Page 133 of Hard Rock Tease

He nodded. “Then I don’t have anything to worry about?”

“No. Not at all. Whatever we had, it’s over.”

“I like you, Ailey. I’d like to get to know you more. But I don’t want to get stuck between you and another guy.”

“Our decision to break it off was mutual. We both agreed it was for the best.”

“I just want to make sure we’re both going into this on the same page.” He quirked his lips into a smile.

“I think we are.” I gave him a shy smile. “I’ve wanted to meet you for months, after all.”

“I’m the same. Even though I had no idea what you looked like, I loved talking with you and getting to know you. I had a feeling there would be chemistry if we got together in person.”

I bit my lip nervously, wondering if I should ask. I mustered my courage.

“And is there?”

He leaned forward and stroked his fingers down my bare arm, brushing over my palm to the fingertips, causing a shiver to run down my spine.

“Like you wouldn’t believe.”

***

MY DATEWITH Neil had gone wonderfully. We talked for hours, laughing and joking. It really was like we were long lost friends. He walked me back to my hotel room long after midnight. I thought about inviting him in but wondered if it was too soon. He just kissed me goodnight before I could make a decision.

We didn’t manage to get much private time, but ran into each as other as often as would be expected when working together. We kept it professional, only giving each other a few longing stares and brushing our hands together a few times when we thought no one was looking.

Our messaging, though, was another story.

Ican’t waitto feel the heat of your tongue on my cock.

I’m imagining you lying in bed wearing nothing but high heels and panties.

The next time we’re alone, I’m going to spread your legs and fuck you wide open.

Ihad an almostperpetual blush and had to tilt my screen to hide it from prying eyes whenever I received a new notification, never knowing whether or not it was from Neil.

The only negative was the awkwardness of being around Jayce. I’d cornered him to get some answers for a question and answer thread on a popular online forum. His answers were curt, and I found myself having to soften them up before I posted a response.

It was frustrating. I knew he was acting this way because he had seen Neil kiss me, but both of us had decided to break it off. Being together would never work. Besides, it wasn’t like we had a real relationship. We’d kissed one time in a stairwell! That didn’t mean we were boyfriend and girlfriend, and it certainly didn’t mean I couldn’t date other people.

Despite knowing all that, I could understand how he felt. We had made a connection. We were attracted to each other. It must have been hard to see me with another man. Although I didn’t feel sorry for kissing Neil, I did still feel the need to apologize. I waited until the Q&A was done.

“Is that it?” Jayce asked.

“That was the last question.”

He got up from the tour bus sofa and started toward the exit, but I stopped him with a hand on his arm.

“Can I talk to you for a second?”

“What?” He didn’t even turn around.

“It’s about me and Neil. The assistant producer.”

Jayce flopped back down on the sofa, as far away from me as he could get, eyebrows drawn down.

“Why do you call him that, anyway? I thought he preferred Connor.”