“Stop right there,” Natasha said, raising her hand. “There’s no way I’d take advantage of Clint’s generosity that way. It’s more than enough that he’s giving Austin guitar lessons. I couldn’t possibly let him—”
“Honey, isn’t it obvious the man cares about you?” she asked gently. “He’s giving Austin guitar lessons because he wants to do something nice for you and your boy.”
“And I appreciate that, but it doesn’t mean that I intend to take advantage of his friendship. Clint’s a good man. He has a big heart. I know he’d like to make things easier for me and Austin, but we’re not his responsibility, and I’ll be damned if I let him see us as some charity case.”
Her mother’s downcast eyes looked troubled. “You’ve always been too damn proud, too independent for your own good. I swear that’s why you’re still single.”
“Excuse me?” Natasha said, feeling the bite of her mother’s criticism.
“Every man you’ve dated has been…”
“What?” Natasha asked.
“It’s just that there have been a few nice guys over the years, and I got the impression you made them all feel kind of…” She spread her hands. “Well, for lack of a better word, dispensable.”
“I did not!” Did I?
“Honey, everyone wants to feel needed sometimes, especially in a relationship. You’ve worked so hard to be independent that I think you’ve made some of your boyfriends feel that they were more of an inconvenience than anything.”
Natasha thought about her last relationship. She had dated a single father a few years ago, an electrician with a son and daughter not much older than Austin who spent every other weekend with their dad. He had been a kind and decent man, but finding time to be together became tiresome, so Natasha had ended things. The fact that she’d barely missed him reinforced her decision. “I don’t see what any of this has to do with Clint. We’re just friends, and it’ll never be more.”
“Because of his career?”
“I’ve told you a hundred times I’m not interested in a partner who spends more time on the road than he does at home.”
“I think that’s a cop-out.” Her mother’s stern look reminded Natasha of the scolding she used to get when she was caught sneaking cookies before dinner.
“A cop-out?”
“I think Clint’s the first man you’ve been really interested in in a long time, and you’re runnin’ scared.”
“What are you talking about?” Natasha shoved the rest of the cookie in her mouth, chewing carefully as she avoided her mother’s gaze.
“You’re wondering if a man like that, surrounded by so much temptation, could ever be faithful.”
Natasha couldn’t deny that was true, but she wouldn’t give her mama the satisfaction of admitting it.
“Maybe you’re even questioning what he’d see in a regular girl like you?”
Bull’s eye. Natasha reached for another cookie, even though the knot in her stomach made it seem less appetizing. “We both know he could have any woman he wants. Models, actresses—”
“Maybe he wants you. Have you ever thought about that?”
“Right.” She sneered. “He wants a single mom / student who’s working day and night to keep her head above water because that’s soooo glamorous.”
“No, that’s real. Could be real’s what he’s looking for. In a world of fakes and phonies who just want to get close to him because he’s famous, maybe he wants someone who’s proven that she likes him for him.”
It was true that once Natasha had gotten over being tongue-tied and starstruck, she’d learned to treat Clint like a regular guy, and she knew he appreciated that. When her cell phone buzzed and it displayed Unknown Caller, she said, “I should get that since Austin’s at his friend’s house. Maybe he needs me to pick him up early or wants to stay later.” She hit accept. “Hello?”
“Hey, beautiful.”
Clint’s voice sounded huskier, more intimate today. Or maybe that was just her imagination playing tricks on her. “This is a nice surprise. What’s up?”
“I wanted to talk to you about having Austin out to my ranch to meet my nephew this weekend. I’d love for you to come too, if you’re available.”
“Um, when?”
“How does Sunday sound? I could pick you up around eleven, and you could stay for lunch, maybe get Austin on a horse? What do you say?”
Her head warned her not to get carried away, but her heart was practically leaping out of her chest. “Sure, that sounds great. Thanks for the invite, Clint.”
“Perfect. I’ll be at Titan on Friday, so I’ll pass by your office to firm up the details.”
“Sounds good. See you then.” Natasha tried to wipe the smile off her face, but her mama’s infectious grin didn’t make it easy. “Would you stop? He just invited us out to his ranch for lunch on Sunday. His nephew is staying with him, and he’s Austin’s age. Clint thought the boys would hit it off.”
“Right.” Her mother winked. “I’m sure his offer had nothing to do with his urge to spend more time with you.”
“He’s just being a good friend.” If only she believed that. “I told him Austin’s been having a hard time at school, and Clint thought it might help if he met someone a boy his own age who might be able to relate to what he’s going through.”
“Sounds like stepfather material to me.”
“Now you’re really getting carried away,” Natasha said, laughing.
“Am I?” she asked, tongue in cheek. “Really?”
***
By the time Friday afternoon rolled around, Clint was chastising himself for acting like a lovesick fool. He could hardly wait to see Natasha again and was counting down the hours until their date on Sunday.
“Is this a bad time?” he asked, poking his head through her half-open door.
Natasha looked up, taking his breath away with a bright smile. “Actually, your timing is perfect. You can give me your opinion about something. Come on in and close the door.” She gestured to the chair across from her. “I’d like you to listen to this. Tell me what you think.”
She pressed a button on her computer, and the room filled with music. The man was singing a cappella, and his voice shockingly rich, the lyrics haunting. Clint was mesmerized.
He waited until silence filled the small room before he whispered, “That was incredible. Who is that?”
“A friend from school gave me his demo. He’s been trying to break into the music business for a while, so when I told him I’m a rep for Titan, he asked if I’d mind listening to it.” She passed the plastic case with the guy’s image across the desk. “I think he’s got the right look too, don’t you?”
He looked like a freakin’ model. The last thing Clint needed when he and Natasha were finally getting closer was serious competition. “He has a unique sound,” he said cautiously, “but I’d be careful about mixing business and pleasure. When it’s a close friend, it’s sometimes hard to be objective.”
“He’s not a close friend,” she said, sliding the disc out of her computer and putting it back in the case. “I have a couple of classes with his fiancée. That’s how I met him.”
“Oh.” That made him feel better. The guy was taken. But since when was Clint jealous and insecure? Since he’d realized he may finally be getting a shot with Natasha after years of waiting in the wings. “Still, maybe it would be best if you passed it on to another one of the reps, just to get their take on him.”
“Yeah, I was thinking the same thing.” She held up the case. “You hear the same thing I do though, don’t you? This guy’s got something special.”
“I won’t lie. His voice held my interest from the start.”
“Does he sound like someone you might want to have opening for you on tour?”
Clint smirked. Natasha was always working to get the artists she worked with maximum exposure. “I’d have to hear more of his stuff first, but I’d say it’s a possibility.”
“Good.” She smi
led. “Did you have a meeting with Evan today? Isn’t that why you said you were here?”
He would have come just to see her, but he didn’t want to be too obvious and risk scaring her away. “Yeah, I just came from that meeting. We’re looking at adding a few more dates to my tour. It seems a few of the big cities sold out pretty quickly, so it made sense to add a few more where we thought the market would bear it.”
“Must be nice to be so sought after.”
Girl, you have no idea how sought after you are. “So about this weekend… Did you talk to Austin about it? Is he game?”
Natasha laughed. “He’s been able to talk about little else ever since I told him. He’s told all of his friends, and they want to see pics of your house. I hope you won’t mind if he brings his camera?”
Clint smiled at Austin’s enthusiasm. He probably would have done the same thing at his age. “I don’t mind at all. Ryland’s looking forward to meeting him too. I think the boys will really hit it off.” At least, he hoped they would. If Austin wanted to spend more time at his ranch, he may be able to convince Natasha to tag along.
“I hope so.” She sighed. “Like I said, I think Austin’s having some trouble at school. It would be good for him to make a new friend, someone outside of his usual social group.”
Clint had a better understanding of Austin’s problems fitting in at school, but he didn’t think talking to Natasha about it would help her son’s cause since she obviously had very strong opinions on him having expensive gadgets. Instead, he decided to try another approach. “When did you say Austin’s birthday was?”
“Three weeks from Sunday. Why?”
“I was hoping I could get your stamp of approval on the gift idea I have in mind for him.” Clint was a little uneasy about his plan, but if it worked, it would help Austin and Natasha, which was his ultimate goal.
“You don’t have to get him anything, Clint. The guitar lessons are more than enough.”
“Yeah, but I want to.” He took his cowboy hat off and set it aside. “How about an iPod?”
She closed her eyes briefly. “Austin would love it, but I can’t let you do that.”
Clint tried to tamp down his frustration. It was her son and ultimately her decision. “Why not?”
“You’ve already given him the guitar strap and cowboy hat, which I’m sure cost a fortune. I can’t let you spoil him. It’s not good for him.”
“Why not?” Clint had never met a kid who deserved to be spoiled more. Growing up without a father couldn’t have been easy, and the fact that Austin was so grateful for every little thing he got proved he wasn’t greedy.
“Because he’ll come to expect those things, and he’ll be disappointed when he can’t have them,” she said, curling her small hands into fists on her desktop.
Clint wanted to tell her that if they ended up together, she and her son would never want for a thing, but he knew a statement like that wouldn’t work in his favor. “Tash, I really want to do this for him. Will you at least think about it?”
She narrowed her big blue eyes. “Did he tell you he wanted an iPod for his birthday? Is that why you’re so adamant about this?”
“No.” Clint smirked, hoping to ease the tension. “I think you know your kid better than that. He’d never ask me for something like that.” Which only made Clint want to get it for him more.
“I thought I knew my son.” Natasha rubbed her forehead. “But now I’m not so sure. I still can’t believe he asked to have his birthday party at your house the very first time he met you. I get embarrassed when I think about it.”
“Honey, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. I’d love to have the party at my place.” He laughed. “When you see my house, especially my game room, you’ll realize I’m just a big kid at heart. I’d have fun hanging out with Austin’s friends.”
“You’d want to hang out with them?” Natasha asked, sounding shocked. “A bunch of eleven- and twelve-year-old boys?”
“I love kids,” Clint said. “My nephew and I have always been close.”
“You think you might like to have kids of your own someday?” Natasha asked.
Clint realized that in all the years they’d known each other, they’d never talked about his desire to get married and have kids. Maybe if she knew the truth, she’d see him differently. “I’d love to settle down and have a couple of kids.”
“Really?”
“Hell, yeah.” He grinned. “My place is way too big for a bachelor. I bought it with the intent of filling it with love and laughter. I’ve just been too busy with my work to focus on findin’ the right woman.” He knew he was looking at the right woman, but she wasn’t ready to hear that, so he held his tongue.
“I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised. You’re not the typical musician.”
“What does that mean?”
She ran a hand through her long blond hair, drawing his attention to it. “I’ve worked with enough artists to know they often let fame go to their heads. You’re not like that. You’ve stayed grounded. You haven’t forgotten it’s the simple things in life that are most important.”
He loved that she thought of him that way, because he’d worked hard to keep both feet planted firmly on the ground in spite of the craziness that often followed him. “At the end of the day, I’m just a singer. I’ll never find a cure for cancer or change the world in any significant way. Sure, I hope to be remembered for my music, but I’ve never allowed myself to believe I’m more than I am.”
Her eyes locked with his, and the heat in the room ratcheted up a few degrees. “You’re making it really hard for me not to fall for you, Clint Davis. You know that, don’t you?”
His chest constricted. He’d never wanted anything more. Not his first country music award or certified platinum album. “Then why fight it, Tash? We could be really good together if you just let your guard down and let it happen.”
“But what if it didn’t work out?” She closed her eyes. “I value your friendship so much. I don’t want to risk that.”
“There’s always a risk, sweetheart. Relationships don’t come with a guarantee.” But he knew if he ever got his ring on her finger, nothing could get it off. “But sometimes the biggest risks come with the best rewards. Something tells me that’d be the case with us.” When she didn’t respond but seemed to be considering her options, he stood and walked around the desk. He tipped her head back with his index finger before leaning over to place a brief kiss on her lips. “Just think about it. I’ll pick y’all up around eleven on Sunday morning.”
Chapter Six
Natasha was in a meeting with her good friend, the vice president of her label, Ryan Spencer, on Saturday morning, and she was finding it difficult to stay focused. Her thoughts were drifting to her phone call with Clint the previous night. He’d called to tell her he didn’t want to wait until Sunday to talk to her, that he missed her and just wanted to hear her voice. Hearing that made her melt, though she told herself she was crazy to give in to her feelings for him.
“So I think your friend might be worth—” Ryan frowned at Natasha. “Are listening to me?”
“I’m so sorry,” Natasha said, blushing. “I guess my mind wandered there for a minute. What were you saying?”
“I’m sorry I had to ask you to come in this morning,” Ryan said. “I know you like to spend your weekends with Austin, but Bri and I are going on vacation next week, and I want to make sure you get this guy in here as soon as possible. I don’t want another label to scoop him.”
After sharing her friend’s demo with another rep, Natasha had decided to take it to Ryan and Evan, who were really excited about hearing more. “Of course. I’ll ask him to come in first thing Monday morning so we can get the ball rolling.”
“Is everything okay?” Ryan asked. “It’s not like you to be so distracted. Is Austin—”
“Austin’s fine,” Natasha said, forcing a smile. She wasn’t one to bring her personal problems into the office, b
ut she and Ryan had been friends a long time. He also counted Clint among his close friends, so she thought he might be able to give her an objective opinion. “This is kind of personal.”
Ryan gave her that boyish grin that made him a target for every red-blooded woman within a ten-mile radius. Rubbing his hands together, he said, “I like where this is going. Spill. I’m all ears.”
“Well…” She took a deep breath and decided it was too late to turn back now. “You know Clint and I are friends.”
“Sure.” Ryan raised an eyebrow when she seemed hesitant to continue. “Are you telling me there’s more between you two?”
“Would it be a problem if there were?” Natasha hadn’t considered the possibility that her bosses may not want her getting involved with one of their top-selling artists.
“No.” Ryan tipped his chair back, lacing his hands behind his head. “You don’t work with Clint since your focus is on our new artists. Even if y’all got involved and it didn’t work out, it wouldn’t impact the company.”
Natasha was ashamed to admit she had hoped Ryan would give her an excuse to bow out before she got in over her head with Clint. “I guess you’re right.”
“But…?”
Telling herself honesty was the best policy, she admitted, “I’m scared.”
“Of Clint?” Ryan chuckled. “Honey, I’ve known that man a long time, and I can tell you that he’s the best of the best. No way he’d intentionally hurt you.”
“I know that.” Natasha considered her fears and chose her words carefully. “I know my concerns may seem totally illogical, but Clint’s life is so different from mine, Ryan.”
“So?”
“So he’s on the road more than half the year.”
“Are you worried about him cheating on you while he’s out on the road? ‘Cause I can pretty much guarantee that would never happen. Clint’s not that kind of guy.”
Natasha knew that. If Clint had had a reputation as a player, she wouldn’t have even considered getting involved with him. He’d dated plenty of beautiful women over the years, but she had no reason to believe he’d mistreated any of them. “I know he isn’t. He’s honest and decent and hardworking.”
Hero Worship (Music City Moguls Book 6) Page 5