Page 132 of Take What You Want

The thing about Jane is, I can tell when the gears are working overtime in that head of hers. It’s written all over her face from the way she chews on her lip to the slight frown that mars her forehead.

“What’s wrong?”

Jane gives the smallest shake of her head before her expression relaxes. Actually, her entire body softens in my hold like butter, and I tighten my hold.

“I’m caught up,” she says and slams her mouth to mine.

Fuckingfinally.

33

NIKOLAI

Iconvince Jane to take a later flight out the next day before I have to continue to New York for my late night show performance with Kerra. I wanted her to come with me to the show, but it’s better if she’s not there. She and Kerra don’t need to cross paths, especially when I tell her tonight that I’m pulling out of the PR stunt.

I should’ve done it a long time ago, but now that Jane has fully let me in, I can’t fake it. I don’t care what it does to my career or the legal hell I could potentially create for myself. I owe it to Jane to be all in with her both in private and in public.

We spend the day lounging around the hotel room, ordering room service, and fucking on any surface available. She’s like a drug that I forgot the sweet, sweet taste of.

Time goes by far too fast until we reluctantly have to say goodbye. A driver takes Jane to the airport and I spend another few hours in the hotel until it’s time for my own flight.

The next morning, I wake up early and go to a local studio to get some work in before the performance. Time gets lost when I’m in the studio and I’m in the middle of another take whenArun bangs on the booth door. “You can’t be late, this is live television tonight.”

We sit in traffic, Arun cursing the entire way, before finally pulling up to the set as the sun is giving way to the moon. He rushes me inside and I barely have time to change or get any touch-ups from the makeup artist.

Thankfully, my voice is already warmed up from being in the studio all day, and with cutting it so close on time, I don’t have to do much chatting with Kerra beforehand. We stand off in the wings, waiting to be introduced by the host of the show and brought out for our performance.

“I was starting to think you wouldn’t show,” Kerra says, refusing to look at me.

I tuck my hands in my pockets. “I would never skip out on a show. Just didn’t realize what time it was. I was in the studio today.” Then, because I’m genuinely curious, I ask, “Have you been working on new music?”

She scoffs, brushing me off. But now I can’t drop it. She certainly can’t just be relying on this single to revive her career. She’s going to need a follow-up single, an EP, or a full-length album.Something.

“Have you?”

“I don’t need to spend every moment micromanaging my music,” she snips.

“By micromanaging, do you mean actually writing your own material?”

She smoothes her hands down the front of her dress and squares her shoulders. I’m not judging her. Plenty of artists have songs written for them. But is she even doing that?

“You don’t need to pretend like you care. Especially not after you canceled on our last date.”

She sounds…hurt. As if it was a real date.

“Are you actually upset—You know what, never mind.” I sigh. “Let’s just get through this, okay?”

Kerra’s gaze sets me on edge.

The host sends it to commercial break and we’re beckoned out. The stage lights are blinding but my eyes are used to it after all these years. There’s a small set off to the side of the main set, which holds a desk, a couch, and a few miscellaneous decorations.

Our stage is much simpler with just two microphone stands and a dark backdrop. Kerra takes the spot on the left and I take the right. The studio audience grows restless, seeing the two of us, and I flash them a winning smile.

The metal of the microphone cools my hand as I grab it and the stand manager starts the countdown.

I glance at Kerra and she’s in performance mode. She smiles with her eyes as she looks at me and grabs my hand. A few audience members cheer at the move. I don’t shake her off, but I also don’t engage further.

“Three! Two! One!”

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