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Bonnie was beautiful.Xander drank in the loose curls and the way her dress clung to her gorgeous curves. The green of the dress brought out the colour in her eyes, touching them with an emerald spark.
“I thought I might head home. It’s been a long day.”
“I’ll walk with you.”
She indicated the rest of the band. “Aren’t you going to party with them?”
“Tomorrow. I don’t say they won’t be having a few drinks at the pub once they leave here, but we’ve organised to have dinner together at one of the wineries tomorrow.”
“Sounds nice.” She hesitated as he led her out through the foyer to the auditorium. “It was a great concert.”
“What did you think of the new songs?”
Seeming almost shy, she met his eyes. “They were amazing.”
“So is my inspiration.” He stopped at the backstage stairs. “Wait here while I get my coat.”
His stage crew were already packing up and the chairs were being rearranged by the local team around large circular tables. Maybe a wedding? He left her watching the guys on stage in their distinctive black clothing. The team had already signed contracts with a new upcoming artist about to embark on a tour, so he didn’t have to worry about their future while he reset his own.
She was waiting when he came back up the stairs, shifting her attention from the activity on the stage to smile at him. It sent a shaft of warmth straight to his heart. The need was there too, but he could control it for now. He had his plaid jacket with the sheepskin lining in one hand and some warm woollies in the other, in case Bonnie needed them.
With a laugh, she indicated the bundle. “You’re well and truly prepared for the cold.”
“You’re not.”
She tweaked back one sleeve. “I have a very unsexy spencer and long johns under the fancy clothes.”
He stood back to run his gaze over the length of her dress. “I can see why women embrace long skirts. You can hide a multitude of things underneath.”
“A multitude of sins you mean.”
He handed her the woollens while he dragged on his coat. “There’s a cardigan in there if you want an extra layer.”
The navy and light blue Fair Isle cardigan was oversized on her. One he’d left behind during a rehearsal. She refused the beanie and gloves and he tucked them into his jacket pockets as they plunged into the cool night air.
“Not so glamourous now.” Bonnie’s voice had a wry tinge.
“I’m all for seeing this multitude of sins you mention.”
Her skin, already a little pink from the cold air, flushed a deeper rose on her cheeks. “I meant my legs in the long johns. Definitely a fashion faux pas. I can’t see any of your model girlfriends wearing something like that.”
He fell into step beside her, drawing her arm through his bent elbow. “I wouldn’t know. I never undressed any of them.”
“Seriously?”
“They were for publicity shots. The women were usually wearing some designer gear they were supposed to promote, and I got arm candy for the events I had to attend.”
“Well, you looked great and they were lovely.”
“They were usually nice enough.” He didn’t want to talk about them. Though his vanity bubbled into life at her comments. He wanted her to think he looked great. Only her. Because she saw the whole person. Even the faults obscured by the marketing machine that painted him as wholesome and pure. It was why the media speculated on every woman he was seen with in public. Even the women he was allowed to associate with in public were carefully curated to present only women who fitted the image. No scandal was allowed to touch the group. It had allowed them to skim through the tragedy of Tinker’s death without tarnishing the whole image.
“Xander? What will happen to everyone else? I know there are heaps of people behind the scenes.”
“Most of them have already found other jobs. That’s why only a skeleton crew came up for the concert. Even though we haven’t officially announced it, we told everyone who works for us months ago this was on the cards.”
“Was everyone happy with the decision?”
“Some more than others. Ashley, my agent, wasn’t happy, but we compromised. She’ll have her percentage of the last ten years of my work forever, so she won’t exactly be out of pocket.”
