Page 21 of Crimson Desires

I wanted Jack to be a stereotype. A flat character. An asshole who had gotten me fired from my job.

I wasn’t dumb. I knew that a relationship between us would never work out long-term.

If I let myself fall for Jack, I’d only be doing myself a disservice.

So, I had to keep my guard up. And this meant doing everything in my power to stay away from him.

My plan worked terrifically for a few days. Until tragedy struck.

We’d just pulled into the parking lot at the Highland Inn in Richmond, Virginia. Ava had paid for hotel rooms for the band members, but the crew still had to sleep on the bus. I didn’t mind too much. Over the week, I’d gotten accustomed to sleeping on the bus. Ava had even been kind enough to buy me a fleece blanket to cover up with.

Still, I couldn’t help but envy Jack and the others. After a week of sleeping scrunched up on a reclining bus seat, I wanted nothing more than to sleep in a real bed for a night.

At 3:30 in the morning, I got my wish.

Ava jostled my shoulder. “Aster. Get up,” she hissed.

I inhaled sharply through my nose, blinking away my sleep. “Huh? What time is it?”

“Half-past three.” Ava placed a hand on my shoulder. “The bus’s air conditioning broke down. We’re putting you and the other crew members in rooms.”

“Hotel rooms?” Despite my exhaustion, I perked up.

Ava nodded. “The hotel is fully booked for the night, so you and the others are going to have to share with the band. We’ve already let the guys know. I’ve got you in room 304, with Kane. Go upstairs and knock on the door. He’ll let you in.”

I nodded, stretching my limbs. My arms and legs were sore from working, and my neck had a slight crick in it because of how I’d been sleeping. Wrapping my blanket around my shoulders, I made my way out of the bus.

Immediately, I realized why the lack of air conditioning was a problem. Even though it was the dead of night, the temperature outside was muggy and hot. I hurried into the hotel and rode the elevator to the third floor. When I got to room 304, I saw Dave posted outside of the door.

“Dave? Aren’t you supposed to be watching over Jack’s room?” I asked.

Dave shrugged, moving aside to let me knock.

I rapped my knuckles against the door. A few seconds passed before the door opened. My jaw dropped.

Instead of Kane, Jack was standing in the doorway. Shirtless.

I couldn’t help but take in his body. The chiseled caps of his shoulders, the flatness of his stomach, the shadows defined by his sharp hipbones. And his fucking tattoos. Never in my life had I seen such intricate tattoos before. Heat singed my ears as I noticed how low his sweatpants were sitting on his hips.

“You’re not Kane,” I said, throat dry.

Jack smiled. “Great observation, flower girl. Come in. Ava already explained the situation to us.” He backed up, gesturing for me to step inside.

I was hesitant. On one hand, sharing a room with Jack Maverick went directly against my plan to avoid him. On the other hand, I didn’t have the energy to go looking for Kane.

Just go in, the voice in my head goaded. It’s not like anything will happen. You’ll be asleep the entire time.

That was a good point.

Tearing my eyes away from Jack, I wrapped my blanket tighter around my body and marched into his hotel room. I tried not to gasp at the extravagance of it.

The carpet was plush and cream-colored. The bathroom featured a jet-black hot tub. The bed was a king-sized four-poster, with fluffy white pillows and a decadent onyx duvet. In front of the bed was a small sitting area with a leather couch, two chairs, and a huge flatscreen TV.

I promptly threw myself on the couch, sighing as I stretched out my legs.

Already, the crick in my neck was starting to go away.

Jack walked over to me. “Aster, what the hell are you doing?”