The Problem With Heartache (29 page)

“I did it to protect you.”

“Pardon?” I leaned in closer, so close his warm breath brushed my neck as I strained to hear what he’d said.

“I did it to protect you.”

Slowly, I pulled back, looking into his icy-blue eyes again. They drilled holes right into my soul, and I shivered. “How?”

“This guy had a photo of you helping me leave the club the other night.” Lee bit down on his full lower lip, and something inside me pinged. “The way it was taken, the angle it was at—it looked like I was making out with your …”

The words trailed off between us, but I didn’t need him to continue. “These things, Kate, they can blow up real quick. I didn’t want your parents seeing that. I know you guys have been through a lot in the past year, and something like that?” Lee gave a small shake of his head. “The first time I got involved in a major tabloid scandal, Dad had a heart attack. It was touch and go for a long while there.” He looked past my shoulder and at the bar, as if locking eye contact would make his information worse. “I didn’t want that to happen to you.”

“So you tried to buy him off?” I squeaked, the words getting all choked up in my throat.

“That’s it.” Lee raised his eyebrows. “And when I went to deliver it …” Again, Lee stopped talking, and he swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down. “The guy might have said some things about you, and they might have made me a little pissed.”

My eyes grew to the size of saucers. Lee not only bought some sleazy guy off to protect my family, but he then punched his lights out because of something he’d said about me?

It was stupid. I hated violence. I didn’t think it solved anything, and it sure hadn’t in this situation. All it had gotten Lee was a date with a court and a heap of public embarrassment. Still, there was a tiny part inside of me that felt kind of flattered. He’d done that? For me?

“Thanks,” I said softly.

Lee smiled, his shoulders relaxed. “I won’t let anything hurt you, Kate.” He pressed his lips together, then released. “I promise you that.”

My eyes were still locked on those lips, lost in his words that sent chills down my spine. For the first time in a long time, I felt, I really felt something. I couldn’t ignore the way Lee affected me any longer. I reached forward to touch his arm—

And snatched my hand back. I gave myself the equivalent of a mental shakeup.
No. You can fight this.

Still
,
Lottie’s words lingered in my mind.
Is that really what Lachlan would have wanted?

“I just wanted to say, I’m so sorry, Kate. I should never have yelled at you, or called you unprofessional. I was angry and lashing out, and … let’s have a drink, yeah?” Lee broke the awkward tension and leaned over the bar, calling for the bartender to bring us two beers which we then took back to the couches where everyone was sitting.

“Oh, it’s the angry rock star.” Xander snorted, tipping his beer back. “Wanna punch on?”

“Shut up.” Lee cuffed him on the back of the head, but he was smiling. “Guys, I’m seriously sorry. I screwed up. I shoulda just let it go, or told you or the cops or …”

“Or Tony, your trusting label rep?”

I spun around. Tony was standing behind us, his arms folded, looking very out of place in his suit in the middle of what was some kind of a Caribbean-themed cocktail bar.

“Sorry again, man.” Lee extended his hand for Tony to shake, and the smaller man gripped it reluctantly, then Lee sat down, gesturing for me to do the same beside him.

“You know you were never going to lose your deal over this. Honestly, we’d stand to lose more than we’d gain to let you go over something so minor.” Tony turned to me. “I’ve got my legal team to handle all the details, but Lee will be repped by one of the best in the business on the assault charge.”

“Great.” I nodded. “Can you send me the details of any paperwork you need relating to the incident?”

Tony hung his head to the side, his eyebrows raised just a little. “I already have. And I’ve sent you contact information for Lee’s lawyer. He’ll be in touch with you.”

“Thanks.” I nodded, although I wasn’t sure why he was telling me this. What did he think my job here was, exactly? I’d be gone by the time this trial made it to court. Back home in Australia.

Far, far away from Lee.

I shifted my weight on the couch, and my bare knee brushed Lee’s jean-clad leg. A warm feeling rushed over me. And I hated that I liked it when his fingers, resting on his thighs, tickled my leg.

Beer flowed, and the boys found their natural rhythm again, the events of the day all but forgotten. A warm buzz settled in my stomach and I found myself staring at Lee, often. At his dark hair, so deep brown it was almost black, at his crystalline eyes, at his olive skin. He was intoxicating.

Why have I been fighting this so long?

At the end of the night, Lee took my hand as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Michael was already back at the hotel, and Xander had gone home with one of the girls at the bar.

We hopped into the lift together and Lee swiped the number for his floor. “I’m on level—”

“Stay with me.” Lee pressed his lips together.

“Lee, I—”

“Not like that.” He leaned against the lift wall. “I’m sorry again for acting like a dick and yelling at you for not doing your job. You’re not my babysitter.”

I raised the corner of my lips in a half-smile. “You might need one.”

“That’s why I’m asking you.” Lee grinned, and I felt it deep in my belly. “Can we just … just hang out tonight? Please?”

I couldn’t say no.

Worse still?

I didn’t want to.

I squashed down my guilt until it was just a tiny ball, then pressed it into an imaginary spot in my body, down my legs, in my feet. I was allowed to hang out with Lee, alone in his room at night.

We reached his suite and Lee opened the door, ushering me inside with his hand on the small of my back. I was so aware of it, of every finger imprinted on my skin.

I took in the room. The place looked magical. The lights of the city stretched out before us, and the decadent room was tastefully bathed in a warm white glow.

“Grab a seat.” Lee nodded to the couch, and I did. Nerves took place in the pit of my stomach. This was no ordinary ‘come and hang out’ moment. I could feel it. He liked me; surely guys only punched other guys in a bribery-deal gone wrong because they liked you … right?

I shook my head at the ridiculousness of the thought, and let my imagination run wild. From the first time I’d met him, there had been something about him that I had been inexplicably drawn to, and now, it looked like Stacey was right, and he perhaps felt the same way.

Lachlan ….

Stop.

I took one deep breath and then another while Lee fixed us some drinks and then joined me on the plush white leather. “You wanna watch a movie?”

“Sure.” I nodded while Lee flicked through the channels and I pretended not to stare at the muscles that defined his arms, the way his lips gleamed against the glow of the television, the way he somehow smelt like a mixture of bourbon, pine, and something exotic I couldn’t quite put my finger on.

Lee settled on a channel and rested back into the couch. I relaxed too, unsure if I should scooch up closer to him or stay where I was, very much on my side.

“You can sit a little closer.” Lee laughed, then turned his attention back to the TV. I inched along the couch until once more we were close, and even still, my body wanted to keep going, wanted to crawl into his lap and stay there.

His hand reached across, and landed on my knee. I studied it; his big, warm fingers, the callouses touching my skin. “Thanks for staying.”

I opened my mouth, but I didn’t know what to say. I wanted to ask him to take his hand off my leg, a leg that wasn’t his to touch.

I wanted to ask him to never let me go again.

The entire movie, Lee watched the screen. I watched Lee.

For the first time in seven months, my heart beat for a whole new reason.

Four years, five months ago …

S
EEING
C
ARLY
, even without our relationship getting any more physical, was still one of my favourite things to do. Seeing each other didn’t happen often enough, but we made the most of our time, and I even flew her out to a gig once or twice when the absence was too much. She loved seeing us play. Said it gave her a thrill, being backstage while the others watched from the crowd.

And I’d do anything to thrill her.

“Hello … anything going on in there?” Ryan gave my shoulder a punch and I smirked.

“Sorry, mate. Million miles away.” I couldn’t wipe the stupid grin off my face. In two hours time, I’d be with Carly, after she returned from the “wine lunch” she’d told me she was going on. In my hotel room.
Alone
.

“I bet. That new girl you’ve been seeing?” he asked, a knowing look in his eyes.

“Sure is.” I took a swig of my beer. “She’s … God, remember what you were saying that first day we met?” Ryan nodded. We now caught up once a week at least, whenever I was in town. He’d even been to dinner with our parents. “I’ll never forget how you raved about your woman, said she just changed everything for you.”

“She’s special.” Ryan smiled.

“Well, that’s how I’m feeling now,” I confessed.

“I’m … I bought a ring, Lee.” Ryan’s face darkened with gravity. “I’m gonna ask her to …”

“Congratulations, brother.” I clapped him on the back and ordered another round of drinks, which were promptly settled in front of us. “That’s awesome news!”

“Yeah. I’m really happy.” Ryan took a swig of his drink.

“What do your folks think?”

Three seconds.

That was all the time it took for me to realise that what I’d just said was not a good idea.

“Your parents? Or my shit-kickers?” There was acid in Ryan’s voice.

“I … I mean your folks, man.” I tried to keep the cool in my tone.

Ryan sucked in a breath and picked up the hotel room key with the number 1304 on it I’d left sitting on the bar top, flipping it over and over in his hands. “When I was ten, I went to hospital with my ma.” He continued his nervous fidgeting as I watched. “He punched her in the gut so hard he cracked a rib. Only it resulted in internal bleeding.”