Troublemaker (Songbird #6)

by Melissa Pearl

  It was with a mixture of disappointment and relief that the tune ended and shifted to “Good Time” by Owl City and Carly Rae Jepsen. It was, however, another great song, and I bopped away while I worked, the file stack decreasing at a quicker rate than I expected.

  At nine o’clock, I emailed Mr. Torrence a PowerPoint from Marcia’s account. I even wrote the accompanying message from her so the bitch from marketing wouldn’t try to accuse my coworker of skipping out early. The only giveaway would be the slightly amateur quality of the presentation. Marcia was far more adept at that kind of thing than I was.

  With a weary sigh, I shut down the computers and collected my bag. I poked my head into Marcus’s office and noticed him gazing at the screen. He looked so tired. The rectangular glasses he wore for reading had slipped down his nose. He pushed them up with his knuckle and sniffed, like he was trying to wake himself up. The small, black frames actually suited him. I’d never found the guy attractive, so it seemed really weird to be thinking the word handsome as I stared at him.

  Was it possible for people to become more attractive over time?

  I frowned and shook my head. No. Marcus wasn’t… He didn’t… Not my type!

  “I’m done.” I spoke softly, because it was all I could manage. My heart was trying to inch its way up my throat, making it hard to swallow.

  Marcus jerked then gave me one of his bashful smiles. “Cool, okay. Let me grab my stuff.”

  I waited by the door while he packed up. Just before he left the office, he collected some shiny paper off the coffee table and handed it to me.

  “What’s this?” I took it from him and spotted Jimmy Baker’s signature on the Chaos poster. And was that Scarlett’s name?

  “I got Jimmy and Flick to sign it for your friend.” Marcus straightened his jacket collar while we walked to the elevator. “Sorry the others aren’t on there. I can try to get them next time if you like.”

  I stopped walking and just looked at him.

  I’d been doing that a lot tonight…just looking at him. He kept stealing my voice and I didn’t know what to say.

  “What?” He chuckled, stepping aside so I could enter the elevator first.

  “Nothing.” I shook my head. “I mean, thank you. Scarlett’s going to love this.”

  “Tell her it was your idea.” He winked, making everything worse.

  I wasn’t attracted to this guy at all, yet his sweetness was making my heart do these weird somersaults. I stood at the edge of the elevator, watching the side of his face as he slid his hand into his pocket and looked up at the descending numbers.

  We reached the basement, and he once again stepped aside so I could exit first. He stayed close to me while I led him to my car. It made me feel safe. If anyone attacked us, I had a hunch my boss would kick some serious ass trying to defend me.

  There was something so chivalrous and antiquated about his style. He wasn’t like the men I was used to associating with. Most of them put on airs to impress anyone who might be watching. I got the impression Marcus did it because he actually wanted to take care of me.

  “This is mine.” I pointed at my car and slowed to a stop, spinning my heel into the concrete floor.

  Marcus’s eyes were glazed with tiredness, but his smile was still bright. “You know, what you did tonight was really sweet.”

  “Ditto.” I grinned.

  Marcus’s broad smile turned into a yawn. He covered his mouth then gave me a sheepish grin.

  “You should go home and get some sleep. You’ve got a big night tomorrow.”

  He opened his mouth to say something—I’m sure it was to invite me along—but then pressed his lips together and turned for his car.

  “Good night, Kelly. Sleep well.”

  “Ditto,” I squeaked. My voice was once again being cut off by my heart.

  I unlocked my car and jumped in, waving to him before he turned and disappeared into the darkness. Starting up the engine, I let it idle for a moment as I tried to figure out what was wrong with my insides.

  “Stop it, Kel,” I muttered. “He’s Marcus Chapman, the guy you went out of your way to avoid in high school. He’s not your type, remember?”

  The phone in my purse buzzed. I plugged it in then answered it on speaker while reversing out of my spot.

  “Hey, Kelly. Bryce here. You done at work yet? Thought you might like a drink.”

  I wanted to say no, but I blurted out a yes. Bryce would help dampen my confusion over Marcus. He was my kind of people. Marcus wasn’t.

  Our worlds would never collide, and I couldn’t let that guy with his sweet smile and hazel gaze rattle me again. It wasn’t fair on him or me.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Marcus

  “Yes, Garrett. I get it. Caris is a pain in the ass. But Mr. Torrence wants us to hold on to her, so just lump her complaints and make it work.” I rubbed my eyes and ran a hand through my hair. I felt like I’d never left work. Staying late for Kelly had been worth it, but I’d ended up skipping dinner and falling into a coma the second I walked in the door. My alarm went off at four-thirty, so I’d dragged my ass to the gym and then came straight to the office. My breakfast had been McDonald’s drive-thru, which now sat in my gut—an oily, abusive mistake that would punish me for the rest of the day.

  Garrett, the sound tech, groaned. “We can’t run through a song twenty frickin’ times when it was perfect the first time we recorded it. You’re always going on about the cost of studio time. She’s taking twice as much as everyone else! And don’t even get me started on that fucking candle.”

  I pinched the bridge of my nose. “I know, I know. We just need to give the girl a little leeway.”

  Garrett swore again then hung up before I could say any more. Dropping my phone, I leaned my head back against my chair and prepped myself for another irritating call with the young pop star. She’d flounced up to the office earlier that morning to piss me off with a series of demands including twelve bottles of Evian water that had to be at seventy degrees Fahrenheit and a lotus incense candle, which had to be burning the entire time she recorded.

  Kelly was nice enough to spend an hour on the phone for me, tracking down building and safety codes to make sure we were allowed that particular candle in the recording studio.

  Caris made everything difficult, and it pissed me off that the staff had to put up with her bullshit, as well. I wanted to tell Mr. Torrence she wasn’t worth it, but I couldn’t do it. He needed me to make it work, and I needed to prove to him that I was capable of doing the job well.

  A figure appeared in my frosted glass door and knocked once before entering. Kelly looked tired and a little unsettled as she walked toward my desk with some paperwork.

  “These all need signing before you leave for the arena. I’ve booked you a car for three, and Chaos is being picked up in an hour or so. They’ll be in hair and makeup by the time you get there. As far as I can tell, everything should go smoothly.”

  Her lips twitched at the corners but didn’t rise into a smile. This surprised me after all the effort she’d put in. I was expecting pride, but all I captured was a weary restlessness. I understood the feeling all too well.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah.” She rubbed her forehead and wouldn’t look me in the eye.

  “Liar,” I murmured, trying to make her grin.

  She scowled at me and crossed her arms. “I’m just tired. I had a late night.”

  “Really? I was home by like nine forty-five. Where do you live?”

  She blanched, a tendon in her neck pinging tight.

  “Oh, I see.” I swallowed. “You went out after work.”

  “With Bryce.” She nodded, crossing her arms and looking a little tortured.

  My insides jerked with a protective angst that had me gripping the pen in my hand. It dug into my thumb until a round indent formed. “Did he do something that you didn’t want him to?”

  Her gaze shot to my face, her bright eyes lig
hting with a look I couldn’t quite understand. Her lips flashed with a smile, and she shook her head. “No. I’m not hurt, I’m just tired.”

  She was still lying, but I couldn’t push her further because my phone rang and she darted out of the room before I could stop her.

  “Hello,” I barked into the receiver.

  “Is that really the way you want to greet your star performer?”

  I cringed at Caris’s acidic tone before squeezing the bridge of my nose and forcing a cheer I was far from feeling. “Hey, beautiful. Listen, I’ll call you back. I have something urgent I need to deal with and then you’ll have my full attention, okay?”

  “Well, I was just ringing to tell you that my recording session was perfect, except for the sound man who was quite rude to me as Mom and I were leaving. I’d like you to have him fired.”

  I clenched my jaw and swallowed down the string of swear words resting on my tongue.

  “I don’t actually have the authority to do that.”

  “Well, find out who does and arrange it for me, because I will not be recording any more songs if he is in the booth.”

  “Yeah.” I nodded, having absolutely no intention of firing one of the best sound techs in the business. “I’ll work something out.”

  “I’m trusting you, Marcus. It’d be so sad for Torrence to lose me to another recording company. I have offers coming in all the time and I keep saying I have the world’s best manager. Let’s not make a liar out of me.” Her words would have had so much more impact if they hadn’t been said in such an irritating little-girl voice.

  I cleared my throat and hitched my pants as I walk to the door.

  “Don’t worry, Caris. I won’t let you down.”

  She giggled and said goodbye, sounding like a five-year-old princess. I could picture her pink tutu and plastic tiara as I stormed toward Bryce’s office. I knocked once then thundered through the door.

  “What did you do to Kelly last night?”

  “Nothing that she didn’t want me to.” Bryce winked, making me want to hurl my phone at his face.

  “Did you hurt her?”

  “No.” Bryce glared me. “Not that it’s any of your business.”

  I gritted my teeth. “Did you dump her?”

  “Not yet. That girl’s quality, and you don’t throw that away after only one quick lay.”

  “You’re such an asshole,” I whispered.

  Bryce heard me anyway and let out a hearty laugh. “Don’t be jealous.”

  “Of you?” I scoffed. “I wouldn’t waste my energy.” The twinkle in his eyes set off alarm bells in my head. “You don’t even like her that much, you’re just doing this to piss me off!”

  “She’s pretty enough.”

  “She’s fucking gorgeous! And deserves a hell of a lot more than you!”

  Bryce sniggered, sliding his hands into his pockets and looking at me. “I’m trying to teach you your place, little man. I saw you make a pass at her. Save yourself the humiliation. She’s out of your league. Women like her don’t date losers like you.”

  He turned away from me, pulling open his filing cabinet and making me feel like the dregs at the bottom of a coffee cup.

  I clenched my fists and swiveled out of the room. I had to find Kelly and tell her to dump Bryce before he did anything else to her. I didn’t even care about our deal anymore. Nothing would be sweeter than the satisfaction of knowing she’d bested that asshole. I’d forfeit a date with Kelly if it saved her from another interlude with Bryce Fisher.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Kelly

  I gazed down at the photocopier display screen, watching the numbers tick down as I copied another pile of pages for Bryce. I’d been feeling low ever since I woke up. I’d even skipped the gym. Instead, I stood in the shower, staring at the white tiles and feeling dirty right down to my core.

  Sleeping with Bryce had been a drunken error that I couldn’t erase from my history. He’d been all hands and tongue—squeezing and prodding until he’d thrust inside me. I’d tried to pretend I was into it but quickly gave up. He wasn’t paying attention anyway. I’d stared through the dim light at his sex-face while he ground into me, feeling nothing but a hollow emptiness. He hadn’t reminded me of Fletcher in the end, yet I’d still thought about my ex while I lay on my bed, wishing for his company.

  Thankfully, Bryce left about five minutes after he was done. It was way awkward, and I’d escaped to the bathroom to clean up, calling through the door that I’d catch him tomorrow.

  Avoiding him had been my main priority for the day, but I was finding it hard to face Marcus, as well. I didn’t want him to know that I’d let Bryce stumble into my apartment and do me on my crisp, white duvet.

  Hanging out with him had achieved nothing that I’d wanted it to. It’d only made me feel worse, but I was worried that if I dumped him he’d make work difficult, and I didn’t trust him not to spread some sordid rumors about me around the office. The humiliation of having that happen to me in high school still burned bright. I didn’t think I’d ever get over it. Nearly losing my virginity to the guy who decked Marcus was one of the biggest mistakes I’d ever made. The way his eyes had roved my naked body while I nervously took off my clothes freaked me out. He’d been like the hungry wolf and I’d been an innocent sheep. Much to his dismay and annoyance, I’d pulled my clothes on and ran.

  People had been eyeing me up and down my whole life. I’d seen every expression from admiration to jealousy, hungry lust to unimpressed scrutiny. I put on a show because my parents made me, but that didn’t mean I liked the vulnerability of someone leering at me behind closed doors. It was probably one of the reasons I never had sex with the lights on. I liked to be hidden away beneath a body and a sheet.

  I winced, shaking my head against a different memory.

  Maybe sticking with Bryce wasn’t all bad. He was too self-centered to notice my prudish quirks in bed, and I was attracted to him. Besides, it definitely took the heat off with Mom. She’d called me on my way to work to ask about my date. I’d spun a story that appeased her. Her approval had given me a warm buzz that was slightly addictive. I hardly ever got it, so when I did, it was like an unexpected present.

  Bryce and I did look good together, and as for the sex thing, well, I could put up with it. Sex wasn’t meant to be enjoyed. It was a power play…at least that’s what my mother always said. I’d never thought to doubt her on it, until Fletcher happened and I found out about my dad. So far, Mom’s power play theory was a complete crock.

  So, why the hell had I let Bryce have me the night before?

  Because you were drunk! I scowled. And rattled.

  Two large hands landed on my hips, making me jump. I looked over my shoulder and blushed as Bryce’s breath tickled my earlobes. He nibbled the edge of my ear.

  “Hey, sexy,” he murmured while his hands slid between my thighs.

  “Bryce,” I whispered, trying to push his hands away. “Not at work.”

  He chuckled, gliding me away from the copier and down into the unlit area of the filing room. His lips cut off any form of argument, pressing against mine with hungry force. Once again, his hands were everywhere, squeezing my breasts and my ass while his tongue tried to choke me.

  I pushed at his shoulders, forcing some space between us.

  “Seriously, Bryce. Not at work.” I tried to smile and make light of his hungry antics, but he just frowned at me.

  “Really?” He almost whined. “No one can see us down here. We’ll be quick.”

  I know we will.

  I kept my derogatory thoughts to myself and forced a smile. “Come on, show a little class.”

  “I don’t care about class.” Bryce’s hands slid up my thighs, cupping my ass. His erection rubbed against me and he groaned. “Come on, baby. Let me have you.”

  He spun me around, grinding into me while he cupped my breasts and kissed the back of my neck. I wriggled out of his grasp and shoved him away from me.


  “I said no, and if you think you’re going to take me from behind you’ve got another think coming.” I straightened my blouse and lifted my chin imperiously. “I’m not a dog.”

  Bryce’s mouth curled before dipping into a disappointed frown. “You never do it from behind, huh?”

  “We’re not animals.” I scoffed, trying to hide the fact I’d only ever had sex missionary style. It was the only way I felt comfortable—any other position would have made me feel too exposed and vulnerable. “Now, stop acting like a hungry beast and be patient. Why don’t you take me out to dinner, and then we can spend the night at your place.” I shrugged, not loving the idea, but I was trying to make the best of things.

  “The night?” Bryce hissed. “Yeah, feels like that’s rushing things a bit.”

  My right eyebrow arched. “But you’re ready to screw me in the back of a filing room?”

  “You really don’t find that sexy?” He looked so surprised.

  I pressed my lips together and shook my head.

  “Geez, sorry to say this so early on, but I don’t think we should see each other anymore.”

  “What?” I placed my hands on my hips. “You’re dumping me?”

  “Look, you’re pretty and everything. I did enjoy your company, but I like my girls a little more adventurous. I just don’t see this going anywhere.”

  A black acid burned inside me as he stepped forward and patted my shoulder. “Thanks for a good night, though. You are one gorgeous woman, Kelly.”

  He swanned out of the room, even having the audacity to whistle. I stayed where I was in the dark, staring straight ahead. The rows of files and the light over the photocopier disappeared and were replaced with the image of Fletcher as he strode away from me. He hadn’t waltzed with the same arrogant swagger as Bryce. He’d known how much he was hurting me and he hated himself for that, but it didn’t change the fact that I just wasn’t the girl for him.

  “You’re gorgeous, Kelly, and I’ll always love you. But I just don’t see us having a future.” His words would haunt me forever. The ‘I’ll always love you’ part had teased me back to his side over and over again.