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Chapter 4

Chapter 4

D

ALLAS

"Well, what do you think of coming with us and singing a few songs?" Landon asks.

Oh, yeah! In my head, I'm doing fist pumps. Austin has an amazing voice, but she just isn't a fan of getting up on stage. She has sung some duets with us in the past, and the fans always love her.

Landon insisted, so she could get some of the royalties, and he could make sure she was taken care of. I insisted too for the same reason. She makes good money as a graphic designer and can support herself, but we both like to ensure she doesn’t need anything. Though, I know the money goes into a savings account that she hasn't touched other than to invest it. But that's our secret from Landon, because he'd insist she go buy something silly just because she can, but that isn't Austin.

"I think it would be a good idea. You can earn some extra money, travel, and hang out with us. Plus, you can work anywhere," I say.

"Of course, you take his side." She sighs. "Tell me about the tour."

"Well, we just got off a big tour a few months ago for this album, and it did great. We sold out shows everywhere we played. So, our manager asked us to do a smaller tour up the east coast to give it another push. One of the stops is in Asheville, and we can spend a day at The Biltmore." I try to bribe her, because I can't admit that I'd love nothing more than to have her in the small space of the tour bus with us for weeks.

"How long is the tour?" She asks.

"About six weeks. Our manager is trying to get a few more stops added on at the end, but I don't see it happening. The record label wants us to get back and start working on songs for the next album. They want one more from us, before it's time to talk about renewing our contract." Landon says, and I nod my head, finishing up the food on my plate.

"You would be on the main bus with us. We have stops spaced, so we can go out and do stuff in between. I know you like to explore, and Dallas is right. You can work anywhere, so do it on travel days and between shows. You don't even have to sing at every stop, if you don't want to, maybe just the big ones," Landon says.

I see the wheels turning in Austin's head. She's running over the pros and cons, and if she can make it work with the clients, she has now. She always thinks things through, before committing to something big. Landon and I both know this, so we give her a few moments and shovel food in our faces.

"Okay, but I want to be able to go out and explore or else." She gives her brother the stink eye.

The last or else was her putting itching powder on his clothes, before a concert. This was years ago, before we were selling out the big places, but he hadn't broken a promise to her since.

"I swear, I will make it happen." Landon holds up his hands in surrender.

After dinner, Austin clears the table, "I got dishes, since you cooked."

"I'm actually going to go up and go to bed. It's been a long few days, and I'm beat." Landon pulls Austin in for a hug. He kisses the top of her head, and then turns to me. "Night, man. We can talk tomorrow about the tour details."

"Sure, I'll call Dave tonight and get him up-to-date with Austin coming with us."

Dave is our manager and is great at making things happen. I think he will be happy to promo Austin on tour with us.

Landon heads upstairs, and I join Austin at the sink. "You wash, and I'll dry?"

"Sounds good." She smiles at me. We have a dishwasher, but we all grew up washing dishes by hand, and I know for Austin it's therapeutic. I also knew she'd hand wash them, so she could start thinking through her plans for the tour.

I grab a towel and stand beside her. Bumping my shoulder into hers, I say, “I’m really glad you’re coming with us."

We make quick work of the dishes, but neither of us says much else. There has always been a comfortable silence between us. Rarely is there a need to fill it, and it's one of my favorite things about our relationship.

"I'm going to head to my room and give Dave a call," I tell her, and she offers me a soft smile.

"I should start planning what I'm going to pack. I need to find everything anyway."

We walk upstairs together, and like a gentleman, I let her go first. It's not because I want to stare at her ass on the way up the stairs. Really, it's not, but I can't tear my eyes away. The way those yoga pants grip every curve of the heart-shaped mounds makes me want to grab hold of her.

Crap, I need to rein my thoughts in, or the next six to eight weeks on tour will be torture and just plain weird. This girl is my best friend’s sister and not even interested in me.

It must be because I haven't gotten laid in the last six months. My normal meaningless hook ups just don’t appeal anymore. I want to settle down, have a family, and kids. I want sex to be about connecting with someone on a deeper level, not just about chasing my release.

The problem is everyone around me wants the playboy. They want to fuck a rock star and have a story to tell. I used to not care, but now, it bothers me. I just don't know how to break the cycle and turn my image around, and I'm not ready to talk about it, because I don't know if I could even explain it to Landon.

I close my door and flop down on my bed, hitting Dave's number, but it's Mitch who answers. He's our assistant manager and takes over, whenever Dave isn't around.

"Hey, Dallas. Getting ready for this tour?" Mitch asks.

"Yeah, that's what I was hoping to talk to Dave about. Is he around?"

"No, he had to go out of town. Some family thing. You’re stuck with me on the first leg of your tour, I'm afraid."

Huh. We have been with Dave for six years now, and never once, has he ever had a family thing or put anything. before the job. I hope everything is okay, but I know better than to pry.

"Listen, we were talking tonight, and Austin is back in town. Well, we were thinking of having her come on tour with us. Nothing big, but maybe a song or two, during the bigger shows. She's going to come either way to spend time with us, though, it might be something to advertise."

"Oh, I like that idea. She has her own little following. Fans love the brother and sister duet between her and Landon. They eat that up. We’re pretty much sold out with the exception of a few venues. This might push the rest of the sales. I'll get on it. Only one song each show?"

"Yeah, somewhere in the middle. She won't want to open or close the show, you know her." She hates being on stage, but she would hate opening or closing even more, so it’s not an option. “So no, we won't make her do it.”

"Sounds good. I'll get a press release going and push it out on social media. Maybe, you guys could share some of the old videos of her on the tour a few years ago and get fans excited on your social media, too."

"Good idea."

"Alright, thanks for giving me more work. I was getting bored. Talk soon."

We hang up, and I go online and grab a link to the video I love the most of Austin. I have it bookmarked, because I watch it more than I should. It was taken two years ago, when she did a few tour stops near Washington, D.C. with us. This was the stop where Landon wasn't feeling very well, so I filled in on the duet, and the fans went crazy. So much so, that the record insisted she and I do a duet together.

The spark in her eyes as she looks at me. I know she was doing it for the fans, playing up to the mood, but even from this fan's video, you can see the emotion in her face, as she sings. At that moment, it was just her and I. The rest of the arena fell away, and I had never wanted to kiss her as badly as I did in that moment. I know after that I hurt her, because I had to put space between us. If she knew my thoughts, she'd have freaked out.

Those few moments on stage also made it impossible for me to be with another girl for months. I felt like I was cheating on her when I tried, which was crazy.

I share the link on my social media, and it gets comments immediately. Fans are so excited she’s touring with us and are begging people who have tickets to record her song and share it.

I watch the video again, before tossing my phone aside on my bed. I’m thinking of different outings I can take Austin on, like spending a whole day at The Biltmore Estate.

I’m still making plans in my head, when there’s a knock on my door.

"Yeah?" I call out, thinking it's Landon, asking if I called Dave, but when Austin steps in, I quickly sit up.

"I don't know what to wear on stage. What have you guys been wearing for this album?" She asks, but I notice a few dresses in her hand.

"Jeans and a button down shirt nothing too dressy."

"Can I try these on for you, and you tell me if it's too much? I'd ask Landon, but I'm sure he’s asleep, and I don't want to bother him."

"Of course." She smiles and heads back across the hall.

In a few minutes, she’s back and waiting for my opinion. She looks stunning in a simple black dress with a high neckline.

"I like that one with your cowboy boots." I tell her, while still running my eyes over her.

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking. I can add a jean jacket and switch up some accessories, and it would work for a few different shows. Okay, next one."

She goes back across the hall to change again, and when she walks in this time, the air is sucked from my lungs. Holy shit, where did she get that dress? It's a deep royal blue with a plunging neckline and ends several inches above her knee. Just above appropriate.

"No," I growl.

"No?" She looks almost disappointed.

I can't take my eyes off her; she looks so fucking hot in this dress. I grip the sheets and force myself to stay seated in the bed and not walk over to her and take her in my arms. Fuck, I need to get laid.

"If you wear that dress, we’ll be fighting off every guy in the arena, who’s trying to get to you. That dress is sexy as hell and good for a date night with someone you plan to get laid with, but not on stage for everyone to see." I'm honest with her, and her cheeks turn pink, as she ducks her head.

"Go change, Austin," I say in a stern voice. Seeing her flushed in that dress is too much. Thankfully, she turns and heads back to her room. I take a few deep breaths and will my cock to go down, before I scare her. She's been here for a few days, and I can't keep myself under control.

"Okay, last outfit. Are these shorts okay? I can pair them with a lot of shirts? Or I could wear some of your shirts you will be selling at the shows to help promote them." She says, as she steps back into the room.

Fuck. At least, her ass is covered.

Barely.

"I think those will be fine, but nothing shorter. And no shirts that show your stomach off."

"Duh." She rolls her eyes. "No tank tops, and nothing where you can see my bra. I know the speech."

I nod, but I still look at her tan legs on display.

"Thank you, Dallas. I think my nerves are just getting to me." She whispers, but I hear it loudly, as if she was standing next to me.

I sigh. "You will do amazing. If you want to back out any time, you know you can, even last minute. We got your back."

"I know." She offers me a soft smile, before turning back to her room and closing my door behind her.

I look down at my hard cock. Fuck, I'm in so much trouble.

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