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And now she was here at a club with the men and their significant others. She’d met Summer, Noah’s fiancée, and Eden, Tex’s girlfriend and Noah’s younger sister, after that night’s concert. They’d both flown in from LA to spend the weekend with their men.
Cassie felt awkward at first. The obvious affection between everyone in the group made her feel like an outsider. Thankfully, Eden and Summer were as charming and easy to get along with as Lexie. After the almost painfully touching reunion between the couples, Eden and Summer had turned their attention to Cassie, effortlessly drawing her into their conversation. It had fascinated Cassie to discover that both of them worked at Eden’s non-profit, Sharing the Spotlight. The organization connected recording artists with music-based charities in need of support and endorsement. They had chatted about the work and then Cassie’s job with the band. Soon, they changed topics to that night’s scheduled PR event. All three women had worked together to convince Cassie to join them.
That’s how she’d ended up here. The VIP section was one level above the main part of the club. The strobe lights from the dance floor flashed erratically, reflecting off the massive low-hanging crystal chandeliers, and making her blink. The place was packed with beautiful people dancing, mingling, or standing at the bar looking glamorous. Music thumped through the speakers so loudly she could barely hear Lexie talking to her as they made their way through the crowd.
The guys, along with Summer and Eden, followed behind her and Lexie, and several of the bands’ security detail surrounded the group.
Lexie led them over to a couple of oversized plush red velvet couches that fit the opulent style of the club. She pulled Cassie down to sit next to her. Connor sat on his wife’s other side, and the three other men sat opposite them, with Eden and Summer tucked in between Tex and Noah.
Cassie’s gaze caught Zac’s across the low table between them, and a tingle of warmth flushed her skin.
It wasn’t the first time it had happened. Since the night she woke in his arms, she was all too conscious of his presence. This morning she had walked out to the living room to find him standing there in just a pair of low-hanging jeans. Her eyes had drifted over his broad shoulders, past the ridges of his abs, to the defined V of muscle that disappeared into the waistband of the jeans that hung low over his hips.
A bloom of heat unfurled in her stomach. The flush that began at her chest crept up her neck and burned hotly in her cheeks. The way his eyes had seared into her when he’d caught her staring—even though she’d tried to pretend she hadn’t been—made her think her body’s response hadn’t gone unnoticed.
This painfully new reaction to him had to be gratitude. It had to be. She was just grateful he’d helped her. She was grateful to Lexie and the others too, but it was different with Zac. He was gorgeous, obviously. And single. She’d have to be blind not to appreciate how attractive he was. That’s all it was—a combination of gratitude and female appreciation for a good-looking man.
Of course, that was really selling him short. Because it wasn’t just the way he looked that made him attractive. There was his talent too. He wasn’t considered one of the best bass players in the world for nothing. And he wasn’t exactly a slouch with the six-string either. Though, perhaps the thing she found most appealing about Zac was the way he wove words and music together. Watching him do it every night resonated with something deep inside her. Sometimes she liked to just close her eyes and listen to him as he took a few lyrics, just the seed of a song, and made magic out of it.
A waitress approached with a tray of drinks and carefully placed them on the table. Her breasts almost popped out of her low-cut top as she bent over. Her butt, barely covered by a short black skirt, was pointed straight at Zac, and Cassie caught herself wondering if he was looking. Her stomach twisted.
God, what was wrong with her? What did it matter if he was? The number of body parts that got aimed in his direction on any given day was ridiculous. Cassie forced her gaze out to the dance floor and focused on the dancers.
She reached for a glass of champagne and took a sip. The crisp, effervescent liquid, flavored by the cut strawberries that floated in it, fizzed down her throat, relaxing her. Her attention wandered back to Zac again. He was watching Noah and Summer laughing together, the hint of a smile on his face. The drummer had his beautiful strawberry-blonde fiancée on his lap and was nuzzling her neck while she giggled and tried to wriggle away from him.
The flashing lights reflected from Zac’s eyes, and Cassie couldn’t stop herself from staring at them. They were mesmerizing. She had never seen more beautiful eyes on any man—a piercing green with a ring of golden-brown around the pupil, and lashes so long and dark they wouldn’t look out of place on a woman. When he turned those eyes on her, it was far too easy to get lost in them.
Cassie took another sip of her champagne and looked away.
Right at Bryan.
She sucked in a sharp breath. Bryan was there with the rest of Blacklite. Stella sat next to him, looking like a pin-up model in a skin-tight, black corset and jeans, with her red hair flowing in waves over her shoulders.
Bryan’s eyes were narrowed and fixed on Cassie. It made her feel as if he’d caught her doing something she shouldn’t. Which was ridiculous. But Bryan’s jaw set, and he slid his gaze toward Zac, his mouth twisting into a scowl. Zac stared back at Bryan, his expression revealing absolutely nothing.
Lexie put her hand on Cassie’s arm. “Are you okay?”
Cassie couldn’t quite catch her breath, but she gave a jerky nod. Bryan’s presence had sucked any sense of enjoyment out of the night.
As perceptive as she was, Lexie noticed the tense exchange between her, Zac, and Bryan. She grabbed Cassie’s hand and tugged. “Come on. Let’s dance.”
Her heart still beating a little too hard, Cassie stood and nervously smoothed down her dress. Lexie caught Summer’s and Eden’s attention and pointed at the heaving mass of dancers. The two women joined them.
They walked out onto the dance floor, and just having the other women with her helped Cassie to relax. Lexie discreetly filled Summer and Eden in on the Bryan and Stella situation, but now that Cassie knew her ex was there, she just wanted to forget about him. She was so tired of thinking. Remembering. She just wanted it to all go away. Her thumb brushed over the bare skin of her ring finger, and she was grateful that she’d finally taken her ring off.
Closing her eyes, she let the driving beat of the music pulse through her and began to move. The other women dancing around her was reassuring. She was a part of their group. For once, she was surrounded by friends.
Cassie danced for a while, undisturbed and freer than she’d felt in a long time. Sensing someone behind her, her eyes popped open. Eden grinned at her, amused as a man’s hips—and something else—brushed against her ass. For just a few seconds, she let him grind up against her. Why not? She was newly single. Bryan was here with Stella. Zac was… Zac. Her boss. Why was she even thinking about him?
But the thought of Zac did the trick. She snapped out of it and stepped away from the man, a little rattled.
“Let’s get a drink at the bar.” Eden flashed Cassie a wink as she gathered her long, blonde hair off her neck and fanned her flushed cheeks.
Cassie followed the other women off the dance floor, suddenly desperate for a big glass of champagne.
Maybe two.
ChapterFifteen
