Page 6 of Undeniable Temptation

He spent years honing his reputation. He was the gentleman, the one who vowed to honor his marriage, and more importantly, his wife. And that’s the way he’d wanted the world to see him. He refused to be another celebrity cliché surrounded by sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll. He’d only ever indulged heavily in one, and it definitely wasn’t the sex or the drugs. In fact, he’d never tried an illegal substance more than once, and he’d been the only one enthusiastic about polishing the family jewels for a damn long time.

“What’s this idea you’re talking about?”

“Well, there are a few options.” Scott’s lips curved in a gradually building smile. It was sinister. Repulsive. “We can focus on your divorce. The legal battle has already dragged on for months, so it’s not like it’s a secret that you and Julie can’t come to terms with the settlement…”

“No.” Not an option. He wasn’t going to do anything to poke his ex’s already accomplished bitchiness.

“Or we can kill two birds with one stone and hook your newly single ass up with the lead singer of your opening band. Slicker isn’t building the media presence we’d hoped for, so placing the two of you together with a few dates in public places, maybe a scandal here and there, will boost both your popularity and theirs.”

“You want us to waste our time promoting another band?” Mason placed his hands on the top of his head, his knuckles white, his waning restraint evident. “This is ridiculous.”

Ridiculous? Yes. But Ryan was still stuck on the unfamiliar concept of dating. He hadn’t been through those early relationship stages since he was a teen. “What happens if I refuse?”

“Then we’ll recoup our losses with more tour dates.”

“Fuck off,” Blake spat. “We planned those dates for a reason. I’m not going to miss the birth of my child if the tour gets extended.”

“We could fill the spaces in the schedule first.” Scott pushed from the sofa and stood. “You’ve got vacant two-day blocks in there that can house more concerts.”

“Those two-day blocks were arranged to allow Blake to get back to see his wife. Not to mention we’re legally obligated to give the crew and bus drivers a break.” Leah was the voice of reason. The classy, professional calm that kept them from tearing this guy apart. “They also give Mason and Sean the opportunity to catch up with their partners.”

“We can get more crew members.” Scott waved away the claim with a lazy hand. “And fly the wives in for a few nights.”

“Gabi can’t fucking fly, asshole.” Blake tensed his fists. “We won’t place any risks on this pregnancy.”

“And I won’t place any regard on the love life of my artists. I’m not here to facilitate your libido. If the demand is there, we’ll be scheduling more shows wherever the hell we want them.”

Blake inched forward, closing in on trouble. “You can’t do that.”

But they all knew he could. When they’d first signed as an unknown band, the label had put them through hell more times than Ryan could remember. Spite from their camp wasn’t new. It was merely a distant memory since they’d begun making millions.

Scott raised a brow. “You might want to re-read your contract.”

A chorus of profanity erupted. There were threats of violence, clenched fists, friends holding friends back from committing murder.

“Calm down.” Leah raised her voice. “Justcalm down.”

Ryan swallowed over the building anger while the vicious snarls took moments to die, leaving the room saturated in palpable fury. Scott remained smug, the power firmly in his grasp because he still had a contract hanging over their heads until the tour was complete.

“More concerts are impossible.” Leah raised her chin and crossed her arms over her distracting chest. “You need to give us more options.”

“You should’ve thought about that before declining our last offer.”

“Fuck you.” Blake’s curse reverberated off the walls like an avalanche. “This is bullshit.”

“It’s OK.” Leah placed a hand on his arm, guiding the bass guitarist back from the brink with a mere flash of her lashes. “Go to the hotel and let me deal with this.”

“No. I need to know what’s happening. I need to know what I’m going to have to explain to my wife.”

Leah leaned in and whispered in Blake’s ear. The guy winced at her words and the fight left his shoulders. There were brief seconds where the two of them were side by side, the entire room watching, waiting for the final response that came in a succinct nod, stormed footsteps across the room, and finally a slam of the door in Blake’s wake.

Ryan had been there before. He’d been the one in his friend’s shoes, the one prepared to rip his hair out for the sake of the woman he loved. And just like now, Leah had always pulled him back from insanity and made everything peachy again. She was Wonder Woman, only better, and a hell of a lot sexier, too.

“This is pretty fucking rough,” Mitch muttered.

Ryan nodded at the understatement. Over the years, the industry had fallen to shit at their feet, while Reckless continued to grow and make Grander millions. They’d done their part. They’d paid their dues. They shouldn’t be punished for wanting a better contract next time around—one that Grander refused to give.

“I’ll do it.” He glared at Scott and hoped the guy had a clear picture of his disgust. He hadn’t wanted to open his mouth and take the fall, but their choices were vanishing like booze at an after party. He was the only single member of the band. His friends all had loved ones waiting at home, and he was well aware of how tour headlines could mess with a relationship. Hell, they’d probably mess the shit out of his divorce, but what was the alternative? “I’ll date this woman and help lift her profile, but you need to back off on the tour.”

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