“So things are okay?” he asks, eyebrows raised.
This is it. This is the trap. But even spotting it, I can’t tell exactly what it is. I don’t know how he’s going to snare me.
“Yeah, she’s been pretty chill, actually,” I say, holding my breath.
Jack’s quiet for a long moment. A beat that lasts too long for me to keep holding my breath.
“I think I might know why,” he says.
I don’t look at him. I don’t move a muscle. I’m back to not breathing, tense all over, waiting for the sucker punch.
Or maybe he’ll just drown me. Make it look like an accident. He has access to the cameras; he could delete the footage. And his employees are loyal.
“Some of the employees have noticed she’s acting out of character, and she all but admitted it to me,” he says.
My poker face falters; my head snaps to the side, looking at him for any hint of the fury I’ve been expecting.
“Admitted what?” I ask, heart beating too fast. She wouldn’t, would she? Not without talking to me.
Is that why she wants to meet? To tell me she confessed to Jack?
“She’s seeing someone,” he says. “Has she mentioned anyone to you?”
Holy shit. He doesn’t know.
“No. We don’t really talk about stuff like that,” I answer, trying to will the adrenaline out of my system.
I can’t believe he doesn’t suspect me.
Instead of being relieved, I feel guilty. Keeping this secret from my best friend isn’t fun. I want to tell him about this girl I’m so into. I don’t want it to tear us apart. All this sneaking around and lying is making me feel like a real shitty friend, and Jack’s been nothing but good to me. He deserves better.
He nods, finishing his drink.
“Well, keep an ear out for me, would you? I’m sure her taste has improved since the last guy, but I still worry. I want to check the guy out, make sure he’s worthy of someone like Piper.”
“Makes sense,” I mutter, grateful for my sunglasses hiding my reactions.
“She’s a pain in the ass, but she’s also amazing,” he says. “She doesn’t deserve to have her heart broken by some asshole who doesn’t appreciate her.”
“Totally,” I agree, feeling worse by the second.
All this time we’ve been sneaking around and avoiding Jack because he wouldn’t approve of us being together, but I never really stopped to think about why he wouldn’t approve.
He thinks I’m not good enough for her.
And I think he’s right.
Piper is amazing. I wouldn’t intentionally hurt her, but she doesn’t deserve any pain, intentional or not, and I’m enough of an asshole that I will hurt her at some point.
Jack’s right to keep me away from his sister, and I should’ve respected he had his reasons, even if I was too thick to understand myself.
Now it’s too late. We’re in too deep, and I don’t think either one of us wants to get out of it.
“Ellie and I are coming to the show tonight,” he says. “She really liked the last one, and she’s been listening to your new album a ton. I told her I’m going to get jealous if she joins your fan club,” he laughs.
I laugh too, but my heart’s not in it. My text alert chimes, and I’m sure it’s Piper asking where I am, but I can’t run off to meet her. I can’t even pull out my phone to answer her right now.
After enduring another half hour of chit-chat, Jack leaves to meet Ellie for her lunch break. I start frantically texting Piper as I sprint to our meeting place, but she’s not there.
Piper: It’s okay. Glad he doesn’t suspect. See you at sound check.
I know she’s busy, but I’m pissed that I missed my chance to see her. Who knows when I’ll get another now that I’ll have regular performances?
Of course that just makes me think about us seeing each other after the last show, and then I’m really pissed that Jack blocked our rendezvous.
I try texting her a few more times throughout the day, but she’s obviously distracted and trying to work. Her texting voice changes dramatically when she’s focused on her job. It’s crazy to me that I know that about her.
I know so many little nuances about her now that I never did before. Little things I’ve never noticed with anyone I’ve slept with—how she likes to sleep on her side with the blanket between her legs so one is covered and one is uncovered, how she’d rather just roll her eyes than take the time to explain why someone is wrong, how her eyes widen when I thrust deep…
There are a million other little things I know about Piper that I didn’t know a week ago, and I’m sure there are a million more still to learn—if we get the chance.
If Jack doesn’t figure us out first.
He’s going to be at the show tonight, which means I’m going to have to keep my distance from Piper.
That, or I’m going to have to man up and come clean with my best friend.
I’m not sure which one sounds more impossible.
Chapter 10
Piper
The personal shower in my office has been getting a workout lately. It seems my long-held suspicions were correct: I’m way too busy for dating.
There’s no time to complete all of my work tasks each day, make time for fooling around with King, and tend to my personal hygiene at home. As much as I love my big, beautiful mansion, I’ve been practically living in my office just to keep up with everything else.
And I’m not even doing that very well. I was so looking forward to some afternoon delight with King, but then my stupid brother had to get in the way.
For a brief moment, waiting in the parking garage with no answer from King, I thought he’d stood me up. I waited for him for twenty minutes before I couldn’t justify being away from work any longer.
I can’t blame him for getting held up by Jack, though. I’d rather him keep Jack off the scent than run off to tend to my needs. No matter how pressing those needs are.
There’s a vibrator in one of my desk drawers, and I’m tempted to pull it out, just to take the edge off, but there’s no time. I told King I’d be at soundcheck, and I still have a dozen things to take care of before then.
I’m blow-drying my hair when I hear a knock on the office door.
“Just a sec!” I call, fluffing out my still-damp hair before poking my head out of the bathroom. “Oh, hey, Ellie, what’s up?”
My brother’s girlfriend is out of her uniform, all dolled up for what looks like a night on the town.
Good, Jack will be preoccupied.
“Hi! Sorry, did I catch you at a bad time? Are you busy?”
“I’m always busy.” I laugh, waving for her to come closer. “You mind if I finish?” I ask, holding up the blow-dryer.
“By all means,” she says, leaning against the doorjamb. “Are you coming to the concert tonight?”
I meet her gaze in the mirror.
“King’s show?” she adds. “I really appreciate you letting me have the night off for it.”
“Oh, is that why… Yeah, of course,” I answer, thankful the loud blow-dryer obscures some of my tone. How was I supposed to know that Ellie wanted the night off to see King? Out of all the shows in Vegas, she has to come to this show?
“So, yeah, if you’re planning on coming, I was thinking maybe we could grab some drinks beforehand?”
“I have to be at the soundcheck,” I tell her.
“How long does that last?”
“Depends,” I answer. The real answer is not long, but that doesn’t help me any.
“Oh,” she says, frowning, looking rejected. “Well, if you have time, I’ll be at The Hayford. I thought it’d be fun to have some girl time.”
Girl time?
Ellie and I have always gotten along, we’ve even hung out a couple of times without any of the boys, but she’s never referred to it as girl time.
“Did Jack put you up to this?”
Her eyes give her away, big as saucer
s.
“What? No!” she protests. “I mean… He mentioned that you seemed a little frazzled and thought you might want to talk to someone who’s not him, but he didn’t say it should be me or anything.”
I’m not sure I believe her, but she is the type to take something like that into her own hands. I should probably be grateful for the concern.
“I’m not frazzled,” I argue. “I have a lot going on right now. Which means I don’t have the time for girl time right now, I’m sorry.”
She’s still frowning, but she nods.
“Well, the offer’s open… Anytime. My boss is pretty cool about giving me time off,” she adds with a small smile.
I laugh. “Lucky. Mine’s a slavedriver.”
She laughs, too, shaking her head. “Maybe I can put in a good word for you. I heard you might have more reason to request personal time…”
“I swear everyone who works in this place is a gossiping hen,” I grumble, swiping on mascara.
“Maybe,” she admits. “But only because we care about you.”
“Yeah, well, squeeze too tight and you might suffocate someone.”
“Point taken,” she says, the frown coming back. “In any case, I hope you find some time to enjoy yourself. This place won’t fall apart if you’re otherwise occupied for a little while,” she adds, a mischievous gleam in her eyes.
Why do I get the feeling she’s used that same line on my brother?
“Thanks. I’ll try,” I answer. Thinking about being otherwise occupied with King makes my whole body tingle, and I glance at the time.
Okay, those dozen things I needed to do will have to wait.
I am not missing this soundcheck.
King’s already on the stage when I get down to the theater, and the moment he spots me, he grins.
“The intimidatingly beautiful Miss Stapleton,” he says, gesturing to the nonexistent crowd. I stand in the front row, hands on my hips. “Beautifully intimidating?” he tries, still grinning.
“How’s it going?” I ask, watching the flurry of activity as the crew makes all the final preparations.
“Good. We’re about to run through the cues. You hanging out for a few minutes?” The look he gives me makes me warm all over.
It sounds innocent enough, but I know exactly what hanging out means, and my body already anticipates it.
“Yeah, I can stick around,” I say, dropping one of the seats and crossing my legs. He stares at my bare thighs for a moment, forgetting he’s on stage and in the middle of something.
Serves him right for all the distracting texts he’s been sending me all day. It’s nice to know that two can play that game.
After a nudge from the stage manager, King’s back to business, running through the cues to check sound levels, lighting placements, and where he’ll be on stage.
Other than a couple of innuendos with flirty looks my way, he’s surprisingly professional. Helpful, even. I’ve seen these things take hours with other acts, but King’s done in twenty minutes, jumping off the stage to land in front of me.
“What’d you think?” he asks, holding his hand out for me.
“Did you know Jack and Ellie are coming tonight?” I stand without his help.
“Jack mentioned that earlier, yeah.”
“You know what that means.”
“We’ll have to be extra sneaky?” he says, taking a step closer, his voice dropping low.
“Is that what you call this?” I ask, stepping back.
“Wanna come in my dressing room?” he asks, closing the distance again, so close it makes me breathless. He’s not even trying to be subtle.
“King…” I try to protest, but it’s weak. I’m not trying very hard. Why is he so damn irresistible?
I keep thinking I’ll hit a point where I’ve finally had enough. Where I don’t immediately crave his touch, his tongue, his body…
It hasn’t happened yet. Every hit I get makes me more addicted.
“I have to meet Ellie for girl time.” The words are out before I even think about them. It’s a good excuse, though, and probably the best way to keep Ellie and Jack off our trail.
“After the show?” he asks.
“We’ll see.”
The puppy dog eyes might work on weaker women—they almost work on me—but he’s going to have to try harder than that.
“We’ll see,” I repeat, turning to leave. “I’ll be in the wings cheering for you.”
“You came!” Ellie squeals, jumping up from her barstool to wrap me in a big hug.
Actually, I didn’t, thanks to you.
“Yeah, I got to thinking, and girl time didn’t sound so bad,” I say instead, nodding at the bartender. He already knows my order.
The Hayford is one of the many places on property to get a drink. Out of all the bars and cocktail lounges, it might be my favorite. It’s styled as kind of a modern take on the old western saloon, very Nevada nouveau riche. There are dark leather chairs, chandeliers inspired by wagon wheels with warm Edison bulbs, and even a self-playing piano. All the art features Hayford Peak, the mountain the bar is named after.
Say what you will about my nosy, over-protective brother, but he has good taste.
“Good! You need to get out and enjoy yourself more,” she says, adding a sheepish, “…boss,” when I give her a warning look.
I laugh, shaking my head. “I’m not your boss here. I’m your boyfriend’s sister; no big deal.”
Her grin grows, and she turns her attention back to her drink. “Are you excited for tonight?”
My brain immediately goes to possibly hooking up with King after the show, but I’m sure that’s not what she means.
“I mean, I can’t believe how fast these shows sold out. I don’t think I ever could’ve gotten a ticket if Jack didn’t own the place. I never realized what a big deal King is—”
“I’ve been listening to him rehearse all week,” I point out.
“Oh, right. Lucky! Your new boyfriend’s not jealous you’re spending so much time with a famous rock star?”
“Not this again,” I mutter. “You better hope you’re never lost at sea, because you’re terrible at fishing.”
She snorts. “I know. I’m sorry. I promised Jack I’d at least try, so now I’ve done my duty.”
I roll my eyes, thankful for the drink in hand.
“For the record, I don’t have a boyfriend. It’s all speculation, and I’m too busy to run around squashing rumors.”
Ellie’s expression sobers. “Yeah… I think we’re all just excited that you might have a life outside of work.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“Not like that,” she says. “Well, a little like that. You put so much time and energy into this place, and you deserve some of that time and energy to be spent on you too.”
“Maybe when I retire,” I joke.
She nudges my shoulder. “Careful. I could tell Jack you said that, and he’d have you retired by Monday.”
“And I’d be working for Asher by Tuesday.”
She gasps. “You wouldn’t!”
“How could I, as long as I’m working here?”
“Touché,” she groans, shaking her head.
I don’t think this is how girl time typically goes, but I’m having a good time. I’m not sure Ellie can say the same, but she asked for this.
“So while we’re being nosy, how are things between you and Jack?”
Ellie’s quick smile tells me everything I need to know.
I wonder how long it’ll be before he proposes. He always swore that would never happen, but so did Asher, and he’s already freaking married. I’ve seen how smitten Jack is. I know it’s only a matter of time.
Thankfully, there are a lot of other things to talk about, and conversation never steers back toward my love life or King. Jack will probably give her shit for coming back empty-handed, but we had a good time, and we hug before she hurries off to meet him.
They’ll have the best se
ats in the house, of course, but I’ll be watching from an even better vantage point. How the hell I’m going to keep my cool standing twenty feet away from him, I don’t know.
I try to make it seem like I’m doing work in the leadup to the show. I wander around, asking people how things are going, looking at different cables and lights with a very serious expression, but mostly I’m just hoping to see King before he goes on.
Even though I’ve been keeping an eye out for him, he still manages to sneak up on me while his opening act is on stage.
“Kiss for good luck?” he asks, pulling me into a dark spot behind the curtains.
“I thought it was bad luck to say good luck on opening night.”
He shakes his head, then pulls me in for a kiss. “You’re impossible; you know that?”
“Me?” I gasp, head still reeling, pulse throbbing. Every cell in my body is screaming for more.
“Yes, you,” he says, chuckling. “Meet me in my dressing room after the show. It’s locked, but I don’t think that will stop you.”
“King, I—” He steps out from behind the curtain and is instantly whisked away, the production in full swing.
I stay hidden behind the curtain for a few minutes, trying to catch my breath and get my heart to slow down while I listen to the opening act hype the crowd for King.
Fooling around in my brother’s domain has been a line I’m not willing to cross. Knowing that Jack and Ellie are in the audience tonight—and will probably come backstage to see King afterward—just makes the idea even stupider.
So why am I actually considering it?
I’m smarter than this. I have more willpower than this.
Or I did. Before I knew what an orgasm from King Dorsey felt like.
Before I knew how his eyes darken when I sink down on him. Before I saw the insatiable hunger written all over his face every single time.
I don’t feel smart anymore.
I find my spot in the wings halfway through his first song, and for the next eighty minutes, I’m as spellbound as everyone else in the audience.
Up close and personal, King has always been handsome, charming, fun to be around—when he’s not purposefully pushing my buttons—but on stage, he transforms. He’s larger than life, irresistible, and so charismatic it hurts.
King (Vegas Kings Book 2) Page 6