His eyes fell on her, and he remained seated on the arm of the worn sofa, waiting for the right moment. He was relaxed and in good spirits. There would be one more show after tonight's performance at the Hollywood Bowl. Lindsey wasn't sure how many shows it had been, but he knew they'd all put too many miles on themselves since the tour began. He finished his drink and stood to his feet, soundlessly shuffling up behind the petite blonde in deep conversation with Christine. He slipped his arms around her middle and lifted her off the ground. "One more!" he announced happily, laughing wholeheartedly as she squealed and swatted at his arms. Christine shook her head and walked away from the couple. She needed to refill her glass of champagne.
"Lindsey Adams!" Stevie cried as she wailed on any part of his arms and upper body that she could make contact with. "Put me down! Now!"
He smirked and rolled his pale eyes, gingerly placing her platform heels back onto the floor as she huffed and pushed her hair out of her eyes. Lindsey's arms remained around her waist as he nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck. Stevie leaned back into him, relishing the feel of his protective hold on her body. She reached up and stroked the back of his head. He nibbled on her bare shoulder and smoothed his hand over her swollen abdomen. "How are you feeling?" he asked.
"Ask me after the show," she replied acerbically, glancing around the room.
Lindsey knew why her brown eyes were darting around the area. "She's in John's lap," Lindsey answered. "She's been there for the last ten minutes. I've been keeping an eye on her."
Stevie let out a small sigh of relief and relaxed against him. She took a sip of her water and glanced at him, quizzically peering at him. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Because I can," Lindsey replied, grinning like an idiot and waggling his eyebrows at her.
She giggled and shook her head. "After we're home," she whispered, her tone promising. Stevie turned in his arms, leaning in and covering his mouth with hers.
Lindsey pulled her against him tightly and returned the kiss feverishly. He'd been feeling neglected the past couple of weeks. He broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers.
A high-pitched cry broke the tender moment. Stevie jerked her head in her daughter's direction and let out a thankful sigh once the recently turned two-year-old began giggling wildly. She didn't need tears or a tantrum before a show. Skylar bolted out of John's lap. As soon as her tiny feet hit the flooring, she was running out of the room and somehow screaming and laughing simultaneously.
"Hey! Come back here!" John yelled after the toddler. "Chris! Stop her!"
Christine raised her eyebrows as she sipped her champagne. Skylar barreled towards her at full speed, and she simply stepped aside to get out of the small child's way. With a pleased smirk, Christine watched as Skylar ran through the doorway. As her former husband's choice words hit her ears, she turned towards him, winking and ignoring his scathing glare. "She's quick," she commented dispassionately. "Shot off right past me."
John grumbled and shook his head, knowing full well saying anything to Christine would be pointless. He turned to the petite blonde. "Stevie!" He shouted and marched over to her and Lindsey. "Your kid's a thief."
Stevie bit her bottom lip to contain her amusement. Lindsey chuckled and buried his face into Stevie's shoulder. Stevie nudged him. "Lindsey, go get her."
"Stevie, she's fine. She'll run off some of the energy she has," he told her and made eye contact with his bandmate. "John, you'll get your cap back."
"It's my favorite one," he groused unhappily, thinking he'd never see it again. He should have pulled it off his head as soon as Skylar climbed into his lap. The bassist didn't understand the child's fondness for his baseball caps.
