Page 66 of Final Serenade

“He’s not. Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to get him to stop playing video games? I pretty much bribed my brother with a fake internship and a promise of meeting celebrities to get him to give up his stupid Xbox obsession.”

“And look who he’s already met.” Frank wiggled his brows.

“Pray he keeps his mouth shut,” I joked.

“He will. Or he’ll get his backstage pass revoked.”

“Aren’t you an evil breaker of teenage dreams.”

Ashton had asked me about the Hall Affinity show at least three dozen times in the past week. He was on cloud nine when I confirmed that we were indeed going.

Frank crossed the living room. “Comes with the territory.”

My gaze slid down his shirtless chest. Neither my laptop I’d brought with me, just in case, nor my phone seemed of importance anymore.

Frank wasn’t what you could call a large-framed man, but he took good care of what Mother Nature had given him. Long limbed, thin-waisted, and toned to perfection, he had an impressive upper body. One look at his physique turned me into a wet mess.

I was a pathetic woman who’d discovered what great sex really meant.

According to my calculations, since the moment we got on the plane last night, he’d made me come more times than all the other men combined, when they managed, in my entire life. Both demanding yet attentive, Frank was a thorough lover.

“Any chance some chiro comes with that territory?” I stretched my legs in front of me and put my phone down.

“I can arrange it.” He moved closer and settled on the couch next to me. His hand skimmed over my calf, tracing the outline of my very first tat.

I loved this. Talking. Relaxing. Sitting in front of the fireplace.Feeling him near.

To avoid being accidentally seen or outed by some greedy hotel employee, Frank had rented a private property, a two-story cottage twenty minutes away from downtown Aspen. I felt like a princess and that this entire trip was an adult version of my fairytale.

“You’re going to spoil me rotten,” I confessed as Frank began to massage my ankles.

“I plan to.” His eyes traveled over my face. “And I’m just getting started.”

My heart did a happy dance. No man had ever done anything of this sort for me. Sure, they’d asked me to dinner at Katsuya or taken me out for drinks at BJ’s. But a trip to one of the most expensive ski resorts in the world on a private jet wasn’t even on my bucket list.

My phone, which was sitting on the couch between us, vibrated.

Frank’s brow arched in question. “Do I need to worry about”—he glanced down at the screen—“Jax?” His fingers rubbed lazy circles on my calf.

My mind stalled. It’d been, what? Weeks since I last spoke to Jax? I vaguely remember sending him an apologetic text for being a flake. However, the message was a courtesy, not an invitation to chat.

“No.” I shook my head and reached for my phone. The preview of the message from my tattoo artist featured a broken heart emoji. Great.

Frank’s hands froze. He leaned back and stared at me for a while, his eyes scrutinizing my every breath. “I’m not sleeping with anyone else,” he said at last, tone serious. “I expect the same in return.”

My blood thickened with shock. “Oh my God!” I couldn’t believe it. “Are you fucking jealous of some dude whose heart I apparently broke because I’m seeing someone else?”

“I only wanted to make it clear, Cassy.” The frost in his voice was evident.

“Thatsomeone elseI’m seeing is you, by the way.” Upset, I tossed my phone back on the couch and crossed my arms on my chest defensively.

“Did youtellhim you’re seeing someone else?”

“Not in so many words. Besides, I don’t owe him an explanation.”

“So why is he texting you on a Saturday night?”

“Look.” I took a deep breath. “He drove me home once, then he asked me out. I never responded. End of story. You need to hold your horses.”

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