Rockstar Romeo - Abbie Zanders Page 0,35

continued, “I’ll be overseeing the first leg of this tour personally.”

I bit my lip. For him to even suggest such a thing meant the situation was worse than I’d thought. I knew from experience that Ross would not divulge any details unless it was absolutely imperative. I had to continue to trust him, and drawing on the nearly twenty years we’d been looking out for each other, I would. He loved Brian and Tommy as if they were his own. But it was hard.

“I admit, I would feel better if you were there. I know we have good people handling things, but they’re not family.”

Ross nodded, and I knew it was a done deal. “I can do business from the road; that’s no problem. Can you continue to personally oversee Dark Wing until I get back? I know you don’t like the hands-on PR part of it, but they’re pretty low maintenance, comparatively speaking. I’ll make sure everyone else is taken care of.”

“Of course,” I answered quickly. Maybe too quickly.

Thankfully, Ross attributed my uncharacteristic eagerness to the fact that I would be willing to do just about anything to have him on the tour, looking out for Brian and Tommy. That was true, of course, but it also provided a valid excuse for me to spend more time with Jace. Plus, I was better acquainted with the Dark Wing account than anyone else since I handled all the behind-the-scenes magic.

And, I thought to myself, the face-to-face is going pretty well too.

“Thanks, Eva. I’ll make it up to you, I promise. How does two weeks off sound?”

I waved him off. “Unnecessary. You’re giving me peace of mind. It’s the least I can do.”

“I’m not asking,” he said firmly. “Two weeks off, effective the day after I return.”

I knew better than to argue with Ross when he got that tone, so I smiled and thanked him and sipped my wine. Chances were that when Ross returned, there would be half a dozen new fires to fight, and he would either forget or postpone my “mandatory” time off. That suited me just fine. I’d probably spend the whole two weeks at home, cleaning and doing minor DIY fix-it projects anyway.

“I’ll fly out first thing tomorrow,” he said, giving me another critical once-over. “You sure you’re okay?”

“I am,” I assured him, realizing just how true my words were. “I really am.”

The conversation turned to lighter topics. The food was excellent, as usual, and Ross was a good anchor, helping me put things into proper perspective. As pleasant as it was, however, there were those dark currents flowing just beneath the surface. Neither of us was in the mood to linger after the bill came. Ross was anxious to join up with the tour, and I was ready for a long nap.

I’d been home less than ten minutes when the front doorbell chimed with a delivery of a dozen roses in all colors of the rainbow. Thinking it was a thoughtful gesture from Ross for cutting our time short, I accepted the flowers and thanked the delivery man.

I shut the door and tugged at the card.

Because a single color can’t begin to express all the things you make me feel —J

My heart melted right then and there. I was glad no one else was around to see the goofy smile on my face.

It took me a while to find a suitable vase. I didn’t receive flowers at home often. Ross usually sent me a bouquet on my birthday, and sometimes, I got a thank-you arrangement from clients, but those were sent to my office, not my house.

“Thank you,” I blurted out the moment Jace answered his phone, neglecting to offer a proper hello or identify myself.

Jace hesitated for a moment. “Eva?”

“Yes,” I said, feeling like an idiot. “It’s me. I just wanted to say thank you for the roses. They’re stunning.”

“Not as beautiful as you,” he said quietly, sending chills—the best kind of chills—up and down my spine.

He had a great voice, deep and whiskey-smooth, and my body responded to it on a visceral level. I wasn’t alone. That voice was the primary reason nearly every Dark Wing power ballad went triple-platinum.

“How’d your dinner go?” he asked.

“It went fine.” I kicked off my shoes and left them where they landed. With only me in the house, I didn’t feel the need to pick them up and put them away immediately. I could be messy if I wanted to.

Even as that thought entered my mind, I