Thanks to the layer of rose petals we were both wearing, it took Kellan and me a few minutes to redress. Kellan laughed to himself as he pried a few petals loose from my hair-hair that I'm sure was a snarled, tangled mess that screamed to the world that I'd just had an afternoon delight-or late-morning delight, to be more accurate. Oh well, things could be worse. The entire band could have walked in on us completely naked and exposed. Oh yeah, that's right-they did.
I was frowning as I stood up and stared back at the rumpled bed. Kellan followed my gaze as he slipped on his shoes. Slowly standing beside me, he smiled, inhaled a deep breath, then kissed my forehead. "Stay here. I'm gonna go kill Griffin."
I instantly grinned and followed him as he stormed out the door. If Kellan was about to cause Griffin bodily harm, there was no way was I going to miss it. Griffin was on the other side of the living room, as far from our door as his cousin could get him. He was partially undressed, using his T-shirt to scrub sour milk out of his chin-length hair. Matt and Evan were telling him something, and Anna was tapping her foot. I was sure she wanted to berate him for giving her a boy but hadn't had a chance to tell him yet with the other annoyances that had cropped up. How one person got in so much trouble so fast was beyond me.
Griffin looked up when he spotted Kellan storming his way. A wide smile stretched his thin lips. "Dude-"
Griffin didn't get to say anything else. Kellan walked right up to him, placed both palms on his chest, and shoved him to the floor. He hit his ass hard, and the smile finally fell off of his face. "What the fuck, Kell?"
Lips in a hard line, Kellan stared down at Griffin. I'd seen Kellan ticked off before, at other people and even at me, but I'd never seen him direct that anger toward his band. Well, except for the one time that he'd gotten irritated enough at Griffin harassing me that he'd snapped at him to knock it off. This seemed different, though. He seemed . . . done, like Griffin had finally crossed the line with him.
When he didn't answer, Griffin rolled his eyes. "Relax, besides your ass, I didn't see anything."
Kellan pointed to the hallway that led downstairs. His voice low and cold, he told Griffin, "Grab your shit, and get out."
Matt and Evan stared at Kellan, shocked. Even Anna was speechless. Griffin snorted and stood up. "Oh, come on, Kell." He pointed back to our bedroom. "It's not like I knew she was here."
As I heard my sister mutter, "Did you think we flew in separately?" Griffin sniffed and crossed his arms over his chest. Griffin had a handful of tattoos across his body, but for some reason, I could not stop staring at one of a busty girl in a sailor suit straddling a sword. I guess it hit a little close to home at the moment. That, and I couldn't quite look Griffin in the face yet.
"Besides, you can't kick me out of the band, dude."
Kellan stepped toe to toe with Griffin, and the others tensed. Matt and Evan exchanged a brief glance, and I could almost hear the conversation in their eyes: Okay, on three, you take Kellan, and I'll take Griffin.
"Why the hell would I keep you?" Kellan seethed, his eyes hard.
Not looking intimidated, Griffin smirked and relaxed into his hip. "Because I'm the shit, and you know it." He gave him an innocent smile. "And we're best friends."
Kellan closed his eyes and took a step back. Matt and Evan both relaxed their stances. Inhaling a calming breath, Kellan finally opened his eyes. "If I am anywhere with my wife-anywhere-you knock and wait for permission to enter. Can your tiny fucking brain comprehend that?"
Griffin shrugged. "Fine, whatever, dude." Shaking his head, Kellan turned around and grabbed my hand. Even though my cheeks felt flaming hot, I forced myself to smile at Matt and Evan in a small token of appreciation for their earlier help.
Griffin, seeing that the heated moment was over, must have figured that all was right as rain again. Stepping up to Kellan as we walked away, he slung an arm over his shoulder. I could smell the sour stench of spoiled dairy even from the other side of Kellan. God, Porta Potties smelled better. "So, can I show you who's here now?" he asked.
Kellan grimaced at the stench wafting from the half-naked bassist and pushed him away. Maybe thinking Kellan was still angry, Griffin frowned. "Hey, come on, I'm sorry for barging in on you, okay? I just got excited." Grinning, he bounced on his toes, eager again. "I mean, how often do you get to meet a porn star!"
My heart sank as I began to get a really bad feeling about who was here. As Kellan furrowed his brow, Matt muttered, "She's not a porn star, Griff. Stop calling her that."
Griffin scowled at Matt. "Tomato, tomato, dude. She had sex on tape. I got off on it. Boom-porn star."
I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose. Just when I thought I couldn't possibly be more horrified by him, Griffin would find a way to prove me wrong. Ignoring Matt rolling his eyes and Anna looking intrigued, Griffin focused on Kellan. "And she's asking to see you . . . by name! Can you believe that shit?"
Kellan stopped walking and looked around the room. "Who the hell is he talking about? Who's here?"
Evan scratched his buzz-cut head. "Uh, Sienna Sexton."
Kellan's jaw dropped. So did mine. Sienna Sexton was a huge celebrity-everyone knew her name. And not just for the reason Griffin had mentioned. Yes, an ex-boyfriend of hers had leaked a sex tape, and yes, the tape was widely available on the Internet, but all of that aside, she was actually a very talented artist. She'd grown up under the spotlight as a child actor. When she'd started maturing, she'd branched out into music. When the sex tape scandal had exploded, it could have killed her career, but she'd used the new provocative image of her to shift her music into a more adult sound. She was consistently on top of the charts. And she knew my husband's name . . . and wanted to see him. I couldn't believe it.
Kellan looked between Matt and Evan. "Are you serious? Sienna Sexton? The Sienna Sexton? Why does she want to see me? How does she even know who I am?"
They both shrugged, then Matt told him, "Don't know, man. She just came in with her entourage a few minutes ago and asked to see you." He pointed to the ceiling. "They're waiting upstairs for you." He glared at Griffin. "Which we were going to tell you about when you were done . . . giving Kiera . . . you know." His cheeks flushed with color as he gestured to my hand. "I like the ring. It's really beautiful on you, Kiera."
Mortified, I whispered, "Thank you."
Still stunned, Kellan shook his head. Delighted, Anna walked over and grabbed my hand. She gave my ring a cursory glance, then squealed, "Holy shit, Kiera! We're going to meet Sienna Sexton." Her emerald eyes sparkled so much I was pretty sure she'd forgotten all about the problem she'd wanted to kill Griffin for this morning.
I sighed, not sure if I was as excited about this as she was. Seeing that Kellan was finally listening to him, Griffin wrapped his arm around his shoulder again. "So, can we go now?"
Kellan made a face like he was gagging. "You smell awful. Could you shower first?"
Griffin scowled at Matt again, clearly blaming him-and only him-for smelling like a landfill. "Yeah, just give me two secs."
He dashed off to one of the bedrooms, and I heard the sound of a shower being turned on. I hadn't had time to investigate yet, but all of the rooms seemed to have bathrooms with showers in them. Kellan watched Griffin leave, then turned to Matt and Evan. "Let's go." He smirked, clearly amused at the small form of payback he'd just given Griffin.
As we were walking up the stairs that led to the top floor, Kellan picked a stray petal from my hair. I couldn't contain my smile as he handed it to me. Palming the red piece of velvet, I leaned over and whispered, "Were you really going to kick Griffin out of the band?"
Looking over his shoulder, Kellan murmured, "No, I just wanted to make a point." He turned back, his expression thoughtful. With an adorable half-smile on his face he glanced over at me and added, "Well, maybe. Do you want me to?"
I thought about that a moment, but then slowly shook my head. As big of an ass as he was, he belonged with the band. And besides, it wouldn't help my sister's situation any if her baby-daddy was suddenly unemployed.
When we got to the upstairs suites, a matching set of bodyguards blocked our path. Wearing corded earpieces and sunglasses, the pair looked more like secret service members than pop star guardians. Kellan looked between the two hulks blocking his path. "I'm Kellan Kyle, this is my band." He indicated all of us. "Ms. Sexton asked to see us."
One of the guards discretely squeezed something in his palm and told someone on the other end of the earpiece that Kellan was there. After a moment's pause, the guard moved away and let us all pass through. Walking between the mountains of muscle made me a little nervous. Tight security. I understood, I guess, since Sienna Sexton was pretty much on top of the world and must have fans coming up to her at every opportunity. It made me wonder if that would happen to Kellan someday. Would he need Thing 1 and Thing 2 watching over him? Watching over me?
Lana, the rep from the label whom I'd met before when I'd wrongly believed that Kellan was having an affair with her, stepped up to our group. The woman, who could have easily doubled for Halle Berry, nodded warmly at her recruits. "Kellan, boys."
Kellan acknowledged her with a charming tilt of his head. "Lana."
She swept her hand to indicate the looming space behind her. "Miss Sexton would like to speak with you, Kellan, if you're free?" Lana gave me a knowing glance and I fought back the flush threatening to creep up my cheeks. After being walked in on by Griffin, innuendo was suddenly a lot less embarrassing. Huh. Maybe he'd done me a favor after all.
The edge of Kellan's lip curled up before he schooled his features. "Of course."
Lana led us through a set of solid white French doors. I'd expected to see Sienna right away, but the only people in the room were a young couple pawing through a cabinet stocked with liquor and a man in a suit patiently sitting on a couch, shuffling some papers in his hands. A pair of ornate double doors led outside to where I knew a rooftop pool was tucked away. The doors were open, letting in the sunshine and a light, warm breeze. Another set of closed double doors led to what I assumed was the master bedroom. Was she in there? The thought of meeting a bona fide pop star had my heart racing, and I squeezed Kellan's hand.
As we approached the couch, the man in the suit stood and extended his hand. "Kellan, nice to meet you. I'm Nick Wallace, VP of Vivasec Records."
Shock flashed over Kellan's face as he shook the man's hand. I was sure he'd met a ton of important people by now, but it was clear from his expression that he hadn't met someone this far up the chain of command. "Nice to meet you."
As I was wondering just what the heck was going on, three people walked into the room from the outside deck. I didn't recognize two of them, but the person walking between them was unmistakable. Sienna Sexton. Physically, she was everything I would expect a celebrity to be-flawless olive skin, perfect bone structure, and from what I could see since she was wearing a bikini, zero body fat. Her hair was smooth and straight, even in this heat, and fell past her shoulders in a perfect, black curtain. Her eyes were just as dark and were framed in expertly applied mascara and eye liner; they seemed huge, like they took in everything. Her smile was warm and bright as she held both of her hands out to Kellan.
In a charming British accent, she exclaimed, "Kellan, I am so excited to meet you. I'm a huge fan." Clasping Kellan's fingers with hers, she leaned up and kissed each one of his cheeks. She was standing so close to me that the hem of the sheer white robe she was wearing over her bikini brushed against my hand. She smelled like coconut suntan lotion, and her deeply tanned skin seemed to glow with health and vitality. I'd only ever seen skin like that in moisturizer commercials.
When she pulled back from Kellan, she stared up at him with an expression of adoration and interest. It was an expression I was used to seeing on his fans, so I figured her statement was true. I bit the inside of my cheek to stop myself from possessively leaning into his side. His fans could touch him . . . even the ones that were rich, famous, and drop-dead gorgeous.
Kellan seemed at a loss, which was an odd thing to see on him. He was usually so at ease. "Uh, thank you. I'm a . . . huge fan too." He smiled at her and I couldn't stop the momentary scowl that crept into my lips. Huge fan? I'd heard him sing along on the radio once or twice, but that was about it. Kellan's preferences tended to run more toward classic rock. But he was probably just being nice. He couldn't exactly tell her, Thanks, your stuff is all right.
Giggling, Sienna dropped his fingers and took a step back. I let go of the breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. "Ah, love, aren't you a sweet one."
As Sienna's hangers-on flipped on a TV and made themselves at home, Kellan introduced the rest of his band, sans Griffin of course, who was probably screaming at the linebackers in the hall to let him in. Sienna greeted them politely, but only with a demure handshake. I guess her lips were solely reserved for greeting Kellan. Hopefully that was a onetime thing . . . otherwise I may have to have a talk with the pop princess.
When the introductions with the band were finished, Anna stepped forward and grabbed Sienna's hand. "Anna Allen, mega fan. You're practically my idol."
The two beauties smiled at each other, then Sienna patted Anna's belly. "You due soon, love?"
Anna frowned for a second, then shook her head. "No, November . . ." Her voice trailed off, and I wondered if Anna was offended that Sienna thought she looked so big that she was going to pop at any moment, or if the idea of her upcoming birth still scared the pants off of her. I figured it was a little of both.
Eyebrow cocked, Sienna looked back at Kellan. "Yours?"
Kellan glanced at Anna's belly and shook his head. Placing an arm over my shoulder, he drew me to his side. "Mine."
I smirked at him as I extended a hand to Sienna; my fingers were trembling, and I prayed she didn't notice. "Kiera . . . hi."
The smile slipped from Sienna's face as she looked between Kellan and me. It seamlessly returned as she shook my hand. "Nice to meet you." Her accent reminded me a little of Denny. I made a mental note to call him soon, let him know that I landed safely. My dad too, for that matter.
Once everyone was introduced, Kellan asked, "You . . . wanted to see me?"
Sienna clasped her hands together. The move accentuated her ample cleavage and I couldn't help but sigh; she was perfect there as well, even more endowed than my hormonally enhanced sister. I wondered if they were real.
"Yes! I have a proposition for you. One I think would be in your best interest. Yours and mine." Kellan didn't seem any less confused. Sienna smiled wider and pointed at him with her laced-together fingers. "I want you."
I was just about to politely tell her that she couldn't have him, when Nick finally spoke. "As you know, Sienna is the label's largest star." Sienna winked at Nick's praise. He smiled at her, then continued, "She's been listening to your finished tracks, and she's impressed, to say the least." Nick splayed his fingers out as he gestured to his "biggest star." "We've been looking for a way to rejuvenate Sienna's sound, add some kick to it."
Sienna nodded. "Something new . . . fresh."
"We've been looking for a collaboration that would blend well with her unique style." Nick brought his hands around to Kellan, his smile wide. "And that's where you come in."
Kellan blinked. "Me?"
Nick clapped his shoulder. "Yes. Your sound is exactly what Sienna's been looking for. And we have the perfect song for you-'Regretfully.' Sienna's already recorded her half of it." He shrugged. "We just need you."
Kellan stared at him a moment, then looked back at Matt and Evan. "You mean all of us, right?"
Sienna gave him a sweet smile. "Of course."
Matt and Evan tried to keep their composure, but I could tell they were bursting with excitement. A song with the hottest person on the charts-they'd be an instant sensation. My heart dropped as Kellan looked back at me. I always knew he'd be big one day, but I thought I'd have years to get used to it all. This would practically guarantee him stardom overnight.
Almost like he was reading my mind, Kellan chewed on his lip. After a few seconds, he looked back to Nick. "Our styles are very different. Can I hear the song first, make sure it's a good match . . . for us?"
Nick pursed his lips, clearly just wanting Kellan to do whatever he asked him to do. Smile tight, he told him, "Absolutely."
"Come, I'll play it for you." Sienna grabbed Kellan's hand and pulled him toward a piano in the back of the room. I tried to not be irritated with how comfortable she was touching him, or how little effort he made to get away. I also tried to ignore how much of her body was visible through her diaphanous cover-up. Shouldn't business meetings be conducted fully clothed? Not if you're a world-famous pop star, I guess.
Excited over a private performance, Anna giggled and grabbed my hand. Sienna sat down at the piano while Kellan stood beside it, arms folded over his chest. As Sienna began to play, Matt and Evan made their way over to Kellan. I reluctantly followed, not really wanting to hear how fabulously talented this provocative, beautiful woman was. But then her voice filled the air and I couldn't deny it-she was incredible. She was clear and powerful, sweet and sassy, all at the same time. The rhythm of the song was beautiful, not quite a ballad, not quite up-tempo. The lyrics were similar to something Kellan would have written. They were good, really good. Haunting, soulful, a touch profound, and . . . romantic. "Regretfully" was a song of loss. Of having everything with somebody, and then losing it all and trying to pick up the pieces.
Evan started tapping out a melody on the top of the piano, and Matt was nodding to a beat only he could hear. Kellan tilted his head, absorbing how the two styles would blend together. I could almost hear the D-Bags accompanying Sienna in my head, and the imaginary sound was incredible. The real sound would be unbelievable.
When the song was finished, Matt and Evan looked sold. Kellan still seemed unsure. Lana put a hand on his back and he twisted to her. "This is one of those once-in-a-lifetime moments that we talked about, Kellan. I would say yes, if I were you."
Kellan smiled and nodded at Lana, appreciating her advice. Being in this room, with people who knew Kellan in ways I didn't, made me suddenly feel very small and insignificant. Pushing back the feeling, I reminded myself that I wasn't. I had a voice, and it was an important one. To Kellan, at least. Looping my arm around his waist, I asked, "What do you think?"
"I don't know. What do you think?"
Not sure if I was telling him the right thing or not, I gave him my honest, impartial opinion of the song. "I think it's incredible. I think it would be a waste of your talent to say no." And I'm afraid I'll lose you if you say yes.
I didn't tell him that last part, though.
Kellan smiled at me, then looked over at Nick. "I guess we'll get to work on it first thing."
Nick smiled, clearly expecting that end result. Sienna squealed with delight and started playing another song on the piano. Surprisingly enough, she was playing a D-Bags song-she really was a fan. Even before she started singing, I recognized it as one of my favorites. It was the one that had first made me notice Kellan; it held a special place in my heart.
Halfway through the first verse, she told us, "This is my favorite of yours. I may have to cover it someday, with your permission, of course." She winked at Kellan. His corresponding grin was massive.
Holding me tight, he told Sienna, "That's Kiera's favorite too."
Sienna turned her radiance to me. "Well, don't we have a lot in common?" As her eyes drifted back to Kellan, I thought the two of us had more in common than I cared for.
Fifteen minutes later, we were back on the second floor. Matt, Evan, and Anna were all flipping out over the upcoming collaboration. Griffin was pissy, scowling as he sat by himself in the corner. Anna eventually cheered him up by sitting on his lap and nibbling on his ear. I guess meeting her "idol" had obliterated her irritation with Griffin. Of course, she never stayed mad at him for very long. Kellan was deep in thought as he sat beside me on the couch, stroking my hand with his thumb. I wasn't sure where his mind was, but I was pretty sure he was thinking about Sienna. I wanted to disrupt his train of thought, but I couldn't think of anything to say.
In the end, I decided to get out my notebook and work on my story. I would let Kellan keep thinking about . . . whatever he was thinking about. I wanted to be the supportive and encouraging type of person that he often was. Kellan would sort out whatever he was sorting out, and we'd be fine, because we trusted each other. Even though my head was spinning with a multitude of horrible scenarios, I wouldn't give them power over me by dwelling on them.
Sienna stayed at the house the entire holiday weekend. A group surrounded her wherever she went; I don't think I ever saw her by herself. It didn't take my sister long to become a member of her entourage. When Sienna came down to the main pool Saturday afternoon, my sister tossed on a bikini and joined her. And I swear, only my statuesque sister could pull off pairing a pregnant belly with polka dots.
Sienna continually struck up conversations with Kellan. Whenever he went out back to lay in the sun or take a dip in the pool, she was right there, telling him how great their single was going to be. I tried to ignore the light in her dark eyes when she talked to him. I tried not to notice how casually he carried on a conversation with her. And I really tried not to think about how much they had in common. Kellan and Sienna seemed cut from the same cloth, and I had to imagine that if I had never come into Kellan's life, he would have dated the superstar in a heartbeat.
But he never said or did anything inappropriate when he was around her. In fact, he was usually touching me in some way when he was talking to her-a hand on my thigh, his knee glued to mine, our bare arms brushing together. Some tiny bit of contact was almost always between us, like he was subconsciously letting me know that I had nothing to worry about.
On my sister's last day in California, Kellan and I were enjoying some sunshine by the pool. Most of the houseguests had gone home last night after the fireworks, and for once, Kellan and I were completely alone. He was relaxing in a lounge chair, wearing black swim shorts and nothing else. I was in the chair next to him, my left hand entwined with his right. Eyes closed, he played with my wedding ring while I gazed at the tattoo above his heart. I was in a near trance as I mentally traced the scripted letters of my name when my sister's irritated voice broke through my peaceful fog. So much for being alone.
"No, it's not a good thing. I wanted a girl!"
Anna passed through my field of vision and I followed her with my eyes. She stormed over to a table and set her juice down so hard she spilled some. Griffin followed her. Like Kellan, he was only wearing swim shorts. While Griffin was fit and could definitely pull off the look, he wasn't quite as well defined as Kellan.
"Well, I'm cool with a boy. I think it's awesome. Instead of Myrtle, we can call him Myrt or Mort . . . Mortimus." He paused for a minute while my sister made a face. I did too. Mortimus? I could not call a baby that. Suddenly, Griffin raised a finger into the air. "Maximus!" he exclaimed.
I looked over at Kellan and we both smiled and shrugged. Maximus was a heck of a lot better than Mortimus. My sister snorted, and I looked back at her. A wry smile on her lips, she shoved Griffin's shoulder back. "Maximus . . . like the gladiator?"
Griffin smiled and brought his hands to his hips. "Well, he will be a slayer." He thrust his hips forward and I stopped smiling. Anna laughed and trailed her hand down Griffin's chest. She tugged on his shorts, pulling him into her bare stomach. His lips were instantly attached to her neck, his hands immediately slipping down the backside of her bikini bottoms. I turned back to Kellan. I really hoped they didn't try to make another baby while they were ten feet away from me.
Kellan watched them for a minute more, then closed his eyes and laid his head back on the chair. Sienna's toned legs appeared on the other side of him. Shirking off her sheer robe, she frowned as she watched my sister being mauled by the D-Bags' bassist. "Are those two really a couple? He's hit on me about a dozen times."
Sienna seemed as confused by Anna and Griffin's relationship as I sometimes was. As I tried not to gape at the perfection of her sculpted body, Kellan looked over and smirked. "That depends on your definition of 'couple.'" Returning his eyes to my sister, he added, "We're all still trying to figure them out."
Sienna smiled; the brilliance of her white teeth nearly blinded me. "They're not as exclusive as the two of you then?" Her eyes drifted over Kellan's tattoo before shifting to my wedding ring.
Kellan smiled at her as he brought my ring to his lips. "No, definitely not."
Sienna smiled politely as she watched him. If she was disappointed over Kellan's commitment to me, I couldn't see it. But then again, she was a performer, and acting was a big part of that. As her entourage spread out around the pool, Sienna flipped onto her stomach. Her backside was impossibly perky, and I discretely adjusted the bottom of my modest tankini.
Pulling the sheet of dark hair off of her shoulders, Sienna unhooked her top. Resting her head on her arms, she told us, "I'll be heading back to London in the morning. Would the two of you like to have dinner with me tonight?"
Kellan was silent, leaving the answer entirely up to me. Not able to pass up a meal with number ten on the "Most Influential People in the World" list, I shrugged and nodded. "Yeah, sure . . . sounds great."
Closing her eyes, Sienna murmured, "Fabulous." I wanted to agree, but I wasn't entirely sure that I hadn't just made a horrible mistake.
Anna was upset that she wasn't invited to go to dinner with her new BFF. Griffin was too. His eyes barely left Sienna's body the entire time she sunbathed half-naked by the pool. His rapt attention didn't seem to bother my sister. She really didn't seem to care what Griffin did, so long as he was attentive to her and respectful to me. Honestly, I had no idea how those two were going to be as parents.
Standing in front of a full length mirror in the bathroom later, I debated if I looked good enough to be seen with Sienna Sexton. I hadn't planned on fancy dinners out while I'd been packing, and the only semi-dressy thing I had with me was a long, simple black dress made of soft cotton that swirled down to my ankles. It had wide straps, a v-neckline, and an empire waist. It was more comfortable than sexy, but it was all I had. Sighing, I ran my fingers along a wavy strand of my hair; I'd thought to offset the plainness of the dress with big, bouncy curls, but I'd only managed wavy.
Coming up behind me, Kellan kissed my bare shoulder. "You look incredible."
I looked at the reflection of him over my shoulder. He was wearing a fitted blue dress shirt worn loose over dark blue jeans. The color of his shirt brought out the depth of his eyes. He was stunning. As always.
A part of me wanted to tell him that I wouldn't look incredible standing next to a bombshell like Sienna, but I knew he wouldn't agree, so I didn't say it. Looking back at my reflection, I tried to see what Kellan saw when he looked at me. My eyes were "expressive," meaning they were large. They were generally a seaweed brown shade, but in this light, the green was a little more apparent. With the simple layer of mascara I had on, I'd say they were even pretty. I had nice cheek bones, a cute nose, full lips. Maybe my chin was just a tad too pointy, but all in all, I was well proportioned and symmetrical. I wasn't gorgeous, but . . . maybe I was beautiful.
Smiling at him, I pulled out my lip gloss and applied a coat of light pink. "Thank you."
Kellan blinked, surprised. "You're not going to argue with me? Make me convince you that you're attractive?" I shook my head and his lips curved into a small approving smile. "Well, that's new. I like it. Confidence is sexy on you." He flashed me a wicked grin.
I felt my cheeks heating as his bedroom eyes locked with mine in the mirror. God, we'd never make it to dinner if he kept looking at me that way. Twirling him around, I shoved him out the door. Kellan chuckled to himself while I gathered the rest of my things, then we headed out to the sitting area, where the rest of the band was lounging.
Evan came over and wrapped a tattooed arm around me. "You're a doll, Kiera."
I smiled up at him, then remembered the favor Jenny had asked me to do days ago. Embarrassed that I'd forgotten, I hurried back to my room and dug through my bag until I found the flattened candy box. Smiling in apology, I handed it to Evan. "Jenny says she misses you, wishes she could be with you, and asked me to give you this."
As Evan took it, I swear his cheeks flushed with color. Peeking up at me with his warm brown eyes he asked, "Did she tell you what this was?"
I shook my head and he laughed as he put it in his back pocket. "Thank you, Kiera." Digging into his other pocket for his cell phone, he headed for his bedroom. I could still hear him laughing as he shut the door. Hmmm, guess he wasn't going to explain the inside joke.
As Kellan pulled me toward the door, I relayed Rachel's message for Matt. He smiled, nodded, and waved goodbye. Griffin and Anna both pouted as we left. I'd have to make it up to my sister somehow. Griffin I wasn't too worried about; he could pout all he wanted.
Sienna brought Thing 1 to dinner with us. It surprised me a little bit when the massive bodyguard climbed into the driver's seat of the black Escalade. Maybe Sienna expected someone at the restaurant to approach her? Or maybe she was concerned about getting accosted on the walk into and out of the restaurant. I'd never spent time with someone at her level of fame before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. The idea of being in her spotlight made me more nervous than the idea of sitting at a table making small talk with her.
Maybe seeing my nerves on my face, Kellan discreetly handed me something. It was a pale pink rose petal. My mind instantly rewound to the red and white petal-strewn bed he'd laid out for me. As I stroked the silky petal, I smiled at the words written with a fine-tipped Sharpie. Well, not words exactly. Very carefully, he'd drawn a picture of an eye, the symbol for a heart, and a drawing of an animal that I could only assume was a female sheep-I love you. Laughing a little as I peeked up at his amused face, I tucked the petal in my purse. It never failed; Kellan always found a way to ease my anxieties.
Twenty minutes later we were walking into a restaurant that I could tell was way out of my price range just by the entrance. A valet swept Sienna's car away as another man in a full suit held the door open for us. He greeted Sienna by name and smiled so widely at me that I could almost count all of his teeth. I felt like I wouldn't have been greeted nearly so cordially if I'd walked in there alone.
Sienna thanked the doorman and waited for Kellan and me to catch up to her. When Kellan was level with her, she wrapped her arms around his elbow. "Ready? I'm starving." She leaned around him to speak to me. "You're going to love this place. The food is to die for."
I tried to ignore how much of her body was pressed against Kellan's. And how much thigh was showing on her mini mini-skirt. And that her top was loose and billowy in the front, but almost backless, with a deep V that nearly reached to her skirt; it screamed to the world that she wasn't wearing a bra, and I figured clothes like these were exactly why she sunbathed with her top unfastened.
As Kellan politely escorted her toward the open restaurant door, I saw flashes of light behind us. Glancing over my shoulder, I noticed men with cameras snapping picture after picture, until Thing 1 stepped in front of them and firmly asked them to leave.
Did I just have my photo taken by the paparazzi? Really? God, I hoped not.
The restaurant was just as opulent on the inside, and I suddenly felt a little underdressed. The refined hostess took one look at Sienna and instantly started leading us to a secluded table in the back of the restaurant. Sienna confidently followed the waitress; the pop star's walk had a slight swagger to it that was impressive, considering the size of her heels. Kellan followed after her with a hand on the small of my back.
A white linen tablecloth was draped over an intimate round table with four place settings. The waitress deftly removed one setting, sweeping the silver cutlery into her pocket as she indicated the three remaining places. Looking around, I saw that Sienna's bodyguard hadn't come into the restaurant with us. Guess he figured she was safe enough in here. I noticed some other guests stealing a peek here and there, but no one gave any indication that they were going to bother us. When your meal cost as much as a week's worth of groceries, you probably want to savor it, even if a celebrity is sitting a few tables away.
Not long after we ordered, our cocktails appeared, and we sipped on them while we waited for our food to arrive. This was the first time I'd really had a chance to talk to Sienna one on one. She was surprisingly warm, pleasant, and friendly-down-to-earth in a way I wouldn't expect someone in her position to be. She was even remarkably funny. It was easy to see why the world was so in love with her.
When our calorie-laden food arrived, she put a hand on her stomach and moaned, "My trainer is going to kill me for this." Lifting a perfect brow, she added, "Being scrutinized as much as I am, I try to stay fit. The last thing I want to see is my rippled ass on the cover of some tabloid." Lifting her fork, she purred, "So basically I've been starving for a freaking decade." The pasta-coated fork slid into her mouth, and she made a noise that was almost too erotic for the dinner table.
Kellan chuckled at her and gave my plate a suggestive glance, like he wanted me to one-up her satisfaction. Rolling my eyes at him, I told Sienna, "That must be difficult, having complete strangers pick you apart all of the time."
She smiled as she ate. "You have no idea." Shifting her eyes to Kellan, she bumped his shoulder with hers. "Men have it so easy. You just have to have an amazing smile and you're golden." She gave him a dazzling grin as she studied his features.
I cleared my throat while Kellan asked her, "What was it like, growing up in this business?"
She paused between bites, then lowered her fork. "Not easy. I had the domineering, stage-mom type parents. Not a lot of sympathy if I wasn't perfect. That sort of expectation is . . . challenging . . . to say the least." She looked down. "There were many nights I just wanted normal, loving parents who didn't care if I flubbed a line or missed the high note." She looked back up and her eyes were glossy. "It just would've been nice to feel loved, no matter what."
Kellan was staring at his glass, his expression thoughtful. After a moment, he whispered, "I know just what you mean."
Knowing what he was referring to, I put my hand over his. He smiled, his eyes still on his drink. Sienna glanced between us, then her expression brightened. "Well, if I've learned anything in this business, it's that you either roll with the punches, or you simply roll over." She popped a bite in her mouth. "And I'm not rolling over for anyone."
Remembering just how Sienna had skyrocketed to fame-mainly her very private moment being exposed to the world-I fixed my eyes on my plate. I didn't know how she dealt with the entire world knowing so much about her. I couldn't handle that. I wondered how Kellan would handle it, once his intimate act was exposed.
Seeing my face, Sienna asked, "Wondering about the tape, aren't you, love?"
My head shot up. "No, I . . . maybe. I just . . . can't imagine anything more horrifying." I glanced at Kellan and he sighed; the apology in the sound was crystal clear.
Sienna studied us for a minute before answering. "Yeah, that was a moment in time I'll never forget. The media had a field day-Sienna Sexton's Scintillatingly Scandalous Sex Tape." She rolled her eyes. "Alliteration junkies."
Pausing, she took a sip of her drink. "But, like I said, you develop a thick skin in this business, or it will eat you alive." She shrugged. "Was I thrilled that someone I once trusted betrayed me? No. But the genie was already out of the bottle, and before I knew it, the footage was everywhere, so what could I do? In the end, I did the only thing I could. I embraced it. I rode the hype, and steered my career down the path I wanted." A coy smile touched her lips. "It wasn't how I planned it, but it's been an incredible journey, and I haven't looked back." She gave Kellan a pointed look. "No regrets. It's the only way you'll survive in this town."