can’t help you.”
The tight heat licking through Josh’s body since he’d kissed Caitlin on the dance floor radiated into a hot ball in his groin at the thought of being in Caitlin Reynolds’s bed.
For a second, he was overwhelmed by an image of Caitlin waiting for him in that bed, her naked body partly covered by the tousled sheet, one long bare leg exposed, one hip, the top swell of one breast, her shoulders…
“That’s not what I’m after,” he answered, banishing the mental torment as a wave of hotter guilt crashed over him. “I’m thinking I want to do an unplugged, one-night-only performance while I’m here in Sydney. A spur-of-the-moment kind of thing. Hoping I could do that at the Chaos Room. What do you think? Interested?”
Silence greeted his question.
“Zach?” Josh frowned. “You still there?”
“Are you sure this isn’t a scheme to get the boss to sleep with you?”
The suspicious uncertainty had returned to Zach’s voice. And something else—protective menace.
Josh let out a slow breath, at once in awe of the respect and loyalty Caitlin created in the man, and unsettled by the distinct possibility getting into her pants was exactly the reason for his suggestion.
No. You want to do something for her because life has fucked her over. Because she is sad and needs to find her happy. That’s it. That’s—
“Because if that’s the reason,” Zach went on, steel in the words, “you can fuck off. Famous or not, I won’t be a part of someone taking advantage of her pain. Understand?”
Josh pictured the club’s second-in-charge. There was little doubt in his mind if Zach Chapman wanted to hurt him, he could. And would if he felt Josh deserved it. The guy would be capable of picking him up and breaking him in half without raising a sweat.
Once again, he was impressed with the sheer lack of celebrity-fawning and arse-kissing from the guy. It was a pleasant change. “Understand,” he answered with a nod. “Let me assure you, all I want to do is help.”
“Help what? The boss forget her fiancé?”
The question, ringing so true to Liev Reynolds’s hope and reason for giving Josh Caitlin’s number, made Josh’s chest squeeze tight. It also cleared up another reason why Zach was so protective of his boss—he knew of her tragic situation.
Perhaps most of Australia does? If you were living here when it happened maybe you’d know about it as well. It’s the kind of story that would make the news. The kind the government would milk to their advantage during an election year as well—find the missing Australian doctor and reunite him with the love of his life…
A thick lump filled Josh’s throat. A hot beat throbbed in his temples.
He shut his eyes on the sight of Sydney Harbour in all its morning beauty and kicked his toe in a soft, repetitive beat against the railing. “I want to help raise money for Doctors Without Borders,” he said, forcing himself to picture Caitlin in the arms of a man he’d never met, her beautiful face beaming with joy, her striking blue eyes alive with happiness. “Help raise the public’s awareness of what her fiancé was doing before he—”
“Was killed?”
Zach’s blunt delivery of the rest of Josh’s sentence jarred Josh. He opened his eyes and stared at his toe. Watched it connect with the steel railing. “Before he went missing,” he finished.
Believing Matt Corvin was going to come back would stop him fantasizing about Caitlin.
He hoped.
“So you’re that altruistic then?”
Zach’s question, asked with equal parts sarcasm and uncertainty, made Josh snort out a laugh. “Believe it or not, I’m actually a pretty decent guy. Dad’s drilled it into me how destructive the hedonistic rock ’n’ roll lifestyle can be. Mum’s told me if I ever behave the way Dad did when he found fame she’ll disown me. And the band—who all lived it at the start of their careers—have made it their mission to make certain I never
The tight heat licking through Josh’s body since he’d kissed Caitlin on the dance floor radiated into a hot ball in his groin at the thought of being in Caitlin Reynolds’s bed.
For a second, he was overwhelmed by an image of Caitlin waiting for him in that bed, her naked body partly covered by the tousled sheet, one long bare leg exposed, one hip, the top swell of one breast, her shoulders…
“That’s not what I’m after,” he answered, banishing the mental torment as a wave of hotter guilt crashed over him. “I’m thinking I want to do an unplugged, one-night-only performance while I’m here in Sydney. A spur-of-the-moment kind of thing. Hoping I could do that at the Chaos Room. What do you think? Interested?”
Silence greeted his question.
“Zach?” Josh frowned. “You still there?”
“Are you sure this isn’t a scheme to get the boss to sleep with you?”
The suspicious uncertainty had returned to Zach’s voice. And something else—protective menace.
Josh let out a slow breath, at once in awe of the respect and loyalty Caitlin created in the man, and unsettled by the distinct possibility getting into her pants was exactly the reason for his suggestion.
No. You want to do something for her because life has fucked her over. Because she is sad and needs to find her happy. That’s it. That’s—
“Because if that’s the reason,” Zach went on, steel in the words, “you can fuck off. Famous or not, I won’t be a part of someone taking advantage of her pain. Understand?”
Josh pictured the club’s second-in-charge. There was little doubt in his mind if Zach Chapman wanted to hurt him, he could. And would if he felt Josh deserved it. The guy would be capable of picking him up and breaking him in half without raising a sweat.
Once again, he was impressed with the sheer lack of celebrity-fawning and arse-kissing from the guy. It was a pleasant change. “Understand,” he answered with a nod. “Let me assure you, all I want to do is help.”
“Help what? The boss forget her fiancé?”
The question, ringing so true to Liev Reynolds’s hope and reason for giving Josh Caitlin’s number, made Josh’s chest squeeze tight. It also cleared up another reason why Zach was so protective of his boss—he knew of her tragic situation.
Perhaps most of Australia does? If you were living here when it happened maybe you’d know about it as well. It’s the kind of story that would make the news. The kind the government would milk to their advantage during an election year as well—find the missing Australian doctor and reunite him with the love of his life…
A thick lump filled Josh’s throat. A hot beat throbbed in his temples.
He shut his eyes on the sight of Sydney Harbour in all its morning beauty and kicked his toe in a soft, repetitive beat against the railing. “I want to help raise money for Doctors Without Borders,” he said, forcing himself to picture Caitlin in the arms of a man he’d never met, her beautiful face beaming with joy, her striking blue eyes alive with happiness. “Help raise the public’s awareness of what her fiancé was doing before he—”
“Was killed?”
Zach’s blunt delivery of the rest of Josh’s sentence jarred Josh. He opened his eyes and stared at his toe. Watched it connect with the steel railing. “Before he went missing,” he finished.
Believing Matt Corvin was going to come back would stop him fantasizing about Caitlin.
He hoped.
“So you’re that altruistic then?”
Zach’s question, asked with equal parts sarcasm and uncertainty, made Josh snort out a laugh. “Believe it or not, I’m actually a pretty decent guy. Dad’s drilled it into me how destructive the hedonistic rock ’n’ roll lifestyle can be. Mum’s told me if I ever behave the way Dad did when he found fame she’ll disown me. And the band—who all lived it at the start of their careers—have made it their mission to make certain I never
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