Starstruck (8 page)

“Give. I have an idea.” Jesse snatched the phone from her
hand.

He cleared his throat. “Hello, Mr. Murphy? This is Jesse
Maurello from the band Jerico.” He paused. “No, I assure you this is not a joke.
I’m here with your very talented Samantha Raven and, well sir, I insisted on
being the one to tell you the good news.”

Her mind reeled. What the hell could he possibly be talking
about with her boss? Not only frantic about the implications of missing her
meeting in New York, she shouldered a good share of guilt for forgetting to
inform Daniel she was snowed in. She knew better than anyone how much he feared
flying and would have assumed the worst.

“I suppose I should start from the beginning, Mr. Murphy. I
was on the same flight as Samantha yesterday when it was cancelled and I
happened to see some of her work on her laptop.” Jesse paused again. “Yes…well,
I was snooping really, but to cut to the chase, sir, I want your company to
design my new album cover. Of course that also includes all the merchandising,
promotional posters, t-shirts and accessories, tour books, DVDs, the whole
package. My only condition is I want Sam in charge. I’m more than impressed
with her work and she shows a lot of spunk.”

He smiled, winking at her. As anxious as she was, she
couldn’t help returning his smile. “I agree. You ought to be proud of her, Mr.
Murphy.” He tucked a strand of damp hair behind her ear. “Yes, of course.
Daniel it is then. The way she sold your firm, well, I had no choice really.
She had me hook, line and sinker. Though I’m afraid I kept her up all night
discussing the finer details of what I’m after. I just hope I wasn’t too
demanding.”

He wiggled his eyebrows, his grin cheeky. “Yes, I’ll have
the contract drawn up as soon as I get back to New York. I plan on keeping her
very busy so I do hope you’re paying her overtime.”

He laughed. “You’re a fan, huh? Well that’s mighty kind of
you to say, Daniel, and I’m glad to hear it. I would have called sooner, but with
the storm last night it was impossible. The lines were down. Anyway, I’m sure
you’ve been worried sick so I’ll put her on and check on our flight again. Hey,
it was real nice chattin’ with you, Daniel.”

Jesse passed her the phone. She cleared her throat.
“H-hello, Daniel? I’m so sorry. Can we reschedule today’s meetings? I’m sure
Mr. Johnson will understand once he knows the reason why I couldn’t—”

“It’s okay, Sam. As long as you’re all right, that’s the
main thing. But how the
hell
did you score this deal, kid? Sam, this
contract could mean big things for us.”

She shrugged. “Was just in the right place at the right
time, I guess. It was your doing really, if you think about it. I would never
have even met Mr. Maurello if you didn’t upgrade my tickets.”

“Okay, let me sort out Mr. Johnson. I’ll have Julie call you
when I have some news. Until then, sit tight and check on that flight.
Hopefully I can repair the damage without too much fuss, but don’t you worry
about that, just leave it to me. I’ll speak to you soon, kiddo. And good job,
Sam.” Daniel hung up.

Jesse grinned from ear to ear. “Problem solved.” He gathered
her in his arms and kissed her playfully on the lips.

“Are you serious? Did you really mean what you told my boss
or are you just plain crazy?”

“Crazy for you, maybe, but I
did
snoop when I came in
here earlier to get your clothes. I’m sorry, but I couldn’t help myself. You
really are very talented, you know. Anyway, it was my fault you forgot to call
in. I think I like kissing you stupid.” He lowered his lips to hers.

Damn, he smells good.

Chapter Six

Jesse spent the morning and afternoon making love to Sam. He
couldn’t believe his forty-year-old body was keeping up. He was like a teenager
again—in more ways than one. He convinced her to stay another night in London
even though they could have left that afternoon. She called her secretary,
advising she would be on the 10:00 a.m. flight the following morning.

He also asked Katherine to fix their tickets and charge his
account, making sure they had seats together in first class. He was surprised
the hotel manager was not her usual happy self. The bad weather must have
finally gotten to her.

He wanted to be close to Sam for as long as possible. Once
they landed, she would be busy working and he might not get many chances to be
with her again. Of course, he would be very busy too. Releasing an album
equaled hard work, and spare time would be a luxury for the next year or more.

If he wasn’t careful, he could really fall for Sam—hard—and
that was a bad idea. He’d just gotten out of a two-year relationship and
jumping into another so soon was not in the cards. He and Rick were finally
both single again. That rarely happened simultaneously. They had been looking
forward to hitting the party scene when Jesse returned home.

Rick
hated
Jesse’s ex and made no effort at hiding
his true feelings in front of his closest and oldest friend. He’d been beyond
thrilled when Jesse finally left Becky Sampson—jumping on top of a public bar
and doing a jig to honor the occasion.

Jesse and the boys in the band were extremely close, like
family, and they all secretly wanted one another’s approval when bringing women
into the fold. Most of the time, Rick liked Jesse’s women, was even openly
envious of the type he dated, but he hated Becky with a real passion. He said
he saw right through her from the very start. She was possessive, false and
damn-right crazy. If only Jesse had heeded his friend’s advice from the
beginning, it would have saved him a lot of heartache.

Jesse and Sam awoke in one another’s arms, having slept for
an hour or so after their last round. They’d loved long and slow, not needing
to rush, pleasing each other endlessly, effortlessly.

Jesse finally withdrew from Sam’s lips and got out of bed,
stretching his back as he stood. “Woman, you’ll be the death of me. My back
hasn’t seen this much action in years.”

“Getting old, Maurello? And here I thought you rock stars
could go forever.” She laughed, whacking his flexed butt as she followed him
out of bed.

“Hey, hands off the merchandise, baby. We’ve gotta get
dressed long enough to get outta this room. I need some fuel and wanna wine and
dine you tonight, so come take a shower with me and get pretty.” He kissed her,
dragging her along as he headed for the bathroom.

He stopped short and she bumped into his chest. “Actually,
on second thought, maybe we’d better shower separately or we might never
leave.” He ran his hands over the curves he now knew so well.

“I need clothes from my room, anyway. I’ll go shower and meet
you back here in an hour, okay?” She gathered her clothes, putting some of them
on.

He reached for her so he could kiss her one last time before
she left.

* * * * *

Sam had read about it in books, of course, but she’d never
imagined her body was capable of having so many orgasms—one after another. And
Jesse was extremely creative, draining every ounce of pleasure from her body.

Her sexual experiences had been limited to Tom and Tom only.
She assumed most men were the same in the bedroom. Jesse had been the first to
ever bring her to orgasm.

In the past, she’d thought maybe something was wrong with
her so she attended to that department herself. Now she understood. Tom was
selfish in bed. He didn’t seem to notice if she lay unsatisfied after he
crawled off her, and usually fell asleep within five seconds after his head hit
the pillow.

But with Jesse she shared much more than just a physical
connection. She couldn’t fully comprehend the meaning behind the cravings he
stirred within her. He was a hurricane and she was the debris swirling on the
outer rim, trying desperately to get a glimpse of the wonders inside.

What would it be like if she were in the eye of the storm?
The information she needed, information she was generally so good at gaining
with her gift, was just beyond her grasp. For whatever reason, her signal
jammed when it came to getting a read on Jesse.

But one thing she was certain of—he didn’t just feed her
body, he nourished her
soul
.

Most of Sam’s spiritual knowledge had been passed down from
the women in her family. Generation after generation, they were all gifted in
one way or another but, surprisingly, their gifts were all somewhat different.

Sam’s visions had grown stronger after she turned fifteen.
She’d lost count of how many times her forewarnings had helped others, but it
was a rare occasion when her gift offered useful insight in her own personal
life.

One such episode was during Charli’s sweet sixteenth. A boy
who’d been crushing on Sam since eighth grade bumped her as he passed by and she
spilled her drink. He was quick to clean up the mess, and then disappeared into
the kitchen, returning with a peace offering of a fresh glass of cola and a
smile.

When her fingers brushed his as he handed her the glass,
she’d received a flash. He’d crushed a pink pill between two spoons and dropped
the powder into her drink.

Needless to say, his fascination with her died while he
nursed his broken nose. Her sensei had taught her well and she still had a mean
right hook.

Sam enjoyed a long hot shower, afterward deciding to wear
little makeup—just enough to highlight her green eyes and add a hint of color
to her lips. Her cheeks were still flushed from the many hours of hot sex. Even
now, her entire body tingled.

She’d packed a few formal outfits. There was always a party
or charity function of some kind she was obliged to attend in order to please
clients. Assessing her choices, she settled on a deep-emerald-green velvet
gown. She wasn’t sure where Jesse planned to take her for dinner, but suspected
it wouldn’t be the local burger joint. Besides, she wanted to dress up for him
tonight. He’d only seen her in regular business attire and veg-out clothes, but
mostly he’d seen her in nothing at all.

This could also be the last night they spent together, even
though she was certain it was no coincidence they’d met. She felt their
connection in her bones as surely as the beat of her own heart.

She wiggled into the lush velvet halter-dress, letting the
hem fall to her ankles. The plunging neckline showed her breasts to their best
advantage, although it didn’t reveal
too
much skin. The material was
gathered between her breasts by a ring of silver and exposed just a hint of
midriff. A generous split up one side ended mid-thigh, flashing a green satin
lining when she walked.

Turning in the mirror, she smiled. The dress was backless
and made her feel all kinds of sexy. Her mother was a genius with a sewing
machine. Making all her own stage clothes and many a gown for Sam, she had
expertly honed her skills over the years.

Sam fished out her black stilettos and a warm black shawl,
and then found a black garter with matching stockings at the bottom of her bag.
She snickered at how naughty she’d become. Her favorite cousin Caitlin had
given them to her before she left for London, encouraging Sam to have a fling
while she was away, forget about her ex. Caitlin hated Tom and had never been
that keen on Charli either. And now she had the perfect excuse to hate them
both.

Sam smiled. She couldn’t wait to tell Caitie about the adventures
she’d already had. Her cousin was going to flip out
.

Finished dressing, she combed her hair, choosing to leave it
loose. She liked the way her waves had dried down her back.

She checked her messages. Tom had called twice. She deleted
both calls as soon as she heard his deep voice, not wanting to listen to
anything he had to say. The third was from Charli. Sam was taken aback by the
message, simply asking she return the call. She had only spoken to Charli once
since the night of Tom’s infidelity, to give her back the belongings she’d left
at Sam’s house over the years and tell her goodbye. They were no longer friends
and Sam didn’t want to see her again.

The last message was from Julie. “Hey, Sam! I’m just getting
back to you with the update to your schedule. Your appointments on Monday and
Tuesday have been canceled—Daniel’s arranged to Skype in your place instead.
And your meeting with Johnson and Nichols is now on Tuesday at 9:00 a.m. So
other than the charity dinner on Mr. Johnson’s private yacht on Friday night,
you’re all clear. Oh, and Daniel asked me to tell you to get the bottom line
signed on the Jerico deal.” There was a pause. “Yeah, I may or may not have
fallen off my chair with that announcement. Anyway, have a safe flight and I’ll
talk to you soon.”

Sam put her phone on the desk, mulling over the last
message. She had some free time coming her way after all.

She put a few bare necessities into a small black evening
bag, and then sprayed a couple pumps of her favorite perfume into the air and
stepped into the mist. Grabbing her shawl, she headed for the door.

Her mobile rang in her purse, startling her. The small
display lit up with Caitlin’s name.

“Caitie! I was just thinking about you.” Sam laughed into
the phone.

“I know. My ears were burning,” Caitlin said with a smile in
her voice. “But listen, I can’t talk long. This is costing me a small fortune.
I just wanted to warn you before you got home. Tom’s been calling me nonstop
since you left…
totally
lost his mind. He was on my doorstep at 3:00
a.m., pissed as a fart mind you, trying to convince
me
of his undying
love for you and how terribly
sorry
the dickwad is. I tell ya, Sam, I
wished I had your chop-suey moves when I heard his drivel. I wanted to knock
his block off.
Ple-e-ease
tell me you aren’t going back to that jerk.”

“Oh Caitlin, I’m so sorry he’s forcing you into this mess.
God knows why he’d think you’d care.” She snorted. “But you’ll be pleased to
know I’ve already mailed him my engagement ring. It’s over, Caitie. No going
back now.”

“Well, it’s about
time
!”

“He should receive my letter by the end of the week. If he
shows up at your door again, don’t answer. He’ll go away. But if he does give
you any trouble, just threaten to call my boys and he’ll run a mile. They scare
the shit out of him…still.” She laughed, conjuring her loyal knights’ faces.
Her best friends from high school would be overjoyed by the news. Mattie, Adam
and Lachlan had warned her years ago Tom was a player, but Sam had been
convinced he was different and dismissed their worries. They never liked
Tom—not many of her friends or family did. She couldn’t understand why it had
taken such a blow for her—of all people—to finally see what everyone else had
from the beginning.

“Listen, Caitie, I’ve gotta get going myself. I’m snowed in.
Haven’t even reached New York yet. I’m still in London. And…I’ve got a date,”
she confessed, waiting for the scream on the other end of the phone.

Caitlin didn’t disappoint. She screeched at the top of her
lungs, excitedly asking for details, her questions running a mile a minute.

“Stop! I can’t say much right now, but I promise to fill you
in when I get the chance. I’ll try to call from New York in a few days, okay?
But I’ll leave you with a few little words. One. Night. Stand. Actually, better
make that two. And this is the bit you’ll need to sit down for. Ready?” She
couldn’t help taunting Caitlin. “Jesse
Maurello
!” she shouted and hit
the end call button before Caitlin had the chance to screech again.

Let her sit on
that
tidbit for a few days. It’s
going to drive her crazy!

Caitie was practically a sister to Sam. They were born two
weeks apart and shared a lot in common. Sam’s parents often felt guilty about
not providing her with any siblings to play with so they went out of their way
to ensure Sam and Caitie spent a lot of time together as kids. The girls would
often joke they could read one another’s minds—their special secret. Little did
they realize that was exactly what they
were
doing.

One minute later, Sam stood outside suite 803, ready to
knock, but the door swung open before she’d fully raised her hand.

“I was about to come looking for you,” Jesse said, kissing
her swiftly on the lips.

He led her through the door by both hands and she hungrily
raked her eyes over his attire. He wore a black-on-black pinstriped three-piece
suit, a black shirt with a deep-emerald-green silk tie and polished black
boots.

Sam blew a low wolf whistle. He chuckled softly and spun on
the spot as she smiled her approval. “Not bad, not bad at all, Maurello. You
scrub up okay.”

“Your turn.” He twirled his finger. “Let me get a good look
at you…and do it slowly.”

Heat rose to her face as she rotated. When she had her back
to him he made a strange noise that sounded almost like a growl, and as she
completed her turn he crossed the room to her side, skimmed his hand along the
crest of her cheek and slid his fingers into her hair.

“You look very elegant…so beautiful. That dress is gonna
kill me all night. You know that, right?” He brushed a strand of hair behind
her ear and caressed her lips with a kiss. “Mmm…let’s have a drink before we go
downstairs. I’ve booked the private dining room. Hope that’s okay with you?”

“Yeah sure.”

“I thought about taking you
out
out, but I don’t want
to share you tonight.” He poured champagne from a chilled bottle he must have
ordered after she’d left to shower.