“I didn’t bring anything for you to sign, but maybe you can sign right here?” She shoved her chest in his face.
Behind him, he heard a snort. He turned in his seat to see Daisy rolling her eyes. He cleared his throat and spun back to the blond. “Actually, I have a headshot right here that I can sign for you. That way it won’t wash off.”
“Oh, I was hoping you’d sign me, that way I could get your signature tattooed on me.” She pouted.
“Tell you what, I bet Ryder will sign you.”
“Well, I do love me a bad boy,” she practically purred.
“Oh dear God,” Daisy said under her breath, just loud enough for Trevin to hear again.
He pretended to stretch and glanced at her. She inched closer to his side and he picked up the scent of apple lotion clinging to her. “I take it you’re having fun?” he said.
She quirked an eyebrow at him. “Yeah, something like that. Oh, by the way, if that girl got her chest any closer to you, her boobs might’ve knocked out one of your perfect teeth.”
Trevin grinned. “Jealous?”
“Nope—just think signing girls’ chests might be an occupational hazard—you know, loss of eyes or teeth…”
“Which is why I gave her a headshot instead.”
“So you don’t like signing body parts?”
“Depends on whose we’re talking about. Do you have something you want me to sign?” He held his breath. Why the heck had he said that?
“Um, no.” She backed away and he chuckled.
“Let me know if you change your mind.” He could definitely imagine signing her smooth, pale skin… His gaze followed the line of her neck up to her face.
“So, why are you wearing a beanie today? We’re in Florida.” Daisy glanced at him.
His face burned. “Um—had an accident this morning.”
“What kind of accident?”
“I can’t prove it, but I think Ryder might’ve put hair dye in my shampoo.”
Daisy laughed. “Can I see?”
“Hell no. No one’s seeing this mess until I get it redone. I only hope Lori can fix it.”
“Just give me a tiny peek, please?”
He watched her. “You love this, don’t you?”
“Kind of—I mean, it’s funny.”
“You have a sick sense of humor.”
“You have no idea.” She smiled then backed up.
They spent the next few hours signing pictures, phones, skin, T-shirts, CDs, and anything else they were asked to.
When they got to the stadium, they were rushed in through the back. Trevin found his dressing room, but before going in he saw Daisy standing against the back wall. He sucked in a deep breath and made his way toward her.
“Come with me for a minute; I have something I want you to see.” Trevin ushered her to his dressing room. “Sit over here.” He pointed to a small loveseat. “Now, before I show you, you have to promise not to laugh.”
“Um—okay.”
“Do you promise?”
“Yes, I just said I did. So why am I in here?”
“You wanted to see the damage…” He tugged off his hat, revealing bright blond hair.
“Holy crap, that’s really blond. I mean, super, super blond.” Daisy stood and moved toward him. She reached up and touched his hair. “You know, it doesn’t look that bad. Gives you more of an edgy look.”
He inhaled deeply, loving the feel of her hands in his hair. For a second his eyes drifted shut and he felt himself lean into her touch. His pulse thundered in his ears. She was so close. He could just reach out and pull her into his arms. They were alone, after all. He wondered what it’d be like to kiss her. To feel her lips crushed against his. Damn. Did someone turn the heat up?
When she drew her hand back, his lids opened and he cleared his throat. “Yeah, I’m not sure this is my style—but it is definitely the product of a Ryder prank.”
She shot him a quick look. “How do you know?”
He snorted. “Because this is just the sorta thing he’d do. We’ve got a— We’re just not always on the best of terms.” Trevin caught himself before he blurted out something about the bet. Dang, he had to be more careful. Daisy had a way of making him say stuff he shouldn’t.
Right then, Beau busted in.
“You need to get ready. LJ wants you guys all backstage in the next hour…” Beau trailed off when he saw his hair. “What in God’s name did you do? Fall into a can of paint?”
“I wish. But yeah, I need to find Lori to fix this and soon.”
“I’ll send her in,” he said, then turned to Daisy. “You should probably leave him alone so he can get ready.”
“Right, I’m on my way out. Uh—good luck with your hair. Maybe you could just throw a wig on.”
“Ha-ha, funny.” Trevin rolled his eyes. Whoa, had she actually made a joke? She seemed to be opening up more around him. That had to be a good sign.
“Just get ready, kid; we don’t need LJ blowing a fuse.”
Trevin fell back in his chair and stared at the ceiling. Damn. He was in all kinds of trouble. The way Daisy looked at him earlier jumbled his insides like fruit in a blender. Ever since she’d arrived a couple days ago, she’d turned his world upside down. And not to sound cocky or overconfident, but she suddenly seemed into him. Which meant, he was one step closer to closing his deal with Ryder. The sooner the better.
…
Daisy hurried out of Trevin’s dressing room. She needed to get her head on straight. Jeez, why had she run her hand through his hair? The way he’d moved closer to her, as if enjoying her touch, almost made her do something totally stupid. Her heart still thudded out of control. He’d definitely reacted to her, which meant what? That he might be into you. If she were smart, she’d use this to her advantage. She had him where she wanted him. It’d only take a couple more small things to get him to fall for her, or so she hoped.
She slid down the cement wall and sat with her knees tugged up to her chest and dialed Lena’s number.
“Daisy, OhMyGod, I thought you’d never call me again,” Lena said.
She laughed. “You’re so dramatic, you know that?”
“I try. Soooo, any news?”
“Let’s just say I’ve got Trevin Jacobs right where I want him. That boy will be eating out of my hand in no time,” Daisy said.
“Really?”
Daisy went on to explain hanging out with him and the catastrophe of the port-a-john, along with the hair dye incident. “And today, he invited me into his dressing room. That means something, right?”
Lena squeed. “I think so. What’s our next plan of attack?”
“Hmm… I need to do something nice for him. To let him know that I’m kind of interested,” Daisy said. “If I keep acting bitchy all the time, I’m definitely not gonna win him over.”
“What did you have in mind?”
“I don’t know, maybe treat him to his favorite drink or make him something. Do you have any ideas?”
“Well, you could get with one of the guys in the band and ask him. Oh, maybe try and pick up his favorite dessert and have it waiting for him after the show. I mean, what guy doesn’t love food?” Lena said.
“You are brilliant.” Daisy glanced down the tunnel to see Will walking her way. “Listen, I’m going to let you go so I can get this figured out.”
“Let me know how it turns out. Oh, and don’t forget to send the new recycling newsletter out—I already proofread it for you, so it should be in your email.”
“Thank you…I’m actually working on another proposal for the tour buses, to see if I can’t get recycling bins added to them. You wouldn’t believe all the plastic bottles I’m pulling out of the trash around here. Seriously—they’re so wasteful with everything.”
“Go get ’em, tiger,” Lena said.
“I will.”
When she hung up, Daisy got to her feet and made her way toward Will. He glanced at her as she approached, tucking his phon
e into his pocket. “Hey, what are you up to?” he said.
“Just finished talking with my best friend.” Daisy watched him for a second. “So, I have a question for you.”
“Sure.”
“Do you know what Trevin’s favorite dessert is? Or if he has one?” She chewed her bottom lip.
“Actually, I don’t, but I know who does.” He seemed nervous.
“Who?”
“Miles. Those two hang out all the time. Just a second, let me text him.” He grabbed his phone from his pocket and typed on the screen. A couple minutes later, his phone dinged with a message. He held it up for her to see. “Looks like his favorite is yul-lan. It’s some type of chestnut cookie.”
“Cool, thanks.” Hmm… She wondered if anyone around knew how to bake them or if she could get a bakery to make them special for her? It sounded more like a Korean food. Maybe she could start there.
Will hung out with her while she made several calls, and once she found a place to fill the order, she needed to get with someone to go pick them up. And luckily, Will had an in with one of the crew, who said he’d do it for them.
“Thanks so much, I owe you big time.” Daisy gave him a quick hug before they headed out of the tunnel together.
Everyone made their way to the stage. Trevin wore a pair of nerdy glasses, along with a light blue shirt, tight jeans, and a pair of striped Converse. His hair was back to its normal dark color and styled in messy tufts. He hung back to walk with Daisy.
“So you think you’ll be up for another video game tonight?”
She glanced at him, trying to hide her surprise. She’d been invited back to their bus again. A part of her wanted to jump up and down. It wasn’t like S2J invited girls onto their private bus every day. The thing was, why the heck did she care so much? “Do you need to even ask?”
He grinned. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
When they got backstage, LJ was already there. “Good, you’re all here now. Don’t forget tomorrow is our music video shoot in Miami. We’ve got to get it right in the first few takes, as this is your only free time to get the recording done.”
“What song is it for?” Daisy whispered to Trevin.
“‘Let Me Make You Smile’—it’s off our new album,” he said. “The one song I actually wrote.”
Daisy remembered hearing that song. The lyrics were gorgeous—well, gorgeous for a Seconds to Juliet song. Not that she listened to their music anymore. But there was real heart in it.
“We’re shooting this on the beach. We’ve already got it scheduled to be blocked off. There will also be some exclusive pictures taken for Entertainment Tonight, since I promised them they could get the scoop this time.”
Daisy groaned. Great. She’d have to spend all day stuck out in the hot, blazing sun. Although it would be a great time to finish up her proposal for the Boy Band Recycling program she was hoping to get LJ to agree to.
Trevin bent down and said, “Maybe you could be an extra in the video.”
Daisy grimaced. “I wouldn’t be caught dead in one of your videos.”
“Someday you might change your mind.” His hand brushed hers, sending her heart pounding like a cannon on a pirate ship. As much as she wanted to jerk away from him, Daisy found herself frozen in place.
“Not likely.”
LJ laughed. “See boys, not all girls are in love with you. We must change this and win them over.”
“Your manager is delusional,” Daisy whispered to Trevin.
“Yeah, tell me about it.”
“All right, boys, show time.”
One of the equipment managers came through and handed out headset mikes.
Trevin circled up with the members of Seconds to Juliet in their pre-show ritual. All the guys put their hands in. “Three, two, one, go!” Their voices carried in unison.
They rushed onto the stage as the music pounded from the speakers in the stadium. She watched as they sang, danced, and put on a show—causing the masses to scream, nearly deafening her.
The show seemed to fly by and soon, Trevin walked to the front of the stage. “Are you girls ready to get wet? I can’t hear you?”
Oh God. Not this song. Right then water sprayed across the band members, drenching their clothes as they danced, stomping in the puddles. Ryder took the lead vocals, working the girls into a frenzy as he tugged up his shirt over his head and whipped it into the crowd.
But he wasn’t the one Daisy found herself focusing on. Instead, her gaze slid over the wet abs of Trevin, and the tattoo on his shoulder of a yin and yang sign. It was way sexier in person. It gave him some edge, almost a bad boy persona. Her fingers itched to trace the design. Oh no you don’t. She swallowed hard. Her gaze slid down to his jeans, which clung tightly to him. God. She could see every freaking muscle in his body. Even she wasn’t immune to the fact he was hot. Which was all the more reason to keep her focus.
She glanced up just in time to see his shirt flying in her direction. And when she caught it, it sprayed water down the front of her. He winked then went to the edge of the stage to shake his wet hair out on the crowd. But when he looked at her again, she found herself melting right into those chocolate-brown eyes. Her pulse pounded in her ears. She needed to get a grip, and get it quick. Because right now, she was imagining just how it’d feel to have those strong arms wrapped around her.
She quickly pushed those thoughts away. If he assumed a wet shirt was going to win her over, he better get that out of his head because this was one girl who wasn’t going down so easily.
Chapter Eight
When Trevin got back to his bus, high on adrenaline from the show, he found a small wrapped box on the table with his name on it. The tag read:
Hope you enjoy these, heard they were your favorite.
Sincerely,
Daisy
“You want to get out of the way so we can get changed, mate?” Miles said from behind him.
Water dripped down his head, but he didn’t care as he flipped open the lid. There, inside, were several yul-lan, his favorite cookies. The chestnut dessert was dipped in honey and nuts. He glanced once more at the tag. Why had she bought these for him? Does it really matter? She went out of her way for you. That should count for something.
Trevin took one out and bit into it. God, it was good. With a smile, he turned to Ryder. “Looks like I have her right where I want her.” Then why did he feel so bad about leading her on like this? Here she’d done something nice for him, and he was still going along with the bet.
“So she bought you cookies. That doesn’t mean anything. Besides, I don’t see her falling all over herself for you, yet.”
“Yet being the key word. Give me time. This girl is as good as mine.”
“What are you guys talking about?” Will glanced between them.
“Nothing,” Trevin said.
“I wouldn’t call it nothing. We’re discussing the bet.”
Nathan glared. “You can’t be serious. You’re not still going through with that, are you?”
“Don’t look so worried. I won’t hurt her,” Trevin said, wondering if he’d truly lost his mind. He really should rethink this, because the more time he spent with her, the more he questioned his own motives. Maybe Nathan was right; maybe he needed to just call it quits on the bet front. Trevin glanced at the cookies again. Daisy had gone to a lot of trouble to get these for him. No one had ever done something like this for him before. Shit. He was getting in too deep.
“Helloooo, Miami.” LJ slid his sunglasses down as a group of girls in skimpy clothes walked past the SUV.
Trevin climbed out of the vehicle into the parking lot, where road block signs were already set up to keep people from pulling in while they were shooting. He just wanted to get the music video done with. He loved the touring and singing. But he wasn’t an actor and hated this part.
“I have a feeling it’s going to be a long day,” he said.
Miles nodded. “Yeah, let’s hope we get
this right on the first take.”
“Ah, you’ve made it—come on over,” Steve Kemper, their director, said. He pointed to where they had several tents set up, along with cameras, a jeep, extras, and actors. Several women stood around in bikinis, while guys wore board shorts.
“Jeez, are they showing enough cleavage?” Daisy said under her breath.
“Sex sells,” Ryder said.
“Which doesn’t make it right.” Trevin intervened. “Daisy, if you want, you can stand under one of the canopies out of the sun. That way you won’t get burned.” He moved her away from Ryder. Last thing he wanted him to do was say something to offend her or embarrass him or blurt out something to do with the bet.
“It’s fine, I’m gonna be working on some recycling stuff today.” She patted her laptop then searched for a place to sit down.
Before Trevin could make a break for it, Steve turned to him. “Trevin, this is Casey. She’s going to play your love interest in the video.”
He pushed a tall brunette in a red bikini at him. She smiled, batting her eyes. “Trevin Jacobs. I can’t believe I get to work with you. This is so exciting.” She hopped up and down.
Trevin averted his eyes. “That’s awesome.” Since he’d written the song, it was his turn to play lead in their video. Not that he was all that excited about the filming process—but so long as his song got out there, he didn’t care.
“You don’t know how much I love your band.”
“Okay, Casey, that’s enough now.” Steve caught her arm and turned her toward the group of girls standing in a circle. “Sorry about that, I’m not sure where they found some of these people. But why don’t we get the first scene going?”
Steve got them all into place. “I want you boys to run down the beach, tossing a football. When you reach this group of girls, we’re going to have Trevin trip over Casey. This will be their first meeting. Trevin will spend the song trying to win her over. Now Casey, you need to pretend to be mad at him, okay?”
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