Page 4 of Hard Rock Tease

Chapter Two

Icouldn't believeI'd met Noah Hart.

I couldn't believe Noah Hart had been so moody and abrasive.

I also couldn't believe I was actually sitting in the vast foyer of Etude Entertainment with marble floors and expensive leather furniture. My stomach was doing flips, and it had nothing to do with the sexy, gruff rock star I'd encountered.

Well. Maybe it had a little to do with that. Okay. A lot to do with that.

I'd been sitting in the same spot for over twenty minutes, though. Straight-backed to avoid slouching, chin up to convey confidence, thighs pressed together to prevent a flashing incident. I exuded a sense of calm, competence, and professionalism.

On the outside, anyway.

On the inside, my mind gibbered away at me non-stop.

Why were they making me wait so long? I didn't care. This was the opportunity of a lifetime. But what if they decided to go with someone else? Of course they'd go with someone else. I was nothing special.

It didn't matter how long they made me wait, though. I'd sit there forever if it meant I had a chance to work with one of the biggest entertainment companies in the world.

Despite my misbegotten encounter with Noah Hart, I'd wait forever if I had a chance to work at the music label that had signed Darkest Days.

I gave myself a mental shake. No use getting all worked up. I might not even get the job. I'd been left waiting for so long. Maybe they really had forgotten me. I'd been a single minute late. That might have been enough to disqualify me.

Light footsteps sounded down the hallway. I stood up with haste, smoothing down my pencil skirt and blouse. I forced myself to breathe deeply, hoping to wipe away any hint of nerves. Thank god my nipples were no longer stiff with arousal.

A woman wearing a smart pantsuit, in her late-twenties or early-thirties at most, stepped into the lobby.

"Jennifer Young?"

I pushed aside all thoughts of a certain grumpy, gorgeous, andgoddamn sexyrock star god. I plastered a pleasant smile on my face.

"Yes, I'm Jen."

"Naomi Sera." The woman held out her hand for a shake. I made sure to grasp it firmly. She pulled out a sheet of paper and handed me a pen. "Before we do anything else, you need to sign this NDA."

"A non-disclosure agreement?"

"Exactly. You can't tell anyone the details of what we talk about today."

I scribbled my name with haste and handed it back to her.

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting." Her black hair, cut short in a severe bob, swayed back and forth as she shook her head, an apologetic look on her face. "I had some trouble with—" She cut herself off with an almost exasperated laugh. "Never mind. You'll see soon enough."

My interest piqued, I followed her through hallways decorated with framed vinyl album covers, each one labeled with its recording sale award, either Gold, Platinum, or Diamond. I recognized almost all the names.

"Will I be meeting with any others?" I wanted to get a feel for how this interview would go. Naomi had sounded nice through the emails we'd exchanged, but who knew how many other people would be interviewing me.

"Just myself and…" she paused for a moment before continuing, "…and one other person. That's the reason I'm so late. He was being difficult. You aren't the first person we've interviewed for this position. The others… didn't work out."

That small hesitation made me nervous. Why wouldn't she tell me who else I'd be meeting with? Could it be one of the big wigs? Someone from the C-suite? And why hadn't the other people worked out?

That question was answered the moment Naomi waved me into an open office.

Scanning the room quickly, I immediately zeroed in on the man leaning against the wall, tattooed forearms crossed over his chest. No leather jacket. From what I could see, the tattoos were random designs, odd shapes and geometrical patterns. If they had any meaning, I couldn't decipher it.

Even with his face turned away and his mouth twisted into a scowl, his presence dominated the room. Although his eyes were averted, he seemed to sense the exact moment I walked in. He tilted his head a fraction of an inch toward me. Dark glinting eyes met mine.

Noah.