about him portrayed him as a highly arrogant man who got away
with pretty much anything because he was so incredibly talented. Apparently Angelina
Pope hadn’t been impressed. And the kick had worked, according to Joy’s father.
Shepherd had shown up sober and on time for the rest of their recording
sessions.
“My mother is a feisty one.” She clicked on a different
thumbnail and the picture they’d posed for came on the screen. “Look where your
hand was, dirty boy.”
His hand had definitely been riding rather low on her hip.
Leo just barely stopped himself from pointing out how they looked pretty right
together—the contrast of her dark to his fair and the way she fit perfectly
against his side.
“And look where yours was,” he countered, pointing to the
hand she’d tucked inside the lapel of his jacket, resting fairly low on his
abdomen.
She gave him a mischievous smile. “So maybe we were both
copping a little feel.”
“And now that I’ve had my hands on you I can’t seem to stop
touching you.” He kissed her shoulder and then her mouth when she turned to
him.
“I have to ask you something,” he said, sitting back as
something that had been bothering him came to mind again.
She closed her computer and shifted in her seat.
“When we met before,” he started, then stopped when she
sighed and closed her eyes. “Was it that bad?”
She crossed her legs on the wide cushioned seat. “I don’t
know if it was that bad as much as I don’t know if it’s important for you to
know the details.”
“You said your assistant hasn’t been the same,” he reminded
her.
She tapped her nails against the side of her mug, making
little pinging noises.
She raised her eyes to his. “Are you sure you want to know?”
“I’ve had to atone for a lot of stupid shit since I got
sober. I’d like to know.”
She drew in a deep breath, then let it out slowly before she
started.
“I don’t know how, but Kelly found out where your band was
going to be hanging out after the show. Not only that, but she managed got our
names on the guest list as well. She was a huge fan of Grind and of you
especially.”
He wasn’t sure he liked the way she used the word was .
“I’m a big fan too, so of course I said yes when she invited
me. We got into the club. We got near you. She flirted. You weren’t
interested.”
He propped his elbow on the table and ran his hand through
his hair. “But?”
“But you were very interested in me.”
He nodded. Even though he didn’t remember her assistant or
what she looked like, Leo wasn’t at all surprised by that bit of information.
“She begged me to step out of the way so she could have a
better shot at you.” She sighed, brought all of her hair over her shoulder and
started twisting it into a long coil. “It was one of the low points of my life
that I agreed and left her there, but it worked. You took her back to your
hotel with you later that night.”
He waited for her to go on, the coffee sitting like a
hot-tar slug in his stomach.
“When the two of you got back to your room you passed out
and threw up all over yourself and the bed. She spent the night cleaning you up
and making sure you didn’t drown in your own sick until someone came to get you
the next day.”
Shame and anger he was all too familiar with burned through
him. “Jesus.”
She laid her hand over his on the table. “I’m sorry. You
asked.”
“Sadly, that isn’t the worst story I’ve heard.” He looked at
her for a long moment. “None of this bothers you?”
She slipped her hand out of his and dropped her gaze.
“I’m really in no position to judge,” she told him quietly.
“I’ve made my share of mistakes, some of them more personally costly and
humiliating than others.”
“We wouldn’t be living if we didn’t all make mistakes.”
The smile she gave him was both troubled and knowing.
“What made you quit drinking?” she asked.
He took another sip of his coffee
with pretty much anything because he was so incredibly talented. Apparently Angelina
Pope hadn’t been impressed. And the kick had worked, according to Joy’s father.
Shepherd had shown up sober and on time for the rest of their recording
sessions.
“My mother is a feisty one.” She clicked on a different
thumbnail and the picture they’d posed for came on the screen. “Look where your
hand was, dirty boy.”
His hand had definitely been riding rather low on her hip.
Leo just barely stopped himself from pointing out how they looked pretty right
together—the contrast of her dark to his fair and the way she fit perfectly
against his side.
“And look where yours was,” he countered, pointing to the
hand she’d tucked inside the lapel of his jacket, resting fairly low on his
abdomen.
She gave him a mischievous smile. “So maybe we were both
copping a little feel.”
“And now that I’ve had my hands on you I can’t seem to stop
touching you.” He kissed her shoulder and then her mouth when she turned to
him.
“I have to ask you something,” he said, sitting back as
something that had been bothering him came to mind again.
She closed her computer and shifted in her seat.
“When we met before,” he started, then stopped when she
sighed and closed her eyes. “Was it that bad?”
She crossed her legs on the wide cushioned seat. “I don’t
know if it was that bad as much as I don’t know if it’s important for you to
know the details.”
“You said your assistant hasn’t been the same,” he reminded
her.
She tapped her nails against the side of her mug, making
little pinging noises.
She raised her eyes to his. “Are you sure you want to know?”
“I’ve had to atone for a lot of stupid shit since I got
sober. I’d like to know.”
She drew in a deep breath, then let it out slowly before she
started.
“I don’t know how, but Kelly found out where your band was
going to be hanging out after the show. Not only that, but she managed got our
names on the guest list as well. She was a huge fan of Grind and of you
especially.”
He wasn’t sure he liked the way she used the word was .
“I’m a big fan too, so of course I said yes when she invited
me. We got into the club. We got near you. She flirted. You weren’t
interested.”
He propped his elbow on the table and ran his hand through
his hair. “But?”
“But you were very interested in me.”
He nodded. Even though he didn’t remember her assistant or
what she looked like, Leo wasn’t at all surprised by that bit of information.
“She begged me to step out of the way so she could have a
better shot at you.” She sighed, brought all of her hair over her shoulder and
started twisting it into a long coil. “It was one of the low points of my life
that I agreed and left her there, but it worked. You took her back to your
hotel with you later that night.”
He waited for her to go on, the coffee sitting like a
hot-tar slug in his stomach.
“When the two of you got back to your room you passed out
and threw up all over yourself and the bed. She spent the night cleaning you up
and making sure you didn’t drown in your own sick until someone came to get you
the next day.”
Shame and anger he was all too familiar with burned through
him. “Jesus.”
She laid her hand over his on the table. “I’m sorry. You
asked.”
“Sadly, that isn’t the worst story I’ve heard.” He looked at
her for a long moment. “None of this bothers you?”
She slipped her hand out of his and dropped her gaze.
“I’m really in no position to judge,” she told him quietly.
“I’ve made my share of mistakes, some of them more personally costly and
humiliating than others.”
“We wouldn’t be living if we didn’t all make mistakes.”
The smile she gave him was both troubled and knowing.
“What made you quit drinking?” she asked.
He took another sip of his coffee
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