Page 64 of Just What She Needed

"Why do you think? Hey, there are girls who will be satisfied to just boff a crew member when they can't get one of the guys from the band."

A flurry of activity by men wearing Illicit crew shirts caught Rhett's attention. "What's going on?"

Sara looked toward the door. "Incoming."

Rhett's bemusement at Sara's cryptic statement turned to understanding when the band's tour manager, Mike, entered the room, followed by Drew, David and Parker. The imminent stampede toward them halted when Mike held up his hands and blasted an impressive whistle from between his teeth.

"This ain't a zoo, so don't act like animals," he said. "They'll get around to everyone, so just wait your turn."

Rhett hadn't seen so much tossing of hair since her senior prom as girls prepared to come face to face with the three rock stars.

"Freakin' amazing," she said. "They act like they're auditioning for something."

"Oh, but they are." Sara snickered. "David will definitely find someone to leave with, and Parker might. Sometimes he does. Drew's a little pickier, but you never can tell. But you ain't seen nothin' yet. I don't want to put down these guys, because I love the hell out of them. But most of these people are waiting for Ross and Rhys."

"But—"

"Yeah, the only two who are taken. But these little hussies don't care. In fact, they see it as a challenge." Sara shrugged at Rhett's open-mouthed look of shock. "Just wait. You'll see. And there's T now, so it won't be long." She sidled closer to Rhys's head of security. "Where's Owen?"

"Right behind me," T said. He winked at Rhett, and then turned his attention to the room, his gaze scanning the crowd like a Secret Service agent.

A moment later, Ross and Rhys walked into the room with Ross's head of security, and, as Sara predicted, the excitement that zapped through the pass holders was almost visible to the naked eye. Neither man seemed to notice but remained in what looked like deep conversation with each other, ignoring the buzz their entrance generated.

Rhett was feeling a nice buzz, too, and it had nothing to do with the beer. It was the sight of Rhys that made her nerves sizzle. In the time since she'd seen him, he'd gone from flushed and sweaty to a hot of a different kind. With a start of recognition, Rhett noticed he was wearing the same clothes he had on the day he left for Vancouver to record the album. Pleasurable heat flooded her cheeks at the memories of the two of them in the back seat of his car, and of the way he looked on stage singing about it when the band played "Auto Erotic."

As if her thoughts somehow summoned his attention, Rhys looked past his guitarist to where Rhett stood with Sara. A slow smile crossed his face as he said something to Ross with an imperceptible nod in their direction.

Ross looked over his shoulder and winked at his wife. Sara laughed under breath. "Hey, Rhett, you want another beer?"

"Um, yeah, sure. Thanks."

"Be right back." Without taking her eyes from her husband, Sara moved toward the coolers, shadowed closely by Ross.

Rhett looked back at Rhys and found him in front of her, that devastating smile still in place. "How are you doing?"

"I'm good." She gave the smile back. "Better now that you're here. Especially given what you're wearing." A soft laugh shook her when he looked down at himself with a confused frown. "That's what you had on when we, um, took a tour of the back seat of your BMW."

"Really?" He looked up at her through his lashes. "The only clothes I was concerned with that day were yours, and the only thing I remember about them is that they came off." He drew in a deep breath and shook his hair back. "Can't think about that right now, though. I have to go play nice for a bit first."

"I know." Rhett beat back her own libido with effort. "Go do what you have to do. I'm not going anywhere."

One of the men who Rhys referred to as Mike's minions appeared at his elbow. "Uh, Rhys? Mike says there are some people over there he thinks you should—"

Rhys turned to the guy with a smile that held no warmth. "You go right back over there and tell Mike I don't have to talk to anyone if I don't want to. I can turn round right now and walk out if I feel like it. And you can tell Mike I'm not a toddler, and I don't need my playtime scheduled."

The skin over the poor guy's cheeks tightened, and he bobbed his head in a stiff nod. "Right."

"Sorry." Rhys rubbed his hand over the back of his neck as the guy walked away. "I really didn't mean to snap at him like that."

"You okay?"

"Yeah." His lips curved in a rueful smile. "Just not feeling it tonight. I should have blown it off so I could do what I really want. Spend time with you."

"Hey, Rhys." Sara approached holding two bottles of beer and a tumbler with amber liquid. "I got you your favorite, Johnnie Walker, two ice cubes."

"You're one of the best, Sara." Rhys took the tumbler and brushed a kiss across her cheek. "All right, I'm off. I'll work my way back here as soon as I can." He placed a longer, more lingering kiss on Rhett's cheek, and then walked away.

"Here you go." Sara handed Rhett one of the bottles. "Drink up."