Текст книги "Touch Me"
Автор книги: Olivia Cunning
сообщить о нарушении
Текущая страница: 10 (всего у книги 12 страниц)
Did she even want Owen as part of her regular life? That hadn’t been what she’d been after when she went to the sex club.
Just because something was possible didn’t mean she had to follow up. Maybe she could still blow him off and spend the day with Jenna. Jenna was… safe.
Owen smiled a greeting when he noticed Caitlyn approaching. Jenna turned and her face fell. You didn’t change? Jenna mouthed without speaking.
“I put on clean panties,” Caitlyn said defensively.
Jenna turned and said to Owen, “Can you give us just five more minutes?”
He turned to the driver, who stood next to the front fender. “When does the bus leave?”
The driver checked his watch. “We need to leave here in the next couple of minutes to make it.”
“I guess you have time to put your dirty panties back on,” Owen said.
Jenna burst out laughing and patted his chest playfully. “This one is naughty and nice,” she said, tossing her hair in an obviously flirtatious way. “You were so right about him.”
“He has his cock pierced too,” Caitlyn blurted, and then she clamped her hand over her big mouth.
“Hurry, baby.” Owen said. “We need to get going. I can’t wait to introduce you to Force.”
“What force?” Caitlyn asked.
“Our drummer. He’s going to love you.” Owen scratched the back of his neck. “On second thought, I should probably keep you away from him.”
“We’ll be right back,” Jenna said, pulling Caitlyn back into the house. She slammed the door behind them and spun to confront Caitlyn. “Oh my God, Caitlyn, he’s gorgeous. And funny. And sweet. And apparently rich and famous. How in the hell did you luck into that?”
“I dunno. He likes older geeky women who give off men-suck vibes in sex clubs.”
“If you want to keep his attention, you’re going to have to dress better. You look like you climbed out of a thrift store Dumpster.”
“I’m telling you,” Caitlyn said, “he likes this look. I don’t get it either.”
“He can’t possibly like this look,” Jenna said. “He likes you and, unfortunately, you come with this look.”
“He likes me?” Caitlyn said breathlessly.
“Well, duh. What’s not to like?”
In a semi-trance, Caitlyn allowed Jenna to strip her down to her bra and panties. After a deserved eye roll at Caitlyn’s cow panties, Jenna stuck her in a pair of black capris that were tight in the rear and a soft pink T-shirt that stretched taut across her boobs.
“It’s not me,” Caitlyn said.
“You look cute.”
“I look like you.”
“Right,” Jenna said. “You look cute. Now do me a favor.”
“What?”
“Pretend to be cool.”
“Jenna…”
“Just for today.”
Caitlyn released an annoyed sigh. “Fine. I’ll pretend to be cool. But I need to hurry.” After being forced into sandals, she shoved her discarded clothes into her overnight bag and hurried out to the limo.
“What are you wearing?” Owen asked when she paused before him.
“Uh, Jenna thought…”
He shook his head slightly. “She thought wrong.”
For a moment, Caitlyn believed he was going to tell her to get lost, but he opened the door to the back of the limo, and she slipped inside.
He climbed in beside her, and the driver shut the door.
“I told you I like the jacket. I like the bow at your throat that begs to be untied. I like that your bra doesn’t match your panties.”
“It still doesn’t,” she said. “So you’re only attracted to me for my wardrobe, is that it?”
“No, you’d look hot in anything you wore—or nothing—but this outfit doesn’t give me a permanent boner. I have to be honest.”
“That’s probably a good thing,” she said and laughed. “My vagina needs a few hours to collect itself. It’s not used to so much attention.”
“Well, then, I’ll try to contain my blinding lust.” He grinned and took her hand, holding it gently in his. His thumb rubbed a lazy circle on her knuckles. “So,” he said. “Tell me about your camping trip. Jenna said you’d kill her if she told me about the skunk that got stuck in your tent.”
Caitlyn cringed. “She’s right. I’d kill her for that.”
“I didn’t take you for the outdoorsy type.”
“That’s because I’m not. Jenna is, though, and I am weak to her charm. She can talk me into anything.”
“It’s great to have a best friend, someone who pushes you to try things you’d never consider on your own. Makes life interesting.”
Caitlyn smiled, knowing he was thinking about Kellen again. Kellen was Owen’s Jenna. She suddenly felt a lot more comfortable about Owen’s relationship with Kellen. Caitlyn probably would never call Jenna’s name during sex, but whatever. If Owen said there was no attraction between them, she believed him.
“Interesting? I guess that’s one way to describe it.”
They both laughed and somehow ended up kissing all the way to the tour bus. Maybe it wasn’t her pathetic wardrobe that turned him on after all.
Their driver handed off their bags to some guy who stuffed them into a compartment under the bus.
“I’ll need to change later,” Caitlyn said.
“You can get your bag when we stop at the venue.”
She nodded.
“Ready to meet the rest of the band?”
Her stomach flopped. She was scared out of her mind, to be honest. Who’d have ever thought she’d be riding on a tour bus with a bunch of heavy metal musicians? Not her.
“I guess,” she said.
“You already met Kellen. He’s not so scary, is he?”
A little, yeah, but she shook her head bravely.
“And I’m the worst one of the bunch, so if you can handle me, you can surely handle the rest.”
“I highly doubt that you’re the worst,” she said. Because he was decidedly terrific. And it was hard to top perfection.
“Where have you been?” A muscle-bound hunk in aviator sunglasses spoke from the top of the bus steps. He had short dark hair and an abundance of bulges in all the right places. “If I’d have known you were going to be this late, I would have had Amanda stick around for one more quickie before I sent her home.”
“Caitlyn needed to stop by her friend’s house to pick up some clothes.”
“Who is Caitlyn?”
“That would be me,” Caitlyn said.
“Sorry, didn’t see you there.”
Which was the typical-man’s reaction to her. That’s why Owen’s attention had her completely befuddled and Jenna’s insistence that she was attractive didn’t hold much cotton. As a rule, men tended to ignore her.
“This is our vocalist, Shade,” Owen said. “He’s pretty much an egotistical asshole, but he grows on you after a while.”
Caitlyn couldn’t believe Shade let the insult slide without a rebuttal. Instead he focused on her.
“You’re not planning on her riding the bus, are you?” Shade said. “You know the rule: no chicks on the bus.”
“Fuck the rule,” Owen said. “She’s riding with us to Houston.” He took Caitlyn’s hand and tugged her up the bus past a very confused-looking Shade.
At the top of the steps, she came face-to-chest with another band member. This one was long and lean. She tilted her head back to peer into the greenest pair of eyes she’d ever encountered.
Wow. While she did have a limited gag reflex, she thought choking on her own tongue, as she was now doing, might be fatal. Especially considering the sudden overabundance of drool in her mouth.
“This is Force,” Owen said.
“May the force be with me,” Caitlyn mumbled, lost in Force’s amazing green-eyed gaze.
“It seems we have a problem,” she heard Kellen say from somewhere down the corridor. “She’s been drawn in by the power of the Force. You’d better do something and quick, Tags.”
Owen kissed her, which effectively broke Force’s spell. She smiled at Owen. She wasn’t used to being with a man who was so easy with affection in public, not that she minded.
“Who is this?” Force asked as he tugged his baseball cap lower on his forehead.
“That’s Caitlyn,” Kellen said. “Owen is breaking all his rules with her.”
“All of them?” Force asked.
“Well, hopefully not the “BYOC” rule, but the “only one poke per bush” rule and the “never sleep with the women you sleep with” rule and the “never eat breakfast with a chick” rule and apparently the “no ladies on the bus” rule. Did you break the “never meet her friends” rule too, Owen?”
He cringed and pulled a hand through his hair. “Yeah, I broke that one too.”
“Stupid rules anyway,” Force said. “My name is Gabe, by the way. You don’t have to call me Force.”
“Do you like Star Wars?” Caitlyn blurted stupidly.
“Star Wars is for geeks,” Gabe said, one slim eyebrow arched at her.
“Oh,” she said, her face almost in flames it was burning so hot.
“I love Star Wars,” Gabe said. “Which episode is your favorite?”
“Return of the Jedi.”
He shook his head at her. “The Empire Strikes Back.”
“Oh my God, who scheduled a geek convention on the tour bus?” another rock-star type asked.
This one was dressed in black from his biker jacket to his tight T-shirt to his jeans to his motorcycle boots. Even his hair was unnaturally black—probably died to match his shoes. His only non-black accessories were the collection of silver chains he wore around his neck and dangling from one belt loop.
“That’s Adam,” Owen said.
“So Shade is the vocalist, Kellen plays guitar, Owen plays bass, and Gabe is the drummer.” Caitlyn did a quick mental inventory. “That must make you… the keyboardist?”
Adam did not look amused. More like offended. Was there something wrong with the keyboard? What other instruments were played in a rock band? She’d once heard a flute in a Led Zeppelin song. She was proud of herself for remembering.
“I know,” she gushed, “you play the flute!”
Everyone burst out laughing, except Adam, who looked even more out of sorts than when she’d accused him of playing keyboard.
“No, I don’t play the fucking flute,” he said. “I’m lead guitar.”
“But…” She pointed at Kellen. “I thought Kellen played guitar.”
“He plays rhythm guitar.”
She didn’t know the difference. “You have two guitarists? Well, three, if you count Owen’s bass?”
“That’s right.”
“Why do you need three? Isn’t one good enough?”
“She doesn’t listen to rock music,” Owen explained.
“Then why is she here?” Adam countered.
“Hmm,” Owen scratched his jaw. “Probably because she doesn’t listen to rock music. I felt she needed an education.”
And she’d very much enjoyed the education he’d given her about guitarists’ fingers. Her gaze dropped to Adam’s hands and then darted to Kellen’s. Long fingers. All of them. She was sure they were callused and swift as well. Caitlyn really wished Owen would stop making her blush. She hadn’t blushed this much when she’d been a bride and fallen off a pier in her wedding gown after having one too many to drink.
“Speaking of education,” Owen said, turning his attention from Adam to Gabe.
Oh God, he wasn’t going to mention her morning lesson was he? She’d die of mortification if he did.
“Guess what she has her degree in?” Owen said.
Caitlyn blew out a relieved breath.
“Based on the size of her rack, I’d say cheerleading,” Gabe said.
Caitlyn glanced down at her chest, which was straining against Jenna’s too-tight T-shirt. “Despite popular belief, big boobs are a liability for a cheerleader. They throw off your center of gravity, get in the way of your pom-poms, and jiggle around until you get one hell of a back ache.” She hopped up and down to demonstrate.
All eyes settled on her chest. As far as breasts went, she wasn’t overly well-endowed, but they did move when she did.
“Where’s that jacket of yours, Caitlyn?” Owen asked. “It’s a bit chilly here on the bus.”
She glanced up at him, not sure why the sparks of jealousy in his eyes were so endearing.
“Everyone ready to go?” a man in a white Stetson said from the front of the bus. He settled behind the driver’s seat and the door swung shut.
“Head on out,” Shade said. He brushed past the group congregated in the seating area near the front of the bus. “I’m going to catch a nap. Amanda kept me up all night, so I’m beat.”
Caitlyn assumed Amanda was his wife or girlfriend. She didn’t want to pry, so she didn’t ask. Shade disappeared behind a curtain that concealed his bunk near the back of the bus.
“So if you weren’t a cheerleader, what was your major?” Gabe asked, his brilliant green eyes alive with interest.
“Don’t make me say it,” Caitlyn said. “I’m supposed to pretend that I’m cool today.”
“If it makes you feel better,” Owen said, “like you, Gabe went to college to be a career geek. But we kidnapped him and chained him to a drum kit.”
“Were you a physics major?” Gabe asked, his eyes wide.
“With a chemistry minor. My master’s is in mechanical engineering.”
Gabe insisted she tell him all about her current projects in fuel cells. She didn’t give him too many details since they were working on a new prototype and you never knew if your competition just happened to be a drummer in a rock band. But Gabe was apparently ravenous for cerebral stimulation, so she shared what she could. Owen seemed content to listen to them talk.
She and Gabe eventually got into a highly competitive game of backgammon. None of his band mates would play with him. With the exception of Shade, who was evidently a heavy sleeper, they all cheered her on to beat their drummer. Even Kellen, who seemed sullen today, and Adam, who was slow to warm up to Caitlyn, got in on the competition.
“Kick his ass, baby,” Owen said. “He gloats for days every time he beats someone.”
“Which would be every time I play,” Gabe said, rolling the dice and getting a pair of sixes. Again.
“I think his dice are loaded,” Caitlyn complained.
“I’m just lucky.” Gabe winked at her. She lost her train of thought for a moment. The physics majors in her class hadn’t looked like him. If they had, she wouldn’t have been fooling around with her English professor.
Gabe hit another of her pieces and lifted it from the playing field to sit it on the bar in the center of the board.
“Damn it.”
At this rate, she wasn’t going to get a single piece into her home base. It was impossible to make it across the board when she was spending all her time re-entering her captured pieces.
“This is why no one ever beats him,” Owen said. “He’s an offensive player.”
“I definitely find his playing offensive,” Caitlyn said.
The guys laughed, and she flushed again.
By the time they reached Houston, she was completely at ease in the presence of Owen’s band mates. And she’d even managed to beat Gabe in one out of their three games, which made her some sort of hero, especially in Adam’s eyes.
The bus stopped behind an empty stadium. Caitlyn peered out a large tinted window, surprised by the controlled madness shown by the road crew as they moved equipment inside. The huge semi-truck was nearly empty. They’d obviously been at it for hours before the band’s arrival.
As the other guys filtered off the bus, chatting, Owen pulled Caitlyn aside.
“Are you glad you came?” he asked.
“So far. I haven’t been subjected to your eardrum-damaging music yet.”
“You’ll enjoy it,” he said.
She wasn’t so sure, but she knew the guys in the band, so like the dutiful aunt of a school kid, she’d go to their music performance and tell them they sounded great no matter how horrible they were.
When the last of the guys stepped off the bus, Owen leaned in to steal a kiss. “I’ve wanted to do that for hours,” he said.
“Then why didn’t you?”
“I have to live with these guys,” he said. “And they can be pretty immature about teasing a guy about his girl.”
“But you’re not like that, right?”
He grinned, and she guessed he was the ringleader of the teasing.
“Of course not.”
He backed her into the square dining table where she and Gabe had been playing backgammon and lifted her to sit on its surface. His hands cupped her breasts, and he massaged them gently.
“I’ve wanted to do this for hours too.”
She wrapped her legs around his hips and urged him into a tight hug. He melted into her.
“I liked having you here with me today,” he said. “The guys didn’t seem to mind either. I thought they’d give me hell for bringing you along, but they seemed to like the idea.”
She turned her face into his neck and inhaled. Mmm. What was it about this man that drove her to distraction?
“I know we haven’t known each other long,” he said.
“That’s true,” she murmured.
“But you fit here somehow. You fit with me.”
She went still, anticipating words she was not ready to hear.
“So anytime you want to come hang out with us, you’re welcome.”
Was that all? She snuggled closer to him again.
“Because I really like you and I’d hate to think we wouldn’t get to see each other again.”
“I’d hate that too,” she admitted.
“You could come with us tonight to Beaumont,” he said. “And then after that we’re in New Orleans. I could take you to another sex club, if you like. There’s an interesting one there.”
Her lips brushed his throat. “Too soon, Owen,” she said. She didn’t want to say no, but she did need him to slow down. He was like a bullet train, and she was only prepared for freight.
“Oh,” he said, the disappointment in his voice perceptible.
“I’m not saying I don’t want to be with you,” she whispered in his ear. “I just have a lot of responsibilities, and I need to take things slowly.” She leaned back and cupped his face in both hands. “I’m not rejecting you.” She knew that was what he really feared.
“Feels like it,” he said.
Her heart gave a little pang for hurting him. She understood why he had rules for his entanglements with women; he got his feelings hurt much too easily to expose his heart. But he’d exposed it to her, so she was going to have to be careful with it.
“Why don’t you try kissing me into oblivion, Owen?” she said huskily. “I seem to agree to your crazy plans when I’m not thinking straight.”
He grinned and tugged her closer. “Now there’s an idea.”
She was halfway to oblivion when someone marched up the steps. Owen drew away and stared into her eyes for a long moment before turning his attention to the man waiting for him to finish his business. As far as Caitlyn was concerned, Owen’s business wouldn’t be finished until his cock was inside her and she was shattering in one of those fantastic orgasms he gave her, but apparently this guy had other ideas.
“Can I help you, Jordan?” Owen asked.
“Uh, sorry to interrupt,” Jordan said, as if he was sorry he was no longer watching Owen make out with Caitlyn. “You’re needed for sound check.”
“I figured,” he said. “I’ll be there in a minute.”
“Okay.”
Jordan watched him expectantly until Owen said, “I don’t need an escort, Jordan.”
“Okay.” Jordan stared at them for one more uncomfortable moment and then turned to leave the bus.
“Nice kid,” Owen said, “but he’s a little slow on the uptake.”
“I think he’s overwhelmed with idol worship,” Caitlyn said. She rubbed her breasts against Owen’s hard chest, in no way ready to release him to his job.
“I think he was dropped on his head as an infant.”
Her hand moved between their bodies to cup his crotch. His cock jerked against her palm.
“Do we have time for a quickie?” she asked. “It’s been several hours since my last orgasm, and I think I’m developing an addiction to the feel of you inside me.”
He groaned. “That makes two of us.” He kissed her deeply and then pulled away. “But we’re going to have to wait until after sound check.”
“I hope it’s one of those things that only takes a few minutes.”
“Doubtful. Do you want to come backstage and watch or stay here on the bus?”
If he had to ask, he didn’t know how curious she was to learn how things worked. All things. But he’d learn that about her soon enough.
“I’d love to come backstage and watch you work.”
“Okay,” he said, “but it will cost you a blowjob.”
She knew he was just trying to get a rise out of her, but she played along. “Great. I gave you one of those this morning, so I’m all set.”
“Another blowjob,” he hurriedly remedied.
“You can’t change the rules after you state your condition,” she said.
“Of course I can. I’m a rock star.”
“It’s a good thing I don’t care about that. You’ll have to find someone else to be in awe of your fame. I’m just in awe of your skill in bed.”
“Well, that’s something, I suppose,” he said, and he helped her down from the table.
He took her hand and led her off the bus and into chaos.
Chapter Eleven
Caitlyn was overwhelmed by the amount of activity going on backstage. She could never do Owen’s job; frayed nerves would be a constant for her.
“Once sound check is over, we can find someplace a bit calmer,” Owen said in her ear. “Get in that quickie.”
“So you can tell I’m out of my element?”
“You look just a little freaked out,” Owen said.
“She looks entirely spooked,” Gabe said.
Her eyes widened when she glanced at him. He’d been wearing a baseball cap all day, but he wasn’t wearing one now. He had a mohawk spiked at least eight inches in the air. It was black near his scalp and scarlet at the tips, but what really set her jaw on the floor were the dragon tattoos inked on his scalp.
“You’re scaring her,” Owen said, and covered her eyes with one hand. “Don’t look directly at it or you’ll turn to stone.”
She laughed and elbowed Owen in the ribs. She was grateful he’d given her a moment to collect her wits. Gawking at Gabe’s head was a pretty crappy thing to do to him, especially since she knew what a great guy he was. She adored his quick wit and intelligence, even if she couldn’t stomach his ruthlessness on the opposite side of a backgammon board. And she didn’t hold his ink-work against him; she’d just been stunned, was all. She’d had no idea he had dragons tattooed on both sides of his head.
“Sorry for staring,” she said, forcing her eyes not to wander to the flames and the scaly hide inked on his scalp. “I just didn’t realize…”
“If he didn’t want people to stare, he wouldn’t style his hair like that,” Owen said.
“It’s not the hair, it’s the…” Caitlyn reached up and grabbed Gabe’s head between her palms and forced him to bend over so she could inspect the tattoos. “Damn, Gabe, didn’t that hurt? It looks damned painful!”
“Yeah, it hurt,” he said. “I swear I saw God that day. But the tattoo artist assured me that the unexplained sparks and the tunneling in my vision were due to the pain, not a higher power.”
“I bet it hurt worse than when Owen had his cock pier—” Caitlyn slapped a hand over her mouth. She couldn’t believe what she’d almost said to Gabe.
Gabe snorted and burst out laughing. “You know what I like about you, Caitlyn?”
“My dashing smile?” She smiled so wide, her cheeks hurt.
“That is special,” he said, “but no. You have a naughty mind. You might try to censor it, but I know it’s there.”
“I like that about her too.” Owen pried her hands off Gabe’s head. “Here, hold on to this.”
Owen wrapped Caitlyn’s arms around his waist and placed her hands on his ass.
“Oh yes,” she said, giving Owen’s firm ass cheeks a squeeze. “This is much more fun to hold on to than Gabe’s head.”
When it was time for Owen to work with his instrument, Caitlyn reluctantly released her hold on his firm backside. She noticed the bulge in his jeans before he shifted his bass guitar in front of it. So she wasn’t the only one in need of a quickie. A long, drawn-out lovemaking session would work too. She was game for anything with Owen.
She did her best to stay out of the crew’s way as she watched.
She was surprised by how well Owen played. For a moment, she thought he was showing off his skill for her benefit, and then it dawned on her that he was playing some of the band’s songs.
When the low tones of his riff throbbed through her body, she was suddenly completely astounded by his musical skill. To her way of thinking, music was an auditory expression of mathematics, mostly fractions—flats and sharps changing tones by halves, the lengths of notes in quarters and thirds. She’d always admired anyone who could play piano, and she was starting to feel the same admiration for a certain bass player. A man who had that much skill in music was a genius in her book.
There was also something to be said about the way Owen’s fingers moved on the strings, about knowing that’s what caused those thick calluses to form on his fingertips. About remembering what they felt like against her swollen, achy clit.
She was suddenly on fire for the man—no touching required.
Caitlyn’s original intention had been to watch the logistics of preparing equipment for a live show, but somehow all the machinery and technology—which usually fascinated her—was far less interesting than the man stroking four thick strings. The technicians were talking to Owen and he was nodding, but she couldn’t hear what was being said over the din of hammers banging against steel pipes. After several minutes, Owen smiled at her and then lifted the strap of his guitar over his head and handed it off to one of the crew. Her heart thudded faster and faster as he approached her. He never took his eyes off her face.
“Are you finished?” she asked.
“I haven’t even started,” he said.
“Oh.” She couldn’t keep the disappointment out of her voice.
“But I’m done with sound check.”
“That was quick.”
“Technically, they could do the sound check without us, but Shade insists that we all play a part in it. If we sound like shit, it’s not the technicians who get booed off the stage.”
“I guess that’s true,” she said. “So what do you usually do to waste time before the concert starts?”
“Depends. Sometimes we hang out on the bus. Other times we hang out in the dressing room. Occasionally there are VIP groups that hang out with us backstage, and I have to pretend I’m charming for several consecutive hours. We might do a promotional signing here or there but no matter what’s on the agenda, there’s usually a sandwich involved. Are you hungry?”
Her stomach rumbled at the thought of food. She’d enjoyed a large breakfast but had turned down a tour bus lunch consisting of beef jerky and Spanish peanuts. “Yeah, I could use a sandwich.”
“I think I need to earn mine first.”
She was in perfect agreement.
“Are we going back to the bus? I need to change clothes before the concert.”
“You’re changing again?”
“Aren’t you going to change for your performance?”
Owen looked down at his baggie, distressed jeans and smoothed both hands over the belly of his navy-blue T-shirt. “Nope. This will work fine.”
She was surprised he didn’t dress better onstage. He was wearing what most guys would wear to spend the day on the couch watching football and eating nachos. She wasn’t sure what to expect from the show. Apparently the band didn’t wear suits when they performed. Would the flirty red cocktail dress she’d borrowed from Jenna be appropriate attire?
“What should I wear, Owen? I’ve never been to a rock concert, remember? I don’t want to make an ass out of myself.”
“I have to admit I’m interested to know what you were planning on wearing.”
“Why? So you can make fun of me?”
“I would never make fun of you.”
She offered him a reproachful look.
“Not in a hurtful manner,” he added. “So why don’t you change into what you’d planned to wear and if I think it’ll make an ass out of you, I’ll let you know.”
“It’s not a tweed jacket,” she said.
She laughed at the disappointed look on his face.
“Well, I still want to see it.”
“Fine.” She didn’t much care if her wardrobe wasn’t metal-concert appropriate. It wasn’t like she was going to see any of these people in her real life. Though since they were in her home town, it was possible that someone would recognize her wearing a cocktail dress at a rock show.
They started toward the bus. Out of the corner of her eye, Caitlyn kept catching the profile of the same surly-looking stranger. She didn’t think it was a coincidence.
“Owen,” she whispered. “I think that shady-looking character is following us.”
Owen glanced over his shoulder and laughed. “Hey, shady-looking character. Follow us out of her peripheral view. You’re freaking her out.”
“Will do,” the man said and slowed his pursuit to allow them to walk farther ahead.
Caitlyn lifted a questioning eyebrow at Owen.
“That’s Frank, one of our security team. He’s making sure you don’t attack me.”
“You need security?”
“Obviously.”
“You didn’t have security following you around last night,” she pointed out.
“That’s because the chances I’ll be recognized when I’m not at a venue are relatively small. No one is looking to see me. But here, if I’m recognized, almost everyone knows who I am and then it becomes a mob situation. Ask Adam about that. He about started a riot a couple nights ago because he was stupid enough to roll down the limousine window in front of the stadium.”
“It’s sort of weird to think of you as famous,” she said. “Do people really try to attack you?”
“Just women trying to get in my pants,” he said.
“Ha ha,” she said before realizing he probably wasn’t joking.
When they reached the bus, Frank didn’t follow them inside. There was another guy standing just outside the bus door, who Caitlyn assumed was another member of the security team. She supposed his job was to keep groupies from stowing away on the bus when no one was paying attention.
Owen had someone retrieve her overnight bag from beneath the bus and when she had it clutched against her chest, she looked at Owen expectantly.
“You can change in the bathroom,” he said. “I’d join you but unless I stand in the shower stall, there isn’t room for two.”
“I can dress myself.”
“That’s fine. As long as you allow me to undress you.”
She hurried to the bathroom to change while Owen fiddled with his smartphone and checked his messages.
He was right about the bathroom being too small for two. She had to stand with one foot in the shower stall to get dressed. The dress was knee-length, with a flirty wide skirt and a halter top that she realized was much too revealing to wear in public. Cleavage wasn’t the right word for what was showing. She half expected her belly button to be visible.
“Dear lord, Jenna, why do you even own a dress like this?” she asked the mirror. Noting that her bra was showing, she took it off and did her best to keep her boobs in her top while she slipped into the matching heels. The dress wasn’t appropriate for a rock concert or anything but the privacy of her own bedroom. Sure, a movie star might get away with wearing something like this, but she was no movie star. She laughed at her reflection.
“What were you thinking, Caitlyn Marie Mattock?” Her eyes widened when she heard herself use her married name. She realized that unlike the past few months—when it seemed her every thought had been focused on how she’d been jilted—she hadn’t thought of Charles all day. “Caitlyn Marie Hanson,” she corrected. She’d taken back her maiden name in the divorce. It was time to claim it as her own again.
