Chapter 15
FIFTEEN
JEALOUSY
Wasp
With an hour until I had to get to work, I hustled back to the monastery hotel. To where Taylor and I had done things that should have brought thunder and lightning down on the place. Under one arm, I carried boxes of food I’d picked up from a restaurant, iced coffees in the other.
The sun shone, my body ached in the best way, and my smile hadn’t left my lips.
“Well, well!”
I turned at the voice. Alasdair stood in the doorway of a large building, a collection of tall and skinny people around him, and Jennie, his agent, at his side.
He’d given me the address of his audition in case I got there early and wanted to watch him in action—yeah, no—but I’d completely forgotten.
“Holy fuck, man. I’m seeing double. There’s two of you. Except that one’s wearing a beard.” One of the other models thumped my twin on his shoulder.
Ally bounded down the steps and bear hugged me around the food. “Nah, just my brother.” He took me in. “And a very happy brother, too. Where is she?”
I smirked. “Hotel’s just down the road. We needed fuel. Are you finished up?”
Jennie joined us. I’d met her at the castle where she’d visited with her young daughter, ostensibly to bring a contract, but more likely because Ally had talked up the place and she wanted to see our home. They hadn’t been disappointed and, since, he’d gotten more than his fair share of work.
“Ah, William. Every time I see you two together my heart thumps. Do you know how popular identical twins are? How much work you’d get together?”
I gave her a wry smile. “Nice to see you, too. But still no modelling for me.”
The woman sighed dramatically. “Pity.”
Ally turned to her. “You don’t need me until tomorrow morning, right?”
“Correct. The last audition is at ten. Don’t be too hungover if you can avoid it. And for God above’s sake, don’t get into any brawls. This one is the big one. If you get it, you’ll get more work than you can shake a model-skinny stick at.”
“Lover, not a fighter.” My brother tipped a fake hat.
His agent rolled her eyes and tucked her purse stuffed with papers under her arm. “At least it’s only for a face fitting. The rest of it will be my negotiations. See you then. Work on your twin for me overnight, if you can?” She waved and returned to the crew on the steps.
I elbowed Ally. “Come with me now? Taylor will be hopping up and down to see you.”
“Done.”
We fell into step, heading back to the hotel.
“So what the fuck happened to your hair?” I began. Ally usually wore his hair long on top in a floppy boy-band style. Now, it had been cut back to a severe military style like our older brother Gordain used to wear when he was in the RAF.
“Had to shear it back for the audition. My beautiful locks are gone!” He slapped the back of his hand to his forehead in a pretend bout of drama.
“And the face fitting Jennie mentioned? What the hell is that?” Modelling was great money and an enormous trip for him, but that didn’t mean he shouldn’t endure endless teasing about it.
Ally wrinkled his nose. “It’s the last shortlist. Ye stand still in a pair of boxers while the director looks ye over and makes their final decision before hunkering down with the pack of agents.”
“Huh.” Examining him like he was a piece of meat. “How… Um…”
“Dehumanising? Aye. It’s the industry, though. Ye get used to it if ye want the money.” He shook his head. “How’s it going for you following the band? You’re a couple of days in, is it working?”
“Shite. I’m coping but I don’t know for how long. The drive we did overnight helped, but my head’s still stuffed.”
I shifted my grip on the coffee holder, and Ally took it, helping out. Then he extracted one of the cups, checked the contents, and took a sip.
“Ye wee scrotum. How do ye know that isn’t Taylor’s?” I barged him gently.
He grinned. “I’d lay any money you bought her a fancier drink than your black coffee.”
I had. Well, fuck.
“She’s staying with us for the drive to Berlin,” I added.
Now, my brother’s concerned gaze deepened. “That’ll be fun,” he murmured, but his tone held an unspoken question.
We took a right onto the hotel’s road, and I pointed out the monastery ahead. “Can ye do me a favour? Ye know I need to work tonight? Taylor had some unwanted attention from one of the band, so she’s not coming to the gig. Can ye hang out with her until I’m done?”
“Sure thing. I’ll take her skydiving or whatever’s fun around here. What kind of attention?”
I rolled my eyes at him, only half knowing that he was joking. “The singer has an interest in her. Then last night, he grabbed her after he came off stage.”
“Cheeky arsehole. Ye had a word with him, aye?”
I should have gone back. Or called Rex and warned him off. “Not yet. But I will.”
“And have ye fallen head over heels for her yet?”
We’d reached the glass doors of the stone hotel building.
I stopped and ran my hand over my hair, blowing out a breath before returning my gaze to my brother. “No. I know the rules of this. She hasnae talked about her plans, but her mind is made up.”
“And you’re still okay with that?”
I gave a shrug. “Aye, I’m good.” I was all about proving myself, but I couldn’t help the gnawing in my gut that I had the potential to fail hard. In both areas.
Ally pushed the glass door, moving into the air-conditioned lobby. He didn’t reply, but I knew where his mind had gone from the frown marring his brow. I directed us down the open-sided corridor that looked out on a courtyard, found our room, and knocked.
“Taylor? Are ye dressed? I found a stray on a street corner.”
Ally elbowed me, his grin reinstated. The door flew open, and Taylor appeared in the frame. I expected her to go straight to Ally, but she hugged me, hard.
“I missed you,” she said against my lips. “And you!” She turned to my twin. “Bring it in.”
Ally claimed her from my arms and gave her a squeeze, advancing into the room and spinning her around. “You and me tonight, baby. We can go dancing and drinking while this one works, aye? Milan won’t know what hit it.”
Taylor beamed, gorgeous in her joy. In the time I’d been out, she’d transformed herself from my tousled bedmate to a knockout preened version of herself, her hair glossy and straight and her makeup perfect. A short, black dress displayed her long, tanned legs. The lass was a vision.
That my brother was still holding.
It hit me like a bolt of lightning, a savage, atom-splitting burst of jealousy.
I needed his hands off her.
Oblivious, Taylor chattered happily to my twin, sitting on the bed while he took a chair.
She started a story about our drive through the mountains, taking her coffee from him, all while I stood in the doorway, heat winding through me and infusing my limbs with adrenaline.
Ah Christ. This wasn’t like me, I’d never been jealous over a lass.
Certainly not with my brother. She was as safe as houses with him.
I trusted them both.
But a fact struck me. Something I’d always thought true.
If Taylor had met Ally first instead of me, they’d likely have slept together.
“William?” Taylor’s voice roused me from my thoughts. “You have the fiercest expression on your face. It’s super-hot, but are you okay?”
I focused on her again but still couldn’t speak.
Slouched on his wooden chair, my brother burst out laughing. “I think he’s having a moment.”
Taylor swung her gaze between us. “What? What kind of moment?”
I deposited the food bag on the table inside the door and shoved my hands into my pockets, kicking the door closed behind me before leaning back on it. “It’s nothing.”
“Oh yeah, you’re so good with it.” Ally threw my words from earlier back at me. “You’re seething, man.”
“Fuck. I am.”
“Will someone fill me in? Seething over what?” Taylor leapt up and came to me. Her arms wound around my waist, and her blue eyes held mine. “Talk to me.”
“You’ll think I’m messed up.” I gazed straight into those eyes.
“I promise I won’t.” She twisted to look at Ally. “Could you give us a minute? I know you just got here.”
“Nae problem. There was a coffee machine in the reception. I’ll go grab myself a cup before I drink all of this one. You’ll need it more than I will, bro?”
We stepped aside to let my twin from the room, and Taylor moved straight back into my arms.
“Talk to me,” she repeated. “Is it your head?”
I groaned and banged my stupid head on the door. “I didn’t like seeing Ally’s hands on ye, that was all. And it should be me taking ye out, not some other guy, even if he’s my brother. I’m sorry, I know this isn’t part of our deal.”
Recognition dawned in her gaze. “You got jealous?”
I grunted agreement. “Pathetic, aye?”
“Nope.” She grinned and pushed up onto her tiptoes. Then her mouth landed on mine in a single, tender kiss. “It’s actually really sexy. If I saw you with your arms around another woman, I’d be pulling hair and spitting teeth.”
“Really?”
“One hundred percent.” I got another kiss for my troubles. “The only question is whether you genuinely believe I’d chase your brother.”
“Not for a second.”
She inclined her head once. “Good answer. Can we make a new deal then?”
I watched her, my jealousy settling to a more urgent kind of sensation. I’d had her all day and I immediately wanted more. “Tell me what you have in mind.”
“This is working out okay between us, right? You asked me to come to Berlin. How about in that time we push it to the max? As much as we can fit into the time we have together. Then,” she drew a breath, “we fly to the States and have more fun there before we go our separate ways.”
“Taking this as far as it can go,” I murmured, lost in the intensity of her pretty blue gaze.
This escalated our arrangement to another level. I’d had the idea in the back of my mind but I hadn’t dwelled on it, never expecting her to stick around. She’d said that she worried I wouldn’t want her around for that long, but she held all the cards.
She always had.
“Aye, lass. I want that,” I finished.
Taylor hummed a happy sound, then we lost a few more minutes kissing against the door.
A tentative knock broke our love-in. “Uh, guys? I don’t mean to interrupt, but I think ye have to get to work soon. And I’m getting hot under the collar listening to you make sex noises out here. Quit now or be prepared for me to make this awkward.”
“Oh my God.” Taylor knocked her head into my shoulder, her cheeks reddening.
I huffed a laugh then moved us aside to open the door. “Jerk,” I said to my brother.
Ally pulled a ridiculous sex face, easing past us to take his chair again.
“We weren’t up to anything. But you’re right. I need to eat and run.”
In a few minutes, I’d wolfed down a burger and grabbed my camera bag.
With a last kiss to Taylor and a promise to find them in a bar after I’d finished, I was out the door. My angst had gone, but the energy remained. Milan, watch out. Because I was gunning for action.
At the stadium, crowds already milled, and I flashed my pass to get through security. Backstage, in a large white room, the production teams busied at their various tasks. I found Freddie, the publicity manager, and gave him a chin lift. “Any direction for this evening, or do I have free rein?”
He chewed his lip. “I’d suggest you ask Rex, but he’s pissed off.”
“What about?”
“I took photos of the tour bus party last night, and they weren’t exactly brilliant. He’s got this idea that they’ve got one shot to make their name as a top band and therefore need all the bells and whistles.”
Yeah, similar to my aim for the job. I took my camera body from its compartment and clicked a lens into place, a small measure of guilt creeping in that I’d left them. Not at Rex being in a mood, because screw that guy, but at Freddie no doubt getting it in the neck. “Did he yell at ye?”
Freddie grimaced. “A bit. Just get some great stage shots tonight and a few at the party after, and we’ll be good.”
Tonight, I was down for the party. It was taking place at a famous bar, and a number of celebrities were invited. With any luck, I’d get away with an hour of work, capturing the arrivals, then I could escape. I wanted to be professional; I also knew this would be trouble for my fucked-up head.
“Wasp McRae.” Rex’s voice sounded behind me. He sneered, standing a little too close. “Good of ye to show up.”
I’d wondered how he’d be today. Turned out shitehead was his attitude of choice.
Instead of answering, I raised the camera to my eye. Instantly, the man’s expression melted, and he smouldered at the camera, changing position a couple of times while I clicked.
Then I dropped it to my shoulder. “Have a good night, aye?”
Rex grunted and swung away. Then he paused. “Christie Banks will be there tonight. We are going to cause a scandal. Make sure you get that down on film.”
My camera was digital, but whatever. I gave him a curt nod, and he strolled away.
“Christie Banks is a model,” Freddie informed me. He wrung his hands. “I don’t think Rex has met her before, so what kind of scandal can he be expecting?”
Who knew, but I’d have to make sure I got the shot. I put my game face on and got to work.