Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 98823 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98823 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
“Gotcha.” Now I could tease, and my sleep-deprived laugh came out close to a giggle. “That’s not background reading. You’re a fan.”
“Whatever.” Shouldering his bags, he gave a dismissive wave before sighing heavily. “We should have used a back entrance.”
“There’s a joke there…” I laughed as I stepped out of the way of three women in white coats.
“Don’t reach for it,” he warned.
“You’re no fun. And some of those fans waited all night,” I pointed out, stifling a yawn. In truth, I was a little tired from not getting enough sleep on the bus and working the crowd. I’d never admit it to Duncan, but the way the dentists waiting for the elevators paid us no mind was something of a relief. I needed to recharge. “I like rewarding their dedication.”
“You’re encouraging them to infringe on your privacy.”
I shrugged. “Privacy is overrated.”
“Ha.” He gave me a scornful look as our turn for an elevator finally arrived. “You’re an only kid, right?”
“Yup.” I followed him into the elevator, grateful we got one to ourselves as the line for the elevators dwindled. “I was a late-in-life surprise for my folks who’d been told kids weren’t in the cards for them.”
“Trust me that if you ever had to share a room with someone you absolutely can’t stand, you’d be singing a different tune. You only crave something after it’s gone sometimes.” Eyes distant, he shook his head. More of that past pain, which was a weird sort of catnip, drawing me in despite my better sense.
“Wise words. But I thought you were essentially an only child like me since you and Danny have different moms?”
“We do. Wives two and three for Dad.” He looked away, taking a moment before he replied, body language still tense. “But the first few years of military school, we had mandatory roommates.”
“Oh yeah, Danny mentioned that. He escaped that fate by being tutored on the TV sets. But you had to attend some super-elite East Coast boarding high school, right?” I turned toward him as the elevator doors closed again.
“Yup. A Lubov family tradition. Seventh grade through high school graduation. And yeah, it was in Virginia, so about as far away as a California kid could get.” He leaned back against the metal wall. “And trust me, there were plenty of days I would have given my pinkie toe for fifteen minutes of privacy. I’ve never been so miserable in my life.”
“I’m sorry.” I wished I had something more meaningful to say. Like Danny, I’d been tutored on the Geek Chorus set, then had two pretty damn idyllic years at a private high school to finish up while I’d built the band and spent my nights penning terrible song after terrible song.
“Eh. I survived.” His voice sagged, as tired as his pale eyes. “But I learned to value privacy. That, and seeing my parents all over the gossip sites, cured me of any limelight urges. I like having a personal life that stays personal.”
Ding. The elevator arrived at our floor, and I followed Duncan, confident he wouldn’t shirk his duty to check out my room.
“I can see where bad press would be a turnoff, but it’s easier for me to be an open book, not trying to manage multiple layers of secrets or personas. I spent enough years keeping the label’s secrets. Being my authentic self is worth it,” I said firmly as we arrived at the suite Kate had assigned me.
“Yeah, well, keeping your authentic self safe is my job. And the fan presence means I better go first.” He held out a hand for my key card.
“Be my guest.” I stepped back for him to enter and then followed behind. The door shut behind us with a firm click, leaving us alone.
Alone with a locked door, exactly how I’d teased in chat, but the reality was way more potent than some offhand flirting. The air crackled as the room temperature raised a good ten degrees, reflecting the heat Duncan inspired in me. I didn’t understand how he could drive me up a wall and turn my crank so hard.
I wanted to shove him against the closest wall, but I was good and let him do the bodyguard thing of checking the closets, bathroom, and bedroom. In truth, the suite was overkill for a single night in town, but places tended to upgrade the band. Perk of the name, I supposed, and the large freestanding tub in the bathroom did look awesome for a post-show soak.
“Nice shower.” Duncan nodded at the glassed-in enclosure. “My buddy Harley jokes that I only accepted the condo from my dad because of the bathroom. He’s not wrong.”
“Well, if your room doesn’t meet your needs, you’re welcome to use this one.” I gave him a very deliberate once-over. And even rumpled after a night on the bus, he looked damn good.