“What do you mean?” I expect my new position will take up most of my time, but every minute?
Noel leans forward on his elbows. “I need to make sure the person in charge of marketing my charity gets it—how close I am to literacy. I’ve decided you have to come on the road with me to fully understand what I need from you.”
Go on the road with him? Is he insane? That’s unheard of and totally unreasonable. “You can’t be serious.”
“Why wouldn’t I be serious? I want to make sure you don’t fuck up my charity with your lack of experience. This means a lot to me.”
“Just because I’m not all that experienced doesn’t mean I won’t do a great job for you. Dyslexia isn’t something to be ashamed of. Lots of people have it. You should let other people know that you have it. You’ll inspire kids not to give up. But making me go on the road with you because you think I’m the only person who will understand why this literacy program means so much to you is…absurd.”
He flinches. “Absurd? You know what’s absurd? Calling the owner of a marketing company and demanding she give you a job, even though you aren’t qualified, because I feel like an asshole. The least you can do is come on the road with me so I can oversee this project and make sure I’ll be happy with the campaign.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean any disrespect, but you can’t expect me to leave my life and ride on a cramped bus with you and a bunch of guys.”
“There’s only four of us on the bus, so I don’t think that qualifies as ‘a bunch.’ Besides, I’m hoping you’ll spend most of your nights with me in my room”—I raise my eyebrows and he smiles—“working on the project. The bus is the only place we’ll be able to meet without interruption.”
I shake my head. “I can’t. Besides, Ms. Swagger will never agree to that.”
Noel traces his lower lip with his index finger and winks at me. “You leave her to me. That old broad loves me.”
“Even if I protest?”
He shrugs. “It’s up to you whether you come with me or not. Guess we’ll see how much you want this job.”
“That is blackmail!”
“No, that’s where you are wrong. If it were blackmail, I would get something I want out of the deal. From what I can tell, that’s not going to be an option. Come on, Lane. I’m not asking you to fuck me—unless you want to that is. All I’m trying to do is help out an old friend and make sure my shit gets done right.”
When he put it that way, I felt like an uppity jerk. Noel did get me the job. Is it really so far-fetched that he wants to make sure I do a good job? Diana told him I have zero real-world experience when she tried to talk him out of using me for the position. But the Noel I know looks at all the angles, and I’m curious as to what his ultimate goal is. “I’m calling bullshit. Tell me, exactly what you hope to get by dragging me along on your bus?”
His lips quirk, and I know I’m right. “I forgot how well you know me. You’re right. I do hope to accomplish something with this little venture.”
I raise my eyebrow, curious as to what he’ll say. “What’s that?” Judging by the sexy twinkle in his eye, I have the uneasy feeling that I already know. My hand trembles as I sip my water, ruining the unfazed-by-you-Noel-Falcon look that I’m trying my best to project.
He leans across the small table. His nearness causes a chemical reaction inside of me, and I get hot all over. I take another sip of water just as he says, “The chance to get back inside that tight little body of yours.”
I nearly spit my water in his face. “Are you out of your fucking mind? How dare you say something like that to me?”
Noel’s smile widens. “Because you and I both know it’s going to happen. It’s only a matter of time before you give in. I already know every inch of your body and what you like. You want it just as much as I do. I can see it in your eyes.”
Heat burns between my legs, and I squirm. I hate that he’s having this effect on me. If I lose the upper hand, I could lose more than my job. I have to keep control. I shake my head and try to keep images of his naked body and what it might feel like deep inside me out of my mind. “No. Been there, done that. Not happening again.”
He leans back with a smug look. “We’ll see.”
6
I knock once on Diana Swagger’s open door before stepping through. She motions me to sit in one of the two brown leather chairs facing her desk. The New York City skyline makes an impressive backdrop as she sits behind her large mahogany desk talking on her cell. Diana’s red hair frames her heart-shaped face in loose waves.
Sinking down in the chair chills shoot down my back as I press against the cool leather. My hands fold in my lap and I cross my ankles while I wait on Diana to finish her call. There’s no doubt what she wants to talk about. Noel is the only reason someone like Diana Swagger would grace me with so much of her time.
She presses the red button on the phone, tosses it onto her desk, and sets her green eyes on me. “Ms. Vance, I heard you met with Mr. Falcon for dinner last night. I suspect that went rather well?”
I stiffen. If I could give her some information about the charity without revealing Noel’s dyslexia, talking with her would be a breeze. Instead, I sit here dumbstruck. I’ve met with Noel twice and haven’t learned jack crap about his vision for his project other than he wants to force me to spend time with him.
Diana raises her brow and lifts her right hand. She wants me to speak, so I try to keep it vague. “Yes. It went well. Mr. Falcon seems like he has some rather big plans.”
A little too big if you ask me.
“I have to say, in all my years of doing this, not once has a client made such an outlandish request. Not only does he insist that I hire you, but he’s requesting I send you on tour with him.”
I shake my head. I told him she would never go for his little scheme. “I explained to him there was no possibility of that happening.”
Ms. Swagger holds up a finger. “Actually, I think this is an excellent opportunity for Center Stage Marketing. You will go on tour with Black Falcon and run the children’s literacy marketing account, and you’re also going to secure an exclusive right to Black Falcon itself.”
Black Falcon’s marketing? That’s major. How the hell am I supposed to pull that off? I can use Noel’s desire to get in my pants to my advantage, keeping him hooked long enough to get his charity off the ground and get me a nice cushy job, but I can’t string him along forever. Noel’s not going to hand over Black Falcon’s publicity to me without something in return, and that something he wants, he isn’t getting. I have no intentions of sleeping with a total womanizer. All he wants is to get back into my panties. Sex with him would be amazing, but a one-nightstand is not worth the risking career...or my heart.
I want to do this on my own merit. Diana will have no choice but to promote me when I prove I can sell anything to the masses and get Noel’s account under my belt. I rub the back of my neck. “With all due respect, I’m not sure he’s able to give us the entire account.”
Diana leans forward and taps her desk. “That’s where you’re wrong. You see, I’m a shrewd businesswoman. I didn’t get where I am by playing fair. Noel Falcon wants you on tour with him, and only you, at the expense of my company. He made that quite clear. So I agreed to send you but gave him a condition of my own. At the end of his tour in two weeks, he will hand over every marketing avenue of Black Falcon to us.”
That sounds an awful lot like a trade, and it makes me shiver. Is Diana actually telling me she sold me to Noel for exclusive rights to Black Falcon? That can’t be legal. I should say no. I should tell her to go to hell and walk away from the whole damn situation, but my feet won’t budge. I want this job so bad. I can do this. “Only two weeks, correct?”
Ms. Swagger nods. “Only two. They’ll fly by. All you have to do is keep Mr. Falcon happy, and your job here is permanent.”
Where else will this type of opportunity fall into my lap? I’m only twenty-two years old. M
ost people don’t have their own accounts until they’ve been out of college a few years. If I say no, I’ll be throwing away my dream. I square my shoulders. “I’ll do it.”
Diana smiles, and instead of being friendly, it seems slightly evil. My muscles tense, and I lean away from her. I don’t like the way she’s grinning at me, and the instinct to run like hell fills my entire being.
My cell chirps as Aubrey walks into the room. She rolls her eyes and smiles. “Mr. Wonderful again? You still owe me some juicy details about your dinner date, you know.”
I roll my eyes. “A lady never kisses and tells. Besides, you already know nothing happened. It was strictly business.”
Aubrey laughs and plops down on the couch beside me. “You, missy, are no lady. So dish.”
I shake my head. “Nothing happened. I swear.”
She folds her legs under herself and takes a huge bite of her double-brownie ice cream. “Bull. You expect me to believe Noel Falcon makes a romantic date with you and, after a couple of hours, together nothing happened? He’s texted you at least fifty times over the past few days, and there was no sex involved? I say bull. No man gets that sprung unless he’s getting a little somethin’-somethin’, if you know what I mean.”
I shrug. “Getting romantic with Noel is the last thing on my mind.” But getting naked and sweaty is the first. His aggressive nature pushes every hotness button in my psyche. It’s hard not to think about sex when someone who looks that good keeps talking about getting into my pants. But there’s no need to go into detail about how much I crave his fingers on my skin with Aubrey. My sexual fantasies aren’t really anyone’s business.
She eyes me and licks her spoon. “So he’s PG-13, huh? That’s kind of disappointing. Not much of a ‘Sex God,’ is he? I figured as much as you talked about him, he’d have had you out of your panties within the hour.”
“Aubrey!” I smack her leg. “I can’t believe you just called him that.”
“What? ‘Sex God’? I got the name from you. That’s how you always referred to him. I’m thinkin’ of revoking his title after the boring business date story you just told me.”
I had kept tabs on Noel while he shot up through the ranks of stardom. The internet is a wonderful tool for discreetly checking up on people. There are always pictures of him at parties surrounded by small mobs of women—even famous starlets who are notorious for having flings with rock stars. Noel’s been referred to as a “Sex God” by more than one article.
I have an idea. “Why don’t you meet us at a show or something?”
“Are you serious?” I can hear the excitement in her voice.
“Totally serious. I know how much you wanted to get backstage and meet the band, so I figure I kind of owe you.” I get my laptop from my bag and pull up Black Falcon’s tour schedule. We pick the next Texas date on the schedule so Aubrey can see her folks when she visits me and the band on the road.
My phone chirps again, and I snatch it off the table. I jump when it rings in my hand. I click the green button and say, “Why, if it isn’t my favorite stalker.”
Noel laughs, and I wish it didn’t make me smile. “That’s right, baby. You’re looking really sexy in that black lingerie. I’m so glad I have the perfect spot to see into your bedroom window from this tree.”
I glance down at my over-sized T-shirt and socks. “You’d be sadly disappointed if you actually saw what I wear to bed.”
“You know, clothes are overrated as far as I’m concerned. I’m good with you totally doing away with them when you visit me.” I can hear the smile in his voice.
“Noel...” I say his name like a warning.
Aubrey looks at me and rolls her eyes. “I’m going to bed. We can watch this movie some other time.”
“Goodnight,” I tell her before she closes herself in her bedroom.
“Telling your boyfriend goodnight, are ya?” Noel asks, his voice tight.
My heart pauses and then restarts. I grab a pillow from the couch and hug it tight. “What boyfriend?”
A woman’s loud, passionate moan sounds in the background. Is he watching porn while he’s talking to me? There’s a rustling noise and then the sound of a door closing.
“Noel?” I ask, afraid I’ve lost him.
“Sorry, I had to close the door. The bus gets crazy after a show. I can barely hear you.”
I shake the images of topless groupies out of my head. “Yeah. Sorry. What were you saying?”
He tsks playfully. “I was asking you about your boyfriend. It’s cool if you don’t want to tell me about him.”
I laugh. He’s being ridiculous, and that reminds me a little of his old self. “You know I don’t have a boyfriend.”
“Good thing. I’d hate to have to hop a plane at this time of night just to kick his ass for messing around with my girl.”
I smile and chew on my bottom lip. His forwardness is kind of cute, I’ll give him that. “I’m not your girl.”
“Not yet but soon,” he says. “You know, I haven’t even thought about sleeping with another girl since the other night.”
I grin and poke fun at his comment. “Me either.”
He chuckles. “I’m so glad you haven’t thought about being with other girls. Chicks would be stiff competition for me. Although, I won’t say I wouldn’t like to watch.”
I shake my head. Same old Noel—always a jokester. Our little innocent flirting game seems fairly harmless, and if it keeps me in his good graces, then I’ll play along. “You know what I meant. Besides, you’re the only stiff competition I like.”
He groans. “That’s it. Where’s my private jet? The word ‘stiff’ coming out of your mouth is enough to send me over the edge here.”
We’re both quiet for a couple seconds. Jokes aside, I know he’s serious. He’s testing me. The line between our new relationship and our old love life isn’t clearly defined. It’s not entirely his fault, either. I look forward to his calls and texts. Shouldn’t I dread them?
He sighs. “Have you packed?”
I glance at my bedroom and think about the half-full suitcase on my bed. “Nearly finished.”
“Lane,” he says hesitantly, “I know you’re having doubts, but I told you, you won’t be my employee. You work for a real marketing firm—a huge one. This project will look great on your resume. Let me help you put that hard-earned marketing degree to use. Everyone who gets these kinds of jobs knows someone to get their foot in the door.”
Deep down, I know Noel is right. Center Stage Marketing is one of the largest firms in New York. His offer to put me in charge of promoting his children’s literacy charity is amazing. The only problem is the tour. I’m going to be stuck with him everyday. But I honestly can’t think of a way around it. He made it clear if I want this job, the tour is the stipulation. “I’ll be ready.”
“Yeah?” I don’t need to see his face to know he’s smiling. “That didn’t take as much convincing as I thought it would.”
“Well, you know, I would still be an intern if it weren’t for you. I would like to be able to pay my own rent for a change. Begging my mom to cover it while I intern majorly sucks. If it weren’t for her, Aubrey would’ve kicked me out of this place two years ago.”
“Having money is nice,” he agrees. “I remember all too well being a starving artist.”
“Please, your parents would never let you starve.” He’s quiet. I expect him to crack some joke like he always does, but it doesn’t happen. Did I step on a touchy subject? “Noel?”
He sighs. “Yeah, I’m here.”
I can tell by his tone that he’s frowning. I panic. “I’m sorry if I—”
“Don’t worry about it. I guess I should have told you that Dad and I really don’t talk anymore. For some reason, I figured you already knew that, seeing as how our families are still neighbors and all.”
I hadn’t had the nerve to face his parents since our breakup. They still live beside my Mom on Cedar Creek Lake. The only time I?
??ve had any contact with them was at my father’s funeral three years ago, but I wasn’t up for much talking. So much has changed in our lives.
“I didn’t know. I’m sorry if I upset you. You want to talk about it?”
The line is silent for a long time, but I hear his slow and steady breaths. I don’t understand. What could be so bad that Noel wouldn’t speak to his father? Doesn’t he know that family can be stripped away at any moment?
I know his father. He’s stern, the kind of man who always gets his way and people don’t cross. Those two always butted heads when we were kids, especially when it came to Noel’s grades. His father’s constant need for perfection and success wore on Noel. His father couldn’t grasp why school was such a struggle for his dyslexic son. Noel’s mother, on the other hand, is a lovely woman, and she was always considerate of Noel’s learning disability. I can’t even count the number of different tutors she hired to help him.
Noel is a mixture of both of them, I guess. His sweetness comes from his mom, while his need for complete control comes from his father. Since I’ve reconnected with him, it seems as though his father’s genes are winning out. He’s pushy, just like him. He always tried to please his father, but something in the last four years has changed, and I’m dying to find out what.
“Noel, I mean it. We’ve been friends a long time. You can tell me.”
He lets loose a loud, shaky sigh. “It’s nothing. Forget I even brought it up.”
I press the pillow tighter against my chest and, for some reason, I wish it was Noel. The need to wrap my arms around him and tell him things will work out grips my heart. I know better than to believe that it’s not a big deal to him. Not being able to see his family, when they meant so much to him, must be crushing. He should talk with someone. If he won’t tell me willingly, I’ll have to force it out of him. “Bullshit.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me. Bull. Shit. This isn’t nothing. Tell me. I’m your oldest friend, and I want to know what happened that’s so terrible you don’t see your parents anymore.”