Free Longing for You (Touched by Magic Book 1) by Kelli McCracken

his beer and placed the bottle to his lips. The ice-cold liquid eased the burn the tequila left in its wake. He chugged half the bottle before pulling it away and glancing in Jesse’s direction.
    “Thirsty?” his friend asked.
    He grunted as he motioned toward the stage. “You get under those lights, sing song after song, and see how much you drink.”
    “Touché.”
    Out of all the venues they’d played in, Theo’s biggest complaint was the lighting. Though some never bothered him, most left him feeling like a day-old pizza under a heat lamp in a convenience store. At least the lights were mounted high enough in this club. Otherwise, he’d be battling a wicked headache, as well as a dry throat.
    “Holy shit, dude,” Jesse began as he sat up straight. “You still haven’t told me about those chicks you were talking to. Damn, they’re smokin’ hot.”
    Theo didn’t bother hiding the smile on his lips, nor did he rush to give Jesse all the details. He took a swig of his beer and surveyed the bar, hoping to catch a glimpse of the beautiful bombshell he’d chatted with two minutes prior to show time.
    When he didn’t spot her right away, he refocused on his friend. “The redhead is Cee-Cee. Her friend is Elle. They’re gorgeous, built, and willing to go wherever we want when the show is over.”
    A deep chuckle resonated from Jesse’s mouth. He twisted his head from side to side, ogling Theo the entire time. “You smooth-talkin’ son of bitch. I don’t know how the hell do you do it. Must be a gift.”
    Shrugging at Jesse’s response, Theo finished his beer and set the empty bottle on the bar. It clinked against his shot glass as he refaced his friend. “Must be, man. I don’t know. I’m just me.”
    Jesse crossed his hands over his heart and batted his lashes as he leaned closer to Theo. “And that’s why you’re my hero, bro.”
    “Man, get out of here.” Theo pushed Jesse back and laughed. His friend always could make him laugh. While he might be able to sweet-talk the ladies, Jesse won them over with his wit. Theo envied that about him.
    As Jesse ordered another round, Theo surveyed the bar again, taking his time to study some of the faces. Allen had slipped out the side door to grab a smoke, which explained why he hadn’t joined them. But where in the hell was his brother?
    “Did you talk to Jonah before he bolted?”
    Jesse rocked his head side to side while taking a drink from the new beer the bartender had brought. He swallowed hard, wiped his mouth, and looked Theo in the eyes. “It was brief. He said something about needing to get some air.”
    “Figures… You know what coming back here does to him.”
    “Yeah, it gives him a bad case of Ally-itis. Common symptoms are mood swings, confusion, and a set of swollen gnads. Your brother needs to find him a piece or jack off.”
    Laughter roared from Theo’s chest. He high-fived his friend and both took another drink of their beers. As much as he enjoyed making jokes at his brother’s expense, part of him felt for Jonah. Love was a bitch, or so he’d heard.
    “Guess I better go track him down. We have about fifteen minutes before we do the second half of the set. Wanna come with me?”
    “Nah, I’m good.” Jesse tipped his beer backward, took a long drink, then set the empty bottle down. “Think I’ll order another shot and bum a cigarette off Allen.”
    “I thought you quit.”
    “Yeah, well, drinking makes me crave it. Guess we all have our vices. See you in a few?”
    Nodding at Jesse, Theo eased away from the bar and made his way toward the back of the club. Might as well hit up the men’s room first. It wouldn’t take long to pop inside and see if Jonah was there. If not, the back door was close. The exit sign above the archway said as much.
    The metal door cooled his hands when he opened it and entered. It closed back as he went further in and examined the stalls and urinals. There was no sign of anyone, much less his