Rumor Has It (Limelight) (18 page)

Wish I was still there. I’m looking at the wrong ocean.

I smiled to myself thinking how sweet his words were, then reminded myself not to put too much stock in them.

Jeff’s voice came from down the hall and was getting closer so I turned my phone off and threw it back in my purse.

The rest of the day passed in a blur since the reason for Jeff’s visit to my desk had been to lay a shitload of work on my lap. I walked in my house after work and immediately went up to my room to lie down. I was bagged from my lack of sleep the night before. I expected to watch a half hour of TV or so to unwind. The next thing I knew I was wiping drool off my face and it was already dark outside.

I glanced at the clock. It was 9:30 p.m. I grabbed my purse from beside the bed to see if I’d missed any calls and realized I’d forgotten to turn my phone back on when I’d left work. I hit the power key and the text notifications started chiming.

There was one from Katie:

Don’t think I didn’t notice you avoided being alone with me at work today. That can only mean one thing…you hit it! I want details!!

I rolled my eyes. Typical Katie.

Skye had sent me a few messages, too:

How’d it go last night? How many screaming orgasms did you get? ;)

Hello? Why aren’t you answering me? Are you still unconscious from all the mind-blowing sex?

We’re here. Where R U?

If I don’t hear from you soon I’m driving over there…

Dealing with my friends was like dealing with a bunch of horny teenaged guys, I swear. I quickly texted Skye to let her know I’d fallen asleep when I got home and wouldn’t be making drinks with her and Katie tonight.

Bullshit. You’re staying in to bang that hottie again. No worries. I’d do the same. Call me tomorrow!!!!!

Didn’t I wish that was true.

I scrolled through my phone again. The last text I’d received had been from Mason. My breath hitched. I had equal parts excitement and trepidation running through my veins. I wanted to hear from him but my reaction made me remember that I needed to get a handle on my emotions before he had the ability to really hurt me.

Everything okay? Didn’t hear back from you earlier.

XOXO (The Guy Whose World You Rocked Last Night)

I laughed to myself and pondered what to write back when my phone vibrated in my hand. It was another text from Mason.

Ellie…you there?

I typed a reply back.

I’m here. Sorry, fell asleep after work. Just woke up.

Seconds after I hit Send my phone rang.

“Hello?” I answered.

“Hey, babe. How are you?” Mason asked.

My heart fluttered at the term of endearment. He wasn’t making keeping my distance easy. “I’m good. I didn’t see your text earlier, sorry.”

“I’m glad that’s all it was. You were starting to give me a complex. I thought maybe I was the only one that enjoyed myself last night.”

“I thought it was pretty obvious that I enjoyed myself,” I said wryly.

“I would have thought that was true after a few orgasms…but you seemed to be in your head when you were leaving. Then when you didn’t text me back I thought maybe you were having second thoughts about us again.”

He couldn’t really be worrying that I was going to reject him could he? This rich, famous, piece of male perfection that any woman would be glad to get her hands on?

“No, nothing like that. I’ve made my decision and I’m sticking by it. I’m going to enjoy our next few weeks together.”

“The next few weeks. Right.” There was something different about his voice but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Looking for a change of subject I asked him how his meeting had gone. “It went well. I think we managed to convince the executives that I’m the right one for the show. They’re making the decision in the next week or two.”

“That’s great news,” I said, honestly happy for him. I may have been a little hurt that he’d left hours after we’d been together for the first time but the farther away I got from the situation, the sillier it seemed. He had a lot of responsibility on his shoulders and it wasn’t like I could expect him to drop everything in his real life because he was spending his hiatus with me.

“I’m sorry I had to bail on meeting your friends tonight to come out here.”

“I told you, it’s no biggie.”

“I’m gonna have to spend another couple nights in L.A.”

My heart sunk which was further proof that I was letting my emotions get too involved. “Oh?”

“Have you heard of Amber Marshall?”

That was like asking if you’d ever heard of Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny. She was the hottest pop singer at the moment, at the top of the charts and the fodder of every gossip magazine. Not to mention beautiful. Even as a straight woman I knew she exuded sex; the barely there outfits she wore when she performed only helped.

“Of course I’ve heard of her.”

“She heard I was in town and asked me to help her cut a single she’s been playing around with. She wants me to do a little something in the middle of the track.”

“What a great opportunity.” The thought of him spending an entire day with a sex kitten like that did little to restore my fledging self-confidence where Mason was concerned.

“Definitely. Too good to pass up.”

“When do you think you’ll be back in town?” I asked.

“Probably not until Sunday night sometime.”

“Oh, okay. Well, give me a call when you get back.”

“About that…” He trailed off and took a deep breath. I steeled myself for what he was about to say. “I was wondering if you might want to head out here and spend the weekend with me.”

“Really?”

“I’ll be spending a lot of time in the studio but you can hang there if you want. I thought you might want to see how a song gets made.”

I didn’t know what to say. My earlier feelings melted away as I realized that he wanted to spend time with me enough that he’d invite me out to L.A. Did I want to go to Los Angeles? Dumb question. Yes, I wanted to see Mason. The real question was whether it was worth potentially getting outed and ending up in some gossip rag; the subject of public ridicule once again. “Umm…”

“Before you answer there’s something you should know.”

That sounded ominous. “Okay…”

“It’s likely we’ll be photographed. L.A. is a hotbed for the fucking paparazzi. They’re like a swarm of killer bees almost anywhere you go in this town. We’ll do our best to avoid them but there’s no guarantees.”

“Oh.”

“I understand if you don’t want to risk it. But I’m really hoping you will.” The sincerity in his voice came through and I couldn’t imagine how I’d ever thought I’d be able to keep my heart out of the equation with this guy. He was one in a million. The ache to see him outweighed my need to protect myself. I’d do what I could while I was there to stay out of the press but an entire weekend away with Mason was too good to resist. What could people say about me that they hadn’t said already? It was time to just deal with the fallout, if there was any. I couldn’t let my fear prevent me from enjoying what little time I would have with him.

“I’m coming.”

“Not yet but you wait until you get here. I have plans.”

“Oh, you do, do you?” My nipples beaded as my imagination ran wild wondering what those plans might involve.

“Like you wouldn’t believe. If you were in my head right now you’d be blushing.”

“Hmm. If you were in
my
head you just might be blushing, too.” Mason laughed. “I have to go see if any new job postings came up and get my résumé out tonight since I won’t be around this weekend.” If I let the conversation continue down the path it was headed I’d be beyond the point of sexual frustration when I hung up the phone. “I’ll have to check the flights and see if I can get something to—”

“Jesus, Ellie. I’d hardly invite you out here and then expect you to book your own flight. I’ll arrange a charter for you after work tomorrow and have a car meet you at the airport and bring you over to the studio.”

“You don’t have to do that. It’s too much.”

“I don’t, but I am.”

I wasn’t comfortable accepting his offer but it was clear this was an argument I wouldn’t win. “Well, thank you then. I appreciate it.”

“Cool. I’ll see you tomorrow night. Sweet dreams, Sleeping Beauty.”

“You, too,” I said and hung up the phone. I wasn’t sure what the reference to Sleeping Beauty meant, but it was cute nonetheless.

Mason had asked me to L.A. because he didn’t want to be away from me. I didn’t have the first clue how to wrap my brain around that. It was becoming clear to me that preventing myself from feeling something for Mason was going to prove impossible. And really, what was the point? I was going to be hurt when he left anyway. I might as well enjoy the time together without worrying where my emotions were leading me.

For once in my life I’d decided to jump in head first and see where it led me. I was praying it wasn’t to heartbreak.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

The flight to Los Angeles was uneventful, although it’d been awkward and uncomfortable traveling in a private plane by myself. It was safe to say it wasn’t something I was accustomed to. Before I’d flown with Mason I’d never even seen a private plane except for on television.

By the time I reached the studio I was getting a little sleepy. It was still early in L.A. but my internal clock was still running on east coast time.

As we pulled into the parking lot of what honestly looked like a fairly old and decrepit building I texted Mason to let him know I’d arrived. He’d said the studio doors would be locked and he’d have to come let me in.

I stifled a yawn as I got out of the car and the driver handed me my bags. I wasn’t sure how to handle this situation. Did I tip him? Had Mason already taken care of that when he’d hired the car? I stood there a little awkwardly for a moment and was reaching into my purse when Mason exited the building.

It’d only been a couple of days since I’d seen him but my eyes feasted on the sight of him. He wore a pair of worn jeans and a black t-shirt stretched across his muscular chest. I could stare at him all day he looked that good. I pushed all the other things I’d like to do to him out of my mind.

He tipped the driver and turned his gaze to me. Without a word he moved toward me until there was no space between our bodies, pushed his hands into my hair and crushed his lips to mine.

His mouth was savage, his tongue plunging in and out of my mouth in an attempt to consume me. I brought my hands around him and moved them over the muscular planes of his back. He pulled away and leaned his forehead down to mine.

“You’re a sight for sore eyes,” he said.

“Miss me, did you?” I sounded a little breathless even to myself.

“I’ve been watching the clock all day waiting for you to get here.”

“Long day at the studio?”

“Going on twelve hours…we’re just putting the final touches on everything so I shouldn’t be too much longer.”

“No problem. I’m excited to see how everything works.”

He grabbed my suitcase with one hand and looped the other around my waist, leading me to the doors. “Well, let’s give you the grand tour then. Amber’s excited to meet you.”

I stopped in my tracks. “Amber Marshall?”

“Yeah.” Mason raised an eyebrow, a questioning look on his face.

“You mentioned me?”

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”

I shook my head. “Nothing. No reason.” In my excitement over Mason asking me to spend the weekend with him I’d totally blanked on the fact I’d be meeting Amber. She was a huge celebrity and I was suddenly nervous about how to act in front of her. It was different with Mason; I hadn’t known who he was at first. By the time I did, I’d already gotten to know him a bit so it didn’t feel as weird that he was a celebrity. But Amber Marshall was about as big as you could get in the music world.

Mason looked confused as I stood there frozen in my own thoughts but let the subject drop and led me into the building.

I’d pictured a sterile, modern studio with a grey-on-grey-on-black color scheme. Walking through the doors was only a warm, lived-in environment with worn beige tiles and a faux wood reception desk that looked like it’d probably been a high-end piece in the 1970’s. The wall was littered with framed posters from various musicians with gold and platinum records underneath, some of whom I recognized, others I had never seen before. The building had its own energy and even knowing nothing about the place or sound engineering, I could sense that it had some deep history attached to it.

“It’s not what I expected,” I said.

“Really? What’d you think it’d be like?” Mason sounded amused at my reaction.

“I thought it would be more modern. More sterile.”

“Some are. This place though…this place is special. Creative geniuses have worked here and made some of the biggest records in the past fifty years.”