ROCK U BABY

Chapter One

The relentless rain battered my already aching head and shoulders. Soaked to the skin, my sopping wet clothes weighed me down and made each step more difficult. The wind had a chilling bite I hadn’t expected for late spring in Alabama.

I needed a safe place to hole up for the night but didn’t like the looks of the dark alleys in this area. In all my wandering around the city today, I hadn’t even seen a park. My teeth began to chatter in chorus with the shivers rippling through my body.

A new rhythmic pounding sound was added to the constant splatter of raindrops on the sidewalk, the base beat of rock music. The music grew louder as I continued along the street. Through the blur of water dripping in my eyes, I managed to make out the sign outside a huge building separated from the other businesses on the street by parking lots. It was a concert hall and on the far side of it sat a multistory parking garage.

The parking garage became my new goal. I detested the noxious fumes in such places, but it would at least give me a break from the rain. If I could find a secluded place deep inside, maybe the wind wouldn’t reach me either.

I hurried despite my exhaustion.

Well, crud. Attendants manned both the entrance and exit and the interior was fairly well lit for such a place. An alley separated it from the concert hall, perhaps there would be a pedestrian entrance on the side.

I turned into the alley with my head bowed against the force of the rain. A buzz of excited voices made me look around. A large cluster of people surrounded some stairs and a door to the concert hall.

I swiped some of the rain from my eyes and lashes. They were all women. Most of them held umbrellas and the rest had jackets with hoods. I felt a pang of envy which was unusual for me. Surely standing in a crowd of people would warm me a lot faster than the cold cement of the parking structure.

I eased my way into the center of the group and tried to figure out what they were waiting on by what they said.

The women were waiting for the band inside to finish, and they hoped to be picked to party with them. They were groupies. I was surprised I’d remembered the term since I’d never been to a concert in my life and had been raised in a place that didn’t allow TVs, radios, magazines, or even newspapers.

It was warmer in the crowd, but I felt as conspicuous as a speck of pepper in a sea of salt. My hair was plastered against my head. My tattered denim jacket had rips, and my wet, shabby jeans were shapeless rags worn nearly threadbare in places.

The women around me all wore stylish if somewhat revealing, clothes and I could tell they’d spent time doing their makeup and hair, too.

The door opened at the top of a short flight of stairs, and the crowd surged forward nearly knocking me off my feet. The center of the group no longer seemed safe, so I worked my way toward the outside.

“Back it up ladies,” a large man in a black jacket shouted. “Nobody on the stairs unless I point to you.” The big man started down the steps shooing the ladies back as he went. A second man remained just inside the now propped open door.

The women backing up shoved into the women behind them and someone tripped, fell into the next woman then a tall woman crashed into me. I was beside the stairs now, and the weight of the woman shoved me hard against the steps, and my head hit the metal railing.

“Whoa! Ladies be careful.” The man bent over the rail and touched my shoulder.

I straightened up and rubbed the lump forming on the back of my head.

“Hey, are you okay?” he asked.

I turned and looked up at him. My chattering teeth made it difficult to get the words out to assure him it was just a minor bump.

“Damn, you look like an innocent babe, like a doll. You shouldn’t be here,” he exclaimed. “Who are you with?” He looked around. “Did you get separated?”

“I’m by myself,” my voice trembled almost as much as my body.

“What? That’s not safe. Climb on up here and sit down for a minute. Let’s make sure you aren’t going to get dizzy or anything from the bump.” He helped me step up on the outside of the stairs then lifted me bodily over the rail.

I was impressed with his strength. I was a petite five feet four inches tall with a slender build, but I was soaking wet and carried a wet gym bag.

The man continued his speech. “This band is very strict. No women under twenty-one are allowed. They don’t want to have to worry about who can and can’t drink.” He pointed at a couple of women, and they barreled their way to him. “I mean it ladies, we will check your ID to make sure you’re old enough.” He picked out three more. “How you holding up little baby doll?”

Exhausted and freezing, I used the rail to help me stand again. While I was grateful for his kindness, sitting on the cold, wet concrete wasn’t helping me get any warmer. It was time for me to move on and get back to looking for a way in the parking structure, out of sight of the attendants.

“You sure are a pretty little thing,” he said.

What a strange comment. I’d always thought my green eyes were too big for my face and my lips on the pouty side. In my shapeless drenched clothes and my strawberry-blonde hair plastered against my scalp, I had no idea what he could possibly be seeing.

“How old are you?”

“Twenty-six. But I’m not here for the band. I just wanted to get warm, or at least less cold.”

“I don’t believe you’re twenty-six, but you’re shaking like a leaf.” He turned to look at the man in the doorway and yelled, “Harry, I’m sending this baby doll up to you but be sure and check her ID okay?”

Was he letting me inside the building, out of the rain and wind? I hurried up the steps before he changed his mind.

Harry allowed me to step inside onto a thick mat. “Get out your ID, honey. You might be eighteen, but I’m not buying twenty-one.”

“Please, could I just stand inside here for a few minutes to dry off and warm up? My other bag was stolen, and it had my ID.”

The women coming in from outside were directed to stand with other women coming from the seating area.

“Oh, so that’s how you got soaked. Do you need to use a phone to call the police?”

A couple more women squeezed through the door, and I moved off to the side so Harry could do his job.

I tried to lock my jaw so no one would hear my teeth chattering. I started feeling colder even though I was out of the rain. My clothes felt like cold, wet blankets weighing me down.

“Babydoll, are you having some kind of delayed reaction to the mugging? You’re trembling,” Harry said.

When I tried to answer, my lips just quivered.

“Hang on a minute. I’ll get you some help.” He gave my arm a pat and pushed a button on the headset he wore. “Dorothy, I need you at station six, stat.”

A few moments later, a middle-aged woman in a black security t-shirt appeared.

“Dorothy, this is Babydoll. She was mugged, and the poor little thing is cold and wet. Can you help her get dry while she waits for the police?”

I opened my mouth to correct most of his statements but decided it wasn’t worth the effort. I’d be out of here soon and these nice people would never have to know they got my story wrong.

“Come on, Babydoll. I think I know a way to warm you.” She led me down a long deserted hallway and into a bathroom. “Strip off those wet clothes.” She pushed the button on the hand dryer attached to the wall and gestured me closer.

The blast of warm air was heavenly, and I took off my wet jacket.

“I’ll look for a sack for your wet stuff. You got any dry clothes in your bag?”

“No, it’s not waterproof so everything is soaked.”

“All right. No problem. I’ll find you something.”

Despite my usual modesty, I stripped down to my bra and underwear. Chilled to the bone as I was, getting warm was more important than keeping my whole body covered. I stood in the stream of hot air and restarted the dryer each time it stopped. After several minutes warming my body, I stuck my head under there and started raking my fingers through my hair. The warm air on my head was helping a lot, but with my body not getting as much of the heat, my undergarments felt cold and clammy against my skin.

Dorothy was gone for what seemed like a long time. Maybe she’d forgotten me? I wouldn’t mind spending the night in here if Dorothy didn’t come back. It would give me a chance to dry everything, and it would be nice to have a bathroom handy for a change.

When my hair was mostly dry, I gazed in the mirror. I looked like a wild woman with my strawberry-blonde hair all poofed out, tousled and falling a few inches past my shoulders. Was this how someone named Babydoll would look?

The door opened. I jumped and automatically tried to cover myself, not comfortable with the idea of anyone seeing me nearly naked. It was Dorothy. I tried not to fidget as the woman approached, telling myself normal women were comfortable with other women seeing them in their underwear. Certainly, someone named Babydoll would be.

“All I could find is one of Al’s big shirts.” Dorothy held it up to me. “At least it’ll cover your butt.”

I reached for it thankfully and started to put it on.

“Honey, if you put it on over your wet things, it’ll be wet, and you’ll end up being cold again.” Dorothy started cramming my other clothes into a plastic sack.

Was she right? Should I discard the wet undergarments? They felt awful against my skin. While Dorothy was distracted, I turned my back then stripped off my bra and pulled the shirt on. It was loose, and the hem struck me mid-thigh. Before I could chicken out, I reached under the shirt and pulled off my underwear. Maybe I could dry them with the hand dryer if I had time. The shoulders of the shirt were so wide it didn’t want to stay up and kept sliding down my arms.

“You need some kind of belt so the weight of all the extra fabric doesn’t keep pulling it down your arms.” Dorothy frowned for a moment. “Let me see if I can find something to use and I’ll look for some socks, too. Your shoes aren’t going to dry out anytime soon, and they’ll keep your feet from getting warm.”

While Dorothy was gone, I took my garments to the sink and squeezed as much water out as I could then repacked them in my bag. The plastic sack was pointless since everything I owned was already soaked.

Dorothy came back with a length of white cord. It looked like it was supposed to hold back curtains, but she helped me tie it, then gathered the excess shirt up in the back to give it a pleated look. Her final offering was a thick pair of black socks.

“Thank you so much for helping me,” I said. Being Babydoll was working out great. People were kind to Babydoll. Studying myself in the mirror, I realized I looked nothing like my old self. My extremely long strawberry blonde hair had been cut off four years ago when I’d briefly escaped Larry. This time, I’d just gotten it layered on the sides to frame my face with it tapering down just past my shoulders. Now it was fluffy and wild, no actual curls, but lots of natural waves. The short shirt dress showed off the shapely legs I’d developed accidentally through the years doing yoga. Normally I kept my legs well hidden, first by long skirts, then jeans when I started living on the streets.

Plain old Kate was gone. I looked the part of someone named Babydoll, a groupie who hung out around stage doors, hoping to get chosen from the crowd to have random sex with a stranger just because he was in a band. Smiling at my own outrageous thoughts, I shook my head at the image in the mirror. No way would I choose to have sex with anyone, let alone a stranger. But maybe this could be the story I wrote when I got around to working on my dream of writing a book.

“Are you ready to go call someone to pick you up?” Dorothy asked.

I didn’t bother to explain there was no one to call. I was completely alone in the world. In fact, I thought of myself as a rolling stone sometimes and as a rock or an island others. During a previous foray into freedom, I’d been exposed to the music of Bob Dylan, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Now more than ever the song ‘Like a Rolling Stone’ applied to my life, and I was just fine with it. It was the safest way for me to live and stay free.

Would someone like Babydoll be a rolling stone? Perhaps, but for very different reasons than Kate, I decided. Baby’s goal for not putting down roots would be for adventure.

If people were nice to Babydoll, she probably wouldn’t avoid them the way Kate did. Baby might be brave enough to talk to people, not make friends exactly, but at least make acquaintances.

I smiled at Dorothy now. “Sure, I just can’t thank you all enough. You’ve been so kind.” Maybe I could use a phone book to locate a shelter of some sort. They were places where Larry might look for me so usually, I avoided them, but I was still cold and exhausted.

When Dorothy opened the door and motioned for me to go ahead of her, fear struck me swift and hard. Was I really daring enough to walk out of the relative safety of the bathroom without my undergarments? The shirt felt an inadequate covering for my near nakedness.

Dorothy’s expression turned curious. “Did you forget something?”

Just my good sense, my inner critic warned. These people had been nice, but I couldn’t impose on their time any longer, I told myself. I had to move on.

We stepped out into the hallway, but only went about ten feet before a crowd of people moving in the opposite direction surged forward, enveloping us.

“Oops, stand to the side. The band has already picked up their women and is heading out.”

Copying Dorothy’s example, I flattened my back to the wall.

There was a wave of excitement crackling in the air I’d never experienced before. People were laughing loud, talking loud and bouncing around in anticipation of something. I had no clue what they were so thrilled about.

Everyone seemed happy and excited. The mood was contagious. I forgot my body still trembled with a bone-deep chill the hand dryer hadn’t been able to reach, and I was naked and vulnerable under the cotton fabric of my borrowed shirt. Instead of cowering in fear, I let myself soak in the positive energy all around me.

This was a strange new world. I pushed back the fear which had been my one constant companion for most of my life. I wouldn’t look at these people as possible threats to me. Surely a woman named Babydoll would feel at ease in this world, she would fit in and laugh with those around her. My heart beat faster and harder in anticipation of something exciting and different.

The crowd came to a standstill, but I was too short to see what the holdup was.

I couldn’t help noticing the man standing almost directly in front of me. He was gorgeous with midnight black hair flowing several inches past his shoulders. His unrestrained laughter filled the space all around him and glittered from his dark brown eyes. I watched him rake a hand through his straight hair, sweeping it back from his handsome face and did the same to get my own hair out of my eyes.

He kissed the blonde on his right, then turned and kissed the brunette on his left. Both women were smiling and clinging to him. His hands moved with confidence over their bodies touching their bottoms, caressing and squeezing in an intimate way. Heat rose in my cheeks, embarrassed just to see such a thing.

What was I doing? Babydoll wouldn’t drop her gaze to the floor and hide from the blatant display of sexuality as Kate did now. Babydoll would be an amused observer. I brought my gaze back to the scene in front of me.

The man’s shirt hung completely open in front, and the blonde ran her hand over his chest, drawing my attention to a gold ring attached to one of his nipples. Gosh, was that painful? Why would a man want a piercing there? Before I could figure it out, the blonde’s hand moved down over his flat stomach, and I wondered how his body felt. His skin looked taut over muscles. The heat burning on my cheeks spread to my entire face. I was not accustomed to thinking about such things, but someone named Babydoll surely would be. Babydoll would have been bold enough to touch a man in that way. He so clearly welcomed the women’s exploration.

Years ago I’d spent six months being a girl named Katie during which time I’d seen and touched countless men’s chests, as well as the rest of their bodies, but now I couldn’t even recall how they felt. Katie hadn’t focused on the sight of the men she worked on, felt no joy or excitement in the touching as these people before me obviously did now. Katie had only cared about the muscles and tendons under their skin, her fingers seeking areas of tightness, bumps or knots below the surface and working to soothe and smooth them.

The brunette turned within the circle of the man’s arm and rained kisses on his neck as she ran a manicured hand through his hair. Did his hair feel as silky soft as it looked? Kate would have seen this man as a threat as she did most men and she would have hurried in the opposite direction. Babydoll was curious and let herself stare.

The brown gaze settled on me and waves of some foreign emotion rippled through me. Was that how excitement felt? His eyes moved over me with restless intensity as if he saw exactly what I looked like under the shirt and liked it. I wanted to cross my arms and legs and find somewhere to hide. My breath caught for a moment as fear tried to make its way back to the forefront of my mind. My mouth went dry, and I caught my bottom lip between my teeth for a second before running my tongue over it.

His gaze flashed back to my face, and a sexy grin spread across his face. Sexy? Where had that thought come from? Not Kate for sure, she didn’t think such things. Babydoll then? Yes, it was definitely a Baby thought.

“Well, what do we have here?” he asked. His brown gaze brushed my face, dropped to my mouth, then took another thorough and leisurely journey over my body.

“Tommy Ridges, don’t you be lookin’ at Babydoll like that,” Dorothy said. “She’s not a groupie. She’s a respectable young woman who got mugged and knocked down in the rain.”

He slowly licked his lips. “Really?”

I could only smile and nod. It was my fallback position. My fake nervous smile had gotten me through many awkward and/or frightening situations. Stop, you’re not Kate anymore. How would Babydoll act?

My smile widened, but I couldn’t make myself hold his gaze no matter if Baby would. It might take me a while to become Babydoll 100% of the time. Maybe it would help if I started thinking of myself as Baby.

Dorothy’s radio crackled and someone asked her to get to exit door C to help with an intoxicated female. The older woman looked over at me.

“Go ahead,” it was Babydoll who responded sounding confident. “Do what you need to. I’ll be just fine now.”

The woman gave me a pat on the arm, then started swimming upstream through the crowd.

“Your name is Babydoll?” Tommy asked, drawing my attention back to him.

I nodded and smiled a little wider then looked away. My gaze snagged on two wooden sticks protruding from one of his back pockets. “You’re a drummer?” As soon as the words left my mouth, I wanted to call them back, realizing too late how stupid they sounded.

Tommy’s laugh erupted and spread to the women around him. “Like you don’t already know who I am?”

I shrugged to hide my confusion. I knew nothing about this band except their name, Rock U. I liked music, especially rock, but I had no access to it growing up in the compound. Living on the streets as I had since my last escape, music came way down my list of priorities.

His hand came up under my chin, raising it as his gaze tried to trap mine. “No, little Babydoll. I am not a drummer. I am the drummer. The best drummer.”

“I’m sorry if I offended you,” I murmured contritely as the heat in my face blazed hotter and spread to my neck and chest.

He laughed again. “Is that a natural blush? I don’t think I’ve seen a real blush in years.” His gaze moved down my body to pause at my thighs.

Oh, no, could he tell I didn’t have on underwear? I shifted, unable to stifle the need to fidget under his scrutiny. Why didn’t he stop staring? Could he see through the shirt? My heart pounded so hard now I was surprised he couldn’t hear it.

“Nice to meet you,” I said belatedly. His eyes came back to my face, but the raw desire gleaming in his brown eyes was a lot more intense than even Babydoll was comfortable with. I shifted my stance, and the shirt slid off one shoulder. I jerked it back up, but the movement must have caught his eye because now his eyes were locked onto my chest. As cold as I still was, my nipples had stiffened and despite the bulkiness of the shirt, were obvious.

I moved my arms up in front of me in a subtle attempt to block his view of my breasts. I bit my lip and tried pulling at the material just above my makeshift belt to make the shirt looser in the front.

Tommy laughed. “Such a tiny little waist.” He pulled his arms out from around the other two women and reached out with both hands. He settled them just below the belt to span my waist. “A nice fit don’t you think?” He looked up, blatant sexual desire burning in his dark eyes.

My face was on fire. I wasn’t used to strange men touching me. Having his focus on me was… disturbing, a little frightening, I was more comfortable just observing his interaction with the other women. With a nervous laugh, I pushed his hands away.

“Come back to the hotel with us.” The dark intensity in his gaze moved possessively over me once again, and I jerked my gaze away.

He couldn’t be serious, could he? Would Babydoll take such an invitation seriously? In trying to avoid Tommy’s lecherous gaze, I accidentally met the gaze of the man a few feet behind him. He was staring at me intently, and I got the impression he’d been watching my whole interaction with Tommy.

“Tommy, stop teasing her,” the man said, confirming my suspicion. “She’s obviously too young and innocent for a drummer.” He was at least 6 feet and towered over me, making me feel small and fragile while he looked powerful and tough. “I think a sensitive songwriter would be more to your liking,” his voice had dropped lower, thickened and set off a fluttering sensation in my belly.

How would a writer even describe a voice like that? An image of molasses drizzling over a warm biscuit flashed into my mind. Again, I smiled at my own odd thoughts; perhaps I was too hungry to be creative at the moment. He was a songwriter, maybe he could help me describe it.

“Butt out Steve, I saw her first,” Tommy laughed some more.

Steve’s face was just as handsome as Tommy’s. Was it some sort of requirement for being in a band? Did the men have to be good-looking? His hair was a sandy blond. Long enough, I thought it might be fun to run my fingers through it, but not long enough for it to get in the way.

Wow, where were all these odd, new thoughts coming from? Another purely Babydoll thought for sure. One of the books on writing I’d read, talked about the need to get inside the character’s head. Surely pretending to be my character would give me all the information I needed.

My gaze slid away from Steve’s to focus on his broad shoulders. His shirt hugged his muscled chest and emphasized the width of his shoulders and flatness of his stomach. Impressive.

“Nice to meet you, Babydoll.” Steve stretched toward me and held out his hand.

“You can just call me, Baby.” Babydoll was starting to sound like a mouthful to me, besides I reasoned Babydoll’s friends would call her Baby as an affectionate nickname.

My imagination really was running wild tonight. Hopefully, it was just the emerging writer in me and not the result of a fever and delirium because my face felt like it was on fire.

I finally took Steve’s hand for a quick squeeze, but tingling warmth zapped my palm and traveled half way up my arm at the contact. I let go, but he didn’t, he held onto my hand.

“Your fingers are freezing,” he sounded surprised, but immediately moved closer and started rubbing my hand between both of his. Warmth flowed from his big hands.

I sighed at the feel of the comforting warmth seeping into my hand and moving up my arm. I looked up at his face again and opened my mouth, intending to thank him, but the words stalled in my throat. His eyes were a fascinating shade between green and blue. Baby was apparently a bit of a hussy, staring at two different men, finding them both attractive in the space of a few minutes. I tried to hold my body stiff against the wall so it wouldn’t tremble. “I was out in the rain a long time.” I offered by way of explanation.

Tommy had his arms around the other two women again and had taken a few steps forward but turned back to me now. “Babydoll, why are you holding hands with Steve?”

“Her hands are cold,” Steve said.

Tommy snagged my other hand and tried to tug me closer to him. The blonde who’d been sucking on Tommy’s neck didn’t like that at all and gave me a murderous glare.

“It’s freezing,” Tommy said finally understanding.

Steve had moved even closer not relinquishing the hand he held, and now Tommy stepped closer, too. I was pinned between them.

“I can warm up your hands better than Steve,” Tommy promised.

Before I realized his intention, he sucked one of my fingers into his mouth. My eyes widened at the sensation. Having my fingers sucked was a first for me, and I wasn’t sure if I liked it. The heat from his mouth sent tendrils of warmth up my arm, and my pulse raced madly. My breath became quick and shallow. I wasn’t sure if my sudden lightheaded feeling was a result of it, a reaction to Tommy, who now sucked a second finger into his mouth or the fact I hadn’t eaten all day.

“Come back to the hotel with us,” Tommy urged again between fingers.

I shook my head. There was a huge difference between imagining what it would be like to be a groupie and actually behaving like one. “I have to figure out where I’m going to sleep and....”

Tommy was sucking hard on two of my fingers while swirling his tongue around them. Meanwhile, Steve put my hand under his shirt and pressed it against the taut warm flesh of his flat stomach. Warmth and a tingling sensation mixed with my embarrassment at being the focus of two men’s attention.

I laughed at the bizarreness of the situation. Things like this just didn’t happen to me.

“You don’t have a place to stay yet?” Steve asked.

“Then it’s perfect,” Tommy said, finally, taking my fingers out of his mouth, “You’ll stay with us tonight.”

The blonde squirmed in between Tommy and me, forcing him to release my hand.

“Oh, I don’t think that’s a good idea.” I wiped my wet hand on my shirt and heard Steve laugh. It was a musical sound and I suspected he laughed often. The crowd of people began to inch forward. The blonde was keeping Tommy busy so now I just had to free my hand from Steve’s. I tugged, and he let me take it out from under his shirt. The people around me took a couple more steps forward, but I pressed against the wall so others could get by. My heavy bag was on the floor by my feet. Someone kicked it, and it slid a foot away. Darn! I couldn’t lose it, it contained everything I had left in the world. Squatting down to grab the strap, I kept the shirt pressed against my legs so as not to accidentally flash anyone.

“Baby,” Steve’s voice held a serious note for the first time, and I got a firm grip on the strap of my bag and straightened up to look at him. “Do you really not have a place to stay tonight?”

Heat suffused my face again as I shook my head.

“You don’t live around here?”

I studied his serious expression for a moment. What was that look? Concern? Could it really be concern, from yet another stranger, directed at me? What was it these people were seeing when they looked at me tonight? People really were nicer to Babydoll.

“No.” What if it was pity rather than concern? An unpleasant sensation washed over me. I flashed him my fake smile. “It’s no big deal. I’m a rolling stone.” He looked confused, so I tried a different song lyric, “a ship with no harbor, adrift.”

The group surged forward again. There were a lot of extra women around him and Tommy. Steve was slightly ahead of me now. He reached back and took my hand again urging me to move forward. It was awkward with my bag on the floor blocking my path, there didn’t seem to be enough room to pick it up and besides it was dripping wet and heavy.

“What do you mean?”

I turned up the wattage on my fake smile. “I don’t live in any one place, I like to move around, or you could say, drift with the current.”

“You mean you’re homeless?” he asked.

It was pity. My gaze slid away from his. “More like I choose to live on the streets.”

“Come with us,” he said.

I let out a shuddering breath and looked up to meet Steve’s gaze. “You guys are kind of… I’m not used to…” There was cold air wafting through the hallway, and I started shivering again in earnest. Man, I didn’t want to be as cold and wet as I was earlier. “Overwhelming,” I finally managed to say.

He bent down, and I froze as his face came close to mine, his lips nearly touched my ear as he whispered, “The suite will be crowded with people. You don’t have to stick with Tommy or me. You can just hang out there for the night.” His warm breath bathed my ear and set off little tingling sensations rippling through my skin. “Besides Tommy will be drunk within an hour and passed out in two. The other women might keep him busy until then and even if he comes on to you, you don’t have to do anything. He’s not the type to get forceful so you’d have a warm, dry place to sleep.”

My stomach let out a loud growl. He was so close I cringed, and my cheeks flamed as I sent up a plea. Please don’t let him have heard it.

“Was that your stomach? How did such a big noise come from such a tiny little belly?” He turned more toward me and placed his other hand over my belly.

My stomach muscles contracted and grew warm. My breath stalled. Should I ignore caution for once? I shifted so his hand fell away.

“There will be food. We always eat after a show,” Steve said.

I wavered. I really didn’t know what other choice I had at the moment. There would be shelters in a city this large, but getting to one and it still having space now was iffy this late at night. Bus stations used to be my favorite place to stay in bad weather, but someone had managed to steal my other smaller bag two days ago when I slept in one so the idea held no appeal for me.

“Lots and lots of alcohol, too, if that’s your thing.” Steve frowned. “Are you even old enough to drink?” His expression cleared. “Is that why you’re afraid, are you underage?” He moved our clasped hands behind my back and urged me forward.

I shook my head and used my foot to slide my bag forward so I could move with him. My fake smile must not be working if he could tell I was scared. “I never drink any kind of alcohol,” I said. I could feel his gaze on me. Were my nipples sticking out against the shirt again, I wondered but didn’t dare look. If only I weren’t so naked beneath the thin fabric of the shirt, I might not feel so vulnerable and scared about going back out into the streets or to the hotel with him.

Steve let go of my hand, and I thought maybe he’d decided I was too much trouble when there were so many willing women around begging to be invited back to the hotel. Who was I trying to kid? I didn’t have a clue how Babydoll would act.

Steve leaned down in front of me. My eyes widened. What was he doing now? I pressed the hem of the shirt against my legs in front. The strap of my bag was pulled out of my hand. I opened my mouth to protest, then realized it was Steve taking it. He swung it around in front of him.

“Careful,” I said, “It’s wet.” I was a second too late as he slung it over his other shoulder. He made a face but then ushered me up in front of him as the group moved again.

Tommy looked back, but there was no room for him to turn. He had his arms full at the moment. “Baby?” he called out.

“She’s back here,” Steve said. I tilted my head back, and it rubbed his chest. Smiling down at me, he winked. My stomach did an odd little flutter, again.

Everything was going to be alright, I told myself. I could eat and rest, maybe find somewhere to lay out some of my clothes to dry. As I got closer to the door, my shivering increased.

I could see now the area around the door was covered by an awning so I wouldn’t get rained on at least. More people in front of me moved, and I saw they were getting into a long stretch limo. Most of the extra women were being directed to a minibus behind the limo. Tommy and his two companions moved through the doors. I started to step out, but there was a rushing stream of water, wider than I could step, between the limo and door.

“Cold feet?” Steve asked.

Oh no, I was holding up the line. “They will be if I step in the water.”

He laughed. It was a good-natured sound and genuine. He scooped me up into his arms, took one big step across the water, then handed me off to someone inside the limo. Busy keeping the shirt-dress pressed against my legs front and back, I couldn’t form a protest. I looked back and saw Steve handing my bag to the uniformed man standing beside the car door.

Unfamiliar hands passed me along from lap to lap. Holy cow! What a time to be without underwear. The hem of the shirt snagged here and there on knees and who knew what else as I moved along, frantically trying to keep it from riding up. There was only one empty spot left, on the far side of the limo, of course. Steve was right behind me now, and I didn’t want to take his seat.

Two hands settled firmly on my hips. “Here you go, honey.” An unknown man guided me onto his lap.

I tapped down my rising panic. I wasn’t uptight Kate anymore; this was Babydoll territory. Determined to start thinking and acting like Baby now, I got my fake smile in place, then turned my head toward the man, “Thank you.” He had brown hair and an easy grin. The urge to jump out of the vehicle and run away lessened slightly. He was more cute than handsome and looked young in comparison to Tommy, who I estimated was in his late twenties and Steve, who was probably around thirty.

“No problem.” One of his hands went to my back and rubbed. “What’s your name, sweetheart?”

“She’s Babydoll, Jeff. You behave yourself,” Tommy said. “I’ll want her back.”

I looked back out the door as Steve moved past me. There was still a line of people, mostly women. “What about the others?” I asked as the door closed.

“Don’t worry about them,” Jeff said. “The roadies will make sure they get to the hotel.” I tried to tug the hem of my shirt down without moving around too much on his lap.

“Come over here, Baby,” Steve invited. “There’s more room.”

I was tempted. It might give me another chance to make sure my bare bottom wasn’t showing on the side where my shirt was caught on something. “I’m going to move to Steve’s lap where there’s more room,” I told Jeff with my nervous smile firmly in place.

“Just my luck,” he said. His lips formed a pout.

I got up as the limo started moving. There were feet and legs everywhere and no place to grab hold of anything but a person. I lost my balance and was tossed against Steve’s chest. My hands were busy keeping the hem of my shirt around my legs. Steve just laughed and grabbed me. As if I weighed nothing and really was a baby doll, he moved me to sit sideways across his lap. It worked out well because the man beside him had long legs and there was room for mine beneath his.

“You’re shaking like a leaf in a tornado,” Steve whispered, his warm breath caressing my ear. “Are you scared or just cold?”

I bit my lip, then glanced up at him and admitted, “Both.”

His arms came up around me, and he pulled me snugly against his chest. My head rested against his shoulder because it was the most comfortable way to ride in the crowded space. One of his hands rubbed my back while the other stroked my arm infusing me with warmth.

“Steve, what are you doing to my Babydoll?” Tommy hollered over all the many voices talking at once.

“Just warming her up for you.” Everybody laughed, and I forced the expected smile, but I was enjoying the enveloping warmth of Steve and hoped I didn’t have to give it up too soon.

The stiffness drained out of my body as I melted little by little, in the sheltered warmth of his arms. I closed my eyes and drank in this new experience. I felt protected and safe. Had I ever in my life felt like this in a man’s arms? Certainly not ever with Larry and if I’d ever felt protected by my father, I must have been too young to remember it now.

There were several conversations going on at once. I took turns focusing on different ones. If I was going to sample this new type of life, I needed to understand it better.

Randy liked to refer to himself in the 3rd person. Randy likes this, Randy hates that, Randy is… I wasn’t sure who the man with very long, curly blonde hair was, but it was evident he thought he was the star and the rest of the men in the band were just accessories. Kind of like the women he said Randy liked to have waiting for him as soon as he came off the stage. I grew bored with hearing Randy saying his own name and switched my focus to a different conversation.

Two women seated between Steve and Jeff were discussing all the different bands they’d partied with. Interesting, I’d assumed the women fighting to get backstage were there because they were fans of this particular band, but these two at least, only cared about quantity and how famous the men were.

One had been picked by Matt, I hadn’t met him yet, and the other by Jeff but after they had sex with those men they intended to try to get Randy and Tommy’s attention.

Jeff seemed nice, and I spent a few minutes wondering if he knew he was just a way in the door so to speak and whether or not it might bother him. I was offended on his behalf, but maybe it was a leftover Kate emotion.

The man with the long legs beside Steve was apparently in charge of booking gigs for the band, and Matt was complaining to him about only having three nights in Vegas. He seemed to think they should have skipped the two nights in Reno and added those nights to Vegas. The scheduler, I hadn’t yet figured out his name or title, started telling Matt about how he’d gotten a blowjob standing at his post last time they were in Reno and since Matt got so much tail he shouldn’t begrudge the other man a little fun from time to time. I was learning all sorts of new words tonight, but it was hard to tell if I was figuring out their correct meaning without asking questions, which would call attention to me and no doubt, reveal I was not a real groupie.

“I think you put her to sleep, Steve,” Jeff said.

“I had to for her own good.” Steve paused, but I felt sure he was about to say something outrageous.

“Why?”

“It’s the only sleep she’s going to get. I plan on keeping her up the rest of tonight and most of tomorrow. She’ll be so sated by me, she’ll tell Tommy to fuck himself.”

Jeff made a snorting noise. I eased my hand over to Steve’s stomach and pinched him. A rumbling laugh emerged, and his chin brushed over the top of my head.

I felt much warmer and less nervous by the time the limo stopped. I moved my head against his shoulder, then put my lips close to his ear. “Thank you,” I whispered.

People were filing out of the limo, and we had a little more room already. He tipped me back against his arm. “Anytime Babydoll.” His lips caressed my forehead, then the tip of my nose.

A tremor having nothing to do with cold went through my body. Was he going to kiss me on the mouth, too? For the first time in my life, I wouldn’t mind being kissed, even if he were a stranger.

“Baby,” Tommy said from outside the limo door. “Come on.”

Steve sighed, and I felt the warmth of his breath against my lips. “To be continued?”

His eyes were green, I decided, staring into them now. I couldn’t work enough moisture into my mouth to answer him so I just blinked and nodded. He moved the arm at my back so I was sitting up straight again.

There were still several people seated on both sides of the aisle, but most of the laps were empty.

“Go ahead, Baby,” Randy said with a grin.

“You guys go first.” I motioned to the people on one side.

“Are you avoiding Tommy?” Steve wanted to know as seated people started getting out.

“Not exactly.”

“You want more time with me in here,” he suggested with a pleased smile.

My face caught fire again. Yes. But it wasn’t what most concerned me at the moment. I worried my bottom lip, and he laughed again. I managed a small shake of my head.

“Tell me,” his tone was a command whispered directly in my ear. The fluttering feeling was back in my stomach, much stronger now.

“I don’t want to try to get out stepping over knees and feet. I’d rather just slide along the seat until I get to the door.”

“Why?”

“This shirt is too short,” I admitted.

“Afraid someone will see your panties?” His deep sexy voice made the word panties sound obscene.

I hid my burning face in the curve of his shoulder. “No, it’s because I’m not wearing any.” I felt the immediate reaction of his body against my bottom and saw his Adam’s apple bob in his throat as he swallowed. I started trembling again. Why had I told him that? The man was getting an erection from just my words. Panic swamped me, and I quickly scooted off his lap to an empty spot on the seat, then started sliding my way toward the door.