My eyes burn when he walks away, and I’m grateful for the darkness as it gives me time to pull myself together.
Ty shows up with a small bottle of tequila and a shot glass and puts it in front of Ashleigh. She’s barely filled the small glass when Ryder hits his sticks together three times and the band plays their first note. The stage lights flare to a bright white, and Jesse welcomes the crowd before belting out the first few lyrics of the night. My heart pounds, and Katie kicks once before settling in as if she’s just as lured by the music as the rest of us.
Bethany and I are singing along when I realize I haven’t seen Ashleigh so much as move since the music started. Her glass is still half full, the Patrón bottle frozen in one hand, and she’s staring wide-eyed onto the stage.
The look on her face is one I’m familiar with. I’ve worn it myself while watching Ryder play and know all too well the feelings that accompany it.
The bubbling excitement that stirs the stomach.
Warm flutters in the chest.
Molten-hot lust that loosens the muscles and dizzies the mind.
The realization you’ll never view the object of your entrancement the same again.
He’ll always be bigger, sexier, and brought to new light under the blazing stage lights and applause of a wanton crowd.
Yeah, I know exactly how she’s feeling.
I follow her line of sight.
Ben.
Ryder’s Inspiration Playlist
As I Lay Dying – Forsaken – Jordan Mancino
Blink 182 – 6/8 – Travis Barker
Dave Matthews Band – Ants Marching (Live) – Carter Beauford
Dream Theater – A Nightmare to Remember – Mike Portnoy
Foo Fighters – My Hero – Dave Grohl
Led Zeppelin – Good Times Bad Times – John Bonham
Metallica – One – Lars Ulrich
My Chemical Romance – Black Parade – Bob Bryar
Rush – YYZ – Neil Peart
Toto - Africa (Live) – Simon Phillips
Van Halen – Hot for Teacher – Alex Van Halen
Books By JB Salsbury
The Fighting Series
Fighting for Flight
Fighting to Forget
Fighting the Fall
A Father’s Fight
Fighting for Forever
Fighting Fate
Fighting for Honor
The Final Fight
The Mercy Series
Ghostgirl
Saint
Love, Hate, Rock-n-Roll Series
Playing by Heart
Skipped a Beat
Stand Alone Novels
Split
Wrecked
About the Author
JB Salsbury is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. She lives in Phoenix, Arizona with her husband, two sassy daughters, and her boxer dogs.
Her love of good storytelling led her to earn a degree in Media Communications. With her journalistic background, writing has always been at the forefront, and her love of romance propelled her career as an author.
She spends the majority of her day behind the computer where a world of battling alphas, budding romance, and impossible obstacles claws away at her subconscious and begs to be released to the page.
For more information on her books, or just to say hello, visit JB on her website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
http://www.jbsalsbury.com/