Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

EMILY

My heart thundered against my chest as Tristan entered the elevator, shirtless and glistening, making my foolish knees weak. His musky scent filled the tight space as he panted. I could feel his breath against my face. It caused my senseless nipples to stiffen and every hair on my body to stand at attention.

What the hell is going on?

I pressed the button to go down, but we didn't get very far before he pushed the stop button and stood in front of the panel, blocking access.

"What the hell are you doing?" I asked, unsure which I felt more of, anger or arousal.

"What the hell are you doing?" he clapped back.

"What does it look like I'm doing? Leaving. I came to drop off your medication. And now I'm trying to get the heck out of here."

"Why did you run away like that?"

"Are you serious?" My eyes went wide. "You know why. You need me to freaking spell it out?"

"It freaked you out to see me with someone in there?"

"No." I looked down at my shoes. "I wasn't freaked out. It was just…unexpected and uncomfortable." I lifted my gaze to meet his incendiary stare.

His eyes bore into mine. "But you stood there watching for at least a minute…"

Shit. Shit. Shit. I said nothing, because there was no denying it.

"How was your date with Kieran?" he asked.

"How did you know about that?"

"I know everything." He tilted his head. "So how was it?"

"It was okay."

"Just okay ?"

"He's…super nice."

"He is. Kieran is just about the best there is. He'd be great for you."

"He told you about the date?"

Tristan nodded. "He really likes you. I was the one who encouraged him to go for it."

"Did you now…"

Why did that disappoint me so much? I was even more disappointed in myself for feeling this way. I knew nothing could happen with Tristan, but I'd loved his attention and the idea that maybe he liked me.

He kept prodding. "So you didn't have a good time?"

"I did…but I think he and I are probably better off as friends."

"Friends?" Tristan winced. "Ouch. That's the kiss of death." He chuckled. "I don't have a single female friend. That should tell you something."

"Well, I'm not gonna date someone on this tour regardless, even if I were into him in that way. I figured there was no harm in a simple dinner, but I'm not interested in anything more than that with him. I'll feel bad if he expects something, because you're right. He's a good guy, and he doesn't deserve someone wasting his time."

"Well, I bet he'll ask you out again. If that's how you feel, though, let him down easy."

"I wish I didn't have to let anyone down." I crossed my arms. "Anyway, you say ‘let him down easy'-is that what you do with all the women you hook up with? They never see you again. Something tells me you don't send them all letters of explanation as to why you don't contact them."

He stepped back. "Okay, first off, groupies pretty much know the deal going into it. You don't enter a man's room while he's on tour, throw yourself at him without so much as saying a word, and expect him to call the next day. That's one of the only things that makes this lifestyle easy. Everyone is normally on the same page. No one expects anything from each other."

"Yeah, well, that page is definitely frayed around the edges at this point…"

The corner of his mouth curved upward. "You don't seem to think very highly of me."

"I'm not down with the whole rockstar lifestyle," I huffed.

"I can tell. Although…you seemed pretty interested in what you were seeing when you stopped at the doorway and watched a moment ago."

I felt my skin crawl. "I wasn't watching you like that ."

"How else do you watch someone? What does that even mean? I heard the paper bag crinkle. That's how I knew you were there. I didn't say anything because I wanted to see what you'd do. I expected you to leave, but you didn't." He cocked his head. "Why?"

Without a suitable answer, I improvised. "I didn't know whether to leave the bag of medicine or knock and interrupt whatever you were doing. My indecision kept me there." I breathed out. "Why did you order something to your room if you were with someone?"

"I didn't know she was going to come by. Plus, nothing really happened. I wouldn't have been ashamed if you'd walked in or even interrupted. We weren't having sex. And I wasn't planning to."

I shook my head. "You're so full of shit. Something would've happened if I hadn't interrupted you."

"Are you psychic now? How would you know what would've happened? I think I know better than you what my intentions were."

"You claimed you weren't interested in groupies as of late. Apparently, that changed." I blew a breath up into my hair. "Are you gonna move this elevator or what?"

"I needed a distraction tonight. That's why I let her in."

"A distraction from what?" I asked, placing my hands on my hips.

"I've been preoccupied with my shitty performances. I'm not feeling as motivated as I should for the show tomorrow night."

"So you figured you'd invite someone over to fuck the worry out of you?"

"Don't say things like that."

Is he serious? "Why? Because you think I'm too innocent?"

"No. Because it makes me want you to say it again , and I'm trying not to sexualize you, even if that's a losing game."

My heart beat faster. He's attracted to me? I felt my cheeks heat.

"You're all red. You're getting very worked up," he said.

"Yeah, well, I don't appreciate you insinuating that I was watching for fun like some kind of perv. You've made me a bit testy."

Even if I am a little perv.

"I'm just teasing you, Emily. And I kind of like you testy. It's a fun side to you. Incidentally, there'd be nothing wrong with that, you know-watching from the sidelines. We're all pervs in one way or another." His smile grew wider.

He seemed to be enjoying this situation a little too much. And that made me wonder... Not sure why it hadn't hit me before. My eyes narrowed. "Did you call me there so I'd walk in on that?"

"Why would I do that?" His face still showed a hint of amusement.

"So I'd catch you with her?"

"Yeah. I got what you were insinuating. But why would I do that?"

I shook my head. "I'm not entirely sure, but I find it suspect that the door was open when I got there, and you don't seem to have red eyes or a runny nose that would warrant allergy medication."

"I didn't leave the door open. She did."

"You could've closed it. You knew I was coming to your room to deliver something."

"Actually, I didn't. I texted Stephen. I had no reason to believe he was going to send you. I thought you were out with Kieran, remember? Figured you weren't even around." His eyes pierced mine. "But to entertain your theory, let's say I did leave the door open so you could watch. What would that make me?"

"A prick who gets off on using his sexuality to shock people."

"And if you intentionally watched me about to have sex with someone, what would that make you ?"

"There was nothing intentional about it…"

"A little voyeur is what it would make you." He grinned mischievously. "If there's no truth to it, why is your neck turning redder by the second, Emily?"

God. I hated that I always turned so damn red when I was flustered. Damn Irish skin.

"Are you attracted to me?" he asked.

A rush of adrenaline sliced through me. I felt exposed. And worse, I didn't know how to deny my attraction without turning into a freaking lobster. "Why are you asking me that?"

"Because you seem flustered." His voice was low, seductive. "It seems like maybe I have an effect on you. Do I?"

"Only an egotistical person would assume that."

He held up his hand. "Guilty…"

"Why would it matter if I were attracted to you?"

"You're dodging the question." He inched closer, causing the hairs on my arms to prickle.

I felt ready to burst. "Of course I'm attracted to you. So is half the world. You're extremely handsome. But that doesn't mean I should do anything about it."

Then I looked down and noticed something for the first time. What the hell?

"Why do you have my scrunchie around your wrist?"