Star Struck(BBW Rocker Romance)(50)

“I was his first everything, angel,” Zuriel said mockingly. “His first love, his first fuck. I practically taught him all he needed to know about a woman’s needs. And now here you appear, so young and fresh with your pretty little halo hanging pertly on your dark brown curls. How long do you think before he gets bored with sweet and innocent and comes back to his one true soul mate?”

“I was under the impression you were here for something related to business,” Mandy said curtly, shooting to her feet so fast her chair almost toppled backwards. “But if you’re interested in petty chit-chat…”

“Oh, I definitely am here on business,” Zuriel said, rising fluidly and unhurriedly to her feet. Even with the desk between them, Mandy was very conscious of how much taller and intimidating Zuriel seemed. “I have a proposition for you. Something that puts you ahead so you aren’t left looking like a clueless twit in two weeks’ time when Ethan’s PR team announces his engagement to me.”

“What?” Mandy asked with an incredulous gasp.

Zuriel huffed at Mandy’s disbelieving expression. “It’s been in the works for a few months now. Ethan and I are back together and it will be official when we publicize our relationship the same day our single comes out.”

“Single? What single?” Mandy breathed even though she dreaded the answer.

“The song he supposedly wrote for you – the one that’s now going to be the first single from my new album, which will feature my on-off flame Ethan Tyler - soon to be husband - right before our joint world tour is set to begin.”

Mandy’s fists clenched at her sides. “I don’t believe you and Ethan are back together. I don’t believe any of the bullshit you just said. Why would you come all this way just to spread lies? Why do you consider me such a threat?”

Zuriel’s lips spread in another one of her mean little smiles. “That’s a very good question. Why would someone like me even bother myself with an inconsequential stylist trying to sleep her way to the top of her career? You’re so far beneath me in every way, but I can’t help but feel pity for you, which is why I’m giving you the chance to walk away from this with dignity. Which brings me to my proposal: forget about Ethan. You can keep playing at being his stylist or whatever crap excuse you’ve used to worm your way into his life. But your cute little romance is over. If you don’t end things voluntarily with Ethan, then you’ll force my hand and I won’t be responsible for what happens next.”

Shaking inside with fury, Mandy managed a sneer. “Just what could you possibly do to me?”

Zuriel threw her head back and laughed deeply. She still had a tinge of humor in her light gray eyes as she replied, “You should see what happened to the last girl who tried to steal Ethan’s attention from me. I had her dealt with so thoroughly she was in the hospital for a week. Now she’ll think twice about sneaking into any rocker’s dressing room again – or even coming within a hundred feet of Ethan. But you…I think I like you. I can see you’re simply misguided and maybe just a bit needy. You can’t help how you feel for Ethan and you know what? Neither can I.”

Now Zuriel’s eyes looked at her with pity. “That’s why you have to back out now. Ethan’s management and mine have it all mapped out if you refuse. You’ll be discredited across the major gossip blogs and columns as an opportunist who’s sleeping with Ethan to get work with the band for the stylist firm you’re with. People will definitely be interested in your meteoric rise to fame, starting off with Jessica Charles. No one likes a gold-digging, overreaching female. It won’t be pretty, Mandy. You’ll come out looking like a bigger fool than if you simply bowed out gracefully.”

“I think I’d like to hear what Ethan thinks about this,” Mandy said in a voice she vowed wouldn’t quiver with the agony and disgust she felt within. “It should be him deciding who he wants in his life. I was under the distinct impression that it wasn’t you. It hasn’t been you for years, Zuriel. Now you want him back and you’ve decided I should be the sacrificial lamb, giving up the one man I’ve ever loved. Why on earth would I agree to something like that?”

“You will,” Zuriel said with an assurance that made Mandy want to scramble over her desk and smack the look of smugness off that face. “When you really think about the stakes. Your career, your name will be in question before this is over. And once it starts, it’ll never stop. You’ll wish you did the right thing when you had the chance. But if you want to play tough….”