Closed Off To You (Singing Star Trilogy #1)

by Rachel S. Rose

  Closed Off To You

  Book 1 in the Singing Star trilogy

  By Rachel S. Rose

  Copyright © 2016 by Rachel S. Rose (Rachel Medhurst)

  This book is dedicated to E

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  CONTENTS

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Join Rachel’s Tribe

  Copyright

  Author

  Chapter One

  My reflection in the mirror glared back at me as I huffed. My body twisted, squirming to get out of the trap. Reaching round to my back, I bent down to try and grab the material that had somehow managed to get tangled.

  “Bloody hell,” I hissed.

  The strap of the bra pinged into my face. I swore again as I realised I was completely and utterly stuck. In the middle of the changing room. With hardly any clothes on. It was just my luck.

  My face was red and sweaty, like many women when trying on boulder-holder bras.

  Looking in the mirror, I tried to work out how I’d managed to tie myself up in a bra. My mouth screwed up into an ugly butthole when I caught sight of my unattractive stomach bulge. My knickers frayed at the edge, which made for a very pretty, halfway down the arse, look.

  My options were slim.

  I’d pulled the bra over my head, slightly optimistic about the size of my back. The smaller bras were so much prettier. Why had I gone for the size that blatantly wouldn’t fit?

  The struggle started when I pulled the bra further down. It didn’t really fit past my shoulders, let alone anything else. In stubborn perseverance, however, I wouldn’t give up. I would force myself into the size I had optimistically grabbed. I had been that small only a year ago.

  “Is everything okay in there?”

  I bit my tongue. It wouldn’t do to shout expletives through the curtain. It wasn’t the assistant’s fault that I stood under the worst light possible with my arms trapped in a bra around my shoulders.

  The top of my butt winked at me in the mirror. My boobs were squashed, peeking out at the oddest of angles. There was no point assessing my hair. My shoulder length, semi wavy, dull brown mop was glued to my forehead. It was a bloody good job they didn’t allow men into the changing rooms.

  “I’m stuck,” I squeaked.

  The assistant’s shoes tapped on the floor as she approached the cubicle. I glared at myself in the mirror. I would never live this down.

  “Is it okay for me to come in?”

  I considered running out from behind the curtain. If I made a getaway, I could claim that I was a nutcase. Maybe people would even feel sorry for me.

  I released my breath, resigned to my fate. My arms ached painfully where they were tucked into the bra.

  Moving my elbows to cover my boobs, I called an affirmative. “Please, don’t laugh.”

  The curtain pulled back discreetly. The burst of laughter that escaped the assistant didn’t go unnoticed. I looked away from her. Stupid idea. The mirror surrounded me on all three sides. My cheeks, already flushed from the fight with an expensive luxury item that was supposed to give me wonderful support, went redder than a tomato.

  The assistant tugged the curtain closed behind her. Her lips twitched. I had to commend her composure, other than the outburst, it was exceptional. I would have laughed at me, too.

  “How did you manage that?” she asked.

  I faced away, offering her my back. And a full view of half my arse crack.

  “Would you believe me if I told you that someone came in and did it to me?”

  She shook her head. Our gaze met in the mirror. I couldn’t help it, I laughed. She bit her lip as she worked to undo the clasp.

  “Why did you do it up first?” She tugged but nothing gave. “It’s stretched too tight. I can’t get it undone.”

  I attempted a shrug. It didn’t work. “I’ve always put my bra on like this. I find it easier to do it up first and then pull it over my head. Although, it didn’t work this time.”

  The girl was young. She must have been in her early twenties. Although I had ten years on her, I couldn’t help the hilarity that escaped my mouth. She behaved much better than I did.

  Her professionalism didn’t last long, though. As soon as she stepped back, admitting defeat, she lost her composure. She grabbed her stomach as a high pitched giggle left her mouth.

  “I think I’m going to have to cut it off,” she hiccupped through her mirth.

  Trying to wiggle, one last time, I grunted when my hair ended up in my face, blinding me. “I won’t have to pay for it, will I?”

  I blew the brown strands out of my eyes as the assistant backed out of the cubicle with her hand over her mouth. She laughed so hard, she couldn’t reply to me. It really wasn’t my finest moment.

  “Nathan!” the assistant gasped loudly, “What are you doing? You’re not supposed to be in here.”

  Holding my breath, I stopped moving when the deepest voice I’d ever heard replied to her.

  “I couldn’t get hold of you on your phone. There’s been an accident. It’s Paul…”

  Moving over to the curtain, I tried to peek around it. I had to get a look at the owner of the sexy voice.

  “Is he okay? I can’t believe my colleagues allowed you back here.”

  The assistant grabbed hold of the man’s hand. His arm was bare. I tried to stick my head further out of the curtain to get a better view. My gaze couldn’t quite reach the body attached to the arm.

  “They know I’m your brother, they don’t mind.”

  A squeak escaped me as my peeping Tom act backfired. I leant so far forward, I fell through the curtain. I didn’t wait long enough to see the reaction on the assistant’s face. Or her brother’s.

  Keeping my head low, I dived straight back into my cubicle of shame.

  “Is she okay?” the deep voice asked.

  Nathan. Dark hair, cropped short to his head. A nice bit of stubble sprouting from a square chin. A body that told of only naughty things. You know, the type that you’re not actually attracted to because it’s too good to be true. Yet, you’d give anything for a man to have the strength to lift you up and throw you on the bed.

  “Is Paul okay? What’s happened to him?” the assistant insisted.

  I backed into the corner of the cubicle as I prayed for a miracle that could turn back time. I would never ever again pick up a pretty bra.

  The curtain was still slightly open from where I had fallen through it. I squeezed my eyes shut and sank to the floor, my back pressed hard against the mirror. If the handsome man came to look at me, I would just hold my breath until I died.

  “No. You need to go to the hospital. He’s broken his leg in an accident at work.”

  I heaved a sigh of relief when I heard footsteps rushing away. I would happily stay stuck in the cubicle for the rest of my life if it meant that I didn’t have to face the person who had just seen me with my arms around my head and my tit’s swinging loose.

  “Before you freak out,” the deep voice said. “I’m facing away.”

  Nope. It was my worst nightmare. A nightmare so horrific, I had never even dreamt it up.

  It wasn’t like I was young an
d beautiful to carry my embarrassment off. If my figure was slim and toned, I could giggle and confidently invite him to help me. As it was, my stomach squashed against the bottom of my boobs. I had never been so embarrassed in my whole entire thirty years.

  “Please, go away,” I managed to squeeze through my lips.

  If I didn’t open my eyes, maybe he would disappear. Holding my breath was not out of the question.

  “I can see that you’re a bit stuck. Will you let me help you?” His deep voice sent shivers down my spine, even though it was cold from being pressed against the mirror.

  I hated to think what I looked like, crouched in the cubicle with my eyes squeezed shut, and my flab hanging everywhere.

  “Can’t you go and get someone else?” I said. “Actually…”

  He chuckled. If my arms were free, I would have hit him. Just for the cheek of it.

  “I’m not sure you want anyone else to see you that way, do you?”

  Why didn’t the assistant have a sister instead of a brother? Why did the universe bring him to the changing rooms on the day that I somehow managed to fuck up?

  “I’ll try to undo it for you. I promise not to look.”

  I snorted. It didn’t matter that the unattractive sound echoed around the changing room. It was too late. My pride had slipped away the moment he had caught sight of me. Or, maybe the moment I was born.

  “No, it really is okay.” I tried to kid myself.

  Footsteps came closer, entering the cubicle. “Look, you don’t really have a choice, do you? Just let me get on with it.”

  As I opened my eyes a crack, I took a deep breath. His trainers were not far away. And, they were facing me. So much for not looking.

  “Hey!” I opened my eyes fully and looked up at him.

  He stood with a hand over his face. His turquoise T-shirt stretched across his biceps. The black faded jeans that hung on his hips fitted him perfectly. It made a nice change to see a man in normal jeans. I wasn’t a fan of the style that hugged a man’s arse and legs. Especially when they had a better arse than me.

  “I can stand here all day, if you like?” Damn that deep voice. It made me more nervous than I already was.

  I didn’t have much choice. The damage was already done. “Okay, but please don’t look. It’s not a pretty sight.”

  He tutted as he shook his head.

  “Move so I can get up,” I muttered, not quite sure whether I should just commit suicide by holding my breath. It would be far less mortifying.

  He took a step back, keeping his hand over his eyes.

  “I need to look to see the clasp.”

  Propelling to my feet, I almost fell forward. Turning, I presented him with my back, and came face-to-face with my reflection. Boobs, belly and messed up hair. That was the problem with mirrors, they reflected everything.

  Nathan, my rescuer, was a fair bit taller than me. Which meant that when he took his hand away from his face, he looked straight into the mirror and met my gaze. I slammed my eyes closed. Oh, the shame.

  I shuddered when his hands grasped the bra strap. He was silent as he worked, trying to undo the mess I had made.

  “Okay, I’m not sure-”

  “Just fucking rip it,” I squeaked.

  My feet started to move. I couldn’t stand there much longer knowing that he could see everything. The crack of my arse would be winking up at him. It wasn’t fair to put him through that.

  “I like that you talk dirty,” he whispered near my ear, amusement in his tone.

  The shuffling of my legs stopped abruptly as his hands wrapped around either side of the bra strap. I didn’t have time to react to his naughty words before the sound of ripping echoed around us. My breath heaved out of me as my arms released and the bra fell away. I covered my boobs as best I could at the same time as yanking up my knickers.

  “That was fun,” he said.

  I glared at him in the mirror before spinning towards him. His grin was so wide it almost touched each side of his face.

  “You can get out now.” Putting my hand on his chest, I pushed. It was rock-solid and unlike anything I had ever felt before. Nathan would be able to lift me up and put me over his shoulder. Easily.

  “Are you not even going to thank me?” He held his hands up in surrender as he backed away.

  A very deep part of me wanted to wrap my hand in his T-shirt and pull him back into the cubicle with me. I was stupid. He was gorgeous.

  Tilting my head to the side, I grabbed the curtain and pulled it closed. “Thank you!”

  Rubbing the red marks on my arms, I scrambled for my clothes on the floor, and pulled them on.

  “Oh, come on, I think you can do better than that. I’ve seen you almost naked, after all.”

  I glared towards the curtain, even though he couldn’t see me. My trousers and socks were on. Check. My original bra lay on the floor, smiling up at me. I stuffed it into my bag. Bras were my enemy. I wasn’t going to let it near me.

  Pulling my T-shirt over my head, I stopped for a split second, listening to the silence. Why had no one come into the changing room the whole time Nathan had been in the cubicle with me?

  “Can I at least know your name?” Nathan asked.

  I bit my lip, watching the action in the reflection. My dark brown eyes stood out in my bright red face. Smoothing my hair, I managed to arrange it into some form of tidiness. My shoulders tensed as my gaze went directly to everything that was wrong with me.

  Grabbing my bag, I put it on my shoulder. Yanking the curtain open, I stepped out. Nathan blocked my escape route. His eyes instantly dropped to my braless breasts. My reflex was to follow his gaze. I couldn’t embarrass myself any more, but I did pull my jumper out of my bag, and quickly shoved it on. Being in close proximity to a very good looking man had apparently made parts of me obvious under my top. My nipples stood hard and erect.

  “Your name?” he breathed. His deep voice became husky.

  I licked my lips, desperate to get away from him. My stomach fluttered as his gaze roamed over me.

  “What are you doing in here?” The shout interrupted our intense admiring exchange.

  Nathan stepped back as another assistant came into the changing rooms.

  “You’re not allowed to be in here,” she said.

  The new girl was my saviour, albeit a bit late. I rushed past the man that had seen me at my worst, shrugging him off when he tried to reach out to me.

  I was grateful to him, of course, for getting me out of my trap. However, he would forever be a part of the most mortifying, embarrassing, shameful event that ever happened to me.

  “I’m sorry, sir, but I’m going to have to ask you to leave the store.”

  I darted out of the changing rooms. When I plunged into the clothing aisle, I paused. Looking over my shoulder, my heartbeat increased when my gaze met Nathan’s. He stood in the entrance to the changing room. A security guard made his way towards him.

  “Melissa!” I shouted.

  A grin lit his face, but I didn’t stop to see the guard take hold of him. He would be escorted out of the premises because of me, yet, I couldn’t bring myself to hang around. He was the best looking man that had ever seen me almost naked, but that didn’t matter. He was also the most handsome man that had ever seen me perform the greatest act to go into my lifetime hall of shame.

  Chapter Two

  “You’re not serious, are you?”

  Lizzie. My best friend. Also the one woman on earth who knew me better than I knew myself.

  The door to the bar opened, sending a rush of cold air through my legs. When Lizzie had asked me to join her for a drink, I had considered ignoring her request. How could I show my face in public? Even though no one other than Nathan and his sister knew what happened, I wouldn’t live down the shame.

  “I’m not joking. Today was the worst day of my life. At least I can say I’ve been naked in a changing room with a gorgeous man, though.”

  Lizzie’s snort
brought unwelcome glares from the people at the table next to us. I couldn’t help but smile when she winked at them before she reached over and grasped my hand. “Shame you didn’t see him naked.” She laughed.

  “He saw my wobbly bits. I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t want to get naked with me.”

  The beauty of having a best friend who had the same figure as you meant that you didn’t compare. She raised her eyebrows, but it was short lived. “Well, it’s certainly one you can tell your grandkids.”

  I frowned as she tucked a stray strand of blonde hair behind her ear. The way things were going, I’d be old enough to be a grandma before I had kids myself.

  Her big blue eyes stretched open as she looked over my shoulder. “Don’t look now. Men full of potential have just entered the pub. Don’t panic, I’m on it,” she muttered.

  There were some people in the world that automatically brought out the head shaker in you. You know, the ones who acted in a certain way so when you were with them, you did nothing but shake your head. Lizzie, my darling friend, was one of those people.

  “And, how are you on it?” I wrapped my hand around the cool glass in front of me.

  I wasn’t a big drinker, preferring a cup of tea over alcohol any day. I told you, the grandma years were upon me. After the bra incident, however, which was what I had named the embarrassing event of the century, I was ready to get drunk.

  “There’s three of them. It’s a shame Ella couldn’t make it, there’s a perfect one for her.” Lizzie suddenly smiled and fluttered her eyelashes as she spoke. They must have looked in her direction.

  I itched to turn around and get a look, but I resisted.

  “There’s a good one for me, too.”

  “Well, before you say there’s a man for me, I don’t want one. Not after today,” I said.

  Lizzie’s gaze moved, obviously stalking the men to the bar. They must have spotted her because her cheeks turned red, glowing at the attention she got. It was fascinating to see her whole face light up just because a man looked at her. Was that all it took to make a woman happy?

  “I’m not sure he’s your type. But mine is…”