“As long as she doesn’t breathe down my neck, it’s all good as far as I’m concerned.” Typical Sticks; he never has a problem with anything. And certainly not since he is so happy with Camille. As long as he can drum and doesn’t have to worry about anything else, it’s all good for him.
“If John and Sticks agree, and as long as they don’t put any of my personal things in that magazine, I won’t have a problem with it,” says Tim.
I give him a nod. “The last thing I want is for Valérie to use personal items from us to get a juicy story. The point is that our group will once again positively be in the news.” My gaze goes to John; he is the only one who has still not said anything. He looks me straight in the eyes and casts a questioning gaze at me. “What’s the real reason behind this?”
Of course, it is he who will see through my brilliant plan for what it really is, an attempt to bring Valérie closer to me. But I don’t intend to admit it just like that.
I frown and look at him. “How do you mean?”
He stands up and walks toward me, his gaze never leaving mine. He doesn’t stop until he’s standing right in front of me. “This isn’t like you,” he says seriously. “You’re normally so protective of your privacy, and now suddenly you’re going to let a journalist follow us? Something tells me that there’s more going on, that you’re not telling us.”
Everyone from the band is looking at me. By their expressions, I can tell they suddenly believe what John says. It’s as if they’re only thinking about it now when John says it out loud.
“Which journalist will be following us?” John asks.
“I don’t know; Hard Beats arranges all that for us. Later today I get all the data though.” It’s not my habit to lie to the other band members, but if I just get Valérie here, then I have time enough to explain everything to them.
“Bullshit!” John laughs, and his eyes shine with mirth when he looks at me. “Do you really think I believe that?”
Of all the band members, John knows me best. Now that he is getting married to my sister he will become my brother-in-law. Apparently, I can’t hide anything from him. I’ve always been a bad liar; it got me into trouble with my parents more than once in the past. When I secretly went to a party, but my father opened the door when I wanted to sneak in, I never managed to talk myself out of trouble.
Frustrated, I ball my hands into fists. “I have no other choice; she doesn’t want to talk to me or listen to me. This was the only way to get her close to me.”
Tim first looks at Jonathan and then at John. “Why do I feel like I missed something?”
John grins at me and then turns to Tim. “Max is in love.”
Jonathan laughs, and the naughty grin on his face doesn’t escape me. When it became clear that he felt something for Camille, we did not spare him, and it is clear that he will not let me escape now, either. “With who? Do we know her?”
I sigh and let my shoulders drop. I haven’t heard the last joke about this yet. They’ve never seen me captivated by a woman, so now I can be sure that they will rub this under my nose all the time.
“Her name’s Valérie. She’s the journalist who’s responsible for ending the press conference the other day.”
“You’re kidding me!” Tim roars with laughter. “Mike told me she was hot. Good luck with that.”
“And you hope to get her to fall in love with you?”
I hear the skeptical tone with which John speaks. I also realize that I haven’t thought this through, but once she’s here, everything will fall into place. I will take care of that personally.
John looks at me one last time. “I hope you realize what you’re getting yourself into. Good luck, man. Something tells me that you’re going to need it.”
I also see the naughty sparkle in his eyes. I suspect he remembers the time he secretly spent with my sister without any of us knowing. I try to suppress that thought immediately. No brother wants to imagine what his sister gets up to behind closed doors.
John leaves the hall, and the rest of the band members wish me good luck. All I have to do now is think about how I can get Valérie to myself. Because that is the only goal I still have in mind.
I have to agree with John that this is not going to be easy.
NOW THAT I’M ALONE in my room, it’s time I lay out my battle plan. I may have lured her here, but I don’t think she will come running toward me with open arms. Fanny has just emailed me Valérie’s phone number and details. So that I have an idea of what’s ahead of me, I decide to call her and gauge her mood. After two short rings, her warm voice sounds in my ear.
“Hello, this is Valérie.”
It is clear that Fanny didn’t give her my number or she wouldn’t have answered so cheerfully. “Hello, Valérie, this is Max. I heard from Fanny that you’re going to follow us in the coming weeks.”
“Not that you gave me a lot of choice in the matter,” she snarls at me.
I chuckle. This is precisely the reaction I expected, but this time she won’t get away with it that easily. “If you had listened to me after the press conference, I wouldn’t have had to take such drastic measures to get you to talk to me. Because that is all I want, Valérie. An opportunity to talk to you about everything.”
It becomes quiet on the other side of the line, and for a moment I think she’s going to hang up. There is a charged tension between us. The only thing that makes me remember that she is still on the phone is her rushed breathing. Eventually, she answers anyway.
“There’s nothing that you can say that will change this situation, Max. What did you think, that after all these years you could just pick up where we left off as if nothing had happened? Well, I have news for you, Max, I don’t feel anything for you anymore. The only reason I’m taking this assignment is because it is a once in a lifetime opportunity in my career as a journalist. Nothing more and nothing less. I will behave professionally and I expect the same from you.”
After all these years my little kitten has turned into a fiery tiger, that much is clear. Of course, I will behave professionally, but if she believes that I no longer affect her, then she is clearly mistaken. The fire I hear in her voice now makes me wonder how long it will take before I can break her. She’s used to being in control, but when she’s here with me, I’ll be the one in charge. Just the thought of everything I want to do with her makes the blood flow faster through my veins to one well-known place. I wobble a little in my chair to reduce the tension.
“Of course, I will behave professionally. Business is business. There’s only one thing about your plea that isn’t right, Valérie.”
“Oh yeah.” She sighs annoyed. “And what is that supposed to be?”
I can almost see her; how she defensively crosses her arms in front of her, puts her chin in the air and keeps her eyes focused on me. I can’t wait to have her with me here in person. Then I could show her how I would react to it. I’m sure she won’t stay as strong once I get around her.
“I still have as much effect on you as you do on me. And I will do everything I can to make that clear to you.”
I cheer internally when I hear her gasping for breath. She can pretend for herself all she wants, but I know better than that.
“Can we please agree on how we do this? The rest doesn’t matter.”
“The day after tomorrow I expect you at the concert hall by noon. I’ll email you the address shortly. I’ll be there to let you in; we’ll talk the other details through in person.”
“I’ll be there. Until then.”
“Thanks, Valérie. I’m looking forward to working with you,” I say. I am overly friendly and businesslike, and I hope she hears that in my tone of voice.
“Whatever.”
I chuckle at her low tone, but even before I can say anything, the connection is broken. I already know that the coming weeks will be something else. I email her, as promised, the latest information and then close my laptop.
All I need now is a good
night’s sleep.
4
Valérie
Why did I agree to this? I should never have allowed Ines to talk me into this. And her plan for me to make Max jealous is even more absurd. Max can get a different woman in his bed every night if he wanted to, so why would he waste his time on me? Even if I tried to make him jealous, there’s just no chance that it would work. I look at myself in the mirror one last time, glance at my watch and realize that I really have to leave now if I don’t want to be late. Ines has offered to take me, which is a good idea. I am so nervous that my hands are shaking and my legs feel like Jell-O. There’s no way I’d be able to drive. We’ve just finished loading all the suitcases in the trunk, and there is actually nothing to stop me from leaving, but I am still here in my room.
Yesterday, Ines helped me choose an outfit for today so Max would be bowled over when he sees me. I stare at my reflection and can only agree with Ines. If this doesn’t make it clear to Max what he’s been missing, then I don’t think anything will. I’m wearing black jeggings with a black long-sleeved top. The sleeves have a lace pattern and are slightly see-through so that just a hint of my skin is visible. My long hair hangs in loose curls over my shoulders, and Ines has done my makeup in a natural yet sensual way. To finish it off, I put on my high, black pumps. I have had a passion for shoes since I was a little girl, and that passion has never really stopped. It always makes me feel strong and sexy when I walk on my high heels, so not a day goes by without me wearing them.
A loud honk startles me out of my thoughts.
“Come on, Valérie,” screams Ines. “We have to go.”
With trembling hands, I take my purse from my bed and run down the stairs. Ines is already waiting for me behind the wheel of her red convertible Volkswagen Beetle. I am standing on the pavement, but I can’t bring myself to open the door and get in. I break out into a sweat, and the only thing I can think of now is turning around and locking myself in my room to prevent me from having to go.
“I can’t do this, Ines. This is a bad idea. If I call work, Julian might still be able to take my place.” I get my cell phone out of my handbag, but before I can even call the number, Ines stands next to me and puts her hand on my phone.
“Valérie.” She waits for me to look at her. “I know you’re insecure about all this, but I beg you, do crazy for once. Let go of all thoughts and prejudices. I think this is what you need to do to close the Max chapter permanently. Do as I said and show him what he has missed all these years.”
She is absolutely right; I know that. But it’s easier said than done. When Max left, I had a tough time. But when I met Ines, she helped me get over it. She taught me that in life you shouldn’t always look back, but you should live. Enjoy every day to the fullest. All I have to do now is focus on my work and not think about him. I take a deep breath before I get into the car.
Here we go!
AFTER AN HOUR’S DRIVE, we arrive at the concert hall where Full Moon spends most of their time. Ines pulls up near the entrance and parks at the edge of the street. I look at the building and see the doors of the entrance open. My breath sticks in my throat and every hair on my arms stands up. Max walks out and comes straight toward us. The very way he walks is intimidating. If there were people around, they would all fall down at his feet as if he were the king of the world. He looks just as beautiful as a few days ago. I had forgotten just how much an effect he has on me.
“Holy hell,” I hear Ines swearing behind me. “He looks much sexier in real life than on TV or the magazines.”
I can only agree with her. It’s one thing to go against him on the phone, but when I see him here, I don’t know if I’ll be able to do it again. When Max arrives at the car, he opens my door and like a true gentleman he stretches out his hand to help me out. I see it in his gaze as he gauges my reaction and wonders if I’m going to accept his hand. Even if I hesitate for a moment, I cannot avoid any challenge he throws at me if I want to make it clear to him that he does not affect me. So, if he thinks I won’t take his hand, he’s mistaken. I carefully put my hand in his. When my hand touches his, a warm tingling sensation flows through me, and when I look up at him, I see that he feels the same.
He gives me a gentle squeeze and then helps me out of the car. When I stand on the pavement, I immediately pull my hand from his and wipe my palm over my pants. Ines has also gotten out of the car by now and comes to stand next to me. She eagerly reaches out to Max.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Ines, Valérie’s roommate.” Max shakes her hand.
“Nice to meet you, too. I’m Max.”
Ines laughs loudly. “As if I don’t know who you are. Is there a chance I can meet the rest of the band, too?”
Max raises one eyebrow and looks at me questioningly. I’m sure he wonders how Ines and I can be friends, as she is so different from me. But he sees the fun of it because he laughs and points his hand at the entrance.
“This way, ladies first.”
Ines and I walk before him to the door. With trembling legs, it is more difficult than usual to walk on my high heels, but miraculously I manage not to fall flat on my face. We are met by two guys standing in front of the entrance. We stop and look at Max.
“Ladies, these men are Mike and Steve. They ensure that everything runs smoothly and guarantee the safety of the band and our entourage.” He stretches out his hand to the biggest of the two guys. “This is Mike. He has been with us for a few years now and has actually become a part of our band.”
He gives us a curt nod. “Good evening.”
What a grouch. His whole posture is stiff, and he has a grumpy look on his face. He’s probably very good at his job because it’s clear to me that you don’t want to get in trouble with him. Max points to the other guy standing next to Mike. He is also muscled but is definitely not as strong as Mike. He has short, black hair and an angular jaw.
“This is Steve. He assists Mike to make sure everything goes smoothly during our concerts and outside of them.”
“Hello, ladies.”
He winks at Ines and I roll my eyes as she blushes. This is the first time that she doesn’t come up with a catchy remark. Who would have thought that I would live to see the day when a guy manages to knock her down with muteness?
Mike takes out passes and gives them to Max.
Max steps to me and puts the cord of the card around my neck. When his hand caresses my neck, I involuntarily close my eyes. He chuckles. Of course, he notices my reaction, and the arrogant smirk on his face tells me he is happy with himself that he has so much effect on my body. If I want my plan to succeed, I will have to make sure that I can control that physical attraction between us. When I open my eyes, he is looking at me with that intense gaze of his, following every move I make. Studying me like it’s the first time he sees me. His gaze holds a promise, a promise of what’s about to come. A warning. A shiver runs through me and the heat of earlier courses through my whole body. If he can do that with a single light touch, I don’t dare to think about what it will be like if he...
STOP! I really shouldn’t be thinking about that now.
I look next to me and see how Steve hangs a pass around Ines’ neck. They exchange glances, and I already know that I have to ask Ines right away what is going on with her. Did she perhaps already know him? I look at him again before I shake my head at Ines and she innocently shrugs her shoulders.
“That pass ensures that you have access anywhere. I’ll give you a tour of the concert hall, and then you can meet the band,” says Max. He looks at me before he continues, “Then I’ll take you to the hotel to check you into your room. Ready?”
Ines hooks her arm into mine. “Absolutely!”
We follow Max through the entrance to the concert hall. I’ve been to a concert before, but the hall looks so different when there’s no one filling it, and there is no music playing. It suddenly seems so massive. We walk on to the stage, and there are a lot of people busy preparing everything for tomo
rrow’s concert. Some people hang from the ceiling, busy with lighting, others are busy setting up the drums, and yet others are busy with pulling cables for the speakers.
We walk past the stage to the back of the building. In a narrow corridor with doors on both sides, we hear a lot of noise at the end. Max opens the door and Ines, and I follow him inside. All sound falls silent, and the eyes of everyone in the room are on me. The whole group is present, and one by one they study me attentively. I’m so overwhelmed that I don’t even notice Max grabbing my hand and taking me with him to the first band member.
The first person Max introduces me to is John. I immediately recognize him from the press conference.
“Hello, I’m John.”
“Hi, I’m Valérie.”
John laughs at me, and a dimple appears in his cheek. I am sure that dimple has already gotten many girls into trouble. “I remember who you are; you made us shy away at the press conference. I didn’t know anything about Max’s old love.”
I feel my cheeks start to blush. Everyone laughs, and it’s clear that they know of Max’s intentions with me. So much for the professional impression I try to make. If I can see Max alone for a moment, I will certainly talk to him about it. Jolene appears from behind John. I also saw her at the press conference, and, of course, I know her from the past. But she’s not little anymore; she has grown up a lot since I last saw her, although I still recognize some features in her face that she used to have. While teasing, she slaps her fiancé’s chest, who pretends that she hurt him.
“What had we agreed? You wouldn’t bother that poor girl right away. She’s barely inside, and you’re already starting.”
John laughs at her and pulls Jolene against him. “I’ll never do it again, sweetheart.” He whispers something in her ear, causing her to blush. It is nice to see that they are so in love with each other. You can see it in their whole bodies. The way they look at each other makes it clear to everyone.
Say You Crave Me (Full Moon, #4) Page 4
