Page 22 of Her Dark Angel

“You’re such a beautiful woman, Kin,” she praises quietly, her eyes taking me in. An emotion I can’t quite read shines in her eyes, but she blinks it away before I can decipher it. “And I’m sure Nash sees it too.”

I roll my eyes as I turn to sit on the stool in the middle of my walk-in closet, surrounded by beige walls and colorful clothing. My ass is numb from sitting for the past couple of hours while I got my hair and makeup done, but I need to slip on my plain black heels before Nash arrives.

“I don’t think so, Cindy. All he cares about is his music, drugs, and the women who throw themselves at him.”

Cindy frowns from where she stands by the vanity, her eyes watching my movements. “I’m sure that’s not true. If he didn’t think you were attractive or special, then he wouldn’t have agreed to the contract.”

While I would like to think her logic to be true, I know it’s far from the truth. “Nash Beck only cares about himself and his band. I’m sure he’s willing to do anything to help the image of Dark Angel even if he doesn’t want to. He doesn’t give a shit about me.”

“Kin, that’s not?—”

A sharp knock at the front door makes Cindy’s words die in her throat. I want to ask her what she was going to say, but I don’t have time to continue the conversation.

“I better go.” I stand, the white shag carpet soft beneath my heels. I smile at Cindy. “Thank you for your help tonight.”

Cindy smiles as she pulls me in for a tight hug. I wrap my arms around her frame and breathe in her familiar scent of rose and jasmine. It’s a scent that puts me at ease now because I associate it with her.

“Be safe tonight, Kin. I know you have a lot riding on your shoulders right now, but remember to look after yourself and be cautious, okay? We both know what this industry is like.”

Swallowing hard, I pull away from the embrace and nod. She doesn’t need to tell me twice.

Another knock at the door has me waving goodbye to Cindy as I grab my clutch and race downstairs. Thankfully, my parents didn’t stop by tonight to see me off to the award show. They know about the show and me announcing my ‘relationship’ with Nash, but they had something else on tonight so they couldn’t drop by. Thank God, because their presence would’ve made my nerves worse than they already are.

Although, the note I found on the kitchen counter when I got home from work this afternoon made me roll my eyes. I’m not surprised they want to stop by tomorrow morning to discuss the details of the award show. Or, I guess, not want but will be.

It’s a reminder that I need to change my locks. I’ve been meaning to set boundaries with them for years but couldn’t bring myself to do it because they’re my parents and the ones who got me into this career. As much as they get on my nerves with their insistent need to meddle in my life, I don’t think I could push them away to the point they’re no longer in my life. Setting some boundaries with them is a good first step.

I swing the front door open to see James standing there in a crisp black suit and his beard styled neatly with not a hair out of place. When he sees me, he smiles. “Good evening, Miss May. Are you ready to go?”

Stepping onto the front porch, I close the front door behind me without locking it, knowing Cindy will lock up when she leaves. “I sure am.”

“Come with me then.”

I follow James down the footpath to the waiting dark gray Rolls-Royce Camargue parked in front of the house. The windows are tinted so I can’t see inside the car, but I know Nash is sitting in the back seat waiting for me.

Blowing out a long breath, I smooth my sweaty hands down the front of the dress as James opens the back door for me. I utter a quiet thanks and slide onto the leather seat. My eyes quickly meet two mismatched eyes from across the space, taking my breath away for a moment. I’m not used to gazing into such intense eyes, and I don’t think I ever will be.

I hate to admit it, but Nash looks handsome in a black long-sleeved shirt with the top buttons undone to reveal the smooth skin of his chest. The sleeves are rolled up to his elbows to show off the tattoos littering his right arm. I don’t linger too long and instead, take in the rest of him. Black dress pants hug his hips and his messy curls are styled a little more than usual around his face with some falling over his eyes.

“Are you done gawking at me, little devil?”

My heart races at the sound of his voice, and I snap my eyes up to meet the blue and green ones staring back at me. His lip ring is resting between his teeth as his eyes drink me in, not at all ashamed of the way they roam across my body.

Normally, if a man did this to me, I would try to shrink away and hide my body as a reflex, but with Nash… I don’t know what it is, but I don’t shrink away or hide. I let him look. Why? I have no fucking idea... but it scares me a little. A fire ignites low in my stomach when his eyes meet mine. Fuck.

“Only if you’re done.”

Nash releases the lip ring and smirks. “Well played.”

We don’t compliment the other’s appearance because I think it’s clear from our roaming eyes what we think. Instead, we sit in silence the whole drive to the award ceremony. It’s being held at the Memorial Sports Arena in Los Angeles. I have been there a couple of times for concerts over the years and even attended movie award shows, but never one for music. I wonder how music award shows differ from the ones I’m used to… I would be lying if I said I’m not the least bit curious to see what it’s like to be surrounded by the music industry's top artists.

My right leg bounces beneath me as I gaze out the window at the passing cars. The arena is getting closer, and my nerves are kicking into fucking overdrive. The reality of the situation begins to settle heavily on my shoulders as Nash’s presence beside me becomes suffocating.

I don’t know if I can do this. How can I go out there and pretend to be in love with a man I barely know? It’s fucking crazy is what it is. And I don’t know if it’s something I can do.

What if I mess up when Nash kisses me for the cameras? What if I trip in my heels on the red carpet and become a laughingstock in the tabloids? What if no one believes our relationship and It Girl becomes doomed heading into release day?

It’s all too much for me to handle. A lot is riding on this contract—for me and Nash—and I don’t want to be the one who fucks it all up because I can’t hack it.

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