Star Struck(BBW Rocker Romance)(17)

His voice was like molten hot honey.

“You aren’t going to make me beg, are you?” he said in that low, growly voice that sent shivers down her spine.

Mandy didn’t know what to say or think. There she was, standing in the middle of her room while Ethan Tyler, the most recognizable face of The Strum, was downstairs waiting to take her for a drive in his sexy sports car.

“No, I don’t think it’s a good idea,” she said wryly. “And Ethan, what about your security? You’re out alone in the middle of the night. Is that even safe?”

She heard him huff. “I’m not worried about the streets…I grew up on them, Mandy. I didn’t always have such an easy life, you know. So don’t worry about me, princess, I can take care of myself…and I can take care of you. You’ll be safe with me. So, you coming? I really need to see you.”

Whoa. Mandy’s stomach clenched into a tight ball, her breathing hitched. There was more than a hint of desire in his voice and she found herself lost in it. Then she sighed deeply. “I’m sorry, Ethan, but…I can’t. I wish I could, but…”

“Right. I understand. It was crazy of me to think you’d want to see me. But I was at the club with all these people and I just…I didn’t want to be there anymore. For the first time in a long while, I felt like the loneliest person in the world. And then I thought of you, how you are so real. And how you don’t treat me like I can walk all over you. I admire that. It’s actually one of the reasons I like you. But you’re right. It was wrong for me to show up in the middle of the night. Really selfish…and I’m sorry. I’ll let you get back to sleep.”

“Ethan – wait!” Mandy bit on her lip, her nostrils flaring as she sucked in air. Pausing for a brief second, she whispered into the receiver. “I’ll be right down.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

Mandy heard the smile in his voice and couldn’t help smiling herself. She moved quickly, dropping her phone into her purse before quickly changing into a pair of her most comfortable jeans, a simple tank top, and her favorite black leather cropped jacket. She skipped down the stairs and within minutes she was climbing into the sexy automobile.

Even as she questioned her sanity and what the hell she was doing, she turned to look at Ethan, who was looking her over with stark admiration.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” she said, breathless from the rush as well as the flash of white in his grin and the gorgeous sight of his face. The annoyed, short-tempered, and thwarted Ethan from earlier that day was gone.

To her surprise and inner delight, he leaned in and kissed her gently on the cheek, a gesture she felt to her toes. It wasn’t suggestive at all, but it still drove a pulse of heat to her groin and she felt her body throbbing from the heat of his touch. Even when he was being gentle, he still exuded strength and power.

“Thank you for coming out, especially after the way that I treated you. I wanted you so badly that I didn’t think for a minute about what that would do to you. I wouldn’t blame you if you thought the worst of me, Mandy.”

“I don’t,” Mandy replied softly, realizing that she meant it. There was a good side to everyone, right? And beneath the many foibles that set him apart from everyday people, she knew that there was much more to him than she first thought. True, she was awestruck as ever by him – after all, he was a rock star, but he also came off as someone with depth. He couldn’t make the beautiful music he did without having that special something.

She couldn’t help but think about his words from earlier that day. When he’d told her she might be in his life for a reason, to redeem him. She didn’t really understand what that could mean or if it had all been part of his master plan to soften her up for the kill. But for now, well, she just felt honored that though he could be with anyone right then, he’d sought her out. And it felt right. Here and now, with him, as they shot off into the night to some unknown destination.

Mandy pushed thoughts of her boyfriend Marcus from her mind and assured herself she was doing nothing wrong. Ethan Tyler was an important client, and right now he needed a friend.

She just needed to keep things in perspective. She’d spend a bit of time with him, and then he’d bring her right home. End of story. No disaster looming on the horizon. He just wanted to go for a drive, talk to a ‘normal’ person…surely she could manage that. Couldn’t she?

Mandy felt cocooned inside the impressive car, with the windows tinted dark and covering them in mystery as Ethan drove off into the night.