It’s like a switch flips in my head.

One minute, I was happier and more excited than I could remember being in a long time. Eight years, maybe? I was holding Taylor’s hand and planning on taking her inside and screwing her brains out again. Now, I’m ready to kill the bastard standing in front of me. All she needs to do is ask me and I will pulverize him with a song in my heart.

“Simon,” Taylor says, a hint of irritation creeping into her voice. “I asked you a question. What are you doing here? I didn’t ask you to come.” Her eyes sweep the street, back and forth, like she’s looking out for paparazzi, or the random passerby with a cell. I wonder vaguely, in the background of my rage, what it must be like to always have to think about that.

“I had to see you.”

She shakes her head, half in disbelief. “Why? Wait … how did you find me?”

“Nick told me.”

She scowls. “Looks like I need a new manager because he shouldn’t have. I made it very clear that I wanted to have some time away from the rat race.”

“I’m not the rat race. I care about you.”

“You don’t care about me, Simon. We’re a PR stunt.”

He looks sheepish. “Yeah. Well, it doesn’t have to be.” He leans on the porch rail with the closest thing to an expression of caring he can probably muster. He looks like the most insincere piece of shit I’ve ever seen and I would love nothing more than to cave his face in.

“Do you want me to get him out of here?” I murmur. Her hand is still in mine.

His eyes flick back to me. “Who’s this asshole?”

“I hope you didn’t just call me an asshole.” My voice is a low, deadly growl. I hope for his sake that he doesn’t think about underestimating me. All the years I’ve spent in kickboxing and cross training aren’t for nothing. Meanwhile, he looks like he’s strung-out on designer drugs. Skinny, pale, sunken eyes.

“Why? What you gonna do about it?” he challenges from behind the wooden rail.

“Okay, okay. Let’s go inside before this gets even more stupid.” Taylor shakes her head in disgust and leads me into the house. I wait just next to her, at her elbow, as she unlocks the door. I won’t let her out of my sight around an ass like this guy. Besides, he needs to know she’s mine.

“Sit.” She points to the couch, then folds her arms and leans against the wall. He’s like a puppy dog. He goes right over there and sinks into the cushions, looking up at her with those dead eyes of his.

“So who’s the hick?” he asks sulkily. “I don’t recognize him from anywhere.”

I cringe inwardly for him. The shallow world she lives in sickens me. A world where you are nothing unless you are a celebrity. He pushes limp blond hair out of his eyes. The whole floppy hair trend needs to go away. How can women even think that’s hot?

Taylor sighs. “Cole, this is Simon. He’s the lead singer of The Screamers.”

I cough to cover up my laugh. The Screamers? Doesn’t say much for his voice. “Never heard of them,” I say with a shrug. It’s the truth, too. My musical taste doesn’t lean toward hard rock, which he’s obviously deep into. He looks appalled.

“Simon, this is my best friend, Cole. I’ve known him for a long time. He was my partner for years, back when I first started out.” She glances at me, a warning glance. Don’t tell him anything else about us, that glance says. Is she afraid of him? My blood starts to boil. She called their relationship a PR stunt.

He barely looks my way before pleading with her again. “Baby, I couldn’t believe it when you ran out on me like that.”

She rolls her eyes. “First of all, don’t call me that. I’m not your baby. I’ve never been your baby. That’s what you’ve wanted, but not me.”

He throws a sly look in my direction. “Oh, come on. We had fun together.”

She holds up one finger. “Are you trying to suggest there is something between us for Cole’s benefit, because you and I both know there is nothing going on between us. Why you made this mad trip in the middle of the night is completely beyond me.”

“Why can’t you just give us a chance? We’d be good together.”

“It would never work between us, and I’ve told you that a million times. If you want to be friends, I’m fine with that. You can’t follow me around like this. I wanted some time on my own.”

“But you’re not alone, are you?” he asks with a smirk.

I can see her start to fume. I’m fuming, too. What a loser this douchebag is. Can’t get over a woman, so he follows her around with a broken heart. Granted, Taylor isn’t just any woman. She’s one of a kind, extraordinary. And the best lay I’ve ever had, hands down. But stalking her? That’s taking it too far. I hate the thought of her even letting him near her.

“She doesn’t want you here.” I take a step forward, sliding my arms out of my jacket. “I think it’s time for you to go.”

“What are you gonna do?” he asks, still smirking. “You gonna throw me out, tough guy?”

As I get closer I can see that his pupils are huge. He’s obviously high on something. “If I have to. Yeah. I will pull you physically from that couch, open the door and throw your ass out onto the sidewalk. Please, give me the chance to do that.”

“Cole,” Taylor warns from behind me, but my blood is roiling. It’s obvious that being nice isn’t working on this guy. I’m going to do things my way.

“Come on. What’ll it be? You get out of here on your own two feet, or you force me to throw you out?” I start rolling up my sleeves.

“Go on and touch me,” the prick sneers. “You have no idea what I could do to you. My lawyer would be on your ass in a minute.”

A laugh rumbles out of my throat. To my surprise, it’s genuine. “That’s great. My legal team would love to meet your lawyer. It would be a nice break from the international negotiations they’re working on right now. Like a vacation, almost.” I go to him and clamp a hand around his way-too-scrawny bicep, hauling him to his feet. “Let’s go.”

He’s obviously a lover and not a fighter, because he calls out to Taylor over his shoulder, “Taylor, I love you. Don’t you get that?”