Gabe snorted with laughter. “They’re earplugs, baby. To protect your hearing.”

Melanie’s face flamed. “Oh.”

And before she could thank him, he tapped an upbeat tempo on a cymbal and continued with a rapid progression around his drum kit, both feet stomping the pedals of two bass drums. Melanie crammed the earplugs in her ears and watched him work, astonished by his skill and speed. Though it no longer hurt her ears, she could still hear the music of the entire band, and she could see the audience beyond the stage, but as far as she was concerned, she was privy to an amazing drum solo played just for her.

Gabe was completely entrenched in his music. His face was a mask of deliberation and something that bordered on rapture. She’d seen that look on his face before. He wore it in the moments he was focused on giving her pleasure, just before he lost himself to his own bliss and let go of concentration in favor of instinct. She was pretty sure she was not supposed to get sexually aroused while watching a man thump a punishing rhythm on a set of drums, but apparently her libido had gone into drummer-groupie mode. Her attention focused on the flex of his biceps, the drops of sweat that trickled down his neck, the expansion of his chest as he drew air into his laboring lungs, and the nod of his head as he lost himself in the cadence. For the first time in Melanie’s life, she understood why so many women lusted after musicians. She was certainly lusting after hers.

When the song ended, Gabe wiped the sweat from his face with the hem of his T-shirt.

Slightly winded, he smiled at her. She grinned like a fool, only with determination keeping herself from launching onto his lap. He was working, and it would be very bad form to interrupt him in the middle of his job. It was hard to believe he got paid—and paid well—to do something he so obviously loved. She wished she could say the same thing about her accounting job. It paid the bills and she was good at it, but it didn’t make her lose herself. She’d never had that absorbed, rapturous look on her face when she was at work. Not unless she was in the bathroom interacting with Gabe on her phone.

Did he realize how lucky he was to do what he did for a living? But then Gabe was the type of guy who would immerse himself in anything he loved. She imagined he had that same look of enraptured concentration on his face when he was tinkering with his inventions. She wondered what other activities inspired that look.

The band played song after song. Melanie was sure everyone was having a great time, but she was too preoccupied with a certain skilled drummer to notice. When Gabe stood and saluted the crowd from behind his drum kit and then hopped down from the riser, Melanie was surprised that the concert was already over. She’d have been content to stand in her little corner of the stage watching him play forever. On his way past her, Gabe gave her a brief, very hot, very sweaty hug, and then trotted to the front of the stage to take his bows and toss his beaten-up drumsticks into the audience.

Realizing her time to fixate on Gabe while he performed was over, Melanie removed her earplugs and edged her way back to where Madison and Dawn were waiting for the band’s two guitarists to leave the stage.

“You couldn’t see much from back there, could you?” Madison asked.

Melanie grinned. “I saw everything I wanted to see.”

“They’re quite good,” Dawn yelled. “Once the ears become accustomed to the volume.” She touched a finger to her ear and winced. “My hearing will never be the same.”

“Well, Beethoven was deaf and it didn’t stop him from composing,” Melanie teased.

Dawn frowned. “I’m not sure I would want to go on living if I lost music. I can’t imagine what that was like for such a brilliant composer.”

Melanie hadn’t meant to make her morose. Luckily Kellen was the first to leave the stage and when he touched her cheek and brushed her lips with his, Dawn lit up from the inside out, all traces of sorrow vanishing in an instant. Melanie still found it hard to believe that the pair had been together for such a short period of time. There was something familiar about the connection between them, as if they were reincarnated lovers who had just rediscovered each other and had a lot of catching up to do.

Gabe jogged off the stage and didn’t stop, hooking Melanie’s hand to lead her down the steps and along a hall, through a door, and into the dressing room. “I’m going to take a quick shower and then we have to hurry to catch the plane,” he said.

“You were amazing tonight.”

He grinned. “I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.”

“I enjoyed you mostly,” she admitted.

Looking pleased by her compliment, he kissed her and grabbed his bag before heading into the bathroom. While she waited, she sent a text to Nikki. Just making sure you got to the hotel safely. We’ll be on the plane in about an hour, so I’ll have to turn my phone off. Everything okay?

Nikki didn’t respond, but Melanie wasn’t surprised. She was sure Nikki was upset and hurting, but she’d get over it quickly. If there was one thing Nikki was good it, it was bouncing back after a fall. With the fucked-up childhood the girl had had, recovering from devastation was something she’d learned early in life.

Shade entered the dressing room and Melanie stiffened. She really needed to get over her dislike of the man. He was an important part of Gabe’s life, and she wanted to be a part as well. Gabe tolerated her friend; it was only fair that she tolerated his.

“Where’s Gabe?” he asked.

“In the shower.”

“Hurry him along,” he said. “Owen and Lindsey are already in the limo. We need to get to the airstrip as soon as possible.”

“I’ll go see what’s keeping him,” Melanie said, smiling at the bonus of getting to see Gabe naked.

She knocked on the bathroom door and eased it open. “Gabe, are you almost ready to go?”

She entered the room, making her way through the steam to the running shower. She found Gabe leaning against the tile wall with his hair soapy and his eyes closed.

“You okay?” she asked.

He started and opened his eyes. “Yeah. Shows always sap my strength. I get an incredible high while I’m on stage, and then the adrenaline wanes and I crash hard.”

All those lean, wet muscles looked perfectly dynamic from her angle. His slack face looked tired though.

“Do you want me to get you some coffee or something?”

“Naw, I’ll catch a nap on the plane. But I would love a Gatorade if you can find one. I think I sweated out half my body weight tonight.”

“I’ll see what I can find. Shade says you need to hurry. They’re waiting for us in the limo.”

Gabe rinsed himself, turned off the water and reached for a towel. “I’m on it.”

She’d much rather stay and ogle him while he dried himself, but she was concerned for his comfort and so she returned to the dressing room and hunted through a mini-fridge behind the bar. She found mixers, liquor, beer, soda and water, but no sports drinks. She was about to go hunting for a drink machine in the stadium when he came out of the bathroom, fully dressed and looking slightly more alert.

“I looked in the fridge, but all they have in there is alcohol, water, and soda. I was about to go search the stadium.”

“Don’t trouble yourself,” he said. “Water will do.”

Melanie felt a strange sense of self-importance as they walked hand in hand toward the exit. Envious female heads turned as they passed, and all she could think was, Yeah, he’s all mine this weekend. Eat your hearts out, bitches.

Warm breath stirred against Melanie’s ear and she jerked awake, banging her head on something hard as she was thrown back into consciousness. The something hard grunted in pain. Gabe! Her hand shot up to rectify the damage and she caught him in the nose with her palm.