Gabe and Kellen both nodded. So apparently Nikki had been causing a big enough scene that bystanders had caught on to her ploy.

“I honestly don’t know what to do about her,” Melanie said. She rubbed at her forehead, hoping that would ease the tension gathered there.

“Why do you think she’s your responsibility anyway?” Gabe asked.

“Because she doesn’t have anyone else.”

“Maybe there’s a reason for that.”

Melanie’s jaw dropped. Had that really just come out of Gabe’s mouth?

Chapter Nine

“That’s a really mean thing to say,” Melanie said, unable to believe that he could be so cruel.

“You’re right,“ Gabe said, “that was uncalled for. I apologize. I don’t want to see her get hurt, but I care about you, and the relationship you have with Nikki is obviously stressing you out.”

Melanie laughed sardonically. “It’s that obvious, is it? She’s not so bad when it’s just the two of us.” That wasn’t entirely true. Nikki was always needy, but she wasn’t always outlandish. She just needed lots of cuddles. And validation. And cash.

“Good friends are hard to find,” Dawn said. “But those who claim to love you shouldn’t take advantage of your loyalty, they should cherish it.”

Kellen shifted uncomfortably, and Melanie couldn’t even begin to guess why Dawn’s words of wisdom unsettled him.

A sudden flurry of activity near the dressing room door drew Melanie’s attention. The door was propped open and the smell of spice and seafood accompanied several staff members dressed in white aprons. Tables were set up and a buffet was quickly laid out along one wall.

“Dinner?” Melanie asked.

“They do feed us occasionally,” Gabe said.

“Why didn’t you say something? We wouldn’t have had to stop for sandwiches.”

He leaned close to her ear. “And you wouldn’t have had time to try out my glove.”

She bit her lip to hold in a laugh. “Good call.”

“Hope you like it hot.”

“You should already know that I do.”

“I mean Cajun food. Jacob ordered it, and he likes it spicy.”

It took Melanie a moment to remember that Jacob was Shade’s real name. “I’ve never had authentic Cajun food.”

“You’re in for a treat then.”

When Gabe said hot, he really meant “destroy the lining of your digestive system” spicy. The gumbo and jambalaya were delicious. Well, what she could taste of them. She was certain her tongue, her throat, and her stomach were on fire. She refused to try the crawdads, however. She couldn’t bring herself to eat something that still had legs and antennae. And eyestalks.

After dinner the band was escorted out of the room for a meet and greet with a group of VIP fans. Melanie used the time to chat with Madison, who actually had a functioning brain when Adam wasn’t plastered to her side. Madison always had one eye on the door, though, eager for her lover’s return. Melanie completely understood the desire to be alone with someone she didn’t get to see often. Dawn excused herself to call her agent or something. Melanie wasn’t sure where Lindsey had gone, but she had to ask someone about her, so she settled for the only person in the room not wearing a “Staff” shirt.

“So what’s the story with Lindsey?” she asked.

Madison shrugged. “I don’t know. Apparently she got knocked up by Owen, and she didn’t have anywhere else to go. They’re not a couple or anything.”

“So Owen is the father? Gabe sounded unsure.”

“As far as I know,” Madison said. “She hangs all over him, so I just assumed… Why? Did you hear differently?”

Melanie shook her head, deciding she must have misunderstood what Gabe had meant earlier. She felt bad for Owen, but she felt even worse for Lindsey. She couldn’t name a single man whose life had been completely turned upside down by the birth of an illegitimate child, but she knew of dozens of women who had to figure out how to raise a kid on their own while some deadbeat lived it up without a care in the world. She hoped Owen wasn’t like that. He seemed like a nice guy, but he obviously wasn’t interested in the baby’s mother. She supposed the more important question was how did he feel about the child?

When the guys returned—in high spirits after being thoroughly worshipped by the VIPs—it was time to head for the backstage area and start connecting the musicians to their equipment. Gabe’s hook-up consisted of being handed a set of drumsticks and having a feed put in one ear. He spent the rest of his time backstage with Melanie in his arms, just holding her against him. He seemed to need the peace of rocking silently with her, and she didn’t mind being plastered against his chest one bit. In fact, she groaned in disappointment when he had to release her to take the stage. She supposed she could share him with the 15,000 people in the audience for one hour, just as long as she got him all to herself for the next seventy-two.

“Enjoy the show,” he said and pecked her on the lips.

The stage was dark when Gabe climbed behind his drum kit and Owen started the low bass line of the first song.

Melanie had forgotten how loud rock concerts could be. When the rest of the band entered the song, she forced herself not to cover her ears with both hands. Standing in the wings of the stage to watch the concert was a privilege—she didn’t want to look like an inconsiderate idiot.

Beside her, Madison was gazing at Adam in worshipful awe. The man could play a guitar, but somehow Melanie doubted that was what had his woman in danger of spontaneous combustion. On her opposite side stood Dawn, who wasn’t reacting to the music the way an average spectator would. She seemed to be concentrating on every note, as if dissecting the songs into pieces and mentally reconstructing the arrangement. Melanie couldn’t tell if the classical composer was impressed or underwhelmed by the metal band’s compositions, but she looked interested. Not only in the music, but also in the stage antics of Kellen and Owen, who fed off each other constantly.

Melanie shifted so she could better see Gabe. It was no wonder she hadn’t recognized him as the drummer of the band the first time she’d met him. His drum kit was a behemoth of an instrument. She occasionally glimpsed the blur of his hand or a smidge of crimson red mohawk, but he was mostly invisible from this angle. His sound, however, dominated the stadium. Instead of watching the show as everyone else was doing, Melanie became determined to see more of Gabe. She got a strange thrill of excitement every time an inch of him graced her view.

After the first song ended in a flurry of wailing guitars and rapid drum beats, Gabe shifted to reach for a bottle of water sitting near the edge of his drum set. Excitement raced through Melanie’s body. It really was him back there pounding away on the skins. He chugged from the bottle and when he set it back down, he caught her watching him. He grinned and beckoned her closer with two fingers.

Melanie glanced at the main stage uncertainly. The band was waiting for Shade to stop talking to the audience so they could begin the next song. What could Gabe possibly want with her at that particular moment? Her curiosity got the better of her and she carefully made her way around the stage wing, avoiding equipment and wires on her way to the small open area just behind Gabe’s left elbow.

“What?” she whispered loudly.

“I just wanted you closer,” he said. He pulled something out of his pocket and stretched out his closed fist in her direction. A bit leery, she extended her open palm in his direction and he dropped two small rubbery things in her hand. She stared down at the bright yellow things in wonder.

“Are these for my nipples?” she asked, flushing at the thought of trying out one of his inventions here on stage. It was true that no one would probably see her back here, but she wasn’t sure if she was bold enough to give them a try in public.