My body is a live wire. He hasn’t called me that since he became one with us Morningstars. “I didn’t bring a change of clothes, Jett, please don’t make me soak through this leather.”
He looks at me like it’s a dare, escorting me through the main entrance and pulling me into the lift like he’s going to maul me, andfuckdo Iwant him to.
“My God, you aresnatched,darling. So fucking hard not to push your arse, Imean,assagainst the wall and kiss you right now, Baby, touch you where you keep getting soaked for me,” he says on our way up to the twentieth floor.
Great. My heart was already thundering in my ears, and now something else is thundering between my thighs.
“Jett!”
He grins wickedly and the doors ding. “Damn,” he says wistfully. He wraps both hands around one of mine and follows me out like a lovesick puppy. We walk through a short, bright hallway and land in a colorful, busy office with high ceilings. “Want me to wait here for you, darling?” He signals to a row of chairs.
The receptionist recognizes Jett and has to peel her jaw off the floor, and we pretend not to notice.
“Oh, would you rather that or come back with me? It’s up to you.”
Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!It’s rather clear he wants to follow me back, and Ican’t even wrap my head around what that means.
“I think you know which one, Mads. Besides, you know how many seconds Ican sit still.”
The receptionist takes us back to the interview room while my hands shake like Ihaven’t eaten in days.Shit.When was the last time Iate?
Two staff members with curly hair and loud, Seth Rogen-type laughs greet us with wide eyes. “I see you’ve brought a rockstar with you, Maddy, so on brand.”
“Kind of in my DNA, hope that’s all right!”
“Absolutely.” They grin and Iintroduce them to Jett. Their names are Jay and Lee, Itry to commit that to memory as I’m shit with names but those seem easy enough. They turn on a digital recorder and mention that we’ll just chat for a while before they start filming me reading thirst tweets or whatever they’re gonna make me do.
“Jett, after we’ve filmed Maddy doing the bits we’ve prepared for her, would you like to join her for a few questions, maybe a fun game or something?” Jay asks.
“Only if she wants me to, Idon’t wanna steal her spotlight.” He flashes that megawatt grin that could steal anyone’s.
You’re the only one I’d wanna share it with,Imake surenotto say aloud.
“Of course, Iwould love that. Jett and Ihave been close family friends for eight years, and people say we have a pretty great chemistry together.”
Lee smiles. “Oh, yeah, we knew about Jett’s special relationship with your dad, but weren’t sure if the two of you were stilljust friendsafter this morning’s viral video. Loved it, by the way.”
“Thanks, it sold out my mum’s new swimwear collection in a few hours. Did … did it not look like normal modeling? Itappeared to be a … soft launch?”
“Hard launch,” the men say in unison.
Jett bursts out laughing. “What made ya think that? My face looks like I’ve been pining forever? Like I’ve been stuck in the friend zone for—”
“Eight years?” Jay grins. “Yeah. Ahundred percent.”
Jett scratches my back before playing gently with the tips of my long curls and I’m no longer a person, just a puddle on the floor. “Is it a soft or hard launch, Mads? I’m dying to know, myself. Over the weekend, we … decided to explore what more than friends can look like in our insane little lives. Things are rather … fresh.”
“Um … medium launch? Medium well? Sorry, Ithink Imight have forgotten to eat with my life flipping upside down and all. Now I’m thinking about steak.” Igive a cute laugh, pretending not to feel completely, utterly discombobulated.
Jay and Lee laugh, but Jett’s eyebrows knit in the middle. He places a concerned hand on my knee.
“You crashing, Mads?”
“I- I’ll be all right, Jett.”
His head gives a small shake before he bolts from the room. Jay raises an eyebrow, “Maddy, you always travel with unhinged rockstars that are high key obsessed with you? I’m straight up fascinated right now.”
I most definitelydon’t,but the way Jay asks has me stifling a giggle. “I have hypoglycemia. My family is overprotective and they’ve trained him to be the same, that’s all.”
