The intercom on my desk buzzed. “Aspen, Mr. Raynor and his manager are here.”
Excitement flickered in my chest. This was it. The payoff for my relentless pursuit of one of rock’s hottest properties. Somehow, my PR team had kept a lid on the news, and the press currently gathering in the ground floor event room had no idea what today’s announcement would be. I’d arranged for Joz to come into the building via the delivery entrance, where a member of my team would bring him to my office. There, we’d go over the final details before announcing the deal to the gathered journalists.
“Send them in.” I rose from behind my desk, smoothing my hands over my hips.
Joz entered, an easy smile on his handsome face, and another deluge of shame washed over me. Behind that smile was a man who’d suffered.
“It’s good to see you, Aspen.”
“And you. How are you feeling?”
“Ready to get this over with so I can get into the studio and do what you’re handsomely paying me for.”
“And you, Mike? Any questions?”
“No, but I do have an apology to make.”
Flicking my gaze to Joz, who simply shrugged, I returned my attention to his manager. “Oh?”
“Yeah. Um.” He cleared his throat. “I know you contacted me and my team several times over the past year or so, and I never returned your calls. I should have. I’m sorry.”
Okay. That came out of the blue.
“It’s all water under the bridge. We got there in the end.”
“Yes, but as Joz pointed out, it is his career. My job is to facilitate, not to make decisions without consulting him.”
Ahh, so Joz really hadn’t known about the overtures I’d made, and evidently, he wasn’t happy about being kept in the dark.
“Apology accepted. We’re here now. That’s all that counts.” I motioned to the door. “Shall we?”
Mike went first. Joz waited until I’d passed, then fell into step behind me. The entire elevator journey down to the ground floor, I felt his presence, his aura. The man was larger than life, and he smelled fantastic. Looked great, too.
Back away from the door marked:Big Mistake.
The elevator doors eased open, and I went first, leading the way through the staff-only areas to a waiting room behind the main conference area. Joz and Mike followed, and when I glanced behind me, Joz’s eyes were locked on my ass.
“Behave,” I admonished, but the smile I couldn’t stop from forming ruined the attempted scolding somewhat.
“Can’t help it. The view is too good.”
I swallowed a laugh. The man was a force, and railing against him was a futile exercise that sapped my energy and got me nowhere. Besides (and not that I planned to tell him this),I was enjoying the attention. For so long, I’d focused on my professional image, my public face basically a man-repeller. But Joz had seen past the frosty, all-business version of me to the woman I couldn’t let myself be in a male-dominated industry.
Still didn’t plan on mixing business with pleasure, though. But that didn’t mean I couldn’t enjoy the perks of this job.
I gripped the door handle and glanced back at Joz with a smile. “Someone in here is very excited to see you.” Pushing open the door, I gestured for him to enter.
“Hey, Presley. How’re you doing, man?” The two men, separated by fifteen years of life and career experience, clasped hands, not so much a shake as locking grips and giving a quick pull. “I heard you signed. This lady here treating you all right? If she isn’t, you know where to come.”
I snorted, even though I knew he was messing with me. Presley, though, missed the nuance.
“She’s been amazing.” He shot a grateful smile my way. “I can’t believe this is happening to me. One day, I hope to have rows and rows of journalists showing up to one of my press conferences.”
“Careful what you wish for,” Joz said. “They’re piranhas, the lot of them.”
“Presley, if you want to watch, you’d better take your seat.” I motioned to the door. “I’ll be out shortly.” I waited for him to leave, then turned back to Joz. “You ready?”
“Sure. I’m a pro. Are you?”
