning and dressed in her new clothes. Cheap, but functional. Better than a suit. But a suit would have made her seem more professional when she asked the band for this favor. She searched the floor for her discarded suit and held it up, deciding if she should change into it. It was a wrinkly mess. The door opened. Brian peeked in.

"I've got the guys all together. You ready to talk to us?"

She smiled, tossing her suit on the bed. She slipped on the sandals she'd bought and searched for her purse to retrieve her grant acceptance letter. "Have you seen my purse?"

"I think it's by the door."

"Right. Thanks."

She walked past him, dropping a soft kiss at the corner of his mouth. He closed the bedroom door and followed her. Locating her purse on a counter, she pulled the letter from inside. "Where are they?"

Brian stared at her bare throat above the flowing, green tank she wore. "You look hot." A glazed look came to his eyes.

"Earth to Brian," she said. "Your band members. Where are they?"

He closed his eyes and shook his head slightly. "On the other bus."

Guitar music and boisterous conversation came from the open door of the second bus. Myrna climbed the stairs, nervous for some strange reason, and entered the vehicle. A large group of men stood, sat, or perched in a circle around the main room. She saw all the band members and several familiar faces from the show in Chicago. Roadies. Trey had an acoustic guitar in his hands and was strumming notes written across a piece of paper splattered with chocolate syrup.

Trey stilled his guitar strings. Heads turned and all eyes fell on Myrna. She flushed. "Hello."

"Myrna!" Eric said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. He was still wearing Brian's hat. She bit her lip so she didn't laugh.

Her eyes moved to Sed's face. He sat in a captain's chair watching her. He was undeniably the leader of this band. His presence radiated from his body like a monarch's. If he said no, she was certain the rest of the band would take his side. Sed was the one she'd have to convince.

"You smell like Brian," Eric said in her ear.

Her face hot, she pushed him away. Eric squeezed around her and sat beside Jace on the beige leather sofa.

"So what's this about?" Trey asked, setting his guitar on the floor at his feet. He sat next to Jace on the sofa across from Sed. All the roadies watched her curiously. Brian wrapped an arm around her waist and she leaned against him for support.

She grasped the letter tighter. Why was she so nervous? She didn't want Sed to tell her no, that's why. She wanted a reason to… She glanced at Brian. He smiled gently, offering encouragement. Maybe it was better if they told her to get lost. She'd have a much easier time not falling for their lead guitarist.

She focused on Sed. "I have a favor to ask of you."

"Anything, Myrna." He seemed sincere.

"I need a million dollars to pay the ransom on my kidnapped poodle," she said.

Sed's jaw dropped.

She laughed. "Kidding."

Brian burst out laughing. "Oh my God, did you see the look on his face?"

"Fuck you, Sinclair," Sed said.

"Sorry, Sed, I couldn't resist," Myrna said. "You looked so serious sitting there."

"I respect you, Myrna," he said, "or I did."

Every male occupant on the bus stared at Sed with his mouth hanging open. Myrna wasn't sure why his statement shocked them so much, but she pressed on. "In truth, it's for work. My research."

"Which part of me would you like to study?" Sed asked, grinning.

She flushed once again, flustered. The man was all alpha male. She didn't think a woman existed who wouldn't react to him.

"Your groupies."

"I didn't know you swung that way, Myr," Eric said. "Can I watch?"

"You want to study my groupies?" Sed asked.

"Well, not just yours." She glanced at each member of the band in turn. "Trey's, Jace's, Eric's." She looked up at Brian. "Brian's."

"I don't get it," Jace said.

"That's because you don't have any groupies," Eric said, punching him hard in the arm. Jace shoved him. Eric climbed to his feet, his hands balled into fists. Myrna flinched.

"Knock it off, Eric," Sed demanded.

Eric hesitated, glanced at Sed, and then plopped down on the sofa, his jaw flexing as he clenched his teeth together.

"Myr, what are you asking for?" Brian asked. "Specifically. I mean why do you need our permission to study our groupies? It's not like they're our property."

They were, in a way, but that's one of the things she planned to study. "Well… I was hoping I could go on tour with you for the summer." She forced her eyes from Brian to Sed. "I know I'll be a burden, but I'll try to stay out of your way. The grant includes a stipend for the band for allowing me to travel with you and to cover my expenses—ten thousand dollars. You can have the entire sum."

Sed laughed, his head thrown back, the deep sound rumbling through his broad chest. "You've got to be fucking kidding me."

Her hopes plummeted. She bit her lip and lowered her gaze. Why did her heart feel like a big lump of ice in her chest? It wasn't that big of a deal. She could find another band. A less famous one that could use the money. She turned to leave and ran into Brian's chest.

He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed. "I say she comes with us."

Sed's laughter trailed off. "Well, of course she's coming with us. She's your fucking muse, Brian. I just can't believe this amazing stroke of luck. She's offering to pay us to help you write songs."

She turned her head to look at Sed. "No, you've got it all wrong. I'm not doing this to stay with Brian. This is for work."

Sed grinned. "Like the reason matters. Yeah, I say you're welcome to tour with us. What do the rest of you say?"

Trey blew a huff of air through his lips. "Have you seen these licks Brian's been writing?" He swept a hand toward the stack of music on the table. "I was prepared to kidnap her and her little dog. Yeah, she stays. Of course she stays."

"No objection," Jace said.

"I have one condition," Eric said. He lifted a finger into the air.

"Whatever you're going to ask, the answer is no," Brian said.

"Damn." He scowled. "But—"

"No."

"Fine, since you insist, she'll sleep in my bunk with me. The sacrifices I make for this band."

Myrna shook her head at Eric in disbelief.

Brian took her chin between his finger and thumb and lifted her face to look at him. He searched her eyes and then lowered his head to kiss her. The grant letter tumbled from her fingers as she clung to the skin of his bare chest. Three months with Brian? Yeah, she might be able to handle that.