Scorched Beats – By Arell Rivers #6
“Where I can give you a proper greeting,” he corrects. When we enter the busy freeway, he says, “Since we’re stuck in LA traffic, I have something I want to discuss with you.”
He sounds more serious than I’ve heard him, so I give him a sideways glance. “Everything all right?”
“Better than all right.” He rubs his large, capable hands on his thighs. “I have a proposition for you.”
I smile. “I think you already did that before.”
He returns my grin. “Then I have another one. When I got back to work, I had a long chat with my buddy Damian Marshall. He’s UC’s director of merchandising.”
He stops speaking. When he doesn’t restart, I fill the void, “I’m happy for you?”
Ashton ignores my question and takes a different tack. “You’re a writer. Which means, by definition, you’re not locked into an office space.”
“In theory, yes. But out here in LA, being around other aspiring screenwriters, is helpful.”
“I understand. However, your class is over, right?”
“Yes.” Where is he going with this?
“So, I’ve been thinking. You can write anywhere on earth. At this point, you don’t really have a permanent place to live. And Damian says UC desperately needs another person to help with all the band’s merch.”
He can’t be asking me to join UC’s tour. With him. I shake my head. “What, exactly, are you saying, Ashton?”
His hand lands on my thigh. “I’m saying, if you’re interested.
” He stills. “No. That’s not it at all.” He blows air through his mouth, and from my peripheral vision, I see his hair move off his forehead.
“What I’m asking is whether you’d like to join me on tour with UC?
You’d have a job working merch plus you can keep up with your writing.
The best thing is we could spend more time together, seeing what develops between us. ”
I process all he’s said. My body hums the entire drive, as if it were a separate being from myself.
I’d have a position that would give me the flexibility to continue writing, like my job at the library did.
I’d also be given a place to stay. Plus, the best part of it all—Ashton and I could explore this indescribable relationship growing between us.
I grip the steering wheel tighter. “You’re too good to be true.”
“No, I’m just a man on a mission. I’ve lived way too many years without you in my life. Now that I’ve had a taste of you, I never want to let you go.”
When he says things like this, I fall even harder for him. Still. “This job from Damian?—”
“What about it?”
“It’s legit? This isn’t some made-up position, is it?”
He chuckles. “Nope. I can personally attest to how much he’s been working. He needs help.” He runs his fingers through his hair. “Poor guy’s a disaster.”
“I want to interview with him. This has to be on the up and up.”
“He already gave me his schedule so you can figure out a good time to meet while he’s out here.”
Excitement buzzes through my body. “Thank you! Assuming everything goes well with him, I definitely want to go on tour with you. I haven’t been able to shake our night out of my mind. I want more.” So much more.
We barely make it into his hotel room before tearing our clothes off each other. When we come up for air and order room service, I check out Damian’s schedule and set up an interview for tomorrow morning. My life is finally turning around.
My meeting with Damian confirms this. He’s definitely overworked, and I’m sure my skills will assist in streamlining things. I tell him I’ll join the tour in a week—I’ll simply allow my rental with Airbnb to end so another family can get help. This is really happening!
Later, I’m hanging with Ashton backstage before UC’s turn in the lineup. Because I can, I kiss him, loving the feel of his arms around me.
“Babe,” he says. “Unless your butt’s vibrating, I think you’re getting a call.”
Giggling, I take a step and pull my cell out of my back pocket. Holding up my finger, I walk to a quieter area and answer my agent’s call. “Hey! I’m at the Hollywood Bowl for the charity concert. What’s up?”
“I don’t want to interrupt, so I’ll be quick. I just got off the phone with Netflix, and they’ve greenlit your screenplay.”
I scream, “What?!” People surrounding me turn at my excitement, but I don’t care.
“Congratulations, Renata! You did it!”
I jump and do a jig, then spin around to find the man who has taken up residence in my heart. Ashton rushes to my side. “Spill. You look like you’re about to explode.” I tell him the good news and he picks me off my feet, kissing me like we’re all alone. “I’m so proud of you!”
Our celebration ends when it’s announced UC’s up next.
Ashton grabs my hand and leads me over to where they’re gathering.
“Guys, I’d like to introduce you to Renata Pruitt.
Damian hired her to do merch for us and her screenplay was just picked up by Netflix.
Plus she’s,” he gives me a huge smile, “my girlfriend.”
The five members of this world-famous band, all towering walls of muscle, high-five Ashton and approach me.
Lead singer Bennett Hardy, drummer Río Sullivan, guitarist Coop O’Shea, bassist Pierce DeLuca, and keyboardist Tristan Lambert all welcome me to the UC family. I’m flying high for their entire set.
After the fantastic concert, which raised more money than I even thought possible, I’m back in Ashton’s hotel room.
I share my awesome news about my job and Netflix with my parents, who celebrate as loudly as I did.
When I turn off my cell, Ashton does a striptease for me, which I reciprocate.
Naked, sated, and beyond happy for this new chapter to unfold, I kiss the man who holds my heart.
He grins. “What was that for?”
“For never stopping believing. For offering me a world I didn’t realize I wanted. For being the best you possible.” I hug him tight. “I can’t wait to see what happens next!”
Arell Rivers writes steamy celebrity contemporary romances, usually about rock stars.
Her heroes are hot, her heroines are driven, and their passions ignite the page.
This Jersey Girl promises that with each of her books, you’ll laugh, cry, and go on an emotional rollercoaster—all ending with an HEA.