Page 73 of Before the Encore

Madison let out a happy sigh, and Bonnie cupped her face. The heat of her body pressed into hers, filling her with an electrifying need. She wanted her, and everything that came with it.

“So…” Madison’s mouth quirked. “Nora?” she asked.

Chapter Eighteen

Bonnie

Those gunmetal blue eyes stared back at her. Waiting.

Bonnie’s body still hummed with the afterglow of pleasure like gentle waves lapping the shore.

She traced the line of Madison’s jaw with her fingertips. Smooth and sharp. Two opposite traits that mirrored her in so many ways. Then those lips. Bonnie couldn’t stand that arrogant smirk when she first laid eyes on her. Now, her heart fluttered when it was aimed her way. There were a million different ways this tour could have unfolded. Laying here with Madison, their warm bodies entwined and her heart full, hadn’t been one of them.

“My real name is Nora Eldrich-Grech,” Bonnie said quietly, but still too loud for the space.

“Nora.” Madison rolled the name in her mouth like she was trying it on. The corner of her mouth ticked up. “It suits you. Why’d you change it?”

“Apparently it doesn’t have the right ring for showbiz.” She sighed, remembering her dad’s disappointment at the news. “When I signed up for The Pop Factor, it was one of the agreements to appear on the show. I leapt at it, and I’ve been Bonnie Bloom ever since.”

“What about after?” Madison’s hand drifted to the small of her back, her brows pinching slightly.

“When I signed with Bailey, he said changing it would be too confusing for fans of the show. And Nora Eldrich-Grech didn’t fit the aesthetic they were going for.” Bonnie shrugged. “Honestly, it doesn’t matter. I’ve been Bonnie for so long that Nora feels strange. Only my parents call me that now.”

“Is that how you really feel?”

The question hung in the air. Bonnie swallowed, her throat dry. “Of course, there’s things I wish were different, but I’m so lucky to be where I am and to have what I do.”

“That doesn’t mean you can’t change things you’re not happy with. You know—” Madison hesitated, her fingers stilling for a moment. “Bailey is a dick. You could get a new manager in a heartbeat and play your songs the way that you want them to be.”

“It’s not that simple.” Bonnie knew the way the industry worked. Change came with big risk—and a boatload of anxiety. Playing her music the way she imagined wouldn’t fly with the board. She couldn’t let the hope take root because it would only rot.

“Isn’t it?” Madison pressed. “You deserve someone in your corner that loves your music just as much as you do.”

“I know Bailey is a little unorthodox, but who isn’t in this business? He’s been with me forever.” She bit her lip. “If I had a new manager, they might be worse. Things are too unpredictable; I wouldn’t even know where to start.”

“He shouldn’t speak to you the way that he does.” Madison’s voice had a harder edge to it. “If it wouldn’t have gotten me fired, I’d have headbutted him by now.”

“That’s sweet.” Then she laughed. “Not that I condone violence, of course.”

Madison kissed her shoulder. “Really, though.” The warmth of her breath tickled her neck. “If that’s what you really want, you should speak to a lawyer.” Lips brushed against her pulse point, sending a shiver up Bonnie’s spine. “Explore your options.”

She leaned into her touch. “I…I can’t think about anything when you’re doing that.”

Madison’s chuckle vibrated against her. “You have no idea how hard it is to concentrate on stage when you’re so close. Especially when you beg me to fuck you in the dressing room just before.”

Desire tugged low and deep in her belly. “You want to know a secret?”

Madison’s eyebrows pricked up. “Always.”

She pressed her lips to her ear and whispered, “After you left…I made myself come.”

“Holy shit.” Madison’s eyes closed. When they opened, they were darker, deeper. “That’s so hot.”

Her fingertips traced the black lines of Madison’s tattoos. “I was thinking about you. Your hands. The way that you kiss me.” Bonnie’s breath grew shallow. Madison’s gaze fell to her mouth. “Thinking about you on stage, wet for me…it didn’t take me long at all.”

Madison swallowed, her voice sticking in her throat. “I would’ve loved to see that.”

Bonnie gasped as Madison’s fingers dipped lower, gliding through her wetness.