Rock Me Two Times (26 page)

He finished up with a last breath-stealing motion of his mouth before he was gone. Kate opened the door to go after him but ended up facing Yoon. He gave her a short, stiff bow. She slammed the door shut, feeling like she had just locked herself in a cage.

She cussed and went into the bedroom to get dressed.

* * *

Yoon stuck to her like a shadow. It was both eerie and impressive the way the guy was unshakable. He had one of the sharpest gazes she’d ever seen, and also had one of those pigtailed radio ear pieces. Kate gave a huff as she looked at her hair in the bathroom mirror.

You’re hiding.

Yeah, so what?

You’re hiding in the ladies’ room.

Pathetic, but still, so what?

Back in the performers’ room, Cid’s team of makeup artists and sound techs were busy. The band members were warming up. Ramsey stopped fingering his guitar when she showed up and offered her a drink. He poured it from a bottle sitting on a table behind him with a rather burly security guy standing over the makeshift bar. The security guy looked bored off his rocker, but he stood there in front of the bottles without moving.

“I think I’m going on the wagon for a bit.”

He nodded. “More for me.” He took a swig from the drink before setting it down and starting in on his guitar again.

A soft hand landed on her nape. She didn’t have to turn around to know it was Syon.

She knew his touch. Recognized it on a cellular level. He leaned close, setting off a ripple of awareness. “I’m glad you’re here.” It was a whisper, but one that eased some of the tension balled up inside her.

Her phone vibrated, and she looked at it out of habit. Seeing Percy’s number made her swipe the screen and take the call.

“Sweetie…”

“Don’t sweetie me, Percy.” The instruments slowly died away as the band members looked at her. “I don’t like ambushes.”

“I don’t like getting calls about you being taken to the emergency room,” her partner informed her.

“So you help get me a bodyguard?”

Percy made a soft sound. “You need one, honey. It’s not my fault you and those hunks were slow on the uptake. There are crazy people out there.”

“You’re helping make me one of them,” she groused.

“How much do you suffer with that man animal in your bed, darling?”

“Good night, Percy.”

Her partner laughed before she hung up. But that left her facing the smug looks of four band members. They’d won the round and knew it.

“Percy sends lots of kisses to you all,” she said sweetly.

Drake shuddered and took shelter behind his drums. Ramsey put his lips together and made kissing sounds.

“Does that mean you’re not too pissed at me?” Taz asked. “’Cause I’m getting a craving for sushi again.”

“We can do sushi,” Kate decided. “But I think Yoon is coming.”

Taz flashed her a smile.

Now two seats had reserved signs on them. Yoon parted the crowd easily and sat down next to her. It was an awkward moment, sitting there with the guy but not knowing him at all. They avoided each other’s gazes for a bit before she decided to try and break the ice.

“How’d Taz get you involved in this?”

Yoon offered her a hesitant smile. “I was born in Korea. Good jobs are hard to come by, because everyone has a nephew or cousin they can hire. This was a good opportunity. I get to see the world.” Anticipation edged his tone and shone in his eyes. “But don’t worry. I won’t let my guard down.”

“You’re likely going to do better than me,” she said. “I’ve never had a bodyguard before. So sorry in advance for anything.”

“You don’t look like that much trouble.” He eyed her. “I spent most of the plane flight over envisioning a Kardashian-type socialite.”

He reached up and drew his hand across his forehead and gave her a look of relief. Kate laughed softly.

“Um…you might want to think about losing the suit.”

He considered her for a moment. “My grandmother was proud I landed a job where I could wear a suit.”

“Maybe Taz can help you with that.”

“She was hoping I could talk some sense into him.”

“Well, this is an opportunity.”

Yoon grinned, looking ready to take on the world.

The stage lights started flashing, and the crowd roared. Over ten thousand people were screaming, but the members of the band still had the same problems as the rest of the world—pleasing their families.

It made her laugh.

But she also ached a little.

* * *

“You still mad at me?”

Kate forced her eyes open. “Depends.”

Syon chuckled from where he was sprawled on his back next to her. The bed was in shambles, the sheets and pillows half on the floor. She was pretty sure she couldn’t move. Her toes were still curled.

“On what?” Syon was merciless.

“I’m going to flat-out lie if you decide to prove anything else to me tonight.”

He laughed and rolled over. At least he gave her the courtesy of groaning just a tiny bit before he propped himself on his elbow next to her. “I like proving things to you. Especially when it requires fucking the hell out of you.”

He teased one of her nipples, stretching out his neck and catching it between his lips. “In fact, I think you should be mad at me at least twice a week.”

“It’s not funny, Syon. I think you’re overreacting with Yoon.”

He drew in a stiff breath. “I don’t want to think about you having to deal with pricks who ask you if I use you as a sex slave. Everyone knows you’re my girlfriend now. It’s only going to get worse. You’ll see. I’m going to have to get Yoon a partner, so there is a twenty-four-hour watch.”

She groaned, feeling her privacy being shredded. What made it worse was the logical nature of Syon’s demands.

Shit.

“Can I win this argument?” she asked at last.

He shrugged and sat up. “Only if you want me to not worry about you.”

“Ouch.” She rolled over. “Kill the guilt trip. I get it. I don’t like it, but I get it.”

He kissed her bare shoulder. “Thank you.”

It was a whisper, but she heard how important it was to him. She turned her head and found him watching her. For a moment, it felt like they were connected, in that soul-deep way only he was able to touch her. It scared her, but at the same time, she craved it. Wanted to just sink down and roll around in it until it coated her.

“You should tell Yoon to lose the suit on show night.”

Surprise flashed across Syon’s face before he laughed. “Bet that was interesting to see.”

There was a squeal of a guitar from outside the patio door. The hotel faced a private pool area again.

“I promised the guys a look at what I’ve been writing.”

Syon stood up and pulled on some jeans. He walked through the suite and opened the sliding door. The evening air came in as he greeted his bandmates. Kate pulled on a dress so she could move closer. The four members of Toxsin had their laptops out and were reading the music. They were every bit as raw playing for no one but themselves, pushing the music out of their souls and sending a ripple of awareness across her skin.

It was who they were. She was fascinated by it. Even if she was slightly intimidated too.

Tomorrow, it would be on to a new city. It was almost like they were too much to contain in one city for very long. She fell asleep listening to them.

* * *

“Sushi!”

Taz landed on the ground outside the music coach when they pulled into Memphis, and cupped his hands around his mouth.

“You promised, Kate!”

“I’m pretty sure we’re having sushi tonight,” Kate said to Yoon.

He flashed her a grin and reached up to button the top button of his dress shirt. Undoing that button was as far as he’d gone in “loosening up” his wardrobe.

Syon caught her up against him. “Are you making dates with my band bro?”

“Taz has needs,” she explained.

Syon growled and nuzzled at her neck. “So do I.”

“Hey, Mr. Lead Singer”—Taz was suddenly there, pulling Syon away from her—“you have an interview. You know, the one that only wants the Marquis? Give me my sushi date. You’re busy.” He captured Kate’s wrist and started pulling her toward a waiting SUV. “Bye-bye, Mr. Lead Singer.”

Syon flipped him a double bird, one on each hand. But Cid was closing in on him. The road manager had his customary happy-go-lucky smile on his face. A makeup girl was there, with her box slung over her shoulder. Another polo-shirted team member had several pairs of Syon’s pants and leather vests on hangers. Syon gave in and walked toward another waiting SUV as the semitruck backed into the loading dock to begin prepping for the next concert.

Taz was fired up. He said a couple of things to Yoon in Korean as their driver took them through the business area of town. They ended up in Korea town, their SUV pulling up in front of a large restaurant.

There was only a single story to the place, but it was humming. There were tables with large burners set into them so you could cook your own Korean BBQ, with huge vents overhead to pull off the steam and smoke. But there was also a counter with sushi chefs behind it. Taz called out a greeting to them as they entered. Kate did her best impression of a bow before a pretty waitress guided them through the mass of people to one of the back tables.

Taz launched into a list of what he wanted.

And it was long. The waitress laughed at him before he finished, but she wrote it all down and bowed before leaving with a little wink for him. She was back within moments with the first tray sent over from the chefs.

“Syon hates it when he does solo interviews.”

“Really?” Kate looked up from her plate. “Then why does he do them?”

Taz was chewing and had to finish before answering. “You know, Cid is new to us. He’s got what he calls ‘fresh ideas.’ We’re all trying to give his marketing a chance. But it’s not good to split us up. Makes for friction. That could lead to trouble. I’m glad we went to the pub the other night. We need to be more than just party animals. I’m a serious musician.”

“Cid seems to steamroll right over that point. I’ve mentioned it to Syon. The fans love you guys for more than your image.”

Yoon nodded.

“You guys are tight,” Kate said. “It’s pretty awesome to see.”

Taz stopped before putting something in his mouth. It was clutched between his chopsticks. “You think so?”

“I do.”

“See, that’s why you and Syon work. You get it.” Taz looked at his plate and selected another piece of sushi. “So many chicks don’t understand. They get jealous. Don’t realize the…” He was searching for the right word.

“They don’t realize that being in a relationship means accepting each other for who they are,” she said. “Not trying to gain personal self-worth through getting you guys to split off from one another.”

Taz’s eyes widened. “Exactly. But that’s a lot easier said than done for most people.”

That was a solid truth. It was a balancing act, and it meant being flexible enough to deal with things like Ramsey walking through their bedroom from time to time.

It was all a part of Syon, and she’d be a liar if she said she wasn’t fascinated by him. That meant all of him.

An hour later, Kate stared at Taz and Yoon in awe. “Where are you two putting it?”

They laughed at her and tried to feed her. She blew her cheeks out and shook her head. The restaurant was fuller now than it had been when they’d arrived, with parties of people waiting outside for a table to open up. Waiters were carrying food around while waitresses brought out the beverages and condiments. The tables were so close, anytime someone got up, the chairs bumped together. English was the odd language. Most everyone around them was chattering away in some Asian tongue. The table behind them finished, and within moments, it had been cleaned and reset.

Taz raised his hand to call the waiter over but suddenly stiffened. His good nature evaporated in a flash. Kate turned to see a woman standing in the walkway. She’d been on her way to sit at the table behind them. Her face was white, her mouth open in a little expression of astonishment.

They were both frozen, staring at each other. Someone behind the woman suddenly noticed. An older woman came up beside the young one, grabbing her shoulders and hissing at her in Korean.

Kate didn’t have to understand the language to know when someone was cussing, or at the least being insulting.

Taz’s expression tightened. But he watched the girl, waiting to see what she was going to do. The older woman was chattering away and even pointed at Kate.

The younger girl suddenly broke out of her trance, turning her back on Taz.

“Time to go,” Taz said.

Taz pulled his wallet from the inside of his leather jacket pocket. He carelessly dropped three crisp one-hundred-dollar bills on the table and got up.

He was ten feet away before he turned, his face a tightly controlled mask of fury. He went up to the owner and passed the man several more hundred dollar bills. The owner looked back at the table where the girl was sitting with her family. She was looking at the tabletop as everyone seemed to be taking digs at her. She looked up, feeling Taz watching her. It seemed to be what he was waiting for. He raised his hand toward her, offering his open palm to her in a gesture that was overly gallant. He jerked his head toward the door when she only stared at his hand like she was really contemplating the offer.

She looked like she really wanted to take his hand. Taz hadn’t moved; if anything, he looked like he was leaning toward her.

Her family noticed, and one of them stood up to block her view of Taz. His expression hardened. He looked back at the manager.

“Don’t tell them until after they’ve eaten that I paid for their meal.” He tossed another hundred dollar bill onto the counter and started for the street.

He was lost in thought on the way to the hotel. He pulled out of his thoughts only long enough to look at Kate.

“Thanks for dinner,” he said.

He was gone a moment later, grabbing a key card from Cid’s second in command and making his way to the elevators.

It sucked.