we’d get to spend some time together, like this, while you were at the hotel.” Toying with her glass as if she didn’t have a care in the world, Faith ran a finger along the rim.
Finn said nothing, merely looking at her.
She met his gaze evenly, though inside she was quaking. “Are you sure there’s nothing else I can do for you while I’m here, Mr. Payne?” she asked him softly.
Chapter Six
H e was disappointed. He’d known her less than five minutes and already held some preconceived notion in his mind about her being different, when she wasn’t.
He sighed. Here he was, thirty-six years old and unable to have a normal conversation with a woman because all she saw when she looked at him was Finn Payne, the rock world’s fucking Prince of Darkness.
She doesn’t want to get to know the real you—you’re nothing without your guitar. She wants the music, the legend, the fantasy.
He pushed the thought away, determined to prove his spiteful, spoiled muse wrong. He was more than just his music. This girl would know it by the time the evening was through.
“Why don’t you call in sick and get the evening off?” he suggested plainly. “We’ll order some room service, have a drink and a late dinner.” Glancing at his watch, he amended casually, “Or breakfast, whichever you prefer.”
So what if she was a groupie? He liked her looks—fair skin, high cheekbones, nice figure. “I’m starving; never eat before a show.” He cocked his head, giving her his most charming smile. “And I hate eating alone.”
Her face turned almost as pink as her blouse. “I’d love to have dinner with you.”
“We can still get room service, can’t we?”
“Absolutely. The chef is a friend of mine.”
“Great. Call him up.”
You’re getting old , said the voice of Chaos. There was a time you’d never choose food over sex. The voice was fading now, a sour remnant of itself. Hopefully it would be gone soon.
“The steaks are really good here,” she said. “The bacon-wrapped fillet melts in your mouth.”
“Sounds good,” he said. “Order whatever you like.”
She smoothed her skirt to a more ladylike length and smiled a more genuine, tentative version of the smile she’d sent him earlier. She’d taken his sidestep pretty well, and he was glad of it. He didn’t want or need any drama this evening, and if they ended up in bed together he wanted it to be a natural progression, not a sprint toward a goal.
The smile she sent him showed her dimple, and somewhere inside his chest, a knot loosened, a knot he hadn’t even known was there.
There was something about this girl he liked. He was going to rock her world tonight, and he didn’t need a guitar to do it.
S he’d nearly blown it.
She’d come on too strong, and from the look on his face a few moments ago, she’d nearly lost him.
If he wanted food and company before sex, she’d be happy to give him food and company before sex. It was the least she could do.
“Chocolate cake for dessert,” she said into the phone, after ordering two bacon-wrapped fillets.
“None for me.” He was smiling at her. She’d been afraid to look too deeply into his eyes up to this point, because she was sure he’d see what a liar she was. But this time she did, and somewhere in those green depths she saw the real Finn Payne: a nice guy who was world-weary, jaded, and tired .
Tired in a way that made her want to push his hair back from his forehead and tell him everything was going to be all right. Tired in a way that made her feel guilty, as though she didn’t feel guilty enough already.
He smiled at her again, and something unfurled, low in her belly. With a shock, she realized it for what it was: genuine arousal, genuine desire—neither of which she’d felt in a very long time.
“There,” she said to him cheerfully as she hung up. “Dinner will be here before you know it.”
“Thank you,” he said, taking another sip of his drink before putting it
Finn said nothing, merely looking at her.
She met his gaze evenly, though inside she was quaking. “Are you sure there’s nothing else I can do for you while I’m here, Mr. Payne?” she asked him softly.
Chapter Six
H e was disappointed. He’d known her less than five minutes and already held some preconceived notion in his mind about her being different, when she wasn’t.
He sighed. Here he was, thirty-six years old and unable to have a normal conversation with a woman because all she saw when she looked at him was Finn Payne, the rock world’s fucking Prince of Darkness.
She doesn’t want to get to know the real you—you’re nothing without your guitar. She wants the music, the legend, the fantasy.
He pushed the thought away, determined to prove his spiteful, spoiled muse wrong. He was more than just his music. This girl would know it by the time the evening was through.
“Why don’t you call in sick and get the evening off?” he suggested plainly. “We’ll order some room service, have a drink and a late dinner.” Glancing at his watch, he amended casually, “Or breakfast, whichever you prefer.”
So what if she was a groupie? He liked her looks—fair skin, high cheekbones, nice figure. “I’m starving; never eat before a show.” He cocked his head, giving her his most charming smile. “And I hate eating alone.”
Her face turned almost as pink as her blouse. “I’d love to have dinner with you.”
“We can still get room service, can’t we?”
“Absolutely. The chef is a friend of mine.”
“Great. Call him up.”
You’re getting old , said the voice of Chaos. There was a time you’d never choose food over sex. The voice was fading now, a sour remnant of itself. Hopefully it would be gone soon.
“The steaks are really good here,” she said. “The bacon-wrapped fillet melts in your mouth.”
“Sounds good,” he said. “Order whatever you like.”
She smoothed her skirt to a more ladylike length and smiled a more genuine, tentative version of the smile she’d sent him earlier. She’d taken his sidestep pretty well, and he was glad of it. He didn’t want or need any drama this evening, and if they ended up in bed together he wanted it to be a natural progression, not a sprint toward a goal.
The smile she sent him showed her dimple, and somewhere inside his chest, a knot loosened, a knot he hadn’t even known was there.
There was something about this girl he liked. He was going to rock her world tonight, and he didn’t need a guitar to do it.
S he’d nearly blown it.
She’d come on too strong, and from the look on his face a few moments ago, she’d nearly lost him.
If he wanted food and company before sex, she’d be happy to give him food and company before sex. It was the least she could do.
“Chocolate cake for dessert,” she said into the phone, after ordering two bacon-wrapped fillets.
“None for me.” He was smiling at her. She’d been afraid to look too deeply into his eyes up to this point, because she was sure he’d see what a liar she was. But this time she did, and somewhere in those green depths she saw the real Finn Payne: a nice guy who was world-weary, jaded, and tired .
Tired in a way that made her want to push his hair back from his forehead and tell him everything was going to be all right. Tired in a way that made her feel guilty, as though she didn’t feel guilty enough already.
He smiled at her again, and something unfurled, low in her belly. With a shock, she realized it for what it was: genuine arousal, genuine desire—neither of which she’d felt in a very long time.
“There,” she said to him cheerfully as she hung up. “Dinner will be here before you know it.”
“Thank you,” he said, taking another sip of his drink before putting it
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