Page 8 of Undeniable Temptation

She wasn’t exaggerating. Behind the glitz and glamour of the music industry was a threatening relationship fans weren’t privy to. The artists held all the talent, and yet the label held all the power.

“I didn’t see this coming.” Mitch slumped onto the sofa and cradled his head in his hands. “I honestly thought we’d walk away from Grander amicably.”

Ryan nodded in agreement, but Leah didn’t mimic the movement. The guilt in her eyes said she’d anticipated this. She’d known it would happen.

“Scott would’ve been under pressure to re-sign Reckless.” She released a defeated breath. “And now that he’s failed, Grander is grasping at straws to get whatever they can before you’re out of contract and no longer under their dictatorship.”

“So what do we do? How do we fight this?” Mason knitted his hands back above his head. “It’s hard enough being away from Sidney, but Blake has to deal with a hell of a lot more. And I’ll be damned if I pimp out a band I hardly know.”

“That’s the problem. We have no power. We can’t fight this. What we have to do is give them what they want in the easiest way possible and get out as soon as we can.”

“Are you kidding?” Mason glared. “No fucking way.”

She turned on him, five and a half feet of gorgeous fury bearing down on the lead singer. “No, I’m not kidding. You have no idea what it’s like to be under the label’s control. You’ve slid by on impressive sales and side-stepped all the drama because your income frees you from the backstabbing. But believe me, this is what most artists have to deal with on a continuous basis. This is what the industry is like for everyone below the top ten percent. You wanted to decline signing the contract they offered, now face the backlash.”

Ryan itched to cut in, to back her up no matter how clueless he was on the topic. Only she didn’t need it. Mason held up his hands in surrender and returned to his position on the sofa. “Sorry I spoke.”

“Don’t be sorry. Be realistic. Their logic is clear.” Her voice was softer now, the edge of defeat heartbreaking. “They want to create a new Reckless Beat. At least sales-wise. Having us promote Slicker and gush over their songs will be one thing, but instigating a story fans can follow and become emotionally involved in will be bigger and better. It happens all the time. Celebrities get involved in scandalous relationships mere months before an album release. The process has become a routine for some artists.”

Ryan didn’t doubt it. He just wasn’t sure what he was getting himself into. He’d barely spared Slicker a sideways glance in the last month. They were a fledgling band assigned to the tour by Grander. The two men and two women group had no pulling power in regard to ticket sales. They had no tour experience at all. They were a heavy weight that nobody in Reckless had the time to coddle. So Ryan had chosen to give them a wide birth in an effort to hide his resentment.

It wasn’t hard. Things were frantic on the road, not enough sleep and too much adrenaline. It helped when Reckless now stayed in hotels and the up and coming group had to slum the nights in their tour bus. “So dating this woman will save our asses?”

Leah wouldn’t look him in the eye. She looked everywherebuthim. “If you’re comfortable doing it, then yes, it would be the easiest option. Then again, if you’re not willing, we’ll work around that, too. I don’t want this to affect your divorce.”

His thumbs throbbed with the need to smooth the furrow of her brow. “No, I’ll do it. It’s no skin off my back.” He’d do whatever he could to take her stress away. He’d do it for Blake, too. And Mitch and Sean and Mason.

“Then all we can do now is wait.” She focused her attention on Mitch. “Can you go and check on Blake for me?”

“Yeah, of course.” He walked past her and rubbed her upper arm. “Is there anything else I can do?”

“Get some rest.” She gave a sad smile at his touch and then glanced at Mason and Sean in turn. “You’ve got another sold out show tomorrow, then we’re back on the road.”

“Yes, Mom. Let us know as soon as you hear something.” Mason accompanied her to the door, Sean and Mitch following after. “See you tomorrow.”

“Good night.” She held the door open and watched them leave. Even after their footsteps faded, she didn’t look at him. “Are you going to hang around here for a while?”

“No. I just wanted to make sure you’re all right.”

“I’m good.”

She lowered her gaze to the hallway floor, killing him slowly with her disconnect. They couldn’t be alone in the same room together anymore. He wasn’t sure if she thought he was going to steal another kiss, or do something else equally moronic, but it was clear that returning to the way they once were wasn’t easy for her.

“I need to get going, though.” She shot him a millisecond glance. “I’ve got some research to do on your new girlfriend.”

He winced. He wasn’t interested in dating a stranger, fake or otherwise. “I’ll let you go.”

Yep, the same stilted conversation they’d been having for months. One uncomfortable sentence after another. Curse him and his senseless mistake. He missed her. He missed the conversation and the friendship. He missed the laughter and the reliance.

He strode to the door, trying to ignore the slight tense of her shoulders on his approach. “Don’t worry about this mess, OK?” He’d do some pretty crazy things to be able to move closer, to pull her in for one of the hugs he’d grown to rely on. “I’ll blow this chick out of the water.”

She gave a derisive laugh. “I don’t doubt it. But I’m also sure she’ll blow you, too. It’ll be a great way to get back on the horse.”

He wasn’t looking for a damn horse. Apart from an end to the divorce bullshit, all he wanted was Leah’s forgiveness. He needed his best friend back. And now, he was certain this situation with the lead singer of Slicker would send his ‘right time, right place’ progress back in the opposite direction.

Chapter Two

Leah hadn’t sleptin days. Not that it was common to notch up a lot of slumber hours while on tour. Finding a pleasing hotel resting place was an unfavorable lucky dip. You never knew when you were going to score sound-proofing and a good mattress, and you certainly had no warning when there would be paper-thin walls and a chorus of sex noises from the room next door. And that was on the favorable nights when she wasn’t on the sleeper bus, traveling from location to location with a crew who snored loud enough to damage her hearing.

---