Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 87091 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 435(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87091 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 435(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
And somehow they were just easy with each other. She’d worried that it would be super awkward, but maybe they had the template of all those big family breakfasts to go by. So while he finished the eggs and put in the toast, she set the table and sliced some fresh tropical fruit.
It was companionable. Nice. When they sat down to breakfast—which for him was a bowl of something that looked very much like seeds and tofu, although he did join her in the whole wheat toast—he said, “That was so great, what you and Erin did yesterday. You really helped me out of a tough situation.”
Crystal shrugged. With a cheeky glimmer in her eyes, she said, “That’s what friends are for, right?”
“I hope when the interview airs, it puts any gossip to rest.”
Crystal nodded. “I hope so too. I can see why you were so impressed with Opal when you first heard her. That girl has talent coming out of her ears.”
Damien seemed interested in her opinion. “You really think so? Now that she’s come here and there’s all this media interest surrounding her already, I’m worried I may have overstepped. I don’t want to give her false hope. No one knows better than I do how tough it is to make it in the music business.”
She loved that he felt nervous on Opal’s behalf. “I’m no expert,” she said, “but even in the few hours you were working together, I could hear that song getting better. And I love her voice. I love the honesty in her lyrics.”
He nodded and took a mouthful of his healthy bowl. “Good. I want to make sure that I’m helping her and not letting my big old ego get in the way.”
Crystal smiled. “For one of the biggest rock stars in the world, your ego is really not that bad. Your taste in breakfast, not so much.”
He laughed and took a sip of green tea. “You know my family. If anybody’s ego gets too big, there’s always a Davenport around to smack it down.”
Betsy and Howie Davenport had managed somehow to raise their children with a belief in themselves and their talent, but without big egos. It was an incredible feat.
“Well then,” she said, “I don’t feel so bad telling you that you make a mean plate of scrambled eggs.”
There was a pause, and then Damien reached across the table and took her hand. She glanced up to find him looking at her in a way that stirred her blood. Again.
“So… I did not see this coming. When you used to get me my first gigs in high school, I got to know you as a friend. You’ve been one of my closest friends—my best friend—for a long time. I never thought we’d—”
She swallowed hard. Was he already ending it? She had to ask. “Are you sorry it happened?”
His look of shock was so real that there was no faking it. “Are you kidding me? Last night was—I don’t even have the words. It felt like… when we were dancing. That incredible chemistry and the way we moved together felt so right, like I knew your body. It was… everything.”
She felt the same way. Intimacy with Damien was like nothing she’d ever experienced in her life. Given that he must have been with an enormous number of women compared to the few men she had slept with, she was incredibly happy that his world had also been rocked.
“I had a good time, too,” she said, determined to keep her voice casual. For now, that was enough. So they’d both had great sex. That was wonderful, but it couldn’t change reality, which was that Damien would be gone long before she was ready to say goodbye.
She was suddenly conscious that she was in his house in the morning. He probably had a lot of stuff to do. Plus, she had her own business to run. She glanced up at the clock. It was still pretty early. Just after seven.
“What time are you expecting Opal?” she asked, deliberately bringing them back to reality.
He shook his head. “We never arranged a time. I’ll check in with her. She doesn’t have a car, so I might need to go and get her.”
Crystal shook her head. “No, that’s a terrible idea—the paps will still be circling. I can pick her up and bring her over. Or I’m sure Erin or Jay could do it. Let’s not give the paps any material.”
He looked a little bashful. “You’re absolutely right. I don’t know what I was thinking.” He paused. “Maybe I’m a little tired from last night.” He settled back, looking very pleased with himself. “You’re welcome to stick around. In fact, it’s probably easier if you do, because then no one can think anything’s going on with me and Opal.”