“We’ll keep things quiet. Nothing worthy of Celebstarz.”
He laughs. “I ate brunch once and they put me on the cover.”
He pauses.
“But I’ll take it off for you… to let the world know that you’re the woman I love.”
Reaching up, he pushes off his hood.
“There.” I run my hand through his unruly sunkissed hair. “Much better.”
Gabe watches me with his dark eyes. “I love you, Phoenix. You helped me get free.”
I smile. “I love you, Just Gabe.”
Smirking, he pulls me in close and tilts my chin up, sealing his mouth on mine. The way he kisses me is so mind-blowing that everything else melts away. I forget that I’m at an outdoor concert with tens of thousands of people surrounding us. Right now, it’s just Gabe and me. When we pull back, I look into his eyes. With Gabe holding me tight like this and the sound of live Henry Sinner music in the background, the moment is perfection. We don’t even notice the small crowd around us pulling out their smartphones and taking photos, nor do we care.
“Come on,” I finally say. I put my hand in his. “Let’s go watch a concert.”
Taking his hand, I pull him through the crowd. There are a lot of whispers and stares but we ignore them all. At this point, the sun is low and the sky’s colors range from pink to dark purple. When we find a secluded spot, Gabe wraps his arms around me as we listen to the music.
His lips find my ear. “This is the song we had our first kiss to.”
I smile. “You remember that?”
“How can I forget?”
Turning to face him, I kiss him again. The heat from his body transfers to mine as he holds me against him.
“Excuse me?” Someone behind us asks.
Gabe pulls his lips from mine and whispers in my ear again.
“Here we go,” he says.
When we turn around, we’re both surprised to see two large cops in front of us.
“Are you Amber Sweet?” One cop is looking at me.
“What is this for?” Gabe interjects.
“We’ve been notified that Amber Sweet stole a Chase-brand vehicle.”
My eyes widen as I look at Gabe. The cop grabs the guitar out of my hands and pulls my wrists behind my back. “You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be held against you in court…”
“Wait, this is wrong.” Gabe looks at me. “Victor notified the police back when we were in the dead zone at Marigold’s house. He must have forgotten to call it off after we talked.”
“Doesn’t matter,” the cop says, securing the handcuffs around my wrists.
“But we found the motorcycle!”
“Not according to our database.”
“Wait. I’m Gabriel Chase—Victor’s son. Let me call my father and fix this.”
The other cop raises his eyebrows. “You’re Gabriel Chase?”
Gabe lifts his chin. “I am.”
I’m simultaneously amused and turned on by his shameless ability to name-drop. People around us start to take notice and whisper to each other. They’re even pulling out their phones to record us. Just what I need—more viral videos. I look up at Gabe to gauge his reaction to all this attention but he’s not even paying attention to the crowd. He’s still arguing with the cops.
“My father doesn’t want her to get arrested anymore,” he says. “Trust me.”
The cop pulls out a pair of handcuffs and grabs Gabe’s wrist.
“What are you doing?” Gabe asks.
“There’s been a warrant out for your arrest for months now.” The cop is pulling Gabe’s wrists behind his back. “Same motorcycle, it seems.”
“Oh, come on. Seriously? We found the motorcycle earlier today! I was with him when we found it!”
“Doesn’t matter. A crime’s a crime.”
I can’t help but laugh at the absurdity of the situation as the cop snaps the bracelets onto Gabe’s wrists. Of all the ways I expected this day to end, getting arrested at a Henry Sinner concert was not one of them. The universe certainly has a sense of humor.
“Nice name-drop,” I say as I lean close to Gabe.
He smirks. “Sometimes the name’s good for something. Not tonight though. I’ll fix this. But don’t worry.”
I smile at him. “I’m not worried. Are you?”
He thinks for a moment before smiling and shaking his head. “Not at all.”
“Good. Welcome to being a rock star, Gabriel Chase.”
We grin at each other. As he leans in to kiss me, the cop pushes me gently from behind.
“Come on.” The cop guides me through the crowd. “We don’t have all night.”
If people didn’t have their phones out before, they definitely do now. People are whispering to each other and pointing.
“Is that Gabriel Chase?
“Isn’t that the woman who was singing earlier?”
Ignoring them, I sing along to the Henry Sinner song playing in the background. The crowd parts as we walk through like rock royalty. When we reach the street, the cops push us into the backseat of the cop car. They close the doors so that Gabriel and I have a brief few seconds of solitude as the cops try to keep people from storming the car.
Looking at each other, we both start laughing.
“So much for keeping things quiet,” I say.
He smirks. “I don’t think there’s such a thing as quiet when it comes to you, Amber Sweet.”
Laughing again, we lean in to kiss each other.
“Hey, stop kissing back there!” One of the cops says as he climbs into the driver’s side of the car.
Ignoring him, we don’t stop. We continue kissing each other with our hands tied behind our backs. It doesn’t matter if we’re going to a Chase hotel or a jail cell, nor does it matter whether the magazines will hate us or love us tomorrow. As long as we’re with each other, we’re right where we need to be.
EPILOGUE
In the weeks after the Rock Heart Festival, my life becomes a whirlwind. The news about my thunderous debut dominates the papers for weeks. Meanwhile, Bermuda has found a home on the radio, playing every half hour. I don’t know what contributed more to my instant popularity: my music, my relationship with Gabe, or the fact that I’m Henry Sinner’s latest protégé. Sophie Dawson being involved has only added to the media hype.
“You know, you didn’t have to upstage me that night at the Rock Heart Festival by getting arrested live on camera.” Henry and I are sitting in his private production studio near Washington Square Park.
“Hey, you wanted a rock star.” I’m in a short black dress and dark sunglasses. The shades are not a stylistic choice—they’re an attempt to hide the exhaustion from late nights and long days. Producing a full album is a lot of work.
“I certainly got more than I bargained for,” he says in his Aussie accent. He sits back in his producer’s chair. “When I asked you to sign with me, I didn’t realize I was signing someone more famous than me.”
I laugh. “Oh, come on. There’s no way I’m more famous than you.”
“Sweet, I saw your face on five different magazines when I was waiting for my coffee this morning.” He sits back in his chair. He’s wearing dark jeans and a black v-neck t-shirt that shows off a collection of silver necklaces and a small patch of chest hair. His long silky hair is pulled into an elegant man-bun. “My ego has taken a bit of a hit, you know.”
I smirk. “You’ll survive.”
“Those magazines are garbage anyway.”
“Oh, I know.” I watch him for a moment. “Hey whatever happened to you and Lu-Ledge?”
He furrows his brow. “Who?”
“Lula Ledger? Weren’t you two dating? I remember reading something about it at the beginning of the summer.”
“Oh, right.” He sighs. “Well, there are a lot of fakes in Hollywood. I learned the hard way. That’s why when you find someone real, you have to keep them close.”
I smile t
o myself. “Good advice.”
“There’s a lot to learn when you’re in the spotlight,” he says. “You’ll get used to it eventually.”
Sitting casually back in his seat, he plays with the colorful buttons and switches on the large soundboard in front of us.
“This file you sent me… is this the final sample?” He asks as he presses play. My electronic creation plays over the speakers. It’s uptempo and a bit funky.
“That’s it.”
“How the hell do you come up with this stuff?”
I laugh. “I don’t know. It comes from my weird little head, I guess.”
“Send some of that to me. Good god.” He plays around with the computer to his right. “I’ll add it to the mix and that should be a wrap.”
“And then that’ll be it? The album will be finished?”
He nods. “We can have a listening party later tonight. God, this album is so fucking mint.”
Over these past five weeks with Henry, I’ve learned that if he says something is mint, that means he likes it. I smile. I still can’t believe that Henry Sinner likes my music. Sometimes I have to pinch myself.
“Thanks, Henry. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without you.”
“No.” He turns so that his bright eyes are on me. “Don’t sell yourself short, Sweet. Your music was already trending before this all started. You know, You might think your success is because of that video that went viral, or because of who your boyfriend is, or even your association with me… but make no mistake, any success you have is because you worked hard and made an amazing piece of art. Don’t you forget that.”
I smile. “Thanks, Henry.”
“And next time you pull a viral publicity stunt, I want to be a part of it.”
I laugh. “Deal.”
I watch him as he works. We’ve been working on this album since the day after the Rock Heart Festival. There have been lots of long days and sleepless nights working together. It’s been strange working alongside my idol but it’s been the most amazing experience of my life.
“I can’t believe we’re finished. My dad will be so happy.” I can’t overlook the fact that I would have started college this week if I wasn’t currently in the recording studio with Henry Sinner.
“You deserve a day off,” Henry says. “But just one. There’s still a lot of work to do.”
“Like what?”
“Well, we’ll have to get you to film another video or two. We’ll get you to perform on some late-night shows, and you’ll be going on tour with me.”
I pause. “Say that again?”
“You’ll be going on tour with me,” he says with a wicked grin.
“Oh my… oh wow… umm… what?” I suddenly feel breathless.
He chuckles. “The tour starts in a few weeks. The first show is just up the street at Madison Square Garden. We’re doing sixteen stops across North America. We’ll book you for TV appearances along the way.”
He’s going so fast that I can barely process it all.
“Wait,” I say. “You want me to open for you?”
“Well, you and Jules Equinox. But yeah. Who else could complement my music like you do?”
Smiling, I take a second to appreciate this moment. Just a month ago I was hitchhiking down an abandoned highway with nothing—not even a guitar. Now I have an album co-produced by Henry Sinner and I’ll be opening for him on tour. I never imagined this, not even in my wildest dreams. This is insane.
“Alright,” I say. “I’ll do it!”
“Great! I’ll get my assistant to send you all the details.”
I grab my guitar. “I guess that’s it then. I’ll see you later tonight for the listening party.”
“Sounds mint. And Amber?”
“Yeah?”
“Ignore the gossip rags.”
I laugh. “I’ll try.”
As I leave the studio, I pull out my phone and text Andrea and Jackie to tell them about that night’s listening party. Since the Rock Heart Festival, they’ve been managing my social media presence. I’ve been making sure they’re kept in the loop about everything. Shoving my phone into my purse, I make my way through Washington Square Park. Two old men are playing with marionettes while a photographer taking pictures. Children run past as they blow bubbles. The park is full of life and love. I soak it all in.
Making my way to the street, I stop at the corner and wait for the light to change. A nearby magazine stand catches my eye. I scan the covers. As usual, most of them have photos of me with Gabe. Some of them have pictures of Sophie as the headlines accuse us of being in a love triangle. Some of the covers have Henry on them too as part of an alleged love square. Gabe and I have been trying to keep a low profile—as low as we possibly can considering the circumstances. We never wear designer clothes or climb out of limousines—not that we’d want to. We live normal lives just like everyone else.
The vendor at the magazine stand grabs a stack of Celebstarz issues off the rack and throws them into the recycling bin. He replaces them with next week’s issue. My eyes widen. For the first time in weeks, I’m not on the cover and neither is Gabe. Sophie Dawson is smiling her million-dollar smile as the headline reads, A New Heartthrob for Sophie?. The smaller inset photo shows Sophie in a pink convertible with an attractive man. Smiling to myself, I thank the universe for the media’s short attention span.
Making my way to the Hell’s Kitchen area, I find Gabe’s small woodworking loft which is on a street near the Hudson River. He rented it a few weeks ago after an intense search for a workspace. It’s a hot August day and the doors and windows are open to allow the breeze through.
“Knock, knock.” I step inside.
He has two tables set up and all his tools are hanging on the walls. Sawdust coats the floor. I see several cuts of pink-hued wood that look ready to be turned into guitars. Spotting me, Gabe turns off the power tool and sets it aside. He pulls off his protective glasses.
“Hey,” he says. He wipes the sawdust off his hands before walking over to me. He looks rugged and sweaty. “Is the album done?”
“Listening party’s tonight.” I smile.
He smiles. “Congratulations, Phoenix! I’m so proud of you.”
“Thank you.”
“I think this calls for some champagne.” He walks over to the mini-fridge in the back corner of the room and finds a small bottle of champagne.
I laugh. “You had that in there this whole time?”
“I’ve been waiting to celebrate this moment.”
I smile. “I guess you can take the boy out of his fancy lifestyle, but you can’t quite take the fancy lifestyle out of the boy.”
He smirks. “I like our life. But a little champagne now and then can’t hurt.”
“What about the motorcycle? I know you miss it.”
He chuckles. “Maybe I’ll steal it from my dad again for old times’ sake.”
“I’m sure he’d love that.” I laugh. “How is he, anyway?”
“He’s good. Much better now that the initial shock of everything has worn off. He’s still sorry about the arrest, by the way.”
I shrug nonchalantly. “My criminal lifestyle was bound to catch up with me sooner or later.”
He smirks. He smells like sawdust and masculine musk.
Getting closer, I put my hands around his waist. “Thank you for supporting me.”
He sets the bottle of champagne aside. “I knew you could do it.”
Cupping my cheek, he leans in and kisses me. I feel the soft scratch of his stubble as I taste the salt on his strong lips. Grabbing me, he lifts me and sits me on the work table as he continues kissing me. His strong body presses against mine as his hands push my dress up my thighs.
“You’re so sweaty,” I say against his lips.
“You know the solution right? You have to get sweaty with me.” He tugs at my dress.
“Gabe.” I look at the front of the room. “The windows are open.”
“
That’s an easy fix.” His breath heats my neck.
Closing my eyes, I drop my head back as he kisses his way down to my collarbone.
“Gabe?”
“Hmm?”
I pull back and look into his dark lustful eyes. “Henry asked me to go on tour with him.”
“Seriously?”
I nod.
“That’s amazing! Even more reason to celebrate.” He reaches for the bottle of champagne.
“Wait—” I put my hand out, stopping him before he pops the cork.
He watches me intensely. “What’s wrong, Phoenix?”
“It’s just… there are sixteen North American stops. I’ll be gone for two and a half months.”
He waits for me to continue. “And?”
“And… that means we’ll be apart for a long time.”
“Are you worried?”
I look down at my dark red nails. “No… but I know you wanted to hide away from the limelight. And being with me isn’t necessarily conducive to that—”
He laughs. His hands find my waist as he pulls me in. “Paparazzi will be interested in me whether or not I’m with you. Your presence in my life doesn’t change that.”
“Okay, maybe… but being with me definitely isn’t helping.”
He thinks for a moment. “Maybe not… but being with you is certainly worth it.”
I bite my lip. “So, you’ll wait for me?”
“Are you kidding? I’ll probably come out and watch all your shows.” Grabbing my hands in his, he holds them up to his chest. “Nothing will keep me away from you, Phoenix.”
I smile.
“And besides, we’ll have this.” He releases one of my hands and reaches into his pocket, pulling out a small key.
“The key to your workshop?”
“It’s for an apartment. Our apartment.”
“You found a place?”
He nods. “The one you liked by Washington Square Park. I managed to sign a rental agreement before anyone else did.”
“Oh my god, that’s perfect!”
I hand her the key. “Now you’ll know that you’ll always have a home to come back to.”
Taking the key, I hold it to my heart. Looking up at him, I caress his cheek. “I love you so much.”
Chase: A Secret Millionaire Romance Novel Page 23
