Zane leaned down and kissed my neck and I too just about lost any attempt to play it cool. There was Zane and then there was everyone else when it came to sexual chemistry.
The guy looked between us awkwardly. “Didn’t mean to interrupt your evening.”
“No problem,” Zane said with an easy smile. “I hope you enjoy the show.”
It was a dismissal that didn’t sound like a dismissal but the guy took a hint and left.
“The fuck was that about?” Zane asked, like he hadn’t specifically asked me to pick someone else up.
“Just a fan coming over to say hi,” Kelly answered before I could. I narrowed my eyes at him and he looked away.
Zane smirked. “Lying to cover for her…seems you’ve made an impression on Kelly. But I know Maia better than that.” He put his hand on the back of my chair and let his fingertips brush lazily across my collarbone. He put his mouth against my ear so no one else could hear. “You really expect me to pretend that guy was competition? You didn’t give your client what he asked for…”
I started to protest, but he shushed me and said, “Or did you?”
I followed his gaze to where Kelly was watching us with naked hunger in his eyes until he caught us looking and shuttered his expression.
It had just been teasing fun that accidentally escalated. Was he angry? Jealous? It had just unfolded so naturally I hadn’t stopped to think about how it would look to Zane or the conflict a misunderstanding might cause between them.
Zane laughed and it was the first time I’d heard his genuine, delighted laugh since before.
I couldn’t read the look he gave Kelly, but Kelly suddenly became deeply interested in his beer.
“Let’s go,” Zane said, offering me a hand to pull me up from the chair.
He guided me into motion with a hand on my lower back leading me from the swanky bar. “Anything else you want to take off the table before we get upstairs?”
My mind spun trying to anticipate anything I wouldn’t be comfortable with, but I ended up where I always did with Zane…I trusted him implicitly. The trust in our relationship might have been shattered, but when it came to sex he’d never given me a reason to doubt him.
“Nothing I can think of…” I said lightly, like we were just discussing the weather.
His smile almost made me trip over my heels. “Good girl. But if you change your mind, you know how to make itstop.”
35
ZANE
Now
* * *
“Strip.”
The word barely rolled off my tongue before she was reaching for the zipper on her dress. It was gratifying to have her actually obey a command without putting up a fight. She must’ve really wanted to come.
Fuck, I was tired. But I needed this more than I needed sleep.
Tired didn’t begin to cover it. I was jet-lagged and still feeling strung out from the way I spiraled the night before. I did a morning show interview, performed the new single three times for different appearances, took meetings, and interacted with fans—both planned and impromptu.
My last appearance for the day had included a meet and greet that wasn’t well managed, so when they tried to cut it off, there was a big group we hadn’t gotten to yet and I stayed late. Kelly hadn’t been part of it because he was dealing with gear issues, but I hadn’t expected him to be at the bar. From their body language, it was obvious Maia was trying to pull brat behavior with Kelly when I showed up. Which was…interesting. I’d never seen her be defiant with anyone else like that.
I’d spent all day imagining what it would be like to feel the tug of jealousy when I saw her with a stranger, then the triumph of claiming what was mine…but trust her to have taken a more interesting approach.
I walked into the bar feeling like I had absolutely nothing left to give tonight…but then I saw her. Sitting there in a diaphanous blue dress like a goddess holding court at the bar. I stayed out of sight at first, just enjoying watching her in her element.
Kelly leaned over and said something in her ear and I saw the way they reacted to each other, the way she stiffened and fought it like she always did when she was really into something she knew was bad for her.
And Kelly?
