Tempting the Crown (The Crown 1)

“No. He’s gay, Luke. Jake is gay.”

“What the fuck?” I chugged the coffee as if there were shots of bourbon stirred in. I needed a few.

“We used to be friends. Really good friends actually. And then something happened to him. He got caught up in the fame. My fame. And the money and meeting bigger and hotter stars. It changed who he used to be. And when I wanted to change he didn’t want it. I was his golden goose as the good girl. He didn’t want me to evolve and risk what he had built. He threatened me with my secret. He’s held it against me for years.”

“What a dick. I told you he was an asshole.”

“I know you did. You were right, but I was too scared to leave. Too afraid that he would expose me.”

I clenched my fists. I didn’t know what to think. My gut told me to go beat the shit out of that guy for what he had done to Alexa. Part of me was mad she hadn’t told me the truth. And then there was the man who was so fucking far over the cliff in love with her he couldn’t push her away. There wasn’t enough booze in the world to drink her memory away. There weren’t enough days to make me forget.

“So now what? Where is he?”

She shook her head. I saw the shame in her eyes. She didn’t need me to tell her she should have trusted me with her secret. She was already in pain because of it. But I could have helped her. Fuck it. I didn’t know I valued the truth until it was something I didn’t have.

“He said I violated our contract. Had it nulled and then signed with a bigger pop artist. He’s gone.”

I couldn’t help but grin. “Good. You’re better off without that piece of shit in your life.”

“I don’t know how I feel about it yet. It was a big price to pay to be free.”

I looked into her eyes. This girl had been through hell and back. She was alone in this life. No parents. No other family.

“It cost me fans. It cost me friends.” Her lashes glistened with tears. “Did it cost me you?”

I swallowed hard. Fuck.

35

Alexa

“Luke, can you forgive me?” I looked at him desperately. “I’m sorry. So sorry I didn’t tell you. I should have been honest from the beginning. From the minute I told you about my family. That’s when I should have told you.”

His eyes were set in a hard line. I couldn’t read him. I didn’t know if he was still angry, hurt, or just done with me.

And I knew I had screwed up. But if there was one person in this world who could forgive me it was this man. The one who had held me. Who saw me beyond the lights and the smoke. I waited anxiously.

“This is the hardest fucking decision of my life.” His jaw clenched. “I want you. But you annihilated me. I’m not the kind of man who runs the same play twice just to get obliterated a second time.”

The tear slipped from my cheek. Could I blame him? Could I judge him for not wanting to get hurt again? The pain gripped and seized me. I had flown here to be heard. I told my story and now it was time to pack my sequin dress and start my life over in Tennessee. I didn’t know how I’d leave. How I’d say goodbye to him.

“I’ll go,” I volunteered. “There’s a noon flight I can make.”

I felt sick. If I started to cry now in front of him, I might not stop. I had to get to the guest room and clean up before the tears unleashed on both of us.

“Hold on. I didn’t give you my answer.” He brushed the hair from my shoulder. “I didn’t know how much you meant to me, until you were gone, Alexa. I sat here in this ranch trying everyway I knew how to get you out of my pores. And it didn’t work.”

“What?”

“You heard me.” His eyes landed on me.

“Is that a yes?” I was fighting the tears.

“I should have given you a chance to explain.” His thumb traced my cheek. “I was a dick about it.”

“It’s ok. It’s ok. It was terrible. And confusing. And I feel like my emotions have been all over the place lately.” The tears came anyway.

Luke leaned toward me, scooping me into his arms. It was the first time I’d felt like we were connected again. The heat of his body soothed me. We were going to be ok.