by Riley Bancroft, Evelyn Berry, Cara Carnes, Jax Garren, Irene Preston, Rebecca Royce, Chandra Ryan
“You’re observant.”
“You work for a label.”
Surprised, he sucked in a breath. Damn good intuitive leap. Then again, he had given her quite a bit to work from. “Wow. Pretty good guess.”
“Deduction. Not a guess.”
“Okay. Good deduction.”
“You aren’t uptight, flashy, or wearing a suit so you’re not an executive.”
The doors opened to the sounds of a party in full swing. “Nope.”
“But I am Rock and Roll.” The words boomed around the room and were followed by a cheer.
“Who was that?” She asked as a security guard stopped them.
Luke rolled his eyes in annoyance. “That, love, is DBR.” Luke patted at his pockets in search of his ID before he remembered she had it. “He needs to see my license. I promise, he’ll return it.”
For one second he hoped DBR had forgotten to put him on the list. But, of course, the guard nodded them through as soon as he checked the name.
He leaned close to her as they walked into the party. “We’ll grab a drink at the bar. I’ll shake hands with DBR. Then we’ll slip out when he’s moved on. In and out in a half an hour tops.”
“A half an hour tops, huh? Not exactly what a woman wants to hear.” She laughed as she wrapped her arm around his neck and pulled him close to her. The heat radiating off her body fogged his brain for an instant, then he caught the sly glint in her eyes. She was teasing him. Still, if she wanted to play he was willing.
“For arrogant rock stars, I have a half hour. But I’d be happy to give you my whole night.” His cock swelled as she rubbed her body against his.
“Not bad. You should work on your subtlety, though.” She smiled and took a step away from him. He immediately missed her touch, but released her. There would be plenty of time to get closer to her later.
“Subtlety is overrated.”
“You think?” She turned and walked toward the bar.
He took a second to appreciate the graceful sway of her ass before he followed. Yeah, pretty women might be a dime a dozen but an ass as fine as hers was a rarity these days. Too many girls, not enough curves.
When they stood in front of the bar, she faced him again. “You don’t enjoy the nervous anxiety that builds in the pit of your stomach when you meet a new girl and don’t know how she feels about you? Wondering if she’s checking you out when your back is turned?”
“The chase can be fun. It can also be frustrating as hell and lead to hurt feelings. I prefer to tell it as it is and let the chips fall where they may.” He leaned in to whisper in her ear. “I was definitely checking out your sweet ass. I couldn’t help but watch it sway as you walked across the room.” He nipped at her ear. “I wanted to reach out and grab it to see if it felt as amazing as it looked.”
“Okay.” She shivered. “Your way is better. Let’s shake hands with the rock star so we can get out of here.”
“With pleasure.” When he spotted DBR, though, he began to worry they might be stuck at the party longer than he hoped. “Looks like he’s having it out with his assistant and Jake Perry.”
“Do you know everybody here?”
“Nope. Anybody who knows DBR knows Lana. He couldn’t function without her. And Perry is a club owner. It’s my business to know him.”
“Okay. I’ve got to know. What do you do?”
He was about to tell her but Lana and Perry chose that moment leave. Now was his chance to get the grip and grin with DBR done. He wanted to be anyplace but the party. “Come on.” He grabbed her hand and dragged her through the throng of people who circled DBR.
“Luke Sinclair, just the man I wanted to talk to.” At DBR’s words, a path through the groupies cleared in front of Luke. Every gaze focused on him and Julie.
It was show time. “DBR. How are you doing, man?”
“Large and in charge.”
“Good to hear.” When DBR’s gaze swept over Julie’s body, Luke had to fight against the urge to punch him.
“And who is the pretty little thing you brought with you?”
“She’s my date.” Luke didn’t like the hungry look DBR had in his eyes. Julie might not be looking for a musician, but would she reject one if he fell in her lap? And, knowing DBR, he’d be happy to fall in any girl’s lap.
“For now.” The calculated tone in DBR’s voice put Luke on the defensive.
Luke clenched his teeth and counted to ten to avoid saying something he’d regret. “You said you wanted to talk?”
“Oh, yeah. I had an epiphany the other day. A lightning bolt of pure brilliance.” DBR wrapped an arm around Luke as if he were about to take him into his confidence. “Why am I giving so much of my hard earned money to the label? It’s not like they’re the ones making the tracks everybody wants to hear.”
Not good. “They made the initial investment in your career. They have the connections you need to market your music and they get your tracks out in front of your fans.”
“True. But it’s not like I’m hurting for money anymore. Or connections. Look around you.” He gestured to the crowd. Luke might not recognize all of them, but he knew there were industry people in the crowd. “And my fans follow me now. I don’t chase after them anymore.”
“What are you saying, DBR?”
“I want to start my own label. All the hottest stars are doing it and no one is hotter than me.”
“Okay. But how does this new venture concern me?”
“Always cut right to the chase. I like how honest and upfront you are. It’s one of the reasons I trusted you with my career.”
DBR had been a starving singer when Luke had found him at some no-name dive bar. He would’ve sold his soul for any kind of deal. But no point in saying what they both knew. “I’m always glad to hear one of my clients is happy with me.”
“Come with me. Scout for me.”
“What?” Nothing could’ve prepared him for the job offer.
“Look at how happy he is. He’s speechless,” DBR said.
Happy was not the word Luke would use. But he couldn’t refuse the guy flat out. Luke might not like the douche, but DBR was big in the industry. There were some bridges Luke couldn’t afford to burn. He looked at Julie, hoping she would see the shock in his expression.
“I’ve never seen him so overjoyed,” she said. Her voice was smooth and calm even though she had to know she’d gotten it all wrong by the tight grip he had on her hand. He couldn’t work for DBR. “Oh.” She clucked her tongue in a disappointed manner. “But what about your non-compete clause, sweetheart?”
“The non-compete clause?” Luke didn’t have a non-compete in his contract.
“Yes. The ironclad non-compete clause you signed.” She looked at DBR. “He could fight it. But it’d take months. You know how these labels like to throw money after litigation. Might not be the publicity a new venture wants.”
“Oh, yes, the non-compete.” His brain was finally putting the pieces together. “Damn. Such a shame.”
“But you could fight it,” DBR said. His voice wasn’t as confident as it once had been. Luke took comfort in the shift.
“He’s in the business of discovering people not destroying them,” Julie continued.
“She’s right. I couldn’t live with myself if my court battle tainted your new venture.”
DBR looked solemn for a moment but then smiled with a nod. “This man. Can you believe him? Always giving. Always thinking about others. I love you, man.”
Luke leaned in close to Julie to whisper, “You handled him.”
“It’s what I do,” she whispered. While he was so close, she swept the tip of her tongue over his earlobe.
“I tell you what,” DBR said. “As a token of my gratitude, I’ll let you take her home.”
They both stared at DBR. “Let me take who home?” Luke asked, certain he’d misunderstood the singer.
“Her,” he said nodding toward Julie.
Luke took one step to
ward DBR with the intention of knocking that stupid grin of the singer’s face, but Julie grabbed his arm. Her tight grip made him pause.
“And as a token of his gratitude,” Julie said as she tugged Luke to her side. “Luke is going to leave so you can enjoy your evening without any worries about the reputation of your upcoming label.”
DBR continued to beam as Julie pulled Luke away.
“Are you handling me right now?” If that were the case, she was doing a pretty good job. She’d managed to keep him from punching DBR so smoothly nobody even suspected there was a problem.
“You were on the fast track to being on the front page of every tabloid in the checkout aisle.” She nodded to the security guard as he pressed the button on the elevator. “Some might say there’s no such thing as bad press, but I’m not one of those people.”
“Yeah. Punching my biggest client probably wouldn’t be a smart business move.” But it sure as hell would’ve felt good. He sighed as he accepted the reality of his situation. “I guess I owe you one.”
When they were on the elevator and the doors were closed she turned to face him. “The only thing I find myself currently in need of is a bed. Don’t suppose you have one of those, do you?”
The words took a moment for him to process. Had she really propositioned him? “And here I thought you were a fan of subtlety?”
“I’ve heard it’s overrated.”
The elevator became background noise as she pulled him into a demanding kiss.
3
Julie’s head buzzed and her heart stammered as he pulled her against his body. For one brief moment she let herself enjoy the tickle of his beard sliding across her cheek, then reality crowded out the sensation. She didn’t like to take chances. It was what got her clients into so much trouble. She never jumped without looking.
The realization pulled her out of the moment. Why had she suggested she stay at his place? Better yet, why had she kissed him? He stilled as the elevator dinged, but he didn’t withdraw from her. Any minute the doors would open. There had to still be a long line waiting outside. “I should—”
“Eat something. I know. I was thinking the same thing.” His voice was light and teasing despite the sexual tension surrounding them.
The doors opened. Instead of putting space between them, he kept her tight to his side as they walked out of the building. “Isn’t it kind of late to eat? Aren’t all the restaurants closed?”
“You’re in Austin, love. Not some backwater town in the sticks.” He guided her through the crowd of people still waiting for some opportunity to gain access to the building and then onto the street. “And we’re not going to a restaurant.”
Her stomach knotted. She’d suggested his place in a moment of bravado. Now she was having second thoughts. Maybe if she could convince him to grab another drink, she’d feel better about the whole situation. “A bar then?”
He shook his head as he kept walking. “Are you in the mood for sweet or savory?”
“Sweet.” The word popped out of her mouth before she gave the question any real thought.
He changed directions abruptly. “Got it.”
The sidewalks weren’t packed anymore, but there were still enough people milling around that they had to squeeze by small pockets of revelers every once in a while. It’d been a long day and with each step the stress and strain of the long hours of waiting at the church and then darting through airport after airport weighed on her heavily. She almost told him to forget about getting food. She wanted to find a park bench. Sitting for a few minutes sounded good. Maybe she could even close her eyes for a second.
He stopped at the end of a line before she could follow the plan through to fruition. “Where are we?” She glanced around but the line was too long for her to see what they were waiting for.
“How do you feel about doughnuts?”
She shrugged. “They’re okay.” She didn’t hate them but they weren’t her favorite treat. If she were going to abandon her diet and throw caution to the wind it was going to be for something better than a bit of fried dough. When she began to clarify, however, she paused. His attention was fixed on some spot in front of them. He practically danced on his tiptoes as he tried to get a look over the crowd. “How do you feel about them?”
“They rock.” He looked at her and smiled. “Are you a traditionalist or do you want to get a little crazy?”
The question threw her. “With a doughnut? How does one go crazy with a doughnut? Add sprinkles?” Sprinkles didn’t exactly seem crazy to her but it was the strangest thing she could think of. Sure, she’d had jelly doughnuts, iced doughnuts, and the standard glazed but nothing about any of those sounded crazy.
“Not exactly,” he said with a laugh. He looked around and then nodded to the left. “There’s a bench over there. Why don’t you go grab a seat while I get the food? You look beat.”
She followed his gaze and nodded. “You’re an angel.”
“And what about the doughnut? Any food allergies or aversions?” His question stopped her as she took her first step toward the bench.
She looked over her shoulder at him and winked. “Absolutely none. You can go as crazy as you like. Sprinkles, nuts, hell get them to fill the thing with jelly if you feel particularly daring.” Maybe if it had nuts and fruit filling she could convince herself there was some sort of nutritional value to it. “I trust you completely.”
The bench sat mere feet from her. Sitting proved more enticing than waiting to see what craziness he would purchase. As soon as she sank onto the hard surface, she breathed a sigh of relief. She could focus—kind of. Glancing around, she tried to figure out a way to find a bed. She was going to need one. It didn’t matter how long the party went on. Her day had officially kicked her ass.
When she closed her eyes, she’d meant to relieve the ache in her head. But when someone sat next to her and gently nudged her she realized she’d fallen asleep. She woke to the smell of chicken and honey butter. It wasn’t a smell she associated with doughnuts.
“I’m with someone.” She jerked upright and grabbed her purse tightly.
Luke’s loud laughter startled her the rest of the way awake. “Good to know you aren’t looking to trade me in.”
“Sorry.” She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and then looked at the open to-go containers he held. There were chicken fingers on one of the doughnuts. She must still be sleeping. It was the only way the combination made any sense. “Is there chicken on the doughnut? Please, tell me I’m dreaming.”
“It is pretty dream worthy but, no, you’re wide awake.” He gestured to the other container. “I know you told me to go crazy—”
“Fried chicken on a doughnut is beyond crazy. It’s insane.”
“So I also got something on the safer side.” The other container held what looked like doughnut holes covered in cherry pie filling. “In case you didn’t know how crazy we liked our doughnuts here in Texas.”
“Thank you. I appreciate the thought. I should know better than to open mouth and say the first thing that pops into my head.” She smiled sheepishly as she took the cherry pie doughnut holes.
He seemed happy with his chicken doughnut as he took a big bite and moaned. “Nah. Your problem isn’t saying whatever pops into your head,” he said as soon as he’d swallowed. “Your problem is a lack of follow through.”
“Excuse me.” She stabbed at one of the doughnut holes with a plastic fork to combat the irritation bubbling through her. Maybe he hadn’t meant the statement the way she heard it. She needed to give him the benefit of the doubt. After all, she said she needed to think things through better instead of reacting.
“Your spontaneous ideas are all good, but you start second guessing them the moment you commit. Do you honestly have such little faith in yourself?”
“My spontaneous ideas almost got me a chicken doughnut,” she countered.
“Which is fantastic. Like all your other spur of the moment ideas.” He shook his hea
d when she snorted. “Don’t believe me? Let’s go through them. You jet off to Austin to get even with your bastard ex-fiancé—good idea. Really there’s no place better than Austin to get over a broken heart. We’re fun, funky, and full of life and activity. You left the bar with me—awesome idea. I’m cute and fun. Your words, not mine. And in a bar full of potential serial killers you picked a guy who is definitely not one.”
She couldn’t help but giggle around her bite of food. “Just because I’m not dead and skinned yet doesn’t mean I’m safe. The night is still young.”
“And your skills handling DBR? I’ve seen people in the industry for decades freeze under less pressure. Hell, I probably would’ve agreed and then had to figure out some way to talk my way out of his crazy scheme later if you hadn’t been there.” He took another bite and sighed. “Your gut is good, love. You need to trust it.”
The sweet confection didn’t look nearly as appetizing as she found the one truth disproving his theory. “My gut told me Rodger was the one. We were going to live happily ever after. It was wrong.”
“Was it really? Did your gut tell you he was the one or did you let your brain talk you into it?”
She’d never really thought about it before. Rodger had been her high school sweetheart. They were both from good families. There hadn’t been many options in her small town. She wanted to get married someday. He seemed like the best option. She’d thought she loved him. Sure, being around him didn’t inspire her to do crazy or impulsive things like spending time with Luke did. And Rodger had never made her heart stutter as it did when Luke whispered naughty things into her ear. But she had loved him. Hadn’t she? “I don’t know.”
“There’s your answer. If you loved him—really and truly loved him. You’d know.”
Her stomach cramped as the truth of his words settled into her soul. “Damn. You’re right.” As soon as she admitted it out loud, calmness filled her. Rodger had left her because he had never been meant for her. She was in Austin eating doughnuts at one in the morning with a perfect stranger on her wedding day, but she was exactly where she was meant to be. “And you know what that means, don’t you?”
