Toni snorted in a most unladylike fashion. She had no problem picking up on the meaning of that jest, seeing as Dare’s quiet control and amazing green eyes made her wet in uncomfortable places. Toni pulled out a release form and handed it to the long-winded fan. When she explained that he might be included in an interactive e-book about the band, he was very accommodating.

“And I might be in the book? With Dare Mills?” he asked, nodding eagerly.

“No guarantees,” she said, “but yes. We can depict you as an anonymous fan or include your name. Just indicate your preference there on the form.”

“That is so cool! Definitely use my name. I need this book. When will it be out?”

“Next year.” Assuming she didn’t mess this up. She glanced at Dare, who was back to pretending detachment, and remembered his words of encouragement. They hadn’t been directed at her, but she could pretend they had been. She had to believe in her abilities even when no one else did.

While she waited for Long-Winded—the guy was still talking—to fill out his personal information, Toni searched the crowd for her next point of interest. She didn’t see the golden-haired bassist, Logan, anywhere, but the band’s vocalist was readily identifiable. Toni tucked the completed release form into her bag and started toward Max, who was surrounded by at least twenty fans—all women, all trying to get a hand—or two—on him.

“If they knew what he was really like, they wouldn’t chase him like that,” someone said in her ear.

Toni turned to find herself staring into Logan’s stunning blue eyes.

“I find that hard to believe,” she said.

Logan grinned and shrugged. “Believe what you want. He’s a complete control freak.”

“And that’s a bad thing?” She was a bit of a control freak as well. Toni liked things orderly and neat, but Birdie could scarcely function without a smooth routine. Toni fleetingly wondered how her mother was coping with Birdie on her own.

“It is if it gets in the way of my good time.”

Logan’s smile made her toes curl inside her boots. Why was he looking at her like that? Was he trying to set her panties on fire? If they hadn’t already been damp, she was sure they would have ignited by now.

“Logan!” some woman yelled from the crowd. “Logan! Logan! Over here.”

“Excuse me, sweetheart,” he said and turned just in time to catch the pink-haired woman who launched herself into his arms.

“Why haven’t you called me?” she asked, kissing him. Or trying to.

Logan jerked his head to the side so that her mouth landed on his jaw. “Uh . . .”

“He lost your number,” Steve said and chuckled.

“You did?” She pouted.

“Yeah, I guess.”

“But I programmed it into your phone.”

“When was that?” Logan carefully set her on her feet and put several inches between them.

“Last year after MetalFest.”

With a wide smile that made his already handsome face even more gorgeous, Logan nodded. “Oh yeah, MetalFest. Victoria?” He lifted both eyebrows hopefully.

She scowled and shook her head.

His eyebrows scrunched together. “Veronica?”

“No. You don’t remember me?”

Steve slapped him on the back. “Of course he remembers you. And the six other women he banged that night.”

Logan’s eyes widened, and he stared directly at Toni. He shook his head, his eyes rolling upward. I didn’t sleep with seven women, he mouthed, as if the very idea was preposterous. He lifted a hand and splayed his fingers. “Five, tops,” he said.

“You bastard!” Victoria-Veronica-whoever screeched. “You had no intention of calling me, did you?”

Steve wrapped his arm around Logan’s shoulders and tugged him against his side. Toni snapped a picture, loving the way they were both grinning indulgently. A moment of connection. Brotherhood. She hoped the shot came out clear. It would make a great addition to the book. Damn, she wished she had her Nikon with her.

“Logan always has good intentions,” Steve said.

“Thank you,” Logan said, and he patted Steve in the center of his bare chest.

“He just never carries through with them,” Steve added.

Steve winced and released Logan to rub his ribs where he’d received a sharp elbow for his barb. Logan moved to stand behind Toni and turned her to face Steve, who was already coming after Logan with clenched fists.

“You wouldn’t hit a female human shield with glasses, would you?”

“We have to get going, guys!” Butch roared over the crowd. “We’ll be off schedule.”

“If it were legal, I think the dude would marry that schedule,” Logan said as he released Toni and turned toward the bus.

“And have children with it.” Steve crinkled his nose in disgust and fell into step with him.

“Even at risk of paper cuts?” Toni asked, scrambling after the pair.

Both men winced and shuddered.

The band members worked at talking their way out of the crowd, signing a few final autographs and saying their goodbyes. Toni was bummed that she hadn’t gotten anything on Max. He was the front man, the leader of the group—she assumed. The heart and soul of the band—she assumed. There had to be a reason women swarmed him like ants on a lollipop. Yes, he was gorgeous. Yes, he was tall and built. Yes, his short, trendy hairstyle was trimmed in the perfect style to accentuate his high forehead and angular jaw. And yes, the few golden highlights in his gelled bangs brought out the gold flecks in his soul-stirring hazel eyes, but there must be something deeper to him than his good looks. Maybe it was that gorgeous leather-encased ass of his that made the women go wild. As Toni trailed behind the group on their way back to the bus, she couldn’t take her eyes off that nicely rounded hunk of deliciousness. Dear lord, you could bounce a quarter off that thing.

The security guards began to make a human wall between the fans and the band. And since Toni had been paying more attention to Max’s ass than what was going on around her, she found herself on the wrong side of the security team.

“Wait! I’m with the band!”

Butch pursed his lips beneath his thick mustache. He assessed her closely—was he considering whether he could leave her behind? None of the band members noticed or cared that she’d disappeared, so it was Butch’s perfect opportunity to ditch her if he wanted. After a long, tense moment, he shrugged and nodded curtly at his men. The crowd yelled in protest when Toni was allowed to follow the band back to the bus while all the other bystanders were corralled to the opposite side of the barrier again.

Two other tour buses, belonging to Sinners, pulled out. Apparently they’d been waiting for the crowd to thin so they could leave. Fans slapped the side of their bus and cheered as it passed. An RV towing a trailer pulled out after the two buses. The words Aggie’s Custom Corsets were painted in gothic letters across the trailer. Why would Sinners need corsets? Toni could only guess. Maybe if the book on Exodus End was a success, Toni could propose doing one for Sinners. And then maybe she could work with the opening bands, Twisted Element and Riott Actt. She’d originally thought she’d want to switch to an important political figure for her next biography, but this was already too much fun. She couldn’t help but dream a little. Okay, a lot. Stars in her eyes over an exciting future following one band after another, she hurried to catch up with Exodus End as they returned to their bus. She needed to do a good job with this first book before she started making plans about additional volumes. She wasn’t going to get far if she spent all her time gawking at Steve’s abs and drooling over Max’s ass and wondering if Logan really had slept with five women in one night. Who did that?

The entire band paused outside the bus door and waited for her to catch up. She wasn’t sure if they were being polite—ladies first—or if they always stood outside the door looking lost before they embarked. She stopped next to the group and looked from one man to the next while trying to keep her eyes off Steve’s bare chest, abs, and the tattoos that decorated both. At least Max had his distracting ass pointed away from her.