I stay close for a moment longer, letting my gaze linger on her. “I won’t need it,” I say, my voice low and sure. “Not with you as my muse.”
Her breath catches, just barely, and I smirk as I step back, savoring the way her perfume clings to me, lingering like a promise.
Before I turn to go, I catch the way she’s looking at me—like she’s trying to figure out whether to yell at me or chase after me. I’d take either. Hell, I’d take both.
“You’d better kill it out there,” she says finally, her voice steady again, her mask back in place.
“Don’t worry, sweetheart,” I toss over my shoulder, giving her a wink as I walk toward the stage. “I’m the best there is. Besides, with you watching, I’ll be a hundred times better. The kisses I’ll get when we’re done will drive me harder.”
And I mean it. Every word.
She huffs a laugh like I’m nuts, and I might be, but it’s only for her.
The roar of the crowd builds as I step into the wings, but all I can think about is her. Her scent, her kiss, the way her eyes softened just for a moment when she let her guard down.
I don’t care what Jake says. I don’t regret a damn thing.
CHAPTER 25
Ashlyn
Shelley’s officeis as chaotic as ever. Her desk is piled high with papers, her phone buzzes incessantly, and her assistant is in and out of the room with a steady stream of coffee and messages. I sit across from her, trying to focus on the schedule she’s outlining, but my thoughts keep drifting back to last night.
To Xayden. To the kisses. To the way he said I was his muse.
I swallow hard, crossing my legs to stop my restless foot from bouncing. I need to keep it together. Shelley’s excited chatter pulls me back to the present, her voice bright and animated as she flips through her notes.
“Okay, so let’s talk about the next steps,” Shelley says, leaning forward. “The public loves the idea of you and the guys. The kiss at the show? Absolute gold. But we need to keep the momentum going.”
I shift in my seat, her words pressing uncomfortably against the thoughts I’ve been trying to ignore. “Momentum?”
“Yes!” she says, beaming like this is all part of some grand plan. “The public loves a good love story, and this—Ashlyn, this is perfect. We’ll schedule some fake dates, you and the guys. Notall at once, of course. Spread it out, make it believable. A dinner with one, a concert appearance with another, that kind of thing. It’ll keep the media buzzing.”
Fake dates. Of course.
I nod tightly, my stomach twisting. Shelley’s oblivious to the storm brewing inside me, too focused on her vision for this PR masterpiece to notice. To her, this is all a game, a carefully curated story to keep the public invested. But to me?
The guys aren’t just a story.
“Does that work for you?” Shelley asks, her pen poised above her notebook, waiting for my input like she hasn’t already made up her mind.
I force a smile, hoping it doesn’t look as strained as it feels. “Sure. Sounds great.”
Her grin widens. “Perfect. Oh, and I invited the guys to join us for the planning session. They should be here any minute.”
My heart skips a beat, a mix of excitement and dread crashing into me. “You what?”
Shelley waves a hand, completely unbothered by my reaction. “I thought it’d be good to get their input. Besides, the more natural the chemistry, the better, right?”
Before I can respond, the door swings open, and they walk in.
Todd strides in first, his presence commanding as always, followed by Jake, calm and composed, with West and Xayden close behind. The room instantly feels smaller, the air heavier. My pulse quickens, my body humming with awareness as their scents wash over me—sandalwood and honey, green tea and sage, smoky whiskey, and leather and pepper.
I don’t know how they do it, but the second they’re in the room, it’s like every nerve in my body comes alive. My skin feels warmer, my thoughts scattering as their gazes sweep over me.
“Morning, Ashlyn,” Todd says, his voice low and smooth, his eyes locking on mine for a beat longer than necessary before he looks at Shelley.
“Glad you could make it,” Shelley chirps, oblivious to the way my entire body feels like it’s buzzing with electricity.
