Home Is Where You Are Read online

  “Well, God save the Queen.” I laughed, my spirit buoyed by her excitement.

  I looked at the framed photographs and old posters that adorned the walls from concerts past and imagined the many talents that walked these halls. Once upon a time, I longed to be one of them. Playing the Mother Church was one of those honors that every singer/songwriter hoped for. I pushed the thought from my mind as our guide came to a stop behind a short line of fans who chattered nervously amongst themselves. An expressionless and muscular bodyguard in all black with a sleeve of tattoos stood watch outside the door.

  “This is our stop.” The usher gestured at the closed door that we were all now waiting outside of. “They’re letting each group in one at a time to chat with the guys and take some photos. When you’re done, if you’ll go back up the way you came, the ushers at the main floor entrance will show you to your seats.”

  “Thank you,” Ella said as he waved, disappearing down the hall and into the crowd. “I wonder if these guys are as good-looking in person as they are on Instagram. I was checking them out earlier and they are H-A-W-T.” She spelled out the last word, causing me and Grace to burst into laughter. I wasn’t sure, but I could have sworn the bodyguard’s lip twitched.

  “What does that even mean?” I snorted between laughs.

  “What?” Ella asked. “It’s what the young people say.”

  “Mom.” Grace shook her head. “We do not say that.” We watched with interest as the door opened and two squealing girls stumbled out. They took off down the hall as a group of four teenagers slipped inside the room.

  “I’m just saying.” Ella raked her fingers through her golden hair, adjusting her off the shoulder sweater so that it showed off her bronzed skin. “You’ve got two single ladies here on the prowl.”

  “I sure hope you mean you and Grace.” I raised my brow pointedly in her direction.

  “Um, no. I mean you and me,” she fired back. “Grace isn’t allowed to date till she’s thirty. I’m pretty sure these guys are too old for her anyway.”

  “Derek just turned twenty-eight.” Grace sighed dreamily. “He’s not that old.” She’d informed us over dinner that the bass player and youngest band member, Derek, was her favorite. She also spent a solid fifteen minutes showing us his Instagram page that was filled with artsy and romantic photos he’d taken.

  I laughed. “Oh to be twenty-eight and not that old again.”

  The bodyguard’s lips twitched into a smile.

  “You’re not old, Aunt Liv,” Grace assured me. “I mean you’re old, but you don’t, like, act old. Besides, you’re a total smokeshow.”

  “A what?” Ella and I asked in unison.

  “It means hot.” Grace rolled her eyes and giggled. “You know? H-A-W-T.” The bodyguard either snorted or laughed. I wasn’t sure which, but I was glad someone else found this amusing.

  “Well, that’s the truth.” Ella pouted. “But what about me? Am I a smokeshow?”

  “You look good too, mom.”

  “A total smokeshow,” I agreed. The door opened again spilling out the four excited teens, and the group in front of us entered the room.

  “We’re next.” Ella smiled nervously, whipping out a compact and a tube of lipstick from her clutch. She expertly applied the bold, red color and checked her reflection before passing the compact over to Grace’s waiting hand.

  “You both look beautiful,” I assured them as Grace slicked a nude lip gloss over her lips before offering the compact to me. I shook my head, and she handed it back to her mom. “I’m good. I’m afraid this is as good as it gets.”

  “You sure?” Ella asked, waving the compact at me. “Remember, remember, the hostile kitty’s splendor! I’m sure that’s how the saying goes.”

  “Mom!” Grace dissolved into laughter.

  This time, the guard definitely let out a chuckle.

  Grace was used to a certain amount of this kind of talk. Grace and Ella had essentially grown up together, and though Ella was certainly an amazing mom, she was also a friend to Grace. She wasn’t afraid to talk like a grown-up around her, and she encouraged her daughter to talk to her about anything and everything. Though she knew Grace was a virgin, she wanted her to feel safe enough to talk to her about sex when that time came.

  “What?” Ella shrugged. “You’ll understand one day, sweetie. It’s kind of an ‘if you don’t use it, you lose it’ sort of thing.”

  I turned to face Ella, my back to the door. “First of all, I’m pretty sure the saying you were looking for is ‘remember, remember, the 5th of November’ from V For Vendetta.” Ella’s eyes widened, and her gaze seemed to travel above my head. “And I’m pretty sure it had nothing to do with my hostile kitty.” I made a sweeping motion down my core, hearing the bodyguard snort from behind me.

  “Hey, ladies.” A warm, velvety voice came from behind me, and I felt a vicious heat begin to rise to my cheeks. I knew that voice all too well. I’d only been listening to it all day. I turned to see the face that matched the voice, and my breath caught in my throat. He had to be at least six foot two, and I could see the subtle outline of his well-defined abs through his tight white T-shirt. The cotton fabric stretched against the smooth curve of his biceps and gave way to a set of muscular forearms that could have been chiseled out of stone. Finally, my eyes settled on a face that was framed perfectly by a jawline that could cut a girl’s heart wide open. His eyes were the color of a storm rolling in. Tiny flecks of grey sparkled like lighting in clouds of deep blue. His light brown hair was short on the sides and longer on top. It looked messy yet still somehow perfect as he ran his hands through it. Even his hands were perfect for crying out loud. His mouth curled into an inviting, boyish smile.

  “Oh my God!” Grace squeaked. “You’re Jaxon Slade.”

  “Guilty as charged.” Jaxon raised his brow, not taking his eyes off me.

  “I’m Grace.” She introduced herself animatedly before gesturing toward her mom. “This is my mom, Ella.”

  “Her very cool, super hot mom,” Ella added, reaching her hand out to shake his. He took her hand and flashed his wide grin in her direction.

  “And this is my Aunt Liv,” Grace said finally, squeezing my shoulder.

  “She’s very cool.” Ella’s voice was at least a full octave higher as she chattered nervously. “Soooo much cooler than me and a total smokeshow.”

  He extended his hand toward me. I felt Ella shove me in the back, cueing me to respond or do anything besides stand there with my mouth open like a trout on a hook.

  “I’m Olivia Sinclair,” I managed to croak as I took his hand. I felt the calluses of his fingertips slide against my palm, setting off an electric current that coursed through my body. I was suddenly reminded that my kitty wasn’t hostile at all. In fact, it was ready to send out the welcome wagon. “Or Liv. You can call me Liv.”

  “Olivia… Liv.” He said both my name and nickname slowly, my hand still locked in his warm grasp. “Why don’t you guys come and meet the band?”

  He stepped closer to me, allowing Grace admission to the dressing room.

  “This was the last group,” the bodyguard said as Ella entered the room behind Grace. She spun around and gave me a thumbs-up, an overjoyed expression plastered across her face. “I’m gonna go grab a drink, so lock the door. I’ll knock when it’s time to go.” The bodyguard smirked and disappeared down the hallway.

  Jaxon’s smile reached the corners of his eyes. When he laughed, I felt it through my entire body. “I see we saved the best for last.”

  Chapter 2

  Jax

  Liv met my gaze with a shy smile before quickly averting her eyes to the floor, her shoes—anywhere that wasn’t me. I became acutely aware of my own heartbeat as it thudded faster and faster in my ears.

  Wow. This girl was beautiful. The way her fair skin flushed with embarr
assment was adorable. Her shiny chestnut hair cascaded over her shoulders, almost reaching her hips. She wore a T-shirt with Queen emblazoned across the front, which told me she also had great taste in music. The fabric of her shirt outlined the perfect curve of her body, tapering at her waist. My eyes settled for a split second on the alleged ‘hostile kitty’ she mentioned. My cheeks flushed, and I stifled a laugh.

  I wondered why it was so hostile.

  My eyes shifted to her left hand to check for a ring, and I was shocked to find it totally bare. I was even more shocked by how relieved I was.

  “Should we go in?” The sound of Liv’s voice interrupted my thoughts. She chewed her bottom lip, and my heart thundered in response. “I wouldn’t want you to get mobbed. I mean, I could try to fend off a crowd, but I don’t know if I’m quite as intimidating as your tattooed friend with the muscles as big as my head.”

  “Oh, yeah, come on in.” I cleared my throat, stepping to the side for her to walk past me into the dressing room. As she did, the sweet scent of orange blossoms beckoned me to follow behind her. I pulled the door closed and locked it as instructed.

  The other two girls, Grace and her mom Ella, were already chatting animatedly with the rest of the guys.

  “Guys,” I said. “This is Liv.”

  “Hello, Liv,” our manager greeted her, stepping forward to take her hand. “Cash Montgomery. I’m the guy that keeps these fellas in line.” His phone rang, and he quietly excused himself to take the call in the corner of the room.

  Our bass player extended his hand to shake Liv’s outstretched one. “Nice to meet you. I’m Derek.”

  “I dig the Queen shirt, Liv.” I watched as Luca Sterling took her hand in his and kissed it. My jaw clenched involuntarily. I knew that compliment meant our lead guitarist had already been checking Liv out, and that annoyed the shit out of me. He was the brooding, individualistic type. He knew the effect he had on the ladies, but Liv seemed unfazed.

  “And this is Dallas.” I gently guided her toward our drummer. He was the spirited one of the group, and even though Luca was the oldest, Dallas was our leader. No decisions got made without his approval.

  “Wait,” Liv said as she shook his hand. “Dallas as in Midnight in Dallas? Is that where the name came from?”

  “Yep,” he answered, his mouth stretching into a broad grin. “Derek here is my cousin, and his last name is Knights with a K. When the two of us started out as a duo in college, we were Dallas Knights, which was honestly fucking weird because nobody knew how to spell it. Also, because Derek is a terrible singer. When Jaxon and Luca joined us, we knew we had to rebrand if we were ever going to go anywhere as a band.”

  “Midnight became the witching hour for us.” I jumped in, longing to see her eyes back on mine. What color were her eyes? Green? Hazel? I wanted to look closer, but I didn’t want her to think I was a total weirdo. “We used to rehearse in Dallas’s old garage well past midnight, and that’s when our best ideas came to us.”

  “Hence Midnight in Dallas,” Luca explained with a laugh. “Because Midnights in Dallas’s Garage didn’t have the same ring to it.”

  Derek leaned against the counter. “The artists formerly known as Dallas Knights.”

  “And that’s how Midnight in Dallas was born.” Dallas chuckled.

  “So what brings you guys out tonight?” I asked Liv, but Grace answered.

  “These tickets were my birthday present.”

  “They went on sale a week before her birthday in March, and I nearly took down Ticketmaster to get them.” Ella looked over at her daughter proudly. “You guys are her favorite band. I was prepared to do whatever I had to in order to make that happen, including, but not limited to, becoming a stowaway on your tour bus. Aren’t y’all glad it didn’t come to that?”

  “Listen, Ella,” Luca flirted. “Don’t threaten me with a good time.”

  “Hey, no threats here,” Ella said with a shrug. “Only promises.”

  “Ooooh,” Dallas hooted. “Sounds like Miss Ella came to play.”

  “Please remember when you find her hiding somewhere on your bus looking all fatal attraction that you encouraged this.” Liv raised her brow at Dallas. “I will have no sympathy for any of you.”

  “I promise to send postcards from the road.” Ella stuck her tongue out at Liv. “Take care of Grace for me.” Grace playfully punched her mom in the arm.

  “So, it sounds like you may be fairly new to our music?” I asked Liv, nudging her with my arm. I wanted to reclaim her attention and have any excuse to keep her talking to me.

  “I am.” She smiled sheepishly. Her smile made my knees weak for reasons I didn’t understand. I only knew I wanted to see it again. “I love music, but I’ve been a little out of the loop lately. I heard ‘Fortress’ for the first time last week, and I loved it. It’s been in my head ever since, and I listened to your stuff all day today. You guys are really good.”

  “Fortress” had been an instant hit with its slow, steady beat that built up to a stunning guitar solo, courtesy of Luca. The entire song felt like you were climbing up a mountain. By the time you reached the bridge, you were standing on top of the world, soaking in a panoramic view. It started off sad, but by the end, you couldn’t help but feel a sense of hope.

  “We had to get this one out of the house,” Ella spoke up, pointing at Liv. “She hasn’t been out in ages.”

  “Mom.” Grace elbowed her mother, and Liv’s eyes fell. There was a sadness that crept onto her face that said there was much more to this story, and it was a story I wanted to know all about.

  “So, it’s a girls night?” I asked, wanting to put Liv back at ease. “Where are you ladies sitting?”

  Liv pulled her ticket from her back pocket, inspecting it. “Main floor, row S.”

  “I think we can do one better than that.” I raised my brow in question to the rest of the guys. They nodded their agreement to whatever plan I was cooking up on the fly.

  “No way,” Grace gasped, her eyes lit up with excitement. It was then I knew exactly what I had to do. I hoped on all that was holy that she wouldn’t think I was a total creeper.

  “Way,” I said with as much smoothness as I could muster. “I think we could make room for you guys to watch the show from the side of the stage, but I’m going to need one small favor in return.”

  “Yes! Anything!” Grace shrieked. “Whatever it is, yes.” Liv and Ella eyed me suspiciously. Not nearly as suspiciously as the rest of the band. What the fuck was I even doing?

  “I’m gonna need your Aunt Liv’s phone number.” I smiled down at Liv and chewed my lip nervously, as a soft flush of pink crept onto Liv’s face. Dallas looked at me with wide eyes, clearly not expecting me to go in this direction. Hell, even I wasn’t entirely sure what I was doing. Cash glanced up from his phone call and shot me a questioning look.

  “Excuse me?” Liv asked. “You want my number because why?”

  “Here it is.” Before Liv could protest any further, Grace had already pulled up the number on her phone and had it in my hands.

  “Grace,” Liv hissed.

  I whipped my phone out of my back pocket, snapping a photo of the screen with Olivia Sinclair’s number on it.

  “I love you, Aunt Livvie.” Grace beamed as I handed her phone back to her.

  “It’s settled then,” I announced, still completely unsure how I’d managed to pull off this little stunt. “Lovely doing business with you, Miss Grace.”

  “Thank you.” She chirped happily as Liv stood with a bemused look in her eyes. “It was my pleasure.”

  “Hold up a second.” Liv crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes at me. “Don’t I get a say in this?”

  “Um, yes.” My voice faltered as I raked my hand through my hair, trying my best to look charming. I’d never done anything like this before, and I couldn’t explain what mad
e me do it now. I was afraid I’d crossed a line, but there was something about her that made me feel like I couldn’t let her walk out of this dressing room and never see her again.

  “If you want to keep my number, you’ve got to dedicate a song to Grace on stage tonight.” She tilted her chin up at me with playful defiance.

  My mouth twitched into a grin. “I think we can make that happen.”

  Grace shrieked. “Really? Please let it be ‘Fortress.’ It’s my favorite.”

  There was a knock on the door, followed by a low voice. “It’s showtime, fellas.”

  Derek opened the door, and the room was suddenly alight with activity.

  “Wait,” Luca said. “We’ve gotta take a photo first.”

  “Right.” Ella shook her head, completely flustered. She had clearly been so engrossed with watching what was going down with me and Liv that she’d forgotten this was a meet and greet. Honestly, so had I. “Which one of you guys has the longest arms? I’ll never be able to get us all in the picture.”

  “That would be me.” I took the phone from her as everyone piled in close and faced me. Grace wrapped herself around Derek, and Luca enveloped Ella in a giant hug. Before Dallas could even try to move in on Liv, I tucked her under my arm and felt her tentatively settle her arm around me.

  “I see how it is.” Dallas feigned offense. “Nobody’s got love for Dallas.”

  “Without Dallas, there is no Midnight in Dallas, so you better get your ass over here,” Liv joked, holding her free arm out to him.

  “That’s more like it.” Dallas laughed, sliding in next to her. I was appreciative of her kindness toward Dallas, and admittedly, a little jealous.

  “Here we go.” I tightened my arm around the curve of Liv’s waist. “One… two… three.”

  Cash ended his call, laughing at us all smushed together. “You guys look great,” he said, slipping his phone back inside his pocket.

  I glanced at the photo before handing the phone back to Ella, and my chest tightened seeing Liv nestled under my arm. “Wait!” I dug my phone out of the pocket of my jeans. “I want to take one with mine too.” Dallas exchanged a curious look with me as everyone piled back in their places. This time, Dallas and Luca sandwiched Ella. “We, uh, like to take a photo from each meet and greet. You know, for Instagram.”