Page 11

chapter ten

Tuck

The getup Emily was currently shimmying in across the makeshift stage was little more than a tasseled, rhinestone-studded bikini. The thigh-high boots added a bit more coverage and yet somehow made the outfit that much more risqué.

Risqué? You sound like a crotchety old man. Just enjoy it.

The problem? I was enjoying it. A little too much. I pushed my sunglasses up my nose, angling my head so it appeared I was looking off to the side when I was really staring at her. She did have an amazing body. Toned yet rounded in all the right places. Long, shapely legs. And though I couldn’t see them now, I knew even her ankles were pretty. And the way she moved. Graceful. Effortless. Sexy as hell. God, the way she’d feel underneath—

“Are you all right, man?”

I turned at the sound of the man’s voice next to me. The tall, blond guy was looking at me with concern. He waved his hand in front of his face. “You look like you’re in pain. Too much to drink last night?” He grinned, nodding to my sunglasses.

I pushed the shades up, so they rested on top of my head, squinting as a spotlight from the stage glanced off something shiny and hit me in the eye. “No, it’s just unusually…bright in here.”

He laughed. “You get used to it.” He held out his hand. “I’m Charlie, Emily’s boyfriend. You must be her new bodyguard.”

Ah, the boyfriend. I gripped his hand. The guy looked familiar, but I couldn’t say why. When I glanced over his shoulder, a very large man with a buzz cut and wearing all black stood with his hands clasped casually in front of him, but obviously watchful. Charlie’s security? He must be someone famous in the music industry too. My eyes returned to him. “Tuck Mattice. Nice to meet you.”

“Welcome to her team. It’s great to have you here. Your presence will really give her peace of mind. And me too. Especially on this tour. You never know what to expect from fans. Most of them are a hundred percent nice and genuine. But there’s always that fringe, you know?”

I’d take his word for it. To my mind, anyone who followed anyone around town, much less around the country, was less than stable. Then again, my own judgment had been questionable—to say the least—for much of my life, so I’d work to tone down my assumptions when it came to Emily’s fans .

Also, I didn’t want to undermine Emily’s talent. She was a beautiful singer. Her voice had moved me when I was nothing more than a kid. I remembered standing off to the side while she’d sung for our families. I’d always separated myself from the others when she performed, because I’d wanted to direct all my focus on her and her alone. It’d felt like witnessing a small miracle. She was a star now, or so I’d been told, but God, I’d been starstruck by her back then. Totally and completely.

Currently though? The number she was gyrating to was overly fast, the recording making her voice sound strange and electronic, doing nothing to highlight her natural velvety soulfulness. A particularly high note made me cringe as Emily danced across the stage, ending in a dramatic pose. A smattering of applause from the small crowd went up and I let out a sigh.

Emily unclipped the microphone she’d been practicing with and then stepped off the stage, a bounce in her step as she walked toward us. She was breathless and glistening with sweat, and I had the sudden flashback of Emily running toward me during a game of tag, as we wove and ducked through the orange groves. Only this time, she was a woman and her…tassels were bouncing. I felt my blood notch up a few degrees at the sight of all that flushed, glowing skin. I looked away as she arrived where we stood, seeing her go up on her tiptoes and kiss Charlie on the lips from my peripheral vision.

“I see you took some liberties with the uniform,” Emily said.

I looked back at her, one perfectly drawn eyebrow arched as her gaze moved down my body over the medium gray cotton T-shirt and dark gray jeans, down to my black boots. “Yeah, about that,” I said. “I just couldn’t find exactly what Destanie described. I hope this will work.”

“The main point is that you’re comfortable,” Charlie said, clapping me on the back. “If there’s trouble, you need to be able to move. And move fast. Right, babe?”

Emily gave him a noncommittal hum as her only response. “How’s your hotel?” she asked.

“It’s perfect. More than I hoped for. Thanks.”

“Great.”

“Great.”

For a moment we simply stared at each other, some sort of tension swirling in the air. I wasn’t sure what it was, or maybe I didn’t want to look at it too closely. Didn’t want to see something that wasn’t there simply because I was way out of practice with women. All I did know was the hair on the back of my neck was standing up and my clothing began feeling overly tight as the seconds ticked by and neither of us looked away.

Charlie pulled Emily toward him, wrapping his arm around her waist and splaying his palm over her bare stomach. Emily startled slightly and looked up at him, her expression melting into adoration. “I’m glad to see you’re lip-synching, babe,” Charlie said. “Things will go a lot more smoothly that way, and you can give your all to the dance numbers.”

What? “You’re not really singing?” I blurted. I’d thought the recording was just being used for rehearsal purposes.

Emily’s eyes jerked to me. “No,” she said as she pulled her shoulders back. If she was trying to hide the defensiveness in her tone, she failed.

I remembered the sweet sound of her voice, the way her natural talent had been obvious to everyone from the time she was a little girl. “That’s too bad.”

“Is it? In my view, nothing about this seems bad.” She swept her arm around the room, indicating, I supposed, her entourage, the spotlights, the sequins, the bright and shiny fruits of her labor. Or her luck. Or whatever had gotten her here. Because apparently, it wasn’t her voice. They’d changed that into something robotic and unrecognizable.

I followed her arm, squinting into the dizzying lights, the electronic sounding track still playing, though softer now. They’d made her sound like a relative of The Chipmunks. It made me cringe. “You sure?” I asked.

“ Very. ” Her jaw was tight and if she was a bird, her feathers surely would have ruffled. That tension again. Swirling. Emily had stepped forward, and now her eyes blazed up at me, chin lifted stubbornly. I hadn’t felt myself move, but apparently I had, because suddenly, we were practically standing toe to toe, chests rising and falling in tandem. Her cheeks were flushed, and we were far too close. This was inappropriate and so was what I’d said. I stepped back.

The way she looked though… It reminded me of how she’d looked when she’d been a young girl and challenged a score, or a win, or a tag, or any other small rule loophole she could find. Which had been often. She’d never been a very graceful loser. The memories made me want to smile. Almost.

I hated all these memories that kept rushing back, ones I hadn’t even realized I still carried. Because they reminded me that I still held some tenderness deep down for the defiant little brat I’d once known.

But mostly, they made me dislike what she’d become.

“Uh, hey, Emily babe,” Charlie said on an uncomfortable chuckle, clearly confused about whatever was going on between us, something even I couldn’t exactly figure out. “Why don’t we go get a bottle of water? You gotta be thirsty after all that dancing.”

“I am. Thirsty,” she said, addressing Charlie but still staring at me. “Grab me a water, will you, Tuck?”

“I’m your bodyguard—not your gopher.”

Her mouth fell open.

Are you trying to get yourself fired, Tuck?

Maybe. Maybe I was. Because I had a recent history of being self-destructive. Reactive. Stupid. Prideful.

And look where it’d gotten me. I pulled in a deep breath. “It’s safer if I remain where I am, guarding this entrance. It’s been propped open for air all afternoon. Anyone could walk right in.” I softened my voice, motioning to the door behind us.

Emily’s gaze moved to the door and then back to me, narrowing suspiciously. But then she let out a slow breath as she stepped back, apparently appeased, at least for the moment.

She took Charlie’s hand in hers and, without another word, turned and began to walk away.

“Nice to meet you, Tuck,” Charlie said.

“You too,” I murmured as I lowered my sunglasses once more, grateful now that Destanie had suggested they be part of the uniform.

I watched Emily as she uncapped a bottle of water, tipping her head and drinking half of it, her slender throat moving as she swallowed. Charlie laughed at something the woman next to him said, leaning toward Emily as though letting her in on the joke, his hand resting on the small of her back and then sliding down to her ass before again moving up and coming to rest on her lower spine. She smiled at him half-heartedly. I massaged my jaw. She glanced over her shoulder at me, and I turned my head slightly so that it appeared I was scanning the small crowd. When she’d rejoined the conversation, I focused my gaze on her again, watching as she pulled at her top, grimacing and readjusting it. I saw the edge of a red welt where the sequined fabric had obviously dug into her flesh. So that was why she wanted me to wear tight spandex or whatever. She wanted everyone around her to be as uncomfortable as she was. I stretched my arms, glad I’d disobeyed the instructions.

The woman onstage who had been going over some moves with the backup dancers called Emily’s name, and she gave Charlie a kiss on the cheek and headed back to join them.

When I looked back at the table laden with snacks and drinks, Charlie and his bodyguard were gone. I walked to the door, closed it and flipped the lock and then went to grab a water but when I got there, I didn’t see any among the cans of soda and energy drinks.

“Can I help you find something?” I looked up at a pretty brunette wearing a lime-green sports bra and a pair of small white shorts. I recognized her from the earlier dance number.

“I was just looking for a bottle of water.”

She looked over the drinks. “Oh. I guess they ran out. There’s a refrigerator around the corner there in the lounge where extra supplies are kept. Do you want me to go check?” She gestured behind her, then brought her hand forward, holding it out to me and smiling. “I’m Caycee, by the way.”

“Hi, Caycee. Tuck. I’m Emily’s bodyguard. And no, that’s okay. I’ll go grab it. I need to stretch my legs anyway.”

“Oh! Emily’s bodyguard. That’s great. I’m a member of the dance team. Welcome to the family. It looks like we’ll all be getting to know each other well over the course of the tour.” Her smile grew and her eyes moved down my body, giving me a suggestive stare. “By the way, a group of us are going out for drinks after this if you’re available.”

“Ah, maybe. I’ll see. Thanks for the invite.”

“Sure, catch you later.”

I moved around her, heading in the direction she’d indicated. Before rounding the corner, I glanced at Emily, confirming she was onstage, surrounded by the other performers hopping around and that the door I’d shut and locked was still closed.

As I approached the lounge, I heard two male voices, speaking in hushed tones and halted. Worried I was interrupting something, I began to back away when I heard Charlie’s name spoken by a man with an exceedingly deep voice. The security dude I’d seen standing behind him earlier? “What do you want?” he asked.

My muscles froze, ears perking up as their voices grew quieter like they’d turned away from where I stood. “I’ll need to stock up—might not have good connects in some of these places I’m traveling over the next couple months. All the usuals—dust, bars…some molly, you know.” Charlie’s voice.

“Got it. I’ll pick ’em up tonight.”

Holy shit. I’d lived in the heart of Los Angeles. I was well acquainted with the terms used to reference drugs. I guess Charlie wasn’t the golden boy he appeared to be.

Damn, Emily really knew how to pick ’em.

I heard rustling sounds and then footsteps and backed up slowly. Charlie walked out of the room, head down, putting some bills back in his wallet as he turned in the other direction. I blew out a slow breath. He hadn’t seen me.

I started to turn away when the brute of a bodyguard exited the room, our eyes meeting. “Do you know if the bathroom’s this way?” I asked.

He paused, his eyes narrowing for a brief second before he raised his arm and pointed behind where I stood. “That way.”

“Right. Thanks.” I turned and walked away.

I stopped in the lounge on my way back from the restroom, grabbed a pack of water, and delivered it to the table laden with snacks and drinks. Caycee came up next to me, disconnecting one of the waters from the plastic and grinning. “Thanks.”

I smiled back. “No problem.”

Charlie was standing near the stage now, watching Emily rehearse, and I took a sip of water as I thought about what I’d heard between him and his security guy. “Hey, Caycee, that guy over there, Charlie? What does he do?”

Caycee laughed, almost choking on the sip of water she’d just taken. “You’re kidding right? You don’t know Charlie Cannon? He’s, like, one of the biggest movie stars right now.”

Huh. With the amount of product I’d just heard him “order,” he must be a known partier. “What’s he like?”

“He’s super nice. He has a reputation in the business and with his fans for being really wholesome. And he’s mega rich.” She picked up a bag of trail mix, opened it, and started pushing the M&M’s aside to get at the peanuts. “He lives in this insane mansion in Bel Air. He threw this lavish party for Emily when her single hit number one, and all of us who were in the video were invited.”

Wholesome? Unless my definition of wholesome was considered narrow, Charlie was a phony. Or maybe that was just the persona he played for the media and Emily was well aware of his vices. Maybe she even partook in some. An emotion that felt a lot like protectiveness buzzed along my ribs, but I willed it away. It was none of my business.

Having plucked out all the peanuts and a few raisins, Caycee dropped the bag of perfectly good M&M’s in the trash. This woman was clearly off , even if she was hot.

I’d thought I was surrounded by degenerates for the last six years. Hollywood might give prison a run for its money.

The music stopped, and Charlie lifted Emily from the stage, her body sliding down his as she laughed. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and her eyes met mine over his shoulder, then moved to Caycee and back to me, her smile slipping.

Charlie set her down on the floor, cupping her jaw and kissing her. I turned, focusing on Caycee, who was saying something about the guy’s three infinity pools. She laughed at some joke she’d made, twirling her hair, her eyes twinkling. I smiled back. I’d thought I didn’t want company, but maybe I should rethink that. “Are you still planning on going out for drinks?”

“Yes! Will you join us?”

“Yeah. Let me make sure I’m officially off duty. I’ll be right back.”

“I’ll be waiting,” she called, giving me a small wave and a smile.

Emily and Charlie both turned as I approached. Emily’s gaze slid from me to the place over my shoulder where Caycee was standing. “If you’re done here for the day, I’m assuming I’m free to go?”

Emily put her hands on her hips, her lips thinning as she again glanced behind me. “Yes. You’re free to go. But, Tuck, there’s no cavorting with other members of my team. It gets far too messy.”

“Cavorting? I didn’t see anything about cavorting in the contract.”

Her expression faltered momentarily. “Well… I’ll add it in.”

“Too late. I already signed.”

Somehow, once again, without me knowing, we’d moved closer as we spoke so that we were almost standing toe to toe. “So, you’re saying you are going to…cavort?”

I almost laughed, but held it in. I was irritated, but I was also slightly amused by the natural way she and I seemed to fall back into childhood bickering. Truthfully, I wasn’t planning on “cavorting” with Caycee. I didn’t need any complications. But I wasn’t opposed to finding a willing woman at a local bar to relieve some pressure. “No. But if you’re going to make amendments to my contract, I’ll have to sign a new one. My job duties should be spelled out in black and white. I wouldn’t want to misstep because you and I weren’t clear about what was expected of me.”

“That seems fair,” Charlie cut in, taking a few steps toward Emily.

She looked up at him, appearing almost startled by his presence. “Sure. I’ll have a new contract drawn up,” she said.

“Great.”

“Great.”

I felt a hand on my arm, and Caycee came up next to me. “Ready?” she asked.

“Sure. See you tomorrow,” I said to Emily, offering Charlie a chin tip. Just before we both turned away, something crossed Emily’s face that looked vaguely like hurt. I felt a punch in my gut and for just a moment, she looked exactly like the girl I’d once known despite all the ways that she had changed. I paused, feeling as if I should say something to…what? Soothe her? Make it so we were parting on terms that weren’t as strained? There were all these weird lines I kept spontaneously crossing. But it didn’t matter anyway. The moment had passed, and she was already moving away.