by Layla Hagen
Brayden: You can always come to my place and do the last ones there.
Isabelle: I moved the ones in the afternoon to the office : - (
I smiled, imagining myself on that huge couch of his. He’d give me foot rubs or neck massages between sessions. Some smoking-hot kisses too, for sure. My shoulders instantly relaxed.
Now that he was mentioning it, I was kind of sorry I’d moved the sessions, but doing so did give me a sense of normal again too. Once Brayden started the tour, my life was going to go back to the way it was.
My chest tightened a bit, and for the first time I admitted to myself that I didn’t want this to end when he left. Could we make it work somehow?
Did he even want to?
Isabelle: Putting my phone away. My next session is starting.
***
Over the next three hours, I had back-to-back sessions with only a short break for a trip to the bathroom. Usually no one texted me during work hours... but that was before I started dating Brayden, who seemed intent on distracting me. But his flirty messages were a welcome change from the problems my clients were unloading, so I didn’t discourage him. Quite the contrary.
Brayden: When do you take a longer break? I want to call you.
Isabelle: Why? Want to take your flirting to the next level?
Brayden: I love talking to you. Always makes my day.
Isabelle: I didn’t schedule a session during my lunchbreak from 12 to 1. You can call me then.
At fifteen past eleven, I ordered a Caesar salad through a delivery app. As twelve o’clock approached, excitement bubbled up inside me, anticipating my conversation with Brayden. Not just excitement though; I was pretty sure I was feeling butterflies in my stomach, and all because I was going to hear his voice!
This morning I’d thought about having my lunch break outside, because I could swear the air was a little less humid, but I preferred to be inside when I spoke with him. Besides, I was probably imagining the good weather. It was September 1, but that didn’t mean the humidity suddenly dropped.
This weekend had brought us closer in ways I couldn’t have imagined, and I was positively giddy at ten to twelve. My food was delivered five minutes before I’d promised to call him, and even though I was starving, I was looking forward to talking with Brayden more than eating. That was unprecedented for me.
At twelve o’clock, the reception buzzed me up. Perhaps the delivery guy had forgotten to give me something? I hadn’t ordered anything else, but sometimes restaurants included freebies.
“Mr. Clarke is here. Is it okay if he comes up? He’s asking for the code to your door.”
Oh my God!
“Yes, of course.”
I was even giddier now. It took him a while to come up, and I realized he was probably taking the stairs again.
I opened the door, smiling when I saw he’d put his cap on. He was tailed by two guys who remained in front of the door. The bodyguards were always changing, which had thrown me off in the beginning, but Brayden explained that they worked with an external security company that sent whoever was available that day.
He came inside alone.
“Brayden! What are you doing here?” I asked after I closed the door, grinning so wide that my face was hurting.
He dangled a bag in front of me. “Brought lunch. And myself.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”
“That would have ruined the surprise. I wanted to see this look on your face.”
I shook my head slightly, forcibly toning down my grin, trying to appear serious. I cleared my throat before asking, “What look?”
Brayden chuckled, cupping my jaw. “You’re fucking adorable.”
I couldn’t keep up my game, of course. My lips stretched into a huge smile again.
“I wanted to surprise you completely like last time, but they wouldn’t give me the code.”
“How did they even give it last time?”
“Sasha spoke to them, and she’s good at this. But I didn’t tell her I was coming today.”
“Oooh, you’re being spontaneous again.”
He set the bag on the round welcome desk before tilting forward and sealing his mouth over mine. It wasn’t a quick peck either. He explored me until my knees were weak and I was practically tugging at his shirt. It was all I could do not to slip my hands under the fabric.
Wait... I spoke too soon. One of my hands was under his shirt. How did it get there?
Pulling back, I dropped my hand, smiling sheepishly. Brayden winked.
“Sorry... don’t know how that happened.”
“I don’t mind your wandering hands.”
I rolled my eyes. “Of course you don’t.”
Taking the bag of food, I brought it to my desk, walking with an exaggerated shimmy in my hips. I had no idea why I wanted to provoke him. I couldn’t help myself. I wondered how long it would take for him to lose his composure. Until we finished lunch? Or sat down?
Turned out the answer was until I reached the desk. Pressing his chest against my back, he rained kisses down the side of my neck before burying his face in my hair. I shimmied again, but he stopped me quickly, gripping my hips.
“Isabelle, don’t, or instead of having lunch, I’ll have you on this desk.”
“I don’t mind.”
He groaned in my hair. “Don’t tempt me like this.”
Smiling, I took the food containers out of the bag. I was so happy he was here that I could only express it in some outrageous way... like jumping him. He’d wanted to see me and spend time with me even after we’d been together all weekend. He’d brought fries with melted cheddar cheese on top by the smell of it, and maybe truffle too. Another box contained burgers. Yum. I would keep my Caesar salad for dinner.
“Hey, just so I know, are you planning to surprise me tonight too?” I asked.
“Yes. How did you guess? I can’t stay away from you, Isabelle.”
I wanted to do a happy dance but couldn’t because he had me confined, so I shimmied a little. He stopped me with a firm grip on my hips again. But how was I supposed to express my joy? Movement was my way of expressing myself, and this terrible man was currently pinning me against the edge of the desk.
“Isabelle, I know when we started out, we said we’d take this easy and enjoy what we had until the concerts start, but I don’t want to let you go. I want us to explore this, to keep seeing each other.”
Holy shit. I hadn’t expected that. I’d hoped we’d find a way, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to myself that I’d been terrified our relationship would just end when the tour started. My heart rate intensified, and my shoulders stiffened.
“Say something,” he whispered. Uncertainty tinged his voice. I turned around slowly, looking straight at him. “What do you feel for me?”
“Like I don’t want to let you go, at all, but I’m not sure what happens after the tour starts.”
He cupped my face with both hands. “We’ll figure it out, okay? I’m sure of it. But the first thing we should do is go public.”
“Public?” I asked slowly.
“Yes. If we let ourselves be seen and photographed together on purpose, we’ll be in a better position to control the narrative the press spins, because the information will come from us. And once we’re no longer trying to hide from them, they’ll lose interest. I can’t explain it, but I’ve seen it happen.”
“Do you think they’ll pop up in front of my practice more? I’m trying to guess what the repercussions might be.”
“It’s hard to tell. I think they might stalk the place for a bit. You’ll need security, and it would make me happy if you’d let Paul drive you around everywhere.”
I nodded. “Sure. That sounds like the smart thing to do.”
He’d been driving me around most of the time anyway since the first photos were leaked. Sasha had insisted I not use public transportation again, just Uber everywhere and send her all the bills. Honestly, I couldn’t
wrap my mind around all the repercussions, but I knew I had to brace myself for everything, and I was ready to do it. I’d do anything if it meant I could have Brayden in my life.
“When do you think we should do it?” I asked.
“I spoke to Sasha, and she thinks the upcoming promo party for the album is a good moment for us to go public.”
“You think this is the right time?” I said. He’d mentioned the party a few times, but I didn’t remember anything except that it was this Friday.
He nodded. “The press is speculating, and it’s best if we go forward. Knowing how they operate, they might actually get off your back once it’s official. Speculations always attract more attention than declarations.”
His voice still had an edge I didn’t like, like maybe he thought I didn’t want this. But how could he think that?
I put my palms on his shoulders, kissing the corner of his mouth.
“Let’s do it. You want to brag about me, Mr. Clarke?”
“That too. But I want everyone to know you’re mine.”
“Oh, I see. You want to stake your claim publicly.”
Lust flashed in his eyes. “Publicly, privately. Any way there is. And anywhere.”
He feathered two fingers over my mouth before skimming them down my neck.
“I see. Bedrooms are so passé, right, when we have rehearsal rooms and barns to try out, huh?”
“Don’t forget office desks.”
“Oh? Which one?” I asked in a fake tone of confusion.
He patted the wooden surface next to my hip.
“You’re changing me, Clarke,” I said in a teasing tone. “All my life I lived by the motto ‘fries before guys,’ and yet here I am, melting for you.”
I was falling in love with a rock star.
Chapter Nineteen
Isabelle
Sasha insisted I needed professional preparation for the event. As a result, I rescheduled my clients’ appointments. Brayden’s spare bedroom had been transformed into a beauty parlor for the day when the team of professionals arrived at one o’clock: hair and makeup artists and a nail artist!
I’d honestly assumed I was only going to have my hair and makeup done, but I wasn’t going to say no to pampering. This whole day I felt like I was undergoing one of those “ugly duck to beauty queen” transformations you only saw in movies.
I was a little nervous about tonight. I’d been to a few fancy events, like the Ballroom Galas the Winchesters organized for charity, but those were different. For one, there wasn’t much press. More importantly though, no one paid attention to me.
“Hey, if Brayden wants to come in, just keep him out, okay?”
Toni, the hairdresser, nodded efficiently. “Of course. He’ll only get to see you when you’re ready.”
I wanted to keep him on his toes. Besides, the wow-effect only worked if you saw the whole package, not interim steps.
During the beautification process, I kept texting with Josie. Sis was feeling a little down because she and Sophie weren’t sleeping much lately, and I felt guilty that I couldn’t go over for a girly evening. But I texted Skye, Laney, and Tess, keeping my fingers crossed that one of them could pop over.
I was proud of Brayden for only opening the door once during my ninety-minute massage. I was even prouder of the team, who flanked the door so he couldn’t see inside at all.
“This is ridiculous,” he mumbled.
I barely stifled a laugh, only letting it out when he retreated and they closed the door.
Once Inna, the nail artist, was done working her magic on me, Toni was next. I was sitting in the chair they’d brought in here, and he was circling me, looking at my hair and my face.
“How do you feel about an updo?” he asked.
“I rather prefer to keep it down.”
He nodded. “Okay. Straight hair with a few waves in between for emphasis and volume?”
“Yes, I’d love that.”
“It will frame your face nicely. You have fantastic bone structure.”
Toni efficiently straightened my hair with a brush, then used curlers for a few strands to achieve the wavy effect. He sprayed an array of products during each step, and in the end, I couldn’t believe how glossy my hair looked.
“I love it,” I exclaimed, inspecting it in the dresser mirror. If it didn’t take two hours to achieve this perfection, I’d do it myself once in a while, but using the hot iron was quicker.
“My turn,” Diana, the makeup artist, exclaimed. She’d been silent most of the time, inspecting my dress. I was so proud of it. It was hands down the most beautiful thing I owned. I’d bought it on sale at Nordstrom Rack, but it looked like a million bucks. It was pure black silk with a heart-shaped neckline to accentuate my cleavage and a silver belt just under my breasts. It highlighted my curves perfectly.
Sasha had insisted that Diana was the best she’d worked with over the years and that her skill level was out of this world. On the bed, she’d laid out an array of eye shadow and glosses next to seven jars with creams, two mascaras, and an eyelash curler, and I was a little nervous.
“Diana, I still want to look like myself,” I told her.
“Of course. Don’t worry, I don’t like contouring techniques that make you unrecognizable. That’s not makeup, more like wearing a mask.”
She won me over with that, and I was thoroughly relaxed while she worked her magic on me. Brayden tried to come in one more time, but Toni shooed him right back out.
The moment he closed the door, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I grinned, sure it was from Brayden.
Diana pointed at me. “No smiling. You’re ruining my process.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Brayden: What’s going on in there?
Isabelle: You’ll see.
Brayden: That’s what I’m trying to do and no one lets me.
Isabelle: Even better. You’ll see the whole package at once.
Brayden: Did you put them up to this?
Isabelle: Maybe.
I could imagine his reaction. Maybe he’d even reward me with a little growl.
I put my phone away after that, because Diana was glaring at me.
“I’m all yours now,” I promised.
“Good.”
***
Forty minutes later, I was ready and absolutely stunning. I took a gazillion selfies, then spammed my family with them.
“Sasha was right. You’re amazing,” I exclaimed. Diana’s makeup was even more subtle than mine usually was, but it highlighted my eyes with the expertly applied mascara and shades of cream and gold on my eyelids. She’d also dusted my jawline and cheekbones with three types of foundation, which defined them so much more. I loved it.
At my request, they also helped me put on the dress; I didn’t want to risk ruining my hair or makeup by doing it myself. Inna zipped me up, and she also secured the straps of my silver sandals around my ankles. Diana gave me small samples from the foundations she used, a lipstick, and the mascara, saying they were included in the price. They fit in my tiny silver clutch perfectly.
“Well, our job here is done,” Toni said. “Good luck tonight. You look fabulous.”
“Thank you all so much. I love everything.”
“That’s our job,” Inna said. “It’s been a pleasure.”
I walked them to the front door. Brayden was sitting on the sofa in a dark gray suit and a white shirt, and I noticed his eyes widen when he first glimpsed me.
He joined me, bidding the team goodbye. The second they were all out, I felt the air thicken with tension between us. He wasn’t saying anything, which only increased the tension. I turned around slowly, looking him directly in the eyes. The heat in them was so damn delicious.
“You kept me out all day.” His tone was accusing.
I put the clutch on the small chair next to the entrance. “I did.”
“On purpose.”
“Hell yes.”
He groaned. “Why?”
&
nbsp; “So I could get this reaction.” I pointed at his eyes. “Super-hot look. I was hoping for a growl too.”
He put an arm around my waist, bringing me closer. I pressed two fingers against his lips.
“No kissing,” I said regretfully.
“Why not?”
“You’ll mess up my lipstick.”
“You’re killing me.”
“I’m sorry.” I pouted to emphasize I really meant it.
“If you keep pouting, I’ll kiss you anyway.” He moved his thumb under my lower lip. I pressed my thighs together, exhaling sharply. His mouth curved in a sly smile. “Better yet, I’ll keep you here, have my way with you.”
“You’d miss your own party for me?”
“I’d do a lot more for you than that.”
“Why?”
“I’d rather celebrate this with you alone.”
My sexy, slightly reclusive rock star was putting up walls again. I put my hands at the sides of his neck.
“No can do. Your band needs this, and your fans.” Stepping back, I looked him up and down appreciatively. “I’ve never seen you in a suit. You should wear one more often.” I made a big show of walking around him. “Oh yeah. That ass is just perfection in these pants.”
Laughing, he turned around quickly, but I moved past him. He caught me from behind, burying his head in my hair, kissing my right shoulder. The buttons of his shirt pressed into my back.
“Ready to go?” he whispered.
“I think so. I’m a bit on edge.”
“Don’t be. You’ll enjoy it. Every time you’re nervous, think about how much you mean to me. I love you, Isabelle.”
I sucked in a breath, instantly turning around to face him. My pulse sped up. I realized I’d clasped his shoulders in a tight grip. I sealed my mouth over his. I needed to kiss him and connect with him. He groaned, taking control, tilting my head backward with one hand, touching my bare back with the other. Feeling his rough finger pads against my skin sent a jolt of heat through me, energizing me all the way to my toes. I couldn’t get enough of him. The way he kissed me was simply addictive. The more he gave me, the more I wanted.
Only after we paused to breathe did I remember about my lipstick. Glancing at my mouth, Brayden burst out laughing.
