“Morrow,” she returned as the wheels in her mind turned.

I didn’t want to care what Oni was thinking, but I would if it in any way altered the decision Braxton had made last night. I knew not everyone would accept or understand the unconventional aspect of our relationship, but my ability to care only extended as far as how it would affect Braxton. The rest of the world could eat itself.

Sitting down, Houston grabbed the pad and pen he used to jot down lyrics from the ottoman we used as a table. He’d been writing last night while Braxton was in the shower and didn’t get to finish before we decided to corner her.

Thank God it worked. Braxton saying yes was the only reason I was in the mood to deal with Oni’s shit right now.

“So will you be joining us for the rest of the tour?” Braxton inquired with a deep frown on her face. I don’t think she was opposed to the possibility like I was—just confused.

I prayed Oni said no.

“Thankfully, no,” she said, answering my prayers. “I’m only here to see the show tonight, and then I’m on a red-eye back to Los Angeles.”

The troubled look didn’t leave Braxton’s eyes, and I cursed Calvin and Oni both for putting this shit on her shoulders when she was already dealing with enough. Mainly us. “Why would Carl choose me to replace Calvin if he didn’t think I could handle it?”

“He didn’t choose you,” Oni reminded her. “I did.”

For some reason, she gave me a pointed look at that last part. Was I supposed to be thanking her or something?

Yeah, without Oni, we would never have found Braxton, but it’s not like she knew what would happen. She didn’t know we’d fall for our rebel, and I doubt she’d have chosen Braxton if she had known. Oni had a lot of reasons to feel guilty, but she never showed it. Not even once. Why would she care to right her wrongs now?

I glanced over my shoulder at Houston, who was pretending he wasn’t listening to every word as he continued to scribble new lyrics. He’d tweak it again later once he was ready to establish a melody. I wondered if he’d let Braxton help since I knew he had her to thank for the inspiration. Yes, I’d sneaked a peek at some of the lyrics.

Braxton nodded, acknowledging Oni’s claim, but didn’t say more about it. She probably sensed, like I had, that it wasn’t actually meant for her. “Would you like some coffee?” she offered Sridhar.

Immediately, I tightened my hold on her hips. I didn’t want her getting up just yet.

“I’ll take tea if you have it.”

The bunk door slid open again just as Braxton was standing. I noticed how she moved a little gingerly and smirked. I’d never fucked anyone as hard as I had her last night and was already eager to do it again. I knew she’d let me despite the fight she put up.

Loren was awake, hair sticking up, and wearing a frown that cleared the moment he noticed Oni. Without a word or making a sound, he turned on his heel and disappeared again. It was probably for the best since Loren was cranky enough in the mornings without throwing someone he hated into the mix.

Braxton fixed Oni’s tea, and as she handed it to her along with the milk and sugar Oni had requested, a knock sounded on the door. Without looking up from his pad, Houston shouted for the person to enter, and the door slid open, revealing Xavier.

“You got to be fucking kidding me,” he snapped the moment he saw Oni.

“That’s funny,” she said without missing a beat. “I was going to say the same about your tie.”

“I’m not wearing one.”

She gave him that same deprecating look she gave me, except much slower—like she was taking her time. Xavier always wore his suits without a tie. He preferred to keep the top buttons of his shirt undone, showing off his chest and the dark skin underneath.

“My point exactly.”

I stood from the table and joined Houston on the couch. He had to be the one who’d called Xavier over here though I didn’t know why. Those two hated each other even more than we did. “You know they’re just going to argue all day and pretend we’re the reason for it, right?”

Houston looked up from the line he was writing down and over at me.

“Exactly.” After glancing at Braxton, whose brown eyes were darting between Xavier and Oni as they traded insults, he met my gaze again. “They can keep each other occupied. I’d much rather we handle that.”

Houston tipped his head toward Braxton, and I knew he was referring to the doubt in her eyes and the fact that she was back inside her head.

Content with his plan, I nodded as I sat back. All the while, I kept Braxton in my line of sight. Making sure she didn’t change her mind was at the top of my priorities. Not even our show tonight would keep me from her if she tried to run away from us again.

Braxton finally showed her face, and I must admit, the wait had been worth it. I loved her in leather pants because they always showed off the shape of her ass. We were backstage at the Mohegan Sun’s arena, waiting to go on stage. I’d never been this anxious to get through a show before.

Here, with the combined eyes of the house staff and our road crew, I was forced to keep my hands to myself, and I didn’t like it one bit.

Braxton had been taking advantage of the berth we were forced to give her and hiding out in the private space they’d given her to double as a dressing room. In addition to the black leather pants driving my head and dick crazy, she wore a loose, white tank that was shorter around her midriff and longer on the sides. Her jewelry included a silver cuff on her wrist, Loren’s medallion around her neck, and rings that covered each finger from knuckle to knuckle on her left hand, and heels I wanted to feel in my back when this was over.

Feeling my gaze, she caught me staring, but I didn’t look away. She was my girl, right?

After a moment of indecision that I hoped she broke free of soon, she slowly made her way over to me. I smelled the sweetness of her brown sugar body wash long before she reached me. When she was close enough, I pushed away from the wall I’d been leaning against and nodded for her to follow me.

She did.

All the way to the secluded spot I’d scoped out almost immediately upon our arrival at the arena. Because I knew I wouldn’t be able to get through the concert without touching her.

I fucking knew.

There was shit everywhere as house crew and road crew rushed back and forth. They were too focused on getting the job done to pay attention to me luring Braxton into the dark corner underneath the stairs. We were perfectly hidden in plain sight.

Leaning down, I began to kiss her because I couldn’t focus on anything else right now. She eagerly kissed me back, and I silently thanked God for small favors. Her lips always tasted like succulent fruit, and I’d developed a dependency. She began to whimper when I deepened the tangle of our lips, so I pulled away. I couldn’t risk anyone discovering us…or me fucking her up this wall.

Sighing, I rested my forehead against hers and closed my eyes. “Why does it feel like I’m still chasing you, Bambi?”

She sighed too before shaking her head. “I don’t know.” I was starting to fear that she didn’t want to be with me after all when she cupped my face with both hands. “Just don’t stop. Please.”

Feeling this spark in my chest that I couldn’t put a name on, I gripped her ass in both hands and yanked her closer to me. “I wasn’t planning to.”

I’d run her ass down, however long it took, to get her to see things my way. There was no curing my obsession with Braxton Francesca Fawn.

We ended up kissing again, but this time she was the one to pull away with her hands pressing against my chest. “Where did Rich and Loren go?”

I shrugged only to answer absently, “I don’t know.” I didn’t care either, but I kept that bit of honesty to myself.

I was strangely okay with sharing Braxton with them, and I didn’t quite understand why, but that didn’t mean there wouldn’t be times I needed her all to myself. Rich and Loren would just have to deal.

“Something you need?” I forced myself to ask. Obviously, I was at her beck and call. I just didn’t want that something she needed to be Rich or Loren.

Braxton’s hands reached for my belt, and while holding my gaze, she began to undo it slowly. “You.”

I didn’t object when she pulled my hard dick out or when she dropped to her haunches to wrap her lips around it. Forgetting where we were, I gasped against my will at the feel of her warm tongue stroking me.