Knox laughs. “Not that one, either.”

  “What song do you want me to sing?”

  “Sing Wildfire.”

  I pause, unsure. “Why do you want to hear that one?” I ask.

  “Because you wrote it,” he answers. “Because it’s yours.”

  I lick my lips, pushing through another wave of hesitation. “You’re wildfire, burning through my soul,” I sing softly. “I’m drawn to you, so out of control.”

  Knox sits silently, his hands frozen on my skin, his eyes open.

  “This love’s like a poison, it’s killing me slow.” I drift closer, our lips almost touching. “But I can’t escape it, don’t want to let go.”

  With closed eyes, I keep singing. With Knox holding me, I stand on steady toes, my heart finding its melody.

  And when I’m done, I take a deep breath. I keep it held tightly as I wait for a response.

  A minute passes. Silence.

  “Knox?” I ask, nervously.

  He kisses me. I ease forward, his hands guiding me onto him. I straddle him on the edge of the bed and our kiss deepens as I feel his hardness pressing firmly against me.

  “Fuck,” Knox whispers. “It’s so good.”

  “Is it?” I ask, still so unsure.

  “I’m jealous I didn’t write it myself.”

  “No, you’re not.”

  “I am! Really. It’s a great song, Harmony. Always has been.”

  I kiss him, feeling loved and grateful in his embrace. Part of me still isn’t sure I believe him — the memory of a panel of judges passively brushing it off still burned in my mind — but I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. He’s earned that much, I think.

  And maybe he’s earned a little bit more.

  I drag a hand down his body, slowly reaching between us.

  Knox inhales in surprise as my fingers slide into his pants. “That’s not slow,” he says teasingly.

  I hike up my shirt with my other hand and hover over him. “Don’t make me change my mind,” I say as I pull my panties aside.

  He doesn’t.

  The next day passes in a blur.

  Before I know it, I’m backstage at a Criminal Records concert again. I’m sitting in a chair next to Katrina and Addison while their stylist puts the finishing touches on all of us.

  Chrissy hovers over my other shoulder, giving guidance, which I’m eternally grateful for. All I can even handle right now is breathing, but I’m not sure I’m even doing that properly.

  “You ready, honey?” Chrissy asks, her eyes on mine in the mirror.

  I swallow hard, the sound of the crowd only a curtain away. “Nope.”

  She chuckles and squeezes my shoulder.

  As panic rises and clenches my chest, Jordan pokes her head into the room. “It’s shot time, ladies!” she says

  Katrina and Addison hop up and rush out to join the guys backstage.

  “Harmony,” Jordan says, waiting. “You coming?”

  “Me?” I ask.

  “Yeah, you.” She waves me out. “Come on.”

  I rise off the chair and follow her out, meeting the others backstage. Each of them holds a shot glass while Bronson fills them up one-by-one from the same whiskey bottle.

  Knox sees me coming. He breaks away from the circle and walks over, smiling as he silently offers me a glass.

  I’m performing tonight. It’s tradition.

  I take it, smiling back.

  Addison holds up her shot. “We ready?”

  Everyone gathers in the circle and raises their shots.

  “Three!” Katrina says.

  “Two!” Addison says.

  “One!” Jonah says.

  “It’s shot time!” we all say together.

  We drink. I swallow it down in a single gulp, shaking it off as the others shout in excitement.

  Knox wraps an arm around me and kisses my forehead. I look up, catching his gaze, his eyes full of confidence.

  Chrissy takes the empty glass from my hand before I drop it. “You ready?” she asks me again.

  I take a breath, feeling looser. Feeling better.

  “Yes,” I answer with a nod. “I’m ready.”

  46

  KNOX

  “Please welcome to the stage, a very special guest and dear friend of mine: Harmony!”

  I watch from the wings as Harmony takes the stage. The crowd gives a mixed response, most happy to follow Harvey’s lead and welcome her. Others, I’m sure, are clinging to memories of old Harmony. Of old Knox.

  I know what that’s like.

  But I shrug it off. It’s all noise, anyway.

  Harmony enters the spotlights and my breath catches. I’d almost forgotten how much she shines beneath them, memories of her sitting at a piano in that brown dress echoing into eternity.

  Looking adorable and stylish in a pair of tight black pants and a pink top, she walks out with a wave and a smile. She joins Harvey at center stage, where a stagehand has rushed out to drop a second stool for her to sit on. They banter into the mics; a few scripted quips that they somehow make sound natural.

  I feel others behind me. I check over my shoulder once, seeing Jonah and Bronson and Addison and Katrina. A few of our roadies. Even Jordan has lowered her clipboard for the moment to see how this plays out. And Chrissy, of course, looking far more nervous than anybody.

  I take a nervous breath myself as Harvey strums the first few notes on his guitar.

  And Harmony sings.

  My heart skips twice.

  That voice. My muse’s voice. It’s her, completely unfiltered, and it’s beautiful. So goddamn beautiful. It blends effortlessly with Harvey, sending waves of applause throughout the auditorium as they warm up to her.

  But no voice as perfect and beautiful as hers can make this fucking awful song any better.

  No one else seems to mind, though. The crowd cheers for them. They clap their hands and sing along, the track’s infectious chorus taking over the hall like a virus. I even hear the girls softly singing behind me, but I don’t dare look back.

  I keep my gaze on Harmony, my soul locked in a game of tug-of-war. I’m proud of her, thrilled for her, but I can’t stop the but dangling off of every thought.

  It’s her, but it’s not her.

  It’s her voice, but it’s not her song.

  It’s Harmony in all her talented, beautiful glory, but… that is not my muse.

  The song ends, and the crowd cheers even louder than before. Their screams shake the walls and deafen my ears.

  Someone taps my shoulder. I turn to see Addison standing next to me, showing me her phone.

  It’s a bootleg clip of Harmony and Harvey’s performance, uploaded by influencer Katy Montag for her multi-million followers to enjoy. Only sixty seconds old and the likes are climbing fast. Two hundred. Five hundred. A thousand.

  By morning, it’ll be everywhere.

  #harmonymania

  Harmony takes a bow with Harvey, her smile so wide amid cries for an encore. But she apologetically takes her leave from Harvey’s set, promising they’ll hear more from her soon.

  She rushes off and leaps directly into my arms. “Oh, my god, Knox!” she cries out, repeatedly. “Oh, my god. Oh, my god. Oh, my god!”

  I hug her. I kiss her and congratulate her, genuinely happy for all she is and all she will become.

  But…

  47

  HARMONY

  Arockstar’s job doesn’t end at the encore.

  And neither does an opening act’s.

  The night goes by with an adrenaline rush. I lose track of how many selfies I take, how many autographs I sign. By the end, there are spots in my vision and cramps in my hand, but I love it. I love every minute. In the past, I’d only been on the other side, watching from the shadows as Knox and the others lived the dream.

  Now, it’s my turn.

  I don’t want it to end. I’d spend all night in this place if I could. But, eventually, Chrissy forces me onto Big Pink and we wish the music fans good night.

  As I step on the empty bus, I realize it’s not empty after all. Knox sits on the bench by the window in his leather jacket with a wink in his eye and a grin on his mouth.

  “Hey, Knox!” Chrissy greets, before tiredly plopping down at the table.

  “Hello, ladies,” he says.

  I step forward, stopping in front of him. “What are you doing here?” I ask. “Your bus left a half hour ago.”

  “I wanted to wait for you,” he says. “And someone had to keep Barry company.”

  “Sorry, Barry,” I say to our tired-looking driver.

  Barry starts the engine. “Ain’t no problem, Ms. Max.”

  “He always says that,” I whisper to Knox. “I can never tell if he’s being genuine or not.”

  “Oh, he’s genuine,” Knox replies, matching my volume. “Midnite Music hooked you up with the real deal there.”

  “Oh, yeah?”

  “Good man this Barry.”

  “That’s good to know.” I curl my arms around Knox’s neck. “What are you really doing here?” I ask.

  “I wanted to wait for you,” he answers again, his eyes falling to my lips.

  I kiss him once. “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “I’m not sure I could have done this without you.”

  “Nah, you could’ve.”

  “I’m not so sure.” I touch his cheek, running my fingers back through his thick hair. “You knew exactly what to say last night to bring out the best in me today. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you.”

  Knox says nothing. He merely tilts his head and accepts another warm kiss from me as we make our way to the hotel.

  When we arrive, I lean in close to whisper in his ear, “Come to my room.”

  Knox squints playfully. “That’s not taking it slow.”

  “Oh, are we still pretending to do that?”

  He chuckles.

  “I don’t want to go slow tonight,” I say. “Tonight, I want you.”

  He takes a breath, biting his lip hesitantly.

  “What?” I ask. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing,” he says with a shrug.

  “Then…” I give him another long, lingering kiss. “Just say yes.”

  Knox grins, his eyes full of yes.

  We keep our hands to ourselves in the lobby. But, as soon as we pass through my door, we’re on each other before it even latches behind us.

  Knox holds me close, his hands traveling down my back to grip my ass. I hop into his embrace, wrapping my legs around him, and he holds me up as if I weighed nothing at all.

  “Knox,” I whisper, my body throbbing. “I want you.”

  He carries me to the bed in the dark and sets me down next to it. “Oh, you’ll have me,” he replies, the words barely audible between hard kisses.

  We undress each other quickly, yanking and jerking to expose as much skin as possible, driven by pure desire.

  I push Knox onto the bed. He falls with a smile, his arms coming to rest behind his head as I lower to my knees.

  “Almost forgot how much you love cock,” he says.

  I lick the length of him. “I love yours,” I say before taking it fully into my mouth.

  Knox groans with pleasure, his eyes briefly rolling back before he looks down to watch. “Fucking hell,” he whispers, meeting my eyes.

  I suck him hard, my thoughts drifting back to tonight’s show. I’ve been thinking about this since I saw him standing center stage at the microphone stand with his guitar.

  Knox Benton. My rock god.

  He makes it look so effortless, so unbelievably sexy. It always filled me with the urge to fall to my knees for him, and tonight was no exception.

  But I’m riding a high tonight as well, and ride I will.

  I push off my knees, enjoying the delicious groan he makes as I slowly slide him out from between my lips. I mount him quickly, aligning him to rest against my entrance. One smooth glide of my hips and he’ll be inside, but I perform a few teasing grinds first as I lean down to kiss him.

  Knox hugs me close, touching every inch of me within reach. He moves with me, grinding with me, his body needing mine as much as I need him.

  I softly scratch down his chest. Knox chuckles teasingly, his hands coming to cup my breasts, to twist my hard nipples. I ease up and back down, guiding his cock into me. We collectively sigh, relieved and happy, but far from satisfied.

  With closed eyes, I ride him, feeling every thick inch of him. Pleasure blooms deep inside, building and building. I gasp and moan, his name on the tip of my tongue.

  “That’s right,” Knox whispers, encouraging me. “Keep going.”

  I clench, driven harder by his words.

  “Own that cock, baby,” he says, grabbing my breasts. “Fuck, you’re gorgeous.”

  I whimper, my body on fire. “Kiss me,” I moan.

  Knox sits up fast, eager to obey. He kisses me hard and I cling to him, holding on and slowing down to take a break.

  “Don’t you dare stop,” he says with smiling lips. “Take it, girl. It’s all yours.”

  I brace myself, the tension moments from breaking as I fuck him hard and fast. “You’re an asshole,” I tease, laughing with him.

  “I love to feel you come.”

  I kiss him happily, climax only a breath away. It hits me in waves, crushing pleasures building with every beat of my heart. I share it with him, kissing him and whispering his name.

  Knox.

  Knox.

  Knox.

  “There’s my girl,” he whispers, holding me up, his cock still deep inside. He kisses my cheeks and neck, his tongue tracing the line of my collarbone as I catch my breath.

  Knox lies down and pulls me up his body. Numb and loose, I let him move me, completely unaware of what he’s doing before I feel his tongue push inside me.

  “Knox!” I cry out in surprise, bracing myself to balance on his face.

  He says nothing, his tongue and mouth far too busy. Instead, he licks and sucks, attacking my clit and fucking my pussy. I grip his hair, moaning and mewling, my body aching for another release.

  “Knox,” I whisper, unable to fight it as the waves crash again.

  Riding another wave of Knox, Knox, Knox, he moves us again. I let him guide me and I lay face down on my stomach with Knox’s weight hovering behind me.

  “You still taste so fucking sweet,” he whispers, his lips grazing my ear.

  I tremble beneath him, pleasure still lingering in every inch of me. Knox kisses down my spine, his tongue tickling me as goes, leaving delightful shivers on my skin.

  “And this ass,” I hear him say. He squeezes it, licks it. “Still perfection.”

  I smile, still tingling, still letting him do as he pleases. He hooks his fingers on my hips and guides me up onto my knees, positioning himself behind me. He rubs his hard cock between my thighs, giving himself a few teasing strokes before entering me.

  Knox groans instantly. “And this cunt,” he growls as he squeezes my ass, “is still mine.”

  He spanks me once with an open hand. I squeal from the delicious spark, his words nearly sending me right over the edge again.

  “Knox,” I gasp. “Don’t stop.”

  Knox fucks me. Hard and fast. His fingers dig into my hips, his breaths quicker, sharper. I take it with closed eyes, pleasure spinning deep inside, each thrust making me want to scream. My toes curl. My pussy clenches. When climax hits me, I’m numb with desire. I almost collapse as every muscle in my body turns to jelly.

  Knox doesn’t stop.

  He keeps fucking me.

  “Where do you want it?” he says, his voice barely audible over the sounds of us and the creaking bed.

  “My ass,” I say between gasps. “Come on my ass.”

  Knox grunts, performing one last hard thrust. Then he pulls out and strokes himself off. I bite my lip, feeling the delightful warmth spill on my back. Peeking over my shoulder, I watch the pleasure dance on Knox’s face. I enjoy it, happy to please him, beyond thrilled to be the object of his pleasure once again.

  “Fuck,” Knox says after a minute.

  “What?” I ask, smiling.

  “Just… fuck.”

  We laugh as he hops off, making his way toward my bathroom. I wait on my knees, hugging the nearest pillow while memories of the night flow over me. Standing on that stage, my voice echoing through thousands of ears.

  Fuck, I might come again just thinking about it.

  When Knox returns with a washcloth to clean me up, I’m grinning and laughing into the soft pillow.

  “What are you giggling about?” he asks.

  I hum pleasantly. “I’m having a good night.”

  He chuckles, tossing the cloth aside and joining me on the bed. “Me, too.”

  We cuddle up close. “Being up on that stage,” I say. “Is it like that every time?”

  “Yes,” he answers, somehow understanding exactly what I’m saying.

  “Wow.” I sigh. “And this is just Portland! What’s Seattle going to be like? Or Vancouver! Or⁠—”

  “Slow down, Britney,” he jokes. “You’ve got a ways to go yet.”

  “Can’t believe I missed San Francisco,” I say.

  “San Francisco is still there. You’ll just play it next time.”

  “Right.” My smile returns. “Next time.”

  My brain can’t even process that. Next time. As in this night could happen over and over again. No, not could.

  Will.

  This night will happen over and over again.

  This is only the beginning.

  Boom boom.

  “You know, Harmony…”

  Knox’s voice softens, then goes quiet.

  “What?” I ask.

  He runs a hand down my back. “Nothing,” he says.

  “No, what were you going to say?”

  “Just that…” He hesitates a moment. “I’m proud of you.”

  “Really?” I ask.

  He kisses my cheek. “You were great tonight.”

  I smirk. “At the show or on this bed?”

  “Oh, definitely on this bed,” he answers, making us laugh. “You’re really nailing it tonight.”