Page 25 of Backstage with a Billionaire Rockstar

Evan is frowning at the ground and I rush past him while ripping my phone from the pocket of my pants. No one else is up yet, too busy getting their beauty sleep, and I sink onto the small couch with the device in my hand. I quickly move to my texts, then calls, checking that Kenzie didn’t try getting in touch with me about someone coming to my house, and my breaths start slowing down.

Kenzie would call if something like that happened.

Maybe I should call her anyway.

I’m about to press the call button, not caring if Evan can hear the conversation if it means making sure my baby boy is okay, but the door slams shut behind him as he enters the bus. He’s standing in the middle of the living space, staring at me with wonder and betrayal, without uttering a single word.

I can’t imagine how he would react if he found out about Liam.

At least I can keep one thing a secret still… as long as the tabloids don’t get a hold of the story.

“I didn’t mean to tell you like that,” I say, and he scoffs at my statement.

“I’ve got a feeling you weren’t going to tell me at all.”

“You’re right, I wasn’t… not because I didn’t want to,” I lie. “I’ve got a job to do, one that requires me to investigate everything that’s been happening, and I can’t do that if I get fired. That’s exactly what a story like this will do.”

I groan and run a hand through my hair, forgetting that it’s in the ponytail. “God, I can’t imagine what Carmen would think if she saw the story.”

When I look up at Evan, there’s tears in my eyes, and I whisper, “We can’t let that happen, Evan.”

He frowns, his eyes softening for a brief moment as he walks over to me, and I’m surprised when he pulls me against his side. His hand comes up to my hair, playing with the strands softly, and I find myself gravitating toward that touch.

“We both know I can’t do it, Mia,” Evan says softly.

That’s when the tears fall, my shoulders shaking with silent sobs, and Evan pulls away from me to wipe the tears away. I know he’s right. It sucks, but any more attention he brings on himself could harm him further – especially in an interview. I wouldn’t put it past the stalker to use whatever answers Evan gives as ammunition for his next attack.

Evan gives me a small smile. "I won't let anything happen to you, darlin'."

It’s the worst time for my body to turn into a magnet, pulling closer to Evan’s frame than it already is, but I can’t stop the action even if I try. He’s got me sucked in right now with the way he’s looking at me – like he’s going to save me from my downfall.

His words, so sincere and protective, send a shiver down my spine. I know I should pull away and maintain that professional distance, but my body betrays me, leaning into his warmth. His eyes, those impossibly green eyes that Liam inherited, search mine with an intensity that steals my breath.

"Mia," he whispers, his hand cupping my cheek. I should stop this. I have a thousand reasons why this is a bad idea, why I need to push him away. But at this moment, with the weight of my secrets crushing me and the fear of exposure looming, I crave his comfort.

I'm the one who closes the distance, pressing my lips to his in a desperate, hungry kiss. It's everything I remember from six years ago and so much more – all the longing, the missed opportunities, the what-ifs pouring into this one moment.

But even as I lose myself in the kiss, a voice in the back of my mind whispers a warning. This complicates everything. And there's still so much he doesn't know.

Before I can pull away, he leans forward and presses his lips against mine. I thought the kisses we shared six years ago were everything…this is so much more — everything we’ve missed out is focused on this one kiss with the way he’s devouring my lips.

The sound of footsteps on the bus stairs jerks us apart. Reality comes crashing back as Carmen's voice calls out, "Evan? Are you up? We need to go over today's schedule."

Evan and I stare at each other, both breathing heavily. The moment is broken, but the implications of what just happened hang heavy in the air between us. How can I protect him – from the stalker, from the press, from the truth about Liam – when I can barely protect my own heart?

My downfall is already starting, and the rockstar in front of me doesn’t realize that he’s in the center of all of it.

How could he possibly save me?

10

Evan

It’s been a few days since I shared a heated kiss with Mia, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since. She tries telling me that we need to keep our relationship professional, but I can see the way her eyes glaze over when I walk into a room — she wants this just as much as I do.

Finding out that she is in fact Summer, the woman who rocked my world years ago, was a punch in the gut for a few moments. It wasn’t until I got out of my head that I went inside, fully intent on making sure she understood how betrayed I felt, and the sight of the tears rolling down her cheeks nearly sent me to my knees.

In seconds I went from being upset with her to needing to make sure she would be okay.

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