He froze. And how sweet was that? Any other guy would have continued, to hell with my comfort.
Shut. Up.
“Sorry. I just… Look. You are super out of my league. You’re gorgeous and so nice, but the timing couldn’t be worse. With the tour coming up, I have my hands full with your bandmates… I…” The words weren’t wording, but the flash of disappointment in his eyes said he’d got the gist of the letdown.
“No. You’re right. I shouldn’t have… Yeah. I’m sorry.”
Oh, look. I’d passed on my inability to talk my way out of the awkward.
We sat staring at each other for another couple of moments, then he stood and stretched his back.
“It’s getting pretty late. I might get going…” He paused, his eyes flicking around the empty apartment like he’d just realized I didn’t have anywhere to sleep.
Nope, no. He didn’t need to rescue me. With a groan that rivaled a wildebeest, I pushed to my feet and moved toward the door in hopes he would follow without commentary.
“Thank you for your help tonight. Seriously, you saved my ass. And your tour. So yeah. Thanks.”
I pulled the door open, leaning against the wood with the best smile I could muster pasted across my face. Brows furrowed, Otis opened his mouth, then shut it again, clearly deciding to take the path of least resistance.
“I’ll pick you up in the morning.”
I nodded, unsure whether he was making a genuine offer or saying something to assuage his guilt over leaving me to sleep rough.
He stepped out into the hall, and I wasted no time locking things up, all but slamming the door in his face in my rush to end the discomfort.
Like a coward, I watched him through the peephole as his shoulders lifted and fell. He planted his hands on his hips, head dropping back on his shoulders in a way that made his fine features catch the light. My libido screamed at me that it was worth the risk to my job for a night that would no doubt be amazing. Someone like Otis would be a generous lover, and Ifucking deserved a few good orgasms after the shit Adam had put me through.
If I’d only had myself to worry about, I would have let my pussy do the talking.
But it wasn’t just me. Ma needed my help, and I couldn’t lose sight of that.
It didn’t mean Otis couldn’t be the star of my fantasies for the foreseeable future, though.
Chapter
Seven
Tatum
“I don’t like you.”
If I’d thought I’d made any progress with my new lead singer yesterday, his attitude since I walked into the studio had dispelled the illusion. I was only halfway through my cooling cup of coffee, but I had thought a team meeting was a good way to start our new working relationship, seeing as everyone was present and accounted for, unlike the previous day. Otis closed the door to the writing room, passing close enough to give my hand a squeeze of encouragement before he took a seat beside Harvey, whose hair was freshly dyed purple.
“You don’t have to like me; you just have to trust me.”
“I don’t trust you.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose and counted backward from ten, thinking of all the reasons I couldn’t kill the obnoxiously good-looking man child in front of me before the tour even started. Money. I needed money. Think of the money.
“I should have let Ruby castrate you when she wanted to,” I grumbled, matching the icy glare Calix aimed at me.
“Is there a reason you’re thinking about my junk? That’s sexual harassment, Miss King.”
Harvey’s hand shot into the air, as though he were a schoolboy hoping for good grades.
“You can sexually harass me whenever you want. I actively encourage you to think about my junk. Feel free to really visualize it. Maybe fondle it a little—Oof.” He doubled over the arm Otis slammed into his belly, and I cast a look of thanks at the only person in the room who felt friendly.
After the awkward moment the night before, I half expected to be throwing myself at Ruby’s mercy again for coffee and a ride to work, but true to his word, Otis had been at my door at nine a.m. with two takeout cups of real coffee. He really was an angel. Or maybe he hadn’t been lying about his savior complex. I hoped this meant we could build a good working friendship in the days to come. I was going to need all the help I could get with the other three.
