She shivered, this time from the cold. He popped open the three buttons lining the front of his wool peacoat and opened it, inviting her.
There was nothing else to be done but take those steps into the warm circle of his embrace, sliding her arms around his waist.
Tuesday tipped her head back to see him better, stilling as their gazes locked a moment before his attention shifted to her mouth. And he did that thing again.
She sucked in a breath this time.
He heard. She knew it because his pupils got very big.
Everything got very far off. Sounds all around them died away until only Ezra and Tuesday remained.
And then his mouth was on hers, the arms holding the coat around her tightened as he pulled her to him.
Snug.
Body to body until there was no mistaking how interested he was in her.
Musician wasnt the only word Ezra could apply gifted to.
Oh. Well. Yes, please.
A breathy groan of appreciation came from her and he seemed to lick it from her lips.
It was too much. So much her heart pounded and she fought the desire to run from him.
She hadnt felt anything this powerful with a man since Eric died.
Maybe not even then.
She shoved that far away.
Despite it being too much she wanted more. Throbbed with an overwhelming need to roll around in everything Ezra brought to the table.
Her teeth grazed his bottom lip and she loved the way his beard felt as she did it. She licked over it, squirming to get a little closer.
Fuckyeah, he muttered right before his tongue slid into her mouth and his taste burst over her.
Vanilla and a touch of brandy from the pears theyd shared after dinner. A little hint of coffee and whatever superendorphin he made with all that hotness.
He kept on, his weight holding her in place against the car.
Inside his coat, the heat of him burned her. But she wasnt sweating from that.
Her heart thundered in her head.
Finally he pulled back a little, sucking in a breath. His gaze was on hers, open. There was pain there with desire and appreciation. Vulnerability.
Please dont apologize or say I should forget it.
After long moments of silence, no apologies or panicked expectation management issued from him and she breathed a little easier even as his taste still lived on her mouth.
Those deep brown eyes shifted his attention to her lips and then back to her gaze.
A smile hinted at the corners of his mouth. Was that my bounty for saving you from a fall?
She pursed her lips a moment, enjoying the flirting, and then smiled back. Maybe.
Im always willing to take payment for services or goods via your mouth.
She swallowed. Excited and nervous. Flattered. Turned on. So I guess Im rooting for a long, icy winter then, huh?
He snorted a laugh, letting go and stepping back. The cold reasserted itself with a slap, which made it a little easier to think again.
Thanks for making my day a hell of a lot better, Tuesday Eastwood. He opened her door.
Yes. What you said.
He kissed her again quickly. Ill be seeing you around. You coming to the shows next week?
Sweet Hollow Ranch, the band Ezra and his brothers created, was set to drop an album and do a short winter and spring tour.
Ezra still wrote, recorded and produced the bands material, but hed left touring behind once hed got out of rehab and taken stock of his life.
And now, for the first time in years, Ezra was set to be back onstage with them at a few small fan club secret shows to try out new material before they left for the full tour.
She imagined he was probably excited and nervous about it at the same time. He seemed so capable, though; she bet he wasnt too worried about it.
Well definitely be at the shows. Nat and I are driving in together so Ill see you then. She got in her car and he closed the door. Two knuckle raps on the roof and he moved away so she could pull the car out and head home.
He watched her until she turned the corner but she felt his mouth on her skin for hours.
CHAPTER TWO
Now: May
EZRA KNEW WHEN Tuesday had arrived backstage. Every time she was near, an arc of electricity shot up his spine as his hyperawareness seemed to draw them closer to one another. He turned to watch her move through the crowd, that fucking magnificent head of curls setting her apart.
Natalie, Tuesdays best friend and Ezras brother Paddys girlfriend, was at her side. The two of them made a picture. Both beautiful in totally different ways. Both fierce and a little wounded.
Maybe a lot wounded. The closer he got with his brothers girlfriend, the more he admired just what shed overcome. He was uniquely positioned to understand wounded and to not judge it, either.
Natalie squeezed Tuesdays hand before she came over to Ezra. Ezra, youre looking very handsome tonight. She kissed his cheek and gave him a hug.
Thank you, sweetheart. Im glad to see you here. Glad you and Paddy patched things up.
Behind Natalie, his sister-in-law, Mary, had waylaid Tuesday so he forced himself to be patient.
I hear you were a pretty big part of that finally happening. He probably wont admit it, but Paddy was so lost without your guidance.
Paddy hadnt just said a bunch of stupid, hurtful stuff to Natalie, hed said a lot to Ezra as well and then didnt contact either one of them as he spiraled closer to the edge.
Luckily, his brother wasnt as dumb as he was pretty and hed got his shit straight and made up with Ezra and Natalie both.
Sometimes you just need to hear someone tell you what you already know.
Youre very wise. It must be why you look at my best friend the way you do.
He scoffed and then made a shooing motion at her. Go on. Paddy is killing himself not rushing over here.
She gave him one last quick kiss on the cheek and glided over to where Paddy waitedhis smile was one all for Natalie.
Finally his patience was rewarded when Tuesday freed herself and resumed her trip over to where he stood, her lips curved up into a sexy smile.
All the spit in his mouth dried at the sight of her once she cleared the crowd. She wore a very short dress that was bright pink and orange and he wasnt sure it was supposed to work, but on her it did. Her shoulders and part of her neck and chest were exposed and the material seemed to wrap around her neck.
He held out a hand her way and she took it. Damn, every single time he touched her it was like a shot of adrenaline. Flipping his hold so he could place a kiss on the heart of her palm and then over her wrist.
You smell good, he murmured. God help him, she did. Spicy and sexy and just a little dark. It called to him, like to like.
She stood close enough to hear and her mouth tipped up into another smile.
There was so much chemistry between them it made him a little dizzy. Dizzy enough that he knew the risks and he stood there anyway, planning on kissing every part of her as soon as he could.
Tuesday was his brothers girlfriends best friend. So close they may as well have been sisters. She lived not only in Hood River but she also lived with Natalie. If something went wrong it could be uncomfortable forever.
And yet he couldnt stop himself when she was in his view. Or his thoughts. Which were pretty frequent. Especially after that kiss in December and the follow-up just the week before.
But if he was totally honest with himself, ever since the first time hed met her back in the fall.
Tuesday Eastwood was vibrant and sensual and she wore her confidence and intelligence boldly. He found that so attractive he went half-hard just at the sight of her.
Thank you. Im excited to see you play tonight.
He looked down to the glittery heels, the pretty painted toes, and then up shapely ankles and calves to toned thighs. Another thing about Tuesday that he dug so much was her love of the outdoors. He worked with his body and it enabled him to burn off all that excess energy...most of it. But he loved to horseback ride and ATV and had been pleased to discover she did, too, when theyd all gone out for rides. She was gorgeous and strong and he wanted some of what she had.
Ezra stood so they were face-to-face. Her sky-high heels brought her level to him, nose-to-nose.
His inner voice screamed caution but he ignored it because it felt so good to want her.
Thanks. You look fantastic.
I figured youd be bringing all this she paused to wave a hand his way hotness rock star business. Had to up my game.
Consider it upped. By the way, Ill be escorting you home this evening. I hope you dont mind.
Paddy asked you to take me so he could sweep Nat off? Her smile told Ezra she wasnt bothered in the least. Ill skip the part where I pretend Im not totally all right with that plan.
He hasnt asked yet. But he will. I saw the way he looked at her just now. Which is fine with me, as Id like to have you all to myself.
Techs came through to talk with each brother. With the fame came more money and they could afford to hire people to help keep the instruments they played in working order. And then theyd been able to afford a tech for each member of the band. The tech currently making no attempt to hide the way he looked Ezra over was Ira and hed been with Sweet Hollow Ranch for a decade.
Having someone who knew his schedule and preferences made it less stressful to be returning to an arena stage for the first time since rehab.
The room got louder and louder as more and more people arrived backstage. The chaos of it jangled his nerves and fucked with his head.
He slid his thumb over her bottom lip. I need to head to my dressing room for a while.
She reached out, her fingertips brushing against the bone at his wrist as she kissed his thumb. Go on. Youre going to kick ass.
Ezra stepped close again, sliding his arm around her waist. It didnt matter that there were a dozen reasons why pursuing her would be a bad idea. He wanted her, she wanted him, they were both adults and damn it, he didnt want to stop.
He certainly was powerless against it when she moved even closer to him, tipping her head a little, exposing her neck.
He bent his head, breathing her in, brushing his lips over her skin.
Ill be here when youre done.
Im holding you to that. He stepped back and caught up with Ira to talk about his guitars, but her scent lived in him.
Ira gave him a once-over and Ezra pretended not to see it. Ira had been giving him the once-over before shows for years. At least now Ezra wasnt so high he couldnt even stay conscious onstage.
Ezra had his head on straight now. He could be trusted and relied on. No one looked at him with pity-laden expressions tinged with varying shades of disgust. It had been a fight that he wasnt sure hed win at times, but there he stood, with all that devastation in his past, with great hope for his future.
Satisfied Ezra was all right, Ira relaxed and gave him the rundown before leaving him alone in his dressing room. Even though Paddy was the leader of Sweet Hollow Ranch, it was Ezra who was the founder. The true leader everyone, including Paddy, turned to.
That trust never ceased to amaze Ezra. They shouldnt trust him. Not after heroin. But they did and he would white-knuckle it through every damned day to never disappoint the people counting on him again.
Once hed finished his shot of wheatgrass juice, he sat back on the couch and put his feet up. With a long, slow exhalation, he leaned back, closing his eyes.
The last time Ezrad been on a stage this big hed had a public meltdown that had led him to a stint in rehab. The small club dates theyd played at the start of their tour had been thrilling. It had fed that thirst in him that only playing live could seem to quench.
Hed worried back then that hed lost his performing mojo. But when hed walked onstage it had leaped into him as easily as it had the last time he was on stage. Easy, like it had never gone. Hed been the Ezra Hurley once more and it had reawakened something inside.
He had something to prove. Not just to his brothers and the fans, but to himself.
* * *
TUESDAYS SKIN STILL tingled where hed brushed his lips against her neck. It had been so...wow.
She watched his retreating back. Took in the stretch of the soft fabric of his T-shirt at the width of his powerful shoulders. Down to the narrower waist. His brothers were in denim but Ezra chose worn brown leather pants. And cowboy boots with superpointy toes.
His hair was a little more tousled than usual and she noted the tattoos she could see on his arms. Once she saw him all sweaty after theyd gone out ATVing and that was a memory shed cherish forever. But this? Well now. Rock star Ezra just earned a place next to sweaty, muddy Ezra in her fantasy bank.
Also, he had a fantastic ass.
And he walked like a man who had a big dick.
Natalie sidled up next to her as they both watched him until he was out of sight. He really works a pair of leather pants, Natalie said in an undertone.
Indeed. He has big-cock walk, too, dont you think?
Natalie snorted a laugh. I can never unhear that!
Am I lying?
Hell no. Whats true is true.
They turned to face one another, grinning. So things are okay with Paddy?
Her friend had a huge heart and she was deeply in love with Ezras brother Paddy. Theyd just had a rough patch and had come back together, working hard to get past it, just like Tuesday had known they needed to.
Yeah. Were good. Whats going on with Ezra?
Which was what Tuesday had been wondering. So she decided it was easier to think on this as a fun, casual thing.
He wants what I got, duh. Also, I want what hes got so theres a nice synchronicity there.
Mary, Damien Hurleys wife and a new friend, came over to where they stood. Not going to lie, I am so relieved to be sleeping in my own bed tonight.
Theyd been out on tour for three months, which was short, Tuesday knew, owing to the fact that Mary was due to deliver a brand-new Hurley in six weeks. The tour officially ended the next night but Portland was close enough to Hood River that everyone was headed home instead of to yet another hotel.
The gong sounded that indicated it was time to head to the stage. How weird was it that this stuff was totally normal in her life all of a sudden?
Paddy approached, smiling at Tuesday. Tuesday hoped she managed an I-forgive-you-but-if-you-hurt-my-best-friend-I-will-maim-you smile in return.