I spin in a circle before marching toward the door. “I’m informed. It’s all good,” I say over my shoulder.
“Mallory.” He catches up to me and slaps his hand against the door, holding it closed.
“Please let me leave.”
“I’m sorry.” His voice breaks and he pushes my hair out of my eyes. “I get nasty when I feel like I’m being rejected.”
I duck away from his touch. “I think you were being honest.”
“I’ve got no impulse control, Mallory. I can’t tell you how many times I wanted to grab you and kiss the fuck out of you. Taste you…but I didn’t.” He stares at my lips for a few beats. Slowly, his eyes widen and he lifts his gaze. “Fuck, maybe I am in love with you.”
“I don’t think this is love.”
He shakes his head but not in a dismissive way. More like he’s considering all the reasons that support his crazy new theory. “It makes sense. I knew how pissed Chaser would be so I kept my mouth shut. I’ve never let friendship stop me before—”
“Maybe you’re in love with Chaser,” I suggest.
He gasps and staggers to the side, giving me room to wrap my hand around the doorknob but not enough to open the door. At least sweet escape seems closer.
Andrew still seems to be considering my off-the-cuff retort. “No. I can’t be gay. Or even bi. I love pussy way too much.”
I groan.
“Like right now, I’m wondering if your—”
“Don’t say it.”
He frowns. “You don’t even know what I was going to say.”
“I’m sure it will elevate this conversation to a new level of disgusting and awkward, so do us both a favor. Don’t.”
“No, I mean, everyone else is fair game. I don’t think Chaser would react well to a three-way though. And honestly, I’m not into the two dudes, one chick thing. If it’s a multiple person situation, I prefer three females and me.”
I blink rapidly, trying to follow his chaotic line of thought. “Andrew!” I snap. “It’s never happening. Please stop making this worse.”
“Promise you’ll be here Saturday for the shoot?”
“No way in hell.” I should have listened to my gut and never come over here today.
“Please? I need you. I promise I’ll be a perfect gentleman. I have the other models. And Cindy will be here. Strictly professional. I promise.”
“Why? You could call any agency, hell, you could walk into any club on any night and pick half a dozen pretty girls to wear your shirts.”
“Yeah, but they wouldn’t be you.” His softer pleading tone returns. “Please.”
“No, Andrew.”
“Please?” He puts his hands under his chin and pulls that sad puppy dog face that usually makes me laugh. The one I thought was an innocent prankster. Now I know better.
“I’ll consider it.” As in, nope!
He stares at me for so long and so hard, my heart thumps with the fear that he’ll try to kiss me again. His unfathomable dark eyes plead with me. There’s pain hidden somewhere in those depths. Pain that isn’t my problem or responsibility.
Finally, he slides his hand down the door and twists the knob, yanking it open.
“Ten a.m. I’ll be waiting for you.”
Afraid he’ll change his mind and try to cut off my escape again, I slip out the door instead of answering.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chaser
We don’t get a lot of calls at the studio. Mark seriously scowls at anything not music-related happening during studio hours.
We’re on a break, munching on sub sandwiches one of the assistants brought us when the phone rings. I’m closest, so I pick it up. “Yeah?”
“Chaser? Is that you?”
The smile fades from my face and I sit up. “Pamela?” Why the fuck is she calling here?
Jacob holds out his hand. “It’s for me.”
I jerk my shoulder away from him. “What’s going on? Is Mallory okay?”
Her sweet, soft southern belle voice vanishes, taking on a sharper edge. “Mallory’s perfectly fine. She’s slutting around with Andrew. Did you know that?”
“Excuse me?” My ice-filled voice stops Jacob’s grabby hand act and he backs away from the phone. “What are you talking about?”
“You know he’s been trying to fuck her all along, right?”
“What are you doing, Pamela?” I ask in a bored tone. Mallory would never cheat on me. “There’s no way that’s true.”
“Oh no? Then why’d he stop by the set the other night to take her for a ride on the back of his bike, hmmm?” she purrs.
An icy bucket of dread pours over me, choking off my air supply. Things were a little rocky between us when I left, but