to rip off the band aid. “You see, it’s like this. I was wondering if—”
“Braylin! Come quick!” His mother’s voice echoed through the house. “Now!”
“Uh…”
“Hurry!” She was yelling like the house was on fire.
“I gotta go.”
Braylin ended the call then tossed his phone on the bed, racing to find out what the big emergency was. He spotted his mom in the living room, one knee on the couch cushion as she leaned over the long piece of furniture to peer out the front picture window.
“Look!” She pointed, an expression of shock on her face.
Braylin frowned then entered the room, his gaze traveling to what she was freaking out over.
Holy shit.
What the fuck was Zen doing here? In his driveway? Strolling up to his door?
“Oh God.”
His mom smacked him hard enough on his back that she could’ve dislodged food stuck in his throat.
“Answer the door, Braylin!”
Braylin obeyed her orders and moved in slow motion to the entryway. He took a second to gather his courage, and when he discovered he had none, he dove into the unknown.
“Hey, Braylin.” Zen smiled down at him, his relaxed, easy manner holding Braylin in a trance. “Can I come in?”
Zen’s height made him appear as if he was looming over Braylin within the small confines of the porch. His smile remained, his expression not at all filled with the anger or disappointment Braylin had anticipated.
Braylin stared up at him, jaw slack, drinking in the image of Zen’s toned, but slender frame. Although Zen wore a purple fitted button down, Braylin was aware of every gorgeous line of his body. The shirts Zen wore while performing rarely made it halfway through a show.
“Braylin, where are your manners? Of course, Mr. Diamond. Please come in.”
“Zen, ma’am. Call me Zen.” He gave her a nod and a smile. “And thank you.” Zen regarded Braylin and chuckled, the sound low and seductive. “Braylin? It would make it easier for me to accept your mother’s invitation if you gave me some room to enter?”
Braylin’s cheeks unexpectedly went hot. Had there been a double meaning behind Zen’s comment, or was it merely his own filthy mind at work?
“S-sorry.”
Braylin stepped aside, unable to meet Zen’s eyes as he moved out of the way. Zen was barely in Braylin’s house for five seconds before Sierra appeared from the kitchen with a gasp.
“Oh my God! There’s a rock star in our living room! I’m calling Ashley.” She held up a hand to Zen. “Don’t move.”
Braylin slapped a hand to his forehead. Thankfully, his mother intervened.
“You’ll do no such thing, young lady. Let’s give them some privacy.” She regarded Zen. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“No, ma’am. I won’t be long.” He regarded Braylin. “Although, I suppose it depends on how good my powers of persuasion are.”
Zen winked and Braylin grabbed the handle of the still-open door before he hit the entryway tiles. His mother argued with Sierra, shooting down every ‘but mom’ with another verbal missile as she encouraged her from the room with threats of a cancelled party Braylin hadn’t known she was having.
Oh yeah. I was going to be on tour.
Once they were alone, Zen placed a hand on Braylin’s shoulder, the weight and heat of his touch inexplicably intimate.
“I was worried when you left so suddenly.”
Braylin gave a half-hearted shrug when Zen moved his hand away. “I wanted to save you the hassle of firing me. I felt bad that you were…” He didn’t want to be rude. It was none of his business what Zen did with his band. But the way Sal had treated Zen had really pissed him off. “You know. Having to deal with so much. I didn’t want to be another problem you had to fix.”
Zen sighed. “Braylin, Braylin, Braylin. I thought that might be the issue, except I was assuming it was Sal’s nastiness that made you leave. He didn’t have the right to speak to you that way, and I told him I wouldn’t tolerate that sort of behavior toward you. If you agree to come back, I’ll make sure he doesn’t mistreat you.”
Braylin drew his eyebrows together, confused over the surprising turn of events. That’s when he realized they were still standing in the entryway with the door wide open. His mom was right. Where were his manners?
“I’m sorry. Did you want to sit down for a minute?” Braylin gestured to the sofa.
Zen grinned. “I’d love to.”
Braylin raked his fingers through his shoulder-length hair that he’d just gotten trimmed, one of the