Angels & Sinners: The Motor City Edition (13 page)

He rested atop her, listening to the fast patter of her heart. Their sweat slicked bodies clung together.

“I love you,” Astrid whispered, lazily running her fingers through his hair.

“I love you too,” he replied, blinking up at her. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for her. Together they would live out their years in the safety of each other’s embrace.

MY NIGHT WITH CHARMING

A Straight from the Heart Novella

Breigh Forstner

DEDICATION:

This short story is dedicated to all of my friends, family, and readers. This is only a short beginning to what is to come for Samantha and Damon, so I hope you enjoy!

It’s going to be one whirlwind of a ride.

CHAPTER 1:

Boom. Boom. Boom.

Yeah, whoever’s warming up the bass drums right now could certainly stop? As much as I liked the lineup for tonight, even the supporting bands, I only cared about one band and one man in particular.

Damon Charming.

He is the lead singer in the multi-platinum rock band Ignite the Flames, and the man that I’ve had a huge crush on for as long as I can remember. Now here I am, sitting front row at their concert, thanks to my older sister Isabella, who somehow snagged us tickets. All I could picture in my head now was seeing Damon, hot in the flesh, his blond hair and breathtaking silver eyes, that I’m sure have charmed quite a few girls out of their panties.

“Sammy are you okay?” Isabella, my older sister by five years, nudged me out of my fantasy about Damon. She gave me a look of concern, her baby blue eyes meeting my dark sapphires. “Or are you fantasizing about
him
for the millionth time?”

Bella, as I liked to call her, knew me all too well. Every time any song by Ignite the Flames came on the radio I was up dancing and singing to every single word, imagining I was at their concert, front row, shaking my ass just for the front man.

Imagine no more.

My eyes surveyed the ever growing crowd surrounding us, and in the stands of the Van Andel arena in Grand Rapids. It was going to be a sold out show tonight without a doubt, and the atmosphere was contagious. I was ready for the music. I was ready for the shredding guitars and bass lines to fill my bones.

Suddenly, I felt self-conscious. These other girls who were beginning to surround Bella and me were wearing skirts even shorter than mine, and tops where their cleavage was nearly showing. I tugged at the leather piece of fabric that covered my ass, and adjusted my black sequined tank top. It wasn’t just the clothes. These girls were a hell of a lot prettier than I was; the kind of girls Damon Charming would want to take backstage and party with. I had decent sized breasts, don’t get me wrong, but I chose to cover them up a little bit more, hoping the modest approach would work with this man.

But who am I kidding, I might not even get to meet Charming.

“Yeah I’m all right.” I sighed, sitting down in my chair, the cold metal not welcoming my behind at all.

“Just yeah?” Bella joined me, crossing her legs as she fumbled with the straps of one of her high heels she chose to wear tonight. “Sammy, don’t worry about these other girls. Half of them are probably Damon Charming’s unwanted goods who are coming back for another shot at nailing him. You are gorgeous, and believe me, he will see you and immediately want to talk to you.” She sounded so confident and sure about that idea.

I ran my hands through my long red hair and shook my head. “I sure hope you’re right. If not, there’s always good ol’ Bentley that’s back at home just waiting for me to take him back.” Bentley Vickers was my ex-boyfriend. We dated from our junior year of high school all the way through to our first year of college at the local university in Grand Rapids, until I caught him cheating on me with one of my former best friends, Ally. Ever since I confronted him about what I saw, he’s been pining after me, trying to win me back at whatever cost. I’ve turned him down each and every time.

Bella rolled her eyes as we stood up to let a couple of guys walk down the row to get to their seats. “Please do not go back to him ever, Samantha Lyn. Once a cheater, always a cheater.”

I started laughing. “Don’t worry.” My eyes trailing down to the guys that took their seats a few spots down from us to the left. “There is plenty of eye candy here to keep my mind occupied for tonight, well at least until Damon comes on stage, and then you might have to keep me from climbing up there.” Bella’s mouth dropped. “I’m only kidding. I really would never do that.”

“If you say so sis.” Bella winked. There were two large screens that were suspended on each side of the stage, now playing a recent music video for one of my favorite songs by Ignite the Flames,
Freakshow.
Everyone, including me, started screaming bloody murder when the guitar riffs kicked in and Damon’s voice filled the noisy arena.

I could get lost in this man’s fucking voice.

I grabbed Bella’s hand and we stood up, immediately dancing along with the others around us, while the guys sang along and drank their cups of whatever they were filled with. During the chorus I started letting loose, shaking my ass a little bit, not paying a bit of attention as to who was watching me.

Near the end of the song, I heard a loud cough... Thinking it was a security guard behind the railing protecting the stage, I didn’t pay any attention, but then I heard a familiar voice. “Holy fuck you can dance.”

I immediately stopped dead where I was standing, my hair a mess from whipping it in every which direction, and blinked a couple of times. I started feeling lightheaded all of a sudden, feeling like I was going to pass out.

Damon Charming, in the flesh, not even ten feet away from me. Maybe like five. I moved the stray hands of hair out of my face so I could take a better look at the most gorgeous man I’ve ever seen in music. Correction: anywhere. He was even nicer looking in person than I imagined. His blond hair was not quite as long as I’ve seen it before. I noticed some strands peeking out from under a navy Detroit Tigers cap. His silver eyes were boring a whole through me. His hands stayed in his pockets as he rocked back and forth. I glanced around again, thinking maybe he was just eyeing me up when really he meant someone else, but then he yelled again “I’m talking to you red.”

I took a few steps closer to the railing, where he stood directly on the opposite side. Cocking my head to the side I said “You like watching girls dance to your songs on those huge ass screens?”

He smirked, removing his hands from his pockets and now crossing his arms in front of his muscular chest. I could see the muscles, hard and rigid, from under his matching Tigers t-shirt. I wanted to touch them, run my hands along them, just once. Just to say I did. Damn, now I sounded cheesy.

“Just you.” He pointed to my outfit. “And your ass looks fucking perfect in that leather skirt by the way.”

Wow, first he’s complimenting me on my dancing, and now talking about my ass? I couldn’t get too excited, he’s probably said that to a million other girls, but at that very second I didn’t give a shit.

“Surprised no one’s noticed you standing here yet." I gestured towards the crowd. “These girls dress up in next to nothing just to get your attention.”

There was the million dollar smile. Damon’s lips outstretched into a smile, pearly whites on full display. He shrugged and leaned closer to me so he could whisper. “I conceal myself pretty well when I need to darling. I only have eyes for you and you didn’t even have to dance to get my attention.”

“Do you say that to all of the girls you come across?” I questioned him, my eyes narrowing on his full lips. I wanted to kiss him, he was close enough to where I could just tug on his shirt and the only thing standing in our way would be the damn guard railing.

“Sometimes. But tonight I’m only talking to you.” He replied with a cockiness to his voice. He outstretched his hand and said “Damon Charming by the way, in case you didn’t know.”

I snorted. “Obviously I knew or else I would still be shaking my ass back there with the rest of those people.” I took his hand with a welcomed pleasure, our fingers linking, which sent sparks of fire through my body. For a split second I forgot my own name. “Samantha Woods. But my sister back there calls me Sammy.”

Damon licked his lips, making it apparent he didn’t want to let go of the hand he had a hold of. “Nice. I think I’ll call you red. At least for now.” His other hand fingered a couple of strands of my hair.

“Call me that again and I’ll yell for security.” I joked, sadly pulling my hand away, smoothing out my skirt.

“I’d love to hear you yell for them. They’re my close buddies. But you yelling anything would turn me the hell on . . . ”

My face flushed. Who was he to talk to me this way? But I reminded myself, this was Damon Charming for fuck’s sake. He is in the flesh, standing merely inches from me now, talking to me, and possibly flirting with me. No harm in that. There was something about him right now that caused my panties to dampen . . . it must’ve been the hat.

Yeah I’ll blame that.

“Then I’ll keep my mouth shut.” I snapped, pretending to zip my mouth shut. Spinning around on my heels to go back to Bella, Damon’s hand grasped my bare arm.

“Wait.” Damon said loudly enough to get my attention, and I spun my head around.

“What? I thought you had a show to get ready for, being that you are the headliner you know . . . ”

“Fuck that. I’ve got time to kill and I need to say something to the most beautiful girl in this place.” Damon looked dead serious as we locked eyes again. Forget damp, I could’ve had an orgasm just from the way he looked at me. His hand sent electricity through me the moment he touched me to stop me from walking. “Now that I have your attention, right after our set, I mean as the band is playing their last song, I want you backstage in that dressing room. We are going to have some fun tonight and I want to get to know you.”

I stood motionless. He was like a drill sergeant giving me my commands. Backstage with Damon? If there was a bunch of people around that wouldn’t be so bad, but then again, I don’t know what happens backstage at concerts or have ever experienced it. I was over the top excited because I was just asked by ‘The’ Damon Charming to hang out in his band’ dressing room. How could I turn that down?

I softened my expression and smiled brightly at him, slowly licking my lips. “I’ll be there.” I replied, and he let go of my arm, taking a few steps backwards with a cheesy grin on his face. The music shifted from another ITF tune to Buckcherry’s “Crazy B**ch” and I watched him chuckle.

“That’s my cue.” He gestured towards backstage, where a few members of security were already waiting for him. “I’ll be watching for you later red.”

I shook my head. I knew he wasn’t going to stop calling me that any time soon so I might as well get used to it. “Sounds good.” Was all I could think of to say, lifting my hand up to wave while as he was escorted backstage by security.

Still in a daze, I sit down to regain my composure while my sister and the guy next to her are singing the well-known Buckcherry song, sharing a cup of beer. The encounter to anyone else might not have meant much, but to me . . . someone who has been crazy about Damon Charming for years? I felt as if I was on cloud nine.

Now I really couldn’t wait for them to get on stage.

CHAPTER 2:

“You lucky bitch; do you realize he only had eyes for you?”

As if I didn’t know already
. “Yes Bella, I noticed that. And among a few other things . . . ” I taunted my sister as we watched the second band, Don’t Remember Me, perform their set. My mind was still reeling over my conversation with him, and my stomach was filled with butterflies. Never have I ever got butterflies for any other guy, besides my ex-boyfriend, but that was in high school when things between us were great.

“Ooooo you’re totally going to have sex with him, I can see that look in your eye . . . ” Bella teased me, playfully slapping my bare shoulder. I raised an eyebrow at her and she started laughing. “What? I know that look sis. Was he as gorgeous up close and personal as he is in their music videos?”

Words couldn’t do justice.

“Obviously Bella. Did you see how fucking hot he looked with that hat on? You could see his hair underneath it and don’t get me started on his muscles . . . ”

Bella leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms in amusement. “Oh believe me this is amusing to listen to. I heard a couple of girls asking around if that was Damon or not. I just turned back and said my sister dated one of the roadies. That shut them up.”

I couldn’t help but giggle. “Thanks. I would’ve had a thousand girls climbing over me to get to him if they knew.” Stretching my arms over my head, I said nonchalantly, “The best part is he invited me backstage.”

Bella shrieked. “Seriously? That’s pretty fucking huge Sammy. Like mother fucking epic right now. I’d be in the bathroom spritzing up, spraying my hair, showing off some more of those boobs you have, and he’ll be all over you the minute he’s off stage.”

Another thought hit my mind, just as the band launched into what appeared to be their last song. “Do you think he’ll freak out if he finds out I’m only 19?” I asked in all seriousness. He was, the last time I checked, about 24, so a five year difference to a rock star might be a huge deal. But why was I even worrying . . . this was just going to be a one-time thing of me hanging out backstage with Damon Charming, and I never see him again after kind of situation. Age didn’t really matter at that point. Once Don’t Remember Me moved all of their equipment off stage, I stood up to go to the bathroom and to get something to drink before The Brittle Souls, another Michigan band, took the stage.

“I’ll be right back,” I said to Bella, maneuvering my way through the crazy, chaotic crowd, only to stand in the long ass line for the bathroom waiting for me up stairs. After relieving myself, I was washing my hands when another group of girls walked beside me to wash their hands and primp up their hair.