pull the same shit you did today when we
rehearse tomorrow, and I’ll stay.”
Anger darkened her
expression. “And here we go with the blackmail again.”
“It’s not
blackmail, it’s a stipulation.” He took a measured breath.
“Jesus, Jessie, we’re singing a love song. You have to look at
me, and when you do, you have to at least look at me like you like
me.”
“I’m not sure I can
manage that.”
“You did last night.
In the elevator.”
She lifted her chin. “I
don’t want to talk about that.”
“Why? Because you
want to forget it? Or because you can’t?”
“I forgot about that
kiss the second I stepped out of the elevator.”
“Really?” A wry
smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Is that why you couldn’t
sleep last night?”
“I slept just fine.”
The lie left a bitter taste on her lips.
“You seem to forget
how well I know you.” He crossed the short distance between them.
“You only drink coffee when you haven’t slept the night before.
This morning you walked into rehearsal holding the biggest cup
Starbucks sells.”
“Don’t flatter
yourself. I couldn’t sleep because I have an important concert in
two days.”
“Like you’d ever
lose sleep over a gig. Even a televised one.” He shook his head.
“No. Like me, you couldn’t get that kiss out of your head.”
Despite the thrill that
raced through her, another thing she couldn’t get out of her head
was the sight of a certain strawberry-blonde, clad in only a towel in
his apartment. “I don’t think Hannah would be too happy to hear
you say that.”
“Hannah isn’t in
the picture.”
“Well, she was when
she was half-naked in your apartment four months ago.”
A scowl crept across
his face. “I was drunk. And so was she. It wasn’t very memorable.
For either of us. And in case you’re wondering, she hasn’t been
there since that night and I haven’t been at her place either.”
Stunned, Jessie stared
at him for a few seconds as she digested this new development.
“You’re not back together with her?”
“No. Like I said, it
was the result of way too much alcohol.”
“I’ve never seen
you drink enough to get that wasted. And you were fine when we sang
at the MC earlier that night. What happened?”
He scrubbed a hand over
his jaw. “It was a rough night,” he said, and she detected a hint
of strain in his tone. “And it wasn’t just one thing. There was
more going on.”
“You could have
talked to me.”
“You were one of the
reasons I got shitfaced…talking to you was out of the question.”
She raised her brows.
“What did I do?”
“Nothing.” He let
out a humorless laugh. “Nothing except look so fucking hot that all
I wanted to do was to drag you into the MC’s store room and take
you right then and there up against the wall.” He paused as she
gasped. “It was you I wanted that night, not Hannah. I got drunk
because I wanted you and I couldn’t have you. But when you showed
up at my door later that night, I saw something in your eyes.
Something that told me that maybe you wanted me too.” His eyes
drilled into hers. “Was I wrong?”
God, no. She had wanted him. She still wanted him. Desperately. He didn’t need to know she’d
fallen in love with him. Love wasn’t on his agenda but, at the
moment, she didn’t care. The need to finish what they’d started
in the elevator was far too strong.
“No,” she
whispered. “You weren’t wrong.”
“Do you want me to
leave?” he asked, as he lifted his hand to her cheek. He slid his
thumb over her jaw; the light caress sent waves of heat to every part
of her body, but mostly between her legs.
“I want…” she
began, then let out a helpless whimper as he rubbed his thumb against
her bottom lip.
His gaze lowered to her
mouth and he asked in a low husky voice. “What? What do you want?”
“I want you to stay.”
She took a deep breath as he slid his hand along her neck, then
underneath her hair to cup
rehearse tomorrow, and I’ll stay.”
Anger darkened her
expression. “And here we go with the blackmail again.”
“It’s not
blackmail, it’s a stipulation.” He took a measured breath.
“Jesus, Jessie, we’re singing a love song. You have to look at
me, and when you do, you have to at least look at me like you like
me.”
“I’m not sure I can
manage that.”
“You did last night.
In the elevator.”
She lifted her chin. “I
don’t want to talk about that.”
“Why? Because you
want to forget it? Or because you can’t?”
“I forgot about that
kiss the second I stepped out of the elevator.”
“Really?” A wry
smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Is that why you couldn’t
sleep last night?”
“I slept just fine.”
The lie left a bitter taste on her lips.
“You seem to forget
how well I know you.” He crossed the short distance between them.
“You only drink coffee when you haven’t slept the night before.
This morning you walked into rehearsal holding the biggest cup
Starbucks sells.”
“Don’t flatter
yourself. I couldn’t sleep because I have an important concert in
two days.”
“Like you’d ever
lose sleep over a gig. Even a televised one.” He shook his head.
“No. Like me, you couldn’t get that kiss out of your head.”
Despite the thrill that
raced through her, another thing she couldn’t get out of her head
was the sight of a certain strawberry-blonde, clad in only a towel in
his apartment. “I don’t think Hannah would be too happy to hear
you say that.”
“Hannah isn’t in
the picture.”
“Well, she was when
she was half-naked in your apartment four months ago.”
A scowl crept across
his face. “I was drunk. And so was she. It wasn’t very memorable.
For either of us. And in case you’re wondering, she hasn’t been
there since that night and I haven’t been at her place either.”
Stunned, Jessie stared
at him for a few seconds as she digested this new development.
“You’re not back together with her?”
“No. Like I said, it
was the result of way too much alcohol.”
“I’ve never seen
you drink enough to get that wasted. And you were fine when we sang
at the MC earlier that night. What happened?”
He scrubbed a hand over
his jaw. “It was a rough night,” he said, and she detected a hint
of strain in his tone. “And it wasn’t just one thing. There was
more going on.”
“You could have
talked to me.”
“You were one of the
reasons I got shitfaced…talking to you was out of the question.”
She raised her brows.
“What did I do?”
“Nothing.” He let
out a humorless laugh. “Nothing except look so fucking hot that all
I wanted to do was to drag you into the MC’s store room and take
you right then and there up against the wall.” He paused as she
gasped. “It was you I wanted that night, not Hannah. I got drunk
because I wanted you and I couldn’t have you. But when you showed
up at my door later that night, I saw something in your eyes.
Something that told me that maybe you wanted me too.” His eyes
drilled into hers. “Was I wrong?”
God, no. She had wanted him. She still wanted him. Desperately. He didn’t need to know she’d
fallen in love with him. Love wasn’t on his agenda but, at the
moment, she didn’t care. The need to finish what they’d started
in the elevator was far too strong.
“No,” she
whispered. “You weren’t wrong.”
“Do you want me to
leave?” he asked, as he lifted his hand to her cheek. He slid his
thumb over her jaw; the light caress sent waves of heat to every part
of her body, but mostly between her legs.
“I want…” she
began, then let out a helpless whimper as he rubbed his thumb against
her bottom lip.
His gaze lowered to her
mouth and he asked in a low husky voice. “What? What do you want?”
“I want you to stay.”
She took a deep breath as he slid his hand along her neck, then
underneath her hair to cup
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