Chapter 10
Isabelle
The opportunity to tell the band came up a week later when Sasha asked me to stop by the cottage and supervise their live video. She’d handled the one on Saturday and wasn’t pleased with the results.
Brayden and I went there separately so we wouldn’t shock the guys right away, though I suspected Lars was on to us. I arrived later and waited for them in the bar section of the living room. I wasn’t alone for long though. Brayden joined me a few minutes later, all by himself.
We hadn’t exactly planned this step by step, so I figured we’d behave until after we told everyone. I was so wrong. He moved right in front of me, putting both hands on my waist.
“What are you doing?” I whispered.
“Kissing you. I’ve missed this sassy mouth.”
I grinned. He’d shown up at my office every evening with Paul, waiting for me, so I wasn’t sure if he was trying to charm me or he really meant it.
“Oh, okay.”
He pressed his mouth to mine in a slow, deep kiss. Energy shot through me, setting my nerve endings alight. I rose on my tiptoes as a bolt of unexpected pleasure coiled through me.
He groaned against my mouth, deepening the kiss. I stumbled backward, blindly reaching behind me until I felt a wall.
“Mmm… what a kiss,” I murmured against his lips. “Any special reason it was hot enough that I needed a wall to brace myself?”
He grinned against my lips. “For good luck.”
And then he kissed me again, exploring my mouth with his and my body with his hands. Every part of me he touched was on fire.
“And what was that one for?”
“More good luck.”
“How much of that do you need for a live video?” I teased.
“Lots.”
I laughed, squirming against him. He groaned.
“What are you doing?”
“Oh, that doesn’t count as bringing you luck?”
“Woman, are you trying to make me go live with a hard-on?”
“No, no. That’s all for me. No one else is allowed to see it. I’m very possessive.”
He pressed a thumb at the corner of my mouth. “Good. So am I, Isabelle. So am I.”
Licking my lips, I glanced at the clock behind him and startled.
“Brayden, you’re supposed to go live in five minutes. Come on, let’s find the guys.”
We ultimately had to drag them from the rehearsal room into the main living room. I sat on the huge couch opposite the dining room where the guys were sitting talking to the camera.
The plan was simple. Each of the guys would talk about what drove them to write music, not only for this album but in general.
I was monitoring the comments in real time, making note of what the public was interested in and letting them know by writing keywords on sheets of paper and holding them up for the guys to see.
It was the end of July now, and their concerts started in October, so some questions were about the upcoming events.
They were being filmed by a phone they’d set up on a holder on the coffee table in front of their couch. I was following the comment thread from my iPad, which I kept next to me.
The goal was for the video to feel as natural as possible, but the guys hadn’t wanted to risk babbling about things their fans had no interest in.
Lars spoke first, very comfortable with the camera. It all began smoothly enough because not too many fans had joined in yet, so there weren’t too many comments to read through.
Brayden followed Lars and was much more natural, like it was him and me talking. The guys didn’t switch seats, merely adjusted the angle of the phone.
“I’ve always said that music just comes to me, and it’s true. But sometimes we meet new people who inspire us in a way we didn’t think possible. I strongly believe that my music is the product of everything that happens around me. Of everyone I meet.”
My breath caught. I wasn’t sure if he was speaking to the camera or to me now.
I lost track of what I was supposed to be doing for a few seconds before focusing on the comment thread again.
I threw furtive looks at Brayden over the screen, unable to hide my smile.
He was still looking at me, right over the camera.
There were more comments to sift through now, and I dutifully noted the top three, holding up the sheet of paper for him to see.
Every time he glanced directly at me, I felt myself blush. Jeez, what’s wrong with me? Can the guys tell? Brayden, of course, noticed. There was a playful twinkle in his eyes that was just for me, I was sure of it.
Oh, this man! He could make me lose my train of thought, even when I was on the job.
I resolved to simply not look at him again while the other guys spoke to the camera. But I could feel him watching me. I had no idea how it was possible, but I felt as if it was a physical force wrapping around me.
I focused on the screen, right until the band bid their goodbyes.
“This was fun,” Lars exclaimed. “Isabelle, you’re so much better at this than Sasha. It would be great if you could moderate more of our group videos.”
“Yes, I agree, Isabelle. You should,” Brayden said, flashing a devastating smile.
“I want a snack from the kitchen,” Lars said. “Anyone else?”
Thomas and Harvey went with him, but Brayden stayed put.
Once we were alone, he walked straight to me.
I pointed at him. “Mr. Clarke, you are being bad.”
“What are you going to do about it?”
“I don’t know. But I have several things in mind. You won’t like any of them.”
If possible, his smile was even more smug. “Judging by the way you’re blushing for me, I think I will.”
He held a hand firmly on my waist, brushing his thumb back and forth over my rib cage. “I meant what I said on that video, Isabelle. Meeting you has changed something in me.”
“And now you’re trying to make me swoon.”
“I do what I can.” Grinning, he touched my lips with two fingers, leaning in. His intent was clear.
“Stealing another kiss? What’s this one for? And don’t say good luck.”
“I’ll think of a reason… after I have my fill of you.” His eyes twinkled as he pressed harder on my lips and tightened the grip on my waist, leaning in. He’d barely touched his lips to mine when I heard Lars’s voice.
“Holy shit!”
I winced, immediately turning in the direction of the voice. Lars hadn’t returned alone. The whole band was there. They gaped wordlessly.
Brayden put an arm around my shoulders. “Yes, this is happening. I’m not going to tolerate anyone giving us shit.”
“Wait a second,” Lars exclaimed. “How long has this been going on? The evening of the party, I thought something was up. Tell me you didn’t have sex in the rehearsal room. It’s off-limits. Even your personal one.”
I groaned.
“What part of ‘don’t give us shit’ didn’t you get?” Brayden asked.
Harvey held up his hands. “The man just asked a question. And if anyone cares, I don’t really mind.”
“No one cares,” Lars and Thomas said at the same time.
I felt my cheeks getting hotter by the second. But I was also relieved that the guys were easygoing about this.
“Does Sasha already know?” Harvey asked.
Brayden shook his head. “Not yet.”
Lars frowned. “Isabelle, you’ll have to be prepared for any reporters who might approach you. Do you have a good security system?”
“I don’t need any of that,” I said.
Brayden was silent. I looked up at him.
“I’d feel much better if you had an alarm system at your office and also at your apartment.”
“But there’s a doorman in front of my office building, and I’m on the seventh floor. And even in my apartment, I’m not on the ground floor. I don’t have a doorman there, but how is anyone supposed to come into the building?”
“The press has a way of getting what they want. Fans can also get creative.”
“No one is going to be interested in me,” I insisted.
Brayden caressed my cheek with the back of his fingers. “You can never know for sure. I’d feel much better if you installed alarms.”
“Fine, I’ll do it. I’ll talk to my brothers. They put the alarm in my apartment in Philly, so I’m sure they wouldn’t mind.”
“Sounds good.”
I grinned. “I can imagine their reactions when I tell them I need alarm systems because of the guy I’m dating. They’re going to want to meet you and roast your ass.”
“You seem very pleased about that.”
“Who? Me?” I tried to tone down my grin and failed. “Nah, not at all. But I’m remembering how hard they played their brother card when they thought a guy at a restaurant had a thing for me. Oh, this will be so much fun.”
Brayden glowered. “What guy? What restaurant?”
I could barely hold back a smile. “That’s what stuck with you?”
“Yes.”
“I stand corrected. I think the three of you will get along well. Perhaps a little too well.”