For One Night Only (Siren Publishing Classic)

by For One Night Only (lit)

  ‘Ready for a wild ride?’ he asked. Her eyes flashed quickly to his. Unsure if the double-entendre was intentional; she chose to ignore it and smiled at him benignly. She felt him watching her as she fumbled with the seat belt. The urge to fill the static silence with inane babble was overwhelming and she succumbed quickly.

  ‘I hope I didn’t keep you waiting. I’m not used to doing things last minute. I tend to over plan. Having to organize myself this quickly wasn’t easy.’ She laughed, after finally pausing for breath.

  ‘I envy you that. I never get to plan anything. I’m always just told to be in this city or that country by a certain day. Thank God Byron points me in the right direction.’ His comment surprised Bethany. She had always assumed that the lifestyle and the wealth it brought with it would give you the ultimate freedom. She told him so.

  He shook his head dismissively. ‘Yeah, you would think so, right? The record company owns me. You sign a contract with them; you make a deal with the Devil.’ His laugh held some bitterness. ‘I have it easy compared to 99.9% of the planet, so I’m not complaining. I do what I love and get paid a fortune for it. What about you? Do you like what you do?’

  Uneasy having the conversation focus on her boring little life, she told him of her small practice. He seemed genuinely interested and asked her why she chose medicine. She explained she had her mother to thank for that. She’d brought Bethany and her sister up single-handedly after their father had disappeared. After dying way too young, she had left enough money for Bethany to start a small practice with her share of the inheritance. Sometimes, when she wanted to quit her life and take off, it was the thought of her mom’s sacrifices that made her stay.

  Five minutes later, Bethany was mortified to find she was still talking. Resolving not to bore him to sleep, she bit her tongue, allowing the silence to hang between them for a few seconds.

  His next question surprised her. ‘So, Bethany, are you married?’ The casual tone of his voice didn’t match the intensity of his stare. She shook her head.

  ‘You?’

  ‘This isn’t the life for a wife and kids,’ he said. The finality in his tone made it clear he was alone and intended to stay that way. Intuition told her there was more to the story than his short, curt answer revealed.

  The ever-present Byron finally finished doing whatever it was that had kept him running around the aircraft in frenzy and settled down across the aisle from them, nodding a quick hello in her direction. Turning instantly, he engrossed Ruben in conversation long enough for Bethany to finally relax into her seat as they took off.

  She took the opportunity to slide her eyes slyly over Ruben. The simple black V-neck sweater he wore clung to his torso, coming to rest on top of track pants of the same color. They in turn outlined every inch of his thighs. Checking quickly that he wasn’t looking her way, she took a peek at his groin and almost swore aloud as the newspaper folded on his lap blocked her vision. Her gaze continued downward, coming finally to rest on his feet. He wore no shoes and she wondered at how comfortable one must be in their own skin to be so relaxed in front of strangers. She saw his toes flex and stretch as he sank them repeatedly into the plush carpeting, as if enjoying the sensation.

  Inventory finished, she raised her gaze, flushing to the roots of her hair as she realized he had been watching her. Staring at him helplessly, she saw amusement then arrogance flash in his eyes. Any hopes she’d had of hiding the way he affected her were gone, she realized on a groan. He knew all right. And he appeared to be enjoying it. A pulse in her throat thumped as she felt as much as saw the change in his expression to one of invitation.

  What the hell was she doing there, eyeing up rock stars on private jets? For the briefest moment, she wished for the familiarity of her usual routine, but not for long. Anything was better than another one of those evenings; hours spent staring off into space, trying to figure out where her dreams had gone. She would usually be in bed by now, falling asleep in front of some TV movie. Totally out of her comfort zone, she fumbled in her bag for the book she had brought, grateful for the distraction. Raising her head again, she was relieved to find Byron handing Ruben various contracts and letters. Normality, whatever that was, returned for the time being and she began to relax.

  A little later into the flight, Bethany was glad she had come. Ruben and Byron were both incredibly nice guys. Interesting and funny, they kept her entertained with stories and anecdotes. Ruben told her how he’d met his manager when she commented on the obvious bond between them. After leaving the family home in Mexico as soon as he was old enough, Ruben’s ‘big break’ had come when he was discovered singing in a bar in New York, supplementing his college funds. From that moment on, his life had been a whirlwind. After a while, Byron had been assigned by the record label and it had been a turning point. Ruben had been about to walk away, uncertain whether it was what he wanted to do with his life but sure he couldn’t handle the madness around him.

  Byron had taught him how to avoid wasting time and effort on the trivial things and how to prioritize his workload. He’d been fiercely protective too, keeping away people who tried to demand too much of his charge and taking care of every aspect of his day-to-day life. When Ruben had changed labels a few years later, Byron had resigned too, working exclusively for him from that day on.

  As the plane came into land, Ruben asked which hotel she was staying in. Bethany’s hand flew to her mouth as she realized she had not phoned her sister to tell her she was coming—and she had no idea where they were staying. Looking at her watch, she realized it was way too late to call them now.

  Never able to pull off a convincing bluff, she laughed and admitted her mistake. Almost before she had finished the sentence, Byron was on his cell phone, arranging a room for her at the hotel he and Ruben were in. Thanking him for being so chivalrous, she grimaced internally when she heard the name of the place they were staying. Although easily able to afford the cost of a night there, she would never usually have spent that much money. Oh well, what they’d saved her in travel expenses would pay for the room, she figured. Feeling like a total idiot, she couldn’t be sure she’d actually just seen the smug look flash briefly across Ruben’s face.

  They landed shortly after and made their way out to a limo waiting quietly on the tarmac. Placing a hand on the small of her back, Ruben guided her in. Sandwiched between the two men, she felt a little self-conscious. Her libido was raging despite all her attempts to calm it down. Now, she had a man pressed against her on either side from shoulder to knee. She was pretty sure one of them was gay, but in her flustered state, it made no difference.

  She saw Ruben’s gaze travel quickly the length of her legs as she stretched them out in front of her. The casual touch on her arm startled her as he drew her attention to the dawn breaking over the city. The orange glow of a breathtaking sunrise seemed almost surreal in her current state of mind. Smiling as the warm light seeped into her, she turned to tell him how lovely it was, but froze as she found him staring at her.

  ‘Beautiful,’ was all she could say.

  Smiling into her eyes he agreed. ‘Yes, very beautiful.’

  It was impossible to miss the implication in his words as his eyes roamed over her face, coming to rest on her lips. His eyes darkened before she turned her body away, unsure of how to deal with a man who made it so clear what he wanted. Feeling out of control was uncomfortable and her natural reaction was to resist him. He reached out to catch hold of her fingers.

  ‘Are you ok, Bethany?’

  ‘A little tired,’ she lied, pulling her hand back slowly, on the pretence of rubbing her eyes. She was far from tired. Every nerve in her body was alive and kicking.

  ‘We’re almost there,’ Byron offered in a kind tone. The sexual tension between them eased a little as Byron continued to speak; informing Ruben how much time they would have to rest before they had to get ready for the show. A brief sound check would be all that was necessary before then.

 
The limo pulled into the curb suddenly. Byron groaned aloud and Bethany followed his gaze to the small group of fans that waited at the entrance to the hotel. Assessing the situation quickly, he suggested Bethany stay in the car until it parked round back. She did not need to be involved in the madness and Ruben could do without fielding questions regarding a mystery brunette for the next few weeks, he laughed.

  Giving her hand a little squeeze, Ruben leapt from the car as Byron got out curbside, smile plastered onto his face. The screams ripping through the early morning air scared the hell out of Bethany. How did he cope with it? The chauffeur chuckled to himself as he slowly pulled away, shaking his head. ‘Those chicas are crazy,’ he said over his shoulder, wide smile splitting his round, friendly face. Bethany laughed as she looked back. Ruben had made it safely in through the door, leaving the girls to giggle and hug each other in excitement.

  My God…she’s half naked!

  Ruben’s mind went blank until Bethany moved to grasp the towel tighter around her, seeming to recover her composure as she stepped back to let him into the room.

  ‘I thought you were room service,’ she offered by way of explanation. ‘I…I ordered breakfast.’

  ‘I’m sorry to intrude,’ he said as he tried to avert his eyes. ‘Byron realized we had to let you know about the ticket and got your room number. I offered to come down and confirm the arrangements with you and to check that you had settled in.’ Damn, that sounded lame even to his ears, but hopefully she wouldn’t think he had come to her room just to stare at her. He had no way of knowing that she would be dressed like this.

  ‘OK, well thanks,’ she muttered, looking uncomfortable. ‘Excuse me while I get a robe.’ Ruben would have been happier if she’d stayed exactly as she was, but he kept silent. He didn’t want to make her more nervous than she already was.

  He wandered over to the window, taking a deep breath, trying to chase away the image of how she had looked in that skimpy towel. Dragging his hand through his hair, he let out an exasperated breath. He really needed to keep a grip on himself around her; sure she wouldn’t welcome him getting hot and heavy so soon. She wasn’t the type of woman he was used to spending time with and the usual rules didn’t apply.

  There was a knock at the door as she came back into the room and she crossed to it, pulling the neck of the robe together. Guessing correctly that it was room service this time, she kept the waiter in the hall, taking the trolley from him.

  Ruben leapt to his feet to help her as the door closed. Turning abruptly, Bethany bumped straight into him and he had to grab her upper arms to steady her. He hadn’t intended to touch her, but now he couldn’t let go. She didn’t help the situation by freezing on the spot and staring back at him in surprise.

  Waiting for her to pull away, he hesitated only briefly before turning the steady grip on her arms into a gentle caress. The slightest pressure brought her closer to him and he searched her face for some idea of how she would react if he took things further.

  Almost as if she feared what he would see in her eyes if she continued to look at him, she dropped her gaze, but didn’t resist. His hands snaked up her arms to her shoulders, one of them continuing up to lift her face. He dropped his head slowly, still giving her time to pull back. Bethany didn’t move. He heard her shaky intake of breath at the first brush of his lips against hers.

  Deepening the kiss, he groaned as one of his hands moved up to cup her head while the other moved carefully down to the small of her back to pull her even closer to him. Her gasp as he sucked her lip between his teeth told him all he needed to know.

  Dropping his mouth to her neck, she didn’t stop him as he pulled her robe over a shoulder, baring her skin. She smelled of something musky and sweet and he could taste a little of it as his tongue flicked over her. Bethany’s head dropped back as he nipped at her collarbone, while his thumbs snaked their way up her torso, massaging gently through her robe, coming to rest on her ribcage. Groaning, she leaned forward onto his shoulder as he fought the urge to touch the breasts he could feel grazing the backs of his hands.The sudden shrill ring of the bedside phone made them jump. Bethany pulled away hastily, staring at him in confusion as she pulled the robe around her body.

  ‘Byron,’ Ruben groaned in explanation.

  It was fortunate for his friend that he was in another part of the hotel. Bethany had been responding as if she had wanted him as badly as he wanted her, but now the wary look was back in her eye. Damn Byron’s timing!

  Cupping her chin, he pressed a brief kiss to her lips. ‘Tell him I’m on my way,’ he laughed as he moved towards the door. ‘Your ticket will be at Reception and, as I’m sure you want to be together, a couple for your sister and her daughter, too. Bring them backstage tonight after the show, ok?’

  She nodded and smiled as he made to leave, but didn’t speak again, trying to appear nonchalant as she closed the door behind him. He would have been happier if she had been her usual, sassy self. He hoped what had just happened wouldn’t freak her out.

  By the time he arrived at the Penthouse suite, Byron was waiting in the open doorway. ‘Ruben, you need to get some sleep. We don’t have much time today.’

  ‘Ok, ok, I’m here now. By the way, can we spend another night here and fly on to New York tomorrow?’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘No particular reason. I just want to stay here tonight, that’s all.’ Ruben dropped his gaze and feigned interest in the newspapers lying on the table. He could never lie to Byron. Not convincingly anyway.

  ‘It should be no problem. As usual, I’ll arrange everything,’ he drawled. ‘Now will you please go to bed?’

  Seeing the tiredness etched onto his friend’s features, Ruben felt guilty. ‘You need some rest, too.’ Smiling, Byron picked up his cell phone and switched it off, making it clear he was unavailable to all for the time being. Leaving the room, he told Ruben he would wake him in about 6 hours.

  Stripping off his clothing as he walked, Ruben made his way into the bathroom, hoping a quick shower before bed would relax him. The warm water did nothing to calm his sensitized skin. Feeling himself begin to harden again as he thought of her near nakedness just a few floors down, he laughed and turned the cold tap on full. He would wait until he got what he wanted this time.

  Shutting the door on the bellhop without tipping him, The Fan dropped her bags on yet another bed in yet another hotel. She didn’t know how much longer she could go on like this.

  Unimpressed, she looked around the hastily booked room. She’d been lucky to get it at such short notice. Her money wouldn’t last long if she kept paying for expensive hotels, but after last night’s developments, she didn’t have a choice. She had to stay close to him, had to find out who the brunette was and what she meant to him.

  Unable to sleep a wink since she had seen him, she had returned to her room only to pack her bags and head straight for the airport, hoping to book a flight that arrived about the same time as his. Damning her luck, she had been forced to spend fraught hours on standby, pacing the departure lounge as she waited to be called. In the end, she had arrived about four hours behind him.

  Her cell phone rang, reminding her that the friend she had arranged to share with was in town, and probably trying to book into their hotel room in another part of LA. She answered, telling the woman impatiently that she should make her own way to the show and they would meet up later. Hanging up on her without saying goodbye, she resolved to think up a plausible excuse for her erratic behavior by the time they spoke again. Hopefully, that would get the woman off her back for now.

  Ignoring the exhaustion that threatened to overwhelm her, she plugged in the laptop she took everywhere. It was her lifeline—her connection to Ruben’s world—and the one place she could rely on getting the information she needed. Navigating quickly to the many fan sites she was a member of, she found nothing, no mention of any woman. Apparently, she had been the only one who had noticed.

  Her brain hurt from hour
s of ruminating on who the brunette was and what she and Ruben were up to. Was she here with him? Had they spent the night having sex? Bile rose in her throat and she pushed the thought away, deciding there was no point in getting upset until she had proof. Maybe the woman had been a reporter or someone from the record company? No need to panic yet.

  The regular fans had been online in droves, posting every picture, no matter what the quality simply because they were of Ruben. Endless tales of ‘fan encounters’ filled the forums, rambling on breathlessly about seeing him leave a car, walk through a door or wave at them—all non-events as far as she was concerned, but the very stuff they seemed to live for.

  She had nothing in common with these women, but often found herself grateful for their obsessive attention to detail. In the years when she had been trapped with her father, she had lived vicariously through them, eagerly absorbing every morsel of information she could glean from their messages and photos. Thanks to them, she knew where he lived, shopped, relaxed and worked. She knew his car, his staff, his family and his friends.

  She’d actually come face to face with him at a CD signing when her journey had first began six months earlier. The devastation of realizing that he had no idea who she was had been hard to get over. Due to the fact they were not alone, her smile had barely slipped as he’d signed her CD without a glimpse of recognition before she was hustled away to make space for the next fan.

  She also knew about the two very casual girlfriends he had been seen with since then. One of them had been a celebrity, the other had not. The latter had been easy to find once she knew her name and paying the bitch a visit had been one of the first items on her agenda once she had been free. Nobody had been home the night she turned up on the doorstep, but that hadn’t mattered. Unable to punish the girlfriend for being with Ruben, she had satisfied herself with trashing the apartment and stealing the few items of jewelry that had caught her eye. A shiny new Mercedes outside on the drive hadn’t fared much better—she’d slashed the tires before throwing a brick through the windscreen. She still remembered the sound of the car alarm shrieking in protest as she ran off into the night.