Troublemaker (Songbird #6)

by Melissa Pearl

  Heat pooled between my legs, but it quickly iced over as another memory flashed through my mind. My stomach knotted and my eyes started to sting. I couldn’t go there. His words were permanent scars on my heart. It was the final blow that helped me walk away for good.

  I rubbed the spot below my collarbone, wishing a whole heart sat inside my ribcage.

  Bryce opened the restaurant door for me, his hand snaking around my back as we stepped into the cool night air. “Have you had a good evening?”

  “Yes, thank you.” I smiled up at him, admiring the lines of his face. The street lamps cast haunting shadows over his complexion. It gave him a sexy edge. Not that he needed one.

  “How do you feel about making it longer?”

  I kept my eyes on his face, taking in the curve of his lips and wondering what they’d feel like on my skin. Would they make me forget…or remember?

  Chapter Thirteen

  Marcus

  I slashed the sweat from my eyes and lay back down to do my final set of reps. Logan, the gym owner, was spotting for me while he waited for a new client to arrive. He’d started up Artisans Gym about a year ago on a shoestring budget. I was one of his first clients, and I loved the place. He opened at five in the morning, which meant I could get a workout in and still have plenty of time to get to the office early. The gym was small, and down an innocuous street that not many people knew about. That was just the way he’d wanted it.

  “I’m not about big and flashy. I want clients that are here to work out and stay healthy. Word of mouth is going to be my marketing strategy.”

  To my surprise, it had actually worked. The clientele had steadily increased and because it was all word of mouth, the atmosphere was low-key and friendly. Everyone was a friend of someone, and it made for a really non-pretentious environment.

  “Come on, five more.” He grinned at me.

  I gave him a WTF look and he started laughing.

  “You can do it, man. Come on, let’s go.”

  I grunted and puffed, pushing the bar up and down five more times. My arms nearly gave out on the last, but Logan caught the bar and helped me lift it back onto the hooks.

  Sitting up with a groan, I wiped my face while he patted me on the shoulder. “Good job, little man.”

  I punched the gorilla lightly in the thigh. He crossed his bulky arms and smiled down at me. I took it as a sign of respect that he hassled me so much. He’d never talk to a new client like that.

  “So, did your girl end up starting those aerobics classes?” I stood and stretched my shoulders.

  “You bet, man. They’ve been going strong for a couple of months now. It’s all ladies at this stage, but you’re welcome to join.” He winked at me.

  “Nah, I’m good. Think I’ll just stick with the weights for now.”

  “Well, they’re working. You’re looking really good.”

  I smiled, casting my eyes around the various machines that had slowly turned my muscles hard and sinewy. “I feel good. Thanks for the new program. I’m enjoying the switch.”

  “No problem. Make sure you check in with me at the end of February, we’ll do a revision. Don’t want those muscles getting too comfortable, right?”

  I laughed and lifted my chin as Logan’s new client walked in. He raised his hand at me before greeting the rotund man who was standing by the door looking reluctant. I grabbed my towel and headed for the showers.

  I had ten minutes to get my ass out the door and on my way to the office. Rubbing the back of my neck, I let out a soft groan. I felt old. After Laser Strike with Chaos, who were freaking wild, I then slumped home to do some more work, but I hadn’t been able to focus. All I could think about was Kelly out with frickin’ Bryce Fisher. Images of her lying naked in his bed riled me so bad, I ended up pacing the house for half my evening. I finally fell into a fitful doze around midnight, only to be woken at three by Flash, who puked up a hairball next to my pillow. Worst wake-up ever!

  Putting on a breezy smile was going to be a mission, but I refused to walk into work looking morose. I had to focus on the fact that Bryce would no doubt dump Kelly soon enough and I’d get my date. Well, hopefully—if she didn’t renege on the deal. It was a bit of a juxtaposition in the sense I didn’t want Kelly getting hurt by the dickwad, but I also really wanted my date.

  I arrived at the office a couple of hours before everyone else. The building was so quiet at six-thirty in the morning, and it gave me a decent chance to get stuff done. I cleared my inbox, spent a couple of minutes reading a few entertainment sites and was pleased to see the buzz around Chaos’s upcoming tour.

  I really loved those guys, and I wished them all the success they could get. My email dinged. I saw three new messages arrive. Dion Bonnet was coming into the studio that afternoon for a recording session. His Christmas album was selling steadily, and we were now working on his summer release. He wanted to do a collaboration album, so I’d been in touch with various singers who I thought would be a good fit. Three had already signed on to work with Dion, guaranteeing the album a few hit singles. It was going to be epic. A smile crossed my face as I made a note to ask Kelly to check that the studio was all set with Dion’s preferred piano.

  My office door was closed, but I could hear the muted sound of office traffic. Checking my watch, I figured Kelly and Marcia had probably arrived. Might as well give Kelly my message in person. It’d be a good chance to suss her out and see if all my late-night pacing had been necessary.

  Going for a confident swagger, I ambled out to the front desk and spotted the girls sitting down with their morning coffees.

  “Ladies,” I greeted, leaning against the counter and flashing them a smile.

  “Hey, Marcus. You’re looking tired this morning.” Marcia grinned. “Rough night?”

  I answered her with a chuckle then turned to Kelly. “How was your night?”

  She glanced up, her blue eyes round and guarded. “Fine. Thank you.”

  “Where’d Bryce take you?” I shrugged like I wasn’t interested…like I was just being polite.

  Her look told me she was seeing right through my lie.

  “You went out with Bryce?” Marcia made a face, but quickly pulled it into line before Kelly spotted her.

  “He asked me out to dinner. I wasn’t about to refuse.” Kelly straightened her shoulders and almost looked relieved when the phone rang. She snatched it off the cradle before Marcia could reach for it. “Torrence Exec, Kelly speaking… Sure, one moment.” She pushed a button then looked up at me. “Jimmy and Flick are here to see you.”

  “Really?” I glanced at my watch. They didn’t usually surface this early in the morning. “Send ’em up.”

  I walked back to my office as Kelly finished the call. I’d gotten nothing from her, couldn’t read her expressions, so I had to walk away just as frustrated as I’d been the night before. Stupid Bryce and his pretty-boy face. What was so great about being tall, anyway?

  Slumping into my seat, I tapped my fingers on the desk while I waited for the boys to arrive. I left the door open and watched them saunter in with playful smirks on their faces. Jimmy raised his eyebrows in greeting before flopping onto the couch in the corner of my office while Flick ran a thumb over his smile and sat down.

  “What’s so funny?” I stood to join them.

  Flick snickered. “Damn, that new chick is hot. She’s like a freaking supermodel, man.”

  I rolled my eyes and grabbed a few Chaos posters and flyers off the side cabinet before joining them. Throwing two markers and the promo stuff onto the coffee table, I ignored their comments and asked, “Can you please sign these for Scarlett.”

  “Is that her name?” Flick snatched a marker. “Because I can sign her chest if she’d prefer.”

  Jimmy laughed and whacked his buddy on the back of his beanie. “Stop being a douche. That’s Kelly, the new assistant Marcus is in love with.”

  “I am not.” My denial was lame and transparent. “Just sign the p
osters already.”

  “Dude.” Flick shook his head while scribbling his name below his image. “I am sorry, man, no offense, but that hottie is out of your league. She’s not even in Jimmy’s league. Hell, I don’t even know if Jace could secure a hook-up.”

  Jimmy nudged him out of the way and scrawled a message to Scarlett before capping the pen and dropping it back onto the table. “She looks like she belongs on a Milan catwalk. You sure you want to break your heart over her?”

  “She’s owned my heart since high school, okay? It’s not like I have much of a choice.”

  “No way.” Jimmy leaned forward. “That’s the girl? The troublemaker?”

  I glanced over my shoulder with a restless sigh, running a thumb over my scar and whispering, “She only ever made trouble for me…enticing, tantalizing trouble.”

  Jimmy snickered and I turned back in time to see him press his phone and sing, “She’s a troublemaker.” He sang over Olly Murs’s words, changing the lyrics from first person to second person and pointing his finger at me.

  I could do nothing but shake my head with a red-faced chuckle as the guys danced on the couch, performing for me.

  That song was damn perfect.

  I wondered how Kelly would feel if I attached that to a morning email.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Kelly

  Marcus had looked ragged when he showed up at my desk. I had no idea what he’d been up to, but his pale complexion and the dark circles under his eyes told me he’d had a restless night. But that still didn’t mean he could ask me about my date with Bryce. That wasn’t any of his business. Like he honestly wanted to hear what Bryce and I got up to.

  I finished typing up the email Bryce had dictated in a voice memo and read it through before sending it to him for approval. Checking my list, I snatched the phone out of the cradle and called the studio to make sure it was ready for Dion. Marcus had popped by my desk as Jimmy and Flick were leaving to rattle off a list of things that needed doing. I was disappointed that I didn’t have a chance to talk to the Chaos boys. I was going to ask them to sign a piece of paper for Scarlett. She would have loved that.

  I spent the rest of the morning making phone calls to confirm that everything was set for Chaos’s opening night. The concert was huge and the band members were nervous. They wanted everything triple-checked to make sure nothing could go wrong. Jimmy was particularly protective of Nessa, which was why he’d dragged his ass out of bed so early to swing by Marcus’s office and go over every detail again in person.

  “He doesn’t want anything throwing her off. It’s our responsibility to make sure tomorrow night is absolutely perfect.” Marcus tapped the counter as he read notes off his iPad. “Oh, and make sure there’s a spare drum kit backstage somewhere. Jimmy says Nessa plays when she’s nervous. It helps to calm her. So let’s make sure something is available for her if she needs to de-stress before going on stage.”

  By mid-afternoon, I was exhausted. My ear hurt from holding the phone against it, and I wasn’t in the mood to talk to any more strangers. Marcus had left the office to hang out with Dion, and Marcia was packing up her stuff, ready to head to her daughter’s dance recital.

  “I’m so excited.” She beamed. “Her first recital. It’s going to be adorable. Did you know her teacher is married to the guy from Superstar?”

  “Which one?”

  “Sean Jaxon. He plays the role of Harley. You know, the dance teacher?”

  “Oh my gosh.” My lips parted. “He’s super hot.”

  “I know, right? Can’t believe his wife teaches my daughter.” Marcia giggled.

  I grinned and waggled my eyebrows. “Maybe he’ll pop by the concert this afternoon.”

  Marcia blushed and waved her hand in the air. “Oh stop it. My husband’s going to be there!”

  I laughed. It was cute the way Marcia’s skin flushed pink when she got embarrassed. She tucked a curl behind her ear and lifted her bag onto her shoulder. “Thanks again for covering my station for the last hour. I really appreciate it.”

  “It’s no problem, really.”

  Marcia squeezed my shoulder and was about to walk for the elevator when a harried-looking marketing exec appeared.

  “Where are you going?” she snapped.

  “Uh, to my daughter’s recital. I emailed you about it last week. You all replied saying it was fine.”

  “Well, sorry. Change of plans. I need this stuff done now.” She dumped an armful of files onto the desk. “This data has to be entered before you leave. Mr. Torrence wants it for an eleven o’clock meeting with London. I need you to make it into a PowerPoint presentation so he can use the data for his pitch.”

  “But I can’t.” Marcia shook her head. “I have to go to my daughter’s recital.”

  The woman tipped her head with a frown. “Please tell me this recital isn’t more important than your job. Get someone to record it for you.” She tapped the stack. “Then get to work.”

  The woman walked away before Marcia even had a chance to argue. She stood opposite me with her mouth agape and tears quickly gathering on her lashes. I acted before I could think better of it.

  Standing from my seat, I pulled the stack of files toward me and said, “Tell me what to do.”

  “Huh?” Marcia brushed a tear off her cheek.

  “Tell me what to do and then get your ass out of here.”

  “But…”

  “Just hurry up. I don’t want you to be late.”

  Marcia’s dimples appeared. “Are you sure?”

  “By the look on your face, I am sure that your daughter’s dance recital is more important than this job…and I really like working with you, so you’re not allowed to get fired. Tell me what to do.”

  “It’s going to take you well past five.”

  I shrugged. “I don’t have any plans tonight, and as long as I’m done by eleven, we should be good, right?”

  “You’re the best,” Marcia blubbered, sucking in a quick breath before rattling off what I had to do. Her explanation was hurried and I missed some of it, but I wasn’t about to make her repeat anything.

  She rushed for the elevator ten minutes later. As soon as the doors dinged shut, I dropped into my chair and tried not to let the daunting task overwhelm me. I scanned my own list and decided the last two things could wait until the morning then swallowed and made the dreaded call to my mother. She was offended that I couldn’t make our weekly dinner, and I figured a work emergency would hardly win her over, so I lied and said I had a date. I turned Bryce into the son of a wealthy banker and exaggerated the facts I did know until my mother was tittering into the phone and telling me to have a good time.

  Rolling my eyes, I hung up and moved into Marcia’s space to get started.

  The office cleared out an hour later. There was no way I’d be done fast. I’d only gotten through three of the twenty files, and although I was getting quicker, the stupid PowerPoint still awaited me once I’d finished the data entry.

  Bryce stopped by my desk on his way to the elevator.

  “You keen for a drink?” His smile was flirty and said too much.

  “I’ve got a stack of work I have to get through before I leave tonight.”

  “Okay.” He nodded. “No problem. I’ll give you a call. Maybe we can hook up later.”

  Hook up later? His wording was so elegant. I nodded my goodbye and watched him leave…and then spent the next half hour trying not to be distracted by the whirr of the vacuum as the cleaning staff raced through. I was soon sitting in a very quiet, empty office.

  The isolation was unnerving, but I managed to talk myself out of it…mostly. It didn’t stop me from jumping out of my skin when Marcus closed his office door and strode into the main area. A dark leather satchel swung from his hand while he jiggled his keys in the other. He noticed me and stopped short with a quizzical look.

  “What are you still doing here?”

  I rubbed my stinging eyes and sighed. “Marc
ia got lumped with a bunch of work just before leaving for her daughter’s dance recital. I said I’d do it for her.”

  A lopsided grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. “How’s it going?”

  I sighed. “It’s taking a really long time. I’ve never used this program before. But I’m getting there.”

  Stepping to the counter, he peeked over the edge and spotted my pile of folders. “Do you need a hand?”

  “No.” I swallowed, flustered by his attentive tone and the smell of Sovereign wafting in the air between us.

  “At least let me get you a coffee.” He strode off before I could refuse him, returning five minutes later with a steaming cup of black liquid and a banana.

  “Thank you.” Part of me yearned to tell him he was sweet, but I didn’t want to encourage him. My insides were rattling for some weird reason, and I needed him to go away so I could get the job done. “Have a good night.” I nodded and turned back to the computer screen, but then noticed him heading away from the elevators. “Aren’t you going home?”

  He paused and turned with a smile. “I’ve got some extra work to get done myself. So, I might as well do it now.”

  I narrowed my eyes, fighting the grin that wanted to jump all over my lips. “Liar. Why are you staying?”

  He looked to the floor, his cheeks heating with color before he gazed back up at me. “Maybe I don’t like the idea of you walking out by yourself after dark. The underground parking gets kind of creepy at night.”

  My rattling insides stilled for a second, and all I could do was stare at him.

  His grin grew to counter my surprised silence. “Mind if I put some music on?”

  “Sure,” I croaked and watched him walk away. A few minutes later, the soft strains of “Hey Soul Sister” came out of his office. I couldn’t help a smile. I loved that song, and it definitely made working seem easier.

  I ignored the fact that the song was hells romantic and pretended he wasn’t playing it specifically for me. I told myself it was simply a song on one of his random playlists.