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Dropping her head, she groaned as Rick’s fingers applied some deeper pressure at a particularly tender spot between her shoulderblades. ‘You’re good at this, aren’t you?’ she murmured. ‘You could have a whole new career, you know.’
‘I must confess I’ve been told that before.’
Caitlin heard the smile in his voice.
‘By one or two very grateful ladies who’ve succumbed to the pleasures of these hands.’
‘You’re quite the Casanova, aren’t you?’
‘Yes, well…if the cap fits.’
Her masseur halted his ministrations to drop a brief teasing kiss at the side of her neck… Unfortunately at the very same moment that Jake walked into the room.
The band’s charismatic manager stopped dead in his tracks.
‘Is this how you rehearse the band, Rick? Because if it is then we’ve got a serious problem on our hands…wouldn’t you say?’
CHAPTER ELEVEN
WITHOUT REALISING IT Jake had clenched his hands into fists down by his sides. As he fought to corral his steadily growing temper his blazing blue eyes burned back at them both, his gut swirling with jealousy. What the hell did Caitlin think she was playing at, allowing his best friend to fool around with her like that?
Pink-cheeked and embarrassed, she stepped towards the edge of the stage. He wasn’t surprised she was defensive.
‘We were rehearsing, Jake. I just had a couple of problems Rick was helping me with.’
‘Oh?’ Jake’s lip curled scathingly. ‘Since when did I employ Rick as the group’s masseur? Clearly I missed that.’
‘For goodness’ sake—the girl is tired! Tired and tense… I was just helping her iron out some of the kinks so that we could get on. The guys have gone outside for a break. I think I’ll go call them back in.’
‘No. Stay right where you are.’
His boot heels ringing ominously on the wooden floor, Jake strode towards the stage.
‘We don’t do anything else until I get to the bottom of this.’
With a horrible sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, Caitlin jammed her hands into her jeans pockets and took a deep breath in. Was he jealous? Was that why he was so angry?
Her heart beat double-time, because she couldn’t help noticing how gorgeous he looked. Dressed in fitted black jeans, a maroon shirt and a dark pin-striped suit jacket that flowed over his lean hard body as if it was tailor-made, he resembled one of those seriously unapproachable Italian models that featured in glossy magazines. His dark tousled hair and glittering blue eyes gave him a dangerous sexy edge and ensured there was nowhere else she’d rather look than at him.
‘What are you talking about, Jake?’ Rick jumped off the stage to confront the other man. ‘You’d better explain.’
‘I’m talking about you kissing her!’ Jake glared at his friend.
Rick was bemused. ‘I was just fooling around. You know me…I never could resist a pretty face.’
‘That’s a poor excuse for fondling my—’
‘Go on… Your what, Jake?’
He’d been about to say my woman.
The realisation hit him hard—like a brick dropped on his head from a great height. As statements of ownership went, he couldn’t have put it much more clearly. Here he was, standing head to head with his best friend and long-time associate, the pair of them like a couple of prize-fighters about to go into the ring. Jake cursed under his breath. He couldn’t keep a lid on his temper, could he? He’d just had to let it out. Now he’d blown the whole situation wide open.
Rick’s hazel eyes narrowed. ‘You’re sleeping with her, aren’t you?’
Caitlin bristled indignantly. She most definitely didn’t appreciate being discussed as if she wasn’t there…as if she was some inconsequential possession rather than a human being. But as Jake glanced up and his heated glance locked onto hers it was as though he’d reached out and touched her. For a few debilitating seconds, her head swam.
‘You just couldn’t keep your hands off her, could you?’ Rick’s tone was scathing.
‘Isn’t that supposed to be my line?’
