Chapter 3
CHAPTER THREE
Monday morning came way too quickly. I was dragging when I rolled in at eight a.m. Eric was perky as ever, his dark hair still damp from a shower, with two cups from the local coffee shop in his hand.
“Please tell me one of those is for me,” I pleaded, already reaching for the latte.
He knew I always ran late on Mondays and had started grabbing an extra drink on his way to our weekly meeting.
I tried not to read too much into it, though, convincing myself it was just a friendly gesture.
But when his fingers brushed mine, I felt that ever growing surge of awareness spark between us and sucked in a breath.
He felt it, too. I could tell by the way his fingers curled and flexed as though I’d shocked him.
Things changed between us at the release party.
Our connection was undeniable, our attraction to one another growing more apparent by the day.
But I couldn’t give in to the temptation.
I had to stay strong. Building a life and future for me and my child was priority number one, which meant getting involved with a colleague was the last thing I needed right now.
We sat down for our usual Monday meeting and went over the schedule for the week.
The guys had an interview on a morning radio show Wednesday that they needed to prepare for.
That was where I came in. I had the afternoon blocked off for some coaching.
All the band members were straight shooters, but there was a right way and a wrong way to answer questions and I didn’t want them slipping up and saying the wrong thing.
Eric sat in on our mock interview where I peppered each member with questions, encouraging Ethan to take the lead on most responses that pertained to the band as a whole. It was what an interviewer would expect from the lead singer.
By the time we wrapped up for the evening, I was ready to get out of there and head home. Eric stopped me as I slid my purse strap onto my shoulder.
“We’re all going out for dinner. Wanna join us?” he asked hopefully.
“I can’t,” I replied apologetically. “I’ve gotta get home to relieve the babysitter.
” What I failed to mention was that my mom was watching my daughter and would understand if I called her up and told her I was going to be late, but I had to maintain some boundaries.
Eric was making that increasingly difficult.
“No worries. Maybe next time,” he offered with a grin.
He knew I was a mom and that my daughter was just a baby.
He had children from a previous marriage, but he didn’t talk about them much.
I got the impression it was a sore subject for him, as things didn’t end well with his ex.
Not wanting to pry, I avoided the subject and never asked questions.
I wouldn’t want someone digging into my past, so I respected his privacy.
Wednesday rolled around and I insisted the guys get an early start to prepare for their radio interview.
All our hard work paid off, because they nailed it.
Once it aired, the phones began ringing off the hook.
More and more hosts requested interviews, but they would have to wait.
Our next event was the televised interview with a big network in New York City.
We flew out on Thursday afternoon, arriving in the Big Apple just before dinner.
I was a mess leaving Lucia behind, but managed to pull myself together before I arrived at the airport.
She was spending a long weekend with Antonio and his family.
His parents were absolutely smitten with her, just as my mom and dad were.
I knew she was in good hands, but I still missed her like crazy.
We checked into our hotel and found our rooms. Eric’s was right next to mine, a fact I tried to ignore as I got ready for dinner.
The restaurant downstairs was no stranger to celebrities and up-and-coming artists.
I was hoping to get my guys noticed. We’d be sure to post on social media where they were dining using trendy hashtags and cheeky captions.
As soon as drinks were served, a tall figure topped in a black Stetson approached the table.
Ethan nearly choked on his whiskey when one of his idols walked up and shook his hand.
I pulled out my phone and started snapping pictures of him with the five-time country album of the year award winner.
He was a good sport, posing for pictures and even taking a shot with all of us before returning to his table.
“That was insane,” Brooks gushed.
“Holy shit, my hands are shaking! Did that really just happen?” Ethan mused.
“You’re damn right, it did. And I’ve got proof!
” I handed over my phone with a huge grin.
“Those are going straight to your social media profiles.” He scanned through the pictures with the country superstar before passing the phone back to me.
My gaze landed on Eric’s and a blush crept into my cheeks.
He was watching me with a mixture of pride and satisfaction.
After dinner, we decided to check out the nightlife and stopped at one of the swankier clubs.
I was tired and wanted to retire for the evening, but I also wanted to keep an eye on everyone.
The guys tended to get rowdy when left unsupervised.
Eric was pretty good at keeping them in line, but as their publicist, I felt responsible for them and their image.
So I tagged along, bringing up the rear of our little group with Eric by my side.
We never let the guys stray too far from us, keeping to the periphery so they could cut loose and enjoy themselves.
Occasionally someone would recognize them and ask for a picture or autograph, which they happily obliged.
“This never would’ve happened six months ago,” Eric said, leaning in to be heard over the music. His warm breath stirred the hair tucked behind my ear and I fought back a shudder.
“What do you mean?”
“The attention,” he replied, motioning to the gaggle of young women
surrounding the band as they signed random objects and slips of paper. “They’ve never been recognized this easily, not outside Nashville, at least. This is all you.”
His praise warmed me and I basked in it for a moment. My hard work and persistence was paying off.
“Come on, they deserve a little of the credit,” I joked, nudging him playfully. That second beer I had was starting to go to my head, loosening my limbs and inhibitions.
Eric moved in closer, so close I had to tilt my head back to meet his gaze. I held my breath as he stared down at me, a predatory hunger darkening his eyes.
“You are so fucking adorable when you let loose like this. I wanna see more of it.”
“I want to show you more,” I confessed, dropping my focus to his lips.
He drew in a sharp, ragged breath, his chest brushing against mine with his inhale. I fought back a groan, wanting to beg him for more. He glanced up, finding the guys occupied with the ladies but not causing any trouble, and grabbed my hand.
“Let’s dance.” He led me onto the dance floor and wrapped his arms around my waist. Eric may have been country through and through, but he still knew how to move to the sensuous beat playing over the sound system.
I let him pull me in close, our breaths mixing as our torsos slid against each other.
My pulse skyrocketed, his touch causing gooseflesh to pebble my arms.
The song was over too soon. I wanted to stay wrapped in his arms, but I couldn’t. I pulled away just as Ethan approached, dropping my gaze like I’d been caught doing something wrong.
But it didn’t feel wrong.
It felt fucking amazing and I wanted more, but I didn’t want my clients to think I was unprofessional.
“We’re ready to head out,” Ethan announced, clapping Eric on the shoulder. “Got an early start tomorrow, and I need my beauty sleep.”
“Won’t do you any good,” Eric teased, and Ethan chuckled.
We made our way back to the hotel and Eric and I lingered in the hallway as they each went to their rooms. I was torn between inviting him in and escaping to my room to get away from his blazing intensity. I wanted him and he eyed me like he was ready to devour me whole.
I took the coward’s way out and wished him goodnight, kicking myself as soon as the door shut behind me.