On the bus after their shows, we’d either watch movies together, or Jax and I would work on some new music before retreating to his bunk, falling asleep in each other’s arms. It was a tight fit, but we didn’t mind the extra excuse to be close to one another. I found I didn’t mind bus life at all if it meant I got to be next to Jax, though I missed Ella and Grace fiercely.
We traveled through the night to Las Vegas where we would be staying in a suite for two whole days before heading back on the road. It was Halloween, and though it was only a little after lunchtime, the casino floor was already filled with a wild array of ghouls, goblins, and women wearing lingerie with some sort of mask or animal ears. When we walked through the door to our suite, Jax had barely tipped the bellman before I collapsed on the sofa.
“Comfy?” Jax asked with a laugh. He plopped down beside me, pulling my legs onto his lap.
“This is glorious,” I replied, sinking deeper into the cushions. Though I didn’t mind snuggling up with him in his bunk every night, it had been murder on my thirty-seven-year-old back. “I am one with this couch. I live here now.”
“I wish we didn’t have to go to that party tonight.” Jax flopped his head against the back of the couch. Midnight in Dallas had been invited to a Halloween party being thrown by some big wig in the industry at the Omnia Nightclub inside Caesars Palace where we were staying. The hotel was going to be packed to the brim with Hollywood A-listers and the music industry’s finest. Admittedly, I’d never been one to get star-struck, but I did get a bit of a thrill when I found out we were going to be at the same party as Steven Tyler. It was still impossible for me to believe I could ever fit in this world as anything but a bystander.
“Why not? It’s going to be fun. Besides, I get to wear a pretty dress.” I smiled up at him flirtatiously. I was excited about the prospect of getting all dressed up together and going out. Due to the genius that was Antoni, I still got to maintain my anonymity. He was in charge of the costume selection and had decided on a masquerade theme for our entire group.
Jax and I had talked my first day on the road about how we’d handle my privacy. I still wasn’t ready to have my life on display. That was one of the reasons I wanted to take things slow with our music. Traipsing around Nashville together had been one thing. With the exception of the girls recognizing him at the fall festival, Jax had flown under the radar with ease. I knew things would be different on the road, though. There would be lots of press, paparazzi, and overzealous fans waiting to catch a glimpse of the band and anyone who may be associated with them. Jax agreed it was best to keep my identity a secret until I was ready to put our music, and our relationship, out into the world.
The guys knew how we felt, and they’d been equally as protective of my privacy. To anyone not in our little group, I was an assistant like Antoni, and so far, no one had even batted an eye.
“I can’t wait to see you in that dress,” he assured me. “We’ve barely had a moment alone since we left LA. All I want is to stay in this room and make good use of that king-size bed and the jacuzzi.”
“We still have a little while before we have to get ready to go.” I bit my lip suggestively. “I was thinking a bubble bath would be nice.” I rose to my feet and reached my hands out to him, pulling him up with me.
His lips curled into a seductive smile as I ran my hands up his chiseled chest. “Yeah? And then what?”
“And then you could carry me to the bed,” I purred as he leaned down, trailing soft kisses along my neck.
“And then?”
“And then…” I continued, putting on the breathiest, sexiest voice I could muster. “And then you could lay me down… and then we could…”
His lips traveled up to my jawline. “Yeah?”
“Take a nap,” I whispered directly in his ear, unable to contain my giggles. He pulled back to look at me, his head cocked to the side.
“You think you’re funny, don’t you?” He tried unsuccessfully to keep a straight face, a sly smile playing across his lips.
“IknowI’m funny.” I grinned. He regained his composure, and the smolder in his eyes returned. He leaned in so close, I could feel the warmth of his breath on my lips.
“I think you left out one minor detail of this plan of yours.” His voice was a soft murmur in my ear.
“What’s that?” I asked, my body leaning into his involuntarily.
“This.” His fingers found my sides like heat-seeking missiles, and he ambushed me with tickles. I shrieked and laughed, attempting to wriggle my way out of his grasp. “Oh no, you don’t.” In one swift motion, he scooped me up and threw me over his shoulder. He didn’t release me until he pushed his way into the bedroom, gently tossing me down on the bed. He climbed in with me, hovering over my body. “Still tired?”
I pulled him into me and kissed him tenderly. “Not even a little bit.”
“I’ve got to say, I’m usually more of a change from my daytime pajamas into my nighttime pajamas type of girl, but I could get used to this.” I twirled my way down the hall. Jax turned toward me, his mouth falling open. “What do you think?”
“Wow,” Jax whispered, closing the distance between us. “You’re breathtaking.”
“And you look so handsome in your tux.” I smiled, smoothing my hands over the jacket of his navy satin tuxedo. The paisley detailing inscribed in the tux stood out against his black dress shirt. His blue-grey eyes were framed by a simple matte-black mask.
“I’m sorry. I can’t get over how stunning you look.” He took my hand in his and twirled me around, admiring the dress. I had to admit, Antoni had knocked it out of the park. The strapless sweetheart gown hugged my body as if it had been made for me. It fanned out into a train that could only be described as a work of art. The merlot-colored satin was adorned with beautiful black lace detailing that got more intricate toward the bottom fan. The mask I wore matched the dress exactly, the burgundy color popping against my fair skin. Antoni had wanted to bring in a hairstylist and makeup artist for me. He said that was something I’d have to get used to eventually, but I really wanted to do it myself. There was something oddly comforting about going through the ritual of styling my hair and meticulously applying some makeup after a long, luxurious soak in the jacuzzi. I felt completely out of my element, but I had to admit, the dress was gorgeous. I felt like a movie star standing next to Jax.
There was a knock at the door and Jax groaned, reluctantly releasing me from his grasp so I could answer it.
“Holy shit, Liv,” Dallas said, pulling me into a hug. “You look gorgeous.”
“Look at you guys!” I let my gaze travel to each of them in their masks and tuxedos, identical to the one Jax wore. The only difference was that Dallas wore classic black, Derek a gunmetal grey, Luca was in deep emerald green, while Cash had donned the same ensemble in white. Brady wore his signature all-black, only this time it was a suit instead of his usual pants and T-shirts. Antoni kept with the theme, but his tux was made entirely of purple sequins with a matching purple satin mask. “You all look so debonair. Antoni, you look fantastic.”
“You are a vision, Liv.” Antoni kissed me on the cheek. “I don’t know about you fools, but I’m ready to shake and quake what my mama gave me on that dance floor.”
