Star Struck(BBW Rocker Romance)(45)

“I apologize,” he said deeply. With uncharacteristic discomposure, Marcus pushed a hand through his otherwise impeccably styled hair. “But I still love you, Mandy. I wanted us to get married. I picked out the ring during my trip – I went to the biggest Swiss jeweler in the world. If you think I’m going to give that up because of your fleeting hots for some trippy rock head…”

“Don’t talk about Ethan like that,” Mandy protested, eyes blazing as she slammed down her napkin. “I know you mean well, Marcus. But I can’t…this isn’t working. I can’t do this. It’s over. I’m so sorry, but I’m too far gone to look back now. I do hope we can stay friends like I said earlier. It doesn’t seem right to cut you out of my life completely.”

Marcus’ lips twisted sardonically. “So how would your rocker boyfriend take it if he knows I’ll be waiting in the wings? Because I will be, Mandy. If he dares hurt you or make you cry a single tear, I’ll…” He let out a harsh breath, shook his head, and picked up his silverware to start cutting almost viciously into his steak.

Mandy’s heart softened as she let herself think about his earlier words. He’d picked a ring; he’d rushed back to propose only to find out she’d left him for a famous rock star. She could only imagine what he had to be feeling right then. She wanted to reach out a hand to his but stopped herself in time. She wouldn’t want to give him false hope. She had to be strong and walk away because already, her heart and body belonged to another.

Every day she seemed to be drawn to Ethan more. The romantic texts, the sexy pictures he sent to her phone, their long, steamy nights together whenever they could find the time…Mandy was having her first taste of that restless, sweet young love laced with red-hot passion that never seemed to end – and she couldn’t get enough. Ethan, for all his ruggedness and devil-may-care ways, treated her like fine china. Apart from showering her with thoughtful gifts – some so horrendously expensive she had to send them back – he always called to find out how she was, what she was doing, and how he could make her day go even better.

And Mandy loved that she could call him up at any time of day and he’d pick up the phone, happy to hear her voice. Whether he was with his band brothers, celebrity friends, or even working at some video shoot, he always spared a minute to just let her get through to him. What touched her the most was that he’d let her meet his step-sisters. They were both lovely ladies, not much older than Ethan, with their respective husbands and kids. They’d already gone on big family dinners together at the nicest restaurants, and Mandy had been made to feel like one of them in no time at all.

So the last thing she should feel was worried, especially after Marcus’s warning speech about things going wrong in the future. Mandy couldn’t see it happening. The party life, the booze, and the chicks; Ethan wasn’t about that life now. He showed her every chance he got that she was all he needed.

Finally, the time came to fly out to London. The few days before that were a blur as Mandy was practically joined at the hip with Ethan, working with other assistants to get the outfits for the show to fit perfectly before they left. Every seam had to stand just right and of course it had to go with the outfits of the rest of the band without being too ‘matched up’ since each member had their own individual look. Mandy got to meet a lot of people working on Ethan’s team and even got hired to make some pieces for the personal wardrobe of the stylist working on Ethan’s hair. Mandy was gratified that Ethan liked all the pieces they’d picked out for him. Many of them were ideas that Mandy had worked on herself during her consultations with Jessica. She couldn’t wait to get to London and finally be part of something monumentally fantastic, both professionally and otherwise.

Spending so much time around the band, Mandy got to watch them rehearse and do choreography while making sure the clothes suited each set. Soon they were like family, eating together and hanging out even for just an hour whenever they could get off rehearsals. Mandy loved to listen to them polish their songs. Watching Ethan, getting to feel his particular energy taking up the room had Mandy feeling more and more awed that he was hers. Judging by the gossip columns she’d long stopped reading, no one really understood how Ethan Tyler, who had the worst case of commitment phobia, was so tied down to his ‘pretty’ new stylist. He stopped making the tabloids for his wild partying and exploits with sexy starlets and groupies. Now he was seen having romantic dinners or long walks with Mandy, the pictures always making the couple look totally hooked on each other.