Loved by You by Kate Perry Page B

meant.”
    Exhaling, she dropped the act. “Brice Bryland.”
    Will frowned. “The rock star?”
    Only because of her song, the backstabbing fink. “Why do you sound so incredulous? I’m surrounded by rock stars just by virtue of who I was born.”
    “Tell me about him.”
    “No.” She crossed her arms. “He’s an ass.”
    Will’s expression became an impartial mask. “Apparently you still have unresolved issues where he’s concerned.”
    “The only unresolved issue I have is that his balls are still intact.”
    “Want to talk about it?”
    “No.”
    “I don’t understand, Bijou. You’re here, but you don’t want to discuss your past.” He leaned his elbows on his knees. “What are you trying to accomplish? You obviously have a motive.”
    “I want KT to feel comfortable enough to go on stage.”
    “And?”
    “That’s it.”
    “I think your motives are more personal than that.”
    She laughed mirthlessly as she stood up. “It doesn’t get more personal than that because if KT doesn’t perform, I don’t either.”
    He stood, too, and walked her to the door. “I don’t know about that. I have a feeling you’ll do what you set your mind to, regardless of anyone else.”
    She turned around, but the words on her tongue fled when she realized how close he was. She only had to lean a little to touch her lips to his.
    Which would have been crazy. She stepped back, her spine hitting the door post. “I’ll bring KT next time. Same time, same place?”
    “If you want.”
    “I do.” Her cheeks flushed, remembering saying those words to him in her wedding dream, but she hurried out before he could wonder about her guilty thoughts.

Chapter Seven
    It took KT twice as long to find the foundation as it should have, mostly because she got turned around on Valencia once she got off the bus. By the time she arrived there, she was twenty minutes late.
    She pushed open the door to the Purple Elephant, wanting to go home and forget about all this, but she couldn’t. It killed her to see the resigned look on her sister’s face, like Bijou expected her to let her down. She couldn’t let Bijou down but performing was even less an option. She’d make her plan work.
    “KT?” a woman asked.
    She turned to see a slight woman. She had curly hair streaked with orange pulled back into an elaborate braid-ponytail. She wore a striped top and paisley skirt in reds and purples and greens, and she somehow made the outfit look fashionable. Despite the cacophony of colors, the most striking thing about her was her bright smile.
    “You look like Bijou,” the artist said, linking her arm through KT’s. “I mean, Bijou uses more war paint, but underneath you have the same look.”
    “Most people don’t see it.”
    Gwen shrugged. “I have an eye for detail. Do you know Lola Carmichael?”
    “Should I?”
    The woman chuckled. “She’s a famous romance author, but fortunately she doesn’t have much of an ego. She volunteers here, too.”
    Gwen led her to one side where a beautiful blonde sat in deep conversation with a boy, both their heads bent over a notebook. They were so engrossed that they didn’t notice them until Gwen touched the blonde’s shoulder.
    The romance writer looked up, brow furrowed. Then her gaze flicked to KT, and her frown cleared into a smile. “You’re Bijou’s sister. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
    “None of it is true.” KT pursed her lips and considered. “Except the story about me pushing Rod Stewart into the swimming pool.”
    They both laughed. Gwen turned to Lola. “KT is here to teach piano.”
    The laughter faded from Lola’s face. “To Ashley?”
    “Yeah.”
    The writer looked at her with pity. “Good luck with that.”
    She looked between the two women. “What haven’t I been told here?”
    “Ashley is just spirited,” Gwen said. “She has a good heart.”
    “Uh-oh,” KT said under her breath.
    Lola smiled ruefully at her. “That’s what I’m talking