Managed (VIP 2)

Jax frowns. “Why? Sophie’s hot.” He smiles at me. “And I totally respect you this fine morning, Sophie. Don’t ever doubt that.” He winks.

I groan, thumping my head against my door. “I’m in a nightmare. A bad nightmare.”

“Don’t worry about it, Sophie,” Rye says. “Everyone makes regrettable sex mistakes.”

“Yeah,” Jax drawls. “Just ask Rye. He leaves tons of women lamenting theirs.”

Rye gives him the finger.

Whip grins my way. “See? No harm admitting it.”

“Fine,” I snap. “I was with Jax. And the experience was so moving, I just had to run around the block to get it all out of my system!” I let myself into my room and slam the door before they can say anything else.

Jax’s voice drifts through the wood. “Anytime you want a repeat, sweetheart, let me know. Me and my moving dick make house calls.”

Chapter Eight

Gabriel

* * *

Getting the band ready to start a tour is like herding wild cats. There is noise, there are squabbles, and no one is where they’re supposed to be. I gave up overseeing the details a long time ago. I’ve underlings to perform that thankless task now. And I pay them well. But it still falls to me to make final checks.

I watch stagehands moving to and fro, carrying crates and laughing along the way. For them, this is the experience of a lifetime—a chance to rub elbows with the band they idolize. I envy their joy. My joy ended around six this morning when I woke up and realized I was yet again, as though my life depended on it, wrapped around the woman I had intended to hate. And it had been a bloody uncomfortable realization.

It was bloody uncomfortable to ease my swollen, aching cock away from the swell of her arse and roll myself out of that warm, fragrant bed when all I really wanted to do was wallow there, ease between soft thighs and push…

“Where are we putting Sophie?” I ask Brenna, who stands next to me as the buses are loaded up.

“Why do you care?” She takes a long sip of her coffee.

I don’t know. I’ve gone over the ledge into madness. I give Brenna a look. “She’s a new employee. It shifts the balance. Accommodations will have to be rearranged.”

“We have five new employees,” Brenna retorts. “You know any of the others’ names?” One red brow lifts behind purple cat glasses. “Or job functions?”

Hell. Evasive maneuvers are needed.

“What has your knickers in a twist?” I ask. Before she can answer, Rye strides past. They ignore each other as usual, and Brenna’s pert nose rises a touch higher. I repress an eye roll. “You two really ought to fuck and get it over with.”

I can almost hear her teeth grinding. Her voice is breezy, though, when she finally speaks. “There is entirely too much fucking going around this nosy little bunch, thank you very much.”

“Who?” I can’t help asking.

Brenna’s gaze slides to mine. “Sophie and Jax, for one.”

It’s as if she’s kicked my legs out from under me. The sensation of falling is so strong, the sudden pain in my chest so sharp, I can clearly picture myself on the ground, two stiletto heels implanted in my chest—one of Brenna’s and one of Sophie’s.

“What?” The question lashes out like a whip. And Brenna visibly flinches.

Slowly she lowers her cup from her face and takes a step back. “Ah, yeah, you know what? That’s just speculation.”

“Based on what, exactly?” I grind out.

Brenna looks around as if trying to find an avenue of escape. Not bloody likely.

I take a step into her space. “Talk, you.”

“This morning Jax said he’d hooked up with Sophie, and she confirmed it,” Brenna blurts out. “Though really, she sounded extremely sarcastic when she called the sex ‘moving,’ so it might have been a joke…”

Her words drift off, as the ringing in my ears grows stronger. My heart knocks against my ribs so hard, I feel the reverberations in my throat. Jax? She’s with Jax? She fucking slept in my bed while she fucking fucked fucking Jax?

I turn on my heel, not knowing where the bloody hell I’m going, when my gaze lands on the man in question, who is about to get on his bus.

“John,” I bark out loud enough for my voice to echo over the lot.

Hearing me use his real name makes him pause and look over his shoulder. “What?”

Whatever he sees on my face gets him strolling over to me. I grit my teeth.

“What’s this about you and Sophie?”

The git gives me a stupid grin. “Oh, yeah, just a bit of fun.” He glances at Brenna, who is slowly shaking her head. “Right, Bren?”

I don’t let her respond. “Did you not give Killian a lecture about sleeping with employees when Libby came on board?”

He rubs his chin, and I have the urge to punch it.