Page 30 of Wine & Whiskey: Everything for You
Her brow furrows as they move through the house, Nick’s hesitation not getting past her. Max nudges her shoulder with his. “Do you want to take the limo or your new ride?”
A small smile lights up her face. “How about your motorcycle?”
Sure, like Nick’s head wouldn’t explode over that. “The SUV it is.” Her laughter fills the kitchen as he grabs the keys off the counter and guides her into the garage, helping her in the passenger side. He climbs in on the driver’s side and shakes his head. “You’ve had enough adventures this week. I think Nick’s going to have to replace the transmission on his Jeep.”
“Hey! It wasn’t that bad. I only killed it a few times.”
He gives her an exaggerated eye roll. “Hmmm…”
She reaches over and squeezes his forearm. The sparkle of her ring a good reminder of who he’s protecting and why. “I’m glad you’re back. We missed you.”
“Yeah, me too.” He meets her gaze before he pulls onto the highway. “I’m sorry about the baby.”
A small nod her only indication she hears him before she slumps down in her seat and wraps her arms around herself. Still too raw for words, he lets it drop. They ride in silence for a few moments before she looks back at him. “What did you do while you were gone?”
He can’t help but smile. Gina gave him the escape he needed, the perfect distraction. Deep enough in their world to understand, yet far enough away from Nick and Shae to give him a fresh perspective. “Visited a friend.”
“And?”
He shrugs his shoulders. Shae’s cool, but he’s not going there, with her, about that.
“I know what that smile means. It was a girl, wasn’t it?”
A beautiful, intelligent woman with shaky morals both in and out of the bedroom. Yet, with an inexplicable allure he can’t resist. Even when another woman lingers in his mind.
“That’s it? That’s all you’re going to say?”
“Nothing to tell.”
Now, it’s her turn to roll her eyes. “You’re such a man.”
“That’s what I hear.”
Fans shriek and wave signs lining the road leading to a huge warehouse. He shakes his head. How the fuck do these people know where she is and what’s she’s doing. Don’t they have lives?
Flash bulbs continue to pop even after her car clears the overhead door, two men in black shirts and khaki pants yanking it down. She takes a deep breath and gives him a weak smile. “Let the awkwardness begin.”
He’s forgotten. Her first appearance since the attack at the airport. The first time she faces the fallout from the gossip churning around the once innocent pop star with the faltering reputation. His jaw clenches at the undeserved insinuations. “I’ll be right here if you need me.”
“I know. Thank you.”
Carrie and another young woman wait for her as she climbs out of the car. “Hi, Shae. I’m Sierra. I’ll be coordinating the photo shoot today. Anything you need, please let me know.”
“Thank you. I appreciate it.”
It’s strange to see her transformation into the pop star persona. Subtle, almost imperceptible, if you didn’t know her. Yet, definitely a difference. A confident poise, self-assured, even with every gaze in the expansive space watching her. Glowing, with her chin up, shoulders square, ready to take on anything and everything expected of her. Not the quiet, modest woman he’s used to.
As they walk to the set resembling a bakery kitchen, Sierra nods toward a muscular, yet lithe man flexing on his feet and smoothing down the lapels of his tuxedo jacket. “Shae, this is Marcus Brown. He’s going to be your co-presenter at the ceremony.” Before either of them can respond, Sierra claps her hands. “Okay, are you guys ready to have some fun?”
She hands each of them a white cupcake with six inches of pink icing swirled on the top. The stainless steel counter in front of them covered with a buffet of treats, decorations, and frosting.
Max smiles as Shae’s eyes light up at the nirvana of sweets in front of them. Carrie elbows him in the stomach. “She’s going to fucking orgasm with all that sugar. You might have to carry her out of here when it’s over.”
Few people in the world shock him anymore, but Carrie is definitely one of them. “I don’t even know how to respond to that.”
She wiggles her eyebrows at him before turning back to Shae and Marcus. For the next two hours, with cameras flashing, they decorate cupcakes and each other, only taking breaks for Carrie to touch up Shae’s hair and makeup and for her to change dresses.
His phone buzzes as Shae stands three feet away with Carrie running a tiny brush over her lips.
