by Nina Singh
She’d done well. The audience seemed impressed. As did Adam. Hard to tell which pleased her more, as silly as that sounded.
“Thank you,” she replied. “I had some churning in my midsection throughout most of it, I have to admit.”
She wouldn’t tell him the rest. She wouldn’t divulge the crutch she’d used as she’d played. Thoughts of the time they’d shared aboard the cruise boat had settled her nerves and boosted her confidence as she’d been up there on that stage.
He’d described her as attractive in all manner of ways. She’d replayed those words in her head over and over as she’d played and they’d served to calm her anxiety. Maybe someday she’d let him know the large part he’d played in her successful performance. Right now, it felt too raw to try to explain it. She wasn’t sure she could if she tried.
“Butterflies?” Adam asked.
“More like pterodactyls.”
He reached a hand toward her before he suddenly dropped it to his side. Had he been about to touch her? “You hid it well,” he said. “It looked like you were enjoying yourself out there.”
She had to laugh at that; she’d been utterly terrified throughout most of the night. “I was and I wasn’t. Let’s just say I’m enjoying it now that it’s over.”
“That’s to be expected for the first time. I’m sure the next one will be second nature.”
“I’m not so sure about that.” Her muscles were still quaking, her stomach still doing somersaults.
“What do you say we get you out of here? So that you can start celebrating,” he suggested.
He didn’t wait for an answer but clicked on his earpiece to confirm the limo was ready to take them back to the hotel. Then he led her to her dressing room to wrap things up.
She’d done it! She’d gotten through her first real theater performance as a solo act. And it could only be described as a success, Ani thought as she gathered her things. She changed into comfortable capris and a spaghetti strap tank, then slipped on a comfortable pair of flats. She’d deal with the removal of her makeup once she got to the hotel. And then she could finally relax. Maybe Adam might even join her and the rest of her team in some celebratory champagne.
All that mattered was that she’d finally be able to relax and wait for the grip of stage fright to slowly ebb.
Her phone pinged an alert for a text message. The tone told her it was Moira. Ani had half a mind to ignore it. She was more than ready to get back to the hotel and celebrate her little victory.
But knowing her manager, the woman wouldn’t be ignored for long. Ani glanced at her screen.
Some early reviews are in already. Emailed them to you. You have to see for yourself!
Ani called up her inbox. And froze where she stood. An icy chill traveled down her spine.
The last email in her queue wasn’t from Moira at all. It was another one from her self-described admirer.
You played like an angel tonight. Someday you’ll be playing just for me.
She just wanted to get out of here, to have this night be over.
But the crowd had other plans when Ani and Adam made it outside.
His security team cleared a path for them, but Ani was tussled about and shoved nonetheless. Shouts for autographs, photos and the flash of cameras bombarded her as they slowly made their way to the car. Adam tugged her gently along while she struggled to fake a smile for the crowd.
“We’re almost there,” Adam reassured. “You okay?” Ani couldn’t even be sure how she heard him through the boisterous noise.
“It’s a little overwhelming.” That was a lie. She was beyond overwhelmed. Even as she scratched out an autograph here and there, inside she was a turbulent ocean during a storm. Her performance anxiety was nothing compared to this.
And what about her stalker? What if they were right here? What if he was someone in the crowd, one of the people fervently trying to reach her? Ani knew it was highly unlikely, but the mere thought of the possibility had her stomach churning.
What seemed like an eternity later, Adam assisted her into the limousine and crawled in beside her. Her stomach clenched with residual anxiety.
Adam took her hand as he signaled for the driver to move. “Hey, you’re shaking.”
“I just—I guess I wasn’t expecting that.”
“We’ll be back at the hotel in no time. Try not to think about the latest email for now.” She’d told Adam about her admirer’s last message right away.
Adam continued, “My IT guy back in the States is on it as we speak.” He shrugged out of his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. “Here, I know you’re not shaking because you’re cold. But some warmth will help.”
Ani held the tuxedo jacket tight against her. It did help. But his warmth through the fabric was the least of it. The scent of him surrounded her, the effect like a soothing balm on her frazzled nerves.
She uttered a small prayer of thanks that he was the one here with her. As nice as April was, Adam’s presence was much more comforting. She should have been better prepared for the paparazzi and the mob of fans. Moira had tried to warn her. But Ani was just so new to all this, focused solely on nailing her performance.
That email had arrived at the worst possible moment—just before she’d had to face a boisterous, reaching mob.
Considering that just a couple weeks ago, Adam wasn’t supposed to have even been there tonight, it made for a curious state of affairs. To think, she’d fought her brother and father about having him accompany her on this trip. Now, she couldn’t imagine what she would have done without him by her side.
Adam’s phone pinged with a text message. He bit out a curse once he’d read it.
“What’s the matter?”
“We might have a replay of what happened outside the theater.”
“What? Why?”
“April and the others made it back to the hotel already. I’m afraid there’s another crowd there waiting for you.”
Oh, no. Ani felt the blood rush out of her face and extremities. Her stomach clenched with apprehension. “But why?”
He shrugged. “You put on quite a show. You’re probably all over the internet. Music fans everywhere are probably searching who you are and how you came to be here.”
Ani rubbed her forehead, her hand shaking.
“Someone must have sent out some kind of social-media alert after your concert.”
“I don’t think I can face that again,” she admitted. “Not so soon.”
He squeezed her hand in his large palm and she could have sworn a palpable wave of strength flowed through the contact. When had she gotten so reliant on him?
“In that case, you won’t have to. I’ll take care of it.”
“What? How?”
He tapped a playful finger on her nose and smiled. “We’ll just have to take a detour. I know just the place.”
* * *
Ani was shivering so much in the seat next to him despite the warm car, Adam knew he couldn’t take her back to the hotel where a mob of people were waiting for her. She looked downright terrified. Which left him with really one other choice this time of night. He quickly fired off a text to a familiar number.
A response came back almost immediately with an added side note that made Adam laugh out loud. Ani sent him a questioning look.
He leaned over the divider to give the driver a new address, then sent another text alerting his team.
Ani still sat next to him, a virtual bundle of nerves. She was wound up like a tight coil about to snap.
“Try to relax. You won’t have to deal with any more crowds tonight.”
He could tell she had a lot of pent-up energy that needed to be expunged somehow. He was familiar with the feeling. A sudden burst of adrenaline in response to an unexpected situation always lingered long after the moment had passed. Ad
am had experienced it often enough as a soldier and many times since.
“Where are we going if not the hotel?” she asked, her voice trembling ever so slightly. Oh, yeah, she really needed some kind of release.
“Somewhere you’ll be able to unwind a bit,” he told her. “Looks like you could use it.”
“I do feel a bit...out of sorts.”
“It’s understandable. Between your performance and the effect of the waiting crowd, I’m guessing you’re still pumped up. We’ll make sure to take care of that.”
Her eyes clouded over with some kind of emotion he didn’t want to speculate on. “What exactly did you have in mind?”
Damn him if he was reading anything too loaded into that question. Absolutely dangerous territory his mind was trying to breach. Ignoring her question, he leaned over and pulled out a frosty bottle of sparkling mineral water from the built-in fridge. “Here, we don’t want you dehydrated.”
She took it with a grateful smile. “Thanks. It appears you know what I need better than I do.”
How could he answer that? He couldn’t exactly tell her he felt more in tune with her than anyone else he’d ever worked for. Not even Tonya.
Don’t go there.
Adam squashed the useless, painful memories and focused on the matter at hand. Ani could use getting away for an hour or two. He suspected a mundane, normal activity might help her settle her emotions.
One thing was certain: he wasn’t going to let anyone get near her as long as he was around.
“So, you never told me where we’re going,” Ani reminded him after taking a long sip of the mineral water.
“See for yourself,” he answered as the car came to a stop. “We’re here.” He opened her door and helped her out of the car.
Ani looked up in surprise and took in their surroundings. “Where is this place?”
They’d arrived in Le Marais, a favorite spot of his. “Let’s just say this a part of Paris that’s a bit off the beaten path. Trendier and younger, so to speak.”
The mouthwatering smell of street vendor carts drifted in the air. Adam couldn’t tell which of their stomachs was the one that grumbled. “You hungry?”
She ran her tongue around her upper lip and he lost his bearings for a moment. “I could eat, now that you mention it.”
“Good. You’ll need something in your stomach if we’re going to celebrate your performance with champagne later.”
He walked her over to a crepe cart where a tattooed young lady with a silver nose ring was waiting on a lone customer. When it was their turn, Adam chose the sausage filling and ordered a strawberry-and-cream filled one for Ani.
“You sent the limo driver away,” Ani commented as they sat on the curb eating their snack. A steady flow of people walked by them. Despite the late hour, the shops and eateries around them were full of tourists and locals alike.
He nodded. “Figured it would look conspicuous in this part of town.” Plus, he didn’t want the poor man to have to wait around until he and Ani were done.
She took another bite and seemed to savor the taste. “Mmm, this is so good.”
“Let me taste,” he asked without thinking. “It’s been a while since I’ve had a sweet one.”
Ani didn’t hesitate before offering him her treat. Somehow, they’d reached a level of comfort between them that he hadn’t exactly seen coming. It was easy to be around her, easy to talk to her. He could count on one hand all the people he could say that about.
Still, some things were better left unsaid.
Ani seemed to be studying their surroundings. Her gaze landed on a street musician and stayed there for several beats as she ate. “This is quite the place,” she said between bites.
She was right. Le Marais had grown trendier and more popular year after year. It held all the charm of Paris with less of the staunchness of some of the more historic parts. His friend had done well to set up his business in this part of town.
He waited for her to pop the last piece into her mouth before standing. He reached a hand down to help her up. “Let’s go.”
“Where to now? We aren’t leaving, I hope? I kind of like it here.”
He shook his head, pleased beyond all sense that she was enjoying herself. “No. We just got here. Let’s just say the fun hasn’t even started yet, kitten.”
Her eyes lit up. “Is that so?” She took his hand and hopped up.
“I just have one question.”
“What’s that?”
“Do you trust me?”
* * *
Ani realized with a jolt the truth of the answer that immediately popped into her head. She did trust him. Implicitly. Without even realizing it, she’d gone from resenting the way he’d been thrust into her life to actually needing him in it. If she examined the reality of her feelings even for a moment, she couldn’t imagine being in Paris without Adam Steele by her side.
So she stepped off the curb and followed him without question, trying in vain to ignore the tingling along her skin where his palm met hers.
They soon approached the glass front of what appeared to be some kind of pub. It looked crowded inside and for a moment she hesitated at the door. Crowds didn’t really hold a big appeal for her at the moment.
Adam sensed her resistance. “It’s okay. You trust me, remember?”
With that, he pushed the door open and tugged her in behind him. Ani released a sigh of relief when a cursory glance confirmed that no one was really paying the newcomers at the door any attention.
A burly, thick-armed man serving drinks stopped in his tracks when he spotted Adam. A wide grin appeared on the other man’s face and he reached them in a few long strides.
Adam greeted him in French and the two embraced each other. Adam switched to English to introduce her. “Ani, this is Remy. We served together in the Middle East. He owns this fine establishment.”
Remy offered her a dazzling smile and leaned to give her a polite peck on the cheek. He smelled of whiskey and fried food.
“Very nice to meet you.”
Adam cleared his throat. “I mentioned we were looking for some privacy this evening. To celebrate a special occasion.”
Ani gasped and braced herself for Remy to make the assumption Adam’s statement must have invoked. It sounded as if they were looking for a quick tryst. She felt her cheeks flame with embarrassment.
But Remy simply gave a brisk nod. “Ah, yes.” He pointed up. “The private party room is empty. It’s all yours.”
“Merci, Remy.”
The other man smiled, revealing sparkling white teeth and a ridiculously charming smile. “Of course, my friend. I only ask that you see me later so that we may catch up.”
They embraced again before Adam led her up a side stairway. The party room Remy referred to consisted of several round tables, another well-stocked bar and a wide-screen TV mounted on the wall. A standard-size billiard table stood at the end of the room.
Adam turned to her. “How’s your pool game, kitten?” Without waiting for an answer, he took her by the elbow and led her to the rack of cue sticks.
“Well, this ought to be interesting,” Ani declared, choosing one of the shorter sticks.
“Don’t tell me you’ve never played before.”
She shook her head. “That’s not what I meant.” After all, there’d been a table in their family playroom for as long as she could remember. In fact, this was the perfect activity to take her mind off the stress and sheer rush of the past few hours.
Lifting a cube of chalk, she expertly coated the tip of her cue. “I meant it will be interesting to see how well you take it when I defeat you!”
Adam threw his head back and barked out a laugh. “You’re on. Ladies first. Go ahead and break.”
She leaned over and did so expertly. The balls rolled out across the
surface of the table and a solid rolled into the side pocket.
Adam lifted an eyebrow. “I’m impressed.”
She sank one more solid, then stood off to the side while he took his turn.
A few minutes later, they were neck and neck, the number of solid balls to stripes at a dead even number.
Ani watched as he geared up for his next shot. This was a different side of Adam. He studied the table with an easy focus. She was used to him being fully alert, constantly surveying his surroundings.
She’d caught a glimpse of it last night during their Seine cruise when he’d let his guard down for a couple of hours. He’d been conversational and forthcoming.
But most of today, up until her performance, he’d pretty much been out of sight.
And now, he was treating her to a lighthearted game of pool because she’d been so frazzled after performing, receiving that unsettling email, then confronting an unruly crowd. Would she ever be able to figure him out? The man was a complete enigma.
She scored a break in the game when Adam missed yet another shot. Ani saw a clear chance of winning. All she needed to do was hit the orange ball on the far side hard enough that it rolled into the green and sank them both.
She angled her cue and thrust it with a hard push and no small amount of force. Inadvertently, in her desire for a strong push, she somehow managed to slam her right hand into the left where it held the cue stick.
A stinging, sharp pain shot up through her wrist and up her arm. “Ouch!” The cue fell out of her hands.
Adam was beside her in an instant. “What happened? Damn it, Ani. If you’ve hurt your hand—”
She couldn’t bear to think about it. The notion that she might have hurt her hand in the midst of a performance tour was beyond what her mind could absorb right now.
“I’ll go find you some ice.”
Adam ran behind the bar counter and came back with a plastic baggie filled with crushed ice. He placed it gently on the whole of her hand. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”