Total pages in book: 51
Estimated words: 47597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 238(@200wpm)___ 190(@250wpm)___ 159(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 47597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 238(@200wpm)___ 190(@250wpm)___ 159(@300wpm)
"Thanks." She pops the cap back on the water bottle, her gaze shifting to a group of women dressed in tiny shorts and crop tops witing a few feet away. "You guys did great tonight." She nods at the group. "Pretty sure they aren't here to meet me."
Lemmy grins, waggling his brows.
Surprisingly, Jareth doesn't even glance in their direction. He just shakes his head at Lemmy, his lip curled like he tasted something bitter.
"You need help breaking everything down?" Nadia asks him.
"Nah." He waves her off. "We've got Samson and Ace to help. You go visit with your sister." His gaze comes back to me, that damn sexy smirk plastered on his face again. The way his lips curl up on the right side is just…argh!
I actually squeak out loud before looping my arm through Nadia's to drag her away.
"Stupid hot guitarist and his stupid hot smirk," I mutter to myself.
"Where are we going?" Nadia asks.
Away from your guitarist before I accidentally climb him like a tree.
"There's a shot of vodka over there with my name on it. We need to go get it before someone else does." My logic is sound.
"This is a nightclub, Zoya. I'm pretty sure they aren't going to run out of vodka."
"They might. You never know." See? Logical. I peek over my shoulder to find Jareth staring at my ass. Another squeak spills from my lips without my permission. "Walk faster."
Nadia glances back at Jareth, a slow smile spreading across her face. "You like my guitarist."
"What? No!"
"Oh my gosh. You do!"
"Filthy lies." The problem with fair skin is that it tells the truth even when you don't. I feel my cheeks flaming, telling Nadia plainly that I'm a dirty, dirty liar.
"Great show!" a pretty blonde says as we pass.
"Thank you," my sister calls before refocusing on me. "You do like him."
"Do not," I mumble, avoiding her gaze. "He's annoying. And smirky. And he won't stop staring at me."
"He's a good guy. Very interesting."
I huff as we slide onto two barstools at the far edge of the bar, away from most of the crowd. The bartender immediately heads in our direction, wiping his hands on a towel.
"He's not interesting. He's Satan," I mutter, peeking over my shoulder again. Jareth is breaking down equipment on stage, moving with a cool confidence that's fascinating. He's completely ignoring the women at the side of the stage who are still trying to get his attention.
Because he thinks he's taking me home tonight? Maybe.
Wait. What does Nadia mean by interesting?
"Two shots of Stoli, please," she orders for us. "Better make hers a double."
"Got it," the bartender says and then spins to take care of it.
"Interesting, how?" I finally ask.
"He has a twin, for starters."
I turn wide eyes on my sister. There are two of them? "Seriously?"
"Identical."
"Holy crap." God really doesn't play fair, does he?
"And he owns a vineyard."
"He owns a vineyard?" I gape at my sister, trying to wrap my head around that. I guess the body makes sense now. Jesus. Jareth Grayson owns a freaking vineyard. My friends own student loans and bad decisions. "Your friends are not like my friends, Nadia."
She laughs quietly. "Hollywood is a whole different world."
"No kidding. I thought Nashville was glitz and glam when you were first starting out, but this place is…" I shake my head, glancing around the nightclub with wide eyes. It's posh as hell, with tasteful décor and luxurious seating. Considering most of the bars back home stick to the tried-and-true western motif, this place really is a whole new world. "I don't think I'll ever get used to it."
It's weird enough knowing that my sister is famous now. But her world is so different from the way we grew up. I guess maybe that's the point, isn't it? She needed something new and different to heal.
"Me either," she admits in a whisper. The sadness in her eyes squeezes my heart in a vise. She's thinking about Teo again. He was traded to the football team here in Los Angeles recently. For the first time in years, the two of them are in the same city again.
Nadia and I have carefully danced around the subject since my plane landed, but I know she's thinking about him. Half the damn songs she sang tonight were about him. Just like always.
"I sent videos to Mom and Dad," I murmur, dancing around it yet again. "They're proud of you."
"I miss them so much," she says.
"You know they'll fly out again soon. There's no way Dad is going to let you be out here by yourself for more than a few months at a time without showing up to check in."
Her expression softens into a smile, but it doesn't really reach her eyes.
"Are you happy here?" I slip my hand into hers as the question spills out. I can't help but ask, though. After everything she's been through trying to survive without Teo, I worry.