6. Ronan
ronan
. . .
“You gotta stop watching that,” Perry tells Grayson. “Good or bad, it’s best we don’t know.”
“How can you say that?” Grayson asks, but he tosses his phone on the seat beside him. The sound of our ex-band member spouting off a load of bullshit about us to the press cuts off.
“Easily.” Perry squirts water into his mouth from the gym bottle. When we showed up at his house, we interrupted his workout. “We knew he’d react badly.”
“Fuck knows why,” I mutter from my seat on the couch. “It’s not like it came as a shock.”
A week has passed since Christopher was fired from the band. Seven days of hell with him trying to contact us all. Management told us to avoid him, but it’s hard.
As much as he’s been a complete prick for months now, we were once close. Like brothers. I haven’t made the mistake of answering, which comes with its own consequences.
Grayson is closest to him. It’s wearing on him, and in turn, making Caden apprehensive. He’s attuned to his twin’s emotions.
I’m furious at Christopher for making Caden feel like he isn’t good enough to replace him as our lead singer. The guy is already having doubts without that bullshit being dumped on him.
We can’t afford to sit back and let him keep spouting this shit. People are desperate to hear from us. It’s happening. The official unveiling, as people are calling it, of the new band line up. It’s already leaked about Caden, which is why he’s so tense.
The doorbell chimes and Perry goes to answer. We’re all silent when he comes back with our manager, Marissa. She glances around at us all and rolls her eyes.
We’ve worked with Marissa from the beginning of Velvet Echo.
“I’ve finalized everything with the photographer.” Marissa, drops onto the couch beside me. “I checked out her work, and we had a video call yesterday. She’s done some magazine work in the past, some runway, now she focuses on studio work.”
“I don’t need a resumé recap. I found her, remember?”
“You were right, her work is amazing. She doesn’t have much experience with what we want but I like her, so I’m willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. ”
“All we want for now are portraits and a few group shots. Cora can pull it off.”
We’re meeting Cora at her studio today to do promo shots of the band. My plan is to get her on board for the album cover, and then other things. Work related, obviously.
Marissa eyes me and puts her feet up on the table. “What are you not telling me, Ronan?”
“Nothing.”
The others look at me. I shrug. They’ll figure it out when they see her.
“Hmm.” Marissa tips her head back, looking at the ceiling. “I don’t have to worry about that where you’re concerned, right? Small mercy Christopher isn’t here,” she mutters. “He’d have her in bed before we even sign the contracts.”
I dislike her insinuation. Cora isn’t like that.
Marissa blows a bubble with the gum she’s chewing. I lean over and pop it, making it explode on her face.
“Ronan, Jesus.” She surges up. “Why’d you do that?” She pulls at the gum in her hair to separate it.
“Temptation, it’s a terrible thing. You were saying?”
She gives me a filthy look and goes to the mirror over the fireplace, picking at the pink blobs stuck to her skin.
“I take it she’s hot?”
My glare goes to Grayson, he smirks and picks his phone up again. We all watch but he shoves it in his pocket, instead of checking it.
“We going then?” He rises and walks to the hall.
Perry says he’ll catch up because he needs a shower and the rest of us head out .
I’m excited. I haven’t seen Cora since the day I showed up at her studio, but I have texted her a few times. Strictly business. And finding out a few more songs she likes.
Stefan is with us. I don’t think it’s necessary to have a bodyguard. If anything, it’ll be fun seeing Stefan come face-to-face with Cora again.
When we arrive in Venice, Stefan tells us to wait while he and Marissa check things out. Gray is staring out of the passenger seat window. Caden is on his phone. The entire way here I’ve been listening to my Walkman.
Caden nudges me and dips his chin at his brother. He’s been trying to talk to me.
“How do you know this photographer again?” Gray asks.
I slip off my headset. “Met her at Brand’s wedding.”
“She was the photographer?” He turns to look at me.
“A guest.” He looks skeptical. “Diego knows her, he vouched for her. Not that he needed to, I’ve seen her work.”
He gives me the side-eye, but I’m saved from answering by Stefan indicating it's safe to go in. There is no escaping the sight of that red hair behind Stefan. Despite his bulk, it’s the first thing I see when we enter the building.
I barely notice the others as they take stock of where we are. Who cares if it’s not some fancy studio we hired. Or some highly sought after photographer who costs an actual bomb to work with. Wait until they see her studio with its two small sets. Not that the guys will judge Cora.
My smile grows when Cora steps around Stefan, looking him up and down like she is sizing up how difficult it will be to knock him out of her way. Very, if our more unfriendly fans are anything to go by.
“Cora, so nice to finally meet you in person and not on a screen.” Marissa heads toward her like they’re old friends, not someone she only spoke to once. It’s one thing I like about Marissa.
“You too,” Cora greets her.
Hmm, she’s wearing gray linen pants and a white shirt that is tied up in a knot on her navel. Her fire engine red hair is loose around her shoulders, with a curl to it. She’s made an effort to look professional. Or maybe this is how she greets all her clients.
Cora suggests we head to the studio before other tenants arrive. I’ll let her off for not greeting me personally. Gray and Caden exchange one of their twin looks, then both turn to me. One of Gray’s eyebrows is up, Caden is smirking. I ignore them both and turn to follow Cora.
My feet stop and I can’t help but stare. Oh, damn.
On the facing side, she’s all business and professionalism. Turn around and there is one hell of a party going on in the back. The back of her shirt scoops to just above her ass. It’s nice and tight, hugging every curve and contour.
That isn’t what’s got my attention, or the others as they all stare.
There is a tattoo of a Chinese dragon on her back, the kind that looks like a snake, but with a much more feminine touch. It swirls and twists down her spine ending in feathery tendrils, with the whole thing surrounded by delicate leaves and two beautiful pink flowers .
My fingers itch to run down it, tracing the lines, teasing the little ridges of her spine, imagining the softness of her skin. Not the time to think along those lines, especially given my dick is throbbing.
I only have one tattoo. It’s a road map on my chest of my home city.
Perry has the most out of all of us and Dru shares his love of being inked.
Caden and Gray each have a sleeve, the opposite arm to the other so when they stand side by side and line up their arms, parts of the image meet.
Impressive shit on the part of the artist.
There is no time to comment as Stefan ushers us after Cora, and I take a moment to adjust myself. Inside the studio, it’s as I remember. Cora isn’t trying to impress anyone.
“Sorry for rushing you inside, there is only so long we’ve been able to keep the other tenants out of the building.”
“That’s fine, we appreciate it,” Marissa tells her as she takes the place in. She gives me a quick look I can only interpret as she thought it would be more than this, and I shrug in response.
We’ve all gotten too used to the huge, showy song and dance that comes along with being in Velvet Echo. I, for one, am glad we’re taking shit down a notch for this new start. It’s fitting we’re here in an intimate and modest studio.
Things are going to be different without Christopher. He loves everything to do with fame and people flocking around him. He would have looked so far down his nose at Cora.
“What are you scowling at? You picked this place?” Caden says .
“I was thinking how Christopher would react to it.”
He lets out a huff. “Guess this is the perfect place for a new start.”
See, Caden gets me.
“Hey everyone,” Cora draws our attention. “I’m Cora. I’m going to be running the shoot today. This is Anya, she will assist with make-up and wardrobe.”
Damn, I didn’t even notice the other woman in the room. She steps up next to Cora and a faint groan comes from behind me. This little pixie is exactly Grayson’s type.
He happily heads over first to get ready while the others check out the concept Cora has come up with on the white board by her desk.
I lean against the wall and watch her. She talks to everyone, answering questions, making big hand gestures as she explains her vision. She’s passionate about this.
Marissa thinks this is all about a big pay day for Cora. Watching the light in her eyes and the smile on her face as she talks about photography tells me this girl would happily do it for free, for the sheer joy of her craft.
That is incredibly sexy to me. And she’s damn good at it too.
She’s very thorough as she talks to everyone else in the room. And very thoroughly avoiding me. Well, that ends now.
“Hi.” I step in front of her as she is about to turn around, and it makes her stumble to avoid crashing into me. That wasn’t my intention, but it means I get to reach out and steady her. To touch her .
“Do you always sneak up on people?” She lifts her brow and gives me a cheeky look that starts up a heavy drum beat in my chest.
“I was just coming to see if you want to walk me through the plan?” I wink.
“Are we going to pretend you didn’t hear everything while you stood over there watching me?”
“I’m impressed by your directness, Cora. It’s perfect.”
Her head cocks to the side and she stares into my eyes. “Careful, Ronan, that’s the second time you’ve told me I’m perfect.”
“Hey, I tell it like I see it, too.”
She is about to say something snarky, if her little intake of breath and her lips parting are anything to go by. No words come out. A sense of pride fills me. I stumped her with that comment.
“Um…” She brushes her hair behind her ear. I grin like an idiot. Cora nudges me in my stomach and walks around me. “We should get started. Grayson, are you ready?”
“I’m all yours,” he says sauntering over to the set, eyeing me as Cora walks over to join him.
“Over my dead body,” I mutter.
“That girl will eat you alive.”
My eyes lock on Cora as she adjusts some lights and picks up her camera. “Who says I wouldn’t enjoy it?” I say in response to Marissa’s observation.
Marissa fake gags. Usually, I’d have something to say about that, but my focus is one hundred percent on Cora. The guys could start a naked conga line and it wouldn’t distract me.
“I think I’m in love.”
Marissa groans. “God help us all.”