This is the revised version of Attraction

Tom drove up to the entrance of a large hotel made out of countless red bricks and huge windows. He let the engine purr, watching me silently. I got the feeling that I was supposed to leave the car.

"Uh...are you dropping me off?"

"Have to park the car."

"Tom, you're not my driver. I can walk from the garage as well."

His eyes widened for the fraction of a second as if struck by realization. "True. Guess it's habit."

I chuckled because he was strangely cute when he looked a bit lost. "Well, you're my husband. It's weird when you treat this as a job rather than simply picking me up."

He put the gear back in position and drove forward. "I'll try to remember."

We took the elevator up to the lobby, but the ride wasn't long enough to build any additional tension. I had this urge to give him a kiss although my nerves kept me still. I wasn't entirely sure why I was nervous, but just thinking about having these new dynamics with Tom while the others could see us made me queasy. I'd never had any problems to flirt in front of others, but the stakes. The stakes!

"I think the others are at breakfast. Have you eaten?" Tom asked.

"I had an apple on the train."

"Well, a second breakfast wouldn't hurt then."

I was about to say that I wondered what I could do to burn the extra calories when the elevator slowed and opened to the grand foyer.

Tom led the way to the long reception desk where a guy greeted us with a short nod. "What can I help you with, gentlemen?"

"We're here to register another guest in room 312. Add him to the breakfast list today and tomorrow."

"Name?"

"Joachim Carson," Tom replied.

I almost choked. He'd used the wrong surname. He'd used his surname. Had it been a slip? Had he forgotten my name or did he want to make it easier for the receptionist? I wasn't sure what to think, but my body knew exactly how to feel. My skin sizzled like someone had plugged me in to some kind of electric current.

The guy nodded again, and after some fiddling, he placed a keycard on the counter. "Welcome, Mr. Carson."

I glanced at Tom, watching him smile conspiratorially before I said, "Thank you."

The need to confront Tom about this 'slip' was next to overwhelming, but it seemed like a bad idea to do it while the receptionist could listen in.

"Should we leave your bag in the room before breakfast?"

I thought about it. Really hard.

"Not sure we'll have time for breakfast if we go upstairs first."

"Is that so?"

My skin hadn't stopped sizzling, and this exchange certainly didn't help. "Absolutely certain."

"Very well then, let's have breakfast." Tom's suggestive half-smile was life.

The first person I saw inside the breakfast lounge was Chris, standing in line to the food. The second he saw me, he broke out in the widest of smiles.

He walked closer. "Joah, what are you doing here?" Holding his plate out of the way, he opened up for a hug.

"They didn't tell you?"

"No, Tom didn't say a word. This is great. Dante will be stoked. Just don't expect him to be social for long, or social at all maybe. He's quite nervous for tonight."

I had a hard time imagining Dante as nervous. He was always so self-assured. But then, I knew a lot of artists who battled with stage fright or performance issues in general.

"Grab some breakfast. We're over there by the window." He pointed at a table where Dante leaned over some papers and Lara picked at her food. "Awesome that you're here. Means I don't have to sit idle when Dante goes off to practice."

"Cool." I smiled wide, letting go of the fear of not being welcome. Of course, I knew Chris would welcome me, but Lara was a great unknown. She'd said it was okay, though. Hopefully, she hadn't changed her mind overnight.

Tom had stacked his plate while Chris and I'd talked. When I saw the number of calories, I couldn't hold back a chuckle. I wouldn't be the only one in need of some extra exercise.

"What?" he asked as he caught me shaking my head.

"Think we'll have to find a way to burn the extra energy."

The low chuckle I received in response was worth everything. "Patience, Mr. Carson."

My eyes went into saucer mode. Damn, this was getting out of hand. He kept getting the last word because he left me speechless each time.

Chris let out a soft whistle once Tom had continued toward the table. "Dude, what was that?"

"Well, what do you think?" This was amusing. Shocking Chris was almost as much fun as teasing him.

"I think you have a lot to tell me, that's what."

"Later maybe. Let's go meet the others first. I've promised to be nice to Lara while I'm here."

"That's quite the promise," Chris replied, leading the way through the lounge.

I caught a bit of tension in his words. Something was going on, and I had a feeling I wouldn't like it.

Lara nodded in greeting when I claimed the seat next to Tom, setting aside her newspaper. "So you found your way to Baltimore."

"Yup. Thanks for letting me join. Can't wait to see what you guys are up to when you're out touring all the time."

Dante grunted. "That's right. Lara, you heard him. I'm always on tour."

"Well we can't have your star fading, now can we?" Lara replied.

That was definitely the wrong answer. Dante gave her the glare from hell, and I was quite startled to see an expression that appeared foreign to his features. Chris had told the truth when he'd said Dante was on edge.

The atmosphere was practically oozing with tension, and the urge to break it became overwhelming. "So where are you playing tonight?"

"Meyerhoff," Chris offered. "We were there yesterday to check it out. It's nice."

"So, will there be a party afterward?" I had to keep this conversation going somehow.

Chris' shoulders shook with stifled chuckles. "Unless you want to hang around with a bunch of oldies."

"Chris, don't be rude." Lara pursed her lips. "You won't have to stay for long, and if you behave I might let you wander off into the city afterward."

"As if we need your permission." Dante was definitely not in the mood.

"You might not be a teenager anymore, Dante, but we're still on tour. I need to know I can trust you to keep the schedule." Lara was fuming. It was obvious even if she tried to keep it under wraps. I got the feeling that there was a story there somewhere. Maybe Dante had been difficult these last few weeks, or maybe Lara was stressed for some other unknown reason.

"I'll go with them." Tom placed his coffee cup on the table, giving Lara a small nod as if to calm her down.

It seemed to work. "Fine. I guess I'm a bit on edge," she replied. Not really an apology, but no one seemed to expect it. She continued with her breakfast, taking such small bites that I wondered if she'd ever finish.

The silence was terse.

"So what have you been doing these last few weeks, Joah?" Chris asked. Clearly another attempt at lightening the mood.

I was happy to oblige. "Oh, nothing exciting. Just hanging out, enjoying the freedom."

Tom cleared his throat, which made me realize the mistake right away. However, I couldn't very well refute it while we were at the table. I decided to simply continue as if nothing had happened. "I went to an audition. That was fun." It hadn't been fun at all, but I had no intention of souring the mood even further.

"Audition?" Chris asked. Oh, bummer. I hadn't actually told them much about my acting dreams. I wasn't even sure why.

"Yeah, theater. Have to do something with my life."

"That's great. Well, how did it go?"

"Don't think it was for me. I'll try something different next time. Pretty sure they couldn't handle my fabulousness." I thought of Gerard and his creepy suggestions. And Dave. He was a confusing guy. There was something about him, though—something that made it impossible to dislike him like I had before.

Chris had a strange look on his face. "I didn't even know you're into acting, though. What more have you been hiding from us?"

I thought about all the things I hadn't told them. Or not everything, but the important parts. They didn't know about my family. They didn't know I'd seen my dad and sister die. They didn't know I'd battled for years with the 'what ifs' and the voice in my head that said I should have tried to save them.

Tom squeezed my knee beneath the table. He knew. He understood.

"Well, what's a guy without his secrets, right?" I said, hoping Chris would let it rest.

Tom's caress turned into something gentle. "Had they changed the time for rehearsal?" He looked at Lara, effectively diverting the conversation to another topic. I reached under the table and trapped his fingers with mine. A silent thank you.

Lara frowned. "No, of course they haven't. Where did you get that idea?"

Tom brushed it off with ease. "Must have mixed up the days."

The breakfast continued in a similar manner until all plates and cups were empty. Chris pulled Dante away the first chance he got, and I had a feeling Chris knew what he was doing. There was something vacant in Dante's gaze that made me uneasy, but if anyone knew how to deal with Dante, it was Chris.

Lara heaved a small sigh. "I'll be resting for an hour or so. I need to save up energy if Dante is in this mood for the rest of the day."

"He's stressed. You're pushing him too hard." There was a decisive note in Tom's voice that I hadn't heard him use with Lara before.

She looked at him with narrowed eyes. "He's the one who wants this. Remember that. Don't try to make me the culprit here."

"Of course, ma'am."

Tom's reply seemed to send Lara through the roof. "Is this what I get for trying my best? You used to be on my side, Tom."

I could feel how Tom stiffened beneath my hand. I'd never heard them argue before, and based on Tom's reaction, I wasn't sure it was a common occurrence. Standing up against Lara wasn't an easy thing, for sure. She had claws—something that I also loved about her, but I could tell this was the wrong moment.

"I'm not on one side or the other. I can see with my own eyes that Dante is stressed, and so can you. You know he's falling apart, and if Chris hadn't been here, we would have had a disaster on our hands. You can't push him harder just because he's a bit mellower with Chris around. What I'm trying to say is that you shouldn't be fooled. Dante is still just as sensitive when push comes to shove."

Lara gestured with her hands, appearing agitated and resigned at the same time. "Fine. We might have to cancel a few dates then. I'm fucking this up, aren't I?"

"You're trying your best, taking responsibility without getting as much as a thank you from anyone." Tom placed a hand on her shoulder, and she began to shake beneath it. "Talk to Dante. Let him make the decisions. Don't treat him like he's still a kid."

It was odd seeing Lara lose her composure. She always seemed so strong—like a force of nature.

"You can fix this. Talk to him," he said.

"I will. I just need a bit of time to figure this out."

Tom leaned back in the chair, much more relaxed than before. "All right. Come on, Joah, let's go."

Lara looked bewildered as if something like this had never occurred. I hit me then that she'd always had Tom by her side. By allowing me to come, she'd effectively turned herself to the third wheel, or the fifth. I felt a bit sorry for her, but as Tom nudged me forward, I readily complied and walked in the direction he wanted.

The elevator ride was slightly longer than the previous one but not long enough to allow an extended make-out session. It was enough to simply stand close to Tom, breathing in his scent and feel the strength radiating from his stance. He was so firm and solid, so different from the guys I'd known in the past.

"It was a bit tense there over breakfast," I said.

"You don't say?"

"I do say. What was it about, anyway? It felt like it wasn't just about this morning."

The elevator doors slid open. "No, Dante has been on edge the last few days. I think he's getting tired of touring. Lara used to schedule a lot longer breaks between concerts, but he's been steady enough lately that she squeezed in a few extra dates. She shouldn't have, it seems."

We walked through the long hallway, our steps muffled by the black carpet. The color was a nice contrast against the white walls. I wondered if it was marble, but that would have been a bit too opulent. It looked like it, though.

Tom got out his keycard and opened the door to a spacious room. It had a double bed and a nice view over the waterfront. Not that I was very interested in the view outside. The bed was far more interesting.

I dropped my backpack on the floor, happy to be rid of it for the rest of the day. "She didn't seem happy about being questioned."

"No. I don't usually speak up."

Stepping closer, I gazed into his eyes that I'd missed for weeks. "Why did you today?"

"I'm not sure, but I can't let her push him too hard. He can't stand such pressure, and none of us would want to be there when he falls apart. It has happened before, and it's not a pretty sight."

I ran my hands along his arms, folding them behind his neck. He was tense. "I think you all need to wind down a little bit."

"Is that so?"

I leaned closer to capture his lips. "I could give you a massage if you want." The brief kiss was enough to make me ache for more. I'd missed him way too much. It was insane.

"I'm all yours then."

A broad grin spread across my face. "I think we have to get rid of this shirt first, though." I began to unbutton it slowly, one button after the other. Tom didn't help me, but he definitely didn't complain.

"I think we have an hour or so," he said into my ear, letting warm air travel down my neck in the most delicious fashion.

"Then let's make use of it." I helped him out of the dark blue shirt, leaving little kisses all across his glorious skin.

"So you're only here for my body," Tom said. There was a playful tone to it, but I could tell that it was a more serious question than he wanted to let on.

"Nope. I'm here because I want to know everything about you. I'm a stalker like that."

Tom smiled. He actually smiled before crashing his lips into mine. He withdrew slowly. "Maybe the massage will have to wait. We seem to have more pressing problems." He pushed our hips together, and I almost groaned out loud.

"If you're all mine, then I'm all yours."

He raked his fingers through my hair and found purchase as he kissed me with just the right kind of desperation. "Good."

Oh, it was good all right. Better than good. It was absolutely perfect. We could deal with the other shit later.