Emma didn’t respond right away, shifting in her seat and hunting for the lip balm in her purse. How did she explain the sense of arousal she felt every time she heard his voice? To be honest, she was a little afraid of how she was going to react when she saw him on stage. She loved the album. Maybe too much. She found her lip balm and uncapped it, taking her time rubbing the minty moisturizer onto her lips. Julie watched her impatiently. After she tossed it back in her purse, Emma felt a bit more put together. “I really love it, actually.”
Julie whooped. “I knew it! I knew you’d love it.”
“Well, I’d heard some songs from the radio, so I knew I’d like it.” Emma shifted in her seat again, suddenly inexplicably anxious. She felt itchy, as though her skin was too tight. Did she eat something weird? She stood up, trying to stretch. Maybe she was just cooped up from being squished into one place too long. “Listen, Julie, I’m going to go to the bathroom and maybe get something to eat. You want to come with me?”
“Sure. I could use a pretzel.” They stood and squeezed down the row, trying not to step on anyone. When they reached the hallway, it was still so crowded that Emma felt like the walls were closing in on her.
“Where’s the bathroom?” she asked Julie.
“I think it’s that way.” Julie pointed. “I’m going to get in line for a pretzel.”
“Okay. I’ll meet you back at the seats.” Julie nodded as Emma shoved her way down the passage to a less crowded spot. She didn’t really need to use the restroom. She just wanted a moment to breathe. After about ten minutes of standing alone, she felt marginally better, though her skin still prickled. Oh, well, she thought, must be the heat and stress. She made her way back to the seats but had to pause by a pile of equipment at the edge of the stage because the crowd was too thick to get through. Too many people all trying to get to different places, she figured, waiting patiently near one of the venue’s security men. She leaned against the railing that separated the stage from the audience, ignoring the guard’s curious look. He turned away, scanning the crowd for trouble, then Emma noticed his eyes widening a fraction. What was happening? she wondered just as she caught him nodding. He turned toward her.
“Are you Emma?” the big man asked in a deceptively soft voice. Emma’s heart began pounding. How did he know her name? She nodded and he smiled. “Could you please come here for a moment?” He slid the barrier back to create a small space that she could squeeze her body through. She looked at him, wondering if she should trust him, then realized that she could feel Jake in her mind, silently urging her on. She blushed and hurried toward the opening, trying to get control of herself. Did Jake know where she was?
“Just down here, miss.” The guard guided her a short way around the edge of the stage. When he stopped, she could see a small space between the large speakers that lead underneath the stage. At the man’s hand motion, she slipped in and abruptly came face to face with Jake Mackenzie. Emma stopped breathing.
After trying and failing to find Emma during Mizar’s performance, Jake felt like hitting something. He could feel her, Duncan could feel her, but he couldn’t find her. It was driving him crazy. He felt jumpy and desperate. Finally, he stopped near the edge of the stage, protected from the crowd’s view by the enormous speakers and the security fencing. He peered out, careful to keep the baseball cap pulled low over his eyes so that even if someone saw him he wouldn’t be recognized. He watched the people walking around while the stage crew worked above him to get ready for Duncan’s concert.
I should be up there, overseeing, he thought then felt Duncan’s presence in his head urging him to keep looking for Emma.
Jake sighed, wanting to take off the cap and run his hands through his sweaty hair but not daring. Right now he was just another nondescript technician doing something esoteric under the stage. He scanned the crowd again then felt his heart trip. She was right there in front of him. He recognized her hair, the way she cocked her head. She wasn’t facing him, but she didn’t look as if she were going anywhere soon as she leaned on the security fence to people-watch. He figured she must be waiting for the crowd to ease up so she could make her way back to her seat. He pulled his radio from his belt, hands shaking.
“This is Jake. I’m looking for the security guard at the west end of the floor security fencing.” He looked at the guard who stopped his scanning to stare right at him. The guard nodded imperceptibly. Jake took a deep breath, thankful that modern security included things like ear feeds so he wouldn’t have to go out into the crowd. He could just imagine the kind of ruckus it would cause if he was seen. He pressed the button on his radio again. “Do you see the woman to your left? Her name is Emma. Please escort her through the fence to me, okay?” Jake waited until the man gave him a thumbs-up. He watched him talk to Emma, and he could feel her confusion when the guard motioned toward the barrier. He silently urged her to slip through, hoping no one would notice. He could feel Duncan coming, and he hoped that the other man kept his head down and stayed out of sight of the screaming fans. Then he saw Emma duck through the narrow space the guard created and slip under the stage. She walked a few steps, watching her feet in the dark, then stopped and looked up right into his eyes. Jake froze, unable to speak.
She was beautiful. He could tell she was nervous, and he could also tell she knew who he was. He drew a breath then silently urged her further under the stage, ducking behind one of the pillars that held up the flooring. The lift sat unused a few feet to his left, the dim strip lights illuminating the path the performers were supposed to follow to get on stage. The lights accentuated her hair, throwing highlights onto her curls, making him want to thrust his fingers into the softness and hold her still as he kissed her. She swallowed, and he saw her eyes widen, then suddenly Duncan stepped up beside him, sliding an arm around his waist. Jake leaned into his friend’s embrace gratefully as the three of them stared at each other.
Duncan was the first to break the silence. “Emma. Don’t be afraid.”
Jake’s heart tripped in double time at the emotion in his friend’s voice, and he reached out a shaky hand to her. He could feel Duncan trembling. Emma lifted her arm, not saying a word, eyes wide. Jake could feel her in his head, feel her apprehension and attraction at war with each other. He could sense Duncan’s fierce arousal, and it only ramped his own higher. When her hand touched his, Jake’s knees buckled at the spark that jumped between the three of them. Duncan held him up, so Jake pulled Emma in, folding his arms around her shaking body while Duncan moved closer, slotting himself alongside her as well. The three of them held on for dear life as a thousand images flashed before their eyes. Jake shuddered as he felt Emma’s consciousness slide into him, and he knew Duncan felt her as well. She gasped as Jake felt Duncan slip into his mind and then into Emma’s, and then his own sense of self reached out. Duncan leaned in, blindly kissing Emma, then Jake, their mouths so close together that in a second, the three of them were kissing each other messily, their minds threading together in a crescendo that left them all panting when Emma finally wrenched her face away.
“Emma. Oh, my God,” Jake croaked. Duncan looked flushed under his tan, gorgeous and trembling. Jake couldn’t think clearly, his thoughts muddy and slow with the burning heat that their three-way kiss ignited. Emma quivered, and the two men held her up, cupping her shoulders and around her waist until she could stand on her own again. Duncan pressed his erection into Jake’s side, and Emma shuddered then stepped back when someone coughed behind the trio. Jake looked up to see a stage hand adjusting something on the lift. To his relief, he didn’t think the man saw them.