it himself. He’d been around and no way was she foolish enough to become another string on his guitar.
‘So you’ve slept around a lot. Doesn’t make you a good judge of women.’
‘Who said anything about sleeping around?’
She blushed, hating how she’d have to dig herself out of this one.
‘You did—’
‘I said dating. Not the same thing. Do you sleep with all the guys you date?’
‘‘Course not!’
Besides, she’d have to date to have a chance at sleeping with them and she’d been so busy these past few years, proving herself, proving to Hector he hadn’t made a mistake taking in a scruff like her, she’d had limited down time. When she had dated she’d chosen guys so removed from her past that once they got beyond the first few dates she found they had nothing in common.
Ironic, the cool musos who once held so much appeal left her dead now. She’d seen what that world could do, the havoc it wrought if you got caught up in the glamour and the rush, and thankfully she’d never been inclined to date Landry’s clientele.
‘You seeing anyone?’
‘Like that’d stop you,’ she muttered, shooting him a withering glance as he held up his hands in surrender.
‘Hey, I like a challenge but I don’t poach.’
‘What’s it to you anyway?’
Her heart stuttered when he leaned across, their shoulders brushing, and it took all her concentration to focus on the freeway and not land them in a ditch.
‘We’re both single. We’re stuck together for this tour. We’re attracted to each other. You do the math.’
‘One plus one equals a bit fat zero?’
Disappointingly he didn’t retaliate, the loaded silence only serving to notch up the intimacy, and she silently swore. This car was her pride and joy, a symbol of how hard she’d worked, how far she’d come but right now the interior she usually found comfortingly cosy seemed stifling.
It was him, of course, with his big chest and big shoulders and big head.
‘Care to lay a wager on that?’
She bit back her first response of where he could stick his wager.
‘Because from where I’m sitting, the two of us getting together by the end of this tour is inevitable.’
This time, her cursing wasn’t so silent and she clenched the steering wheel, not risking a glance in his direction and catching the smug grin that had to be plastered across his too-handsome face.
The guy was infuriating.
The guy was annoying.
The guy was only verbalising what she’d already envisaged in her mixed-up head, making her mad as hell.
She cranked up the music and he wisely shut up. If only he’d stay mute for the rest of the tour.
The road trip from hell got worse the moment Charli approached the front desk of the apartments where they were staying.
‘Welcome to Ballarat, Miss Chambers.’
‘Thanks. Do you have our room keys?’
The receptionist’s smile faded. ‘We do but there’s been a problem.’
Charli didn’t need any more problems. Bad enough she had one big problem tagging along for the tour.
‘What’s up?’
The receptionist’s eyes widened and her jaw sagged as Luca strode into the small reception area.
The woman had to be fiftysomething but she had a pulse and any woman would’ve drooled over Luca—including her, sadly, considering she couldn’t stop thinking about that kiss the entire drive.
‘I thought I told you to wait in the car,’ she muttered, shooting him a frown that only served to widen his permanent grin.
Leaning down, he murmured in her ear, ‘Heads-up. I’m a big boy now. I don’t always do as I’m told.’
She gulped at the hint of danger tinged with promise in his smoother-than-honey tone, grateful when the receptionist held out a pair of key cards.
‘Management’s apologies, but due to the construction work next door and burst water mains we’ve had to put you both in the same apartment. It’s a two-bedroom, far end of the corridor. If you need anything—’
‘But I made this booking a month ago. You must have another apartment.’
Her voice had risen to an embarrassing squeak and she clamped her lips shut as the receptionist shook her head.
‘I’m sorry, Miss Chambers, this is all we’ve got.’
Her brusque tone held a distinct undercurrent of ‘take it or leave it’ and, considering this had been her last resort due to some folk festival coinciding with Storm’s first gig in town booking up every last room, she had no choice.
‘We’ll take it,’ Luca said, swiping the key cards from the receptionist with a dazzling smile that had the older woman practically purring. ‘Thanks.’
‘You’re welcome, sir.’
Charli slumped, her heart sinking as Luca draped an arm over her shoulders and drawled, ‘Let’s go, roomie. I’m looking forward to bunking down.’
She elbowed him in the ribs, hard.
As Luca opened the door to their apartment and gestured her in Charli realised things could be worse. The apartment complex might’ve shoved them into a one-bedroom. But as she stepped into the apartment, only slightly larger than a shoebox, her relief was short-lived.
In a place this size she’d be forced to interact with Luca whether she liked it or not.
Either that or spend every spare second when she wasn’t working in her bedroom and, considering that consisted of a narrow bed and little else, it’d get mighty uncomfortable mighty fast.
With her blood pressure spiking along with her temper, she snatched up her overnight bag and strode into the closest bedroom, flinging it onto the bed and bumping her elbow on the door in the process.
Luca watching her in silent amusement didn’t help and she stalked towards him, every step bringing her closer to slugging him. He must’ve caught the maniacal gleam in her eyes for he quickly shut the door and held up his hands in surrender.
‘Hey, I’m not the bad guy here. You made the bookings. I’m just tagging along as your new finance manager, remember?’
‘How could I forget? ‘
She stood toe to toe with him, wanting to hit him for
