one?”
“No, I’m good.”
He nodded and watched her for a minute. Time seemed to have frozen for Chloe. Years hadn’t left a hint on her skin; her skin was as fair and radiant as he remembered.
Even the chillness in her skin hadn’t changed. Even in summer, her skin was always cool to the touch
His fingers twitched; he wanted so much to run them down her cheek and arm and leave a trail of warmth.
He closed his eyes for a moment. He had to stop thinking about her like this. “Will your boyfriend be visiting soon?” He almost cringed at the thought of her boyfriend staying in the house he built for her.
“He doesn’t know I’m here.”
“Why not?”
She shrugged. “He proposed.”
He looked at her ring finger.
“I didn’t say yes.”
He hoped his grin wasn’t too broad. “Why not?”
“I need to get back to this.” She reached over for the sheet music, but he pulled it back.
“Work on this tomorrow … You should get some sleep.”
She hesitated for a moment, then stretched her arms and sighed. “All right. I’m rather tired anyway.”
Chapter Six
Christopher jumped when he stepped into the kitchen and saw Josh. “I thought … you’re staying at the hotel … with your friends.”
Josh grinned. “I suppose you and Chloe made up. Is she working on another song again?”
“How did you know … I was with her?”
Josh shot him an are-you-serious look. “You shaved, and you’re smiling. I haven’t seen you smile a genuine smile in what? Eight years? And since you’ve been home, you’ve hardly left the house.”
Christopher gave Josh the same dirty look.
“So? You guys talked, right?”
He nodded.
“So all is good?”
“Apparently … I’m smiling.”
“That’s the Chris I know.” Josh’s lips curled into a rueful smile. “I just wanted to make sure all is well.” He stood.
Christopher grabbed a glass. “She … has a fiancé.”
“Fiancé?” Josh sat back down. “Jason asked her to marry him?”
“You know him?”
“I’m sure you know him, too,” Josh said. “Jason Morgan. His grandfather owns one of the largest music promotion companies.”
He knew who Jason was. He’d always thought the relationship between Jason and Chloe was a rumor. After all, he’d seen Jason at some of the parties, and he never would have thought Jason had a girlfriend.
“They’ve been together for over two years.” Josh laughed and took a gulp of water. “But it’s really more like two months.”
He didn’t understand what Josh was saying.
“They rarely meet each other. She’s in Rome most of the time unless she’s working in L.A. And even then, they may not even meet up.”
Christopher watched Josh as he rattled on. A strange sense of jealousy coursed through him when he noticed how Josh seemed to know everything about Chloe’s life.
“I’ve been keeping tabs for you,” Josh said and grinned.
He rolled his eyes and turned on the tap, filling his glass.
“There’s still time, you know. She isn’t married yet.”
His shoulders twitched. “She didn’t say … yes.”
“Then he’s not her fiancé,” he said. “So you definitely still have a chance.”
He didn’t reply. He turned to leave the kitchen.
It didn’t matter that she wasn’t engaged. She had a boyfriend, someone better and more successful than he.
“Come on. Don’t tell me you’re not interested. She’s the love of your life.”
He laughed once, a dry, humorless laugh. “The love of my … life?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re crazy.”
Josh glared at him. “You were happy whenever you guys were together. I thought you’d be happy being a superstar, but you weren’t.”
“Because I crashed and … burnt.”
“You crashed and burnt because you no longer enjoyed singing without her.”
Chloe’s words resurfaced in his head. I think you’ve lost the heart to sing.
“I’m sure she cares about you, and I know you care about her. If anyone can help you sing again, it’s
“No, I’m good.”
He nodded and watched her for a minute. Time seemed to have frozen for Chloe. Years hadn’t left a hint on her skin; her skin was as fair and radiant as he remembered.
Even the chillness in her skin hadn’t changed. Even in summer, her skin was always cool to the touch
His fingers twitched; he wanted so much to run them down her cheek and arm and leave a trail of warmth.
He closed his eyes for a moment. He had to stop thinking about her like this. “Will your boyfriend be visiting soon?” He almost cringed at the thought of her boyfriend staying in the house he built for her.
“He doesn’t know I’m here.”
“Why not?”
She shrugged. “He proposed.”
He looked at her ring finger.
“I didn’t say yes.”
He hoped his grin wasn’t too broad. “Why not?”
“I need to get back to this.” She reached over for the sheet music, but he pulled it back.
“Work on this tomorrow … You should get some sleep.”
She hesitated for a moment, then stretched her arms and sighed. “All right. I’m rather tired anyway.”
Chapter Six
Christopher jumped when he stepped into the kitchen and saw Josh. “I thought … you’re staying at the hotel … with your friends.”
Josh grinned. “I suppose you and Chloe made up. Is she working on another song again?”
“How did you know … I was with her?”
Josh shot him an are-you-serious look. “You shaved, and you’re smiling. I haven’t seen you smile a genuine smile in what? Eight years? And since you’ve been home, you’ve hardly left the house.”
Christopher gave Josh the same dirty look.
“So? You guys talked, right?”
He nodded.
“So all is good?”
“Apparently … I’m smiling.”
“That’s the Chris I know.” Josh’s lips curled into a rueful smile. “I just wanted to make sure all is well.” He stood.
Christopher grabbed a glass. “She … has a fiancé.”
“Fiancé?” Josh sat back down. “Jason asked her to marry him?”
“You know him?”
“I’m sure you know him, too,” Josh said. “Jason Morgan. His grandfather owns one of the largest music promotion companies.”
He knew who Jason was. He’d always thought the relationship between Jason and Chloe was a rumor. After all, he’d seen Jason at some of the parties, and he never would have thought Jason had a girlfriend.
“They’ve been together for over two years.” Josh laughed and took a gulp of water. “But it’s really more like two months.”
He didn’t understand what Josh was saying.
“They rarely meet each other. She’s in Rome most of the time unless she’s working in L.A. And even then, they may not even meet up.”
Christopher watched Josh as he rattled on. A strange sense of jealousy coursed through him when he noticed how Josh seemed to know everything about Chloe’s life.
“I’ve been keeping tabs for you,” Josh said and grinned.
He rolled his eyes and turned on the tap, filling his glass.
“There’s still time, you know. She isn’t married yet.”
His shoulders twitched. “She didn’t say … yes.”
“Then he’s not her fiancé,” he said. “So you definitely still have a chance.”
He didn’t reply. He turned to leave the kitchen.
It didn’t matter that she wasn’t engaged. She had a boyfriend, someone better and more successful than he.
“Come on. Don’t tell me you’re not interested. She’s the love of your life.”
He laughed once, a dry, humorless laugh. “The love of my … life?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re crazy.”
Josh glared at him. “You were happy whenever you guys were together. I thought you’d be happy being a superstar, but you weren’t.”
“Because I crashed and … burnt.”
“You crashed and burnt because you no longer enjoyed singing without her.”
Chloe’s words resurfaced in his head. I think you’ve lost the heart to sing.
“I’m sure she cares about you, and I know you care about her. If anyone can help you sing again, it’s
Similar Books
