The Hottest Ticket in Town

by Kimberly Van Meter

  “Or maybe we were both too angry and hurt—or afraid—to ask the questions that needed to be asked of one another.”

  “It’s possible.” He didn’t want to ruin the night and he knew that if they continued to pick at that wound, something would gush, but he couldn’t help wondering if these were the things they should’ve said years ago. “I never forgot about you. How could I? It’s like you were branded on my heart and there was no scraping that sucker off. Not a day went by that I didn’t think of you. But eventually I got busy with my own life. I saw other women—nothing lasted—but I blamed the job even though I knew in my heart it was always because you were still in there. It was hard to come to terms with that but I had to.”

  “I know what you mean. For so long I’ve been so busy with my career, driving to one specific destination in my mind until I completely lost track of what the destination was in the first place. I feel like I’ve made it but then I second-guess myself because my manager, Trent, keeps telling me that if I’m not out there, people will forget about me. I’ve worked too hard to lose it all now.”

  “And just what exactly would you be losing? Your voice? Your voice is yours forever. You’ll be singing tomorrow just as you were singing yesterday. That will never change. But if you’re chasing after fame? Yeah, fame fades. That’s just the ego, sweetheart. I can’t tell you how many clients I’ve worked with who busted their tails to get to a certain place in their life only to lose it all because they were too busy trying to create a lifestyle that couldn’t realistically be maintained. What are you looking for, Laci? You have to know that before you keep chasing your tail.”

  “Honestly, I don’t know what I’m looking for anymore. When it all started I just wanted to sing. But now, everything’s all twisted up in what I think I need and what I want. I don’t even know anymore.”

  “That’s half your problem right there. If what you’re saying is all you ever wanted to do was sing, then do that. Just sing.”

  “It’s not that simple. It may have started out that way but now I have a payroll. I have people who depend on me. I can’t just sing like I used to, without a thought about how much the venue is going to offer me. Somewhere along the line life got a lot more complicated. I mean, I would love to sing at a place like this. Smaller venues are so much more intimate and you can feel the vibe from the crowd, you can practically smell the sweat from the backs of their necks and it’s awesome. I see the smiles on their faces, the joy in their eyes. That’s what makes me happy. The bigger venues are...sometimes overwhelming. The lights are blinding and the noise is deafening. My body is vibrating for an hour after I leave the stage and even though I’m wearing a headset, I swear my ears have gone half-deaf from being onstage. I don’t mean to complain, but...I don’t know, I’m just tired.”

  “No,” he disagreed. “Life has always been complicated, but your love of singing wasn’t. You’ve got a gift, Laci. And it ain’t going nowhere. Stop driving yourself into the ground for a prize you’re not even sure you want to win.”

  * * *

  GOTTA LOVE THAT country wisdom. Since when had Kane become so smart? Sexy and wise? Damn, he’s the whole package. If only it were as simple as he suggested. “I have to finish the tour. If I don’t finish, I’ll be liable for breach of contract and I could be sued for millions. There’s a lot at stake. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I screwed over the people who work so hard for me.”

  “There has to be a happy middle. You just need to negotiate with your manager. Celebrity singers cancel tours all the time and sometimes for stupid, inane reasons. In fact, Rian worked for a rap singer who canceled his entire tour because he was bored with road life. Of course, his PR team spun it into a story about the guy suffering from vocal cord strain, but that wasn’t the truth. Here’s the thing, no one cares about the truth. No one. Particularly in the business you’re in. I’m not saying you have to screw everyone over. I’m just saying you need to start standing up for yourself.”

  She knew he was right. But it was hard to hear. Before her daddy died, he’d been the one to drive her career. And before he’d died, he passed the reins to Trent. Daddy had drilled into her head how lucky they were to land someone like Trent Blackstone to manage her career.

  And Daddy had been right, Trent had made her a lot of money. But he was ruthless and sort of an unfeeling bastard at times. Simone hated him, and Audrey sure as hell wasn’t sending him a Christmas card anytime soon. So why did she hold on to him? Was it all about the money? What if she had to sell her ranch in Ojai or downsize that huge house in Los Angeles? Would she care?

  She thought of the Bradford ranch and how happy and homey it felt and she knew without having to say out loud that she wouldn’t miss any of that crap. She could be just as happy in a small house as she could in a palatial mansion. More so, even. She’d only bought that huge house in LA because Trent had assured her that it looked good for entertaining. Yet, she hadn’t actually done any entertaining in that house because she was too busy touring! So what was the point of having all this money if she never got to enjoy any of it? Was she supposed to stay on the hamster wheel until she died? Uncertainty kept her from knowing her own mind and she hated the feeling of teetering on a ledge blindfolded.

  “Trent is a good man,” she said, the words leaving her mouth as if on autopilot because she didn’t know how to defend the choices of her life lately. “He’s just doing what’s best for my career.”

  “Screw your career. What about you?”

  What did he just say? She blinked, offended. “Screw my career? Are you serious? I worked my ass off to get where I am today and you want me to throw it away? What if I said that to you?”

  “My career is not trying to kill me,” he pointed out. “You dropped from exhaustion at your last concert.”

  “And you run the risk of being shot at in your career choice,” she countered, bristling. “I don’t appreciate you tearing down my career choice just because it doesn’t jibe with what you wanted for me.”

  He did a double take. “What are you talking about? I walked away from you so that you could build your damn career. I stepped aside so I wouldn’t ever be in your way. Don’t give me that. However, I never imagined that I was stepping aside so that someone else could step in and run you into the ground.”

  Why were they fighting yet again? For Pete’s sake, was this their curse? To always bicker and pick at each other if they weren’t in bed? They hadn’t always been so adversarial. At one time, Kane had been her biggest supporter; she had to remember that. She took a moment to dial back her own anger so she could think reasonably again. “Look, I don’t want to fight. I just don’t like when you say things like that. I’ve made a lot of sacrifices and I don’t like the idea of someone coming in and crapping all over my life’s work.”

  “I didn’t crap on your work. I love when you sing,” he said, glowering for a long moment until he grudgingly admitted, “I didn’t think it was possible to wear out a CD, but I think I did with your first album. I played it so much in private that Rian declared a moratorium on Laci McCall until your new album came out.”

  Oh, that warmed her heart ridiculously so. Her sinuses tingled and she knew tears weren’t far behind. “How’d Rian know you were playing it if it was done in private?” she asked.

  “Because we shared an apartment when we were first out of the military and the walls were thin between bedrooms.”

  She smiled and waited until she knew her voice wouldn’t crack and said, “That means a lot to me. I’d always hoped...that maybe you were listening somewhere out there. Track ten...it’s about you.”

  His gaze held hers and until he ducked his head, possibly to hide the blush of pleasure as he said, “I kinda figured. Or at least...I thought, maybe.”

  She laughed and cuddled up to him. “Okay, secret’s out. ‘Country Boy’ is all you, Kane Dalt
on.”

  The Ferris wheel creaked to a stop at the very top and Laci admitted with a deep breath, “I didn’t mean to get so fired up. When you say things like screw your career, it sparks something crazy inside me and before I know it, I’m saying all sorts of hotheaded things.”

  He took a moment before answering and she appreciated that he was taking his time because that told her he wanted to say it right. “I would never mock your work. I just don’t like the idea of you being taken advantage of by the people who are supposed to be looking out for you. It makes me feel like shit that I’m not the one protecting you, looking out for you. Feels like it should’ve been my job.”

  Annnnd, her heart just melted. What a sweet, caring man. The fact that he felt that way about her...well, it did something to her. Something deep and meaningful. But she needed to clarify so he could stop worrying. He didn’t deserve that kind of stress on her account. “No one is taking advantage of me,” she assured him. “I promise. I will talk to Trent about my tour schedule and get him to dial it back. It’s my fault for not speaking up. I’m sure once I talk to Trent he’ll understand and want to do what’s right for me. He’s a good guy. I know I’m not painting him out to be very nice, but he really is, he’s just very focused on the end result and sometimes he loses sight of the people that make it happen.”

  “Well, we’ll see about that. I don’t know the guy, but I don’t like him already. The fact that he wanted to put you back on tour right after you collapsed doesn’t make me want to go shake his hand. Frankly, it makes me want to punch him out.”

  Oh, good Lord. She couldn’t have Kane punching out her manager. “Please don’t hurt my manager. I can’t see how that will make things better.”

  Kane shrugged. “It might make me feel better. But out of respect for you, I’ll keep my hands to myself.”

  “Thank you.” She leaned in closer with a sweet smile. “Can we go back to kissing now?”

  He grinned and pulled her close. “Gladly. Talk is overrated anyway.”

  16

  KANE AND LACI had just managed to make a full loop of the festival before someone recognized her. Kane was the first to realize the woman was staring a little too hard at Laci as she was trying to win a stuffed teddy bear. Then a large crowd started to assemble. Kane didn’t want to cut short the fun, but he was becoming uncomfortable with the way the woman became animated with her circle of friends, pointing and gasping.

  Kane leaned over to whisper in Laci’s ear, “I think the jig is up. You’ve been spotted.” And when Laci looked up to see what Kane was talking about, he knew by her expression that things were about to get real. Kane kicked into protective mode, gripping her by the elbow and guiding her quickly away from the building crowd. But within moments, people were pointing and exclaiming as if the queen of England had suddenly shown up and, before they knew it, there were cameras and camera phones being stuck in Laci’s face with pleas and demands to get her autograph or a photo with them.

  “Back off,” he finally had to growl, warding off an overeager person who had thrust a camera into Laci’s face. “Show some respect. I’m not shoving a camera in your family’s face as you try to enjoy a nice evening at the festival.”

  “Hey, celebrities are fair game. That’s the price they pay for being famous,” an obnoxious man spouted off. “Besides, tabloids will pay big money for candid shots of celebrities like her.”

  “Yeah, well, you’re just going to have to find a real job because Laci’s not here to fund your lifestyle.”

  Laci tugged at Kane’s shirt, urging him to go. “Come on, let’s go. He’s just a jerk, and I’m used to it.”

  “Well, I’m not used to it.” He glared at the man. “Back off before I teach you some manners.”

  “Yeah, tough guy? Go ahead and try.”

  Laci pleaded with Kane, “Don’t do anything. These kinds of people deliberately provoke so they can earn a payout. Settling in court is the way they make their money. Let’s just go. I’ve had enough of the festival anyway.”

  Kane knew she was right. He’d counseled many clients on that very thing, but usually he was the cool head in these situations. Not this time. His blood was boiling. He hated the idea of random people thinking they had the right to badger Laci simply because she sang songs that people enjoyed. “Go harass someone else.”

  He grabbed Laci’s hand and they walked away quickly, going to the truck and climbing in. His heart was hammering, almost painfully, and his adrenaline was racing. This was exactly what he counseled his clients not to do—don’t get emotional. And yet, here he was, gripping the steering wheel, wishing it were the guy’s neck. “Why do people have to be such assholes?” he asked, knowing there was no answer. “I can’t believe what people will do to another human being for a buck. Makes me sick.”

  “That was nothing. Sometimes people get downright ugly. They feel entitled to know everything about a celebrity’s life. I’ve even had a few death threats,” she admitted with a shaky laugh. He looked at her sharply and she was quick to reassure him, “Trent had them checked out and everything was fine. They were just crazies.”

  “The crazies are the ones who will follow through with those threats. Trust me, I know something about this. I’m in the protection business. What kind of bodyguards does your manager have placed on the tour?”

  She shrugged. “I haven’t a clue. I let Trent take care of that stuff.”

  Kane scowled. “The more I know about this guy the more I think he’s an asshole. And incompetent. Death threats should always be taken seriously. That’s why they’re a felony.”

  Laci sighed with a yawn. “I can’t spend all my time worrying about who might potentially be out there wanting to hurt me. I would go insane. You realize that I sing to sold-out venues and there are millions of people out there who want a piece of me? It’s impossible to weed out every potentially dangerous person who might be in the crowd. I understand that’s the risk that I take.”

  “But you can mitigate that risk. You need a competent protection staff.”

  “I’m sure Trent has excellent bodyguards working for me. It’s not like he would purposefully put me in danger.”

  “Wouldn’t he? The funny thing about celebrities...sometimes their value goes up when they’re dead. Particularly when they die a tragic death.”

  “Oh, come on, Kane...you’re really not suggesting...?” She couldn’t even finish the sentence; it seemed too absurd to her, but Kane wasn’t so sure. He didn’t know this Trent character, but he did know that Laci had a trusting spirit and if she was in danger, she’d never see it coming in someone she considered part of her inner circle.

  She yawned again and said, “Enough of that kind of talk. I’m tired and I don’t have the strength to argue with you. Let’s just put a pin in it until morning, okay?”

  “Whatever you say,” he said, agreeing to let the conversation rest, not because he was ready to stop but because he could tell Laci was still fighting extreme fatigue in spite of the rest she’d gotten since arriving at the ranch. Putting her to bed and climbing in beside her sounded better than arguing anyway.

  * * *

  LACI NEEDED TO wind down. Her nerves were stretched taut after what’d happened at the festival. She was so accustomed to the intrusion into her private life that she barely let it register any longer, but experiencing it through Kane’s eyes made her realize that her life was spiraling out of control. Impulsively, she went to Kane and pulled him straight to her mouth, sealing hers to his with a hungry, almost desperate kiss. After a long, lingering moment, they broke apart, leaving Kane to gaze at her quizzically.

  “Not that I’m complaining, but...what was that for?” He paused a moment before asking, “Are you okay?”

  No. She braved a smile for his sake. “I’m great. But you know what I would love?” He waited for her
answer and she grinned mischievously as she said, “A bath. I want to soak in that big, claw-foot tub and I want you to join me.”

  “I don’t think the tub is big enough for us both,” Kane said with faint concern.

  “Sure it is. I’m pretty certain I’ll fit perfectly if I lie against you.”

  He swallowed hard and she bit back a knowing grin. Oh yes, he just popped a boner. “Are you game?”

  “You, naked? I’ll go anywhere. Hell, I’d squeeze myself into a cardboard box if it meant being shoved up against your naked body,” he admitted without an ounce of shame. “I’ll get the water started.”

  “You do that. I’ll get towels and soap.”

  Within minutes, the steam from the tub filled the small bathroom and Laci entered, her gaze going straight to Kane, who was already lounging in the antique tub like the lord of the manor and damn, did he look good. Seeing Kane naked like that was enough to wipe away even the worst memories and she didn’t hesitate to join him. She gingerly stepped into the steaming water, placing her feet carefully between his legs, but as she braced herself on either side of the tub and began to lower herself, he caught her hips with his strong grip and she sucked in a tight breath as his teeth grazed her cheek.

  “You have the world’s most perfect ass,” he told her almost reverently. “Makes me want to do bad things.”

  She closed her eyes, but a slow smile found her lips. “Yeah? What kind of bad things?”

  “Dirty things,” he growled. “The kind that good girls shouldn’t know about.”

  She laughed and threw a coy look over her shoulder. “Who said I was a good girl?”

  His brow climbed and he slowly spun her around, the water glistening on her thighs, lapping at her knees, as he said, “Oh? Are you saying you’re a bad girl, Laci McCall?”

  She bit her lip, watching as his gaze darkened at the tiny movement, and said breathlessly, “You have no idea how bad I can be.”