to do this.”
“I understand your business interests. I really do. But you have to understand what I’m dealing with.”
“Is there anything I can do to help you with Mom?”
“You can come home, Reed. You can come back to real life, rather than some rockstar fantasy.”
“I can’t help it that Gordon Gentry is my father. I didn’t ask for this, you know.”
Tatum sighed, and when she spoke again, the anger had drained out of her voice. “I know. I just miss you, Reed. What we started before Tahoe was something special, and I want more of it. I want to be able to sleep with you for real, rather than having phone sex.”
I wanted her so badly I could taste it. “I want the same thing. Tatum, you’re all I’ve been able to think about, and when you called me, you have no idea how good it felt to know we’re going to work things out and that I’ll get to see you again.” I thought there was a chance that changing the subject might work. “You know, I never got to give you your Christmas present.”
“I don’t care about Christmas presents. I’m trying to be a grown-up here. I’m trying to learn how to deal with the press without just running away all the time. I’m trying to help my dad out with his campaign. I’m trying to be a good attorney, but it’s just all too much for me to handle on my own.”
“It’s only a month.”
“I’m sure it’ll fly by for you. Not so much for the rest of us.”
“Want to talk about how I’ll make it up to you when I get home?” I asked, hoping to have another round of sexy talk.
“I’m not in the mood to have phone sex with you, Reed. Call me when you can.”
“I will,” I answered, but I knew she didn’t hear me. She’d already hung up.
“Well, shit,” I said. “That didn’t go like I’d hoped.”
I checked the time and decided I should call it a night. I had an early conference call with the agent Gordon had hooked me up with and the promoters of the concert, and I needed to talk to Marla beforehand. It was going to take a lot of work to pull everything off, but I was determined to do it. I was going to promote the business, make a shit ton of money, and then get home and convince Tatum that the two of us belonged together.
***
By the time we stepped off the little private Learjet a week later, I was ready for a vacation. I’d had no idea it was so much work to set up a tattoo tour. We’d had to make sure we understood the laws about who I could legally work on—the age of consent for tattoos varies from country to country—and which inks were permitted in the countries that regulate ink. In all, I’d been working nonstop, and I was ready to have a little fun.
Actually picking up the gun and ink had always been the fun part of the job for me.
Gordon’s agent, Rob, had agreed to tag along for the duration of the tour in case we needed any problems handled. He had our itinerary, and it was his job to make sure we knew where and when to show up for our appearances.
I stretched and threw my backpack over my shoulder when I stepped out onto the tarmac. “So what’s the plan, Rob?”
He put on his sunglasses and flipped through a binder. “A Natalia Perrini is supposed to meet us here and take us to the hotel.”
Gordon ran his hand through his hair and scanned the tarmac. “Good God, I hope that’s our Natalia,” he said, nodding toward a tall, thin, and impossibly gorgeous woman who walked toward us.
She wore a simple, but perfectly fitted black suit and sky high heels that made her just a few inches shorter than I was. She approached, tossed her long, dark hair, and all three of us were completely mesmerized.
“ Buon giorno , gentlemen.” Of course she had a sexy voice and an irresistible accent. “Welcome to Rome. I’m Natalia, and I’ll be taking care of you on behalf of Pussy Katt while you’re here. Ms. Katt left me very strict instructions that you are to be made comfortable while you are here.” She focused
“I understand your business interests. I really do. But you have to understand what I’m dealing with.”
“Is there anything I can do to help you with Mom?”
“You can come home, Reed. You can come back to real life, rather than some rockstar fantasy.”
“I can’t help it that Gordon Gentry is my father. I didn’t ask for this, you know.”
Tatum sighed, and when she spoke again, the anger had drained out of her voice. “I know. I just miss you, Reed. What we started before Tahoe was something special, and I want more of it. I want to be able to sleep with you for real, rather than having phone sex.”
I wanted her so badly I could taste it. “I want the same thing. Tatum, you’re all I’ve been able to think about, and when you called me, you have no idea how good it felt to know we’re going to work things out and that I’ll get to see you again.” I thought there was a chance that changing the subject might work. “You know, I never got to give you your Christmas present.”
“I don’t care about Christmas presents. I’m trying to be a grown-up here. I’m trying to learn how to deal with the press without just running away all the time. I’m trying to help my dad out with his campaign. I’m trying to be a good attorney, but it’s just all too much for me to handle on my own.”
“It’s only a month.”
“I’m sure it’ll fly by for you. Not so much for the rest of us.”
“Want to talk about how I’ll make it up to you when I get home?” I asked, hoping to have another round of sexy talk.
“I’m not in the mood to have phone sex with you, Reed. Call me when you can.”
“I will,” I answered, but I knew she didn’t hear me. She’d already hung up.
“Well, shit,” I said. “That didn’t go like I’d hoped.”
I checked the time and decided I should call it a night. I had an early conference call with the agent Gordon had hooked me up with and the promoters of the concert, and I needed to talk to Marla beforehand. It was going to take a lot of work to pull everything off, but I was determined to do it. I was going to promote the business, make a shit ton of money, and then get home and convince Tatum that the two of us belonged together.
***
By the time we stepped off the little private Learjet a week later, I was ready for a vacation. I’d had no idea it was so much work to set up a tattoo tour. We’d had to make sure we understood the laws about who I could legally work on—the age of consent for tattoos varies from country to country—and which inks were permitted in the countries that regulate ink. In all, I’d been working nonstop, and I was ready to have a little fun.
Actually picking up the gun and ink had always been the fun part of the job for me.
Gordon’s agent, Rob, had agreed to tag along for the duration of the tour in case we needed any problems handled. He had our itinerary, and it was his job to make sure we knew where and when to show up for our appearances.
I stretched and threw my backpack over my shoulder when I stepped out onto the tarmac. “So what’s the plan, Rob?”
He put on his sunglasses and flipped through a binder. “A Natalia Perrini is supposed to meet us here and take us to the hotel.”
Gordon ran his hand through his hair and scanned the tarmac. “Good God, I hope that’s our Natalia,” he said, nodding toward a tall, thin, and impossibly gorgeous woman who walked toward us.
She wore a simple, but perfectly fitted black suit and sky high heels that made her just a few inches shorter than I was. She approached, tossed her long, dark hair, and all three of us were completely mesmerized.
“ Buon giorno , gentlemen.” Of course she had a sexy voice and an irresistible accent. “Welcome to Rome. I’m Natalia, and I’ll be taking care of you on behalf of Pussy Katt while you’re here. Ms. Katt left me very strict instructions that you are to be made comfortable while you are here.” She focused
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