He was pulling his bike into the freight elevator when his phone buzzed. He pulled it out, thinking maybe it was Becca calling to ask where he was, but instead, Adam’s number flashed on the screen. Disappointment flowed out with a sigh, and he clicked the answer button. “Hey, Adam.”
“Don’t ‘hey’ me. You’ve had us all worried sick.”
“Oh, really?” he asked while unlocking the door of his apartment. His eldest brother sounded way too much like their dad when he was pissed off. “And why is that?”
“Because it’s the first time you’ve bothered to answer any of our calls in the last twenty-four hours.”
Ethan pulled his phone back and checked the call log. Sure enough, there were at least twenty missed calls from his family since yesterday. “Sorry, I had my phone on silent.”
“You need to come up with a better excuse than that. I was about to fly out there to make sure you were still alive.”
“I’m not Ty,” he replied, his voice tight with irritation. “I’m staying clean, so you don’t have to worry about that.”
“Then why the hell weren’t you answering your phone?”
“I already told you why.” He parked his bike along the wall by the door and hung his helmet on the hook above it.
“Why did you have your phone on silent?”
“Why do you and Mom feel the need to check in on me every few hours? I’m not helpless, you know.”
The anger melted from Adam’s voice, leaving genuine concern in its wake. “It’s just because we’re worried about you.”
“Well, stop worrying so much, okay? I have a great support system here, and she’s wonderful. She’s kind, thoughtful, smart, and has enough nerve to smack me upside the head when I’m being an idiot. She’s already helped me work through so much on the road to staying clean, so you can stop treating me like a child.”
Silence hung in the air for a moment, and Ethan’s stomach sank. When Adam was quiet like that, it meant he was dissecting something that was said.
“So, tell me more about this support system of yours.”
He could just imagine his brother’s response if he told him who Becca was. She still didn’t have the most stellar reputation, even though she’d retired from her party girl ways years ago. She’d tried to protect his privacy, and now it was his chance to return the favor. “That’s none of your fucking business.”
“There’s a nine a.m. flight to LaGuardia I can still make,” Adam warned.
“Just cut me some slack. I’m not a kid anymore.”
“No, but you are in a tough place right now.”
“News flash, Adam—Hell’s Kitchen has gone under some serious gentrification, so it’s not the shithole it used to be. You saw how much my loft cost.”
“That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”
Ethan plopped down on the sofa and massaged his temple. Adam and his mom had no doubt researched narcotic recovery and probably already knew about the one-month speed bump. “Yes, I’m at the one-month mark, and yes, it’s been tough, but if I need any help, I can call on Becca.”
“So her name’s Becca, huh?”
Damn it! Adam had somehow managed to weasel her name from him. “Yeah.”
“And she lives in the city?”
“No, she lives in fuckin’ New Jersey.”
Instead of shutting his brother up, the comment only made Adam laugh. “Ah, the sarcasm’s back in full force. Always a good sign.”
“See? I’m fine. So lay off with the bedtime checks, okay?”
“Fine, and I’ll tell Mom to back off, too, but don’t be surprised if she calls wanting to know more about Becca.”
A lump the size of the Wall Street bull formed in his throat. “Why?”
“Because it’s the first time you’ve mentioned a woman who wasn’t some chick you banged while you were on tour.”
No, but there was last night…
“And from the sound of things,” Adam continued, “you think very highly of her.”
“Yeah, I like her. She’s cool, but there’s no need for Mom to start planning another wedding. In fact, it might be nice if you didn’t mention Becca to her.”
“Don’t want to get her hopes up?”
“Yeah, something like that.”
But the more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea of being linked with Becca, of spending more time with her outside the NA arena, of being called her boyfriend instead of just her friend. He just had to figure out the best way to handle the transition to that point.
“I won’t mention it to Mom if you tell me where you were last night.”
Damn it, his brother never gave up. But that didn’t mean he’d have to tell him everything. “I was celebrating Rosh Hashanah.”
“Rosh Hash—what the fuck?”
“Shanah Tovah, Adam.” He hung up and made sure his phone was still on silent before slipping it back into his pocket.
***
“Becca, you have some serious explaining to do!”
Becca shot up in bed at the sound of her roommate’s irate screech. The first thing she noticed was that she was still naked from last night. The second thing was the still-warm impression next to her from another person. The pleasant ache between her legs reminded her of the previous night’s encounter.
Holy shit! I slept with Ethan Kelly.
Then another more worrisome thought followed. Where is he?
Becca yanked the sheets up over her chest as Ari burst into her bedroom. “Haven’t you heard of knocking?”
Ari stood at the foot of her bed, arms crossed and cheeks florid. “Oh my God. You fucked him?”
“No, I just suddenly decided to sleep naked next to a sexy man, but managed to keep my hands off of him.”
“Damn it, Becca! You know how long I’ve had a crush on Ethan Kelly.”
Becca rested her forehead in her hand. So the cat was out of the bag. “Funny. You seemed rather pissed off that he was even here last night.”
“That was before I realized who he was.”
“Um, sorry?”
“Don’t bother lying to me.” Ari plopped down on the edge of the bed, her arms still crossed. “Did you know?”
“Of course I knew, but he wanted to fly under the radar, and I respect that.”
“But I’m your best friend. You could’ve at least told me.”
Becca checked the clock. 7:14 a.m. Way too early to be having this conversation on her day off. “Speaking of Ethan, where is he?”
The redness in Ari’s cheeks spread to her ears and neck, and her ramrod straight posture wilted. She turned away, twirling a strand of blond hair around her finger. “Well, um, I think I scared him away.”
Becca jumped to her knees, still clutching the sheet to her chest and ignoring the blast of cool air that bathed her bare ass. “What happened?”
Ari gave her a nervous laugh and moved on to a new segment of her hair to twirl. “Well, I smelled the coffee he was making, found him in the kitchen with his shirt off—by the way, he’s way hotter in person than in any of his photos. No wonder why you wanted to keep him all to yourself.”
“Out with it, Ari.”
She released her hair and threw her hands down in her lap with an exasperated sigh. “I guess I went a little crazy fan-girl on him.”
“And then?”
“He freaked out and bolted.”
“Damn it, Ari! I expected better from you, what with Gabe being a movie star and all.”
“I’m sorry, but he was there—in our kitchen—half naked. I just, you know, lost it.”
Becca wrapped the sheet around her and climbed out of bed, searching for her phone in the mess of clothes on the floor. Once she found it, she dialed his number and counted the rings before it went to voice mail.
Shit!
She hung up without leaving a message and sank back down on her bed. She’d try again later, and if she couldn’t reach him by phone, she hoped she could catch him at the next N
A meeting and apologize for her roommate’s behavior.
Ari sat next to her, her head still bowed. “Sorry, Becca. I didn’t mean to scare him off.”
“It’s fine. I’m sure I’ll get hold of him and explain everything.”
Ari nodded, then asked, “So, how was it?”
Now it was Becca’s turn to blush. “Wow.”
“Wow?”
“Yes, definitely wow.”
Chapter Ten
“Rebecca, may I please have a word with you?”
A dozen pairs of eyes zeroed in on her after Elaine made her request at the end of the weekly staff meeting, all of them wondering why the lowly assistant had been singled out by the editor-in-chief.
Becca wiped her palms on her skirt and nodded. “Sure, Elaine.”
“In my office.” She beckoned her to follow her down the hall to the corner office with breathtaking views of Midtown. “Close the door behind you.”
Becca did as she was told and waited for Elaine to sit down behind her desk before taking a seat across from her. Her mouth was so dry, she doubted she’d be able to respond to anything her boss said, and she wished she’d brought the bottle of water from her cubicle with her to the meeting.
“You’re been here since January, correct?”
“Yes.”
Elaine put on a pair of designer reading glasses and skimmed over some of the papers on her desk while she spoke. “And while I appreciate you speaking up in our meetings with suggestions for articles, I don’t think you’ve firmly grasped who Moderne’s audience is. Our reader is a young, modern female who wants to stay on top of all the trends, be it fashion, beauty, or men. She is not interested in the need to educate schoolgirls in third world countries.”
Oh great, I’m about to get fired.
Becca curled her fingers into the nubby knitted fabric of her skirt. “Yes, Elaine.”
The editor set down her papers and removed her glasses to pinch the bridge of her nose. “I know you would like to write more serious articles, but that’s not what we do here. I’m far more interested in what you can give me through your social connections.”
Becca’s spine stiffened, and her fear morphed into a mixture of outrage and confusion. She struggled to keep her voice calm as she asked, “My connections?”
“Yes, you’re Becca Shore, party girl extraordinaire and heiress to a fortune,” Elaine explained with a flourish. “You know people my readers are eager to learn about. You can provide Moderne with the juicy celebrity gossip that will make issues fly off the newsstand. Why do you think I agreed to take you on?”
A bitter taste filled her mouth, but she kept it closed.
Elaine leaned forward, arms on her desk. “Surely, you must know something we can use.”
How about the fact I screwed Ethan Kelly last week? I bet your readers would love to find out what he’s like in the bedroom.
But she wasn’t the fuck-and-tell type. Not to mention, she was too busy trying to convince him to trust her. He hadn’t made any effort to contact her since he ran out of her apartment Friday morning.
She kept her face blank and shook her head. “Not at the moment.”
Elaine’s face hardened, and she sat back in her chair. “Well, then consider that your assignment, Rebecca. We’re getting into the holiday season, and I expect with your family’s connections, you’ll have your pick of parties to attend. If someone important so much as sneezes, I want to hear about it.”
So, I’m being regulated to being a celebrity spy.
She squeezed her hands into fists to keep from telling Elaine no. As crappy as this job was, it was a job that paid her modest bills, and the last thing she needed was to get canned. If she had no income, she’d be forced to crawl back to her father and concede to his demands. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“Excellent. I look forward to seeing your reports.” Elaine turned her attention to her computer and dismissed Becca with a wave of her hand.
Becca retreated to her cubicle, unable to ease the sick feeling in her stomach. The only reason she’d gotten this job was because of who she used to be, and now she was in danger of losing it. Her dream of becoming a respected journalist seemed further away than ever.
She pulled out her phone and dialed Ari’s number. “Can you get away for lunch? I really need someone to talk to.”
“Sure. Want to meet at Le Cirque? I know the maître d’, and he can squeeze us in.”
Becca winced at the thought of the pricy check that would entail, but brushed it off with the excuse that she needed the splurge. “Sure. Meet you there at noon?”
“I’m in a meeting until twelve-thirty, so make it one. See you then.”
***
Later, lunch still sat like a lead brick in the pit of Becca’s stomach as she left work. She’d spent two hours brainstorming with Ari about how she could save her job without becoming a social pariah, and nothing seemed feasible.
Of course, it didn’t help that Ari kept bringing up her relationship with Ethan. It was only when Becca threatened to publish photos of Gabe in braces and headgear that Ari backed off. Some things didn’t need to be made public, and Ethan Kelly was one of them.
She hurried down the street to the nearest subway station. The train was waiting at the track when she reached the stairs leading to the platform. She ran down to catch it, only to feel something crack under her feet. Her ankle rolled, and she stumbled down the last few steps, praying she didn’t make a face plant on the concrete. By the time she caught her balance, the doors had closed.
She glanced down at the broken heel of her shoe and cursed. If they’d been real Jimmy Choos instead of knockoffs, she would’ve made the train. Now she was left with a ruined pair of shoes and would be late for her NA meeting.
She hobbled over to the nearest bench and fished through her bag for the tiny tube of super-glue she kept there for emergencies. There was a time in her life when she would’ve tossed the shoes in the garbage and bought a new pair, but the cost of lunch had set her back far enough on her finances that new shoes were out of the question. For now, she had to patch the heel back on and pray it would last until she got home and could apply some stronger glue.
Her ankle was starting to swell by the time she snuck into the meeting. She didn’t even bother looking for Ethan and opted for the closest open chair. Instead of listening to the other members, her mind whirled around her own predicament. She could either become a rat or end up at the mercy of her father again. Just the idea of living under his constant scrutiny was enough to revive the familiar craving.
When she was high, she didn’t care what he thought about her. His criticism rolled off like splashes on her favorite Burberry rain boots. But if she went back to him, she’d have to admit she was wrong about the choices she’d made, and he’d be completely insufferable.
It’s better to be poor and hungry than be tempted to get high again.
It was a revelation she’d come to two years ago, and it gave her the strength to quiet the craving. If she lost her job at Moderne, she could find something else to do. Bartend. Wait tables. Maybe even see if she could get on at the public relations firm where Ari worked. Besides, if she were broke, she’d think more than twice about dropping twenty dollars every time she wanted to get high.
The meeting drew to a close, and she met Ethan’s gaze across the room. Her breath caught from the intensity of his stare, and she squirmed in her seat from the memories of him ordering her to touch herself. Part of her wanted to flee before he caught her just to avoid the awkward “So, about the other night” conversation, but the predatory heat in his gray eyes almost forbade her to leave without speaking to him first.
And he knew what a sucker she was when he ordered her to do something.
She stayed in her seat and waited for him while the others wandered out of the basement.
He wove this way through the crowd until he stood in front of her, his hands buried in his pockets. Even dressed in a faded T
-shirt and worn jeans, he was sexy. “Hi.”
“Hi,” she repeated, not coming up with anything better to say.
He rocked back and forth on his feet before sitting in the chair next to her. “Becca, I….” His voice trailed off, and he looked away.
Her throat tightened. This was where he was going to give her the “Thanks for the other night, but I think we should just be friends” spiel. And she deserved it. After all, she’d been the one to invite him back to her bed when he was still in a precarious position of his recovery.
He rubbed the back of his neck and turned back to her. “Can we go to the café and talk?”
“Sure,” she said with an extra dose of false cheer in her voice.
When she stood, though, the throbbing in her ankle roared to life and sent a jolt of pain up her leg. She gasped and lurched forward.
Ethan caught her, his brows drawing together in worry. “What’s wrong?”
“These stupid shoes.” She sat back down and took off the offending shoe. The strong glue had failed, and now the heel dangled by a thin strip of fake leather. “I twisted my ankle on the way over here.”
“Let me take a look.” He knelt in front of her to examine her ankle. “You know, this is the second time I’ve seen you stumble in those heels. You should think about sturdier footwear.”
“And risk not being fashionable? Never!”
His warm hands caressed her calf and slid down to the swollen joint. The sensation awakened her desire and brought back memories of his hands on other parts of her body. And despite the fact that his inspection of her ankle was far from sexual, she grew more and more turned on with every gentle squeeze.
“It doesn’t look broken,” he said and looked back at her. He paused, and as though he read her desire, his mouth curled up in a sexy grin that made her slick with anticipation. “Maybe we should just go back to your place?”
“Are you ready to handle Ari?”
“Good point.” He rose and scooped her up in his arms. “My place it is.”
Her tongue tripped over itself in embarrassment. “You don’t need to carry me.”
“And you don’t need to be walking on that ankle.” He climbed up the stairs with the same brisk pace as he did with empty arms. “Besides, it’ll give me a chance to play knight in shining armor.”
A Seductive Melody (The Kelly Brothers Book 5) Page 10
