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With her face warmly glowing, Caitlin guiltily turned her attention back to Rick.
‘Sounds good to me…what things?’
‘You mean you don’t know?’
‘No, I don’t.’
‘Didn’t Jake tell you about the photographs?’
‘What photographs?’
‘We’re booked into a studio in a couple of hours.’
Jake was suddenly there in front of them.
‘We’re getting some promotional shots of the band.’
Caitlin refrained from commenting. She was wondering if a couple of hours would be enough to transform her sleepy-eyed expression into something half resembling awake. Aside from that, she hated having her photograph taken. Next to eating beetroot, it was right up there on the list of things that made her squirm.
‘So be sure to wear something sexy,’ Rick piped up with a grin. ‘You’re bound to give the current babes in the charts a run for their money!’
Caitlin immediately rounded on him with an affronted glare. ‘The campaign for equal rights for women clearly just passed you by, didn’t it? Why strive for intelligent observation when you can just go for the lowest common denominator?’
In his usual incorrigible fashion he returned, ‘Because life is complicated enough, without trying to be clever. I’m a simple guy. Can I help it if I have an eye for beauty?’
‘You’ve made your point, Rick.’ Jake’s blue eyes were icy as he flashed him a warning glare. ‘Now, why don’t you just leave it there?’
‘Can I check into my hotel now?’ Caitlin interjected quickly. ‘If these photos are strictly necessary then I’d like to get a shower and make myself presentable before we go.’
Rising abruptly to her feet, she pulled the edges of her denim jacket more closely across her dress’s scooped neckline. All the testosterone flying around was making her nervous.
‘Sure—I’ll take you. Let’s go back to the car.’ Jake handed Rick a bunch of key cards. ‘You guys go and sort yourselves out. I’ll make sure Caitlin is okay and catch up with you in about half an hour.’
Getting to his feet, Rick frowned. ‘Gee, I wish taking care of our “best asset” was part of my job description. It can hardly seem like work, can it?’ he quipped.
Almost imperceptibly Jake’s shoulders stiffened. Feigning indifference to the undoubted tension between the two men, Caitlin started to walk away. But Jake caught hold of her elbow and led them across the shiny parquet floor towards the exit.
She shook off his hold. ‘I’m quite capable of—’
‘Not now, Caitlin.’
Without even sparing her a glance, he conveyed the fact that his temper was on a very short fuse. Only a fool would seek to ignite it, so she swallowed down her indignation and turned her attention to keeping pace with his long-legged stride.
* * *
Flipping off the top of a bottle of beer from the mini-bar in his room, Jake imbibed a generous draught of the ice-cold contents and then dropped back down onto the bed. Sounds of the city permeated the forest-green curtains he’d drawn to shut out the night, and inside the images on the television screen silently flickered.
He’d deliberately muted the sound, but for a moment or two his attention was caught by the intense expressions of two lovers bidding each other goodbye at a railway station. The corners of his mouth lifted in a smile and a warm feeling climbed steadily into his chest—but it wasn’t just because of the touching scene. The sight of the lovers had inevitably made him think of Caitlin.
Her name alone had the power to convey feelings inside him that he scarcely knew what to do with. Watching her pose with the rest of the band that afternoon for photographs had been both heaven and hell. She’d worn fitted black jeans with a virginal white stretch top that had clung lovingly to her breasts, and at the photographer’s behest had taken off her boots and socks to leave her feet sexily bare. With her river of ebony hair, sparkling green eyes and naturally beautiful smile, Jake’s hadn’t been the only jaw to hit the floor when she’d stood as instructed with the other band members to pose for the camera.
‘Anyone need some ice to help them cool down?’ Rick had quipped as they’d stood together, observing the proceedings, and the comment had made Jake feel far from friendly as he thought of his colleague fantasising about the woman who had so recently become his lover…the woman he was trying desperately hard not to want because protocol demanded he abstain.
