I nod, accepting his offer. An early night sounds like a godsend, although I doubt even twelve hours of sleep could lighten the weight on my chest.
* * *
After tossing and turning for two hours solid, I give up on my early night. Dressed in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, I head down to the hotel lobby in search of a warm beverage. Since it’s nearly midnight, the lobby is deserted. Only a handful of staff are milling around. I’m not surprised, only disheartened to discover the café inside the hotel is closed.
“There’s a Starbucks around the corner,” advises a male voice behind me.
Spinning on my heels, I spot the guy who smiled at me earlier today. He’s with another man who has long brown hair and a curious crinkle popping between his brow. They’re holding Styrofoam coffee cups in their hands, both drenched from their shoulders up.
“I’m notthatdesperate for a hot chocolate,” I reply, noticing it’s pouring rain outside.
When the blond takes a sip of his beverage, a moan escapes his lips. “Are you sure? They’re good,” When his tongue darts out to lick a smidgen of foam from his top lip, it hides half his smile.
After swallowing the lump in my throat, I reply, “I’m sure.”
Up close, this guy is hotter than first perceived. His blue eyes have flecks of black through them, and they’re a lighter blue near the pupil. They’re entrancing, and I can see how women become quickly trapped by their allure. Doesn’t mean I can’t spot a player from a mile out, though.
“How do you know Slater?” the other guy questions, breaking the hypnotic trance of the blond’s eyes.
“He’s an old friend.”
When I head to the elevators, they follow closely behind me. “Hmm, interesting.” The dark-haired man hits the button for the elevator as the blond’s brows scrunch.
Upon entering the elevator car, I select the button for the tenth floor before shifting on my feet to face them since they followed me inside. “What floor?”
When the blond leans across me to select floor twenty-two, my nose hairs tingle. He has a very strong pine scent that becomes considerably more noticeable when his forearm brushes my side boob.
“He wasn’t acting like an old friend earlier tonight,” the brown-haired guy continues, eager to keep our conversation going.
I’m about to reply, but the blond beats me. “Don’t be stupid, Mark. They were more than friends.” His eyes burn into mine, making me hot all over. “That’s why he warned everyone to stay away from her.” Some may construe the smirk on his face as callous. I see him more as a man with no filter.
It means what he says next will hurt, but it’s straight-up honest. “He doesn’t want her, but no one else can have her either.”
Chapter Nine
Slater
Ido a double take when I walk past Kylie while entering the press conference room. I thought she looked different the past four days, but today she’s barely recognizable. Her makeup is heavy, her mousy brown locks are black, and a purple streak runs down one side. She’s wearing tiny denim shorts, black knee-high “fuck me” boots, and a white lace shirt that shows her dark purple bra underneath.
I stride to the empty seat next to Marcus and plop down, unable to pry my eyes away from Kylie. When she bends over to collect paperwork from a briefcase on the ground, my cock turns to stone.
“Holy fuck,” I mumble under my breath.
Marcus laughs when I adjust myself, but I don’t have time to reprimand him. I’m not the only one eyeballing Kylie’s new appearance. When Noah sees her, he stops frozen in the doorway. He gives her a curious glance before shaking his head. Jenni squeals before throwing her arms around Kylie’s neck to tell her how hot she looks, and the road crew keeps sauntering by the press conference room door, their pace slowing when they spot Kylie inside.
Noah’s ass fills the seat next to me. “What did you do?”
My eyes flick up to his, confusion evident on my face.
“To piss Kylie off?” he explains while smiling a beaming white grin.
“I didn’t do anything.” You can’t miss the arrogance in my tone.
Noah leans forward so he can lock his eyes with Marcus. “What did he do?”
“Strippers—”
Marcus’s words are cut off when my fist lands in his gut. Air hisses between his teeth before it shifts into a chuckle. While rubbing his stomach, he shrugs like it’s no big deal he’s ratting me out to the rest of the band.
