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"James is caught in traffic, Miss Ashley," Max said, "so I'll head in with you to pick up your luggage."
"It will just take me a few minutes to grab my bags," Ashley said as she headed for the door. "Neither of you needs to come with me. Besides, I don't have that much stuff."
But both Drew and Max got off the bus behind her. "I have sisters," Drew said, "so I know not that much stuff means different things to different people. A carry-on would be all Olivia would need for weeks. But Madison..." He shook his head. "She'd need to rent a storage trailer to pull behind the bus."
"It sounds like Olivia has me beat," Ashley said. "But not by much." She pointed to the right. "The lockers are over there."
They had taken only a handful of steps when Drew heard the telltale sound of fan recognition--shocked and excited screams followed by, "Oh my God, it's Drew Morrison!"
Max immediately moved to step in front of them, but in an instant, they were surrounded by girls and women of all ages. "Ashley," was all Drew was able to say to Max before he could no longer be heard over the excited and quickly growing crowd. Fortunately, his driver was already on it, covering her first and foremost.
"You're gorgeous, Drew!"
"I love you!"
"I can't believe it's really you!"
"Ohmygodohmygodohmygod!"
There were tears and requests for selfies and autographs and a ton of flashes going off all at once. He hadn't thought to put on a low-brimmed baseball cap before leaving the bus, had been able to think only about Ashley. Now, he was cursing himself for not making at least that small attempt to disguise himself. He tried not to complain about the fame that had come along with his success--only his family knew just how much it sometimes bothered him--but things like always having to put on a hat and glasses when he went out in public weren't easy to get used to.
Airport security rushed over and quickly pulled Drew, Ashley, and Max from the group to take them to a secure, glassed-in area behind the check-in desks. "We're going to have to file a report about this disturbance," the head security officer said in a stern voice. "You created a very dangerous situation for all of the passengers in the terminal today."
"But none of this is our fault," Ashley protested. "We just came in to pick up my bags from the storage lockers, and when everyone saw Drew, they started freaking out. He can't help it that he's famous."
"I do know who you are, Mr. Morrison," the officer said, the frown still furrowing his forehead. "My daughter has your poster on her wall. Which is exactly why you should know better than to walk into an airport unassisted by our security staff."
When Ashley opened her mouth to protest again, Drew put his hand over hers. He felt a tremor run through her at the shock of contact--one that was rocking through his system just as much.
"I apologize for the disruption." And he truly was sorry. It was never his intent to cause a scene in a public place or anywhere else. "We should have called to let you know we were coming in."
"Or you could have let me come alone like I wanted to," Ashley muttered as she deliberately slipped her hand out from beneath his.
The security team looked between the two of them with raised eyebrows while Max practically drew hearts in the air around them with his fingertips.
"While you fill out these forms," the officer said, "we'll get your bags, miss. What lockers are they in?"
"Just number 196, thank you."
While Drew scrawled his name and other requested information on the form, he noted that Ashley filled out hers in an extremely neat hand. Jesus...even that turned him on.
He was screwed.
A few minutes later, Ashley had her two small suitcases, and the three of them were escorted out a side door and back to their bus by half a dozen of the security officers. "Thanks again for your help," Drew said to them all.
"Before you go," the head officer said with a slightly ruddy glow to his cheeks, "you wouldn't mind taking a picture with me, would you? My daughter would just love it."
"No problem," Drew said, knowing the airport staff could have come down on them a lot harder for the disturbance he'd caused.
When the other officers all said they'd like the same thing for their kids, Ashley offered, "I can take the pictures for everyone, if you'd like."
One after the other, they handed her their phones, and by the time they were done, Max had come out of the bus with a stack of T-shirts and other concert swag for them all.
"Ready to hit the road to Las Vegas, boss?" Max asked when the three of them were alone again.
Drew looked at his new bus-mate for confirmation. "Ashley?"
"I'm ready to go. I've actually never been there before."
"You're going to love it, Miss Ashley," Max told her. "More bright lights than you've ever seen in one place. It will make your head spin."
She looked a little uncertain about whether she'd actually like it. "Okay, I'll try to prepare myself for all the lights and head-spinning."
"Have a good night, you two," Max said with a wink that couldn't have made his hopes for the two of them more clear before he headed out their door and around to the separate driver's area of the bus. "See you bright and early at five a.m. for our first radio spot."
"You have the nicest staff," she said to Drew after Max had closed the door behind him.
"He likes you, too, Ashley."
Drew took her hand before she could move away, that shock of electricity between them even more intense the second time. They both looked down at their joined hands, then back into each other's eyes.
Damn it, if he was trying to keep his distance, he was doing one hell of a bad job. But he simply couldn't keep from touching her again.
"I'm sorry about what just happened. Actually, about everything you've dealt with tonight, starting with the women backstage."
"It's not your fault you're famous and people love you." Her cheeks flushed at the word love--or maybe it was his hand over hers that had her flushing so beautifully. But at least she didn't step away or pull her hand from his. "It must be scary for you when that happens."
No one apart from his family and security staff had ever really understood just how strange it was to be the center of a big group's attention--or adoration. He loved his fans, of course, but he didn't love it when the press of people and voices and requests affected anyone else. He'd been worried about Ashley freaking out, but it turned out she'd only been thinking about how he must be feeling.
"I'm sorry if it was scary for you."
"They didn't want anything to do with me, didn't even notice I was there. I was fine. But they were all over you."
He shrugged. "It comes with the territory."
She frowned, and just as she'd leaned over the table earlier that evening to make her point, she moved in closer now to say, "Just because it comes with the territory, doesn't mean it isn't frightening to have everyone want a piece of you."
Did she realize she was close enough for him to kiss her? Or just how badly he was dying to taste her skin? Her eyes were the most extraordinary color, amber with flecks of green and blue, and he couldn't stop staring into them, mesmerized.
"Music is amazing, isn't it?" Her voice had lowered nearly to a whisper now. "The way it reaches down into you and makes you feel so much? Makes us feel like we know the singer, even when we don't."
He'd already felt an intense attraction between them. He liked her, too, of course. But now there was even more connecting them--a strong and immediate bond over the incredible power of music.
Already, Drew was less than a heartbeat from breaking his vow not to kiss her, and swore he could already feel the heat of her lips against his, when the bus suddenly jolted into motion.
Ashley was thrown into his arms, where he caught her and held her tightly, working to memorize every curve, her scent, the silky softness of her hair where it brushed against his chin.
Too soon, she was stumbling back, her eyes wide, her breath coming fast.
"I
t's late." She was looking everywhere but at him. "Really late. I should get to bed now. And I'm sure you must be exhausted, since you were the one doing all the work tonight on stage."
Her words came out in a breathless rush, tumbling over one another as she moved to put as much space between them as she possibly could on the narrow bus. So even though it was the very last thing in the world he wanted to do, and hating that he was clearly making her feel uncomfortable, Drew made himself nod and say, "If you need anything tonight--"
"I'll be fine!"
She turned away and started unzipping one of her bags. He knew he had to go or risk being the one acting stalkery. But even after he had closed the door to his private quarters at the back of the bus, he could still hear her moving around.
