by Sofia Grey
Her logic was faultless. Time to front up. “I shouldn’t have kissed you. I’m sorry.”
Stopping dead, she stared up at him, her brows knitting together.
Jack paused and braced for the verbal attack.
Her voice was gentle. “I’m not.”
Jack processed her reply, but it didn’t make sense. “What do you mean?”
A pink flush spread across her cheeks, but she didn’t look away. Her gaze was wary. “I’m not sorry you kissed me. I just wish it was for real—you know—not pretending.”
Well, fuck. He really was an asshole of the highest calibre. “You thought I was faking the kiss?”
“Yes. You said you wanted us to pretend to be a couple. But then you kissed me and got mad at me.”
More loose strands of hair fluttered around her face, and Jack couldn’t help himself. Slowly, afraid of making another half-assed move, he reached out to smooth them back and tuck them safely behind her ears.
She didn’t move so much as an inch, but a tiny smile emerged.
His heart lifted, but he was confused how to move this on. Jack knew what he’d like to do—it involved getting naked—but that would be totally pushing his luck.
Thankfully, Juli put him out of his misery. “Maybe we need to practise that whole kissing thing again?” She nibbled on her lower lip. “If we’re going to pretend to be a couple, we need to look convincing.” A grin tugged at the corner of her mouth.
Oh, yeah. He was so on board with this idea. Laughing in delight, he pulled her into his arms. “Sounds like a plan.” This time he’d leave her with zero doubts.
Or not. He was tempted to ignore the sudden trilling of his phone, but that was Tanner’s ringtone. “Yep?” He kept one arm around Juli when he answered. With luck this would be a quick check-in.
“You need to get here,” Tanner said. “Alex got another email.”
Chapter Eight
Jack hurried into the house, Juli trotting at his side. “Don’t go anywhere without me, okay?” He squeezed her hand. “I’ll catch up with you later.”
She nodded, and he left her in the kitchen and went to find Tanner. His buddy was in the lounge with Alex and Sylvie, who looked stressed. Alex had his arm around Sylvie, and they gazed at an open laptop on the coffee table.
“Hey,” said Tanner. “Come and take a look.”
Jack crouched by the table and peered at the screen. Like the previous emails, this one was from a disposable email account, the sender called You.Know.Who.
Dearest AJ
You shouldn’t have Sam’s baby. It’s not right.
He should be with
Me
It was timestamped early that morning. “They’re using the same account for you as before?” he asked Alex.
“No. The others all went to the public email address. This was in our private mailbox. We don’t have it on our phones, and we’ve been out all day, which is why we just found it.” Alex paused. “We’ve given this address to maybe a dozen people. I can’t believe any of them are trying to fuck with me. So how did this arsehole find me? Some clever hacking?”
“It’s a possibility.” Jack’s mind flitted over options. “I’ll get our guys in Houston to unpick this one, but we didn’t get far with the previous emails. The accounts were all deleted after use.”
“I know you don’t like the idea, but let’s review everyone you gave this address to,” said Tanner.
Sylvie glared at him. “It’s mostly my family. They wouldn’t have anything to do with this.”
“You may have your personal accounts locked down, but would that be the same for your parents? Your brothers?”
She looked about to object, but Alex gave her a squeeze. “Come on, babe. It sucks hairy donkey balls, but it’s a starting point. That’s all.”
The plan was for Daisy and Callum to stay behind with Tanner tonight, while everyone else went to the concert, but the idea now made Jack uncomfortable. Until the backup team arrived, he and Tanner had their work cut out, looking after Callum and now Juli. “Is there any reason why we can’t take Callum to the venue tonight? He can stay in a dressing room with me and Tanner. That way, there’ll be stadium security on point too.”
“Makes sense,” said Tanner.
Alex looked at Sylvie, who nodded. “We’ll do it,” she said. “It means Daisy gets to see us play again, too. I’m sure she won’t mind.”
“I’ll update Jordan when he gets here,” said Alex. “Daisy was going to babysit for Poppy too, so she’ll probably come along for the night.”
“I have to ask,” said Sylvie. “There’s no chance the terrorist is after Callum, is there?”
Jack shook his head. “Unlikely. If he was, why ask for Juli Pascal on the tour bus? She wasn’t even planning to stay with us until we intervened.”
“Jordan’s spook has gotten us local contacts,” added Tanner. “He’ll be joining us in a day or two, but until then, we’ve got access to some data that might help us find Yanni.”
And if they could do that, it’d be one problem solved.
*
Daisy bounced on the balls of her feet, beyond excited at being included in the backstage crew. Granted, it was only because the stalker had made contact again, otherwise she’d have stayed in Plimmerton with the children, but she was here now and enjoying every minute.
It was hard to sit still and watch, and so she dived into activity. Fetching ginger ale for Sylvie. Helping Mick find his favourite drumsticks, buried in the bottom of his duffel. Checking on Callum and Poppy in the dressing room, under the watchful eyes of Jack and Tanner.
And spending some more stolen time with Charlie. How much had he smoked? He stunk of weed, and Alex had already chewed him out for breaking the no-booze-no-drugs-before-a-show rule. Charlie laughed it off, and it took Sylvie’s intervention before Alex stopped growling, but things had calmed down.
Enmity were wrapping up their set, and that meant Event Horizon would be taking the stage soon. She looked around, to see where Charlie was, and found him sat on a pile of practice amps, a glowing cigarette in his hand. She hoped it wasn’t another spliff. They did strange things to his mood. He was chilled out, which was good, but they made him oddly paranoid at the same time.
She dodged around Alex and Sylvie, their arms wrapped around each other as they swayed together to the final Enmity song, and headed for the practice amps.
“Hey,” she said. Her heart fluttered at the way his smile grew when he saw her.
“Babe.” He said, and beckoned to her. “Come here. There’s something I need.”
She stood before him. “What is it?”
“Turn around.” He leaned forward and hauled her up, to perch on his knee. With her back to his chest, he ran both hands across her stomach and breasts, before dipping his fingers under the hem of her short, denim skirt. “Tell me you’re not wearing knickers tonight.” His voice was like gravel in her ear.
Daisy wanted to squeal in delight, but she made do with twisting in his lap and pressing her lips to his ear. “I am. But I can take them off if you’d like?” She’d never been so daring—sex on the beach with Charlie, and now making out backstage, in full view of the crew.
“Do it. I want to keep ’em.”
Enmity finished to thunderous applause, and moments later, the band poured down from the stage, their entourage swarming with them.
“I’m waiting,” said Charlie, his hands cupping her breasts, thankfully over her silky camisole.
“What if someone sees me?”
He chuckled. “They’ll think I’ve gotten lucky. Come on, babe. I’m on stage in ten.”
She couldn’t get out of them while sitting, and so she dropped to her feet, casting her gaze around the crowd. Nobody seemed to be watching her. What would her mum say, if she knew? She shoved aside the thought, and in a rapid movement, lifted her skirt at the back and tugged down her skimpy panties. A wriggle, and she stepped out of them and bent to grab them from th
e ground.
“Mine,” said Charlie, tugging the fabric from her hand. He scrunched her knickers into a ball and stuffed them in his pocket. “You’re real cute, Daisy. You know that?”
Cute wasn’t the description she hoped for, but it was something.
He rewarded her with a kiss that stole her breath, and then he squeezed her bare ass with both hands. “Stay bad,” he said, before scrambling to his feet and heading for the stage.
She made a quick trip to the dressing room before the show started. Cal and Poppy were asleep, while Jack and Tanner worked on their laptops nearby. From what she saw, they were looking through lists of mugshots, while holding a conference call. Something to do with the guy looking for Juli.
They didn’t need her here, which meant she was free to watch the show from backstage. A first for her.
It was amazing.
Charlie was subdued, but the audience was unlikely to notice. Alex announced a new song in addition to the regular playlist, and to Sylvie’s obvious delight, he played an acoustic version of “Sun and Moon”. He’d written this for Sylvie, and it was beautiful. It brought tears to Daisy’s eyes when he crooned the words, and up on stage, Sylvie was wiping her eyes too.
The crowd was spellbound. The last notes died away, and to a massive roar of appreciation, Sylvie strutted across stage and snogged Alex. They were so sweet together. Daisy was lucky to work for them. Even if they decided to take a hiatus when the baby came, and she was no longer needed, she wouldn’t mind. Having this, here, was more than she ever imagined.
Alex was on fire tonight. His solos were a fraction longer, his stage presence magnified.
The band played for over two hours and did two encores, but then it was over, and they filed down the stairs. Giant fireworks tore the skies apart, and the applause continued. The backstage area filled up, and Daisy tried to get to Charlie, but he was gone.
Shit. Did he leave without saying goodbye? Her heart lurched. No. He wouldn’t. She checked her phone, but there was no message.
“Daisy.”
Someone shouted her name, and she spun on her toes. It was Charlie. Thank goodness.
He emerged from the crowd, a duffel over his shoulder, and pushed his way through the crew to reach her. “Hey, babe. Wanna ride to the airport with me?”
She nodded, relief making her feel dizzy. “Yes.” He didn’t forget her after all. Grabbing his hand, she followed him to the exit and into a car idling at the kerb.
“I’m sorry, sir, but you can’t smoke in here,” said the driver. That was when she noticed the spliff in Charlie’s hand.
“Yeah. Gimme a second.” He inhaled deeply, and then stamped it under his foot before getting in the car. He stunk of cannabis, but she didn’t mind. It was his way of coping. She was still cheering inside that he didn’t leave without telling her.
He tugged a beanie over his distinctive hair upon arriving at the airport, and they strode through the terminal together, to the waiting area nearest his gate. His flight was due for boarding in half an hour. Time for coffee from the little cart nearby.
Daisy returned with two lattes and found him busy texting.
“Thanks, babe,” he murmured but didn’t look up.
She sipped her drink and stared out at the night, her mind dancing over the events of the day. Would they get a chance to talk before he left, or would he stay glued to his phone? “The concert was brilliant,” she said. “It all looks different from backstage.”
“Uh huh.”
A bunch of people poured into the departure lounge, talking in loud voices about tonight’s concert. Fans. She nudged Charlie, to get his attention. The last thing he could want right now was another mob of fans to contend with.
“Thanks.” He tugged the beanie down a little further, finally put his phone away, and slipped an arm around her shoulders.
She snuggled next to him, ready to make the most of these last minutes together.
“Daisy.” He pulled her closer and pressed a kiss onto her temple. “It’s been fun. Thanks, babe.”
She shivered. This sounded awfully like a goodbye speech. “What do you mean?” She tried to keep her voice light.
“We talked. This was just a bit of fun, yeah?”
She was right. He was finishing things between them before they’d even started. She swallowed. What could she say that didn’t label her as needy? She could make a joke out of it. “You’re talking as though you’re not coming back.”
“I’ll be back in a few days, but you’re a nice girl. Too nice for the likes of me. I don’t want you to think there’s more than there is, if you see what I mean.”
He was stoned. There was a chance he might not even remember this conversation by tomorrow. It was time to take a leap of faith. “Charlie, I’m here for you.” She sat up and looked into his face, holding his cheeks so that she held his gaze. He needed to understand this, even in his cannabis-fogged state. “I can be your lover, and I can also be your friend. I can be whatever you need. I won’t make any demands, and I won’t turn my back on you because you’re having a bad time. Got it?” Daisy held her breath. Had she gone too far?
He searched her face, and then pulled her close. His kiss was hungry and over too soon. The PA system announced his flight was ready for boarding, and the beautiful moment was over.
She didn’t allow herself to cry until she climbed into the waiting car.
*
Front-row seats at the concert were amazing enough, but when Jordan announced that his group also had backstage passes to an exclusive party with the bands, Juli was speechless.
Her friends and family would never believe her when she told them. She’d love to take pictures as proof, but they had to hand over their phones before they were allowed to enter the party suite. Alex was rabid about his privacy, but she got that. In his shoes, she would be too.
Would Jack be here somewhere? Or did he stay in Plimmerton?
That question was answered when she emerged from the bathroom and saw him leaning against the far wall. He straightened up and grinned at her. “Just wanna say, this isn’t some creepy stalker move. Your colleague told me you were in there.”
He was here. She wanted to hug herself with excitement. Instead, she made herself frown and gave him a severe look. “Are you sure about that?”
He stepped closer. “Which part?”
“The creepy stalker bit.”
He took another step. He was close enough to wrap his arms around her. “Are you saying I’m a creeper?”
“If I said yes...?”
He pretended to clutch his chest. “You wound me, when the truth is I had five minutes to spare, and you were top of my list to spend them with.”
It was impossible not to be charmed by him. She looked up and smiled. “Did you want more practice at the whole kissing thing? I have to say, it needs more work.”
“It does, huh?”
She nodded. “Definitely.”
“I’ve always been diligent in my studies. But my favourite lessons have always been the practical ones. Hands. On.”
He skimmed his hands down her bare arms, waking a thousand nerve endings at once.
“Five minutes?” she whispered.
He kissed her, and she was lost. She didn’t care that there were dozens of people on the other side of the wall, her boss and colleagues among them. For once, she was living in the moment, with a man who lit her up like a Christmas tree.
When his five minutes were up and he returned to his work, she had to go back to the bathroom, to freshen up. Was that really her in the mirror? Dishevelled hair, where he ran his hands through it. Kiss-swollen lips. A dreamy expression and colour on her cheeks. Hard nipples poking the inside of her bra, and aching breasts that longed for his touch.
She wanted more.
A lot more.
And when Juli wanted something, she made it happen.
Chapter Nine
Although Jack and Tanner spent all night liaising w
ith the local security services, they were no further forward in the search for Yanni. There was no usable CCTV footage of him in the bus station or anywhere nearby. The guy was like smoke, and despite being a capital city, Wellington didn’t have as much CCTV in place as Jack expected.
They’d searched all variables of Yanni’s known aliases and drawn a blank there too.
Jack wouldn’t let himself be frustrated. He’d bet easy money that Yanni had no idea Jack would be here, and he and Tanner had to use it to their advantage. As advantages went, it was slim to the point of anorexic, but it was all they had.
The local liaison, a balding guy named Casey, seemed unimpressed with being assigned this job. “You’ve no proof you saw Yanni,” he said. He drummed his fingertips on the table top. “You’re operating on what? Gut instinct? A guy you met two years ago? Your memory’s that good?”
Jack gritted his teeth. “I was taking part in a security op, gathering intel on his group. It was him. That’s all you need to know.”
“Yeah, yeah. Heard it all before. You should be focusing on the woman. See what her connections to him are.”
“She doesn’t have any.”
“Come on. The guy has more fake IDs than I’ve had hot dinners.”
“Juli said she didn’t recognise him.”
“And you believe her?”
“Yes.” Seriously, what was this jackass’s problem?
“You might as well stand on a street corner and hold up a placard. Anyone seen Yanni? If the woman is the key to catching him, set her up as bait. Job done.” Casey snapped his fingers, and Jack glared at him.
“We’re not doing that.” He was relieved when Casey said he had to leave, and shortly after, Alex announced that he was ready to go back to the house.
They returned to Plimmerton in two limos, Tanner riding with Juli’s group. Catching up with her outside the party was the best part of Jack’s night. Maybe he could entice her to his room for a drink?
Tanner pulled him to one side. “Casey might be a Grade-A asshole,” he said, “but he’s right that we should be looking more into Juli and how she and Yanni might be connected.”