Page 32 of Blind Attraction

“How is she?” he asked before Tony said a word.

Mason groaned and Mitch ignored it. He wouldn’t hide his worry over her wellbeing. He cared for her and had to admit he enjoyed her vulnerability and the way she relied on him. Her image still hadn’t left his mind, her smile, her dimples, her gorgeous light green eyes. He couldn’t wait to get downstairs to see her again.

“She was fine when I left her ten minutes ago.” Tony shrugged. “I ordered her a coffee and she seemed happy to sit there and wait.”

Mitch nodded in thanks.

“There were three guys down there checking her out, I’m sure they’ll keep her company if she gets lonely.”

Mitch pushed forward in his chair and sat up straight. “What?” He gripped the table, poised to push to his feet when Tony’s face brightened with a smirk.

“You really like her, don’t you?” Mason asked with a chuckle. “Oh, this is going to be so much fun.”

Mitch didn’t agree. They’d all gone through it before. Ryan used to do the puppy love thing with his wife Julie. Sean still held resentment from the last woman who broke his heart and Mitch was pretty sure the reason Blake spent a lot of time on the laptop was because of a woman too.

He didn’t bother answering. They would only twist his words into something they found humorous. Unfortunately, it was their ritual, the way they bonded, and Mitch supposed he deserved a little payback for the years of shit he’d given.

A knock came at the door and Jenny Jay, the local radio host, poked her head inside the room. “You guys ready?”

Leah moved beside him as he pushed from his chair. “I’m going to check on Alana while you guys do your thing. I’ll try and convince her to come back up with me, that way we can leave straight after the interview and avoid any fan drama.”

“Thanks.” He ran both hands through his hair and breathed deep. “Let’s get this shit over with.”

The members of Reckless Beat followed Jenny down the hall and entered the small studio room while the bodyguards waited in the reception area. They’d done the radio gig so many times before that when Jenny ran through her spiel on how things would run on air, Mitch zoned out.

His attitude didn’t change once they were live. Mason always handled the majority of the questions. Being the lead singer, he was the one the fans loved the most. The rest of them would indicate with hand gestures if they wanted to answer something specific, and they kept Leah happy as long as they spoke at least once.

Today, Mitch hoped his “hello” to the listeners would suffice.

“So, Mitchell—” He cringed when Jenny Jay said his name. “—the newspaper tells of another heroic scene. Apparently you came to the rescue of one of your fans last night. How does it feel to be back in the spotlight saving another beautiful woman?”

He gave an uncomfortable laugh, uncomfortable because he had no idea what the hell to say. He hadn’t seen the newspaper and could only imagine the way the assholes would’ve distorted the truth.

“Umm, good...I suppose.” There, he’d done his quota.

“I’ve been told you spent the night taking care of the female in question, rushing her to get medical attention in the early hours of the morning. Is this another case of not being able to turn down a woman in need?”

Blake snorted softly beside him, and Mitch wanted to do the same. That damn interview would haunt him for the rest of his life.

“I think the majority of people would react the same way to a woman in need. Alana was powerless to stop her injuries and unable to take care of herself afterward. I merely did the right thing.” He gave a firm nod, happy with his answer.

Jenny Jay smiled back at him before turning her next question to Ryan and the rumors of his failing marriage.

Halla-fucking-lujah. For once he hadn’t dug the hole deeper for himself.

Blake leaned toward him and covered the mic in front of them. “Boy is Leah gonna be pissed you didn’t milk that PR opportunity for all it’s worth.”

Mitch nudged his best friends shoulder away and ignored the comment. Leah still owed him for the last PR nightmare. He didn’t care about their manager’s reaction anyway. His attention rested on how he would persuade Alana to spend another night with him.

A knot formed in his chest and he rubbed it away. He needed to hold her a little longer, to memorize her features and hopefully score a little more prayer time too. Only problem—he didn’t think she would be easy to convince.

“Child, I think you’re our granddaughter.”

A hand came to rest on top of Alana’s, and she flinched. “I’m sorry, but you’re mistaken.” She slid her hand out from underneath the weight. “My grandparents have passed away.”

The elderly woman released a soft sob.

“Shh, shh.” The man consoled. “What’s your name, child?”