Page 147 of Hard Rock Tease
“I know what you’re thinking, but it’s not like that at all. First of all,hekissedme. Second, Jayce and I both decided we couldn’t be together. There would just be too much trouble if people found out.”
Kell frowned, but nodded for me to go on.
“I’ve actually been talking to that producer online for almost a year. I know him by his online name, Neil. We’d never met in person and didn’t know who the other was when we first starting working together. Actually,” I said ruefully, “I kind of thought he was an ass at first.”
“He is.”
“Apparently he’s working on it.” I rolled my eyes. “I had posted something online and he realized who I was. Then he just came up to me and kissed me out of the blue.”
“People saw you on a date with him. You went out for drinks.”
“Yeah.” I looked down at my hands, fidgeting. I felt like I was just making excuse after excuse. “After Jayce and I decided nothing could happen between us, Neil and I decided to give it a go. Neil asked about Jayce, but I told him it was over. We went on that one date, but never managed to get together again. He was always too busy, could never make time for me. I decided to just end it with him before it got too serious. Both of us are here for work, anyway. He’s so dedicated to his job, he’s got a one-track mind. It would have been nice if we could have made it work, but—” I shrugged. “That’s the situation.”
“So you’re with neither of them?”
“I’m one hundred percent single. Why, you want to ask me out next?”
“Do the both of them know that?”
“Huh?”
“Each of them probably thinks you’re with the other.”
I blinked at him, taken aback.
“I just assumed they both knew I wasn’t with anyone. That explains the tension.”
“I think you need to sit down with both of them and explain the situation. They don’t need to be competing for your affections like this is some sort of historical romance novel.”
“Good thing I’m not stuck in a historical romance. Kissing two different guys? I’d be branded with a scarlet letter.”
“Hey, it’s the twenty-first century. You’re free to kiss whomever you desire. In fact,” Kell wiggled his eyebrows at me in a cartoonish come-hither stare, “feel free to kiss me whenever you want.”
I huffed out a laugh. “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind, thanks.”
I moved to sit up, but Kell tugged on my arm.
“Hey, listen.”
I sat back down. He seemed to hesitate for a moment before speaking.
“Jayce… he has this weird complex about being famous.”
“What do you mean?”
“You know what everyone says about him. He’s a sex god. He melts the panties off girls.”
“No argument there.”
“That’s the thing. Jayce doesn’t want to be a sex god. He’s a musician. An artist. He lives for the music.”
Understanding dawned on me. “But all anyone talks about is how hot he is…”
“Right. On stage, he loves the spotlight. I mean, heisa rock star.” Kell grinned, but it soon faded. “But off stage? He hates the media. He hates how it created this shallow image of him.”
“And Jayce is worried that’s all anyone will ever see,” I said softly.
“If he could, I think he’d prefer to avoid all that attention entirely. And I think…” Kell leaned back against the sofa and propped his head up on his hand, looking weary and sad. I wondered whether or not Jayce had confided in him, or if it was just Kell being perceptive. He was much more insightful than people gave him credit for. “…Jayce probably assumes the same of everyone else. He doesn’t get why I crave media attention.”
