“Why are you here?”
He studied me, considering his answer. Or which lie to spin next. “Today sucked, and I needed to do something other than go home and get drunk,” he shouted, leaning towards me to be sure I heard him, or that no one else did. “And I wanted to get to know my assistant.”
I frowned at the last part. Why did he have to come to a gig to get to know me? And while I was thinking about it, did he regularly get drunk at home alone? All the things that were inappropriate for me to ask my boss, but really, I’d positioned myself out of the normal box from day one.
I nodded. It was fine; he was just being friendly and it looked like asshole Shaun had gone into hibernation. I could handle this.
“Does it have to be this loud?” he asked, his lips brushing against my hair. My heart just about burst from my chest with surprise. A shiver raced down my spine, adding fire to the desire I had been trying very hard to tame.
“Oh geez. Have you never been to a gig before?”
Shaun studied the ground.
“How? I thought you and Lily were involved before she took off. Surely that involved gigs?”
“They were a bit more civilised than this.”
I snorted again. “She’s a pop-rock sensation. I don’t believe you.”
“I went to one in the very beginning and absolutely hated the crowds. Unlike my friends. After a while, the venues got bigger and separate areas were set up for family and friends.” He glanced back at me, a genuine smile tugging up the edges of his lips. “And they had earplugs.”
I chuckled and fixed my attention back on the stage. Earplugs? No, thank you.
The band was a local group led by a female singer who was kicking ass up there. She was also gorgeous, and from what I could see, most of the front row comprised of men. Tilly must have had a hell of a time claiming her space.
I glanced at Shaun slyly from beneath my lashes. He didn’t look the slightest bit interested. He wasn’t even looking at her. Instead, he seemed too busy glaring at the soundie in the sound booth.
Unbelievable.
I nudged him and he lowered his head towards mine. “The soundie can’t help you,” I shouted. “Just enjoy the damn show.”
“He’s the one looking at me.” His attention dropped to his beer, and he grimaced. “And I would if this beer didn’t taste so damn flat and my feet weren’t sticking to the floor.”
My gaze flicked to the soundie, and right enough, he kept glancing at Shaun every few seconds. Uh oh. He recognises Shaun. I scanned the crowd. No one was sneaking glances over their shoulders, but that meant nothing. How long did we have before we got mobbed? Would they mob him? Sweat prickled my skin at the thought. Why hadn’t he brought a bodyguard?
I forced my attention back to Shaun. “The floors aren’t sticky and the beer isn’t flat. It’s just not up to your one-hundred-pound-bottle-of-whisky standards.”
The band wrapped up and the volume dropped, replaced with a playlist of studio recordings. People made a rush for the bar and toilets, while I just tried not to get swept away in the crowd. I wouldn’t have been surprised if some people actually left, only turning up for their friends and favourites. Shaun caught my hand and pulled me to him, sheltering me from the crush. Tucked under his arm, I couldn’t ignore the heat of his body and the alluring scent of his cologne.
On stage, the band’s friends helped swap out instruments. The opening band plucked up their equipment and helped clear the stage for the next act. Soon, the chatting level off stage rose, anticipation building.
I spied Tilly’s multi-hued pastel hair through the crowd. She got her front row, at least.
“Are you okay?” Shaun asked as someone bumped into us with no apology.
I glanced at him and nearly touched his nose with mine. His face was far closer than I’d anticipated. I shrank back, trying to keep my distance while nodding.
“Is it always like this?”
“This is my first gig down here, but yeah, this seems pretty normal.”
At least in Glasgow it was. Music venues in Edinburgh were few and far between now, forever getting gutted by big companies until you could count the good ones on a single hand.
His grip on my waist tightened as someone wobbled dangerously close to me. The feel of his fingers almost digging into my soft skin conjured images I’d have preferred stay buried. One involved our clothes on the floor and a soundtrack to rival the fake ones recorded on set.
“Someone could get hurt.”
I studied him from the corner of my eye as his gaze travelled the room and glared at anyone who got too close. A buzz of energy licked at my nerve endings and made it impossible to ignore the press of him. Did he feel it too? With the way he bared his teeth at people and seemed not even slightly flustered, I’d hazard a guess that the answer was no.
Pushing my shoulders back, I stepped away from him. His fingers dug in, trying to stop me. His head whipped around to me, his eyes questioning me with concern.
“Too hot,” I lied.
He seemed to accept it with little thought.
His attempts to keep people away backfired spectacularly. The lights were up, and people were now rubbernecking to confirm the whispers of their friends. I really hoped they didn’t start approaching him. I was tiny compared to some of these people. Even a good number of the women rocked stilettos, giving them a three- to four-inch height advantage on me. I didn’t stand a chance.
“We can leave if you want?” I really didn’t want to, but it was a far better alternative to getting caught up in a crowd vying for his attention.
Shaun frowned, his eyes fixed on me. “Do you want to leave?”
I shrugged. “Not really, but if you’re uncomfortable, I’ll—”
“I’m fine. You’ve had a hard week too. Ignore the stares; you’ve earned tonight,” he said, his voice low but strong.
My eyes roamed his face, an odd mix of shock and pleasure freezing me to the spot. His tone was yet another sign of appreciation, but combined with the furnace of aches his hold had inspired and the earnest light in his eyes, it took on a deeper meaning. A meaning I had no business reading in my boss’s words.
“Hello, you wonderful people. Have you missed me?” A lilting and cocky Welsh voice asked, his words floating over the quickly hushing crowd. I tore my gaze from Shaun and turned to face the stage, every inch of me tense and hyper aware of how close his arm came to brushing mine.
Murmurs of half-hearted agreement flickered across the crowd.
“I can’t hear you! Did you miss me?” The crowd roared an affirmative, and the singer grinned. A chorus of sighs ricocheted through the room. “We’re Lovers Knot, but you already know that, and tonight we’re going to rock your world.”
Chapter Twelve
I swayed for hours on my feet and my voice grew hoarse from singing along, but I wouldn’t have changed last night for the world.
Tilly had worn sunglasses in the wardrobe trailer when we’d turned up this morning, and Moira, her boss, took delight in rattling around the small space. Nothing would wipe the silly grin off her lips, though. Hungover or not, she was still riding a high from last night.
Hell, even Shaun seemed in a good mood, and he’d claimed to hate gigs. An SA had come up to him on set for an autograph, and he’d actually smiled at her. Cue shock and horror.
After checking in with the production office on Shaun’s schedule, I retreated to his trailer for a breather, and maybe a brief lie down. He’d been fending off groupies for at least nine years; he could handle a couple hours without me.
Resisting the lure of his super comfortable sofa, I poured myself a gigantic mug of coffee and settled in at the table. First thing’s first: rejig Shaun’s calendar against production’s tweaks.
Shaun found me hours later pinching the bridge of my nose. Staring at a small bright screen might not have been my best idea of the day – particularly not after a late night and with a stomach full of nothing but coffee.
>
Then a deliciously fragrant bowl appeared in front of my nose, and the headache eased its grip.
I stared at him. “What’s this?”
Shaun pushed my tablet aside and placed the bowl in front of me along with a set of cutlery. He’d brought me curry and rice. I stared at him and the meal. Why is he bringing me food?
“Eat, Mona,” Shaun ordered, taking a seat across from me.
I didn’t move, and he chuckled.
“I swear I didn’t poison it. It’s just a butternut curry.” I met his wary gaze, shock written plain across my face. He shifted in his seat, his eyes dropping to the bowl. “I know you don’t drink milk, but I wasn’t sure if it was for health reasons or because you’re vegan. So, I got the vegan option to be safe.” He sighed at my continued silence. “I didn’t see you at lunch.”
I glanced at the time on my tablet, surprised to find that time had flown by and I’d definitely missed lunch.
“Thanks for this.” I picked up the cutlery and dove in.
“Just look after yourself, please? I don’t want you getting sick because of me.”
I met his concerned eyes, but trepidation held my voice hostage. He was being nice. I had no defence against Nice Shaun.
“When I eat, you eat. No exceptions. If I have to eat every meal with you, I’ll do it.”
I laughed. “You won’t do that.”
He didn’t so much as smirk at my disbelief.
“You’re going to come home with me every night and cook me dinner?” I was joking, but he nodded, his mask of seriousness intact.
“If I have to, then prepare for a dinner guest.”
As threats went, it was potent and confusing. Why the hell should my boss care if I ate? He barely cared about how his actions affected others. My eating habits shouldn’t have piqued his interest. At least during the workday, I’d be able to uphold that. An image of my grimy galley kitchen flashed before my eyes, and I grimaced. I did not want to cook real food in that place.
Thankfully, someone knocked on the door before Shaun could force the matter. Muttering beneath his breath, he opened it to a fresh-faced runner. He stared up at Shaun with wide, nervous eyes. His throat worked but no sound emerged while his face reddened.
“I’ll be there in a sec,” Shaun said, his tone much softer than his usual biting exasperation with the junior staff.
The runner’s eyes widened further, the change in Shaun setting the kid on edge.
“We’re not done.” He turned to me with a smirk that said, “See? I can’t control how people react to me.”
“Do you need him on set?” I asked the runner.
The guy’s eyes latched onto me and his face relaxed marginally. He nodded.
“Stop playing with the boy and go.” I climbed to my feet and approached him. He watched me with a shuttered expression. I didn’t understand the look, and if I’m honest, I didn’t want to think about it. Who knew where my mind would go after last night?
“I’ve got work to do. Go!” I pushed him out the door and down the steps.
I expected him to resist a little, but he didn’t put up a fight and I went flying down the stairs after him. Before I hit the floor, Shaun caught me. I must have squeaked as I lost my footing.
Electricity swept through me as we connected, making me shiver. With the press of his hard chest against mine and his concerned green gaze scanning my face, I almost forgot he was my boss and currently made up of sixty percent asshole.
“Are you okay?” He held me to him.
I nodded and swallowed against the flutter of my pulse pounding in my throat. I’d never rush him again.
“I didn’t have you pegged as clumsy.” Shaun set me back on my feet at the base of the stairs. He released his grip slowly, watching for the slightest wobble.
“Thank you for catching me,” I whispered, my voice hoarse. “I’m fine. They need you on set.”
Shaun hesitated, his grip on my arms tightening while his intense gaze kept searching mine. With a reluctant nod, he dropped his hands and backed away.
Both shaken and puzzled, I sank down on the step and watched him walk away. There had been genuine concern in his eyes, and some stupid part of my brain insisted that it was more than worry for an assistant he didn’t even want.
But he paid attention. Despite his busy schedule and people feeding him a constant stream of information, he listened to me. No one had ever noticed if I’d skipped a meal or two when work got busy. He paid attention to what I said as well as what I didn’t.
Shaun was different in so many ways, but he seemed to accept me as I was. I’m sure he’d love it if I relaxed my control, yet I was almost certain he didn’t actually want me to change. And that meant an awful lot to me.
All the same, if I couldn’t shake off this fascination, I’d need to move on faster than planned. Working with a man I was hot for wasn’t great to begin with, but add the boss factor and we were on thin ice. I couldn’t let it happen. I had to beat this.
And what if you can’t?
A fraction of me didn’t believe I could resist, and if that fraction grew, then I’d need to say goodbye to the money and find something else to do. Whether I liked it or not.
Chapter Thirteen
I poked my head out of the trailer just in time for wrap and got hijacked before I reached Shaun on set. It was one hundred percent worth the delay. Alys and Heather caught me on my way past the production office and invited me for crew drinks in a couple weeks. I left them walking on cloud nine, the ground so far beneath my feet I never wanted to come down.
It’s been a while since I’ve had anyone but my sister invite me places! This’ll be fun.
My friends had pretty much faded into the background while I’d been with my ex, and then of course his friends had disappeared in a puff of smoke as soon as we split. No surprise. For years I’d been stagnant in Edinburgh, but I just couldn’t see it. Moving had been the best decision of my life, and no one would make me regret it.
I arrived on set to find Shaun gone and the crew tidying up. Glancing around the darkening space, I decided to just head home.
I turned back to Shaun’s trailer to collect my things and got stopped a dozen times with people marvelling at the change in him. All of them thanked me, but I shrugged off the praise. One person couldn’t change someone’s shitty attitude. He had to pull himself out of his hole.
A good thirty minutes had passed by the time I got back. I swung the door open and waltzed in, humming a beat from last night as I gathered my things.
Just as I turned around to leave, the bulk of a person caught my eye. I screamed and practically jumped out of my ever-loving skin.
“Shit!” My hands flew to my chest and my heart raced. I glanced at the ground, noticing I’d dropped my bag in the process. “What are you still doing here?” I asked, breathless.
Shaun quirked a brow. The rest of his face seemed set in stone, and his eyes would give me nightmares. The spark had gone. Even when he was biting at me, there’d been life there. Now there was nothing, just two flat pools of green and zero expression. He nursed an almost empty glass of whisky. The rest of the bottle sat at his side waiting for his next top up.
“Are you alright?”
He rubbed his eyes and squeezed his temples. “I thought you’d left.”
I tried to read some meaning from those four simple words, but none made sense. Was he pissed that it looked like I’d left without saying goodbye?
Which was utterly ridiculous. Right?
“I got caught up on the way to set. Why are you here rather than on the way home with Tom?” I approached him slowly, uncertain of my welcome.
“Wasn’t ready to go home.”
I sat on the sofa next to him and he uncapped the bottle, pouring a generous serving into the glass. He offered me the bottle. I took it from him but placed it on the floor. I didn’t need to addle my brain with alcohol right now.
“Did something happen?”
&n
bsp; He shook his head, staring into his glass like it held the answers to his mood swings – which it probably did.
“Did someone call?”
Another shake.
Okay. Tapping my chin, I stared around the pristine space. He hadn’t been drunk when he’d left me this afternoon, so he wasn’t low because of the alcohol. He’d been low and the drink had come calling. What would knock him off the cheery wave I’d left him with?
“Do you want to talk about it?”
He pursed his lips. It was tiny, but my heart danced. Progress.
“Did something remind you of Lily?”
His gaze flicked to me briefly before he shook his head. He covered his face and groaned, sinking lower in the seat.
“Today’s lines hit a little too close to home,” he muttered, his voice gravelly.
I frowned, trying to recall the scenes I’d glanced over this morning. There hadn’t been a romantic scene on the call sheet, just a bunch of family-focused things with his character’s sister and a whacko relative.
“It’s no secret that I had a shitty upbringing, but people don’t really know how shitty.” Shaun glanced at me, his eyes narrowing. “Are you staying or are you going? Sit properly,” he snapped, referring to the fact I was sat on the edge of the seat, still unsure if he wanted me there.
I slid back into the sofa cushion, kicked off my flats and tucked my legs beneath me. He smirked when I forced a “good enough?” smile.
“My dad wasn’t a nice person to be around. All he cared about was drinking.” Shaun glanced at the bottle on the ground, registering the irony of his words. Here he was, repeating his father’s mistakes. “He worked to drink and anything in between was just in the way – including me and my mother. He wasn’t always physically abusive, but words cut deeper than a fist, anyway.” Shaun shrugged, his dead eyes shifting to me and gutting me with that single look. “I only survived it because of Lily and Ryan, my mate. Ryan was a determined bastard back then – still is – who wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
He shook his head, and the Shaun I’d left this morning surfaced at last. He shifted in his seat until he faced me, fixing that sad mix of amusement and pain on me.
Between Takes Page 8
