“Amy O’Brien. Mr. Rivers, I don’t know how this happened again. There must have been a mix-up. Owen told me to come in here, right away, to talk to you. He said you texted him that you needed to see meurgently. Inthisdressing room.”
Full understanding of Reed’s wickedness slams me upside the head. I swat Reed’s broad shoulder. “Reed Rivers! You’re evil!”
He bites back a smile and calmly addresses Amy. “Remember that time at the Rose Bowl, when youthoughtyou saw Miss Ricci and me doing something in a dressing room, but you were mistaken, because we were only talking?”
“Yes, sir. I didn’t say a word to C-Bomb or anyone else about?—”
“Yes, I know. I believe you. I want to remind you that you’re still bound by your NDA with respect to that incident.”
“Yes, sir. Same as now.”
“No, not the same as now,” he says, shocking me. “I mean, youarebound by your NDA, of course. But I’m giving you special permission to talk about what you just saw. In fact, Iwantyou to talk about what you saw, just now, to anyone and everyone on this tour.Especially C-Bomb.”
I inhale sharply, floored by Reed’s diabolical machinations. But I must admit, I’m holding back a smile. He’s evil, yes. But he’s damned sexy, too.
Reed says, “In fact, if you blab to C-Bomb about what you just witnessed, before he takes the stage tonight, I’ll personally make sure you get a thousand-dollar bonus added to your next paycheck.”
Amy’s eyebrows shoot up. Obviously, that’s a lot of money to her. “What, exactly, do you want me to say to C-Bomb, sir?”
“The truth. What you saw when you poked your head into the room. For real. Now, to be clear, last time is still off limits, Amy. Butthistime, fire away. In fact, let me give you a little something else to gossip about.” He turns and smiles devilishly at me. “Georgina Ricci, I love you, baby.”
I can’t help smiling broadly. “I love you, too, Reed Rivers.”
“And I don’t mean that platonically,” he adds. “I very much enjoy having sex with you, every single day.”
I giggle. “I’m glad. Because I very much enjoy having sex with you.”
Reed kisses me briefly, but sensuously—definitelynotplatonically—before returning to Amy with a smirk. “Did you catch all that, Amy O’Brien?”
She makes a face that plainly conveys her mistrust. Like she’s wondering,Is this a trap? “Uhh,” she says. “I think so?”
“We can do it for you again, if you’re not clear.”
“No, I am. And, congratulations. You two are an incredibly attractive couple. But... I just want to make sure I understand, out of an abundance of caution. You want me to behonestabout what I’ve seen and heard tonight... withCaleb?”
“Correct,” Reed says. “Tell everyone and anyone, as you like. But if you want to earn that bonus, you’ll tell Calebtonight.”
She looks at me. “Are you okay with me doing this, Miss Ricci?”
“I’m thrilled about it, Amy. But thanks for asking.”
“Okay, then. Sure. I’ll head straight to C-Bomb now.”
“Actually, hold on.” Reed grabs his wallet, counts out ten bills, and hands them to Amy. “I trust you to earn it. There’s no need for us to deal with payroll on this.”
Amy takes the cash with a shy smile and disappears out the door, presumably to babble to C-Bomb about the shocking thing she’s just witnessed.
“You’re a sadist,” I say. “That poor girl was nearly crapping her pantsagain. And you clearly enjoyed it.”
“She’s a PA on tour with a rock band. If she can’t handle walking in on a make-out session a few times, she needs a new profession.” He smirks. “Now, where were we, sexy girl?”
“Not so fast. When you texted Owen and arranged for that poor girl to walk in on us again, you didn’t know I was going to say yes about you telling the world about us.”
He shrugs, not understanding my meaning.
“What if I’d said no?”
“Then I would have put the fear of God into Amy O’Brien about her NDA,again. But, either way, I would have had the pleasure of getting walked-in on again. One of my all-time biggest turn-ons.”
