The BIllionaire and the Rock Star

Again, he grunted and Georgia tried not to let her excitement dampen. Maybe, he was just tired and needed some sleep. Her father was like that. If he was grumpy, he either needed a snack or a snooze in his favorite La-Z-Boy recliner while the golf channel played on the TV. Her mom would laugh and say that men were like toddlers in that way.

Or maybe, Alaric was just tired of the whole deal. She had to admit, it was getting hard to separate fact from fiction. If that was the case, it would be better to call this off early and part ways as friends. As much as her heart ached at the idea of losing Alaric, the idea that he might resent her stung even more. They’d gotten what they needed from their fake relationship. Might as well call it.

“Alaric?”

She tried to swallow, but her throat had gone dry. He turned his dark gaze toward her, the solemn lines surrou

nding his mouth softening the slightest. As she stared at his mouth, she was reminded once again of the kiss and jolts of electricity ran up and down her back.

“What is it?” His frown deepened and his eyes searched her face. “If you want to go talk to someone else, you don’t need my permission. It’s not like this is a real relationship. I have no claim on your time.”

Her jaw dropped, a stinging sensation stabbing her in the chest. What was his problem? Was being around her really that bad?

“I need to run to the ladies’ room,” she mumbled, shoving the award into his hands and turning on her heels to leave.

Embarrassment flooded her cheeks. She really thought the two of them had been connecting lately. Yesterday on the yacht had cemented that idea. He’d been so sweet, helping her escape for the day. There had been something between them. Almost like a spark. That was, until Alaric turned into a cold fish.

Just like he had tonight. It was getting too hard to read him.

She needed some space to think. This was all too confusing.

Georgia followed the high, cement walls of the warehouse, avoiding the crowds of people toasting and celebrating their big wins at the awards ceremony. Purple and white lights shone down on them from crystal light fixtures hung high above on exposed steel beams. A deejay played music in the corner at a low enough volume to still keep a conversation going. Waitresses and servers carrying silver trays weaved throughout the party, offering finger foods to the party-goers.

A darkened hallway cut off to the left and Georgia slipped out of the crowd, thankful for some breathing room. It looked like this section housed mostly offices and storage closets. She pressed her back against the wall and closed her eyes, letting the emotions of the evening wash over her. She wanted to be excited for her team’s big win, but there was only one thing on her mind: Alaric. What she wouldn’t give to be able to crawl inside his brain for one second and know what he was thinking.

A low voice called her name and for one, heart throbbing second, she thought Alaric had followed her. But that excitement soon extinguished when she saw Vance standing at the end of the hallway in his tux, a cocky grin on his face. He looked her up and down, his eyebrows raising.

“You looked gorgeous tonight, Gigi,” he said, sticking a toothpick in the corner of his mouth and rolling it around with his tongue.

“Gee, thanks,” she answered in a monotone voice, her chest deflating. The last person she wanted to talk to right now was her ex, but he was blocking the exit back toward the crowded warehouse.

“I really mean it,” he said, stepping closer, as if he knew she was planning to run away. He bowed his buzzed head slightly and the right side of his mouth curled into a shy grin. “I miss you, Gigi.”

A dozen different emotions seemed to burst in her head at the same time. Vance knew exactly how to affect her. How to push her buttons. He was the master manipulator and that was why she’d let him string her along for so long before the cheating scandal surfaced. She wasn’t going down that road again. She’d grown stronger in their time apart.

“I’m sorry to hear that, Vance, but I’ve got to get back to my date.” She pushed off the wall and tried to walk past him. His hand closed around her upper arm, causing her to slow down.

“You mean that bore of a man you’ve been attached to for the past few weeks?” Vance asked, flicking the toothpick with his tongue so that it bounced between his teeth. “You know he’s just using you, right? Something better comes along, he’ll take it. Guys like that are all the same. They only care about the size of their wallets.”

Georgia yanked her arm out of Vance’s grasp and pinned him with a glare. Anger boiled in her gut. How dare he make such assumptions? Sure, her relationship with Alaric was fake and all about business, but even as a fake boyfriend, he was far truer than Vance had ever been. He didn’t leave her questioning her own talent. He didn’t try and make her feel small. When she was around him, she felt like a real person. Not a celebrity or an exhibit in a zoo. But like a Midwestern girl again.

She felt at home.

“If anyone used me, it was you, Vance,” she spat, stabbing at his chest with her pointer finger. His eyes widened as she took a step closer, rage burning in her gut. “You used me to build your career. You cheated on me. You tried to make me feel insignificant. And for a while, it worked. But not anymore. I’m not that woman anymore and I’ve since realized what a tool you really are. So back off.”

He sputtered a reply, the pupils of his blue eyes widening. For the first time since she’d known him, Vance was speechless. A broad smile worked its way across her face. She’d never had a chance to tell Vance exactly what she thought of him. This felt like closure. Sweet, sweet closure.

“Baby…” Vance had managed to regain his senses just long enough to give her his world-famous pout and place his hands on both her shoulders. “I know you don’t mean that. You’re just tired. You’ve had a big night.”

“I meant every word.” She shook her finger at him, narrowing her eyes. “And I’m not your baby.”

Hard lines appeared around his eyes. He pressed his lips together and flared his nostrils in a heavy sigh. “Well, that’s really too bad, because I was hoping we might still have a future.”

“A future?” Georgia barked out a laugh. Was he crazy? She had more self-respect than that. “Not a chance.”

“How about one last kiss, then?” He plucked the toothpick from his mouth and glanced down the hallway, toward the crowd.

Georgia followed his gaze to see a man in a black pair of dress pants and matching black shirt. He looked vaguely familiar. It wasn’t until she spotted the camera in his hands did she recognize him as the paparazzo who’d infiltrated the club in San Francisco during her first date with Alaric. The man was everywhere. And he was pointing his camera at them.