“Late?” She followed the man up the ramp onto the truck.

“Yeah, late,” he said. “Dave doesn’t put the stage and lighting together, but he does set up the drum kit to get the mics right and that takes quite awhile. You’d better get busy.”

Rebekah didn’t know how to set up a drum kit. She had Dave’s instructions on how to set up mics in strategic locations around a drum kit, but she had no idea how to assemble Eric’s instrument.

“I’m not sure if I’m the right person for the job. And I didn’t catch your name.” Rebekah judged the man to be in his mid-forties. A bit soft in the middle, he had a receding hairline and a few flecks of gray in his otherwise dark hair. He had a mean look about him, but probably because he was scowling at her.

“Marcus,” he said.

Rebekah smiled brightly. “Oh, you’re the other soundboard operator, right? Dave told me all about you. He said I could count on you if I needed help. I’m Rebekah.” She extended a hand in his direction, but he ignored it.

Marcus snorted and pushed an equipment case toward the ramp.

“We don’t have time for a chat. Get busy, girl.”

Girl?

Rebekah would have loved to help, but she honestly had no idea where to begin. “Just tell me what to do, and I’ll get to work.”

“I’m just the monitor engineer, boss. You’re in charge. Figure it out yourself.” His nose crinkled in displeasure, he pushed the case down the ramp, leaving Rebekah to stand bewildered in the back of the truck.

She had never expected this to be easy, but she had no idea that she’d be in charge of setting up the drum kit. She thought about calling Dave and asking him for advice, but decided against it. She needed to take responsibility and do her job. It was the job she wanted, after all. She set Dave’s notebook on top of an amplifier and reached for the nearest equipment case. Putting her weight behind it, it creaked forward an inch after much exertion and grunting. The roadie with the blond mohawk, Jake, entered the truck. He chuckled at her.

“You know, the wheels actually roll if you unlock them.” He bent over and flipped the locks on the wheels.

Rebekah almost fell on her face as the case rolled forward with no resistance.

“Let me help,” Jake offered.

Together they directed the rolling case down the ramp. Jake held most of the weight, but Rebekah worked hard to help keep it on track. “Marcus says I’m supposed to assemble the drum kit,” Rebekah said, “but I don’t know how. Can you show me?”

“Ask Eric. He’s really pissy about everything being in exactly the right spot.”

Rebekah couldn’t stop heat from rising into her face. “He does know exactly the right spot,” she murmured. And apparently, Eric’s propensity to say exactly what he was thinking, no matter how inappropriate, was already wearing off on her.

“You and Eric?” Jake said. “Really?”

“Don’t get the wrong idea,” Rebekah said sternly. She attempted to hide a grin but wasn’t able to keep a straight face. “We totally got it on last night.”

Jake’s grin spread ear-to-ear. “Right on!”

Once they had the equipment case in the building, Rebekah went in search of Eric. She found him laughing with Jace outside the bus. As soon as Jace spotted her, he turned beet red.

He offered Rebekah a slight wave and headed for the bus steps.

“Later, Eric.”

Eric gifted Rebekah with a brilliant smile. “Hey, gorgeous, what’s up?”

She flushed with pleasure. “I was wondering if you have time to show me how to set up your drum kit properly.”

He glanced at his wrist. He wasn’t wearing a watch, but said, “I think I have the next hour open. If you don’t mind listening to me sing the chorus of ‘Sever’ over and over the entire time. I need to practice.”

“Is that the new single?” she asked eagerly.

“Yep. Have you heard it yet?”

She shook her head.

“Don’t listen to the radio much, do you?”

“Do they play it a lot?”

“It’s number one on the rock charts.”

She hugged him. “That’s awesome. Congratulations! We’ve got to make the song sound amazing tonight.” Just the thought of putting her little stamp on a Sinners’ song had her euphoric.

Eric stopped walking to keep her securely in his arms. Just as he had all last night while they’d slept and touched. It had taken every shred of her willpower not to engage him in lesson two. Watching him pleasure himself every time he got too excited to hold back had really turned her on. Not that she’d come away from the experience unsatisfied. On the contrary, he’d made sure she received more than her fair share of pleasure.

“We really need to rehearse.” His hands gently massaged her lower back as he kept her near. She melted against him, relishing his touch. He was so free with his affection. How could she not respond with complete surrender? And even more perplexing, how was he still single? “Is Jon here yet?” he asked.

He switched from one topic to another so quickly it made her head spin.

“Jon? Jon Mallory?” Dave had mentioned that Jon had been on tour with Sinners when they’d done the Canadian leg of the tour, but Dave had said something about Sed never wanting Jon near the band again.

“Yeah, Jon is supposed to play thirty seconds of Jace’s bass line while Jace plays piano for ‘Sever’s’ intro.”

“I haven’t seen him.” She would have remembered seeing Jon.

He was even better looking than Trey. At least in Sinners’ old music videos he had been. She’d never seen him in person. He had piercing gray eyes and thick black hair that hung in loose curls around his perfectly proportioned face.

“He had better show up,” Eric said. “This is his last chance. I won’t stick my neck out for him again.” Eric squeezed her. “I need to kiss you now.”

She chuckled at his mind-boggling change of subject and tilted her head to offer her mouth. “If you insist.”

“I do.” He kissed her until her head was spinning, and she was clinging to his hard body for support. “Now I’m all hard and excited,” he murmured into her ear. “Is it time for lesson two yet?”

“Not until tomorrow.”

“Damn it. Well, let’s go set up a drum kit. Maybe it will allow me to think of something besides rubbing my cum all over your sweet little ass.” His hands slid down to grip her butt.

Maybe she should be offended by his crass compliment, but it made her heart sing. She couldn’t help but smile when he took her hand and led her into the venue through the back entrance.

The stage had already been assembled by a combination of temporary workers and Sinners’ regular roadies. Marcus was barking orders like a general. He scowled when he noticed Rebekah. That scowl deepened when he saw that Eric was holding her hand.

“Your drums are behind the stage,” Marcus said, before turning to find some other temp to bellow at.

“He doesn’t like me,” Rebekah told Eric.

“Do I need to kick his ass?”

She rolled her eyes and shook her head.

“I’ll do it. I will. Say the word.”

“Stop it, Eric. Let’s get your drum kit set up.”

They started with the bass drums. He explained how important it was to get the three of them in the proper order. “Or I’ll sound like shit.”

“I seriously doubt that.”

They worked on the toms next and then the cymbals.

He placed his stool in the center of the kit and took a seat.

“Something’s missing,” he said. “Something that usually sits between my legs here.” He pointed to the empty space between his thighs with both hands.

“Your snare?”

He tugged her body in front of him. “Nope, it’s you.”

He retrieved a set of drumsticks from the inner pocket of his black leather vest and tapped a cymbal to his left before entering into an amazing drum solo. She wasn’t sure how he managed to keep a beat and try to remove her shirt with his teeth at the same time, but she was laughing so hard by the time he finished that her stomach ached. He had a couple inches of her belly exposed and blew a loud raspberry on her skin. She laughed even harder.