One Weekend in Vegas: A Best Friend's Older Brother, Rock Star Romance

Chapter 13

We’re stopped over and over again by members of the stage team as well as venue employees, narrowly escaping fans flooding the backstage area to party with Downfall.

“Won’t they miss you?” I ask as Ryder pushes open the heavy door I had to convince myself to walk through earlier.

What a difference a few hours make.

“Reid and Hudson will more than make up for my absence,” he tells me, squeezing my hand gently. “You’re the only one I want to be with right now.”

The butterflies in my stomach unfurl their wings and flutter furiously. The movement creates waves of heat that move outward, traveling into my fingers and toes before taking my breath away.

He weaves us back through the hallway, past the door that security led Krista and me through earlier, and to a bank of service elevators. He pushes the button and turns back to pull me into his embrace.

The words push at my lips. I want to give him my answer.

His heart pounds beneath my ear as I inhale the warm scent of sandalwood and spices mixed with something that is unique to him. His arms tighten around me, and he roams one hand up and down my spine.

“This elevator takes forever,” he mutters.

I tip my chin up and lock eyes with him. We stay like that for a long time, locked in a conversation that involves no words but plenty of emotion. His gaze searches mine for several heartbeats before the fire banked in them stirs to life. He leans down, and my eyes flutter shut as I stretch upward, ready to meet his kiss.

Our breaths mingle for a heartbeat, and his lips have barely brushed mine when the ding signals the elevator’s arrival. He groans and pulls away but reaches for my hand to tug me into the stainless-steel enclosure.

“There are only a few buttons,” I say, pointing at the abbreviated panel.

“This takes us to a set of elevators that go to our rooms. It’s one of the benefits of this casino. We can move to and from the venue without being mobbed.”

Guilt pricks at me for taking him away from the first night of his residency.

“Are your fans going to be mad you’re not there?” I ask, clutching the front of his shirt.

He lifts one shoulder in a shrug and side-eyes me. “This isn’t the first time I haven’t gone to an afterparty.”

Heat builds in my core and fills my cheeks. “I can’t be the only reason.”

“You’re one of the few,” he tells me. “Here and there, I’ve skipped out because I wasn’t feeling good or to spend time with my family.”

“Oh.”

I’m saved from further response when the elevator doors open. He guides me out into the hall, then leads me on another short trek to another set of service elevators. Unlike in the venue, hotel workers move about near us, including a man with a food cart who stops next to us.

“Did you eat tonight?” he murmurs, running his thumb along the top of my hand in a caress that has a direct line to a less-innocent body part.

“Y-yes.” I suck in a breath, doing my best to ignore the telltale build in my core. The one that tells me I need to get him alone and naked.

“You didn’t come to dinner.”

The elevator doors open, and we shuffle on with our chaperone. This time, Ryder pulls me in front of him until my back is pressed against his chest and his erection bumps my ass.

We’re wrapped in a silent cocoon of sensation. Of anticipation. Until the elevator hits the sixth floor and our chaperone exits.

Ryder rests one hand against my abdomen and grips my hip with the other. “What did you eat?” he asks, his lips tickling my earlobe and eliciting a shiver down my spine.

“Ice cream. Krista found one of those old-fashioned parlors in the casino shops.” I keep my eyes trained on the numbers on the panel as they climb higher.

The elevator slows to a stop, and the doors open soundlessly, but I don’t move.

“Are you going to get out?” he asks, releasing my hip to press the open-door button.

“Oh,” I breathe, coming out of my stupor.

I step out, and Ryder follows. Nerves assault my belly, whipping the butterflies into a frenzy. I haven’t been this nervous around him in a long time. But tonight, our relationship has shifted. That’s what this is. A relationship. Fight and all. One we’ve been building for months. And we’re both acknowledging that.

With another deep breath, I weave my fingers with his and lead the way to his room. I have to wait for him to open the door, but then I tug him the rest of the way inside, flipping on the switch for the small light by the window.

Releasing his hand, I put a little distance between us and stare out the window at the brightly lit strip of casinos.

“Everything okay?” he asks.

I turn at the sound of his voice, finding him watching me, wearing a look of concern. “I’ve had to wait all night to talk to you,” I tell him, propping my hands on my hips.

A smile curves his lips. “We’ve been talking the entire way up here.”

I groan. “Not what I wanted to talk about.”

“What did you want to talk about?” The small smile fades from his lips, and he closes the distance between us.

So close that our breaths mingle, but not touching.

My body reaches for his, but I hold myself back. “I want to give you my answer,” I tell him.

He sucks in a breath, and a shadow of doubt crosses his face. He’s back to being uncertain.

I close the distance and walk my fingers up his chest until I can wrap my arms around his neck and play with the hair at his nape.

“What you said this afternoon wasn’t okay,” I start.

That look of doubt turns into one of painful remorse.

“But you apologized. Then you admitted you have feelings for me and basically told your bandmates to fuck off with their opinions,” I tell him, smiling at the memory. “I have feelings for you too. Have had those same feelings you mentioned for a long time. I want to be with you too.”

He grips my hips tight, hopeful for the first time.

“But if what happened earlier happens again, I won’t be okay with it. You’re going to screw up—so am I—but I need to know I can trust you. With my body. With our baby. And with my heart.”

“I swear to God, Britt, I’ll never make that mistake again.”

“Good. Now how about you kiss me already?”

The words still hover on my lips when his mouth claims mine, his tongue seeking and demanding entrance. He slips his hands to my ass and squeezes.

Moaning, I tangle my fingers in his hair and press against him, eliminating the last bit of distance between us.