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The cold night air hit him as soon as he stepped out of the car and proved to be just the tonic he needed to cool his blood. Quickly inserting Caitlin’s key into the lock, he opened the door onto the hallway and waited for her to step over the threshold in front of him. As soon as she did Jake’s blood was stirred all over again when she turned back towards him. She’d draped her jacket over her shoulders and now tugged the sides more closely over her chest, but not before he had a glimpse of her delectable cleavage. For both their sakes he should say goodnight and leave her. His usually dependable sense of control was rapidly deserting him.
But his decision was immediately compromised when Caitlin narrowed the gap between them and said softly, ‘Thanks for a really wonderful evening, Jake, and also for the lovely clothes and everything. You made me feel like a princess, and no one’s ever done that for me before.’
‘It wasn’t difficult, Caitlin. In my eyes you are a princess.’
It was then that Jake thought, To hell with self-control and pulled her into his arms. He kissed her with a hunger he could no longer deny, and the desire that was always just a breath away whenever they were together flared beyond control. But when Caitlin carefully freed her lips and he saw the longing in her eyes—the kind of longing that went way beyond a desire simply to make love—the immensity of what he was contemplating and the possible consequences hit him like a brick dropped from a great height.
With his heart thundering, Jake moved out of their embrace. ‘I think it’s time we said goodnight, don’t you? It’s been a long day for both of us and we’re just a couple of days away from the band’s first live performance. We need to get some rest to make sure we’re fit for what’s to come.’
‘I know you’re right, but—’
Even before Caitlin had finished what she was saying Jake was out through the door and walking towards the car.
* * *
Two days of intense rehearsal followed Caitlin’s magical night out with Jake. And, although she’d had a wonderful time, she couldn’t forget how quickly he’d distanced himself from her after he’d dropped her home—even though just before he’d left, his lips had passionately claimed hers as if he really meant it. Now he was acting as if the kiss had never even happened. It was easy to sense that his focus was back on the band and what lay ahead of them, but Caitlin couldn’t help feeling he was somehow abandoning her.
A couple of evenings later Jake surprised them all by giving them a day off. They’d had two more gruelling days of rehearsal and they more than welcomed the unexpected opportunity for a bit of ‘R&R’. But, although Caitlin appreciated being able to rest and have a day to herself, she started to fret about the upcoming live shows. The new-found confidence she’d experienced after seeing the Burlesque seemed to be rapidly diminishing.
Having the day off hadn’t helped. All it had done was to make her worry even more. That was why she found herself making her way to the Pilgrim’s Inn that night, hopefully to see Jake and express her concerns. Just a few dedicated patrons occupied the cosily lit lounge bar and Caitlin was grateful, because it had taken every ounce of courage she could muster to make this eleventh hour trip to speak with Jake.
As far as Blue Sky’s enigmatic manager was concerned his new lead singer would be having an early night and dreaming about what a resounding success she was going to be when she debuted with the band—because tomorrow was the big day: the day when Blue Sky introduced their new female vocalist to the world…or at least to the audience at the famous rock café in London where they were playing.
But Caitlin wasn’t just apprehensive about what lay ahead, she was plain petrified—so petrified that she was suddenly having some serious doubts.
I’m sorry but I’ve made a terrible mistake. She heard the words go round and round in her head and imagined the confusion and then anger in Jake’s eyes when she said them.
She sighed. She didn’t really want to quit. All she was looking for was a little reassurance. If Jake couldn’t give it to her, after all his years of experience in working with singers and musicians, she didn’t have a prayer.
