Girl in Love(64)

Judging from the way Claire Ann was standing, arms folded and face turned away from whatever Pauly was trying to tell her, they appeared to be arguing. He scratched his head. That was odd.

When he’d gotten out of rehab, Claire Ann had gone on and on about how helpful Pauly had been. He’d asked his manager to keep an eye on his sisters and protect them from any paparazzi assholes who might come sniffing around.

Before he could head over to them to find out what the problem was, Kylie appeared at his side. “Not to alarm you,” she began quietly, “but I think Rae might be slightly intoxicated. She reeks of booze and she’s told me she loves me about a dozen times.”

Once again, he felt like the universe was hell-bent on interfering with his plan to confess his feelings for her. Apparently his little sister didn’t have any trouble with it though.

“Yeah. Claire Ann thinks she’s been partying a little too hard at college. It wouldn’t be a big deal, but given our family history…well, you know.” He huffed out a breath and ran a hand through his hair. “Not like I can really say much to her. Some role model I am.”

A gentle hand on his arm caused him to stiffen. Fucking hell her touch undid him. He had to clench his own fists to keep from reaching out and grabbing her.

She pulled her hand back, clearly misinterpreting why he’d tensed. “I could try and talk to her.”

Before he could tell her how much he would appreciate that, she rushed on.

“I mean, it’s none of my business, and I know it’s not my place, but—”

“That would be pretty great actually. I’d owe you one.”

“No you wouldn’t. I care about Rae, too,” she said, her gaze drifting over to where the girl was laughing among her friends. One of them was an extremely tan bottle-blonde who was eye-fucking him pretty blatantly.

Seeing Kylie narrow her eyes at the girl almost made him smile. His eyes dropped to her mouth and he remembered kissing her on stage a few weeks ago. And how pissed she’d gotten. His plan was beginning to look like a terrible idea. He decided to give her at least a little warning.

“Hey, Kylie Lou?”

“Hm?” She glanced up at him, seemingly lost in thought.

“I want to change up our finale a little. Sing a different song, a new one of mine—if that’s okay with you.”

She sucked on her lower lip for a second and his own mouth ached to do the same. “You don’t want to sing The Other Side of Me? But this is the The Other Side of Me tour…” Her expression said that she was concerned for his mental well-being. That made two of them.

“Just come out like normal, okay? I promise not to do anything inappropriate.”

She arched a brow and leaned slightly closer to him. “I thought you didn’t make promises you couldn’t keep?” Her face reddened.

He suspected she hadn’t meant to say that out loud. The grin on his face was impossible to contain. She was already slipping. He could almost see his girl underneath all that protective body armor.

“Well, I promise not to kiss you again. Unless you tell me to.”

She scoffed. “Trace.”

He stepped back when the stagehands came to retrieve her.

“Have a good show, pretty girl,” he said under his breath.

The small smile she tossed him over her shoulder as she was pulled away told him she’d heard.





“HOW YOU doin’, Atlanta?” Kylie shouted in her mic after her first few songs.

A stagehand brought out her guitar and she grinned at the screams that greeted her as she strapped it on.

“Hey, y’all. These damn stilettos are killing me.” She kicked off her heels and began playing Not A Nice Girl. Then she launched immediately into Live Wire.

The crowd was insane. It was one of the biggest she’d ever played for, and it seemed as if every single person in the audience sang along with her songs.

She forced her mind to stay in the present and give them the best show she could. But as she danced around and sang her ass off, the knowledge that Darla’s book was waiting for her on the bus, Rae was very likely developing a drinking problem, and her traitorous heart was inching closer to the surface every time she came within five feet of Trace Corbin assaulted her repeatedly.

And her stomach was in knots about whatever he was planning for the finale.

When she finished her set, Steven followed her offstage. “You could’ve told me she was coming,” he said low in her ear.

She met his eyes with an apology in hers. “I didn’t know, Steven. I swear.”

They stepped aside as the crew switched her equipment out for Trace’s.

“It’s not a big deal or anything.” He crossed his heavily inked arms and glanced around. “Wonder if she brought lover boy along.”