“You mean you?” he looks at me with interest, “so you don’t have my posters plastered all over your walls?”
“Hardly,” I scoff.
“Not even a close up that you can kiss before you go to sleep? Chicks really dig the lopsided smile thing.” He smirks at me, as if to prove his point.
“I have no desire to kiss you, on paper or in real life,” I say firmly.
“Okay, but if you change you’re mind, you know where to find me.” I stiffen as his gaze sweeps over me. “Or should I say I know where to find you. Somewhere in the vicinity of my bed.”
Do. Not. React.
I’m so worked up, I nearly hit the roof when my phone rings, scaring the fuck out of me. I check who it is and curse under my breath when Mom’s name flashes. There’s no way in hell I’m answering that.
My Bluetooth, however, has other ideas.
“Hannah?”
Shit.
I glance at Brix, hoping he can read my expression to keep quiet, and then I answer—against my better judgment
“Hi, Mom.”
“Three women have been raped in your area in the last week,” she announces.
Brix chokes back a laugh. I snap my head around and glare at him, but it’s too late.
“What was that?” Mom asks, alarmed. “Do you have someone there with you?”
“Hey. You must be Hannah’s mom,” he croons in that low, sexy voice.
I glare at him, but he just shrugs innocently.
“Who’s this?” Mom demands. “Hannah? Who’s that man with you?”
“Nobody, Mom,” I reply through gritted teeth.
This is a nightmare.
“Oh, I’m nobody now? Gee thanks,” Brix says sadly. “I thought I meant something to you. I thought we had something, and now you’re breaking my heart.”
“Who are you?” Mom demands. “Hannah, tell me who you’re with.”
“Mom, I have to go,” I say, not sure what else to do. I end the call before Mom can respond, then I glare at Brix again. “Thanks for that,” I snap.
He smirks at me. “What? I was just being nice.”
“Nice, my ass,” I mutter, turning onto a side street Brix has directed me to.
“Your ass isn’t the only thing that’s nice,” he murmurs.
I ignore his comment and pull up outside the service station he’s led us to. My suspicions begin to grow because we’re in the middle of fricking nowhere. This whole scenario screams shady, especially with the way his eyes keep darting around us like he’s waiting to be busted for something.
Like buying drugs.
“A meeting with your manager, huh?” I say, raising my eyebrows.
He chuckles. “Relax, darlin’. I’m not here to score drugs.”
“Said every drug abuser, ever,” I reply.
He laughs and rubs his jaw, stifling a yawn.
“Trust me. My manager is having his car serviced, so I suggested we meet here.”
He shrugs as though it’s that innocent. Maybe it is, but it’s obvious he’s hiding something. I go to get out too, but he’s quick to stop me.
“Sorry. There’s some classified Brix information about to be shared that you just can’t be trusted with.”
“Yeah, well, I have a job to do—”
“Right. Your job is to sit in this car and look pretty. Think you can handle that?”
Think you can handle me kicking you in the balls?
He’s gone before I can reply. I think about following him, but I decide to give him the benefit of the doubt—mostly because I don’t want to end up in the middle of a drug bust gone wrong, or explaining to Luke why Brix’s management is so annoyed with me.
My phone buzzes on the seat next to me. I glance at it, pleased to see it’s Lou.
“So,” she asks when I answer. “Was it as bad as I was imagining?”
“No,” I say when I think about it. “But it helps that he’s a giant asshat, because now I don’t really care what he thinks.”
“Good on you. I’m impressed that you were able to put it behind you. He’s really that much of an ass?” she adds, her tone so heartbroken it makes me laugh.
“Yes, but don’t pretend that’s not exactly how you like them.”
“True. But I could never go there with a celebrity. I’m way too possessive.”
“I’ve met plenty of celebrities, but Brix is on a whole other level. He’s just so self-absorbed.”
“They usually are,” Lou laughs.
“He’s just so completely arrogant…everything is about him.”
“Because he’s used to it being all about him,” she reminds me. “He has people who do everything for him. Hell, he probably has someone to wipe his ass.”
“I know,” I agree. “But I’m not going to reward the spoiled child.”
“Okay, fair enough,” she concedes. “So, personality aside…is he as cute in person?”
I chuckle. “Yes, Lou. He’s gorgeous.”
“Shit. I gotta go. Tell me all about it later when you drop the car back, ’kay?”
“Okay,” I say.
I settle back into my seat with a sigh, the fatigue really kicking in now. How long do these things take, anyway? What are they meeting about? Not that it’s any of my business. I might as well have a nap, because I might be sitting here for a while. I close my eyes, Brix’s smiling face drifting into my mind.