Wait.
Not stalker intensity. It was simply intense. I shared an intense personal moment with one of the world’s biggest music gods right now. As much as I wanted to hate everything about it, I reveled in the moment. So what if I worked for a talent agency and saw celebrities every day. This was completely and utterly different.
A tap on my shoulder interrupted my reverie and I turned in that direction, only to be faced with a twenty-something-year-old girl wearing next to nothing. “Do you know him?” she asked, her clearly collagen-plumped lips puckered like she just ate something sour.
“What?” I yelled at her over the screaming surrounding us. Taking in her tiny, barely clothed frame and the ridiculous amount of makeup painted on her face, I stopped myself from rolling my eyes.
“Do you know him? Why was he talking to you? Why does he keep staring at you?” The girl’s voice was irritated and bitchy. Clearly, she hadn’t dressed this way to not be noticed by Walker.
“I don’t know him, sorry,” I answered politely before turning away from her.
Still rattled by my interaction with Walker, I found myself wondering why he had focused so much of his attention on me. Breaking myself out of my own head, I glanced back toward the stage, my eyes searching for him.
Walker sat on one of the stage steps, his chin in his hand as he spoke to the screaming crowd. “I need a volunteer for this next part.” His head raised slowly, his eyes scanning the crowd.
Keri jumped up and down like a crazy person, waving her arms and screaming his name. I laughed at her antics and sat perfectly still, not wanting to bring any more unwanted attention to myself.
Another tap on my shoulder caused my irritation to bubble as I turned to what was sure to be that annoying overly made-up stupid girl again.
It wasn’t. I came face-to-face with a giant of a man wearing all black and holding a walkie-talkie. Intimidated, I took a half step back and looked around for Keri.
“Come with me.” His tone implied a demand, not a request, and I suddenly wondered what I’d done wrong.
Who the hell was this guy? He’s not the boss of me. He’s not going to tell me to come with him and think I’ll just obey. I frowned and said quickly, “Uh. No, thanks.”
He flashed his VIP backstage pass in my face as if it were the only credential he needed. “Miss. It’s part of the show. Can you come with me, please? You’ll be onstage with Mr. Rhodes.”
Oh.
Well, shit.
I guess he could be the boss of me, after all.
I shot Keri a surprised look before I was quickly hauled off in the direction of an almost completely darkened backstage area. We walked through a black curtain before we were hit with lights and blaring music.
“I’m going to bring you onstage.”
“And then what?” I asked, suddenly nervous. Not to be around Walker Rhodes, but nervous at the thought of standing in front of thousands of screaming people with cell phones ready to record my every move.
I started to tremble. Afraid my legs wouldn’t hold me up any longer, I begged the security guy to help me out there. He smiled at me and gave me a little shove.
Thanks, you dick.
Next thing I knew, I was standing onstage, my face mere inches from Walker’s. Walker no-human-being-should-be-anywhere-near-this-gorgeous-in-real-life Rhodes. His jet-black hair was clipped short against his tanned skin. The coloring only set off his light hazel eyes even more. The contrast was stunning, and triggered a tingle of awareness in me. I felt lost in that moment as I stared into his eyes, something in them calling to me. The way he stared back at me was almost expectant, like he was willing me to move, think, connect…or something.
His stare intensified and all I could think about was how I had never noticed his eyes before. Then I wondered how on earth that was even possible? Had I been blind my whole life up until this moment? The color of his eyes could stop wars from waging, or calm the roughest seas. Nothing and no one could be immune from the look in Walker’s eyes. I was suddenly hit with a sense of familiarity, but quickly tossed it aside, remembering his celebrity status. He felt familiar because he was; his face was constantly in the news and on plenty of magazine covers. Everyone knew everything about Walker Rhodes.
His mouth curved and my gaze reluctantly moved from his dreamy eyes down to a pair of deliciously full lips. My brain suddenly kicked into gear, reminding me where I currently was—onstage in front of a sold-out arena. I glanced out at the rowdy crowd as nervousness shot through me. Walker’s lips moved quickly, but I couldn’t hear anything because I was too busy freaking out. Although I could see Keri bouncing up and down in the audience with her cell phone in the air, which only made me freak out more.
When he leaned forward, his face almost touching mine, I could feel the electricity sparking between us. But I convinced myself it was all in my head, because really? Who wouldn’t feel something between themselves and a celebrity in this moment of insanity? Walker reached out his hand and placed it under my chin to gently raise my head. And he shocked me.
Literally.
He pulled his hand away abruptly. “Sorry about that, Sparkles,” he said into the microphone with a smirk before turning to address the audience. “I shocked her. We’re so electric together that we spark. Just like her headband.”
Then he ran his fingers gently across the crystals in a slow and deliberate motion.
What the hell is going on right now?