The connection shook him and he froze in his spot as he regarded her.
“Don’t.” Tassia shook her head. “Please.”
Her whispered plea struck his heart in a way he didn’t think would be possible. He resumed his initial position before he spoke to her. “That was done at a different time in my life. I’m not like that guy anymore.”
She tucked her phone back into her purse. “That’s a shame. That guy could probably write some club bangers for us.”
Hyde blinked. “Club bangers?”
Tassia nodded. “Yeah. You know. Hits. Something to get people moving.”
“You mean something without substance.”
She stared at him for a moment before retreating to the other side of the room. “Tell me something about you.” Tassia sat on a stool in front of a microphone. “Let’s get deep.”
“I thought you Googled me already.” Hyde strolled up to her but left a buffer around her.
“I did one search. That doesn’t tell me a lot about you.” She crossed her legs. “Was the TV show your first big break? When did you leave it? What was the first song you wrote?”
Hyde didn’t mean to but he laughed out loud.
“What are you laughing about now?” She crossed her arms as she regarded him.
“Everything you’re asking you can get from a ton of interviews I’ve done in the past.”
“Okay. Fine. What do you know about me?” She cocked her head.
He shook his head. “Nothing beyond the show, and even then it felt like we had kept our distance from each other. What I know about you is that you’re a great singer who relies a lot on technology.” He nodded toward her purse. “I also know that you’re no back-up singer, and in a pinch, you studied one country song.”
Tassia opened her mouth like she wanted to refute his claim, but quickly settled down. “I learned that song when I thought I wanted to work for you. Too bad you couldn’t hold onto me.”
That image alone had Hyde needing to take cover when he felt himself throbbing below his belt. “That won’t happen again, um, thanks to this project.”
“Chantel and Truman told me that they wanted me to do a duets album with you. To be honest, I was going to turn it down.”
Hyde had to blink at that admission. “Seriously?”
“Why would I want to work with someone who wouldn’t hire me years ago and barely remembered me after we worked together?” She shrugged.
“Interesting.” He wouldn’t have to lie to her with his response. “I came here to tell Truman and Chantel to their faces that I wouldn’t be doing the project.”
“At least for them you were willing to look them in their eyes when you rejected them. I didn’t get that courtesy at your audition.” She shook her head. “Why did you change your mind? You seemed really determined back there that when you found out you would be working with a former Ratty Rat’s Fun Crew member you wanted no part of this album.”
Hyde sighed. Now he had to do something to ensure his care above relaying the complete truth. “After hearing you sing, I realized that we could make magic.” She didn’t need to know that he had other motives.
Tassia seemed to believe him after regarding him for a tense moment before she backed away from him. “That’s going to require a lot of writing and a lot of work. Story of my life.”
“Working long hours?”
She nodded.
“Makes it hard to have a relationship, huh?” He heard his heart beating in his head as he awaited her answer.
“I guess you would know that for sure. How many relationships have you been through in your career?” She smiled at him smugly.
He knew her game but wouldn’t be falling for hers either. “Enough to know when to throw in the towel.” He strolled around the studio, essentially around her. “So how did you get started? What’s your story?” When he didn’t hear her respond, he walked back in front of her to look her in her eyes.
Tassia smiled. “Instead of me telling you, why don’t I show you?”
The idea intrigued him, but he needed to know what she had in mind. “I’m listening.”
“Come with me tonight.” She hopped off the stool and almost did a twirl in the small space with walls lined in black foam material.
“Go with you where?” Hyde braced his hands on the stool and felt the warmth she left behind. He exhaled and enjoyed this small bit of intimacy from this woman.
“A club. It’s a small place, but it’s where I cut my chops with singing in front of a live audience once I got ready to come back to work. Sometimes if I go by there, they’ll let me sing a song or two.” Her smile lit up the space.
Too bad Hyde couldn’t join her in her revelry. He winced. “I can’t.”
Tassia’s smile melted. “Oh.” Then she snickered. “Should have figured. Busy schedule and all. Probably have interviews to do and stuff.”
“No, that’s not it.” Hyde took a seat on the stool so he could get eye level with her. “My life has changed dramatically the more popular I get. I pretty much have a security detail around me at all times. I would have to get your club cleared by security first, and then an escort to the back door, and—”
“Never mind. Didn’t realize I was with royalty.” She finished her statement by giving Hyde a sloppy bow.
“I don’t think you understand.” He followed her out of the room.
“I get it. You want to work with me. You just don’t want to hang with me. Too messy.”
He shook his head. “Not fair. The reaction I get when I go out is insane.”
Tassia stopped and turned to Hyde. “Aww. Poor, rich, successful singer.”
Hyde held Tassia’s hand.
“What are you doing?” Tassia sounded more curious than indignant. She followed him with trepidation toward the window.
“I want to show you something.” Hyde stood in front of a floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the front of the building. “Look down.”
Tassia did, and then turned her head to Hyde.
Hyde didn’t have to look although he had to give it to Charisma’s architect. He couldn’t hear the massive crowd gathering around the studio up in the room. “This is my normal life.”
“You assume the crowds down there are for you and not the super couple in the other room?” Tassia cocked her eyebrow at him.
Hyde looked down and spotted one poster board sign with, “Marry Me, Hyde!” scrawled across it. “I do when I see things like that.” He pointed to the fan. “I’m just concerned about taking the attention from you.”
Tassia’s mouth hung open. Hyde couldn’t tell from her reaction if she believed him or if she liked what he had said. He meant every word, but she didn’t know him yet to know the difference.
Before another word could be said, Clever appeared at the door. “There you two are. I thought maybe you ran off with my guy this time.” He laughed.
Hyde didn’t. Did everyone see him as some spoiled, sheltered man-child? What had his life become?
His father pointed to the elevator. “I think we have the contracts all figured out. Our lawyers are agreeable to the terms, and I think your side is happy with what you have.” He nodded toward Tassia. “Equal split.”
Hyde could tell Clever strained to smile. “It’s the right thing to do.” He headed to the doorway for the stairs. As soon as he opened the door, he looked back and saw Tassia getting into an elevator car.
“See you downstairs.” She smirked at him just as the doors closed.
Hyde laughed.
“What’s that about? And why are you taking the stairs instead of the elevator?” Clever pointed back to the elevator.
“Getting some exercise in.” Exercise in patience. “I’ll see you downstairs.”
Hyde could use this opportunity as a front to finally relax afte
r years of running around.
After all contracts had been signed, the group started to disperse.
“The studio is open twenty-four hours a day.” Truman walked beside Hyde. “Let us know when you want to come in to do some writing and if you two need anything.”
Hyde tried to get a look at Tassia, who managed to walk out with her management team without a word to him.
“I’m flexible. I’ll let you know tomorrow if that’s cool.” Hyde shook Truman’s hand.
“Of course.” Truman smiled back at him. “We can’t wait to hear what you two come up with.”
“Yes. I’m very excited. Reminds me of when we recorded ‘Meet Me Halfway.’ Remember that?” Chantel wrapped her arm around her husband’s waist and leaned her head on his shoulder.
“How could I forget that?” Truman kissed Chantel’s forehead.
A strange pang of jealousy tore through Hyde’s body. He didn’t understand why. He barely knew Tassia. From the way she acted with him, she probably had no desire to know him beyond writing and recording this album.
Clever slapped Hyde on his back. “And, see, you wanted to take some time off.” He shook his head. “It’s not in you, kid. You need to work and work consistently.” He put his hand to his chest. “I recognize that. The fact that you jumped on this opportunity shows me that deep inside, you know I’m right.”
To hear that sent a painful wrench in Hyde’s belly. Even his own father didn’t know what Hyde really wanted in his life. Clever would know soon.
When Hyde walked out through the back door to his waiting limousine, he turned to Clever before stepping inside. “You got copies of everything, right? All contracts and terms?”
Clever blinked. “The attorneys do. You know that.”
“Check with them. Since this isn’t my main company, I don’t want any problems.”
Clever looked worried until Hyde glanced over at the security team that stood on either side of the vehicle.
“Okay. Be right back.” Clever ran inside.
As soon as the door closed behind him, Hyde made a call. When he heard a click on the other end, he ducked into the car and slammed the door closed.
“Yes?” Tassia’s response sounded sharp and uninterested.
“Tell me where you live.” He didn’t have that much time for finessing.
“Excuse me?”
“I’ll pick you up tonight.” A pause lingered before he finished.
“You’re coming to the club with me?” A hopeful lilt lit up Tassia’s voice.
Hyde shook his head like she could see him. “And you’re not going there either.”
“What are you talking about?”
He could almost see her cocking her head to the side. “I have a plan.”
“A plan to take over, because that’s what feels like is happening here.”
Hyde heard her voice shaking, both from anger and her movement, probably headed his way. Good. He wanted to see her. He looked out the side window to see if he could spot her through the glass at the door.
“I don’t want to take over. I want us to get into a creative space to write. All the great collaborations have gone to places outside of the studio to work. We shouldn’t be any different, and I have a great place in mind.” He smiled. “Come with me.”
A pause lingered on the phone.
“Hello?” Hyde held the phone from his ear. “You still there?”
“Uh, yeah. Go with you where?” Tassia’s voice lowered.
He smiled. “You just got off tour and wanted a break. I just got off tour and need a break. We both agreed to this project.” Hyde saw her silhouette through the darkened door glass. “We need to write. I don’t know about you, but I write best in a relaxed setting. I’m proposing we go somewhere.”
“Really?” Instead of excitement, Tassia sounded skeptical. “Are you coming with a whole team of people?”
“Nope. Just me and you. What do you say?” He peered out the window and saw Clever approaching the back door again.
“No.”
Now he could imagine her head shaking.
Tassia continued. “I’m not going to some unknown place with you alone.”
Hyde thought fast. “You and I will ride alone in a vehicle together. No one in my team will be with us.”
“Oh, so they’ll follow us?” Tassia’s voice lightened.
“They will be following.” Hyde wouldn’t tell her that his team and hers would be searching for them on social media.
“I don’t know. We might be working together, but I’m not too keen on going away with you by myself, even with your team there.”
“Don’t trust yourself with me?” Hyde laughed.
Tassia laughed. “With you? I think I’m safe.”
The hairs on the back of his neck stood when she laughed at him. He had to remember that besides relaxation, this trip would be about work and nothing else. Whether Tassia thought of him as some sort of sexual threat shouldn’t even enter his brain. Now he only thought about how to carve out time for himself and away from Clever and everyone else.
“If that’s how you feel about me, then your answer should be easy, right?” Hyde shifted in his seat when he saw his father. “What do you say? Your bags are still packed from your original trip.”
Tassia sighed. “They are.”
Clever touched the door handle.
“Good. Text me your address.” He heard her sigh loudly again. “Or meet me at my hotel. I’ll send you the information. We’ll hit the road tonight.”
“Where?” Tassia’s light voice floated through the phone.
“You’ll see. But I think you’ll like it.” He drummed his thumb on his knee. He had her. Better than that, he would be able to relax.
“God help me.”
As soon as he disconnected the call, Clever opened the door to the backseat.
“Everything is all set.” His father patted Hyde’s knee.
“Good. Before we make any formal announcements, I’ll give it a couple of weeks before formally backing out of the project.” Hyde took his cap off and tossed it to the side. He didn’t care if one of his waiting fans snapped a picture of him without his hat.
“What? I thought you—”
Hyde cut Clever off. “I did. But you were right.” Saying that out loud caused his gut to wrench. “I don’t need to pair myself up with someone from my past. The initial signing will make me come off as accommodating, but then you can make something up as to why I couldn’t do the project. Scheduling conflicts, whatever.”
Clever nodded. “I get it. You come off as a big star willing to humble himself, but in the end, you have better things to do. Great move.” He leaned back and crossed his legs. “Just promise me one thing, son.” He wagged his finger at him. “You let her down easy. She’s probably got stars in her eyes now about doing this project. You need to bring her back down to earth gently.”
“Isn’t that what I’m paying you to do?” Hyde had a need to define all boundaries.
His father laughed. “Yes, you do. Well played. Okay, you give me the word on when you want to pull the trigger. I know Charisma is not going to post anything on social about this project until they see some written songs first. Tassia’s team was told the same thing. This can all be done very quietly.”
Good. Just what Hyde wanted. He could get his time off like he wanted without the obligations. His plan would work.
“Are you ready now?” Clever sat across from Hyde.
“You have no idea.”
Chapter 8
Since her last phone call with Hyde, Tassia had been pacing until she got into this Uber car ride. So what if Hyde Love had called her? So what if he texted her his hotel information? So what if this popular artist now had her number and she had his? Artistry and money aside, the man epitomiz
ed fine with a capital F.
Not only did he look good in only a T-shirt, jeans, and work boots, but he treated her like a gentleman. When he demanded that his manager apologize to her before negotiations started, Tassia had to squirm in her chair. Because he seemed so perfect, of course something had to be wrong with him.
Maybe that swayed her to accept his unorthodox offer. Artists working together often secluded themselves in cottages and residential recording studios. What made this situation different had to be that she didn’t normally continually think about her singing partner’s body.
Except for Hyde’s one nude moment caught and preserved for all the world to see, he also seemed a bit uptight, the only reason Tassia even considered this mysterious trip with him. She Googled him and saw he had a relationship with another country star not too long ago. She had moved on, but Hyde didn’t. That usually meant she dumped him.
Just so she didn’t seem too reckless, Tassia did tell India, although with her friend still frolicking in Fiji, there would be little India could do for her if Hyde turned out to be some homicidal maniac. No use telling her father, although he would have wanted her to share. He still saw her as a little girl needing protection.
The compact ride rolled up in front of a luxury Oceanfront hotel where a group of young women milled around the entrance. Of course they knew Hyde Love stayed here. Now she would be a part of this ravenous group. How would these women react if they knew she would be getting in a vehicle with Hyde and going away with him?
“Ma’am, are you getting out?” The Uber driver peered over his shoulder in between glancing down at his phone.
“Yeah.” Tassia dropped her attention to her phone. “Let me just text my, um—”
“Look. You don’t need to tell me about your business.” He shook his head.
Her business? Damn, worse than being known as a “hook girl,” now this stranger thought that she needed to contact a john. Apparently, he didn’t recognize her. With her hair still in vacation mode and no stitch of makeup except for some lipstick, she didn’t think she looked like a working girl.
Crazy on You Page 10