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“Are you sure?” Nicole asks, her tone not as confident as the steps she uses to force a gap between them. “Because they looked a little… shocked.”
“It is the first time anyone has heard these songs. Everyone acts differently when they can’t sing along with you. You watch. They’ll be singing over you during tomorrow’s rehearsal.”
When Knox slings his eyes to me, seeking backup, I leave the lying to him by waving a room keycard over the panel and selecting the penthouse suite. I can’t tuck Nicole in like I did last night, but can I call myself a bodyguard if I don’t get my mark to her hotel room safely?
As Knox continues telling Nicole how she “rocked the socks off her performance,” I think back to the number of times I cringed while watching her bump and grind across the polished dance floor with two dozen fluro-boosting backup dancers.
It was bad.
Badbad.
I’d feel like an ass saying that if it weren’t true, but there isn’t a better word in the dictionary to describe her performance.
Nicole’s voice could captivate anyone, but the lyrics were off, and whoever composed the music should be shot.
They took what should have been a love ballad and tried to jazz it up—jazz hands included.
While removing the fishnet gloves that match the stockings covering her scrumptious legs, Nicole says, “Maybe we should invite some spectators to the next couple of rehearsals? That way, we can get proper feedback before real-time shows.”
Knox tries to shut down her suggestion, but when Nicole reminds him of his forever bias, the truth can no longer be denied.
I fucked my best friend’s girl one floor above the room they shared.
I’m a fucking dog.
“You must be conscious of your bias to make ethical commentaries.” I don’t need to look at them to know they’re flirting. Knox’s laugh gives it away when Nicole says, “And you, my friend, will never be alert to that.” He only ever uses that laugh on the girls he wants to bed.
My teeth grit when Knox replies, “It’s what you love about me the most.”
Love?When has he ever used that in a sentence when referencing a woman?
“But if it will ease your conscience enough that you won’t keep me awake half the night tossing and turning, I can organize that for you.” With his hand once again possessively hovering above the curve of her ass, he guides her out of the elevator when it opens on their floor. “Though we’ll have to be mindful of fines. We promised exclusivity.”
“I’d rather face fines than public humiliation.” Nicole’s voice drops to a whisper before she asks, “What if they boo me?”
“They won’t boo you. You’re a fucking star.”
When Knox once again looks at me for backup, I give him the honesty I should have given before accepting his job offer. “You are. A real ten out of ten.” I hate lying, but my morals aren’t exactly upstanding right now, so I blurted out the first thing that popped into my head while recalling the acoustic performance she awarded me only twenty-four hours ago.
Fuck, is that all it’s been?
A measly twenty-four hours.
It seems more like a lifetime ago.
“Really?” When Nicole’s eyes land on me again, hot and heavy like she’s dying for an ounce of integrity, I lower my eyes to my feet.
If I have to be honest with her, I’ll have to be honest with everyone—Knox included.
That isn’t something I can do right now. Not when River’s guardianship is in his family’s name.
I feel Nicole’s hope fade to oblivion before she stomps away.
“Fuck me,” Knox breathes out once she is out of sight. Resting his hands on his head, he peers at the ceiling. “Way to have my back, man. How will she prep her throat before performing if she’s still not talking to me?” My silence returns his head to its original position. “You really think I’ll let anyone else in on that action?” He rocks his hips forward while pretending to grab a fistful of hair. “Jizz is better than any throat lozenge on the market.”
You’d swear I’d spent the last decade at a nunnery for how long it takes me to decipher his reply. Then, in under a second, I go from wanting to fall to his knees and beg for forgiveness for trying to ruin the best thing that’s ever happened to him, to wanting to rearrange his face with my fists.
Even if I hadn’t bedded his girl, I’d still feel the same.
