Page 65 of Just What She Needed

"Thanks." Rhett put the bottle to her mouth and watched Rhys as he did his thing. While she had been entertained by Drew, Parker and David, standing by and watching Rhys being pawed was anything but fun. Through narrowed eyes she watched hands stroking his arm as he smiled charmingly, watched firm young bodies press against him as photos were snapped. Her breaking point was reached almost an hour later when a well-endowed girl handed him a Sharpie, and then pulled down the low-cut neck of her blouse until her entire breast popped out.

She must have made some sound because Sara leaned close. "Chill out, Rhett. They're rock stars. Signing ta-tas is part of the job description."

"I know. It's just..." She broke off with a shrug.

"Hard to watch, I know. Listen, I want to tell you something, okay?"

"Sure." Rhett tore her eyes away from the sight of Rhys signing his name across the girl's flesh. "What's up?"

Sara put her arm around Rhett's shoulders and gave her a sympathetic hug. "Look, I've known Rhys since he was twenty and Ross dragged him to the States. Rhys was married then, and I watched him turn away every single groupie that threw herself at him during that whole tour. He kept turning them away until he got divorced. Rhett, I've known him for almost thirty years, and that's what he does when he's with someone. He doesn't cheat. Ever. So all these girls can shake their titties in his face and put their hands on him with the excuse that they're taking a picture, but that's as far as it's going to go. He's with you. You're the one he wants, and you're the only one he's going to be with. Hear me?"

Some of the tension left Rhett's neck and shoulders, and she forced her hands to uncurl from the fists in which they were clenched. "Thanks, Sara. That's good to know. I just..." She glanced over at Rhys who appeared to be deep in conversation with a pair of blondes dressed in an assortment of black leather that did little to conceal their bodies. Rhett couldn't help but wonder if those outfits came with a pole or if it was sold separately. "I just didn't quite expect it to be like this."

A sudden thought hit her and she straightened up against the wall.

Sara glanced at her. “What?”

“He has to try to spend at least some time talking to everyone, right?”

“That’s the plan,” Sara said.

“All righty, then. I just remembered I’m an everyone.” Rhett put her empty bottle on the floor next to the wall.

Sara laughed. “You’re going to go out into the coliseum with the lions, aren’t you?”

“Damn tootin’.” Rhett scanned the room and saw Drew was alone in the middle of the room for the moment as he checked something on his watch. She headed straight for him.

He looked up as she approached and broke into a smile. “Hey, Hellcat. Tired of staying out of trouble?”

“Tired of holding up that damn wall,” she replied as she returned his smile.

Drew had amazing eyes, a curious mix of blue, green, and gray, with flecks of black around the outer iris. Hard to miss them since they were at that moment staring straight into hers with an intensity she couldn’t miss.

“How much have you had to drink?” she asked.

His smile changed and acquired a private vibe. “Not as much as you think.” He laughed under his breath and leaned forward to speak directly into her ear. “I’m just trying to see how riled up I can make him.”

“Oh, God, Drew. Don’t make him mad.”

“Not mad, just riled up.” Drew grinned and smoothed her hair over her shoulder. “From the looks he keeps tossing over here it’s working.”

“I swear, if he lights into me—”

“He’s not going to light into you,” he interrupted. “Besides, he knows exactly what I’m doing.”

“I’m glad he does, but I’m in the dark here,” Rhett said. “What exactly are you doing?”

“Just hurrying him along, that’s all.” Drew glanced over her shoulder and snickered. “It’s working, too. Heads up, Hellcat.”

Don’t let him be mad, don’t let him be mad, don’t let him be mad. Rhett glanced up at Rhys as he joined them, but he was looking at Drew. Relief flooded her when she saw the smile he directed at the rhythm guitarist was a mixture of exasperation and amusement, not anger.

“There you are,” Drew said to him with a devilish grin. “This is Rhett. She flew all the way in from Texas to see our show.”

Rhys dismissed Drew with an almost imperceptible shake of his head and directed his attention to Rhett.

“Did you now,” he said. “I hope we were worth it.”

“More than worth it,” she replied.