Chapter 17

Nicole

A godawful noise blared near my head and intruded on my dream. I groaned, but not in the same way I had in my dream. That sound had been purely erotic.

I pried my eyelids open in time to see Mason lift his hand and slam it down on what I presumed to be his alarm clock. A second later I was rewarded with a glorious silence.

Mason shifted around to face me, and a sly smile broke out on his face. His white teeth gleamed in the dim light of the loft. I couldn’t get enough of his smile, especially first thing in the morning when we woke up next to each other. Too bad that was ending as of today.

“Morning.” He traced his fingers down my neck to my breasts. I didn’t have to look under the sheet to know he was hard and ready for an encore of last night.

Too bad it was an encore we wouldn’t get.

I scooted away from his hand. “It’s my first day on the job, which means I’m officially off-limits.” My girlie parts might have groaned, but they would get over the disappointment soon enough. Or so I hoped.

Before he had a chance to respond, I scrambled out of bed.

“Your first day on the job sucks,” Mason grumbled, voice sexy with sleep.

I laughed—because I had to agree with him there—and walked down the steps, the metal cool against the soles of my bare feet.

Downstairs, I opened my suitcase and removed my jeans, white tank top, cowboy belt, and long wraparound cardigan. I might not have looked like a social media specialist for a bunch of rock stars, but at least I would look good and be comfy for our first day on the road.

Using the clothes as something of a shield against Mason’s lust-filled gaze, I hurried to the bathroom to shower and get ready. When I emerged a short time later, the delicious smell of breakfast wafted in the air. I was going to miss Mason cooking for me. Something told me there wouldn’t be much opportunity for it on the road.

I reached up and kissed him on the cheek, but at the last second he turned his head and my lips grazed his. Mason pulled me against him, his lips opening and welcoming me in…and the food was temporarily forgotten.

It wasn’t until his hands skimmed down my back to my ass that awareness slipped in and I snapped out of the spell he’d had me under. Yes, I would definitely have to remember for the next time that a handshake was a better way to demonstrate my gratitude to him.

I grabbed a plate and shoved a forkful of omelet in my mouth. “Mmm. This is delicious.” Which wasn’t a big surprise. Mason really was a good cook.

We finished eating breakfast, and while I cleaned up, Mason showered. So that he didn’t have to abandon his car at the mall parking lot for the next five months, we took a cab. Hailey and Nolan were climbing out of their vehicle when we arrived, and my heart instantly went out to her. The next time she would see her boyfriend was at Christmas, when the bands had a four-day break. Unlike yesterday, today she looked like she was barely holding things together. They walked over to us, holding hands.

“Hi.” She gave us a small smile and then laughed at my expression. “Don’t worry, I’ll survive. It usually takes me a day or two to get over him leaving.”

Nolan wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed the top of her head—and I came within an inch of sighing dreamily out loud.

“It’s not like Nolan’s much better,” Mason said, impish fire sparking in his eyes. “He usually sobs like a baby for several days.”

Hailey giggled. Nolan backhanded Mason’s chest.

The rest of the band arrived shortly after, just as the tour bus pulled up. Aaron, Kirk, and Mason helped load everyone’s suitcases and bags onto the bus, then the four of us climbed on board, giving the two couples a chance to say their tearful goodbyes. Logan wasn’t with Callie and Jared, having been dropped off at his grandparents’ on the way over.

I didn’t know how any of them did it, especially Jared. Not only was he leaving his wife, he was leaving his son.

But it wasn’t like the guys were going off to war. They’d be returning home soon, in one piece.

While we waited for Nolan and Jared to join us, Mason showed me around the bus. It was larger than I had expected, and was divided into three zones: the sleeping quarters, with curtains around each bunk bed to provide some privacy; the living space, complete with couches and a small kitchenette; and the work area, which contained a built-in desk and computer. My room was small, but the bed was bigger and comfier than the guys’ bunk beds.

Next he showed me the band’s social media sites. Kirk gave me the list of passwords for each one. “Just make sure you don’t let Mason on any of the accounts.”

“And why’s that?” I knew Mason had a reputation for pranking the guys, so I was almost scared to find out what he’d do if let loose on their media sites.

Mason rolled his eyes. “I tweeted something inappropriate once and I’m banned for life.”

“Once?” Aaron said.

“Okay, twice.”

Aaron snorted. “Try six times.” To me he added, “We had to change the password after that.” He tilted his chin at the list in my hand. “So guard it with your life.”

“Will do.” I’d stuff it down my bra if I had to.

By the time Nolan and Jared were on the bus, the rest of the guys had given me an idea of what their day-to-day life was like, and showed me their jam-packed schedule for the next month. It was no wonder Mason had needed a few days off to chill before they resumed touring again.

I checked my emails, to see if Heidi had contacted me. She had, and we spent the next few minutes chatting on the phone about the renovations to the store. It would still be two more weeks before the construction company could get started. And before they could do that, Heidi needed to discuss with them what she and I wanted done. But first we had to wait for the insurance company to tell us exactly how much money we would get from the fire claim.

I signed on to the store’s social media sites, gave everyone an update, and responded to the comments on the Facebook page. Then I signed on to the band’s accounts and sent out updates as to where they were now and where their next show was located. Next I answered the fans’ comments, trying not to blush too much at what some of them said.

But those comments were nothing compared to the video one fan sent Nolan. Of her dancing. Naked.

And then there were the fan emails. A few were suggestive beyond reason. I quickly deleted them and scrolled through page after page of messages…all unread. God, when was the last time the guys had checked their email?

An hour later, just when I figured I’d be scarred for life, Mason pulled up the spare chair and sat next to me. “How’s it going?”

“Did you know some of your fans send you porn?”

I expected Mason to get excited—because what guy wouldn’t?—but he just shrugged. “I don’t bother with the email. That was all Aaron and Jared. Sorry. Hope there wasn’t anything too bad.”

I was vaguely aware of him speaking, but he had leaned closer to me and his amazing man scent—a combination of spice, testosterone, and pheromones—had turned my brain fuzzy.

He rested his hand on the back of my chair and his fingers lightly brushed against my shoulder blade. At his touch, the neurons in my brain went berserk, and I had to do everything in my power not to lean in and kiss him.

“Nicole?”

I blinked. “Huh?” Real smooth, Nicole. I mentally collected myself and logged out of the account.

“So how does everything look?” He gave the standard chin nod, directed at the computer, which I took to mean the social media sites and not the porn.

“You’ve got some very interesting fans.” But none of them seemed too crazy, from what I could tell. I remembered hearing last year that one country music singer had had to get a restraining order against a fan. It didn’t stop her from showing up in his hotel room one night…where he found her on his bed, naked. The last I heard, she was spending quality time in a psychiatric unit.

“I came to see if you want to join us,” he said. “We can discuss this afternoon’s interview and your role with that.”

“My role?”

“Our handler is sick, so we need you to keep the radio personalities in line.”

“Not sure what you mean by that.” I’d always figured a handler was someone big and intimidating, and I was neither of those.

“You tell them what topics they’re allowed to ask about and which are off-limits. If they venture into the off-limits zone, you give them a warning or end the interview.”

“And how exactly do I do that? Charge into the room and make a scene?” Now that would be amusing.

Apparently Mason thought so too, because he laughed. “No, you just do this.” He demonstrated a cutting motion of his hand across his throat.

“That seems easy enough.”

The guys were lounging on the couches in the middle of the bus when Mason and I joined them. Aaron, Nolan, and Jared were sitting on one couch. Kirk was sitting on the one opposite them.

“What time’s the interview?” I asked as Mason and I sat down in the only spot available—next to each other, our hips practically touching. Which meant Mason’s scent was still invading my space. I did my best not to inhale it too obviously. I also did my best not to lean into him.

My best was clearly not enough, and I quickly shifted away from him, trying to look casual about it.

“Four-thirty. It’s scheduled for half an hour. Then we’ll head to the arena for sound check, and the show’s pretty much after that.”

“What topics are allowed?” I asked, my gaze scanning the guys—anything to keep me from noticing Mason’s scent and how close we were still sitting.

“Anything to do with our music, our recent releases, and our upcoming one.”

“What about the topic of dating?” I asked. From what I’d heard on the country music stations, it was a popular topic when it came to hot musicians. No one seemed interested when the musicians weren’t so good-looking or had been married for a while…unless there were rumors of infidelity or a breakup. But those questions weren’t usually brought up during an interview. Not unless you had the urge to piss off the celebrity involved.

“That’s fine,” Jared said, “but other than confirming that I’m recently married and Nolan is in a committed relationship, the two of us would rather not go there. But these guys”—he gestured at Kirk, Mason, and Aaron—“are fair game.”

“Are you two dating anyone?” I asked Kirk and Aaron.

“Maybe,” the mysterious Kirk said. The guys all looked at him, waiting for him to elaborate.

“Are you talking about Beckie?” Jared asked. From what I’d been able to tell yesterday, she was Callie’s friend. I’d seen her and Kirk talking a few times, but I hadn’t been able to tell if something was going on between them.

“Maybe.”

“Hey, puck boy, does she at least know you’re dating her?” Mason asked, laughing.

Kirk smirked. “Maybe.”

“So that leaves Mason and Aaron who are currently single, right?” I asked, looking at Aaron and doing my best not to glance at the guy I’d had sex with at least a dozen times during the past week.

“That’s right.” Aaron’s gaze slid to Mason.

Mason shifted next to me on the couch, accidentally bumping me with his hip. “Yup.”

I asked them more questions about what was acceptable and unacceptable when it came to the interview. Then we spent the rest of the drive chatting about this and that, giving me a chance to get to know them better. I knew some things from Mason, especially when it came to Nolan and what had happened to his family. From what Mason had told me, I was glad Nolan had Hailey. It didn’t take much to see they were deeply in love. Like Jared and Callie were.

“So when are you planning to finally propose to Hailey?” Mason asked as casually as could be, apart from the amusement creasing the corners of his eyes. “If you don’t get on that soon, she might get bored waiting for you and dump you.”

I elbowed him in the chest. Hard.

“Owww,” he said, rubbing the spot where I’d hit him. “What did you do that for?” The guys cracked up with a we-like-this-girl-already laugh, clearly no longer quite so annoyed at how Mason had hired me without telling them first.

“That’s not going to happen,” I pointed out. “It’s obvious Hailey loves him. So unless he royally screws up”—I didn’t think I needed to elaborate on what I meant by that—“she’ll wait for him to decide when the time is right.” I just hoped he didn’t wait too long if she wanted to marry him sooner rather than later.

Nolan rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, actually, I plan to propose to her at Christmas. I’m just trying to figure out the best way to do it.”

“How hard can it be?” Mason asked, barely holding back a laugh. “You ask her to marry you and hope she says yes.”

Nolan and Jared exchanged looks, which made me curious about what I was missing.

“Do you have a ring?” I wasn’t an expert on the topic of proposals, but this part seemed like a given. If he didn’t already have one, it would be a little more challenging to get one while they were touring.

He nodded.

“Here?”

Again he nodded. “It’s in the safe.”

“Can I see it?” Yes, I was a tad bit curious about what kind of engagement ring a rock star would buy his future fiancée.

He pushed himself off the couch and headed to the back of the bus, then returned a short time later with a black velvet box, which he handed to me. Inside was a platinum ring with a large diamond in the center. On either side of it, the shiny metal split and crossed, forming two small gaps on either side, with a small diamond nestled in each one. It was breathtaking.

My eyes got moist at how lucky Hailey was. She had found the love of her life and survived hell for him, and this was the symbol of how much she meant to him. On top of that, he wasn’t a professional and he had tattoos.

Go figure.

I blinked away the happy tears before the guys could see them, then closed the lid and scooted forward on the couch to hand the box back to him. “She’ll love it.”

He smiled at it as if the ring was Hailey herself…and those damn tears started up in my eyes again.

“A wise man once told me to make the gesture big when you propose.” Jared winked at Nolan.

Nolan laughed. “And that man was right. Glad you listened to him.”

“So Hailey’s not going home for Christmas?” Aaron asked, his fingers tapping away on the leather couch he was sitting on, like he was playing a piano.

“No, her family’s flying out to join us. They understand why I don’t want to go back there, even if my old house has been sold and the ghosts have moved on.”

“Which means you either have to propose in front of her family,” Jared said, “or figure out how to get her alone and propose.”

“Exactly.”

“Well, you’ve got just over two months to figure it out,” Aaron said. “Good luck with that.” He patted the lead singer on the back commiseratingly.

We chatted for a while longer before the guys went off to do their own thing. Nolan sprawled out on the couch to read a book. Jared fiddled around with his acoustic guitar, stopping every few minutes to write something down. Mason and Kirk were busy playing a video game, with Aaron every so often giving them some not-so-helpful suggestions.

I pulled out my sketchpad and started doodling a simple lily, with a bee. It was a nice flower and a nice bee. Which was another way of saying the drawing sucked. I ripped the page off the pad, crumpled it into a wad, and tossed it next to me on the couch.

“Hey, what’s this?” Mason said, snatching the paper up.

I jumped off the couch and tried to grab it from his hand. “It’s nothing.” Damn you, Mason, and your long arms.

He held the paper up so I couldn’t reach it and smoothed it out.

“This is really good,” he said once he had succeeded. “Why the hell did you throw it away?”

“Because I’m trying to come up with a design for my line of etched glassware—but this isn’t it. All I seem to be able to come up with is flowers.”

The laugh that erupted from him caused the guys to look over at us to see what was going on. “And you have something against flowers? You should’ve thought about that before opening a flower shop.”

“I just want to come up with something different. Something unique and special. Not something you would expect to see in the store.”

Now I needed a miracle to help me figure out what the heck that was.

By the time we arrived at the arena where the bands were playing tonight, I couldn’t believe we still had the radio interview and concert to get through. Even though we weren’t doing anything mentally or physically taxing during the trip, it was still exhausting.

And when we climbed down from the bus and loaded into the waiting van, I was glad they were the ones doing the interview and I just had to watch.

After another long drive, we pulled up in front of the radio station. Silly me had thought we could walk to the door like regular people. With the exception of a path between the van and the front entrance, the sidewalk was packed with screaming fans.

“Is it always like this?” I asked no one in particular.

“Pretty much,” Mason said.

I surveyed the crowd. Just how secure were those ropes? Would they protect us from being trampled if the fans wanted to get closer to the guys? Yes, they had Brian, their bodyguard, who was a former Marine, but how effective would he be against all those girls? Several men, not quite as bulky as Brian, were standing to the side, doing their best to keep the fans back, but they wouldn’t be too effective if the crowd surged forward.

“Don’t worry,” Mason murmured, his breath a warm caress against my ear. “I’ll protect you.” His arm brushed my shoulder, and the usual buzz that happened every time he touched me zinged through my body, immediately making me forget about the crowd.

Brian, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, climbed out and slid open the van’s side door. Excited screams greeted us, which grew to a deafening volume the moment Nolan stepped from the vehicle.

The rest of his bandmates joined him…and I was left to follow behind, which, when I thought about it, was the safest place to be. If the crowd swarmed them, I’d be ignored while the girls chased down their favorite band member.

Even though we didn’t have tons of time before the radio interview, the guys stopped to chat with their fans and sign autographs. With the exception of Mason, the guys stayed at arm’s distance from the girls. Mason was more than happy to pose for selfies with them.

Which was why one girl, who could’ve easily been a model, swooped in and kissed his cheek. A sensation in my stomach twisted into a knot. Jealousy, maybe? Not that I had a reason to be jealous.

Her lips had barely touched his skin before he took a quick step back. After that he didn’t pose for selfies again. But it might’ve also had to do with Brian hustling the band into the building.

Because I was a few yards behind the guys, I heard some of the girls scream out names of the individual band members, along with “I love you!” I decided I was going to take that as an appreciation of the band’s music instead of the men themselves—although in the case of a few fans, the opposite was most likely true.

Mason was the last to step into the building. He glanced over his shoulder and held the door open for me. I hurried past him.

“You don’t have to walk so far behind us,” he said with that damn sexy smirk he did so well.

“I’m just an employee. And I don’t want your fans to get the wrong idea and think I’m romantically linked to one of you.” A large number of them were probably disappointed that Nolan’s and Jared’s hearts had already been claimed. “I wouldn’t want to disappoint them.”

“I’m sure they can handle it.”

I laughed as the other guys stepped onto the elevator. “Never underestimate a girl’s heart, especially when it comes to her favorite musician or actor.”

He quirked an eyebrow. “And you speak from experience?”

“Hey, are you two coming or what?” Kirk called from the elevator.

“Sure,” I said in answer to Mason’s question as we strode over to join the rest of the band. Well, more like Mason strode; I jogged to keep up with him. “I’ve had my heart broken when my favorite lead singer got married. I had harbored unrealistic expectations that he would see me at a concert and fall undeniably in love with me. His marriage left me devastated for weeks.”

Mason stopped abruptly and the guys in the elevator groaned.

“We’ll see you upstairs,” Kirk said, and the doors closed, leaving us behind.

Mason spun around to face me, his back to the elevator. “You serious?”

The corners of my mouth twitched. “Of course not. I crushed on him and he fell in love with some model. I moved on with my life.” And, two months later, so did he—after he and his new wife split up.

I pushed the up button for the elevator. “But the point is, some girls are so infatuated with their crush that they get upset when the guy becomes unavailable. I don’t wish to be the cause of some poor girl’s broken heart when the reason it broke isn’t true.”

At his doubtful expression, I laughed. “There’s a lot you still have to learn about girls.”

“I know plenty.” He smiled. It wasn’t a happy smile or a panty-dropping smile. It was a smile full of smugness.

Inwardly I rolled my eyes. “I don’t mean how to give women orgasms.”

The door to the second elevator opened, and a man in a business suit stepped out, talking on his phone. He didn’t give us a second glance; clearly his conversation was that riveting.

“I wasn’t even thinking that,” Mason said.

Maybe I would have believed that if the smug smile hadn’t still been on his face.

I stepped inside the elevator. Mason followed, his body too close for comfort. Damn, how long would it take me to become immune to him?

I didn’t even have a chance to think about that question. No sooner had the doors closed than I found myself pressed up against the wall, Mason’s mouth against mine.

Turned out I wasn’t the only one who had an issue with willpower.

I knew I should stop it. That would be the smart thing to do. But my brain and my body apparently weren’t on speaking terms. I parted my lips and let his tongue invade my mouth. If we were lucky, the elevator would get stuck and we would have to stay in here for the next few hours, kissing.

The bell pinged as the door opened. Someone standing outside coughed. And we continued kissing, Mason’s fingers knotted in my hair.

The person coughed again. He really should see a doctor.

A moment later, the bell pinged a second time. “Fourth floor,” announced a voice from beside us.

A voice in the back of my head pointed out that this was important. I couldn’t for the life of me remember why.

“You two getting off or not?” This time the voice was laced was impatience—just the bucket of cold water I needed.

I reluctantly pulled away from Mason and flashed the stranger a big grin. “Thanks.” Without waiting for my partner in crime, I stepped off the elevator…and practically crashed into a woman my age.

Her long blond hair was pulled back in a perky ponytail. She was wearing a pair of black pants that skimmed her body and an ultra-chic blouse. Her soft suede black ankle boots complemented the outfit perfectly. At least she didn’t look like she had been sitting in a tour bus for the past seven hours.

Nor did she look like she’d just been making out in the elevator.

Trying not to look obvious about it, I ran my hand over my hair, doing my best to fix the mess. The other hand did its best to straighten my clothes.

“Hi, I’m Erin,” she said, sounding like a cheerleader on caffeine. “They’re waiting for you in the studio.” She turned enough for me to spot her intern ID, and she flashed Mason a big grin. She then sashayed down the hallway, leaving us to follow her.

The rest of the band was setting up when we entered the studio. Each man had a microphone and headphones in front of him on the long table. I introduced myself to the DJs, then outlined what topics they could ask questions on and which were strictly off-limits and would ultimately end the interview. I did my best to look intimidating, but it’s hard to come across as daunting when you’re short enough to have to look up at the people you’re talking to.

I really needed to start wearing heels.