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“Your date?” Angela forced the door wide open and grinned at Alaric, her eyes sweeping over his power suit and down to his expensive shoes. Approval flashed in her eyes. “So this is the famous Metal Man?”
Georgia’s insides turned. She certainly didn’t want Alaric to know she’d been talking about him like a grade school girl crush.
“Infamous might be better,” he said, his grin growing bigger. He held out a hand. “Alaric Hammond. Georgia’s date.”
“Angela Nielsen.” She shook his hand. “Georgia’s bass guitarist.”
“Do you mind if I get a moment alone with Georgia before you lovely ladies head down to the pool?” he asked, raising his eyebrows. “We just need a minute.”
“Take all the time you need,” she said, pushing past him to walk out the door. Behind his back, she made a face at Georgia. He’s gorgeous, she mouthed and then walked away.
Alaric didn’t wait for an invitation. He strolled right past Georgia and into the large common room of her hotel suite. There was a white bricked fireplace on one side with several sitting chairs surrounding it. A mini kitchenette stocked with all of Georgia’s favorite treats lined the other side, with steel appliances and black speckled granite countertops. Clothes and musical instruments had been strewn about the place, making Georgia’s cheeks grow even redder. If she’d known he’d be barging into her place like this, she would’ve cleaned up. She would’ve insisted that Angela stay.
“Why are you really here?” she asked, chasing after him as he did a slow circle about the room, his eyes taking in every inch. “I was pretty certain I was never going to hear from you again.”
He didn’t answer. Instead, he picked up a guitar from one of the sitting chairs and held it by the leather shoulder strap.
“Isn’t this the same guitar you used to carry in the halls at school?” he asked, eyeing the red rose inlay. “You brought it to every anatomy class.”
The fact that he remembered such a detail about her made her heart beat wildly. She snatched it from his hands and held it protectively against her body. “Yeah, my dad gave it to me freshman year. I write all my songs on it.”
“Very cool.”
He finished scanning the room and turned his gaze on her. She tried not to squirm under his intense scrutiny. Even in high school, he’d had the same piercing gaze that made you feel like he could see all your secrets. It made the girls go crazy.
“What do you want, Alaric?” she demanded, her voice raising. She’d had enough of this roundabout manner. “Why are you here?”
A small smile played on his lips and he fiddled with the middle button on his suit coat. “I know about your deal with Spark. I know why you need this contract to bolster your career.”
She huffed. “I don’t need anything and I certainly don’t need Spark.”
“Yeah, I think you do.” He took a step closer, looking down his perfectly straight nose at her. “I’m a businessman, Georgia. I know a good deal when I see one."
She wanted to take a step back. He was too close. She could smell his masculine cologne and see the little flecks of gold in his brown eyes. But his cocky expression made her angry. He didn’t know anything about her and her career. She placed her hands on her hips and stood her ground.
“I don't think that's any of your business,” she said, raising her chin.
The twinkle in his eye grew as he tilted his head to one side. “I think it’s about to be my business, Georgia Weber. And before you decide to throw me out, you're going to want to hear what I've got to say. I've got a business proposition that will suit us both very nicely.”
Chapter Four
Georgia stared at Alaric for a good half a minute, her lips parted in shock. She wasn’t sure what to make of this recent change. Gone was the sweet, unsure man she’d met at the restaurant and spilled her heart to online for the past few weeks. In his place stood an arrogant, suave businessman with steel glinting in his eyes. She clenched her teeth and tried to fight back the disappointment. That previous man had obviously been an act.
This was the real Alaric Hammond.
She hadn’t expected to see Alaric again in her life. In fact, on her way home from their date, she’d deleted her Spark profile so she wouldn’t have to deal with the deafening silence on his end of the line after their disaster of a first date. But here he was, standing in front of her, offering her a business deal.
“What are you talking about?” she demanded, pointing to a nearby chair. “Sit. Spill.”
His lips quirked with a grin as she ordered him about. He unbuttoned his suit jacket and took the seat she indicated. She sat across from him and spread the towel across her lap.
“Look, this wasn’t something I had plans of pursuing,” he said calmly, leaning back to rest his arm on the back of the chair. He resembled a model posing in a magazine. “Frankly, I don’t need or want the attention that comes along with someone like you.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. It was just as she’d suspected. Despite the sudden flare of annoyance, her heart still panged with regret. “Then why, may I ask, are you here?”
“Because I think we can help each other.” He leaned forward, his gaze drilling into her face. “Apparently, people actually care who I date. My company’s stock prices soared after those photos came out yesterday. My board wants me to continue seeing you.”
Blood rushed to Georgia’s cheeks. Part of her was furious and the other part curious. She hadn’t realized Alaric had become so important in the business world that who he dated was of any importance. Apparently, that expensive watch of his was real. Still, the proposition made her feel cheap. Her dating life wasn’t for sale. She clenched the towel in her hands, a flush working its way up her chest.
