Wonderful, page 17
Wiggling his fingers at us, he told her, “Fix them.”
Fix them? God, I hated this already.
The woman looked over at her team of assistants, and they all started heading our way. Dread filled me as they approached. I tried to convince them that we didn’t need to be “fixed,” that we looked fine as we were, but my objections were ignored, and before I knew it, I was wearing someone else’s clothes, my hair was ridiculously over-styled, and my makeup artist, Bridgette, was dabbing some sort of creamy shit on me. I felt like a tool.
While Bridgette worked on my face, the photographer came over to inspect her progress. He seemed pleased with what he saw until his gaze dropped to my hands. “No, that needs to be removed,” he said, pointing to my wedding ring.
“Excuse me?” I asked, raising my eyebrows. What the fuck did he care if I was wearing a wedding ring?
The photographer pursed his lips at me, clearly not happy that I was questioning an order. “The label doesn’t want any of you to appear to be…taken. Sales drop twenty percent or more if the artist is married and unavailable, especially when that artist is the lead singer, so ring off.” He made a go-ahead motion with his hand, his face showing impatience.
I opened my mouth to object, but he sighed in annoyance and cut me off before I even began. “It’s not up for debate. It’s what the label wants, so it’s what the label is going to get.” When I didn’t move right away, he sighed again. “The sooner you remove it, the sooner we can both continue on with our day. You’re wasting everyone’s time, but even worse than that, you’re wasting my time.”
He stood there, staring at me, clearly not going anywhere until I did what he said. Feeling annoyed but stuck, I reluctantly pulled the ring off my finger. He pursed his lips, then pointed at my pocket and made another go-on motion with his hand. A slice of anger shot up my spine as I shoved the ring into my jeans. I held up my empty hands, showing him that I was being compliant. He gave me a tight, unamused smile. “Great. Now we’re getting somewhere.”
He looked up at Bridgette, dramatically rolled his eyes, then continued on to the other guys. My hands clenched into fists as I watched him leave. Asshole. Once he was gone, Bridgette leaned forward and said, “Don’t take it personally. Frank’s like that with everyone. Little Man Syndrome we call it.” Standing straight, she gave me a conspiratorial wink.
Feeling my hands relax, I laughed at her assessment of him. Cocking my eyebrow, I asked, “Does this little bonding moment here mean we can skip the makeup, and I can go?”
She stared at me for a moment, then she started laughing. “Oh God, you’re cute. Now relax your face.” I sighed as she returned the sponge to my skin, then tried to do what she asked. The sooner this was over with, the better.
After what felt like a lifetime, Bridgette was finally done with me, and I was allowed to leave her station. But not before she gave me firm orders not to touch my hair or my face, because God forbid, I mess up my makeup. Feeling ridiculous, I walked over to Kiera. Her eyes widened as she took me in, and I felt my mood lightening. Her gaze started on my hair, then drifted over my body, taking in the borrowed frayed jeans, the studded belt, and the tight leather jacket, before returning to my hair. She nibbled on her lip as she studied me, and I could tell she was enjoying what she was seeing. It made me want to grin at her, but I was too annoyed by the amount of crap on my face. I really wanted to go to the bathroom and wash it off, but I had a feeling Bridgette would kill me if I did. Then she’d make me endure that whole process again.
Kiera frowned when I stepped in front of her. “You look great. What’s wrong?” she asked.
“I’m wearing makeup. I feel like an idiot.”
Leaning forward, Kiera studied my face like it held the answers to a test she was preparing for—or like I was a dessert she wanted to dive into. Her voice a little breathy, she told me, “I can’t even tell. You’re fine.”
I brought my hand up to run it through my hair, then remembered Bridgette’s warning and stopped. “I’m wearing eyeliner…and I’m pretty sure she put lipstick on me.” Not to mention whatever the hell she’d wiped all over me.
Kiera grinned, and while there was a hefty dose of humor in her expression, there was desire there too. “You look incredible…darn near delectable.”
The look on her face was turning me on, and that wasn’t necessarily a good thing, considering how tight my pants were. Still, if she wanted me, I was hers. Wrapping my arms around her, I playfully said, “Yeah? Would you like a bite?” I flashed a glance around the room to see if anyone was paying attention. When I saw that nobody was looking our way, I leaned down to Kiera’s ear. “We could disappear for a few minutes.”
Kiera pushed me back, but from the simmering heat in her eyes, I could tell what she really wanted to do was grab my jacket and pull me closer. Showing a lot of restraint, she told me, “I think Bridgette would have my head if I messed up her handiwork.”
Very, very true. But a small price to pay to be with her. I gave Kiera a suggestive onceover as I sucked on my lip. Ignoring the fact that I could taste whatever the hell product Bridgette had brushed on me, I told Kiera, “Yeah, but just think about it…every time you see the album cover, you’ll know, without a doubt, that you put that smile on my face.” And now I really wanted this to happen.
My hands slid over her ass, and I couldn’t resist giving her a gentle squeeze. Kiera’s eyes fluttered closed, and she made a soft noise that generally led to all sorts of good things, but the moment was ruined by Frank snapping his fingers and shouting, “Let’s do this, people!”
Kiera’s eyes immediately snapped open, and she looked a little startled, like she’d forgotten where we were for a moment. Chuckling at her expression, I released her. Kiera quickly recovered, and grabbing my hand, she kissed my cheek. Her eyes drifted to my naked finger. “Where is your ring?” she asked.
Annoyance ran up my spine as I remembered that conversation. Patting my front pocket, I told her, “Label doesn’t want us to advertise that we’re not single. Apparently, sales drop twenty percent if we’re off the market. Or so Frank says.” I pointed him out, so she would know I was talking about the photographer.
Kiera frowned, her expression matching my mood; irritation was buzzing through my veins. I supposed I could understand the label wanting the best start for us, but I didn’t see how their statistic could possibly be true. Fans would buy the album for the music. Who we were—and if we were single or not—was completely irrelevant. I was happily married, and I wasn’t embarrassed about that fact. Hiding it made it seem like Kiera was my dirty little secret or something. And she wasn’t. Not anymore, not ever again. Frank could kiss my ass.
Mind made up, I cast a secretive glance around the room. Making sure Frank and Bridgette weren’t watching, I slipped the ring back on my finger, where it belonged. “What the fuck do I care what people think, right?” The playful grin slipped off my face as I recalled the rumor that was already circulating. While I didn’t care if people knew I was married, I did care if they thought I was dating someone I wasn’t. “I do care about that photo with Sienna, though. I’ll take care of it, Kiera.”
She started to say something, but someone yanked my arm and hauled me away before she could. I was wrangled into position in front of the backdrop where the guys were already waiting. Evan laughed when he noticed my peeved expression. I flipped him off, and he laughed even harder. Matt and Griffin were sniggering too. Assholes.
Frank started shouting directions at all of us: stand here, stand there, head down, head up. I suppressed a sigh with each one and did what he asked as soon as he asked it. I figured if I was perfectly compliant, he might not notice my wedding ring. And it seemed to work. I expected him to yell at me to take it off with every shot, but he never did, and by the middle of the shoot, my amused smirk was genuine.
My mood improved even more once we were done. After Frank thanked us all for our cooperation, highly implying that we should leave now, I drifted over to Kiera, the guys trailing after me. Kissing her cheek, I told her, “I’m gonna go change and wash this shit off my face.”
While she laughed at my sullen remark, Griffin stepped to my side. “Hey, you think they’ll let us keep these clothes?” He gave Kiera a smug smile. “I am so getting laid tonight.”
I wasn’t too surprised by his comment, but Kiera was instantly livid; I could practically feel the anger radiating from her. She wanted a happily ever after for Anna, especially now that she was pregnant, but Griffin was not and never would be Prince Charming. The cold truth was…I was probably going to lose that bet with Matt and Evan. And Kiera was probably always going to hate Griffin.
Just as I thought that, Kiera spat out, “You make me sick!”
I braced myself to intervene if Griffin took that the wrong way, but he seemed more confused than anything. “What’s your problem?”
Kiera’s hands curled into fists, and I instantly worried that I might have to restrain her. Or maybe I’d just let her hit him. “You’re about to have a baby with my sister, and you’re still putting your…Hulk…into anything that lies still long enough. It’s disgusting!”
Griffin stepped past me to stand in front of Kiera. My hands instantly moved to restrain him, but his hands were on his hips, his posture annoyed but non-threatening, so I held back. “I’m a rock star,” he said. “I’ll fuck anything I want to fuck. It’s what we do.”
Venom in her eyes, Kiera shook her head and looked between Matt, Evan, and me. My body tensed as I waited for this to either explode or dissipate. But it was clear Kiera wanted to speak her mind, so I stayed silent and let her. Eyes returning to Griffin, she said, “No, it’s not.”
Griffin looked over at me and rolled his eyes in that condescending way I was oh-so-familiar with. “Oh, please. Just because you pussy-whipped him doesn’t mean you can pussy-whip me.” I narrowed my eyes at him, and he smirked at me before shifting back to Kiera. “Besides, it’s not like Anna isn’t out banging every guy that she wants to. And do you see me getting all bent out of shape about it?”
He was right, and Kiera knew it; her expression fell a little, the anger in her eyes cooling, morphing into something that almost resembled sadness. “She’s not like that anymore. She hasn’t been with anyone but you since she got pregnant. You’re the only man she talks about now.”
Griffin looked floored by that news; I was too, to be honest. It was pretty obvious by Griffin’s face that he and Anna didn’t discuss their relationship status. Ever. He looked like he’d honestly never even considered that Anna was committed to him. I couldn’t tell how he felt about it, though, other than surprised. “Really?” he asked, disbelief still etched on his face.
He glanced around at all of us watching him, and he suddenly looked…ashamed. That was almost as shocking to me as Anna’s fidelity. Griffin didn’t do shame. Or regret. Or reflection. But as he studied us, he seemed to be doing all of that, and he was hating it. Tossing his hands in the air, he looked back at Kiera. “It’s just fucking. What’s the big deal?”
Sadness on her face again, Kiera shook her head. “You’re both going to be parents, Griffin. That’s a life-changing event, one that Anna is scared to death about. And here you are, living it up, still banging babes left and right. Do you even care about what she’s going through? You enjoy having sex with Anna, but do you care about my sister at all?”
Griffin just stared at Kiera, but his face was completely blank—blank in a way I wasn’t used to seeing. He was genuinely absorbing her words, I could tell, and he also wasn’t happy about what it was doing to him. If I had to guess, I’d say he was finally experiencing guilt.
After a long, silent moment, he scoffed and told her, “I was just joking. Relax the fuck up, Kiera.” Then he stomped off.
Once he was gone, Matt turned to Kiera, a look of surprise and pride on his face. “I can’t be sure, but I think you just gave him food for thought.” Grinning, he extended his hand to Kiera. “Nicely played, Mrs. Kyle.” They briefly shook hands, then Matt clapped Evan’s back and they trailed off after Griffin, lightly laughing.
Wrapping my arm around Kiera, I pulled her close. “It’s adorable that you still try.”
She smirked at me, then her gaze drifted to my chest. “Griffin did ask a good question. Think they’ll let you keep the clothes?”
Her gaze drifted even lower, and I grinned as I leaned down to her ear. “I don’t need to keep them…they’re just in the way.”
I left her with that image in her head, and she was clearly indulging in it; her breath was coming faster, and her eyes were closed. When she reopened them and looked at me, there was so much heat in her expression that I wondered if I should pull her into the changing room with me. Damn. Now I really wanted out of these clothes. Smiling to myself, I hurried after the guys.
The instant I rejoined them, Griffin rounded on me. “What is up with your girlfriend?” he snapped.
“Wife,” I automatically corrected.
He flipped me off with a derisive smirk on his face. “Whatever she is, why the hell is she raggin’ on me? Tell her to back the fuck off.”
I let out a long sigh. “She’s just worried about her sister, Griffin.”
He dismissively waved his hand. “Anna is fine; there’s nothing to worry about there.”
Matt raised an eyebrow. “You don’t think Anna might expect more from you now? Since, you know, you’re about to be parents?”
Griffin narrowed his icy eyes at his cousin. “Wouldn’t she ask if she wanted more? She hasn’t asked, ergo, she doesn’t care.”
Matt grinned. “Ergo? Did you get a word-of-the-day calendar?”
Griffin smirked. “Dad did. I stole that too.”
While Matt laughed, I tilted my head at Griffin. “Why don’t you ask Anna?” I said, refocusing the conversation.
Griffin looked at me like I’d just suggested he pour fire ants all over himself. “Dude, if she doesn’t care if we’re exclusive, why would I bring it up? She’s letting me be free, man. That’s a win-win…win-win-win.”
Matt and Evan shared a look as they tried to puzzle out what that meant. I clapped Griffin on the shoulder. “But it also means that she’s free to keep looking around too. What if she meets someone else? What if they fall in love? What if that guy marries her? What if that guy ends up raising your kid?”
Griffin’s jaw dropped. “Fuck. That.”
I shrugged at him, and he shook his head, looking disgusted by the very plausible scenario I’d just mapped out for him. He walked away looking sickened and frustrated…and worried.
Once he was across the room, Matt stepped up to my side. “I almost want to call you out on interfering with our bet, but since I want you to win, I’ll let it slide.” I smiled at him, and he smiled back, then we bumped fists and watched as Griffin silently stewed.
Chapter 11
DO YOUR JOB
The first thing I did after leaving the photoshoot was call Sienna so I could talk to her about saying something publicly about that photo of us. When she picked up, I thought I’d have to explain who I was, but Sienna instantly knew it was me. Surreal, but I supposed it wasn’t all that surprising. If Sienna had wanted Lana to give me her number, then it made sense that she had asked Lana for mine as well. And being as important to the label as she was, Lana probably hadn’t felt like she could refuse her. Not for a nobody like me, anyway.
Our conversation was polite and civil, and by the end of it, Sienna agreed to say something. Kiera didn’t look convinced when I relayed the news to her. She seemed to think Sienna wanted me in a more-than-professional way. I didn’t think so, but I couldn’t for-sure tell when it came to her. It was entirely possible that Sienna might be interested in me. Didn’t matter, though. I was not interested in her.
I tried to put it out of my mind after that, but it kept popping up, and even though Sienna did release a statement saying that the guy in the photo was “just a friend,” everyone was still talking about it for some reason. And speculating on our relationship. And coming to the wrong conclusion. Even my friends fell victim to the hype. Or one of them did, at any rate.
“I hate you. I hate you so much; there aren’t enough words to express how much I hate you. That’s how much I hate you.”
Pulling a beer out of the fridge, I looked over at Griffin standing beside me, scowl on his face, arms crossed over his chest. I stared at him a moment, then pointed at the open fridge. “Want a beer?”
He narrowed his pale eyes at me. “Don’t you want to know why I hate you?”
Closing the fridge, I shrugged. “Not really. You say you hate me about three times a week, so I’m kind of used to it.” Grabbing a bottle opener on the counter, I popped off the cap to my beer. Griffin watched me with heat in his eyes as I tipped back the refreshing beverage.
“Sienna,” he said. “I’ve seen the picture, heard what people are saying. You’re screwing her? Seriously?” The look he gave me was one of complete disbelief. “You knew I wanted her first, and you broke your damn monogamy rule just to piss me off. That’s why I hate you.” He slowly shook his head, disgust on his face.
I swallowed another mouthful of beer as annoyance shot up my spine. Lowering the bottle, I told him, “I didn’t break anything, Griffin. The photo was taken when we all went out to dinner—Sienna, me, and Kiera. She was there, but they cropped her out. The rumors aren’t true. Nothing has or ever will happen between Sienna and me. I love my wife.”
Griffin studied me intently, looking for any sign that I was lying. “Really? Nothing happened? ‘Cause you can tell me…I’ll get over it. It’s not the first time I’ve had your seconds.” He gave me a quick onceover before glancing down at himself, frown on his face. “It’s annoying as fuck, but whatever. I’m not going to not sleep with her because of that. I just like to know beforehand. Also…what kink is she into? Got any tips for me?”
