by Ava Walsh
“How would it work?” Mindy asked. Regardless of her feelings, if her brother asked, it meant he really needed her help. She couldn’t say no.
Chapter Two - Devon
Devon had lied. Sure, the last time he saw Mindy Cassidy, she hadn’t been his type. That had been years ago when she was still in braces and didn’t have all those curves everywhere.
But now? He stood in the green room, a shot of vodka in his hand, and he couldn’t drag his gaze away from her. All that fiery red hair, and the sprinkle of freckles across her face. And he could see a smattering of them on her breasts, thanks to the scoop neckline of her purple t-shirt.
Bret glanced at Devon and narrowed his eyes. “You remember those rules.”
“No one has answered my question. How does this work?” Mindy asked again. Her cheeks were flushed and she used a hand to fan herself.
Bret spoke up from his place on the couch with Mindy. “You’d come on the road with us. There are photo ops every day. You’ll go down to breakfast together, you’ll come to the shows and be in the wings, smiling that sweet smile. You pretend to adore Dev, hard as that may be, and we keep our recording contract.”
“You can handle all that, right?” Devon asked her. He couldn’t help trying to goad her.
Mindy quirked her lips to the right, her face thoughtful. “I’m not the one who needs a relationship.”
Dev tossed back his vodka and exhaled quickly as the fire slid down his throat. “What does that mean?”
“Well, doesn’t it need to be the other way around? Doesn’t Dev need to look like he adores me?”
“I can hold up my end, honey. You just show up and let me work my magic.” He locked gazes with her, and the attraction flowed between them. She still wanted him. And she was no kid, not anymore.
Bret stood up between them. “There will be no magic worked.”
Right. Of course, Bret was right. This was his best friend’s little sister. It didn’t matter if the two of them had a thing happening, some kind of chemistry. What mattered was that he save the band’s record deal. And prove to his father, once and for all, that he was no screw-up.
He hadn’t seen Mindy in so long because he didn’t go back to Indiana, ever. They skipped it completely on tours because he couldn’t even stand to be in the same state as his father.
“So what do we do first?” Mindy asked. She knotted her fingers together in her lap. She was going along, but she wasn’t comfortable with it.
“First off,” Devon said, “relax. You look like you’re ready to jump out of your skin. Come here.”
Mindy stood in front of him, her arms at her sides. “Now what?”
He took her hands and pulled her into his arms, so he could look down into her face. The quickening in his body didn’t mean anything. He could ignore his attraction for her. She was a pretty girl and he was a red-blooded male. Didn’t mean a thing. “Mindy, meet my eyes.” He glanced at Bret. “I don’t know if this is going to work.”
Bret took a step back and examined them. “No, you look good enough together. Cute, even. Everyone will love you going for the-girl-next-door after your past relationships.”
“That’s not what I mean. She’s stiff in my arms like she doesn’t want to be here, and she won’t meet my gaze. There’s not a woman alive who wouldn’t want to be in your shoes.”
Mindy pushed him away and took a step back. Now her gaze snapped to his. “God, your arrogance is incredible. Get over yourself. Some of us don’t trade partners in and out like tissues. It’s going to take some getting used to. Give me a minute, for heaven’s sake.”
“We don’t have that long. We’re walking out of this building together, getting in a car, and going to our hotel room.”
She put a hand to her crimson cheeks and glanced at her brother. “Did he just say ‘our hotel room?’”
“Well, yeah. You’ve got to share a room. But it’s a suite, and Devon can take the couch. There’s a party first.” Bret took his sister’s hand. “You don’t have to do this if you don’t think you can handle it, Min.”
Devon wasn’t entirely sure he could do this and maintain the distance he knew Bret expected of him. Could he do the right thing and keep his hands off Mindy? He wasn’t sure he’d ever been a good enough guy to not take advantage of the close quarters they’d be sharing.
“What about my clothes?” she asked, out of nowhere. Leave it to her to focus on details that didn’t really matter. “I didn’t pack for more than a day or two.”
Devon was still lost in his own thoughts. He strolled back to the bar and poured another healthy shot of vodka. Bret spoke up, “We’ve got that covered, too. I hired an image consultant. You’ll get an all new wardrobe. Devon’s treat.”
“I’ve got a certain standard to live up to.” Why was he being so unkind to her? Maybe because he didn’t trust himself.
She looked at him then, and the hurt shone in her eyes. He wanted to apologize for being such a bastard about all this, but what was the point? The more they could dampen this fire between them, the better off they’d both be. “I’ll do this, but not for you, Devon. You’ve become a world-class ass. I’m doing this so you don’t ruin my brother’s future.”
He drained the shot of vodka, letting it burn him clean through. He had become a world-class ass. And he’d do it for her brother, and all their band mates as well. But he didn’t like it. This wasn’t going to lead anywhere good. “Let’s get to the party. You might want to change into something a little more… attractive.”
Glaring at him the whole time, she grabbed the small bag beside the couch. “Where can I change?”
Bret took her by the arm. “I’ll show you.” He shot daggers with his eyes at Devon.
Devon looked at it this way—he could keep his hands to himself, or he could not be an ass. Doing both wasn’t possible.
Chapter Three - Mindy
Mindy pawed through her clothes in the dressing room her brother had led her to. Had she even brought anything to wear to a party? A little advanced warning would have been nice. She sure didn’t want to prove Devon right, that she couldn’t look attractive enough to be on his arm.
She took a deep breath and tried to remember what Bret had said. The whole reason they chose her for this was that she was the perfect girl-next-door. She had that much handled. She couldn’t be more plain compared to Devon’s last supermodel ex.
Finally, she pulled out a black tank dress she usually wore under a cardigan. She had a hot pink bra in here somewhere; the straps would show out from under the tank in a sexy little peek-a-boo. At least, she’d seen other girls wear it that way. She’d never been brave enough to try, but she’d be damned before she wouldn’t try to look “more attractive,” after what Devon said.
She changed quickly then looked in the lit mirror. The black dress molded to her curves, and the hot pink straps stuck out in a shock of color. She just couldn’t do it. She pulled out an electric blue bolero shrug and slid it over her shoulders. There, that looked much more presentable, and less like she was a walking look-at-me billboard.
What to do with her makeup and hair?
Using a comb, she teased her hair out, then pulled it up in a claw clip. She pulled tendrils down around her face, then sprayed it with hairspray. As a last step, she freshened her lip-gloss and darkened her liner and eye shadow for a smoky eye effect. She didn’t even look like herself anymore. She’d never in her life stepped out of her home looking like she really wanted a man’s attention.
But she had to admit: As furious as she was with Devon, she wanted him to be proud to have her on his arm.
She stepped out of the dressing room. Her brother was nowhere to be seen. A low whistle came from a pillar near the door.
Devon stepped out. “I see you’re ready for the party.”
“Well?” She took her time turning in front of him.
“I didn’t know you had it in you, Mindy. You look… hot. Really hot.”
“Than
ks,” she mumbled, the familiar heat rushing through her.
“Yeah, yeah. We’ve got a party to get to.” He held out a hand for her and, with reticence, she finally took it. He tugged her hand until she stood inches away from him. “We need a little practice first.”
“If you kiss me here, I’ll knee you in the balls, Devon. I’m not even kidding. When my brother said to keep your hands to yourself, he spoke for both of us. I’m not one of your little playthings.”
Devon threw his head back and laughed at her. “You’ve grown up to be pretty sassy, kid. I like it.”
“Do not call me ‘kid.’ I’m an adult woman.”
“All right. Practice without kissing. That doesn’t seem very advisable, but we’ll work on it.” His hands came to rest at her waist and he pulled her against him.
Her breath caught in her throat. She couldn’t hide her shock to find he was hard against her stomach. And he’d shown her on purpose. This man was so, so bad for her. She absolutely could not let herself fall for him, just because he was tossing her some crumbs of attention. “I think not kissing is a very good idea right now.”
“Lean into me. Put your arms around my neck. Like we were going to dance at one of those high school dances you were always going to.”
Yeah, she’d gone. And sat on the bleachers, wishing Devon would somehow show up, though he was far too old, and ask her to dance. Her entire high school years had been spent daydreaming about him. She had to keep reminding herself, she wasn’t even one girl in a line of girls—she was a fake girlfriend. His body might be reacting to her, but for him, that probably meant nothing.
With a slow exhale, she did his bidding, sliding her arms around his neck. He leaned down so their foreheads met. “I do a lot of touching,” he said. “You’ve got to get used to my hands being on you, at your waist, around your shoulder. At the small of your back. When a woman is mine, I make sure the whole world knows it.”
“How very modern of you. I won’t ever be ‘yours,’ but I’ll play along. Can we get to this party?”
“Let’s go.” His hands dropped and he turned away like it had all been nothing to him. And that was probably the truth. Mindy had to remember, they were play-acting. It meant nothing.
It definitely meant nothing to him, so she’d make sure and protect her heart. It would mean nothing to her, either.
Chapter Four – Devon
Devon led Mindy out of the concert hall to a waiting limo in the back. He opened the door for her and she slid in, scooting over to make room for him.
When she’d walked out of that dressing room, all dolled up, all the blood had rushed from his brain. He could think of nothing but touching her, of kissing her.
She’d laid the law down on that pretty fast, but it didn’t mean a kiss wasn’t in their future. They were going to be at a party, they’d have a few drinks. He’d see where things went. He had to.
For one thing, he couldn’t think about much else right now, sitting across from her in the limo. For another, they had to make a splash, pretty quick, or the record label might think he was ignoring their ultimatum: clean up your act or else.
When they arrived to the hotel, he moved to sit beside her. “I’m going to hold your hand while we get out and walk up to the party. I’ll get us a couple of drinks. We’ll sit in the corner and look like we’re having an intimate conversation.”
“I’m with you so far.” She sighed. “Yeah, I can definitely do all that.”
“At some point, we’re going to have to kiss, Min. It’s inevitable. There will be photographers and entertainment journalists there.” He’d been an absolute ass to her, and he knew it. But, this had to look real and to do that, she had to trust him, at least a little. It was in his best interest to warn her about what lay ahead.
“I never said we couldn’t kiss for the public. It’s not something you and I are ever going to do in private.”
“That’s fair.” He took her hand as the limo slowed down. There would be fans there, and it could be intense to someone not really used to the whole scene. “If I didn’t say so before, you do look beautiful.”
“You didn’t. You said I looked hot.”
“You do.” He gave her hand a squeeze as the door opened. “Let’s go.”
When he stepped out, fans began screaming and chanting his first name. He waved at them, then helped Mindy out of the car. He held onto her because she looked like a deer caught in headlights. He leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Don’t look at them, don’t think about them. Keep your eyes on me. That’s it.” He tucked a finger under her chin as she lifted her face to his. “Now smile for me. Just me.”
She let the grin spread across her face. For a moment, it really did feel like it was only the two of them in the whole world. He could’ve kissed her then. She was open to it, as she focused on him, and, God, he wanted to. But he knew if he kissed her now, he’d spook her. Best to let her get used to all the attention first.
His security team ushered them inside and they got into the elevator, along with three big, muscular guys. “You did great,” he whispered.
She gave a nod and a weak smile. “Thanks. That was… strange. Everyone calling out your name. How does that not go to your head?”
“Who says it doesn’t?” They laughed together and he took the opportunity to put an arm around her shoulders. He pulled her closer, and she snaked an arm around his waist. “You ready for this?”
She exhaled slowly. “As long as I remember to breathe, we’ll be fine.”
“I’m not sure how to take that.” The elevator doors slid open to reveal the penthouse room. It was massive. That wasn’t anything new to Devon, but he looked at Mindy to see how she was taking it all in.
Her eyes were wide as she looked at the room and all the people. Their music blared from a stereo. She’d never been on the road with them, not even before they got their big break, so he didn’t suppose she had any idea what to expect. It’s not like Bret would’ve texted his baby sister about wild parties and loose women from the road.
Everyone called out Devon’s name as he and Mindy stepped off the elevator. He waved as he led Mindy to a loveseat in the corner. “Wait here, Min. I’m going to get us a drink.”
She settled on the couch while Devon crossed the room. A blonde was standing near the bar and she gave him an extra wide grin. “Devon, hi. I’m Cyn. Can I get you a drink? I’m a bartender, so I can make anything.”
“Just a couple of vodka and cranberry juices. Thanks, um… Cindy?”
“Cyn. Like how sinning can be fun…” She poured the juice over the vodka and ice.
“I’m here with my girlfriend.” He took the drinks and tipped her a wink. Women were everywhere on the road. Mindy wouldn’t be the kind of girl you cheated on, though. She’d be the kind of girl a guy couldn’t wait to get home to. Which he absolutely didn’t want. Commitment was the last thing on his list of things to do. He’d probably screw it up.
“She can join in. Get it? Sinfully Cyn.”
“She’s not that kind of girl,” he tossed over his shoulder. Man, some of these women could be so pushy. They wanted a famous notch on their bedpost, and he knew they were using him as much as he used them. That lifestyle had been fine until he started dating Natasha, his supermodel ex.
He hadn’t cheated on her, not even once, and then he’d found out she was screwing around with her old boyfriend behind his back while he was on the road. He didn’t plan to get serious with anyone anytime soon.
He reached Mindy and handed her the drink. “I got hit on getting that. I made sure I had yours in my hand before I turned her down. So, it should be pretty good.”
Mindy tilted her head to look at the disappointed blonde by the bar, glaring daggers at her. “Because she’s hot?”
“Because she’s a bartender. What would being hot have to do with it?”
He stretched his arm out on the back of the loveseat. “Lean in, Mindy. Reporters coming off the elevator now. It�
�s picture time.”
Chapter Five - Mindy
Mindy leaned back into Devon’s outstretched arm and snuggled up to his side. She took a long drink from her vodka and cranberry juice, letting it slide down her throat and leave her feeling tingly.
Being in Devon’s arms was so surreal. She’d dreamed of this moment for years. She’d had actual dreams of him wrapping his arms around her, secure in the knowledge that she was his and he was hers.
The beat of the music vibrated through the room and she spotted the reporters he was talking about entering the suite. Some had digital cameras strung around their necks. A couple of others held live-action cameras on their shoulder with cable channel logos on the side.
Dev tattooed a design on her shoulder with his fingers for about ten minutes. They talked about her classes and she told him how much she enjoyed psychology. “I still have several years of post-grad work left before I can practice clinical psychology. That’s my passion.”
“What else is your passion, Mindy?” he whispered in her ear.
“Does that actually work on anyone?” she asked him.
“You’d be surprised.” His voice held a hint of laughter. At her or with her, she didn’t know.
“Yeah, well, I’m not a groupie. I knew you before you went through puberty.”
“It’s unfortunate that the line didn’t work.”
“Why?” She tilted her face to look up at him, breathless all at once. She was faintly aware of the camera’s approaching them.
“Remember: don’t make a scene, no matter what else you do.” He leaned closer until their lips were less than an inch apart. “And don’t knee me in the balls.”
He captured her lips in a kiss. The sensations, of his mouth on hers, of his arms pulling her closer, were everywhere at the same time. A little timid, she tried kissing him back and he gave a faint growl in her mouth that she devoured.
More was all she could think. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned back into the small couch. He nibbled at her bottom lip then let his tongue linger there to soothe it away.
