“I’m sure you are.” Hyde moved past her without looking at her.
“That’s it? No apology?”
Hyde stopped at the bottom stair and kept still before he spoke. “I’ll shower and take you back home to Virginia tonight.”
Tassia shook her head so hard her neck hurt. “We just saw a bear, and you said the mama isn’t too far behind. There’s no way I’m stepping out that door right now.”
He sighed. “Fine. I’ll take you back in the morning. Not my preferred time to travel without an entourage, but you want to go.”
Heat filled Tassia’s face. “No. I wanted to work. I guess that’s different from your agenda.” She peered toward the back of the house through the large glass sliding panel doors that opened up to the pool and backyard. “You own this entire property, right?”
Hyde nodded.
“I can stay in that guesthouse.” She pointed as though he wouldn’t know about the small home on his site.
Hyde shook his head. “You can’t.”
Tassia snorted. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Why is that?”
He dropped his gaze. “Take my word for it. You can’t.”
Tassia crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m not taking your word for anything. You’ve already proven to be a slick liar.”
Out of exasperation, Hyde raised his hands in the air. “Fine. I’m a liar. You’ve figured me out. I’m not the Boy Scout people say I am.”
Tassia stared at him for a moment when she noticed his armor cracking. “That’s a shame. The nice boy I knew fifteen years ago would have been great to work with now.”
“And there’s the problem. We can’t be those kids again. We’ve grown up. We’re not on a show.” Hyde blinked and took a couple of steps up the staircase. “I’ll shower and change. If I can get the truck into the garage without any problems, I can get you home tonight.”
“What? But—”
He didn’t wait for her to give him some sort of acknowledgment. He took the steps by twos and ducked into the room at the top of the staircase.
Tassia looked back at her luggage by the door. She retrieved her bags and went back to the bedroom Hyde had shown her when they first got to the house. She closed the door behind herself and locked it.
Everything about this situation felt wrong. Despite the lush and beautiful surroundings, she wouldn’t be able to get comfortable, not with a man who couldn’t be honest with her, a man who only thought of himself.
Tassia opened one suitcase and pulled out a T-shirt and a pair of shorts. In case they did hit the road that night, she wanted a good outfit that would travel well. She ducked into the bathroom and looked at herself in the large circular mirror over the sink. The reaction this time had her floored.
She stared at herself for a while and wondered in this moment how did she identify herself. She had gotten in a vehicle with a man she barely knew for a job. Did that make her trusting or adventurous? Her headstrong self demanded that she run. Did that make her a quitter? The stories about her not writing her own songs angered her. How could she get people to believe?
Tassia stripped and ducked into the large stall with a rain showerhead that completely doused her and relaxed her. The steam even smelled fragrant like she had gone to some rainforest and got caught in a storm. Too bad she had to experience this moment here.
At the end of her shower, she got out and quickly dried herself. She put her box braids up into a bun to keep them out of her way. Then she got dressed, finishing off her look with a pair of black-and-white Converse low-top sneakers. Before leaving the bedroom, she packed her belongings back in her suitcase, readying herself to leave either that night or in the morning. With two naps under her belt, she could do the driving if necessary.
One thing Tassia knew for sure. She wouldn’t be settling in this home. If she still felt this out of sorts when he came down from his shower, she would be leaving. If she returned home, what would she be going home to? An empty beach-front condo without her friend or a job or even a purpose. Her management team would probably quit if after signing the contract she walked away from the project. Her dad, though, would be ready to tell her to come home to Maryland and give up her foolish dreams. Then there would be the rumors that she knew Hyde’s camp would start that she gave up on the project because she couldn’t write any songs.
Tassia did have to thank Hyde for one thing. This trip gave her lots of ideas for songs. She pulled out her phone. On instinct, she started to check her email and social media accounts. The connection error message reminded her about the dead space.
Damn Hyde.
Now she had no excuse to not write. As usual, she typed over her phone screen lyrics to a song that immediately popped in her head. She wanted to play it on the piano, but she didn’t want to get attached to anything in Hyde’s house.
Hell, why should she concern herself about that? He didn’t care about her feelings, uprooting her to bring her to his house in the middle of nowhere.
As soon as she thought that, she heard rushing water upstairs stop. Sounded like Hyde had just finished his shower. Great. Now Tassia imagined Hyde’s naked body even more. She had to get her mind off her sad personal life and keep thinking about business. He had lied to her. Then again, he attempted to work and give her a good time.
No. Hyde thought only of himself, not her. She had been with plenty of men who had been that way. She had to rethink if she wanted to do a project where she would be tied to this man through recording, performing, promoting, and maybe even touring. Hell, what did she get herself into?
Tassia finished the third song she had gotten stuck on earlier, got through a fourth song by the time she sat at the piano bench, and started on a fifth song when she reclined back against the keys, causing a clamorous noise to echo through the house.
Tassia glared up the Gone with the Wind type of stairs and sniffed. She wanted something to eat, and wouldn’t be waiting for Hyde. She marched to the kitchen and set her phone on the largest kitchen island she had ever seen. It had a light gray concrete waterfall top and sides. Nothing but the best for the most popular entertainer in the world right now. She rolled her eyes.
She peeked into his large refrigerator and spied fresh, raw chicken breasts along with some vegetables and even some tortillas. If she could find the spices, she could make herself some fajitas.
Tassia pulled the items out and placed them on the counter next to the fridge. When she turned to retrieve one of the hanging pans over the island, she screamed and backed against the counter.
A young woman with reddish brown hair and wide brown eyes stared back at her.
Chapter 11
Tassia imagined she had to be one of Hyde’s rabid fans. Her off-putting wide smile didn’t help her cause.
“What are you doing here?” The stranger cocked her head.
“I was going to ask you the same thing.” Tassia kept her voice steady while trying to take inventory of her surroundings.
Why didn’t she bother to look for knives first? Maybe because she didn’t think she would be face-to-face with a potentially eager fan.
The young woman with a petite build approached Tassia with her hand out like they had stepped into a business meeting. Tassia reared up on her toes and started opening drawers around her to look for anything that would be able to help her in this situation.
“I’m Pepper. Some people call me Pep.”
When Tassia stared at the woman like she had spoken another language, she continued.
“I’m assuming Pig Face didn’t tell you I was here.”
At the mention of the nickname, Tassia glanced at the wrinkled piece of paper on the counter. Then she heard stomping footfalls coming down the stairs.
“Are you Hyde’s wife?” Tassia’s heart beat a little slower…not that she cared.
If this woman had been rom
antically linked to Hyde, she wouldn’t be surprised that the man hadn’t admitted that to her either.
Pepper wrinkled her nose and shook her head like she smelled something foul. “Oh, God, no. Eww.”
At that moment, Hyde ran into the kitchen. Still in bare feet, he at least had on loose-fitting shorts and a Garth Brooks T-shirt. The man stayed rooted in country music.
“What the hell is going on?” He looked at Pepper and rolled his eyes. “Christ, Pep, did you sneak in the back door again?”
She held up a set of keys and jingled them in the air. “When you have keys to the place, it’s hardly sneaking.” Pepper crossed her arms over her chest.
“I’m assuming you’ve introduced yourself?” Hyde pointed to Tassia, who still had no idea what situation she had stepped into.
“Working on it.” Pepper turned back around.
Before she could say anything, Hyde did the honors. “Tassia, this is my cousin, Pepper Wallace.”
Tassia exhaled, but her face wouldn’t produce the smile she wanted to have. She slowly lifted her hand to Pepper, who accepted it and immediately pulled Tassia in for a hug.
“Good to meet you. Good to meet anyone that can stand to be around Pig Face—”
“Hyde, okay?”
“For longer than five minutes.” Pepper turned to him and smirked before she let Tassia go. “What’s your story?”
Tassia had to collect herself before she spoke. “Your cousin and I are supposed to be writing songs for an album.”
Pepper nodded. “I knew you couldn’t have been one of his crazy fans.” She snorted as she walked over to the island. “If you were, you would have attacked me by now, and that wouldn’t have gone over well for you.” She nodded her head to the right. “By the way, for future reference, he keeps the knives by the stove on the wall.”
Tassia glanced at the shiny blades affixed in their spots by magnets apparently. “You scared me. I thought Hyde and I were the only ones in this house.”
“You are.” Pepper leaned on top of the counter. “When he needs me, I stay in the guest house.”
Now it made sense why Hyde said she couldn’t stay in the guest house.
“What are you doing in here?” Hyde went over to the stainless-steel refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of beer.
If Tassia had plans of going home tonight, she would have to do all the driving. No way would she let this man drive after drinking alcohol.
He turned to her. “Want one?”
Maybe with another person there on the property, Hyde could be tolerable. She nodded and put her hand out to him. After popping off the top for her with a bottle opener he pulled from a drawer, he handed her the frosty brown bottle.
“Thanks.” Tassia nodded and took a sip.
Man, did she need this beer. It had a nice hoppy flavor with a subtle citrusy finish. It helped that he had it ice cold.
“Are you cooking or what? I’m starving.” Pepper rubbed her stomach.
“Pep, you don’t ask that of a guest.” Hyde knocked his elbow against his cousin.
Even though he towered over her, she didn’t budge.
“She’s not a guest. If she’s working with you and she’s here—alone—she’s practically family.” Pepper laughed and looked at Tassia. “I’m teasing. I don’t mind cooking.” She scanned the items Tassia had placed on the counter. “Looks like it’s fiesta night.” She jutted her thumb over her shoulder. “Go get the chips and salsa from the pantry.”
Hyde blinked. “Did you forget that this is my house?”
Pepper tucked her wavy hair behind her ears. “Yeah, yeah. Save that ‘I’m Hyde Love’ stuff for your fans.” She pointed down. “Here, you’re Pig Face.” She snorted again. “Always will be.” Like a whirlwind, she retrieved a large cast-iron skillet from a lower cabinet and placed it on one of the eight gas burners on the stove. Then she got out a bottle of olive oil from a cabinet by Tassia’s head. “You like your food spicy?”
Tassia smiled. “Of course.”
Pepper smiled wider. “I like her already.” She turned to Hyde. “Way better than that airhead you were dating before, Shelby Lynne.” She mimicked putting her finger down her throat and made a gagging sound.
“Oh, no. We’re not dating. We’re just working together.” Tassia glanced at Hyde. “Supposed to be. We’ve worked together before, though, years ago.”
Pepper stared at her before her eyes widened. “You were a Ratty Girl. I remember. I loved the scenes you were in more than—”
“Watch it.” Hyde plucked his cousin on the back of her head.
“Hey!” She rubbed it before playfully punching his chest. Pepper poured some oil into the skillet. “When you called me and asked that I get the house ready, you said it was because you were taking some time off.”
Hyde cleared his throat. “I was. I am. Sort of.” He went to a side room that must have been the pantry area.
“Yes, I signed a contract with Charisma to do a duets album with him.” Tassia took three large gulps of beer, nearly finishing off the bottle. “He said he brought me here so that we could write.”
When Hyde returned, Pepper did what Tassia had been thinking about doing when she learned the truth. Pepper balled her small hand into a fist and punched the mega star on his arm.
“Hey!” Hyde placed a bag of tortilla chips on the counter along with a jar of salsa. “I let you get away with that once, but there won’t be a third time or you’re going in the pool.”
“You kidnapped her.” Pepper pointed to Tassia.
Now Tassia started to like this woman. “Yes. I said the exact same thing.”
Pepper brought her attention to Tassia. “Did he even tell you I was here?”
Tassia shook her head.
That response got Pepper to grunt her disapproval.
“Not one word or I’m giving you the noogie of death.” He wagged his finger at her.
“You lied.” Pepper shook her head. “I’m telling—”
Hyde interrupted her. “Don’t you dare say it.”
“Grammy Love. She will take a switch to you.”
Tassia couldn’t help but snicker at the antics between these two. They acted as though time had stopped at their adolescent years.
Hyde growled.
“Get a bowl and dump the chips in it.” She turned to Tassia. “Don’t just stand there. I showed you where the knives are. Get me one. You take one. We have stuff to cut up.”
“Like Hyde said, I’m a guest here.” Tassia cocked her head.
“You were also about to cook for yourself before I came in here. And let’s not forget that this guy here lied.” Pepper nodded her head back toward Hyde.
“I wish you two would stop saying that.” He poured the triangle-shaped chips into a bowl before he opened a jar of salsa.
“And I wish you would stop being so sneaky. You weren’t that way when we were kids.” Pepper accepted a knife from Tassia. “Thank you. You were the one who would tell a room full of folks when you went to the bathroom.”
Hyde looked at Tassia first. “I was three when I did that. My older cousin wasn’t supposed to share all of my business to a stranger.”
Pepper’s eyebrows raised. “You can’t call a woman you brought to your house a stranger, especially if you two plan on working together.” She scraped some cut up pieces of chicken into a screaming-hot pan. “You’re a songwriter besides being a fabulous singer and dancer?”
Tassia glanced at Hyde first before she answered. “Yes, and I wouldn’t call what I did fabulous.”
“You were way better than this guy here.” She nodded toward Hyde. “You sing for Charisma? I know that label.” Pepper paused. “That’s where—”
“Truman Woodley, yes. He records there.” Hyde nodded.
“No. I was going to say Chantel Ev
ans, well, Woodley now.”
Tassia had to blink now. This woman not only knew an R&B singer, but she knew her original name. She didn’t say Shauna Stellar. She didn’t even call her Chantel Woodley first. Yep, Pepper and she could be friends.
“Yes, they both own the label, and I work for them. I guess you could call it that.” Tassia finished off her beer, then looked around for a receptacle to dispose of it.
Hyde took the bottle that she held, brushing his fingers against her hand before he took it from her.
“Um, thanks.” She went back to the counter to continue cutting up the vegetables. “Anyway, I do songwriting for them and some studio work.”
“She’s being modest.”
Tassia stopped cutting before she peered at Hyde.
Hyde continued. “She’s on that big hit song that’s out now with that rapper.”
If Hyde attempted to sound hip and with it, he had failed miserably.
Pepper’s eyes widened as she stared at Tassia. “Holy shit.”
“Language.” Hyde nudged her with his elbow.
She waved him away. “Screw you, Pig Face.” She kept looking at Tassia. “You sang that song.”
The stone in Tassia’s stomach dropped. She had hoped being this far removed from civilization that she wouldn’t have to talk about that damn song. Even in the sticks, she would be known as the “hook girl.”
Tassia sighed. “Yes, I’m on—”
“‘Love Me Tonight.’” Pepper put her hand to her chest. “It’s my favorite song.”
Tassia stopped moving. She had a single that she had done for a movie soundtrack when she had first gotten to Charisma. The soundtrack overall sold well, but she knew that no one would know her from her one and only song on it that didn’t make the charts.
“You know that song?” Tassia smiled.
“Know it? I bang guys on the regular to it.”
“Hey! Now I’m going to tell Grammy Love about you.” Hyde pulled out another beer and started to hand it to Tassia.
Crazy on You Page 14
