“I swear I won’t.” Extending his hand, Jake said, “You have my word.”
Brayden eyed it momentarily before he reached out and shook it. Jake then offered me his hand. “Lily, please accept my apology.”
I glanced between him and Brayden. “Okay.”
With a teasing smile, Jake said, “I guess I should have believed Bray when he told me how hot his girlfriend was. Then I would have known it was you right off the bat.”
My face flushed with his compliments. “Now I know what you meant when you mentioned groupies.”
Another growl came from Brayden. “You thought Lily was a groupie?”
“Shit, here we go again,” Jake muttered.
I tugged on Brayden’s shirt. “Babe, it was all a misinterpretation. Let it go, okay?”
Brayden narrowed his eyes at Jake. “Have you been drinking?”
Jake shrugged. “Maybe a little.”
“Dude, it’s only fucking noon.”
“Yeah, well, I needed a little something for my nerves.” Jake shook his head. “Hell, you act like I’m fucking plastered. I can still walk a straight line.”
“Can you do the nose test?” I teased.
With a wink, Jake stretched out his arms. Then he brought his right finger to the tip of his nose and then his left. “You look too much like a little goody-two-shoes to know about DUI nose testing.”
“My dad is the chief of police in Roswell.”
“Ah, I see.” He grinned. “Guess I really better watch my step with you considering you have two very protective men connected to you.”
“That’s right.”
AJ stuck his head in the door. “Okay, guys, let’s go.”
The butterflies I had in my stomach for Brayden and the guys turned over to boulders. I couldn’t imagine what they were feeling. I mean, it wasn’t their actual performance, but it was just one step closer.
Brayden kept his arm wrapped around me as we started out the door. It was a tight squeeze, but we made it. Glancing up at him, I smiled. “Think you’re being a little overprotective?”
He grunted. “I just want to make sure Teague doesn’t get the wrong idea.”
“You know, you’re kinda cute when you’re being a caveman.”
“Is that right?” he asked, with a grin.
“Mmm, hmm. It gets me kinda hot.” I ran my hand up his chest. “You think that maybe you and I could christen that dressing room for my birthday?”
A gleam of lust burned in his eyes. “Oh yeah, I think I can arrange that.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
He gave me a kiss on the lips before he broke away. AJ had already sat behind the drum kit near the auburn-haired guy with the bass guitar had to be Teague by process of elimination. Jake and Brayden took their guitars and then went on stage.
I eased down on one of the bar stools and prepared to hear my very first Runaway Train performance.
LILY
THE PAST
I don’t think I moved from my spot for a full hour. I was that mesmerized by the guys making music. It didn’t hurt a lot of the songs that they were playing were written by Brayden about our relationship. Of course, it was really strange hearing Jake sing lead on Until There Was You. Hearing Brayden’s words of love come out of someone else’s mouth was going to take some time to get used to, especially with it coming from Jake.
The guys bantered back and forth about which songs they should play, and then they finally came up with a list of ten of their own, along with a few covers by Eric Clapton, the Rolling Stones, and Tom Petty. Once they finished rehearsing, they were starving, so we made a quick stop at The Varsity, which apparently was a favorite of theirs too.
“So Lily, besides Brayden, who do you think is the hottest member of Runaway Train?” AJ asked, after we’d made a decent dent in the massive pile of food.
I couldn’t help laughing at his question. “I don’t look at other guys.”
AJ rolled his eyes. “I don’t believe you.”
Throwing up my hands, I said, “I think you’re all very good-looking, okay?”
“Did you hear that, Bray? Your girlfriend is hot for us?” AJ teased.
“You are impossible,” I replied.
“Got any single friends you wanna hook us up with?” Teague asked.
“I have a few who are single. But it depends on what kind of guys you are.”
Jake cocked his brows at me. “I would think it was pretty evident.”
Wrinkling my nose, I replied, “Manwhores?”
The guys laughed at my summation. Jake took a swig of Coke and then winked at me. “I just got out of a relationship a few months back—”
Teague snorted. “What he means is he got his heart broken when his girlfriend refused to take sloppy seconds of his time anymore.”
Jake smacked the back of Teague’s hand. “Shut the fuck up, man.”
With a shrug, Teague replied, “It’s the truth.”
“Whatever,” Jake grumbled. “Anyway, I’m on the rebound, so I’m not looking for anything long term. These two jokers might be up for a relationship if the right girl came along.”
Playing with my straw, I asked, “Why didn’t you make time for your girlfriend?”
Jake glowered at me across the table. I could tell I had hit a sensitive nerve for him. “It wasn’t that I didn’t make time for her.” At Teague’s “bullshit” turned into a cough, Jake once again smacked him.