The Has-Been and the Hot Mess - Isabel Jordan Page 0,42

Jesus. He’d been so wrapped up in his performance anxiety that he hadn’t given much thought to exactly how many people had shown up, or how many different revenue streams Kendall had made sure were functioning by the day of the event.

“But the highlight of the event for many viewers was the live performance by Jackson Hale.”

They cut to footage of him singing, followed by footage of the crowd as they swayed, sang along, cheered, and danced. It was amazing. He’d thought everyone was having a good time, but it was kind of hard to tell from the stage. With the lights in your eyes and adrenaline running high, it’s hard to see anything, or hear anything but the roar of your own blood in your ears. Seeing everyone have that much fun was downright humbling.

“The once embattled singer looked and sounded better than ever, and this event, along with his recently upped social media presence, has introduced a new generation of music fans to Jackson Hale.”

Once embattled. He snorted. No shit.

“But the question that’s on everyone’s mind right now is what’s next for the former Maelstrom singer? An insider close to the artist said that Mr. Hale is not planning to tour or reunite with his former bandmates. He’s happy living a simpler, quiet life, running his animal rescue, and spending time with family, friends, and loved ones. But, if the right opportunity presented itself, he would most definitely be interested in pursuing work behind the scenes on movie scores.”

“An insider close to the artist?” he repeated.

“That’d be Ray,” Kendall answered distractedly. “I gave him that quote to leak to anyone who asked.”

She scrambled to the edge of the bed to grab her phone, and after a few minutes of furious scrolling, she said, “Oh my God! You’re everywhere. I mean…everywhere. You’re trending…”

“Everywhere?” he supplied helpfully.

“Everywhere!” she squealed.

Then she tossed the phone and lunged at him, all flying hair, smooth skin, and fluffy robe. He laughed and caught her, hugging her to his chest. Her arms instantly went around his neck. It felt so natural that his heart ached a little.

“You did it!” she said, her voice full of wonder. “We can get you any agent you want now. That job is as good as yours.”

He pulled back and rested his forehead against hers. “No, you did it. This was all you, Kendall. None of it would’ve happened without you. You’re amazing. And I don’t think I’ve told you that enough. I owe you so much.”

She pursed her lips like she was deep in thought and said, “Well, you did supply the abs, that face, and the voice, so it wasn’t all me. Just mostly me.”

Brat. He dug his thumbs into her ribs and tickled her until she was laughing so hard she was gasping, with tears rolling down her cheeks.

But when the laughter died down, he couldn’t help but notice how good her weight felt against him. Or just how far her robe was now gaping open. And it was gaping open everywhere. The view was a-fucking-mazing.

She must’ve noticed at that point, too, because her breathing sped up. He could feel her heart pounding against his.

His back teeth ground together. “Kendall, I’m trying so hard to be a gentleman here.”

She sucked in a little gasp before saying, “I really wish you’d stop trying.”

“Oh, thank God,” he said before wrapping his fist in her hair at the nape, yanking her mouth to his, and kissing the ever-loving hell out of her.

Chapter 26

Kendall rolled onto her back, tugging him over with her, tangling her long legs with his. Jackson gently pulled her glasses off and put them on the nightstand.

Go slow, Jackson told himself as her mouth opened wider under his and he slid his tongue against hers. She tasted like toothpaste, honey, and heat, and he wondered if she tasted that good everywhere.

Tonight, he damn sure intended to find out.

His hands itched with the need to explore her, to slide under her robe and feel her smooth skin, but he had to go slow. She deserved so much more than a rough, desperate fuck, and he was going to give it to her.

She was not making it easy, though. The greedy way she was sucking his tongue into her mouth, the way she rolled her hips into him and raked her nails through his hair…it was all seriously messing with his self-control, which was already hanging on only by the thinnest of threads.

Kendall moaned as he shifted to kiss