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‘Because somebody has to look out for you, sweetheart. Jake is my best buddy, as well as my boss, but the truth is he doesn’t have the best track record where women are concerned. Apart from with his ex—a relationship which probably scarred him for life—he doesn’t go in for long relationships. I’m sure you know what I mean? And you’re not like any of the other girls he’s been with. You’re sensitive, for a start. If you get too involved with him and he dumps you, you won’t be able to take it on the chin and simply put it down to experience.’
‘And what about you, Rick? Have you got a better track record? Anyway, contrary to opinion, I’m quite capable of taking care of myself. This is like a dream come true for me, to sing with this band, and I don’t intend to mess it up, believe me.’
Behind them Jake started up the car’s engine. Glancing round, Caitlin found his unsettling blue gaze blazing back at her through the windscreen.
She turned back to Rick. ‘I’ve got to go.’
Saying no more, she walked to the car and got in without a word. She was still fumbling with her seatbelt when the vehicle pulled away from the kerb with a loud squeal of rubber on Tarmac.
* * *
Jake made a final check on Caitlin where she slept in his bedroom…in his bed…and then quietly closed the door behind him. In the large and airy living room, with the blinds pulled down and the blond oak floor cool beneath his feet, he dropped down onto a futon-style armchair. Then he leaned back to stare broodingly up at the ceiling.
Rick had no right, warning Caitlin not to get involved with him. What the hell did his friend think he was doing? Had Jake ever interfered in Rick’s many and varied ‘relationships’? No—he’d stood back and watched the fall out so many times it wasn’t funny. But then Rick wasn’t contemplating having a hot, steamy affair with the band’s gorgeous new singer, was he?
Jake was only too aware that if he went ahead and had an affair with Caitlin it would be an extremely foolish and risky thing to do, with perhaps irreparable consequences. If he had any respect for the guys in the band—and he had that in spades—he shouldn’t even be considering it. But then he hadn’t achieved the success he had enjoyed by not taking risks. He wasn’t setting out to break Caitlin’s heart, but if they did get involved for a while he’d make it clear that he was only responding to an undeniable physical attraction that he couldn’t resist.
If she felt the same then there wouldn’t be a problem. If she didn’t then Jake would simply have to put the whole thing down to experience and do his best to turn away from her in that department. Although God knew it wouldn’t be easy.
Maybe once upon a time he’d nurtured a secret hope that he’d find a girl, settle down and eventually raise a family, but that hope hadn’t survived for long. Jodie had seen to that. He didn’t know if he would ever trust another woman again.
Having had a mother who had abandoned him was bad enough. Discovering that his wife had been having an affair—and with someone who had such a high profile that the press would have a field-day—Jake hadn’t had a prayer of protecting himself. Especially not when, in typically mercenary fashion, Jodie had concocted a vindictive story about their marriage and given the media carte blanche to say what the hell they liked about him. He wasn’t in a hurry to get burned a second time.
Blowing out a breath, he let his jaded gaze take inventory of his surroundings. The fashionable and expensive apartment might be just a stone’s throw from the King’s Road in Chelsea, but its distinctly minimalist decor and general air of emptiness were testament to the fact that he was hardly ever there. Since leaving the children’s home all those years ago he’d been regularly on the move—never staying in one place for any notable length of time.
Helplessly, he found his thoughts returning to Caitlin. If he was frank with her—made it clear that he was one of life’s gypsies and wasn’t looking for anything long-term or permanent—would she yield her body and a little of her time until the flames of desire they ignited together burned themselves out? And afterwards would they still be able to maintain a working relationship, see each other every day and have no regrets?
