Page 29 of Forbidden Billionaire Rockstar

“Actually, you’re right… things aren’t okay.” Jace leans back in the chair, not making a sound, and I take a deep breath. “You’re a distraction for me,” I blurt out, immediately wishing I could snatch the words back.

Jace’s eyebrows shoot up. “Me?” His voice is a mixture of surprise and something else. Hope?

“Seems that way.” I try for nonchalance, but my racing heart betrays me.

He leans forward, his eyes searching mine. “And is that such a bad thing?”

The question hangs in the air between us, loaded with possibilities that I’m not sure I’m ready to face.

Before I can respond, my phone buzzes. It’s Hilary. I look up at Jace, my heart in my throat.

Whatever’s coming, I have a feeling it’s going to change everything

10

Jace

The silence between usis a living thing, pulsing with unspoken words and dangerous possibilities. Mallory’s phone shatters the quiet, its shrill ring a stark reminder of the world beyond this room - a world where actions have consequences.

Her phone rings again, and I glance at the space on the table where it sits, raising a brow at her.

“You gonna get that?”

She sighs heavily and shakes her head. “I’d rather postpone the moment when I lose my job.”

“And who says that’s what is gonna happen, sweetheart?”

Mallory rolls her eyes and scoffs. “Did you see what I did? They’d be stupid not to fire me,” she mutters. “All I want to do is focus on fixing it.”

“Let me help,” I whisper.

The words slip out before I can stop them, laden with more meaning than I intended. It’s no longer about fixing her mistake anymore. It’s about us, this inexplicable pull between us that I can’t seem to shake.

“How do you plan on doing that? You have your own band to worry about.”

“I want to propose a deal.”

She arches a brow. “A deal? Right now?”

“It could help us both in the long run.”

Mallory stares at me for a moment and waves a hand. “Well, let’s hear it.”

“You say that I’m distracting you, right?”

“Unfortunately,” she mumbles. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“So, let’s rectify that.”

“How?”

I shrug. “Simple, we take what we need from each other while the tour is going on and go our separate ways once it’s over. No strings attached, only some fun on the road.”

She blinks at my suggestion, followed by a frown. “You’re suggesting that we have sex during the tour, behind everyone’s back, and act like nothing is happening behind closed doors?”

“Pretty much, sweetheart.”

“That could be dangerous.”

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