Hot Property (Hot Zone 4)

Hannah nodded. “I’m ducking my handler-manager at the moment,” she said, sounding way too wise for her years.

Amy was intrigued. “Mind if I ask why?”

Hannah strode to the window and looked out. Amy joined her, struck by the beauty of the falling snow. White and full flakes dropped against the backdrop of the inky night sky. So different from Florida and yet so magnificent it took her breath away.

Hannah sighed. “My manager likes to keep me in the headlines even when I don’t have a CD currently out. You know the expression, no publicity is bad publicity? Well she lives by that mantra and frankly it exhausts me.”

“How so?” Amy wanted a point of comparison for Roper’s life. The two sounded similar.

“I can’t go out for dinner without the press finding out about it. If I call a guy friend just because I need a shoulder to cry on, the next thing I know I’m reading about how we’re an item. I know this sounds selfish considering how fortunate I’ve been, but I need some downtime and it’s been hard to get it lately.” She glanced around the room at the guys in the band. “They understand and feel the same way. So we came up here without telling her where we are.”

Amy placed her soda can down, unopened. “Boy, we all have a lot in common.” She didn’t know why she thought she could trust Hannah, but she did. Something about the sincerity she sensed in the other woman’s demeanor and personality spoke to Amy. “I basically dragged Roper up here kicking and screaming for the same reasons. Nobody knows where he is and I really need to keep it that way.”

Hannah turned toward Amy, her eyes full of understanding. “He’s had it rough lately, hasn’t he?”

“He has. Much more than he deserves. I want him to have time to regroup without personal issues pulling at him. Every day he gets here is a bonus as far as I’m concerned.”

“He won’t be outed by any of us, that I can promise you.” Hannah crossed her heart.

Amy glanced across the room and her gaze met Roper’s. He held the stare for a long moment before he winked and turned his attention back to whatever Mike was saying.

They hadn’t had a real conversation since the car ride up here one week ago. Her cold had sidelined her, but watching him now, maybe it was for the best. He’d had a chance to come to grips with what she’d done and why. He’d needed to be here and he understood that now.

Amy refocused on Hannah, realizing Roper’s emotional health depended on everyone’s discretion, but apparently Hannah felt the same way. “I believe you’ll keep his location secret.”

“I will. We’re in seclusion, too.” Hannah leaned closer. “You care about him, don’t you?”

“Of course I do. He’s my client and this is my first big assignment. I can’t afford to have him dissatisfied with the end result.”

Hannah rolled her eyes. “I wasn’t talking about liking him as a client. I saw the way you were looking at him. Not just now, which was pretty intense, but earlier at the pool. You didn’t like finding him hanging out with me.”

“I…” Amy opened her mouth, then shut it again. She thought about denying the other woman’s words but what was the point. “Was it that obvious?” Amy asked.

Hannah nodded. “I’m afraid so.”

“It wasn’t personal.” Amy raised her hands to her hot cheeks, embarrassed at being found out. And here she thought she’d managed to seem professional.

“I know that.” Hannah waved a hand, dismissing Amy’s concerns. “Want to know how I know? I mean, can I share a secret so you’ll understand?”

“Absolutely,” Amy said.

“I figured it out because I have the same problem with Mike.” She tipped her head toward the drummer, who still stood talking to Roper. “I’m head over heels,” she said with a sigh. “We spend so much time together on the road, we know each other really well. I know he finds me attractive. I see how he looks at me, but he won’t act on it.”

“Why not?” Amy shot a covert look at the big man who looked as if he could handle himself with this or any woman.

“He says he doesn’t want to screw with the chemistry of the band if something goes wrong. But that isn’t it.” Hannah shook her hair out of her face. “It’s the age thing. There’s ten years between us. That’s an issue for him, not me. Age and Big Mama.”

“Who?” Amy tried not to laugh at the name.

“My mother,” Hannah said, wrinkling her nose. “And the band’s manager I was telling you about earlier. I think Mike’s afraid of her,” Hannah whispered. “Not that he’d ever admit it.”

Amy understood Hannah’s situation. She wouldn’t exactly say she was head over heels for Roper, at least, not yet, but the damn attraction was there and strong. But she didn’t want it to interfere with her doing her job. She didn’t want her private life to become public, either. Still, she couldn’t deny how much she desired him or the fact that the feelings weren’t going away.

Maybe she just ought to sleep with him, get it out of her system and be done with it, she thought w

ryly.

And then she wondered why not.