Chapter 45

CHAPTER FOURTY-FIVE

LAKE

53 bobas left until we both die …

“Lake,” a voice whispers, a gentle hand on my shoulder. I slap the person away, far too used to being bothered back home to care about someone trying to wake me up. The Frost family can sleep through anything. Hell, we pride ourselves on it.

Warm lips brush over the corner of my mouth, and my body comes awake like a flower in full bloom. Yet again, there’s Tam, spreading spring and sunshine through me with a single touch. I’m curled into the fetal position, and he’s leaning over me, one palm pressed into the bed.

“Time to get up, Kayak.” Tam hesitates for a minute. “Unless you want to stay at the hotel. I would understand that.”

“No, no, I’m coming,” I grumble, sitting up as Tam backs away. I realize the words that just came out of my mouth, and I try to move past them as quickly as I can. I didn’t come, even though we tried twice. That’s okay. We’ll try again. We’ll try again. Tam asked me to be his girlfriend before he got me into bed, so I’m guessing there are many more sessions ahead of us.

“I started the shower for you,” Tam says, stroking his fingers through my tangled hair. He’s gentle, and he doesn’t pull anything.

Not now anyway.

I get the idea that maybe he just hasn’t gotten around to pulling my hair yet.

Shit.

I throw my feet over the edge of the bed, and head right for the bathroom. I strip down and shower quickly, even though I showered right before bed last night. It seems easier to get up with a hot shower waiting than for me to hop straight into my clothes.

When I get out, I dig around in my suitcase that I left on the floor, and I try to pick out something casual but still fashionable, like the clothes that Maggie wears. I settle on a pair of gray overall shorts and a white T-shirt with some cherry blossoms on it. Pretty sure this is one of Maria’s T-shirts.

“Ready,” I tell Tam a few minutes later when I waltz out with a pale pink sweater on my arms, matching tennis shoes, and my hair in a loose, bouncy ponytail.

Tam is standing in the doorway between the bedroom and the living room. He turns to look at me, his phone pressed up next to his ear. He sees me, and his lips part. His pupils dilate. I just stand there, hands curled into fists, and I don’t acknowledge any of his silent signals.

“Yes, Jake, we’re ready,” Tam says into the phone with a little laugh, taking me in as I do the same to him. He’s wearing tight black pants, a black-and-white checkered sweater over a white T-shirt, and a pair of purple sneakers on his feet. He has a matching beanie on his head, and he uses his free hand to yank it down in the front, sending pink hair tufting everywhere.

My heart skips a beat, and my eyes shift over to the nightstand where the sweater was lying last I saw it.

“Where did it go?” I ask when Tam hangs up and tucks his phone into his pocket. He glances in that direction, too, and then chuckles.

“I’ve got it wrapped in plastic and stuffed at the bottom of my luggage. I’ll deal with it when we get back to my place.” Tam waits for me to move up beside him, an orange and yellow sunrise peeking its head up outside the window. The colors do a lot for his complexion, his hair, his pretty smile. “Just a few more shows, and then I get a four-week break.” He pauses, frowns a little. “From concerts. Not from everything else. But we’ll get to stay at my place together.”

I nod at that, heart pounding.

Three weeks.

That’s plenty of time to break the curse.

“I’m excited,” I admit, and I am. Truly. Like I said, if it wasn’t for the curse, I’d be living a fantasy-turned-reality. Tam’s birthday is in just five days, and I can only assume that we’ll be spending it together.

“Are you?” he retorts, like he doesn’t believe me. “You look like you’re staring down the Grim Reaper.” He takes me by the wrist and then presses a kiss to the mark on my left wrist. When his lips touch it, the damn thing burns.

The hotel room door opens, and there’s Joules, strutting in like a peacock in his black security uniform.

“Your man Jacob says you’re late and that you should hurry up. He’s waiting in the lobby.” Joules pauses to look me over, gaze sharp and assessing. I bet he’s curious as to whether Tam and I hooked up. I don’t need to ask if he hooked up with Kaycee last night; it’s written all over his stupidly smug face.

Tam notices and makes a sound of frustration, taking my left hand and pulling me out of the room and into the hallway.

“You don’t need to worry about the curse anymore,” Tam tells my brother when he joins us, walking behind our group while Daniel waits for us at the elevator doors. “My fate is tied to Lake’s fate. I’ll take care of it. It’s my problem to worry about.”

“Until the curse is broken, it’s still my problem,” Joules corrects. “If the curse fails, you’re both dead. If Lake dies, I have to watch her go. I’m not doing it, so get your fucking act together, Tam.” My brother storms past us in a very unprofessional manner, and moves past Daniel to call the elevator.

“Sorry,” I tell Tam, but he doesn’t seem upset. He shifts his green eyes over to mine, and then curls his fingers more tightly around my hand. Maybe I’m wrong and Joules didn’t sleep with Kaycee last night? I feel like he’d be in a better mood if he had. But then my brother steps into the elevator and turns around, back to the wall, smirk on his face.

“Don’t apologize for him. Just wait until this whole thing is over, and then he can apologize personally. Right now, I get it. His emotions are high, and he’s having trouble controlling himself.” Tam smiles as he steps into the elevator near Joules, giving my brother a pat on the shoulder.

“Trouble controlling myself?” Joules muses as Tam leans in the corner, arms crossed while he watches Joules. They’re kind of cute together. I sense a possible, future bromance. “Did I ask a virgin girl to get on her knees and suck me because I was in a bad mood? Don’t think so.”

Tam gets that crease between his brows, and his lips tighten into a flat line.

I try to ignore them both by sidling close to Daniel.

“I hope we didn’t give you any trouble last night when we went out,” I tell him, but he doesn’t even look at me.

“It’s not my job to control Tam; my only job is to make sure he doesn’t die.” Daniel moves forward quickly when the doors open, clearing the hallway while Joules steps forward to take his place. “Clear.”

Tam and I head down the dim hallway together. He’s yawning, making me want to do the same. It’s early, and peaceful; we’re the only ones down here.

But then the doors to outside open, and there are people everywhere. I’m wearing my badge with the words Special Guest on it, but as soon as we step into the public eye, it’s like Tam is being wrenched away from me again.

People are screaming his name, waving signs, cameras flashing.

He weathers it all with an adorable half-smile, and a jaded sort of acceptance in his gaze, waving at everyone and pausing a few times to pose in the space between two velvet ropes. Joules takes me by the arm and puts me into the SUV first. I end up in Tam’s usual chair, the captain’s seat on the side opposite the door.

But when Tam climbs in, he goes straight to the back.

“Come,” he tells me simply, patting the seat cushion next to him. I don’t hesitate. I crawl into the back so that Joules and Daniel can take the center seats. The door closes, and off we go. I breathe a sigh of relief as we draw away from the crowd, and Tam puts his hands on me. “I’ll make the suffering worth it,” he whispers against my hair, and then he’s tugging me into his chest and turning at the same time. His feet are up on the seat, knees bent, and I’m basically lying on top of him. “We have an hour drive in traffic. Learn to get sleep when you can.”

Tam takes a jacket from the back, stuffs it behind his head, and uses it like a pillow to lean back. His arms lock around my waist, his chin against my hair.

“God, help me,” I hear Jacob grumble from the front seat, but Tam only laughs and strokes a hand down my spine.

“Didn’t peg you as such a clingy guy,” Joules remarks, in prime dickhead mode. “Don’t drive my sister off with that shit.” Again, Tam laughs. Because he knows that I did more than give him permission; this is what I asked him to do.

Tam is asleep in minutes, and I see that it’s an acquired skill. I’m a little squished back there, but I’m also lying on Tam’s chest, and I have no intention of moving. I close my eyes, hoping to get at least a little bit of rest. Didn’t I say the Frost family could sleep through anything? If I can just get myself to nod off—

The next thing I know, Tam is gently maneuvering my head onto the seat, his jacket tucked under me like a pillow.

“I’ll be back in thirty minutes. You sleep.” He kisses me on the forehead, and then he’s gone. I want to go with him, but then my eyes close, and there Tam is, right back with me again. He wakes me up, and we get back into the position we had before.

Me, on his chest. Him, head tilted back and lips parted in sleep.

Next, a meeting with the CEO that I don’t attend because Tam specifically asks me not to. I just wait in the back of the SUV, sending messages to my family back home, assuring them all that this is going well, that it shouldn’t be too much longer before Tam and I break the curse.

But deciding to fall in love, and actually falling in love …

Well, those are different things.

When Tam leaves the massive glass and steel skyscraper, he’s in a bit of a mood. He does his best not to take it out on anyone, sitting on the opposite side of the bench seat from me, elbow on the door, head in his hand.

“Meeting didn’t go well?” I ask as we make our way to the venue for tonight’s concert. Tam has a meet and greet (ah, fond memories of Sharpie dicks drawn on cloth tote bags) and then the rest of the day is prep for the show tonight.

Tam shifts his attention slowly over to me.

“Did you think I was asleep when you kissed me last night?” he whispers, redirecting the conversation. I’m so surprised by his question that I forget my own question about the meeting.

“I … wasn’t sure,” I admit, and Tam just smiles at me.

We hit the venue, and we’re ushered out and past another horde of frenzied fans. Inside another long, dark hallway. To hair and makeup. This time, I just follow after Tam wherever he goes, and nobody asks me anything. Maggie gives me a few curious looks, and I wonder if she’s putting two-and-two together, that the hickey she’s currently covering up for Tam was caused by me.

I flush all over and look away.

Tam is given a new outfit to wear, and he changes behind a screen in the corner while employees mill around the room waiting for him. When he reappears, he’s got this nineties punk look that just kills me. Black and red plaid pants tucked into black ankle boots. White T-shirt with a blue logo and black suspenders. A hat that matches the pants.

He teases my fingers with his as he breezes by, and I turn to follow after the crush of his entourage. We head to a small room which Daniel clears, and then I’m allowed to squeeze in near the back wall with Jacob while Tam does his thing.

He waves with both hands and smiles, tongue pressed cheekily against the corner of his mouth. He winks at the five people present.

“Next time you leave a hickey on him, put it somewhere that nobody else will see.” Jacob huffs at me, and gives me a look that I ignore. Joules stays by my side as we watch Tam charm the people present so thoroughly that they walk out of that room thinking they’re best friends.

We’re already moving again, a cloud of people talking to each other, staring intently at their phones, splitting off down random hallways.

Tam goes directly to the stage, and I watch as he walks it with Jacob and his choreographer. He runs through one of the dances with an all-female dance crew while employees clean the empty stadium beyond the stage. People shuffle around back here, too, a constant stream that I feel like I should be part of but know nothing about.

I keep waiting for Joules to ask me if Tam and I slept together, but he doesn’t.

“I would kill for a boba,” I admit, and my brother chuckles.

“I’ll get you one on my break,” he promises, but then Maggie appears with an entire drink carrier full of different boba flavors for me.

“Oh, I can’t accept this,” I tell her, but she pushes the drinks into my hand and gives me a look and a smile.

“This is my job, to run errands for Tam. They’re a gift from him, not from me.”

I accept the drinks and Maggie shuffles away. My gaze shifts over to Tam as he makes his way back from dancing, spots the drinks in my hand, and winks at me.

I’d say that someone might notice, that we’re going to get caught, but Tam Eyre winks at a lot of people.

I’ll admit: I’m a little bit jealous. I know that I shouldn’t be, but I am.

This … is going to take a lot of getting used to.

I wander around and try to make myself useful, volunteering another set of hands for Maggie’s team. She gives me a skeptical look at first, eyes shifting to Tam. But he’s busy talking to a whole crew of people that I’ve never seen before. I have the time.

“Well, okay, then.” Maggie sets me to work with one of Tam’s assistants that I haven’t met before, a guy about my age named Leo.

“These are the gift bags for the board of directors for Hype,” Leo tells me, pointing at the various boxes. “Or … they will be, once you and I assemble them. We have got to chase down Tam to sign the photocards. I couldn’t get him to settle down long enough to do it last time, and I got a long-winded email from the CEO directed to me personally. We need to get this right today or I’ll lose my job.”

I flatten my lips into a narrow line, snatch up the stack of photocards and march right up to Tam. I have to push through a dozen people who give me nasty looks as I squeeze past them. On the other side of the small crowd, I’m ejected like a pinball into a machine, stumbling forward and right into Tam’s arms.

He catches me by the biceps, and then blinks down at me as I look up at him.

I think about him coming all over his own sweater, his hips pinning mine to the bed, his hands on my wrists. I clear my throat and take a step back from him, holding out the photocards with one hand and a Sharpie with the other.

“Please sign these,” I tell him, and the crowd behind me groans in frustration.

“We have more important things to do right now,” Jacob gripes, but Tam just smiles and collects the items from me. He scribbles his pretty signature on all twelve cards, and then passes them back. It’s only then that I realize how awfully suggestive these particular photocards are.

There’s Tam in pink and white plaid boxers and pale pink socks with a white stripe over the toe. He’s standing at a shelf, picking through a brightly colored record collection. The apartment in the background is fresh and modern, pink and white to match his clothes with a single green plant and an orange tabby cat. His hair is mussed, lids hooded, smile soft and inquisitive.

“Do you need anything else?” Tam asks, and I blink my way out of the picture in my hand and back to reality. My gaze slips around to see that everyone is staring at me, waiting. Only Tam seems relaxed. He leans down toward me to whisper. “Also, what on earth are you doing? Isn’t that somebody else’s job?”

I ignore him, turning on my heel and letting the crowd close in behind me.

I return the signed photocards to a stunned Leo.

“How did …?” He blinks up at me in utter disbelief.

Oh, it was no problem. Tam and I kissed last night. We sort of, almost had sex, too. That’s probably why.

“You have to be assertive with these sorts of things, Leo,” I tell him, slapping the back of one hand into the palm of the other. I make sure my face is fierce when I relay this important bit of advice. “If your job is on the line—and I’m assuming you want to keep your job—then you’ve got to fight for it. How is it your fault if Tam is difficult to track down?” I gesture at the boxes next. “Tell me what to do, Leo. I’ve got your back today.”

He scrambles up into a standing position, cheeks pink. Leo is cute, with tousled brown hair and a boy-next-door look that most of my friends and cousins would go nuts for. Luna, in particular. Wait, is there any guy that Luna doesn’t like? She’s boy crazy.

Leo shows me how to put the gift bags together. And when he initially said gift bag, my silly brain had conjured something similar to what I received at the meet and greet. It’s not like that at all. The bags themselves are designer, probably worth hundreds if not thousands of dollars. We stuff them with Tam merch, including the signed, exclusive photocards.

“This picture is only being released to the execs,” Leo explains, and then I wait until his back is turned and I chuck the photocards in the trash. I sneak out to the merch table where I used to work and buy the replacement photocards from one of my ex-coworkers.

“You got promoted to assistant?!” she squeals when I explain the situation to her. “Lucky duck!”

Lucky duck, indeed, I think as I squeeze through the growing crowd in the hallways and use my badge to slip into an employee access door.

Once again, I seek Tam out.

“He’s in his dressing room,” Jacob tells me when I stop by to ask, barely bothering to look up from his iPad.

I walk over to the door with Tam’s name on it. Daniel and Joules are waiting on either side, both of them staring at me as I approach. I don’t ask for permission. Do I need it? Should I knock? I wet my lips and yank on the door, slipping inside before anyone sees me. Hopefully. Maybe.

Tam is standing there shirtless, hand on the back of his neck, peering down at his phone. He whips a sharp look over his shoulder, sees that it’s me standing there, and then wets his bottom lip like he’s annoyed.

“You shouldn’t disappear like that,” he tells me, turning the rest of the way around. I can’t stop my gaze from traveling down his body to the tight, white pants he’s wearing. Ah. Getting ready for the concert. This is the first outfit Tam wears, the one I’ve only seen from afar. Even when I had a backstage pass, Tam sprinted into his changing room without acknowledging me. “I saw you with Leo, and then you were gone.”

“Sign these.” I hold out the new cards, and the pen, and Tam gives me another sharp look. My cheeks heat. “That other picture made me so uncomfortable, Tam. That’s gross. A special, shirtless picture of you for the executives? I threw the cards out, but Leo needs some signed merchandise, or he’ll get fired—”

Tam strides right up to me, takes me by the shoulders, and kisses me.

The photocards fall to the floor along with the pen.

His fingers massage my shoulders as I relax into the press of his tongue, the strength of his hands, the fresh, soapy smell of him.

“You’re not supposed to be working today. Didn’t you read the badge I gave you? Special Guest.” Tam draws away just enough to talk, but barely enough to breathe. When I inhale, my chest expands to brush up against him. Just barely, but it’s torturous.

“I can’t abandon Leo now.” I draw back and bend down, and Tam does the same. We collect the photocards, and he uncaps the Sharpie. He looks frustrated when he signs them this time, passing the stack back and giving me a wary look that I ignore.

I’m on my way out the door when he grabs onto my arms from behind, lips near my ear.

“Meet me in here between sets today.” Tam releases me and reaches past to open the door. I scurry out and he calls for Jacob, as if I actually had any business being in his dressing room while he was shirtless.

“Your mouth looks swollen,” Joules remarks in an annoyed voice from beside me. “This is the world’s worst-kept secret. My God.”

I ignore him, returning the new photocards to the gift bags before Leo notices that I exchanged them. He thanks me for my help, and I give him a hug, wishing him luck as he collects the bags onto a cart. He’ll be delivering these to the VIP balcony personally.

I wave him off, and then turn to see Kaycee coming down the hallway. She’s already dressed up and painted for the stage. She comes with an entourage that’s at least as big as Tam’s, maybe bigger. Her eyes find mine, and I suck in a sharp breath. I have no idea where our relationship status stands, but I did come here with the express intent of stealing her boyfriend.

That makes me the bad guy, doesn’t it?

“Hey,” Kaycee says, pausing awkwardly beside me. She reaches up to tuck some hair behind her ear, and then she says something to me that I’ve heard too many times to count. “Is your brother around?”

“Guarding Tam’s dressing room,” I respond, shocked that she’s as calm as she is. So, Kaycee and Joules … see, I knew he liked her. What game is he playing at?

“Thanks.” Kaycee exhales, reaches up to touch her coiffed blond hair, and then she continues over to where Joules is waiting. They don’t do anything but talk, but I can see it. There are invisible strings of intimacy wrapped around the pair of them.

I join them as Kaycee’s entourage splits apart to prepare for the show, and Tam emerges from the dressing room in his jacket with the silver stones all over it. The crowd is so loud now that it’s hard to carry on a normal conversation back here. The curtains are closed, but there’s a sense of tense anticipation that gets into my blood and makes me feel jittery.

Tam seems calm, eyes decorated in glitter and shadow, cheeks dusted with a little bit of pink, mouth shiny. His hair is perfect, piece-y and feathered around his ears and forehead. He reaches up to adjust the headset he’s wearing, green eyes finding mine.

The four of us stand in a circle: me, Kaycee, Joules, Tam.

It’s … an interesting dynamic.

“Oh yeah,” Joules says, like he just remembered something he needs to tell Tam. My brother turns a dark look on my new boyfriend. “I forgot to mention this to you earlier, but uh …” Joules gives a low, mean chuckle that makes Kaycee’s bare arms erupt into goose bumps. “I fucked your ex-girlfriend in your bed last night.”

“Joules!” I hiss at him, but Tam only smiles and Kaycee hides a laugh behind her hand. Glad she’s so amused by my brother or there’d be hell to pay, I’m sure. As of now, it’s only mildly awkward between us.

“That’s okay,” Tam replies, eyes half-lidded, his mean-spirited smile taking over his mouth. He reaches up and covers the mic near his mouth. “Because I fucked your little sister in yours.” Tam moves quickly past Joules, and heads straight for the curtain. He lets go of his headset as he walks out. “Hello, San Francisco!” I hear him yell, and then the music is starting.

I’ve seen the show enough times that I know exactly how it’s going to go.

The curtain swings open, and I watch from behind as Tam takes point at the front of his dance crew. They all move together, swaying to one side and then back. Tam is already singing, belting out the words all on his own. I love that he sings live. I never gave him proper credit for that.

“Hey,” Kaycee says, drawing my attention over to her. That isn’t easy, to look away from Tam, but we do need to talk. “Lot of weirdness between us, but … I think we should just move past it. If I date your brother then …” I nod because she doesn’t have to say anything else.

I smile at her.

“If it helps, I would’ve never done any of this without the curse.”

Kaycee just laughs softly and shakes her head, turning back to the stage. Tam only does one song, and then he sits at the piano before Kaycee joins him. They sing two duets together. They dance. They gaze into one another’s eyes. I’m going to have to get used to watching all of that from my shiny new position as Tam’s girlfriend.

Lord help my jealous heart. I pat at my chest and drink my bubble tea, draw that sunshine-in-a-cup deep into my body. I frown when it’s empty and then take a shot at a trash can. Yes! Got it.

Kaycee retreats backstage just in time to hear her new boyfriend being an ass (as in, his usual self).

“I’m going to break his neck one of these days,” Joules grumbles, but neither Kaycee nor I pay his threats any attention.

“You’re better off with frigid ol’ Tam than me,” Kaycee says with a scoff, giving me a once-over that makes me blush. “Good work, my friend.” She slips into the dressing room, changes clothes in the blink of an eye, and reappears in something skintight, cream-colored, and sexy. Joules notices and rubs his chin, murmuring under his breath.

The music changes, and then Tam is sitting at the piano again, fingers dancing over the keys. His voice absolutely melts my heart.

“Without the heat of you beside me, I don’t sleep. I toss and turn, tangle myself in sweat-soaked sheets. When you’re gone, the nightmares come, and only your memory remains.” Tam hits a high note that I can feel in my bones, clasping my hands over my chest.

Kaycee moves forward to join him, disappearing into the bright lights of the stage. I can only see what’s going on if I watch the screens on either side of the room. The set blocks my view of Tam and Kaycee completely.

“You’re such a fangirl now,” Joules teases, remaining beside me with his hands tucked into his pockets. “But did you and Tam really sleep together?” He reaches out to check my wrist, and then scoffs. “As if it’s asking a lot, for him to love the girl he’s fucking.”

“Joules Frost,” I whisper, giving him a horrified look as I make sure there’s no one around to hear us. I doubt that they’d be able to, past the music and the crowd, but it’s possible. I assume Tam wants to keep us a secret until the press release about his breakup with Kaycee, maybe longer than that. “Have you loved all the girls you’ve ever slept with? God, get off his back.”

“You’re defending him against me?” Joules returns in shock, but I just did. I am. I nod, and my brother shakes his head. “Well, I guess I’m glad you actually like the guy. Just don’t expect me to.”

I lift up on my tiptoes, pressing a kiss to my brother’s cheek. He crosses his arms and gets grumbly, but I know he likes it.

“So …” I start, feeling cheeky and hopeful. So hopeful. Could I ask for anything more out of Tam than he’s already giving me? All we need is time. Don’t think about Joe and Marla. Don’t think about them apartment hunting together. Don’t think about the softness in their eyes when they gazed at one another. They both died, and Tam I could be next. “Kaycee,” I whisper, nudging my brother with my shoulder. “I thought you told me you didn’t like her.”

“Well, I’ve been lying to you a lot. What was one more thing?” Joules muses, and I punch him in the arm. Doesn’t faze him. He’s as hard and unyielding as Tam. Tam. I suck in a breath and Joules lets his gaze shift over to mine.

“Fucking disgusting. You’re so into him that I can barely stand to be around you. What happened to my cute, fun-loving baby sister? You used to be cool.”

“I’m still cool,” I mutter, but my pride is wounded. “Want to tell me what else you’re lying about?”

“Not a chance in hell,” Joules breathes as I try to sneak another look at his wrist. He notices me doing it and rolls his eyes, shoving up his sweatshirt sleeve and presenting the curse mark to me. It looks dull, a faded scar that isn’t remarkable until you realize that everyone in the Frost family is born with the exact same one.

I take his wrist in my hands, squinting at it. Something looks off, doesn’t it? I spit on my finger and rub at the mark with my thumb, and Joules scoffs in disgust. He yanks his arm away from me and gives me a nasty look.

“I can manage myself, okay? Why don’t you worry about this?” Joules takes my wrist next and shakes it at me, my own curse mark bright red and burning. It shimmers and burns gold at the edges when Tam jogs offstage to change into his next outfit. “Go.”

Joules shoves me in Tam’s direction, but I hesitate.

Tam’s eyes meet mine as he slips past and into his dressing room. Just before the door closes, I see his brows go up in question. I look around to see if anyone is watching, but the only person monitoring Tam’s door is Daniel. Everybody else is so busy that they look frantic.

I lift my chin, stride forward confidently, and slip into the dressing room.

Tam is right there, already shirtless and wet with sweat from his performance. He shoves the door closed with his palm and then takes my wrists, pinning them to the wall above my head.

I stop breathing.

His sweaty chest is right in my face, and it’s sculpted. It’s inhuman.

I feel like it needs my mouth on it.

Screw it.

I lean forward, and I lick Tam Eyre.

“I licked you, you’re mine,” I whisper, and then his mouth is on me, and I’m being kissed like the world is ending. He keeps one hand on my wrists to hold them in place and uses the other to feel me up, to touch me all over like he agrees with what I just said. Over the swell of my hip, the nip in my waist, the round softness of my chest.

Tam is panting a little, too, from his performance. He breathes hard against my mouth the way he did last night, when his hips were churning against the stupid fucking sweater. Tam trails his lips across my jaw and then down to my neck, running his tongue along my pounding pulse.

“I licked you, you’re mine,” he repeats, and then he lets go of me and starts kicking off his shoes. There’s a timer on the wall counting down from three minutes and twenty-two seconds. Is that how much time he has left to change? Tam shoves his pants down next, and his underwear go right with them.

He’s hard.

For me.

He glances over and smirks, but there’s no time. He’s snatching up a pair of jeans, yanking on a hoodie, and then sitting down on the single sofa in the room to deal with his shoes. I jog over to him and squat down to help which surprises him.

The door opens and there’s Jacob, checking to see if Tam is decent. When he spots me, his eyebrow twitches, but he calls in the stylist as Tam and I get his shoes in order. He’s up and off the couch, and several people are appearing to put the feather cloak on his shoulders.

Oh.

It’s time for that song.

“Break up with me if you dare,” Tam whispers into my ear as he strides by. I grab his arm and lean up on my tiptoes to whisper back.

“Tam, I need a sports bra,” I whimper, and he shudders before pulling away from me and walking quickly out the door. I follow him to the edge of the stage and watch as he walks up a set of steps, waiting at a dais for the next song to start. The rigging crew pulls the ropes and lifts the set out of the way, revealing the dramatic staircase that Tam is standing on.

I clutch my hands together in front of my chest. Other than “I Miss You (Dad)”, this is my favorite Tam Eyre song. Wow. Since when did I become a Tambourine? Lynn is going to make fun of me for the rest of my life. You know, assuming that Tam and I don’t die together.

At least … in the end … we could be in each other’s arms. Joe tried, but Marla panicked when he told her about the curse. She asked him for a break, and she wouldn’t see him on that last day. Another reason why I used to hate her. Maybe why, in the darkest part of my heart, I still hate her. An unjust hatred, but a hatred nonetheless.

I turn my attention to one of the monitors, watching as Tam pushes his hoodie up to reveal his abs, his chest, his nipple. He lets it fall back into place, rolling his body in time with the music. When his dancers come up on either side of him and draw the cloak of feathers off, Tam reaches up to adjust his headset, pressing the mic closer to his mouth. His head falls back, and he absolutely belts out the next lines to the song.

“Break up with me if you’re afraid; I dare you to let go of what we have. Kiss me, you liar.”

I notice Kaycee watching me, a water bottle in her hand. Joules is staring at her from behind, and she’s acting like he doesn’t exist. I don’t believe any of it. They’re just doing what Tam and I are doing. Push-pull. Tug-yank. Shy away-chase. A game of flirtation.

“You really like Tam, don’t you?” she asks me, and I nod. I can’t seem to open my mouth to speak properly. I also don’t let myself look at the mark on my wrist. I’ll know when the curse is broken. It’s such a powerful sensation that most of my ancestors wrote very little about it, mysterious things like: when the inevitable surge of love hits the spirit, one can hardly keep one’s feet. That is all this cursed woman shall write.

I interpreted all of their words as something like this: IYKYK. If you know, you know.

“I thought I was in love with Tam,” Kaycee admits, moving a little closer to me and looking around to see if we might be overheard. None of us are being very careful which is definitely something that might come back to bite us in our collective asses, but … the world just feels so exciting right now. “What I actually loved was him as an artist, and not as a man.” Her pretty lips quirk, and her eyes shift back toward my brother.

I hope things work out between them for real. Joules is a serial dater, and he’s never serious about anyone. But now? All of his weirdness around Kaycee? I know that she’s different.

“I’ve known the guy my entire life, and I have to say that he’s never behaved around a woman the way that he’s behaving around you, so …” I look for something positive to say, but then I notice that Tam is coming again. Kaycee seems enamored with what I’ve just said, but she’s doing an admirable job of trying to hide it. “Well, um, we should get together later and talk,” I tell her, and then I take off across the massive staging area.

Into the dressing room, turning around, finding myself face-to-face with Tam. The timer in the corner is counting down from two minutes and thirty-one seconds.

He smiles at me, takes my face between his hands, and kisses me so thoroughly that I forget we’re on a time schedule.

“One of these days, we’ll be fucking between each song instead of kissing.”

“Sir Tom!” I whisper, completely scandalized but excited by the idea, too. “In two minutes?”

“We’ll figure it out,” he breathes, nipping my ear and then moving past me. He strips again, yanks on black pants, a long-sleeved shirt, and then the door is opening again and there’s a whole team in here. I scoot off to the side and let them do their thing, changing out his jewelry, adding a belt, fluffing his hair, refreshing his eye liner.

Out he goes to do another three songs before the next outfit change.

I busy myself with all of the bobas he bought me, sitting beside Joules to watch the monitor and sip on a honeydew milk tea with creamy cake topping. Oh, I’m in love.

With the boba, obviously.

Not with Tam—yet.

“This job is boring as hell. When do I get to beat up a crazed fan?” Joules mutters, but his eyes are all for Kaycee Quinn.

“Marry her, and I’ll marry Tam, and we can go out to dinner again like we did in Portland.” My mouth twitches. “Only, this time, the couples will actually make sense.”

I look up, expecting Joules to smirk or scoff, but instead, there’s a faraway look in his eyes that I don’t like. I’ve seen this look before. On Joe. On myself, in the mirror. On Uncle Jack and GG Louise and Aunt Clara.

“Joules.” I stand up, and he turns his head slowly to look at me. “I can’t help you if I don’t know the truth. Please. If you love me, please tell me what’s going on.”

“Lake, the only thing that’s going on is that you and Tam are down to seven weeks, and the curse still isn’t broken. Stop trying to conjure ghosts when there are real-world issues to work through.” Joules curls his lip at me and then leaves me sitting there by myself. I’m a little relieved when I see him go straight to Kaycee, but …

I cover my mouth with my hand.

What if Joules and Kaycee got matched? Wouldn’t that be the craziest thing?

I slant my attention over to them, and I wonder …

Tam is jogging back, and I panic, nearly spilling the rest of my drinks. He slips into his dressing room, but I’m not fast enough. Jacob waits for him to change and then opens the door to the rest of the staff. As he walks out, Tam’s eyes catch mine from across the room.

“He’s pretty amazing, isn’t he?” a voice asks from beside me, and I look up to see Leo standing there, arms crossed over his chest, a proud smile on his face. “God, what did we do to land these jobs? Mega-good karma in our past lives or something.”

I give a nervous little laugh as Leo’s eyes land on the drink carrier full of bobas.

“You want one?” I ask, offering up a taro milk tea because it’s not my favorite flavor in the world and Joules didn’t want it.

“Oh, sure,” Leo says, sounding pleased. He takes the drink, but he’s only there for a few seconds longer because Maggie calls him away to attend to some other task.

The next time that Tam comes back, I’m ready. I’m already waiting in his dressing room for him, standing in the center of the room with my hands behind my back.

“Who’s the brunette guy?” he asks dryly, walking right up to me and standing there with his sweat-soaked shirt stuck to his gorgeous body. “Somebody that I should fire? Why is he drinking your boba?”

“Because I don’t like taro very much,” I admit, and then I twine my arms around his neck.

This time, I kiss him with a forty-three second timer on the wall, and Jacob opens the door to find us like that.

“You’re going to give me a heart attack,” he growls out as Tam gently draws away from me with a laugh, stripping down and changing in record time.

It’s not easy to play this game for the entire four-hour concert, but we do.

Stolen kisses and wandering hands, the vibrant warmth of Tam’s well-worked body pressed tight against mine. Joules is right: he’s much clingier than I expected. I’m here for it. I like it. I want to do the same to him.

During the ‘surprise encore’ that happens at every concert—“Let’s Just Have Coffee, My Love” is playing—I end up hanging out with Leo again. He seems pretty cool. He’s been working for Tam for about six months and has yet to have had an actual conversation with the man.

“The way you walked right up to him and demanded he sign those photocards, I was blown away.”

I laugh at that, wondering if I would’ve done the same had I been an actual assistant and not, you know, Tam’s new girlfriend.

Yeah, well, I definitely would’ve done it anyway.

“Hey, um.” Leo rubs at the back of his neck, sliding a nervous glance my way. “I’d be remiss if I let you go without asking.” He forces himself to straighten up and take a deep breath. “You really went out of your way to help me today. I appreciate it.” Leo offers me a kind smile, and I realize with a start that he’s about to ask me out. “After work tonight, do you want to go out and get a drink? Or even dinner. I’d love to buy you—”

Leo stops talking suddenly, his eyes on someone other than me.

I turn to find Tam standing there, dressed in a high-necked jumpsuit in gold and white. It looks like something you’d wear to go skydiving in. His arms are crossed, headset still on, pink and blond hair wet with sweat and plastered to his forehead. His lips are slightly parted, lids heavy over sharp green eyes.

“Um.” That’s me.

“Well?” Tam asks, and then he smiles, his attention moving from me to Leo. “Are you going to accept his offer or not?”

“Sir,” Leo blurts, scrambling around for something to say. “Mr. Eyre. I’m … you have no idea how much … your music is incredible, and I’m just in awe of everything you do. Thank you so much for letting me work for you.” Leo … bows at the waist? Okay then.

Tam seems a little mollified, and he gives a soft laugh in response.

“Sorry, Leo,” I tell him as he stands back up and finally turns his attention to me again. “I’m seeing someone right now.”

Leo’s face falls, but he nods in understanding.

“Well, if anything about your situation changes, the offer still stands.” Leo inclines his head at Tam again, smiles at me, and then takes off after Maggie.

I very slowly turn my attention back to Tam.

“He seems nice,” he remarks mildly, reaching up to rub his hand against the back of his neck. Tam finally seems to realize that he’s still wearing his headset, reaching up to pull it off. He absently passes it over to Maggie without even looking at her.

What a diva.

I cross my arms and stare right back at him.

“Are you … jealous?” I ask him, but all he does is offer me this cock-headed little smile in response.

“Poor Leo,” Tam whispers, and then he turns away and heads back in the direction of his dressing room. He looks over his shoulder at me, so I assume he wants me to follow. I don’t. I let him stew in there all on his own.

When he comes back out, dressed in a blue and white sweater with a V-neck, a red tee underneath, and some jeans, I’m swooning on my feet. Tam walks right up to me, one hand in his front pocket, a bemused expression on his face.

“I was jealous, too,” I whisper, cupping a hand around my mouth. “You and Kaycee, that was your hottest performance ever. Today, more than any other day, you both looked like you were about to rip each other’s clothes off.”

Tam’s lips twitch and he reaches out to tuck some hair behind my ear.

“Why do you think that is?” he asks me, dropping his hand by his side with a shudder. Tam sighs and closes his eyes like he’s in pain. “I can’t wait for our relationship to be public. I hate holding back around you.”

I shiver, but I don’t respond to that.

Tam leans down, mouth near my ear.

“Kaycee and Joules, clearly that’s a thing. And you and me?” Tam laughs softly. “Why do you think I danced like I wanted to fuck today? Hmm?”

He stands back up and glances over to see Jacob staring at us.

“Did you want to move the press release up to, oh, right this very second? Because you’re about as subtle as an army tank in a dynamite factory. Do you want to be branded as a cheater? Worse, do you want Lakelynn to be branded as the other woman? Back off of her for five seconds.” Jacob shoves between us and takes off down the hallway.

Tam just lets his lips rest in that flat smile of his, the grumpy, mean-spirited one.

“Now what?” I ask him, trying not to sound too eager.

But when he looks back at me, I know I’m not the only one waiting in tense anticipation.

“You know what’s going to happen later,” he says without bothering to lower his voice. “Same thing as last night—only with less sweaters involved.” Tam chuckles and follows Jacob down the hallway. He pauses to wait for me, Daniel and Joules taking up the rear.

Kaycee’s left for the night, but I’m sure Joules already has a plan in mind to meet up with her in LA.

“We’re going to the airport,” Tam tells me, just before Daniel moves around us to get the doors. The crowd tonight is deafening, but I just focus on Tam’s back as he moves ahead of me, waving and posing.

We climb into the SUV, and he gets immediately into the backseat, reaching for me.

I’m tugged right back into his lap, straddling him.

Good thing the windows are tinted.

Off to the airport we go.