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‘Do you want to sing with this band or not?’ he demanded, hardly able to believe what he was hearing.
‘Do you mean…? Are you saying…?’
The stunned look on her face would be almost comical if Jake had a mind to laugh—which he absolutely didn’t.
‘On the strength of the performance we’ve just heard, I think I’d be a fool not to offer you the chance of singing with the band. I think we’re all in agreement that you’re just what we’re looking for.’
Even though he directed a meaningful glance towards Rick and the others, Jake barely needed confirmation of his decision. Not when the final say categorically rested with him.
Eyes narrowing, he continued, ‘But if we take you on you do realise that there’s a hell of a lot of work ahead of you? You may be able to sing, Miss Ryan, but there’s a lot to learn before we let you loose onstage in public. Have you honestly never sung professionally before?’
He didn’t believe her. As exciting as the prospect of singing with the band was, Caitlin knew instinctively that if she accepted the job her relationship with this man was never going to be one made in heaven.
She nervously cleared her throat. ‘I was in a school band from fifteen to eighteen, but I’ve done nothing since then. We only played local functions. Events like Christmas parties, special birthdays and anniversaries…stuff like that’
‘And you were the lead singer?’
‘No. That is…we all sang. There were six of us altogether. But I occasionally played piano and guitar.’
Rick’s eyebrows flew up to his hairline. ‘You’re a musician as well?’
‘Yes. That is, I read music and play a little. I practise whenever I can…at least on my guitar. I no longer have a piano.’
No wonder she knew instinctively exactly where to come in with the vocal, Jake mused. Only someone who was a competent musician or had a natural ear for music could pull that off without rehearsal.
He saw his astonishment reflected back at him when his glance collided with Rick’s.
‘Sweetheart, as far as I’m concerned there’s not the slightest doubt in my mind that you’re the right singer for this band.’ The American smiled, his hand enthusiastically shaking Caitlin’s. ‘By the way, my full name is Rick Young—I’m Blue Sky’s official dogsbody and general “helper-outer”. That means I organise the gigs, make sure the band shows up on time, and most importantly collect the fee at the end of the show. The man standing beside you with the poker face is Jake Sorenson—well-known record producer and the band’s manager. You must have heard of him? Anyway, he’s going to make us all rich one day, like him. You can count on it. If anyone can work miracles round here, Jake can. He’s been in the business so long he’s probably due for a plaque in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.’
‘Very funny.’
Jake didn’t put out his hand for Caitlin to shake. Right then he had the strangest feeling that if he did he wouldn’t want to let it go. If this venture was going to work at all then he needed to maintain the requisite professionalism at all times. The last thing he needed was to get personally involved with Little Miss Hole in her Stocking. The band had been through enough upheaval and disappointment with Marcie walking out. No… If they were going to work together then he was going to play strictly by the rules. He had to, no matter how irresistible the temptation. And if he should at any time forget that vow then all he had to do was remember the scandal that had near crushed him and killed his career.
Taking a sidelong glance at Rick, and seeing that his friend’s avidly appreciative gaze was all but glued to Caitlin, as if only a madman would want to look anywhere else, Jake firmed his resolve. ‘Strictly by the rules’ went for Rick and the guys, too. And, by God, he’d make sure that they knew it.
As the band welcomed Caitlin he saw that their pleasure was absolutely sincere. He also saw how her lovely face lit up at their enthusiastic welcome, how a faint flush of pink stained her cheeks as she strove to handle it, and something told Jake she was definitely an innocent compared to the rest of them. That too could be a sticking point, he reflected…especially in the dog-eat-dog world that was the music business. But, that said, it made a refreshing change to meet someone with hope and enthusiasm in their eyes—someone who wasn’t old and jaded before their time as he probably was…
‘Come into my office, Miss Ryan,’ he invited her. ‘We need to talk in private.’
Vaulting off the stage, Jake strode to the end of the hall, the sound of his boot heels echoing loudly in his wake.
After eagerly helping Caitlin down from the stage, Rick hurried to catch up to his enigmatic boss. ‘Hey, don’t you want me there too?’ he called.
Turning, Jake shook his head, a muscle flexing in the side of his hollowed cheek. ‘Not at the moment, my friend. There’ll be time enough to go over the timetable for rehearsals when we talk later. We’ll have a group meeting tomorrow afternoon so that we can discuss everything. Right now I just want to have a private chat with Miss Ryan’
‘Miss Ryan?’ Rick frowned. ‘What’s wrong with Caitlin?’
Ignoring the comment, Jake turned and opened his office door.
Her trepidation mingling with excitement, Caitlin followed him. The whole experience felt strangely surreal to her. The office that Blue Sky’s charismatic manager was using was a room not much bigger than a generously-sized broom cupboard, she saw. All it contained were two grey plastic chairs and an upturned orange box masquerading as a table. One small window allowed just a paltry glimpse of sky.
Moistening her lips, Caitlin sucked in a breath. Somehow being in such close proximity to Jake Sorenson was ten times more testing than any audition she could imagine. He had the kind of highly charged aura round him that would stir the senses of a blind woman, she mused nervously.
‘Take a seat,’ he instructed.
Feeling undeniably overwhelmed, she complied. When she sat, her knees unavoidably pressed up against the rough wood of the orange box as she strove to make herself more comfortable. Adjusting her coat as she waited for Jake to carry on speaking, she felt her anxiety definitely intensify.
‘You’ve already told me that you have a job. I presume that’s full-time?’ Flipping open the black notebook on top of the box, he started writing inside it.
‘That’s right.’
‘You said you work in a shop? What kind of shop?’ Lifting his head, Jake pinned her to the seat with his pale blue eyes.
‘It’s a shop called Morgana,’ she told him. ‘It specialises in esoteric and personal development books, but we also sell things like incense, Native American jewellery, ambient music and crystals.’
And I love working there, she silently reflected. She shifted in the hard plastic chair. It would be a real wrench to leave that job, but what was the point in having a passion in life if you weren’t planning on doing anything about it? Her friend Lia knew just how much Caitlin loved music, how she loved to sing. And then Caitlin had told her that she’d seen an ad in the post office:
Versatile female singer aged twenty to thirty wanted to front established band specialising in soft rock.
Auditions were being held in St Joseph’s church hall, in the very village where they lived, and Lia had encouraged her to go for it.
‘It must be clear to you that if you want to sing with this band you can’t work full-time in a shop as well?’
Jake didn’t take his eyes off of her as he addressed Caitlin, and the blatant directness of his unsettling blue gaze made her feel as if someone had just curtailed her oxygen supply.
‘Rehearsals start tomorrow afternoon and will continue every day after that for the next three weeks before the band performs in public. After that we’ll be all over the country for an initial three-week tour. Are you ready to commit to such a schedule, Miss Ryan?’
‘I hadn’t really thought about much beyond the audition,’ she confessed honestly, ‘but I realise whoever gets the job will have to be prepared to do regular gigs and eventually tour. So, yes, I am ready to commit, Mr Sorenson. I’ve never wanted anything more.’
‘And you know that means giving up your present job to do so?’
‘Of course.’
Although she hadn’t hesitated to answer in the affirmative Jake didn’t miss the slightly perturbed frown between her elegant brows, and once again he had the distinct impression that Caitlin was a relative innocent when it came to the type of worldly experience that the rest of them had.
‘Does that worry you?’ he asked.
Lifting her chin, she was intent on holding his gaze and not shying away from it, he saw.
‘I’d be a liar if I said it wasn’t daunting to leave something I’m so familiar with for something much more challenging, but I want to rise to that challenge. Especially if it’s going to help me realise my dream of becoming a professional singer. Besides…change is inevitable, isn’t it? Nothing stays the same.’
‘You don’t have to make it sound like it’s something to fear. There’s many a singer who’d give their eye-teeth to have the opportunity I’m offering you. Blue Sky may have lost their lead vocalist but they’re still an established band. Just before Marcie left they were invited to play on one of the top music shows on television.’
And the guys had been gutted when they’d had to cancel the engagement. It might have been the big break they’d been praying for…
‘Please don’t think that I’m ungrateful.’
Shifting self-consciously in her seat, Caitlin snagged her stocking on a splinter from the orange box. As she picked at it to free herself she blushed scarlet, because Jake’s gaze was suddenly focused on her knee instead of on her face. The very air between them seemed to throb with heat and a disturbing prickle of perspiration slid worryingly down her spine.
‘I think I’m still in shock,’ she admitted, ‘I didn’t expect to get as far as this. I’m still trying to take it all in.’
‘Well…’ Reluctantly withdrawing his glance from her knee, Jake strove to remain businesslike. ‘I’m not asking you to sign on the dotted line tonight. But that doesn’t mean I’m giving you the chance to change your mind. When I’ve decided that I want something, Caitlin, I won’t rest until I get it. So be here tomorrow at five. We’ll be rehearsing until late in the evening. Do we have a deal?’
She bit down on her lip. ‘Yes—yes, we do. But can I make it five-forty-five instead? I have to close the shop at five-thirty. I won’t be any later. I can be here in just ten minutes if I drive.’
‘Five-forty-five it is, then. And before you leave you’d better give me your address and mobile phone number, just in case.’
Caitlin gave him the information and watched warily as Jake scribbled it down in his black notebook. Then he threw down his pen and got to his feet. She followed suit, her heart racing as he towered over her. She was five foot seven in her bare feet, but his physical domination of the tiny space seemed to make the already diminutive room even smaller.
Her fingers shaking, she fastened a couple of her coat buttons and managed a tentative smile. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow then, Mr…?’ She had a moment of panic because she’d somehow forgotten his surname.
‘You can call me Jake.’
To her utter surprise and secret delight a dimple appeared as if by magic at the corner of his very sexy mouth. Caitlin’s insides knotted painfully.
‘Right.’
‘There’s just one more thing before you go.’
‘What’s that?’
‘I’d better explain one of the most important house rules, and that is there’s to be no fraternising after hours with members of the band—and I’m not talking about a few drinks backstage after a gig. Am I making myself clear?’
Now Caitlin’s face really did burn. She tried to look anywhere but straight at Jake. If he seriously thought she would—that she might— Of course he could have no idea that she’d sworn off men for good, she realised. But after what she’d been through with her ex-boyfriend Sean she’d rather trek through the Sahara Desert with a fur coat on than risk another soul-destroying relationship with a man…however brief.
‘All I want to do is sing. I’m not interested in anything else. I can positively assure you of that.’
Jake couldn’t help wondering why. He’d glimpsed pain and fury in those pretty green eyes of hers just now, as if even the suggestion that she might find herself attracted to a member of the opposite sex was tantamount to contemplating suicide.
He sighed. ‘Okay, then. There’s just one other thing.’
‘What’s that?’
This time Caitlin’s wary gaze met his in pure defiance, as though she dared him to transgress one more inch into her private life.
Jake ventured a teasing smile. ‘I’d seriously think about investing in a new pair of stockings, if I were you’
‘How did you know they were—?’
‘How did I know that they were stockings and not tights?’ He gave her a shameless grin. ‘Put it down to long experience…’ he drawled, pretty sure that if he told her he’d had a tantalising glimpse of her stocking-tops when she’d first sat down she’d exit so fast he wouldn’t see her for dust. ‘You can’t beat the genuine article.’
‘Is that so? Well, anyway…I didn’t know you could tell.’ With a disturbed frown Caitlin tried to remember to breathe. Sheer embarrassment made her babble. ‘The trouble is I seem to have an unhappy knack of snagging them whenever I wear them. They’re not really practical. I normally wear jeans.’
‘Take it from me…’ Jake’s voice dropped down a discernible notch or two, making his tone arrestingly smoky ‘…stockings are better…’
CHAPTER TWO
THE DOORBELL JANGLED and the wind chimes that hung liberally from the lilac-painted ceiling tinkled prettily in the ensuing draught. As far as Caitlin knew, Nicky, their part-time help, was around somewhere, and should have registered the fact that they had customers, but she must have absented herself to go to the bathroom.
Sighing softly, she didn’t look round, in the belief that the other girl would appear any minute now, and instead continued to scrub at the particularly stubborn patch of dirt she’d found on the lowest shelf of the temporarily emptied bookshelf. When the stain didn’t respond to her increased scrubbing with a damp cloth Caitlin scratched at it with her fingernail, a spurt of annoyance shooting through her when she realised it was the horrid remains of someone’s chewing gum.
Of all the… She was immediately affronted on Lia’s behalf. How dared someone come into this beautiful space and foul it with chewing gum? Some people just didn’t have any respect. Some people just—
‘Hi, there.’
Caitlin froze at the sound of that smoky bass voice. Still tense, she turned her head and glanced up to meet Jake Sorenson’s indisputably amused glance. Had it really been just a day since she’d last seen him? Was it possible she could have so easily forgotten how dangerously attractive the man was, or that his mere presence had the power to erase anything else from her mind?
Irritated by her purely female response to his tall, dark good looks, she realised she was gaping up at him. What was even worse, he’d caught her wearing an old and tatty pair of jeans that had shrunk in the wash and now adhered to her thighs like a second skin. Caitlin had opted to wear them because she knew she’d be undertaking some general cleaning that day and hadn’t wanted to risk ruining any of her good clothes. What made things worse was that she’d also elected to don a favourite old red T-shirt that had also seen better days, and it clung where it didn’t ought to cling, possibly inviting too much unwanted attention…like now, when Jake’s disturbing light blue eyes were making a slow and deliberate inventory of her body.
Heat crawled up her spine…sexual heat. It completely undid her. Just what was he doing here? Couldn’t he have telephoned if he’d needed to speak to her? He had an unfair advantage, taking her by surprise like this.
Leaving her cloth on the bookshelf, she abruptly turned and got to her feet. Long strands of glossy black hair escaped her loosely tied ponytail to drift down gently over her flushed cheeks, and there was a smudge of dust on her nose. She struggled to get her greeting past her lips.
‘Hi. I’m sorry, but you’ve caught me at a rather awkward moment. I was…’
‘Let me guess…stocktaking?’ Jake drawled softly.
She swallowed hard. The man could read a technical pamphlet on assembling flat-pack furniture out loud and it would still make her hot. ‘Cleaning. I was just cleaning. Stocktaking was yesterday.’
‘It’s nice to see such dedication to the task. You looked like you were giving it your all.’ Smiling faintly, he glanced round him. ‘Interesting shop,’ he remarked, sliding his hands into the back pockets of his jeans and nodding to himself as his gaze made another leisurely reconnaissance.
The heady scent of sandalwood incense perfumed the air and Caitlin wondered for the first time ever if it wasn’t just a tad overpowering. Why she should suddenly be concerned about such an inconsequential thing, she didn’t know. All she knew was that she wanted Jake to get a good impression of her workplace and not judge it adversely.
Jake’s interested glance narrowed as he examined some of the titles on the bookshelves either side of the ones Caitlin had been cleaning. He glimpsed. Living Your Destiny and other esoteric titles and permitted himself a smile. He’d known many hippies in his time, who had loved this kind of stuff. He looked up. From the painted ceiling dangled a myriad of wind chimes and crystals, and the music of some Native American drums pulsed gently. But, as eye-catching and diverting as the room furnishings were, he had no trouble bringing his gaze straight back to Caitlin.
He hadn’t forgotten how pretty she was, and he was certain that the shape that had been intriguingly hidden behind her coat yesterday would be equally arresting…especially as he’d already been treated to the sight of her long slim legs in those tantalising black stockings. But nothing had quite prepared him for the mouth-wateringly feminine curves that he was looking at now.
Her scarlet T-shirt was at least one size smaller than she needed and it clung sexily to her voluptuous breasts, with the light stretchy fabric hugging her delectable shape like a second skin. Hell, he was on fire—uncharacteristically caught off-guard by his acute reaction to the green-eyed temptress in front of him. There was a tense knot in the pit of his stomach as he tried to tamp down the forceful desire that gripped him.
As he stared helplessly he registered the distinct outline of Caitlin’s nipples beneath her bra—and was it his fevered imagination or had they just puckered a little tighter? He’d already been treated to the tempting sight of her delightful derriere as she’d crouched down, cleaning the bookshelf, and God help him, why did he have the distinct feeling that Christmas had arrived early? Because it wasn’t just Caitlin’s vocal talent that would put Blue Sky on the map. The woman’s stunning beauty would put some serious icing on the Christmas cake too.
‘My friend Lia owns the shop.’
Folding her arms protectively across her chest, because she’d mortifyingly caught Jake’s gaze straying there, Caitlin silently berated herself for wearing that particular shirt today of all days. But then how was she to have known that Jake would pay an impromptu visit?
‘As I told you, she’s at the dental hospital today, otherwise I’d introduce you.’ Her gaze automatically gravitated to the counter, missing the familiar sight of a diminutive slim blonde with elfin features and soft brown eyes.
Nicky must be taking a bathroom break. Caitlin couldn’t help wishing that the girl’s timing had been better. Just my luck, she thought. If Nicky had been around she could have somehow diverted Jake’s attention. But he surely hadn’t visited the shop to browse…
‘Anyway, what can I do for you?’ she asked.
Jake stared at her in bemusement. You wouldn’t believe how creative I could get about that, he thought, and then gave himself a harsh mental shake. Where were his brains, for goodness’ sake? He had a perfectly legitimate reason for seeking out their new vocalist and yet he was standing there gawping at her like some horny teenager hoping to get laid. The realisation was sobering.
‘About the rehearsals this afternoon,’ he started, ‘I just wanted to let you know that we’ll be working quite late tonight—perhaps into the early hours of the morning. If you have a boyfriend I hope he’s the understanding type. If not, we’re all in trouble.’
‘There’s no boyfriend.’
‘Good.’
Caitlin frowned. Rubbing her hands briefly up and down her bare arms, she glanced back into Jake’s arresting blue gaze. The man had the kind of reined-in sexuality and physicality that couldn’t help but put her on her guard. It didn’t help matters that he had a ‘bad boy’ smile that was surely reserved for a woman’s wildest fantasy…if she was in the market for such a fantasy—which she most definitely wasn’t.
Still, the hard honed body outlined by his black T-shirt, jeans and fashionably battered leather jacket would surely be a thing of beauty without clothes. There was not so much as a hint of surplus flesh on that taut, streamlined physique. The man clearly kept himself in good shape. She couldn’t prevent the small shiver of appreciation that ran up her spine. But it wasn’t just the commanding, easy-on-the-eye physique that made Caitlin so intimately aware of him. Something told her that Jake Sorenson didn’t take any prisoners. When he told her that they would be working late tonight she was certain he meant it in the fullest sense of the word.
What if I’ve made a terrible mistake? she fretted. It’s the thing I want to do more than anything else in the world, but what if I’m really not cut out to be a singer in a band?
Her mind slipped into panic mode, as it was apt to do when she was hit by a sudden attack of self-doubt.
He must have read her mind just then. ‘Don’t look so terrified,’ he cautioned, amusement lurking in the steamy blue depths of his mesmerising eyes. ‘I promise not to drive you too hard on your first night. But after that I’m afraid you’ll just have to roll with the punches like everybody else. Anyone who wants to pursue a dream has to make sacrifices, and the music business is a hard game, Caitlin. It’s notoriously competitive and cut-throat, and that’s an almost conservative description. If you want to be a success in this game you have to grow a fairly thick skin. Blue Sky have played all over the country in the past two years, trying to establish themselves, and they’ve gained a loyal following. When their lead singer Marcie walked out it was a huge shock. More than that it was a betrayal. But I owe it to the rest of the band to make good on my promise to take them to the top—and, trust me, I’m going to do exactly that. Failure is just not an option in my book. Do you understand what I’m saying?’
Caitlin did. Signing up for commando training with the SAS would probably be easier. She tried for a smile but couldn’t help the nervous little quiver that hijacked her lips instead. Was the man always so serious, she wondered?
‘I’ll try my best not to let you down…Jake.’ She added his name because she reasoned she should start being less formal, and couldn’t help savouring the taste of it on her tongue—like an enticing new flavour she’d never sampled before.
He scowled.
‘That’s not good enough. Say, I won’t let you down, Jake. Not, I’ll try.’
Flustered, Caitlin pushed a stray strand of hair away from her suddenly burning cheek. ‘I won’t let you down, Jake.’
‘That’s better. Now, come here.’
Before she’d gleaned what he intended he firmly drew her towards himthen gently erased the smudge of dust she’d inadvertently acquired on her nose. Her senses were immediately bombarded by the warm sexy tang of leather mixing provocatively with the alluring masculine scent of the man himself.