They both shrugged, then Matt told him, "Don't know, man. She just came in with her entourage a few minutes ago and asked to see you." He pointed to the ceiling. "They're waiting upstairs for you." He glared at Griffin. "Which we were going to tell you about when you were done . . . giving Kiera . . . you know." His cheeks flushed with color as he gestured to my hand. "I like the ring. It's really beautiful on you, Kiera."
Mortified, I whispered, "Thank you."
Still stunned, Kellan shook his head. Delighted, Anna walked over and grabbed my hand. She gave my ring a cursory glance, then squealed, "Holy shit, Kiera! We're going to meet Sienna Sexton." Her emerald eyes sparkled so much I was pretty sure she'd forgotten all about the problem she'd wanted to kill Griffin for this morning.
I sighed, not sure if I was as excited about this as she was. Seeing that Kellan was finally listening to him, Griffin wrapped his arm around his shoulder again. "So, can we go now?"
Kellan made a face like he was gagging. "You smell awful. Could you shower first?"
Griffin scowled at Matt again, clearly blaming him-and only him-for smelling like a landfill. "Yeah, just give me two secs."
He dashed off to one of the bedrooms, and I heard the sound of a shower being turned on. I hadn't had time to investigate yet, but all of the rooms seemed to have bathrooms with showers in them. Kellan watched Griffin leave, then turned to Matt and Evan. "Let's go." He smirked, clearly amused at the small form of payback he'd just given Griffin.
As we were walking up the stairs that led to the top floor, Kellan picked a stray petal from my hair. I couldn't contain my smile as he handed it to me. Palming the red piece of velvet, I leaned over and whispered, "Were you really going to kick Griffin out of the band?"
Looking over his shoulder, Kellan murmured, "No, I just wanted to make a point." He turned back, his expression thoughtful. With an adorable half-smile on his face he glanced over at me and added, "Well, maybe. Do you want me to?"
I thought about that a moment, but then slowly shook my head. As big of an ass as he was, he belonged with the band. And besides, it wouldn't help my sister's situation any if her baby-daddy was suddenly unemployed.
When we got to the upstairs suites, a matching set of bodyguards blocked our path. Wearing corded earpieces and sunglasses, the pair looked more like secret service members than pop star guardians. Kellan looked between the two hulks blocking his path. "I'm Kellan Kyle, this is my band." He indicated all of us. "Ms. Sexton asked to see us."
One of the guards discretely squeezed something in his palm and told someone on the other end of the earpiece that Kellan was there. After a moment's pause, the guard moved away and let us all pass through. Walking between the mountains of muscle made me a little nervous. Tight security. I understood, I guess, since Sienna Sexton was pretty much on top of the world and must have fans coming up to her at every opportunity. It made me wonder if that would happen to Kellan someday. Would he need Thing 1 and Thing 2 watching over him? Watching over me?
Lana, the rep from the label whom I'd met before when I'd wrongly believed that Kellan was having an affair with her, stepped up to our group. The woman, who could have easily doubled for Halle Berry, nodded warmly at her recruits. "Kellan, boys."
Kellan acknowledged her with a charming tilt of his head. "Lana."
She swept her hand to indicate the looming space behind her. "Miss Sexton would like to speak with you, Kellan, if you're free?" Lana gave me a knowing glance and I fought back the flush threatening to creep up my cheeks. After being walked in on by Griffin, innuendo was suddenly a lot less embarrassing. Huh. Maybe he'd done me a favor after all.
The edge of Kellan's lip curled up before he schooled his features. "Of course."
Lana led us through a set of solid white French doors. I'd expected to see Sienna right away, but the only people in the room were a young couple pawing through a cabinet stocked with liquor and a man in a suit patiently sitting on a couch, shuffling some papers in his hands. A pair of ornate double doors led outside to where I knew a rooftop pool was tucked away. The doors were open, letting in the sunshine and a light, warm breeze. Another set of closed double doors led to what I assumed was the master bedroom. Was she in there? The thought of meeting a bona fide pop star had my heart racing, and I squeezed Kellan's hand.
As we approached the couch, the man in the suit stood and extended his hand. "Kellan, nice to meet you. I'm Nick Wallace, VP of Vivasec Records."
Shock flashed over Kellan's face as he shook the man's hand. I was sure he'd met a ton of important people by now, but it was clear from his expression that he hadn't met someone this far up the chain of command. "Nice to meet you."
As I was wondering just what the heck was going on, three people walked into the room from the outside deck. I didn't recognize two of them, but the person walking between them was unmistakable. Sienna Sexton. Physically, she was everything I would expect a celebrity to be-flawless olive skin, perfect bone structure, and from what I could see since she was wearing a bikini, zero body fat. Her hair was smooth and straight, even in this heat, and fell past her shoulders in a perfect, black curtain. Her eyes were just as dark and were framed in expertly applied mascara and eye liner; they seemed huge, like they took in everything. Her smile was warm and bright as she held both of her hands out to Kellan.
In a charming British accent, she exclaimed, "Kellan, I am so excited to meet you. I'm a huge fan." Clasping Kellan's fingers with hers, she leaned up and kissed each one of his cheeks. She was standing so close to me that the hem of the sheer white robe she was wearing over her bikini brushed against my hand. She smelled like coconut suntan lotion, and her deeply tanned skin seemed to glow with health and vitality. I'd only ever seen skin like that in moisturizer commercials.
When she pulled back from Kellan, she stared up at him with an expression of adoration and interest. It was an expression I was used to seeing on his fans, so I figured her statement was true. I bit the inside of my cheek to stop myself from possessively leaning into his side. His fans could touch him . . . even the ones that were rich, famous, and drop-dead gorgeous.
Kellan seemed at a loss, which was an odd thing to see on him. He was usually so at ease. "Uh, thank you. I'm a . . . huge fan too." He smiled at her and I couldn't stop the momentary scowl that crept into my lips. Huge fan? I'd heard him sing along on the radio once or twice, but that was about it. Kellan's preferences tended to run more toward classic rock. But he was probably just being nice. He couldn't exactly tell her, Thanks, your stuff is all right.
Giggling, Sienna dropped his fingers and took a step back. I let go of the breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. "Ah, love, aren't you a sweet one."
As Sienna's hangers-on flipped on a TV and made themselves at home, Kellan introduced the rest of his band, sans Griffin of course, who was probably screaming at the linebackers in the hall to let him in. Sienna greeted them politely, but only with a demure handshake. I guess her lips were solely reserved for greeting Kellan. Hopefully that was a onetime thing . . . otherwise I may have to have a talk with the pop princess.
When the introductions with the band were finished, Anna stepped forward and grabbed Sienna's hand. "Anna Allen, mega fan. You're practically my idol."
The two beauties smiled at each other, then Sienna patted Anna's belly. "You due soon, love?"
Anna frowned for a second, then shook her head. "No, November . . ." Her voice trailed off, and I wondered if Anna was offended that Sienna thought she looked so big that she was going to pop at any moment, or if the idea of her upcoming birth still scared the pants off of her. I figured it was a little of both.
Eyebrow cocked, Sienna looked back at Kellan. "Yours?"
Kellan glanced at Anna's belly and shook his head. Placing an arm over my shoulder, he drew me to his side. "Mine."
I smirked at him as I extended a hand to Sienna; my fingers were trembling, and I prayed she didn't notice. "Kiera . . . hi."
The smile slipped from Sienna's face as she looked between Kellan and me. It seamlessly returned as she shook my hand. "Nice to meet you." Her accent reminded me a little of Denny. I made a mental note to call him soon, let him know that I landed safely. My dad too, for that matter.
Once everyone was introduced, Kellan asked, "You . . . wanted to see me?"
Sienna clasped her hands together. The move accentuated her ample cl**vage and I couldn't help but sigh; she was perfect there as well, even more endowed than my hormonally enhanced sister. I wondered if they were real.
"Yes! I have a proposition for you. One I think would be in your best interest. Yours and mine." Kellan didn't seem any less confused. Sienna smiled wider and pointed at him with her laced-together fingers. "I want you."
I was just about to politely tell her that she couldn't have him, when Nick finally spoke. "As you know, Sienna is the label's largest star." Sienna winked at Nick's praise. He smiled at her, then continued, "She's been listening to your finished tracks, and she's impressed, to say the least." Nick splayed his fingers out as he gestured to his "biggest star." "We've been looking for a way to rejuvenate Sienna's sound, add some kick to it."
Sienna nodded. "Something new . . . fresh."
"We've been looking for a collaboration that would blend well with her unique style." Nick brought his hands around to Kellan, his smile wide. "And that's where you come in."
Kellan blinked. "Me?"
Nick clapped his shoulder. "Yes. Your sound is exactly what Sienna's been looking for. And we have the perfect song for you-'Regretfully.' Sienna's already recorded her half of it." He shrugged. "We just need you."
Kellan stared at him a moment, then looked back at Matt and Evan. "You mean all of us, right?"
Sienna gave him a sweet smile. "Of course."
Matt and Evan tried to keep their composure, but I could tell they were bursting with excitement. A song with the hottest person on the charts-they'd be an instant sensation. My heart dropped as Kellan looked back at me. I always knew he'd be big one day, but I thought I'd have years to get used to it all. This would practically guarantee him stardom overnight.
Almost like he was reading my mind, Kellan chewed on his lip. After a few seconds, he looked back to Nick. "Our styles are very different. Can I hear the song first, make sure it's a good match . . . for us?"
Nick pursed his lips, clearly just wanting Kellan to do whatever he asked him to do. Smile tight, he told him, "Absolutely."
"Come, I'll play it for you." Sienna grabbed Kellan's hand and pulled him toward a piano in the back of the room. I tried to not be irritated with how comfortable she was touching him, or how little effort he made to get away. I also tried to ignore how much of her body was visible through her diaphanous cover-up. Shouldn't business meetings be conducted fully clothed? Not if you're a world-famous pop star, I guess.
Excited over a private performance, Anna giggled and grabbed my hand. Sienna sat down at the piano while Kellan stood beside it, arms folded over his chest. As Sienna began to play, Matt and Evan made their way over to Kellan. I reluctantly followed, not really wanting to hear how fabulously talented this provocative, beautiful woman was. But then her voice filled the air and I couldn't deny it-she was incredible. She was clear and powerful, sweet and sassy, all at the same time. The rhythm of the song was beautiful, not quite a ballad, not quite up-tempo. The lyrics were similar to something Kellan would have written. They were good, really good. Haunting, soulful, a touch profound, and . . . romantic. "Regretfully" was a song of loss. Of having everything with somebody, and then losing it all and trying to pick up the pieces.
Evan started tapping out a melody on the top of the piano, and Matt was nodding to a beat only he could hear. Kellan tilted his head, absorbing how the two styles would blend together. I could almost hear the D-Bags accompanying Sienna in my head, and the imaginary sound was incredible. The real sound would be unbelievable.