Drea

I toss the last of my clothes into my bag and then zip it up. “How did Lydia take it when you quit today?”

Candace steps up next to me and then finishes packing the stuff she left out before she got the phone call from her new boss at Hellcat. “She was pissed. Said I wasted her time, and if I didn’t really want the job, I should’ve never auditioned in the first place. I explained to her the reason I was quitting, and she laughed. She didn’t believe me and told me it was the worst excuse for quitting she’d ever heard. My other job, at the car dealership, didn’t even bat an eye when I told them. They actually wished me luck.”

I twist my lips as I watch Candace pack. “I’m sorry.”

“Oh, I’m not upset. Lydia not believing in me will only push me to work harder to make sure this group succeeds.”

I wrap my arm around her shoulders. “You’re going to do great.”

“We’re going to do great,” she corrects. She smiles as she leans into me. “Come on; let’s get these bags into the car and kiss this rathole apartment good-bye. We’ve got an hour before we’re supposed to move into the house with the rest of the girls.”

I grab the handle to my bag, and it lands on the floor with a thud. “How do you think that’s going to go?”

“What?” she asks.

“Living with the other girls? You spent more time with a few of them in that little room. Any of them we need to watch out for?”

“Honestly, no one really said much while we waited in there. We did figure out that those of us in there had made the cut. We do need to keep our eyes open and watch each other’s backs, though. Like Laz said, cuts will still be made, and we don’t need anyone ruining things for us.”

“Agreed. But we have one advantage over the rest of them. We’ve got each other.”

Candace drags her bag off the bed. “Exactly. So I’m not a bit worried about us not making it into the group. Although I am concerned about something else.”

My brows furrow. “What’s that?”

“You and Laz,” she says matter-of-factly. “He is exactly your type—rough around the edges and sexy as hell—and to top it all off, he can’t seem to keep his eyes off you.”

“That’s not true,” I argue. But the thought sends a zing of excitement down my spine.

“Oh, yes, it is.” Candace pulls her bag toward the door. “That night in the bar, he was flirting with you, and then last night, when he was supposed to be watching me sing, he was staring off in your direction.”

“No … he wasn’t.”

“He was, which is what makes this situation extremely dangerous for you. He’s kind of like our boss now, and from what you told me about all the one-on-one dance lessons he’s going to give you, the two of you are going to have a hard time keeping your hands off one another.”

“It’s not even like that between us. He didn’t even want me in the group, remember? He was ready to cut me.”

“Only because he knew he wouldn’t be able to resist you. Face it, Drea; you and Laz have a thing even if the two of you don’t recognize it yet. Anyone astute to human nature can see the chemistry between you two. You need to keep your guard up and learn to steer clear of the bad-boy type like I do. They’re nothing but trouble, and you, of all people, should know that after the whole Carlos situation. It’s best not to get involved with Laz.”

The mention of Carlos causes my back to stiffen. That’s one name I hate to hear because it always brings back a rush of bad memories even though he’s been out of my life for years now. They say time heals all wounds, but I’m not sure the damage he inflicted will ever be far from my mind. Being with him most definitely taught me a lesson—to stay away from the kind of guy who brings trouble.

“Nothing is going to happen between us,” I say confidently even though I know myself well enough to know that I won’t be able to curb his appeal to me.

He’s sexy—I can’t deny that—and even if he were into me, a relationship between us would end up a disaster.

Candace holds up her hand and juts her pinkie finger out. “Swear?”

I lock fingers with her. “Swear.”

Candace brings our interlocked hands to her mouth and kisses her thumb, just like she always does when she seals one of our deals. “Let’s get out of here. It’s time for us to move on to bigger and better things, Drea. Our lives are about to get good.”

* * *

Outside the city of Atlanta sits one of the biggest houses I’ve ever seen. It’s all stone and looks like a castle. I glance down at the address Laz texted to everyone who made the first round of cuts. I whip into the driveway, pull up to the wrought iron gate, and roll down my window.

“Holy shit! Would you look at this place? It’s freakin’ huge,” Candace announces with more excitement than I’ve heard from her in a while. “This is the beginning of our own rags-to-riches story.”

She leans forward and stretches her neck to get a better view of the lush landscaping and sprawling lawn leading up to the massive two-story white house standing proudly just beyond the gate.

I press the button on the metal call box.

“Yes?” A woman’s voice comes through the speaker.

“Yes. Hi, I’m Aundrea Newton. I believe I’m moving in today with my sister, Candace?” My reply sounds more like a question rather than a solid response.

A buzz emits from the box, and the gate slowly opens, granting us passage inside.

I take a quick glance over at Candace. “Here we go.”

Every cell in my body hums with anticipation of what’s about to come next. I drive up the lane and park directly in front of the house. As if we’re pulling up to a fine hotel establishment, a broad-shouldered young man with glasses approaches the car. He’s handsome with his neatly trimmed dark hair and pleasant smile while wearing a white polo shirt and khaki pants.

He reaches for the handle of my door, but I beat him to the punch and let myself out of the car while Candace hops out on the other side.

“Hi. Is this where I’m supposed to park?”

“Allow me to take care of your car. A garage with ample parking is located around the back of the house,” the man says with ease.

“Oh, okay.” I hand him the keys. “I’ve never had someone do this before. She sticks a bit when putting her into drive, so you might have to force it into gear.”

He chuckles. “No problem. Do you have any bags to get out of the car first?”

I tuck a strand of my dark hair behind my ear. “We have two actually. They’re in the trunk.”

I lead the man around to the rear of the car and pop the trunk. All of my and Candace’s belongings fit into two bags.

The man instantly reaches inside and pulls out both pieces of luggage. “You two packed light compared to the others.”

Candace flanks my side. “Is everyone else here?”

“Yep. You ladies are the last to arrive. The rest have already paired up and chosen rooms. But don’t worry; the one that’s left is really nice, too.”

I stare up at the house and take in its beauty. There’s probably no such thing as a bad room in this place. It looks like a palace fit for a queen, and I can’t believe this is where I’ll be staying even if it doesn’t last long.

“Follow me, ladies.”

We follow behind him as he heads for the front door of the house.

“By the way, I’m Robert, Mr. Rawlings’s assistant. If you need anything, please let me know. It’s my job to make sure things run smoothly around here.”

“Sounds like Laz is lucky to have you,” I respond as we step up onto the massive brick front porch.

“Oh, I don’t work for Laz. I work for his father.”

Candace furrows her brows. “So this isn’t Laz’s house?”

Robert sets Candace’s bag down and opens the front door. “No, it’s his father’s. Mr. Rawlings rarely leaves his room much these days. Even if he did, it would be unusual for you to see him, considering this house is just over thirty thousand square feet—not counting the pool house, which is another three thousand square feet.”

“Wow!” My sister’s eyebrows shoot up as she’s clearly impressed. “I guess CEOs of record companies do pretty well for themselves.”

Robert nods. “Let’s just say, no one in the Rawlings family has ever wanted for anything.” He opens the door and sweeps his hand in front of himself. “After you, ladies.”

Candace smiles at Robert as she passes by him, and her eyes linger on him for a little longer than necessary.

I bite my bottom lip to stop myself from chuckling out loud. Looks like Cam might have some competition.

When I step inside the house, my mouth drops open a bit. Holy shit. I’ve never been in a house this extravagant before. The marble floor in the grand foyer resembles a hotel lobby. A curved staircase with intricate dark, wood spindles is the focal point of the room while a round table holding perfectly arranged flowers sits directly in the middle of the space.

I glance over at my sister, who appears just as awed as I am.

Robert clears his throat, and I notice he’s already standing on the staircase with our bags in hand, waiting for us to follow him. “I’ll show you to your room, and then I’ll take you out back to where the rest of the group is awaiting your arrival.”

Candace and I follow behind him and make our way up the impressive staircase to the second floor. At the top of the steps, long hallways extend to the left, right, and straight ahead of us. This place is massive. Why anyone would ever need this much space for one family is beyond me.

“Straight ahead is Mr. Rawlings’s area, which means this hallway is off-limits. To the right is the staff quarters. I reside there along with the rest of the house staff. To the left is the guest hallway where you and the other ladies are staying.”

Before I can stop myself, I ask the one question that’s been on my mind. “Will Laz be in this section, too?”

The thought of him being in such close proximity all the time causes my stomach to flutter.

Robert shakes his head. “No. Lazarus prefers to reside in the pool house. He enjoys the privacy of it. However, Camden will be right next door to your room, should you need anything.”

I laugh.

Candace jerks her eyes over in my direction. “This isn’t funny, Drea.”

“It kind of is,” I admit. “Cam is smitten with you, so I’m sure he had a hand in picking which room we would be in. He thinks he can wear you down, so eventually, you’ll like him.”

She flicks her blond hair over her shoulder. “He’s not my type.”

This comment causes Robert to raise his brow in surprise. I’m sure he figured that Cam was most women’s type, considering he is good looking. Guys like Cam and Laz typically have women falling at their feet.

Robert stops at the door on the right side of the hallway. “Here we are.”

He opens the door, revealing a massive suite large enough to hold two queen-size beds and a small sitting area. The décor is light and airy with hints of blue strategically placed throughout the room. More than enough pillows for ten people line each bed, making it look super inviting.

I can’t wait to go to sleep tonight.

“Did either of you bring swimming attire?” Robert asks.

“I did,” Candace says. “But isn’t it a little cold for swimming?”

“Typically, yes, considering it’s October, but there’s an indoor pool located on the other side of the pool house. Lazarus is hosting a welcome party for everyone there. He has requested that you join him once you arrived.”

“Great,” I mutter.

Robert quirks one eyebrow, but then asks politely, “Would you like for me to escort you there once you’ve changed?”

“I think we can manage to find it. We’ve held you up long enough.” Candace bats her long eyelashes at him, doing her best to subtly flirt.

His lips pull up into a twisted grin. “As you wish. When you’re ready, make your way down the stairs and go straight through the dining hall and back into the kitchen. The back door leads outside. You can’t miss the pool house. Is there anything else you need?”

“I don’t think so. Thank you, Robert.”

With that, he nods and leaves the room, shutting the door behind him.

As soon as we’re alone, Candace grabs me up into a huge hug. “Doesn’t this remind you of when we were little and always talked about living in a castle?”

“A little bit, yeah. All this is crazy and so unexpected.” I pull back. “It seems too good to be true.”

She waves me off as she hoists her bag onto the bed. “Don’t be such a pessimist, Drea. This is all going to work out. You’ll see.”

I sigh and sit down on the other bed. “I hope so.”

Her eyes flick down to me. “What are you doing? Get changed.”

“Into what? I don’t have a swimsuit.”

She reaches into her bag and pulls out a handful of black material. “Lucky for you, I happen to have an extra that I bought, but it was too small for me.”

She tosses me a black bikini that still has a tag attached to it. “If it was too small for you, then it won’t fit me for sure.”

She shrugs. “You’ll just show a little more skin is all. I’m sure Laz won’t mind seeing that.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Didn’t you just tell me a couple of hours ago to steer clear of him?”

“I did,” she confirms with a nod. “And I still mean that, but I need you in this group. Laz has more cuts to make, so showing a little skin might ensure you get to stay. Nothing’s wrong with being someone’s eye candy. Just don’t get all crazy and sleep with the man. We need to maintain boundaries.”

“You know I don’t sleep with random men.”

“I know, but I also know you’re sexually deprived, and that can drive even the most sane woman crazy. It will be hard for you to resist Laz if he turns on the charm. He’s exactly your type. I don’t want to see anything bad happen to you ever again.”

I don’t want her to be concerned about me while we’re here. She has to focus on this group. It’s her big chance.

“I’ll be fine, and I can resist him. No problem.”

Candace’s pretty pink lips pull into a tight line. “I just worry about you. I know it’s been … What? Like three years since you’ve been with a guy?”

“Four … not that I’m counting.”

“Damn, Drea. Has it been that long? It’s time for you to move on and stop torturing yourself over the whole situation. You deserve to be happy … as long as it’s not with the new boss man. Too much is at stake to mess around with someone who holds our futures in his hands.”

I hear what she’s saying. Lord knows, we’ve had this talk a million times now, but some things aren’t easy to get over. When you have a past like mine, it takes time.

There’s a long pause of silence between us. My past isn’t something I like to discuss. Candace knows about everything I went through because she was there, and she, more than anyone else, understands that dark period in my life.

Candace sighs and sits down next to me. “I know you don’t like to bring the past up, but I think it’s time you open a new chapter to unfold in your life. It’s okay to live, Drea, and stop being sad all the time. Anything that can possibly make you happy, you hold back from it—like this group. I know music is your dream. It’s okay to go after it.”

She gives me a pointed look, and I know arguing that I’m not still battling depression would be useless.

The truth is, I’ve been sad for a long time. I regret the things I did even though I know that I did them for the right reasons. Deep down, I truly believe that handling the situation any differently than how I did would have ended in a much worse outcome for all the parties involved.

My eyes flick up to meet Candace’s, and I can see her concern for me etched in them. I want to reassure her that I’m okay and that I’m ready to step out and see what the future holds for me.

“I think being here, in this group, will be a great change for me. For us both. I’m excited to be here, and you have nothing to worry about when it comes to my attraction to Laz. I’ll never act on it. I wouldn’t put our dreams in jeopardy like that.”

She wraps her slender arm around my shoulders. “I’m just looking out for you. I want you to be happy and find someone, but I want to make sure that someone will be good for you and not ruin things in your life.”

I lay my head on her shoulder. “Thanks for always having my back.”

She squeezes my arm. “What are sisters-slash-best-friends for?” She sighs. “Okay. Enough with this depressing talk. It’s time to go be fabulous with a music mogul, poolside in his beautiful mansion.”

She pushes herself up off the bed and begins changing into her swimsuit. I stand and stare down at the tiny pieces of fabric in my hands and suddenly feel very self-conscious at the idea of standing before Laz, practically naked.

What if he doesn’t like what he sees?

Gah! I mentally scold myself for allowing that thought to pass through my mind.

I shouldn’t want him to like it, but I do; even though I just sat here and promised Candace that nothing between Laz and me would ever happen.

I hope I’m strong enough to keep that promise.