make sure Melanie’s bag made it to the plane heading for Austin after the show and that Nikki’s luggage was taken to his hotel room. Parker grinned at this. Either he thought that Gabe was banging both women separately, but equally, or he felt privileged to know where Nikki would be staying. Alone. For the entire weekend. Melanie gnawed on her lip, wondering if employing Parker to distribute their luggage had been the best idea. She didn’t want the guy hanging around Nikki. She got a bad vibe from him.
Gabe ’s arm went around Melanie’s lower back, and he held her securely against his side as they were ushered through barriers. After the third time Nikki got stopped for not having a backstage pass, Gabe wrapped his free arm around Nikki’s waist as well, and he guided them both toward the doors.
Melanie understood why Gabe was touching Nikki in that easy, familiar way of his, but it didn’t stop her from seething. He was hers, and she was not in the mood to share him. Not even a little. And especially not with her best friend.
Chapter Seven
Gabe wasn ’t sure why Melanie was walking so stiffly beside him. Was she worried that someone would recognize her with him? Had she spotted a tattoo that freaked her out? Had he done something wrong? He was at a complete loss as to how he could have messed up between the limo and the building. He wracked his brain for things he might have said that she could have taken the wrong way. All he’d done was tell the driver what to do with her luggage. Why would that anger her? Maybe she didn’t like him speaking on her behalf.
At the back entrance, a security guard let his small entourage enter the backstage area of the stadium. The guard offered Gabe a wink and Melanie and Nikki an appreciative grin as he checked them both out with interest and envy. Half an hour ago, Gabe would have said the dude was welcome to take Nikki off his hands, but God help him, he was starting to understand Melanie’s proclivity for keeping the woman out of trouble. His own protective instinct was starting to show. He wasn’t particularly fond of Nikki, but she seemed so, well… helpless . Something that Melanie was not, for which he was immensely thankful. Neediness quickly grated on his nerves. He knew some guys loved Nikki’s type—Shade for example. His ex-wife was needy, so he must like something about it. But Gabe would rather have an equal at his side than a pretty puppet at his feet.
Melanie grew stiffer with each step. As soon as they could be alone, he ’d ask her what was wrong, but this was not the place for a falling out. Strangers watched him very closely backstage. Halfway to the dressing rooms at the end of the hall, Melanie stopped abruptly, sending their trio into an angled trajectory toward a wall. Melanie jerked out of his grasp and stared up at him with sparks of anger snapping in her hazel eyes.
Okay, so he wasn ’t imagining things. She was pissed. Fuck him if he had any idea why.
“What’s the matter?” he asked, deciding they were going to have to have it out after all , whether strangers were watching them or not.
She glared at his left hand, which was draped casually at Nikki ’s shoulder.
“Are you going to hang all over her for the rest of the evening?” Melanie asked bluntly.
“Hang all over her?” He wasn’t hanging all over her. Much.
Nikki shrank from beneath his arm to stand beside Melanie , and he dropped the apparently offensive appendage to his side. He’d only wrapped his arm around her so that she could get through security with less of a hassle. And he told Melanie exactly that.
“I don’t see any security here in the corridor,” she said.
Nikki clutched at Melanie’s sleeve. “I would have told him to stop touching me, Mel, but—”
Melanie slashed out a hand to stifle Nikki’s words.
“You’re jealous?” Gabe asked as the realization dawned on him. On closer inspection, Melanie was practically green. And he had the
Gabe ’s arm went around Melanie’s lower back, and he held her securely against his side as they were ushered through barriers. After the third time Nikki got stopped for not having a backstage pass, Gabe wrapped his free arm around Nikki’s waist as well, and he guided them both toward the doors.
Melanie understood why Gabe was touching Nikki in that easy, familiar way of his, but it didn’t stop her from seething. He was hers, and she was not in the mood to share him. Not even a little. And especially not with her best friend.
Chapter Seven
Gabe wasn ’t sure why Melanie was walking so stiffly beside him. Was she worried that someone would recognize her with him? Had she spotted a tattoo that freaked her out? Had he done something wrong? He was at a complete loss as to how he could have messed up between the limo and the building. He wracked his brain for things he might have said that she could have taken the wrong way. All he’d done was tell the driver what to do with her luggage. Why would that anger her? Maybe she didn’t like him speaking on her behalf.
At the back entrance, a security guard let his small entourage enter the backstage area of the stadium. The guard offered Gabe a wink and Melanie and Nikki an appreciative grin as he checked them both out with interest and envy. Half an hour ago, Gabe would have said the dude was welcome to take Nikki off his hands, but God help him, he was starting to understand Melanie’s proclivity for keeping the woman out of trouble. His own protective instinct was starting to show. He wasn’t particularly fond of Nikki, but she seemed so, well… helpless . Something that Melanie was not, for which he was immensely thankful. Neediness quickly grated on his nerves. He knew some guys loved Nikki’s type—Shade for example. His ex-wife was needy, so he must like something about it. But Gabe would rather have an equal at his side than a pretty puppet at his feet.
Melanie grew stiffer with each step. As soon as they could be alone, he ’d ask her what was wrong, but this was not the place for a falling out. Strangers watched him very closely backstage. Halfway to the dressing rooms at the end of the hall, Melanie stopped abruptly, sending their trio into an angled trajectory toward a wall. Melanie jerked out of his grasp and stared up at him with sparks of anger snapping in her hazel eyes.
Okay, so he wasn ’t imagining things. She was pissed. Fuck him if he had any idea why.
“What’s the matter?” he asked, deciding they were going to have to have it out after all , whether strangers were watching them or not.
She glared at his left hand, which was draped casually at Nikki ’s shoulder.
“Are you going to hang all over her for the rest of the evening?” Melanie asked bluntly.
“Hang all over her?” He wasn’t hanging all over her. Much.
Nikki shrank from beneath his arm to stand beside Melanie , and he dropped the apparently offensive appendage to his side. He’d only wrapped his arm around her so that she could get through security with less of a hassle. And he told Melanie exactly that.
“I don’t see any security here in the corridor,” she said.
Nikki clutched at Melanie’s sleeve. “I would have told him to stop touching me, Mel, but—”
Melanie slashed out a hand to stifle Nikki’s words.
“You’re jealous?” Gabe asked as the realization dawned on him. On closer inspection, Melanie was practically green. And he had the
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