“Meh.” He hitched a shoulder. “If the press decide to trash you, then they’ll trash you. They won’t need evidence, just a desire to fuck you over.” For a second, his eyes shimmered, and he blinked slowly a couple times.
“I’m sorry for what happened.”
His features twisted, his eyes crinkling and lip curling in a pained grimace. “It was a long time ago.”
“But you haven’t put it behind you, have you?”
A flicker of annoyance crossed his face, and I braced for him to lose his temper and storm out like he had at the press conference, but moments later, he sort of slumped, as though holding his head up proved far too difficult.
“Can I ask you a favor?”
I tilted my head to the side. “Of course.”
“Can we not talk about the past?”
“We don’t have to, no, but like I said in London, talking to someone might be a good idea. When you’re ready.”
He nodded. “I hear you.” Bringing my hand to his lips, he gently kissed my fingertips. “I’m much more interested in living in the present. The past is done and the future isn’t guaranteed. I’d rather talk about you.”
“I’ve no idea why. I lead a pretty boring life.”
“Gimme a day in the life of CEO supremo Aspen Kingcaid.”
I chuckled. “Supremo. I’ll tell my family that next time they’re showcasing one of my many mistakes.”
“I’m sure they make plenty of their own.”
“I think hearing about the average day in the life of a world-famous rock star would be far more interesting.”
“Okay.” He released me as our water arrived, and we ordered our food. I simultaneously mourned the loss of warmth and was relieved by it. Joz had the intense rock star down to a T, and his touch rattled me. Not in aplease don’t do thatway, but more,Christ, I want to know what it feels like if he touches more than my hand. Until I’d squared the circle on the morality of starting something up with him, I intended to keep my distance.
If not my sanity.
“If we focus on the last few weeks while I’ve been holed up in my apartment, it’s been along the lines of wake up, think aboutyou, make coffee, think about you again. Drink some horrible protein sludge while wondering if you’re thinking about me as much as I’m thinking about you. Write a few lyrics and try not to make them all about you.” He arched a brow. “Average enough?”
“Joz, I’m serious.”
“So am I.”
I shook my head. “You’re a reprobate.”
“Guilty.” He laughed. “Okay, I’ll try not to joke about everything. Ask me a question, and as long as it’s not about Caroline, I’ll answer it. Then I get to ask you one. Deal?”
“Hmm.” I tapped my finger against my bottom lip. His eyes went there, locking on to an innocent movement and making it intimate. I stuffed my hands beneath my thighs instead. “Why did your parents call you Joz? It’s an unusual name.”
“Ah.” He leaned back in his chair and rested his arm along the back. I couldn’t help staring at his tattooed forearms. The man had forearm porn all boxed off. Job filled. No one else need apply.
“My mother wasn’t well after I was born, so my sperm donor was given the important—and clearly far too taxing for his tiny brain—job of registering the birth. They’d agreed on Jon. He was probably too busy flirting with the registrar, and he wrote down Joz. Mum could’ve changed it, I guess, but…” He shrugged. “Paperwork. So, I stayed as Joz.”
That he called his father a sperm donor was interesting, but I wasn’t about to pry. The world wasn’t fair. Not every kid got the parents they deserved. I counted myself among the lucky ones. My parents were amazing.
“My turn.” His eyes gleamed, and I steeled myself. Anything could come out of his mouth.
“I’ll turn that question around on you. Why Aspen? That’s pretty unusual, too.”
I grimaced. “My parents named my two brothers and me after the places we were, um, conceived.”
“No?”
