Bedding the Band

Chapter Four: Shake, Rattle, and Roll

OLIVIA

I settle on the bus seat tucked in the back corner and watch the guys file in. Walker made quick work of getting them sorted out, packed up, and on the bus, good moods excluded.

The bus itself is a nice surprise, with a sleek outline and an almost brand-new feel to it. The inside is clean. I spot a bedroom in the back and a small bathroom with a shower.

Kai's comment burns in the back of my mind, even though it didn't seem to bother Walker as he shrugged it off.

Not this again. Dude, they'll never go for it.

What have I gotten myself into? My nerves fire in bursts that make my pulse jump. I don't belong here. I know that; the guys obviously know that.

Any minute now they'll kick me off the bus. I try not to let it bother me, but the longer the guys spend throwing luggage on board and shoving each other around, the tighter the ball of tension in my gut churns.

Soren shoves past Ezra, shooting him a glare in the process. They've been like that all morning. Walker broke up their argument in the room, but Soren doesn't seem ready to let it go.

A man I don't recognize climbs in and heads to the driver's seat.

Soren grabs the edge of a fold-down table about halfway down the bus and yanks it into place before sprawling haphazardly onto the bench seat. Ezra and Kai take the bench across from him.

The entire bus is thick with an underlying tension I don't understand.

Walker is the last to board. He takes a long look around and finds me within seconds. A slow grin slides into place, and he makes his way down the narrow aisle.

My heart does that little skip-flutter thing before it starts pounding in earnest. Every step he makes causes a new rush of feeling that is impossible to ignore.

He drapes his forearm over the seat and leans in close enough that I catch a whiff of his aftershave. "Don't worry about them. Everything'll be fine."

I want to believe him, but the looks Soren and Ezra keep throwing each other do not inspire confidence. Ezra glances at me over his shoulder, and I tense at the coldness in his eyes.

"Why am I really here?" I'm not sure if I meant to ask the question out loud, but it's too late to take it back.

Walker's weight causes the seat to sink when he drops down beside me, and I fall into him. "I want you to document the real-life stuff that goes on here. The kind of stuff no one sees but everyone wants to know."

"Like that?" I ask while waving a hand toward Soren, who's leaned back in the seat scratching his balls. The sight sends a warm flutter through my belly and tightens my core.

"Not quite." Walker grunts and stretches his long legs out into the aisle.

I'm trapped in here with four incredibly hot guys and talking about documenting their lives, and all I can really think about is how much I'd like to crawl in Soren's lap and fuck that frown off his too-serious face.

Something happened to me at the concert last night. I don't understand it, but Megan's "grab life by the balls" comment has lodged deep in my mind and it seems to be dictating every thought.

"We need some good press, stuff that will build up our reputation and get people talking about us." Walker is still talking, but I barely hear the words. "I'll need to see your drafts before you post them online though."

The hard edge in his voice finally gets my attention.

"I need your approval?" I didn't expect that, though I understand where he's coming from.