Infinity (16 page)

I whispered loudly, “Mason’s a little cranky tonight, Let’s roll before he starts stamping his feet and crying like a baby, believe me, it’s not attractive.”

Boulder put a guiding hand on my lower back, imprinting a comforting, searing heat that permeated through my shirt, and I absolutely loved it. Three men flanked my front, while another one held open the elevator as Boulder and I stepped in. I watched with interest as two men stood imposingly before Mason preventing him from following.

Boulder looked at me coolly, “We’ll go up on our own.” The doors wisped shut and he began talking into his discreet earpiece. “We’re on the move. Clear the hallway and secure the dressing room.”

He stood beside me, not touching, but real close. So close that I could feel the comforting heat emanating from his body.

“I’m doing a mini rehearsal first.” I corrected.

“Okay.”

I felt his gaze assessing me not in the ‘I want your body’ way, but in the ‘I’m trying to figure you out’ way as I snuck a side view of his black tattoos that snaked up his well-defined arms contrasting with his tanned skin. My gaze lingered on the black ornate tattoos of wolves circling his neck.

“I’ve never seen neck tattoos quite like that. What’s the symbolism?”

He choked, looking at me in shock. “You can see my neck tattoos?”

“Uh, yes! They’re right there.” I pointed to the exact location on his neck. “It’s hard to miss snarling wolves circling your neck.” I smirked, “What? Did the tattoo artist swear they were invisible? Because I can assure you that they are not.”

He looked at me suspiciously. “So, you’re Kara’s daughter.
”

“Not biological. She adopted me after the
Fire and Ash
war.” I arched a brow. “Why, are you interested in her?”
Please say no.

He boldly looked at me from head-to-toe with that toe curling smile that I could really get used to. “Nope, she’s not my type.”

My lips froze somewhere between a smile and an O. Blonde, tall, shapely and beautiful, mom was everyone’s type, but I was deliriously happy that this time she wasn’t. Wanting to ruffle his feathers, I added. “Well, that would definitely be a first. Most guys are into my looking younger than a teen mother. Come on, she’s a blond hottie. I can give you the hook-up. She likes the young, muscular, but deadly type.”

He deliberately bumped his leg against me. “Thanks for the compliment, I think. But she’s not my type.”

“Okay, I’ll bite, what’s your type?”

Our eyes locked, his apple-green eyes pinning me. “I like my women dark, curvy, gorgeous and a hell raiser in bed.”

My lips curved into a smile.
Oh, this is going to fun.
“Hmm, you’re a man with excellent taste in women. It’s refreshing.”

He quirked a lopsided smile that made my stomach clench in want. “And your type? It damn sure better include the muscular but deadly type.”

I shrugged my shoulders, “Yup, what can I say, I’m a sucker for the deadly type. But let’s be clear, it’s the free security angle that I’m after.” I whispered behind my hand. “In case you haven’t heard, I’m the singer that can’t get anyone to guard me right about now. It’s the Collective scare factor. It’s like the plague; no one wants to touch me.”

That’s putting it mildly. The Collective pretty much put a bounty on my head and anyone that worked for me.

His bright green eyes went blank. “You’re not what I expected.”

I clucked my tongue with admonishment. “What? Like a strung-out, foaming at the mouth, tapping my veins, begging for a hit, diva?”

“Sweetie, you sure as hell don’t have a good reputation. Think about hiring a new publicist to clean that shit up.” He wasn’t joking, I had a pretty bad reputation as a major spoiled, party superstar with a big Rejuvenator habit.

At least he was honest and didn’t bullshit me. “Well, sorry to disappoint you.” I paused, “Now the unsavory crotch shot in today’s newspaper? That was all me. Believe me, that was not one of my moments of brilliance.”

“That’s good to know....”

I arched a brow.

He continued with that deep drawl that made me want to saddle him up like a stallion. “That the crotch shot was all you.”

His lips curled into a slow sexy smile that made my panties dampen and crave him even more. This was dangerous.

I knew immediately that he was an experienced and complicated man, and if I was going for the ‘let’s have sex, and you go on your merry way and leave me alone’ angle then I needed to tread carefully. No way did I want him to be deluded into thinking that I was the clingy type of girl. I was frighteningly the opposite. There was just less chance of being used by someone that wanted something for nothing. I had my tight circle and there was no room for a new initiate.

I flipped my hair, blinking my eyelashes dramatically. “Yup, all me. I never thought that all the torture of waxing would actually pay off.” I looked around the elevator barely suppressing a smile. “But it seems the waxing is paying big dividends right about now.”

He winked, “Wax or no wax, it’s all good with me.”

Hot damn, I almost choked. Oh hell, why did he have to come along now when I wasn’t looking for a relationship. “So...have you been working security long?”

His eyes slid from head-to-toe, making my whole body tingle from the intensity. “You can say that.”

I ran my tongue over my lower lip. “Ummm, you do know that was a question right?”

His white toothed grin screamed sexy. “Was it? It didn’t sound like one.”

“Well it was.”

He shrugged his shoulders, “Yes, I’ve been working security for a while.”

Okay, let’s go for idle chit-chat for distracting from my lust factor. “Well, it must be cool working for celebrities.” I wanted to smack myself in the head. Really? Working with celebrities is cool? Celebrities were impatient, self-absorbed, demanding creatures, including myself.

He scowled, “I don’t do security for celebrities. You would make the first one and the last.”

I cocked my hips to the side, “Really? Well you’re in for an eye-opener, because according to the media, I’m wild and out of control.”

He smirked, shaking his head, “You don’t have a clue about who I am?”

I arched a brow, “Should I? Are you an MMA fighter moonlighting in security?” Well that I could believe, he was well built and looked like he could kick some major ass.

He grimaced, “Don’t you watch the news?”

“Sometimes, but it’s not my type of entertainment. Too much doom and gloom. Besides, they’re always spouting ridiculous news stories that are based on lies, not fact. Well, at least when their reporting stuff about me.” I looked at him suspiciously. “Why?”

He chuckled, “Wow, this is new.”

“New? What’s that suppose to mean Big Red?”

“Big Red?” he drawled.

“That’s my name for you. Big Red. As in your huge like a Viking and you have this wicked, sexy fiery red hair thing going on.”

“I’m happy to hear that you like my sexy hair.”

I decided to be bold and test the ‘does he like me’ waters. “So far I like lots of things about you.”

He reached down, grabbing my hand, threading his bigger fingers through my smaller ones. “I’m flattered. Mega star Infinity likes me.” He brought my fingers to his lips and kissed them.

I looked up at him, catching the intensity of his stare as he pulled me to face him. Shut the front door, Big Red could make me do something bad like fall for him. I grinned through my fear. “I didn’t say anything about liking you, Big Red. I said there are some things I like about you.”

He winked at me as the elevator door slid open. “Same thing, gorgeous.”

I grinned liking the fact that he didn’t press me. You’re winning big points Big Red. “Whatever.”

He leaned down letting his lips touch my ear. “And just so we’re real clear. There are lots of things I like about you too.”

I shivered deliciously.
Damn!
I knew that sooner than later he was going to make me break my no messing around with employees rule. And from the way his eyes sparkled with laughter, he knew it too.
Double damn!

“After you, gorgeous.”

I strolled out of the elevator with a huge grin, which became humongous when I felt the heat of his gaze on my ass.

Zoe swayed towards me eyeing Boulder. “Hey! About time you got here. Are you ready?”

I was going to respond hell no, when a young guy came rushing over to Boulder with anxious eyes. “I need to take care of some business.” He said with a low voice before stepping to the side, speaking in a hushed voice.

I waved my hand in her face. “Uh, over here girl,” I pointed over at Big Red. “Big Red is my new security detail.”

“Dayum, the Vikings are here!” She blinked, “He’s freaking gorgeous…and…huge.”

I frowned, “You do realize that he standing right there…and can hear you?”

Zoe just stared. “Yummy.”

Great, just what I need, more distractions.

“Infinity, great you’re here,” Savannah squealed in an usually high-pitched voice, gliding towards me looking flustered with her strawberry blond hair mussed like she just stepped out of a wind storm. Her eyes widened and mouth dropped open as she stared at Big Red.

I sighed, “This is going to be a real long night.” I snapped my fingers to get her attention. “Uh, right here.”

Savannah swallowed hard, continuing to stare at him and I was starting to get all kinds of annoyed. First, because they were acting like they’ve never seen gorgeous men before, we worked in the damn music business where gorgeousness was standard—granted, not Boulder’s kind of rugged hotness that made you want to strip and beg him to plunder you until you blacked out.

Secondly, because I already staked claim on him, well, kind of, and they were drooling over my next conquest. I wanted to screech like a reality show participant and take her skinny ass out.

“Earth to Savannah…Uh, Savannah?”

Savannah shook her head, smiling at me. “Yeah. Uh, sorry got a little distracted there.”

“Uh, just a little,” I responded dryly.

Savannah smiled as she visibly tried to pull herself together. “Everything is set. You’re glam team is here, including the hairstylist, makeup artist, stylist, and body artist.” She slide her finger across her Tablet. “Everything is set for the stage. Backup dancers are here, except some that didn’t show, but Zoe’s got that issue resolved.”

“Yup, got it covered,” She responded without even looking at us because she was too focused on the guy that Boulder was talking to.

Savannah continued, “I confirmed that your dressing room is exactly seventy eight degrees Fahrenheit and that a brand new toilet seat was installed. There are vanilla aromatherapy candles, two
bowls of salt-and-vinegar potato chips, three vases of white hydrangeas,
twenty five bottles of room temperature water, and no sweets anywhere.”

Boulder interrupted his conversation to ask, “Well, shit, is there anything that’s not in that dressing room?”

Savannah giggled and batted her eyelashes. Giggling and flirting? What the hell is going on? She never did that before. “And that’s not even her normal full request list. She scaled back a bit for this show.” She scowled, “And despite what the news reported, all the ticket proceeds are going to the charity. Infinity’s absorbing all the other expenses including security. But you won’t hear the news reporting that shit though.”

His gaze slipped from Savannah to me then he went back to his conversation with the young guy.

I smiled at Savannah’s fierce loyalty. I loved that about her. That and the fact that, as my personal assistant, she was efficient, smart, and a workaholic, just like me. Well also that she came from good stock, being Anya’s niece and all. Between non-stop choreography practice, jetting around the world, video shoots, working in the studio and partying, there was no place in my life for slackers or groupies. Despite what the media portrayed, I was a businesswoman and my business was very important to me.

Slipping comfortably back to business, I asked, “What about the live band? It’s a ninety minute set and I added one more song this morning, so we’re rolling through twenty songs tonight. I want my fans to get their money worth.”

“Confirmed, it’s all good.” She paused with eyes shifting away then back. “Kir called, said that you were not returning his messages.”

Shit
, I thought we put a period at the end of that crap last night. “And?”

Savannah shifted uncomfortably, “He said that he’s still opening tonight, something about not disappointing his fans that paid good money to see him tonight.”

My eyebrows almost hit my hairline. “That’s rich. Now he doesn’t want to disappoint his fans?” No, there was more to this than that. Kir didn’t give a crap about his fans.

Savannah shrugged her shoulders, “As conceited as he is, he does have a lot of fans.”

“Well, I wouldn’t want to disappoint his female groupies. Just make sure to clear him out before I step out of my dressing room. I don’t want to see him or even get a whiff of his cloying cologne. Am I clear?” I looked at her pointedly.

“Crystal.”

“Oh, and make sure there’s at least eleven cases of bottled water by the stage.”

Savannah nodded, “Will do”

I stepped closer and whispered, “Did they find Justin?”

She shook her head with sad eyes. “Nothing. My source said his apartment was burglarized and there was a lot of blood on the scene.”

I shivered, “It’s been three days and the police haven’t produced anything. No body, no leads.” I was really worried. Justin was not just my Creative Director, he was my friend that just disappeared with no trace, and no call. I knew something bad happened to him because he wouldn’t just leave without telling me something.

“I know. I’ll keep you informed if I hear anything new.” She hugged me then walked away.

I glanced over at Zoe, who was unusually silent. She was looking at the security detail that was milling around with a gaping mouth grin like she was in a candy shop and didn’t know where to begin.

“Zoe?”

She looked at me with glazed eyes. “Huh?”

I rolled my eyes, and then said sarcastically. “Okay, I’m going to work now. Feel free to join me.”