The rock god and the pop princess.

  Knox and Harmony. Back together again.

  I look into Harmony’s smiling eyes. “Guys, can I talk to Harmony alone for a minute?” I ask.

  “No!” everyone shouts at once.

  “It’s okay.” I wave them down. “We’re just gonna talk.”

  I give Jonah a reassuring nod, his eyes the most worrisome of them all. He was in the trenches with me last time, after all. While I insisted I was all right to the others, Jonah knew how I was really doing.

  Not great, to put it delicately.

  Slowly, they walk to the door and, even slower, the five of them pass through it. Bronson goes last, having held it open for the others.

  Harmony gives them a wave through the window. “Ah, man,” she says, amused. “You guys are still too cute.”

  I stare at her, taking the moment to steel myself. The last time the two of us were alone together...

  Oh, boy.

  “Hey, Harmony,” I say.

  She smiles. “Hi, Knox. It’s good to see you.”

  “Don’t.”

  “What?”

  “Don’t do that.”

  She turns up her hands. “Do what? Greet you politely? What would you rather I do? Freak out and bash my head into the door at the first sight of you?” she asks.

  I sigh. “No.”

  “It’s been a few years,” she says, taking a small step closer. “Aren’t you at least a little happy to see me?”

  A few years.

  Two years, nine months, and fourteen days.

  Approximately.

  “No,” I say.

  I lie.

  She chuckles. “Liar.”

  Dammit.

  I ignore it. “So, I assume this little gimmick was all your idea?” I ask.

  “Actually, no,” she says. “It was Paul’s idea.”

  “You mean Daddy?”

  She rolls her eyes. “Mama likes it when we play big, happy family. I call him that to make her big and happy.”

  “You don’t like him?”

  “Not really, no.”

  “Can’t imagine why.”

  “Well, he’s a dick, for starters,” she says with a smile. “But he makes her happy, so...” She shrugs.

  I nod. “And how is Baba Yaga?”

  “She’s great,” she says, ignoring the insult. “Got a lot going for her right now, actually. She just got married. Moved into a big fancy mansion.”

  “Forced her daughter into a record deal.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Come on, Harmony,” I say. “Where else did this bubblegum pop bullshit come from?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Don’t play dumb. Since when do you want this?”

  “I’ve always wanted to be a star.”

  “Not like this.”

  “This is my chance, Knox. I’m going to do whatever it takes.”

  “Including hitching your wagon to my tour bus?”

  “If that is what it takes, then yes.”

  “That’s pathetic.”

  “That’s business. My tide and your boat, Knox. Play our cards right here, we both win.”

  “I wouldn’t call that winning.”

  “What would you call it?”

  “I—”

  Someone knocks rapidly on the glass. We snap our heads in their direction and see the others staring at us through it.

  Jonah shakes his head, his eyes wide with warning.

  I blink, realizing in the moment how close Harmony and I had drifted toward each other. Our bodies touching, our faces mere inches away. Her scent, her essence; a soothing invasion of my personal space. I can only imagine how it looks from the outside. They probably think I’m about to throw her down on this table and take her right here and now.

  Shit. This could get ugly.

  I take a step back. “Boundaries,” I say to Harmony. “It’s the only way this is going to work.”

  Harmony takes her own conscious step back. “Right,” she says. “Boundaries.”

  “No unnecessary touching. We don’t hug or kiss or even speak to each other unless there’s a camera to play at.”

  “Agreed,” she says. “No personal questions. No deep conversations.”

  I nod in agreement. “We’re never alone together. Ever.”

  “And we don’t shit on each other’s music.” She leans forward an inch. “Ever.”

  “Okay.” I clear my throat. “I can handle that.”

  “Oh, and…” She raises a sharp brow. “No groupies.”

  I blink. “What?”

  “If we’re doing this, it has to be real. Or as real as it can look. That means keeping your dick in your pants on the road.”

  Damn. She has a point.

  I have not thought this through.

  “Fine,” I say through my teeth. “Same goes for you.”

  “Fine.” Harmony exhales, standing tall and ready for business. “So, are we doing this?”

  “Yeah,” I say to the devil herself. “I guess we are.”

  “Great.” She holds out her hand. “Your phone, please.”

  “Why?”

  “Baby steps,” she simply says as she waits.

  Far too curious, I hand it over.

  She swipes it on, her thumbs lightning quick. “If we want to sell this thing, then we have to give the people a little taste.”

  Harmony pivots to stand beside me and my nostrils instantly tingle from her scent again. I ignore it as she raises the phone high and adjusts the angle for the perfect selfie.

  “Smile, Knox,” she says. “Make it cute.”

  I obey, looking at the screen and seeing the two of us standing side-by-side. Smiling. Happy. Just two former lovers who just happened to run into each other.

  My stomach twists.

  I really have not thought this through.

  She snaps a few, then gets to work choosing the best one and slapping a filter over it. “Lookie who I ran into today at Midnite Music,” she says, tapping out a caption. “Remember her, question mark, question mark. Heart emoji. Flame emoji.” She shows it to me. “All good?”

  I barely look. “All good,” I say.

  With a smile, she posts it.

  With a smile, she drops a goddamn bomb on my social media.

  Boom boom.

  6

  HARMONY

  Then

  Oh. So that’s what sex is like.

  I feel… okay. Sore. But okay. Warm. Really warm. And… sticky.

  My mother is going to murder me.

  My breath quivers as I exhale, blending with a constant wave of pleasant shivers traveling along my arms and legs.

  I can’t believe I did this.

  Knox shifts beside me. I flinch, my fingers wrapped tightly around a sheet that only covers about half of my body. He rolls onto his side to face me, his head barely rising from the pillow.

  “Oh,” he says, his voice thick and husky. “You’re still here.”

  “Uh-huh,” I say. “You fell asleep, and I wasn’t sure if I, uh… was supposed to…” I let my words trail off as he moves again, this time a little closer to me. His arm curls around my waist and he presses his lips against my upper arm, giving me a few lazy kisses.

  “How long was I out?” he asks.

  “A few minutes? Not very long.”

  He hums pleasantly. “You’re staying,” he says.

  “Okay,” I say, unsure if that was a question or demand.

  “Give me a few minutes and I’ll be good to go again.” His kisses move to my chest, his form suddenly towering over me again. He positions himself between my legs, and I feel his length stir against my navel.

  Will I be good to go again in a few minutes?

  Should I be?

  Should I just… go?

  Knox kisses down my chest, his smooth tongue tasting my skin as he goes down… down.

  Down down baby.

  “Actually!” I lurch up. “I should go.”

  He pauses. “Go?”

  “Yeah, I just, uh…” I pull my legs out from under him. “I have a big day tomorrow and I need to… I have to go.”

  I expect him to say something to stop me, but he doesn’t. Knox simply leans back against the headboard as I rise and watches me scurry around to find my clothes. I take a few steps and that stickiness between my thighs makes itself even more known than when I was lying down.

  I abandon the search for my underwear. “Do you mind if I hop into your shower first?” I ask.

  Before Knox can even mutter a response through a yawn, I bolt toward the bathroom across the suite and slide the door closed behind me. Standing in the dark, I feel the wall for a light switch. When I finally find it, I’m blinded by a frame of circular bulbs wrapped around a wide mirror above an elegant sink.

  My cheeks flush. I’m naked. I’m naked in the bathroom of a rockstar’s luxury hotel suite. Because I just had sex with him. Or… he had sex with me. I’m not sure I did much. Or said much. But he seemed to enjoy it. I mean, he definitely told me how good I felt. How wet I was. How tight I was. How sweet I tasted…

  I turn away from the mirror and enter the shower, blasting myself with cold water. I take it, telling myself I deserve the discomfort as I wait for it to warm up. I did a bad thing, after all.

  A very bad thing.

  With my head down, I watch the water flow down my legs. It’s slightly pink as it washes away the blood stuck to my inner thighs.

  A very, very bad thing.

  I’m a slut. A whore. That’s what my mother will say when she finds out where I’ve been all night. God, she’s going to make me fill out so many notebooks over this. Fuck! I left the notebook downstairs. Why did I do that?! She’s going to be so mad. Why did I do this?! I’m so stupid. So fucking⁠—

  “Harmony?”

  I startle as the shower curtain shifts. “I’m fine!” I say, pushing my hair out of my eyes. “You shouldn’t⁠—”

  Knox steps into the shower. He’s naked, too.

  I face forward, not wanting to expose the severe blush in my cheeks at the sight of his penis.

  He comes up behind me and wraps his arms around me. “Hey,” he whispers, his mouth on the skin between my neck and shoulder.

  “Hey,” I say, willing my voice not to shake, and failing.

  He kisses me once, twice, holding me in a warm embrace. “Those daiquiris weren’t the only virgins at the table, were they?” he asks.

  I don’t answer. I don’t even breathe.

  Fuck, I’m so stupid.

  “It’s okay,” Knox says, his voice playful as he kisses me again. “Why didn’t you tell me? I wouldn’t have been so rough.”

  I tremble as his hands move along my front; soft hands against soft skin. “How did you know?” I ask.

  “I had a feeling,” he says. “Also, there was some blood on the condom.”

  “Right.” I swallow hard. “I’m sorry.”

  “For what?”

  “I don’t know. Sorry. I’ll go. I’ll get out and go. I’m sorry.”

  “Hey, look at me.” Knox turns me around with gentle hands, one coming to caress my chin as he coaxes me to look him in the eyes. In the light, I see the vibrant greens in his irises, ones I couldn’t see before downstairs at the bar or in the darkness of his bed. “Don’t be sorry. There’s nothing wrong with being a virgin.”

  “No?”

  “It’s pretty hot, actually.” He smiles as he kisses me on the lips. “To be the first man to undress you. To taste you. To fuck you.” Another kiss, this one deeper, as his tongue gently finds mine. “You chose me. That’s hot as fuck.”

  I chuckle. “Well, when you put it like that.”

  Knox kisses my neck, tasting the clean water on my skin. “Do you really need to go?” he asks.

  With closed eyes, I tremble beneath the spray of water, beneath the wet temptation of his tongue. “I probably should,” I say, the words leading to a soft moan.

  “Should I call you a cab?” he asks me for the second time tonight but, this time, he knows the answer.

  He looks at me with devious green eyes, eyes I’ve yet to deny.

  I’m not sure I even can.

  “No,” I answer playfully.

  Knox cups my face and kisses me again; a kiss of pure longing that rattles my knees. I lean against the shower wall to steady myself and he stays with me, pinning me with his hard body.

  “Harmony,” he whispers, his voice so sweet and tempting. “Did you come?”

  I inhale sharply as blood rushes to my cheeks once more. “I, uh…” I swallow hard. Girls lie about this, right? That’s a thing girls do? “I don’t think so,” I say, not wanting to lie.

  Knox nods, his smile never slipping. “Would you like to?” he asks, those eyes ever more devious.

  “Yes,” I answer, breathless.

  Twice in one night, I’ve dared to say yes to Knox Benton. To let him take my hand and pull me deeper into the unknown. There’s just… something in him that awakens something in me.

  Something bad.

  I like it.

  I like it a lot.

  One more deep kiss and Knox lowers to his knees. He touches me all over, squeezing my breasts and kissing the center line of my body as he goes.

  Down down baby.

  7

  HARMONY

  Now

  Chrissy

  ETA: 10 mins

  Irespond to the text with thumbs up emoji, but I don’t get up from my desk just yet. My bags are packed and ready to go; one small suitcase and a light duffel bag. Only the bare essentials. There will be plenty of opportunities to shop if I need something, and plenty of cool new places to shop at along the way.

  Twenty-four shows in twenty-four cities.

  It’s not the first time I’ve been on the road with Criminal Records and, based on the online comments I’ve read since Knox and I posted that selfie on his socials, it looks like everyone else remembers that, too.

  BRO, NO.

  Don’t do it, Knox!

  gross

  @kittykatrinaCR gurl you allowing this?

  RUN!

  Is that who I think it is?

  Don’t blame the guy at all she’s fuckin hot

  right? i’d hit it too, if she wore a bag over her head and kept her mouth shut

  Can’t believe she’s showing her face after what she did to Knox!

  her song sux lol

  I close the browser tab with a swift flick of a keyboard shortcut, then click over to my music video debut instead.

  My heart flutters. Up to ten million views now! That’s… incredible. Life-changing, even.

  this is my jam!

  song of the summer, calling it now

  LOOOVE IT!

  SHE’S SO PRETTY OMG

  I smile. These are my people.

  Can’t get this out of my head!

  lol this sucks

  I side-eye that one, but the rest of it is... positive. Mostly. But that’s fine! No one in the history of the world has ever pleased everyone.

  basic pop crap from a basic bitch singer #IStandWithKnox

  Okay, it’d be nice to please most people.

  “singer” is being too kind

  Best song ever!

  NEED full album NOW

  u fr? this is shit LOL

  no just no

  I close the laptop with a groan and pack it away in my duffel. Throwing it over my shoulder, I give the room one last look. Not that there’s much to look at. My mother and I haven’t lived here long enough to have accumulated too much clutter.

  I step out into the hallway and close the door. Down the narrow hallway, I spot the wide open double doors of the master bedroom.

  “Mama?” I ask.

  “In here, honey!”

  I poke my head through the open door. Far across the bedroom, through another door beyond, I spot my mother sitting at her vanity mirror in the en suite bathroom. She must still be getting ready.

  “Chrissy just texted,” I say as I cross toward her. “Less than ten minutes away.”

  “Excellent!” she says as she pats her cheeks with some powder.

  I pause in the doorway, taking a second to admire the bathroom. Dual sinks. Three closets. A giant tub with jets. Hard to believe we actually live here. She’s dreamed about having a bathroom like this my entire life. Feels pretty good to finally see her sitting in it. Feels even better knowing that I’m finally in the position to make sure she keeps it forever.

  I bite my cheek as a little self-doubt seeps in. Stupid internet comments.

  But... it’s not just them, is it?

  What the hell is this crap, Harmony?

  “Hey, Mama,” I say, pushing Knox out of my head while I still can.

  “What is it, dear?”

  “About my song…”

  She brushes her cheekbones with rouge, perfectly highlighting our best shared feature. “What about it?” she asks.

  I swallow hard. “Is it good?” I ask.

  “Of course!” she says, barely glancing at me in her reflection. “Last I checked, we were up to ten million views! Not too shabby, baby.”

  “I know it’s popular, Mama, I just... It’s good, right?”

  She finally looks up, her brow pinched curiously. “Where is this coming from, honey?” she asks.

  “Nowhere,” I answer, withholding a frustrated sigh. She’s not getting it. Or she’s avoiding it. Either way, I’m not going to get a straight answer from her. Rarely ever do. “Nothing. It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

  “You’re doing that thing again, Harmony.” She glares at me as she rises off her stool. “Talking without saying anything. You know I hate that.”

  “I know, Mama.”

  “Your father used to do that.”

  “Yes, Mama. I’m sorry.”

  She walks over to stand in front of me. “Chin up. Hm?” She nudges my chin. “What is it we always say?”

  I nod and say, “Everything is happening⁠—”

  “as it was always meant to happen,” she says with me. “That’s right.” She cups my face and kisses my forehead. “Now, get going! Have fun.”