Chapter Twenty
LUNAR
Luke secured an old, abandoned warehouse for rehearsals, the only space he could find large enough for two bands to practice with no noise restrictions near the hotel. Recoil is wrapping up their set, and I’m thrilled at how well Luminous and Recoil sound when they play together.
Despite Danger and Effa not having finalized their duet yet, the bands still rehearse together to ensure they collaborate seamlessly once the song is ready. Their combined sound is phenomenal, and I genuinely believe that Luminous will be an asset to Recoil.
The harmonious flow of rock music stops, and the vibrations in my chest subside once the deafening echo fades through the open expanse.
I slide off the counter and make my way over to the food table to grab a sandwich while Recoil begins packing up.
As I do, the thud of footsteps approaches from behind and prompts me to turn, finding Nate jogging toward me.
Smiling at him, he returns the gesture with his trademark drop-dead gorgeous grin, stretching from ear to ear.
Why are all the men of Recoil stunning?
Even Ryan is good-looking in his goofy way. Sure, he may not boast the toned abs like the others, but there is no denying his handsome face.
Shaking off my thoughts, I look at Nate. “Hey, you guys sound incredible, as usual.”
He chuckles and shrugs. “You think so?”
“You know you do.”
He leans in, draping his arm around my shoulders, pulling me close. “You know, you’re all right, Lunar. I misjudged you at first, but I like you, and we could be good friends.”
Jerking my head back, I widen my eyes. “Well, that’s nice, thanks, Nate. I hope we can be friends ’cause otherwise, this long-arse tour will feel even longer,” I reply with a wry smile.
“We’re friends, Lunar. In fact, if you get sick of dangerous men, my door’s always open.” He winks, leaving me momentarily speechless from the shock of that statement.
Nate chuckles when Danger approaches, shooting him a glare. Sensing tension, I gently remove his arm from around my shoulders. Danger notices the shocked expression on my face and then directs a frown toward Nate. “Everything okay here?”
I nod emphatically, eager to avoid causing issues between bandmates.
Nate laughs. “I was just telling your girl here that if she ever gets tired of you, she can come to a real man like me, especially on Valentine’s Day.”
I gasp, caught off-guard by his audacity, my eyes widening in disbelief. Stepping in front of Danger, I observe his fists clenching, his nostrils flaring, and his face flushing with anger. “He’s so not worth it,” I murmur.
Danger’s gaze slides down to meet mine, and he swallows hard, looking deeply into my soul. It sends a tingle down my spine and quickens my heartbeat. The intensity with which he’s looking at me as if I’m his and no one else is allowed to even glance in my direction overwhelms me.
Danger turns to Nate, gritting his teeth.
Then spins back to face me, his eyes locked on mine intensely.
“She is my girl. Mine! I want to make this perfectly clear right now…” furrowing my brows, I recall hearing speeches like this at the club when a brother claims an Old Lady, “… Lunar is my girlfriend. No one. I mean no one, but especially you, Nate, gets to think they can have their way with her. Lunar. Is. Mine. Everyone got it?” he barks, his eyes remain locked on mine, ensuring I am understanding his authority.
I must admit, being claimed is definitely as hot as I thought it would be, and especially on Valentine’s Day. My skin comes alive, tingling and dancing with the adrenaline of the moment. My thighs are clenching together with the show of dominance and control he has over the situation.
It’s definitely a turn-on knowing he wants me and only me, and right now, I’m putty in his hands.
Everyone nods, and he slowly looks up at them, then turns back to me.
There’s only one person who can deny his claim.
That person is me.
I glance at him and smile, easing his nerves before he envelops me in his arms. Leaning in, I loop my arms around his neck, hoisting myself up and wrapping my legs around his waist. I lean down, pressing my lips to his passionately.
Cheers echo through the warehouse as his tongue dances with mine effortlessly.
He wants to make me his girlfriend, and, in this moment, I’m fairly certain he knows I’m saying absolutely, one hundred percent, and unequivocally, “Yes.”
We pull back from the kiss, our foreheads meeting while we try to catch our breath.
“Do you mean it? You want me to be your girlfriend?” I search his eyes for sincerity, hoping to find the truth behind his words.
“I can’t bear the thought of seeing you with other guys. Especially Nate. And knowing we’re not official is driving me fucking crazy. So… will you?”
“Of course. I always wanted to be a rocker’s girlfriend.”
“Liar,” he declares firmly, and I know that’s correct.
“True. I always pictured myself as a biker’s Old Lady. But being a rocker’s girl has a much edgier appeal.”
He grins. “Just so you know, I’m actively working on my damaged side.”
“I know. I understand your pain. I swear, I won’t put you through that.”
He places my feet back on the ground but continues to look into my eyes, his thumbs running circles on my hips under my shirt. “You’re nothing like Ella, so I know you couldn’t hurt me like she did. But I’ll need time to break down my barriers.”
“We’ve got all the time in the world, big guy.”
“Yeah… I guess we do.”
I lean forward, tangling my fingers in his hair, and tug his head toward mine, pressing my lips to his.
“Get a fucking room!” Ryan’s voice interrupts, and I break away from Danger in a burst of giggles.
Ryan dashes past us shirtless, like a wild man. He is certainly one of a kind. But I adore him.
“Let’s head back to the hotel. I might have a Valentine’s Day surprise waiting for you,” Danger suggests.
Waggling my brows, I smile. “Really?”
He grins with a nod. “It’s about time I spoiled you.”
“Will you two fuck off already!” Ryan calls out, racing past us half-naked again.
Bursting out laughing, I grab Danger’s hand and start dragging him off. “Yes, we need to celebrate.”
“Yeah, we do!” he replies, then bends down, lifting me over his shoulder. I let out a small squeal, the others laughing as we go.
I can’t stop the smile creeping up my face.
Best Valentine’s Day EVER!
DANGER
One Week Later
Over the last week, we’ve experienced quite a surge in popularity.
Luke arranged for us to appear on the morning show Break of Day.
We played three songs, and the crowd went wild.
We knew the Australians loved us, but we didn’t quite realize how big we had become until we performed on the morning show.
Girls were screaming and caught up in a frenzy of excitement.
There was even a red carpet, and the line of people waiting stretched for city blocks to catch a glimpse of us. It was all so surreal but amazing, and it’s all thanks to Luke’s expert management.
Our songs are now dominating the airwaves, and we are splashed across the headlines of Australian newspapers.
With only a bit of publicity, it’s as if we’ve transformed into an overnight sensation, propelling us from local pubs and clubs to stadiums. We have gigs lined up, and tickets are selling out within minutes of going on sale.
The hype surrounding Recoil is buzzing, which has me buzzing.
But there’s still plenty of work to be done.
Lunar is having a FaceTime session with her mom and Stuart while Effa and I are back at it, working on this duet again. We had hoped to have it finalized for the opening night of the first show in Melbourne, but it seems unlikely to happen now.
It’s a scorching February day in Australia, so I’ve removed my shirt to beat the heat while Effa remains in her usual freak mode, clad in a onesie. How she wears that in this temperature is beyond me, but everything the girl does is a little peculiar.
We’re seated side by side on the sofa, our legs touching, but there’s no sexual tension.
She’s a friend. Heads bent over our notes, the sides of our heads are nearly touching as we inch closer together, humming in harmony, striving for the perfect pitch.
It sounds fantastic. Finally, we’re making progress with the melody of the song—the lyrics, not so much.
And as we harmonize, our closeness increases, melding our musical genius into something magical.
I’m lost in the sound, and my heart flutters with the beautiful melody we’re creating.
“Hey, guys,” Lunar calls out.
There’s a sternness to her voice I haven’t heard before, prompting me to look up. The harsh glare she’s sending our way makes me shift away from Effa, a sudden realization dawning that our closeness must look suspicious.
Dammit!
I stand, walk to Lunar, and press my lips to hers a little too enthusiastically, hoping to alleviate her concerns.
I know Lunar is wary of the friendship Effa and I share, perhaps due to the similarities between Effa and Ella, but Lunar has nothing to worry about.
Effa and I connect solely on a platonic and musical level—nothing more.
Lunar giggles and pulls back. “What’s gotten into you?”
I lift my shoulders into a shrug before speaking, “We’ve been more productive today. Gotten a few more lyrics down and more of the tune.”
“Oh, you did? Amazing! Can I hear?” she asks excitedly.
“Sure,” Effa says.
“No!” I blurt out in a hurry.
Lunar looks at me, her brow furrowing in confusion. She takes in a deep breath and swallows hard. “Okay…” She exhales, seeming to accept my response.
I rub the back of my neck. “It’s not that I don’t want you to hear it, Lunar. It’s just that I want it to be the best it can be when you finally hear it.”
She purses her lips. “Why? It’s not like it’s about me or anything?”
Her words cut me deep and make me feel like everything I worked on today was for nothing. “No, I wouldn’t write about you,” I reply.
Effa looks at me and winces, then she stands. “I’m gonna go. Good work today. I look forward to breaking down some more walls with you,” Effa says.
Lunar scoffs under her breath, but I don’t miss it.
“Thanks, Effa, you’re a great help.”
“Bye, Lunar,” Effa offers nicely, and Lunar simply waves Effa off as she walks out the hotel door.
Taking a deep breath, Lunar looks at me and stiffens her stance, folding her arms over her chest and tilting to one side. “I’m gone for two hours, and you guys are practically all over each other?”
“I’m sorry… what?”
“I walk in, and you’re against each other, heads practically touching, bodies aligned in every way. You’re half-naked, too, by the way. How am I supposed to take this?”
I snort out a laugh. “Well, for starters, we were harmonizing when you walked in… you know, matching pitch. If you bothered to learn anything about my world, you’d understand that singers must get in sync with each other, Lunar.
It doesn’t just magically happen. And secondly, you should try some trust. Like I trust you. ”
“Right, so if you saw me like that with a half-naked Nate, you’d be fine?”
“No, I would not be fine because he’s purposely trying to find a way to break us up. But maybe you’re gonna do that all by yourself.”
She stops, her eyes welling with tears. “You wanna break up?”
“No, I don’t. Lunar, Effa, and I are friends. That’s it.”
“You better bloody swear!”
My cock strains in my shorts, and I smirk. My chest swells in appreciation for my woman. “Fuck! I love it when you go all Aussie bogan on me.”
She laughs, wrapping her arms around my neck. “Why is your shirt off?”
“Because it’s February in Australia.”
She laughs softly. “Fair call, it is hot today. Okay, big guy, you’re forgiven.”
“Well, aren’t I lucky? I didn’t even do anything wrong,” I jest, chuckling.
She leans in, pressing her fruity lips to mine, and I grin into the kiss.
Lunar’s jealousy can be troublesome, but it’s also reassuring.
It tells me she genuinely cares about me, something I haven’t felt from a woman in ages.
I always felt second best and played second fiddle.
But with Lunar, I feel like I’m her top priority, and honestly, that’s an incredible feeling.
Pulling back, I gently slide some hair behind her ear. “How’s the fam?”
“So good. They’re receiving in-house support from the foundation, and Mum said she couldn’t be more proud of me.”
“You’re doing so well—”
“What, between my jealous fits of rage…”
I laugh. “Yeah, between those.”
We both chuckle as I wrap my arms around her waist and edge her back toward the bed. She falls on the mattress, and I hover over her. Supporting myself with my arms on either side of her body, I gaze down at her gorgeous face. “You do know how beautiful you are, don’t you?”
She shakes her head. “No. Why don’t you show me?”
Grinning, I lean in, kissing her, getting ready to prove to her that she is the only woman I have my eyes on.