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Five
Cash sucked in a breath through flared nostrils and kept his carefully trained half smile in place while the woman in front of him tried to keep from sobbing. She was happy—he assumed—but it was hard to tell when both a cry and a laugh overlapped.
“I...j-just wanted to tell you that y-your music changed my life and that I luh-love you. I love you s-so much.”
This was the most uncomfortable part of meeting fans. He thought he’d be used to this sort of display by now, but for him it never got any easier.
“I appreciate that, Tabitha,” he said in a low, soothing voice.
Her eyes widened, lashes blinking away tears as she grinned. When he’d first begun performing, women like Tabitha had flattered his pants off. Literally, in some cases. Thankfully he pulled his head out of his backside before he became a regular with the groupies.
Those hookups had been less satisfying than they were awkward, for both parties. He’d stuck with actual relationships instead, though he kept them short. That way he could take care of the physical ache while avoiding the “what was your name again?” conversation the next morning.
“Time’s up, miss.” Irv, who ran security for the Cheshire, was large, slightly frightening and gruff. In other words, exactly what Cash needed. He winked at Tabitha and told her to have a good night. Then he and Irv moved as one through the bar until Cash was deposited in the VIP lounge.
Safe at last.
Then he spotted Presley talking with Hannah and thought maybe he wasn’t safe. She had tried to kill him, after all. If not by pressing the emergency button that stopped the elevator, then with the kiss that damn near stopped his heart.
Her blue eyes sparked like flint striking stone as he stepped into the room. She wasn’t happy with him, though he didn’t know if that was because of recent events or their shared past.
Hannah, her hand linked with Will’s, turned for the bar. His brother gave him a nod of greeting and Hannah smiled her perfect, pearly smile. Cash liked her, always had. It wouldn’t be a hardship touring with her when the time came. Both Hannah and her twin sister, Hallie, were from the best kind of stock. Their grandmother, Eleanor, had raised them right.
Presley wasn’t glaring at him any longer. She had decided to ignore him completely. From her perch on a plush red sofa, she grinned at his brother Gavin, who had just returned with a drink for each of them. Cash could deck his younger brother for inviting his ex-girlfriend to Beaumont Bay without telling him. Whose side was he on?
“You two are looking cozy,” Cash said. “Though you’ve been in touch lately, so that makes sense.”
“Ignore King High and Mighty, Pres,” Gavin told her, unfazed by Cash’s surly entry.
“No worries. I do.” She flashed a tight smile Cash’s way and he gave her the practiced half smile he reserved for fans.
“Beer, Mr. Sutherland?” A cocktail waitress approached. She was new if he wasn’t mistaken.
In a town like Beaumont Bay, luxury and high-class living were the norm. It was unique for staff to stick around anywhere for long. Not that Cash frequented his brother’s bar, but when he was here, he wasn’t used to seeing the same friendly staff. Jobs around here were a means to an end, and once the fame-seeker found his or her opening, they left faster than you could say, “I’d love a beer.” Which was what he told the waitress now.
“What kind?” She peeked flirtatiously through her lashes.
He grinned. “Surprise me.”
She turned and wiggled away, making her classy black pantsuit look a hell of a lot more scandalous.
“Wow.” Presley raised her auburn eyebrows. “You can be charming.”
“Presley!” Hannah called from the bar. “Come over here. There’s someone I want you to meet!”
Hallie, Hannah’s identical twin sister, stood between Hannah and Will. Hallie was a carbon copy of her famous sister. Blonde and beautiful with bright hazel eyes and a wide mouth. They were easy to tell apart. Hallie wore a neutral beige dress, her hair tied back in a low ponytail, while Hannah practically glowed in a bright pink dress covered in twinkling rhinestones. Those two definitely had their differences.
“If you’ll excuse me,” Presley said sweetly. To Gavin.
When she was gone, Cash took her seat as the waitress delivered his beer. “Thanks, honey.”
She didn’t hover, which he appreciated. He took a long draw. Damn, that tasted good. He wasn’t a big drinker, but it was tradition to enjoy a beer after a performance. By his calculations, he’d more than earned one.
“You want to tell me why Presley Cole is here yammering about interviewing me about my DUI?”
Gavin took a swallow from his gin and tonic and pretended to think about it. “No. I don’t think I will.”
“What are you not saying?”
