Star Struck(BBW Rocker Romance)(5)
The lifestyle of a sinner, and the face and body of a saint.
Mandy only had to look at Ethan and her fingers itched to do things to him – artistically, of course. She had ideas of what could work for his hair, body shape, and persona. Her creative juices had never been so alive.
She’d forced herself to disregard his earlier flirting when he’d breathed in her perfume and commented about her being a ‘temptation’. Mandy was convinced this was just Ethan being in character. It was his modus operandi to toy with any female that he encountered. It was the expected response for a rocker, after all. Mandy could only be thankful that apart from the insufferable blushing, she’d taken his initial risqué comments in stride.
Suddenly, Jessica’s phone rang and she excused herself for a minute to take the call in another room. Now alone with Ethan, Mandy became even more acutely aware of his masculine charisma, and she had to hide behind her coffee cup in order to cover up the rose-colored flush of attraction that washed over her face and neck.
Tap, tap, tap…
Ethan’s fingers were tapping on the table. He was relaxed, casually sitting back in his chair. Running his fingers through his hair, he let out a sigh.
“I wish Jessica would just be upfront this time – literally. I know exactly what she intends. She wants me to hack off my hair, lay off the liner and nail polish, and become a pretty boy like Jaime. But that won’t work for me – it ain’t my style.”
Mandy felt like smiling at the petulance underneath his gruff tone. “I don’t think that’s her plan for you,” she replied. “From what I know, she plans to go for a look that’s a good combination of metal and street. We’re certainly not looking to drastically change your look without considering your personal style. I mean nothing too radical that would make your fans think you were a sellout or whatever. You already have your unique style and Jessica believes we just need to build on it and make it as up to the minute as possible.”
Mandy realized that her spiel was the most she’d spoken to Ethan since the meeting had begun and she had to resist the urge to squirm with the way he’d watched her face all through her comments.
His gaze seemed speculative as he finally murmured, “So what’s yours? Your unique style, I mean. For one thing, rock stars have to dress different from everyday people – it’s a job requirement. But then you’re a budding fashion stylist so you’re duty-bound to at least have a distinctive look. One that communicates your style prowess through your fashion choices. If you ask me, I’m thinking you’re going for girl-next-door, simple yet quirky in the sense that you try to give the impression of not trying too hard?”
Mandy felt stung. Was he trying to say she looked boring or unsophisticated? He was right, of course, that as a style consultant she definitely needed to cultivate a personal image of her own. Which she had. Mandy was a firm believer in ‘less is more’ and she was always down for the ‘stark’ look when it came to her fashion choices. She loved cosmetics and getting dressed up, but only for special occasions.
So Ethan’s evaluation of her was unexpected and her first instinct was to bite back that she wasn’t impressed all that much either by him either.
Remembering he was a client, Mandy sat up straighter in her chair.
“Sorry if my style bothers you or isn’t up to your standards, but I deal with very long days at work and I really just want to be comfortable. Looking pretty is not a priority for me. Taking care of clients like you, that’s what really I care about.”
“I never said you weren’t pretty,” Ethan replied with a smile, his tone mild. “But I get the impression that you like to keep the attention away from yourself. I apologize if I offended you, Mandy…really. That wasn’t my intention at all. Your style’s great. In fact, if you really were trying for the toned-down, plain look I’d say you rather failed. I can’t be the only man who is curious to discover what’s beneath that unembellished exterior.”
Mandy gulped, but her throat was dry at the smokiness in his tone. Ethan Tyler had just told her she made him curious. Curious about what, exactly? Getting her into bed? Getting to know her better?
She grabbed her coffee cup and drank deeply, almost coughing as the barely warm liquid slipped too fast down her throat.
Ethan was smiling at her evident discomfort. “At least you’ve stopped blushing.”
She felt a flash of heat swarm across her cheeks and neck and shook her head.
“Or maybe not.” Ethan chuckled.
She could only laugh.
“Flowers in her hair, she breaks hearts by the dozen…Molten and fair, her kiss will keep you frozen,” Ethan murmured, and when Mandy stared at him blankly, he added, “From the song “Pieces of Jade”. It’s our top ten single – has been for the past two months. You remind me of the lyrics – which I co-wrote.”