Page 48 of The Stalker

I give the fuck up.

She pulled her focus away from his washboard abs and back to his offer as she said, “Yes. A thousand million times, yes.”

“A billion times, yes. Noted.” He grinned at her.

“Are you sure, though? Most people don’t want me driving their babies.”

He shrugged. “It’s just a car.”

“It is not ‘just a car,’ Hayden Vega,” she scolded him. “How dare you disparage a Lamborghini Sián like that! I mean, when I saw what you drove, I practically took the contract based on that alone.”

“And here I was, terrified that you wouldn’t like me enough to agree to work with me.” He gave her a wry grin.

“Well, to be fair, you weren’t to know that I would sell my soul to drive a car like yours. I’ve driven a few Lamborghinis before, and it’s always fun. They’re my favorite, though the Lotus comes a close second,” she gushed.

Hayden didn’t say anything immediately in response, but he was looking at her in amusement.

“What?”

“April Conway and sports cars. Things I had no idea would get you so excited but do. Fascinating.”

Tatiana’s cheeks flamed with heat, and she nudged him with her elbow. “Shut up. I almost died when I met April.”

“You should’ve told me you were a fan. I would’ve introduced you properly, and not when she was on the way to the bathroom,” he laughed. “She’s coming to our Chicago gig, though, if you do want a proper introduction.”

“Maybe. I’ll be busy making sure you make it through the night unscathed.” Tatiana said thoughtfully.

“How are you so blasé about something I’m terrified about?”

Tatiana shrugged. “It’s my day job. Probably the same way you’re blasé about being friends with April fucking Conway.”

“I don’t think it’s the same thing. Besides, you’re pretty blasé about hanging around Cruise Control,” he winked at her.

“Because you’re my day job,” she teased him.

“Ouch. I find myself reduced to being a job for you, and it hurts.” He clutched his chest as though he was having a heart attack, and Tatiana laughed.

A tiny part of her hated that he was a job for her and wanted him to be something more.

I’m going on strike.

Of course, he was just a job for her, though. There was no getting around that…or, you know, the boyfriend he had. Tatiana couldn’t let herself forget that.

Thank you. Do your job and get out with everyone safe and sound. Preferably with your heart intact as well.

Her blood ran cold. Where had that thought come from? Why should she care about her heart? This was just a job, and she’d only known Hayden a couple of weeks. She pulled herself out of her thoughts because she didn’t care to analyze them any further and smiled at Hayden.

“Yup. Nothing but my day job. Your stalker will be caught, and I’ll be on to the next troublesome rock star. I guess I might stream your music once in a while and think to myself, ‘remember that time he heard me…’” she trailed off on purpose and couldn’t help herself from snorting with laughter. “Okay, I guess that will be a funny story for me one day.”

Hayden laughed, “I’m glad to hear it.”

She finished the last of her coffee and said, “Anyway, we should probably get going. I have a real urge to take the long route to the tour bus.”

“I bet you do,” he teased her.

They cleaned up from breakfast, and Tatiana waited until Hayden was locked in his room to enter hers, as usual. She could barely breathe when she heard his shower turn on. Now that she was alone, she could fully process what had happened, and she was horrified.

Why did she never think about how close his bathroom was to her bed? Clearly, the floor plan was designed to put the bathroom between the two rooms for some kind of privacy. Her own bathroom separated the next bedroom from hers. He was naked in the room next to her right now, with only a wall separating them.

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