The Ruby Riot Series: Box Set Part 8

However hard I try, over the next forty minutes I cannot connect this guy with the one I've met over the last couple of days. The amus.e.m.e.nt at Jax's drunkenness, scorn over his presumed star status, the teasing, and the dancing around the chemistry fizzing between us is swept away by the inevitable. Something will happen between us. I don't know what or when; but my big brother had better prepare to be mightily p.i.s.sed off, because my body is screaming at me to get skin on skin with this guy.

Ruby Riot's set ends and the girl next to me jumps up and down screeching. She's screamed the words of every song in my ear, quite a feat considering how b.l.o.o.d.y loud the band is from our position. When it's evident Ruby Riot isn't reappearing, she turns to her friend and they chatter excitedly before pushing forward through the ma.s.ses, lining themselves up against the barrier ready for Blue Phoenix. They'll have a wait; there's at least half an hour between sets.

Weaving my way through the stragglers to my new friend, Mac, I point to the edge of the stage. "All right if I go through that way?"

"Yeah."

I clamber over the barrier and edge to the backstage doorway, buzzing from the atmosphere I left. People mill around, transferring instruments and equipment on and off stage and the smell of dry ice lingers. A guy directs people, loudly, and I marvel at the orderliness of something so chaotic. The middle-aged man who appears to be in charge glances at me and I lift up the pa.s.s. He returns to his conversation and doesn't address me.

The cool of the backstage corridor is a relief after the heat of the crowds and dries the perspiration on my head and arms. Ruby Riot isn't around, or Blue Phoenix, but loud voices and laughter travel along the hallway from a room with an open door. Still on a high from watching Ruby Riot perform, I can only imagine how they must be feeling.

I head in the direction of the voices. I have to see Jax.

Inside the room, Ruby sits on a large blue sofa with her bare feet on a low table. She's happier than last time I saw her, face red and hair damp after her performance and she drinks deeply from a bottle of water.

Jax, Nate, and Will are at the opposite side of the room, the twins lining up beers and Jax... Holy c.r.a.p, I do not need this. A shirtless Jax looks over, his damp t-shirt in one hand. Toned, tattooed Jax, the curve of his abs glistening from his performance, a fantasy of the girls I left behind in the stadium.

"Put a shirt on before she attacks you!" calls one of the twins and throws a clean tee in his direction.

Jax catches it in his other hand, returning my look. My heated skin from dancing in the crowd warms further and realisation hits. Jax has moved from amusingly keen boy hitting on me, to impressively talented guy who can hit on me any time he wants.

And he knows it.

Oh, G.o.d, please put the t-shirt on. No, on second thoughts, don't.

"I'm not going to throw myself at him!" I retort.

The guy giggles. "Hey, Tegan, isn't it?"

I break my staring at Jax. "Yeah. Awesome performance."

"I know, right? I'm Nate. You met me the other day when you were with Bryn."

"Sorry, I wasn't sure if you were Will."

Will holds his beer in salute. "Nah, I'm the good-looking one."

"But you're twins."

He winks. "You haven't seen all of me."

"Give it a rest," says Ruby. "Not every girl likes what you have to offer."

Jax remains silent, but I feel his scrutiny as if he's touching my face.

"Seriously, you guys are amazing." Jesus, I sound like a breathless fan girl.

"I didn't expect to see you at the front of the crowd," says Jax. "I wasn't aware you were such a big fan."

I dare to look back, and Jax's impressive physique is now covered by a Ruby Riot t-shirt. The weirdness of the situation grabs me. I've shifted from self-a.s.sured to unwillingly star struck in the s.p.a.ce of an hour. These guys aren't Blue Phoenix, but I feel like an outsider. I shouldn't have looked for them backstage.

"Well, I just wanted to stop by and say well done. Just on my way to saying good luck to Bryn."

Jax's full mouth tips up into a smile. "Is that right?"

Jem appears in the doorway, and I step out of his way as he walks in. Barely registering anybody, he crosses to Ruby. Sitting, he says something I don't hear and smoothes Ruby's damp hair from her face before placing a soft kiss on her lips. Ruby's face softens as she touches his face with her slender fingers. I'd say they were cute, but I'm unsure the word fits this pair.

Wrapping an arm around his girlfriend's shoulder, Jem surveys the others. "Awesome job, guys."

"Thanks! Glad you thought so." Jax's eyes shine to match the perspiration on his face, the eagerness to impress Jem obvious.

"What did you think?" Jem asks, looking at me.

Jem always frightened me; when I was a kid he'd visit Bryn with the Blue Phoenix guys and there was a sense of something off about him. His unhappiness radiated over the tough image even then, and when I heard of and witnessed his addiction and relapses into drugs and alcohol, I wasn't surprised.

Now, the haunted look in Jem's eyes has retreated, the gauntness in his face gone, but he still holds an edginess enhanced by his long curls and tall frame. I doubt Jem will ever lose the image he portrays to the world. The Jem in front of me today is sober; and instead of dilated pupils and unhappiness, there's contentedness, emphasised by the way he looks at Ruby - as if she's the most precious thing in his world.

"Loved it," I say to Jem. "Amazing performance."

"You gonna watch us too?" Jem asks.

"Yeah. Maybe from more of a distance, I don't want trampling by girls trying to get a piece of you all."

Ruby snorts with amus.e.m.e.nt and chugs back her bottle of water. She's avoided addressing me directly. Is she embarra.s.sed about earlier?

"Hey! There were chicks wanting a piece of us!" protests Will.

"I noticed," says Jax in a low voice. I look round and he raises an eyebrow at me.

I need to get these hormones under control and re-engage my brain.

"Want a beer, Tegan?" asks Nate, holding a bottle in my direction.

Alcohol as well? No way, any more intoxication and I'll be attached to Jax before the evening ends.

"I'm good." I point to the door. "Want to catch Bryn before, you know, on stage -"

What the h.e.l.l with the stammering? Leave, Tegan, and get a grip.

This isn't me.

Without another sound, I head out the door and in the direction of the stage door again. I don't want to see Bryn. I want to find a seat as far as possible from here where I can wait for my brother to play, and tune into them instead.

"Tegan!"

I stop at the sound of Jax's voice and turn as he approaches. His face shines, and the salty scent of his damp skin digs further into the primal part of me aroused by this guy. We're nowhere near as close as in the elevator earlier, but my nerve-endings tingle as if we were touching. Jax wipes his damp hair from his face and turns the smile to me he's used so many time before. This time it works, ramping my heartbeat.

"Thanks for watching us," he says.

"You were good."

He grins. "I know."

"Conceited!"

"Yeah, but it's true. If I don't believe in myself and the band to that degree, we won't be as good as we are."

"Now I believe what you've been telling me. You're definitely a rock star, Jaxon."

He purses his lips. "Jaxon isn't a rock star, Jax is."

"Who's Jaxon then?"

"A wannabe kid who's not around any more."

"I think I'd like him."

Jax tugs his bottom lip between his teeth and looks at my mouth. "Do you like me, Tegan Hughes?"

A couple of guys head down the hallway toward us, talking into radios and I move to one side. Jax matches, blocking my way. Instead, I rest against the wall and put my feet out so he can't move closer. Any nearer and I won't be responsible for my actions.

"Big after-party tonight, huh?" I ask.

"Yeah. You didn't answer my question." His sapphire blue eyes search mine and I concentrate on hiding the reaction I'm having to him. I can't blame my pink cheeks and breathlessness on dancing to Ruby Riot anymore.

"Do I get an invite?" I ask.

"To me or the party?"

I give a small smile. "The party. Why? What are you inviting me to do?"

"Anything you want." His voice is low and despite my attempt at distance, his face is close to mine. Yesterday, I'd have scorned him for a comment like that, rolled my eyes at his moves; but in a short s.p.a.ce of time, he's flipped my brain to standby.

I don't know how long we stand with faces centimetres apart, challenging each other to be the first to make a move in this power play. Each second that pa.s.ses with Jax's warm breath touching my mouth, darkened eyes holding me in place, and I'm a step closer to surrender.

"Five minutes!" yells a voice and I twist my head away from Jax, breaking the pull to him. The stage manager glances at us as he pa.s.ses.

Jax touches my lip with his thumb and I jerk, caught off-guard. "I think you answered my question."

I dig my hands into the back pockets of my jeans in case he sees them shaking. "Don't be so sure of yourself," I reply.

The intensity in his eyes doesn't drop and I match his look. Jax may have enchanted me with his brand of rock star, but I won't make this easy for him. As soon as I walk away from the heated evening, I'll regain some of my senses. Hopefully.

"This morning, in the elevator, I forgot to tell you something," he says.

"What?"

"Don't play games with me, Tegan, because you'll lose."

Before I get a chance to respond, Jax moves away and I watch his swagger as he heads back to the noisy dressing room.

Oh, yeah? Game on.

9.

JAX.

The chaos of the walk through the airport two days ago is nothing compared to what faces us when walking out of the venue after the performance. We choose to leave with Blue Phoenix, taking the back exit toward waiting cars in an attempt to keep a low profile. But what else would people expect us to do? A crowd rushes forward, screaming names and pushing at each other to move closer. Flanked by security, we forge ahead; and for once, I don't stop and talk. The Phoenix boys lead, consummate professionals, heads down, refusing to make eye contact. Usually, I stop and chat or sign autographs, but when they surge closer, grabbing at clothes, I'm f.u.c.king terrified.

"Holy s.h.i.t!" yells Nate in my ear as the security guy is jostled into us, knocking me into Will. "Is this about us?"

Jem strides past with Ruby and the look on his face would keep any fan away from him. He has his arm tightly around her despite the cage-like presence of burly guys either side. She ducks her head too. I know she hates attention like this, but Ruby's acceptance of Jem's increasingly possessive att.i.tude around her confuses me. Ruby broke away from a controlling guy who beat and tried to rape her. Why is she falling back into another relationship with another f.u.c.ked up guy?

Our names are screamed; and as I reach the waiting black sedan, Will stops at the open door and blows the crowd a kiss. I grab his arm. "Get into the f.u.c.king car!"

He grins and ducks in. I push him across the leather seats and sit.

When Nate slides in too, Will leans around to look at his brother. "They shouted for me more than you! Ha!"

"Like f.u.c.k they did!" he retorts.

Will sn.i.g.g.e.rs. "Little drummer boy..."

"Screw you!"

"Guys, give it a rest," I snap.

The car pushes slowly through the crowd, their hands slamming against the windows and cameras flashing. I expected excitement, a few chicks wanting backstage pa.s.ses, but not this. Not for us.

"This is insane," I mutter.

"I found some girls for the party." Nate grins.

"Yeah. Nate picked up a few who were hanging around the stage doors after we played. No idea why he went for the ones wearing Blue Phoenix tees though. Not like they want us, dude," says Will.

"You talking about the blonde? 'Cause she had a couple of hot friends. Besides, when they see most of Phoenix is taken, my charms will work." Nate settles back for the ride.

Earlier, I returned to the Green Room and had a couple of beers before taking a seat in the VIP box to watch Blue Phoenix play. I looked down on the writhing throng, partly p.i.s.sed off there're twice as many in the crowd as when Ruby Riot played, and partly annoyed that I can't be down there. Last concert of theirs, I was at the front. I laugh at myself. What's better? Opening for Blue Phoenix or squashed in the sweaty ma.s.ses.