Girl in Love(116)
Claire Ann adjusted the knot at his throat. “You don’t know that they’re dropping you.”
“I haven’t finished either of my last two tours. I’m pretty much a lost cause. They’d be stupid not to drop me.”
His sister met his eyes with her determined stare. “You could tell them, you know. You could get Mr. Ludlow to make them all sign something saying no one would leak anything to the press. Trace, if you just explained what happened—”
“No.” He shook himself loose of her grasp. “I’ve seen what happens when the sharks smell blood in the water. I won’t risk that where Rae is concerned and I don’t trust anyone there anyway.”
His sister sighed. “Well then, you’re better off without them. I’ll tell Pauly and Maude to start putting feelers out with other labels.”
Trace gave her a one-arm hug. “Thank you. But I think it’s time I handled these things myself. You have your own life, Claire Bear. I appreciate how much you do for me, but it’s time to be a big boy now.”
She nudged him. “You know I never minded.”
“I know. And that’s why I love you.”
“Speaking of love,” his sister began. “Have you talked to her?”
Trace scrubbed a hand roughly over his face. “I want to. I’m just trying to figure out what I should say.”
“Rae thinks you should lead with, ‘Will you marry me and have my babies?’”
Trace laughed. “What do you think I should lead with?”
His sister straightened his tie once more and placed her hands on his broad shoulders as her steady gaze met his.
“Your heart.”
TRACE WALKED into the offices of Capital Letter Records for what he knew was probably the last time.
Somewhere in the dark recesses of his mind, he held a very faded, slightly blurred memory of the first time he’d walked through those doors. He’d thought his dreams were finally coming true.
It had been a hell of a lot more complicated than his twenty-year-old self had been ready for.
But his twenty-eight-year-old self had both feet in the real world. This was a day for saying goodbye.
“So Davies is here already and so are several members of the legal team,” Pauly informed him as they waited for his agent in the reception area. “They’re bringing in the big guns, so I just want you to be ready for anything.”
“I am,” Trace assured him. “It’s okay, Pauly. I’ve made my decision. I know they’re most likely going to drop the ax or give me some ridiculous ultimatum so I end up looking like the bad guy. They can bring it on. I’m ready for anything.”
The elevator opened and Kylie Ryans stepped out of it with their agent. Hannah was there too, but all Trace really saw was her.
She wore a short black business-style dress with a zipper in the front that screamed unzip me and Trace lost his center of gravity. The fuck-me heels she had on weren’t helping matters any either.
“Ready for anything except that, I’m guessing,” Pauly muttered from beside him.
“What’s she doing here?”
Maude approached them first. “I’m starting to think the label’s experiencing budget cuts. Looks like they’re going for a two-for-one special with the two of you. Your meeting is scheduled for the same time.”
Kylie’s face displayed her surprise clearly. Apparently Maude hadn’t told her this ahead of time. Sometimes he thought the old woman was going senile and sometimes he suspected she was just screwing with them for her own amusement.
“Well, I guess we’ll find out soon enough.” He did his best to sound nonchalant, but the truth was, his heart was pounding, his tie was choking the shit out of him, and his dick was twitching in Kylie’s direction with a vengeance. Damn that dress.
Sweat dripped down his back as she approached him.
“Hey, um, can we talk?”
He wasn’t sure. He stepped away from the group and she followed. “We can try, darlin’. Though last I heard I was supposed to be giving you space.”
She frowned, and he clenched his fists so his fingers wouldn’t reach out and smooth those lines in her forehead. He was pretty sure touching her face didn’t constitute space giving.
“Not about us,” she whispered. “That we can discuss…later. But right now, here, I’m worried.”
Now it was his turn to frown. “Kylie, your debut album sold more copies than most of the other artists at this label combined. You have nothing to worry about.”
“I’m not worried about me.” She rolled her eyes like he was some kind of moron. “I’m worried about you. I think they’re going to try and dissolve your contract, Trace. You’ve got to tell them about Rae’s accident. Or I will.”