“Hi. I’m Chloe.” She lifted her violin case in the air and gave an embarrassed smile. “Did someone order a violinist?”
A couple of guys chuckled as Reid stood and walked to Chloe. He was similarly dressed to how he’d been in New York, except a snug T-shirt replaced his Henley and his beanie was absent. She smiled when he reached out and shook her hand. “Hey, Chloe. How are you?”
“I’m good. Hot. The temperature difference always throws me the first couple of days.”
Reid laughed. “That’s how I felt when I walked out of JFK and realized it was snowing. February in California is definitely more appealing than February in New York for us Southern folks.”
Chloe laughed. “I’m pretty sure most New Yorkers feel the same way.”
Reid smiled. “Let me introduce you to everyone.” He turned toward the eager faces in the room. “Guys, this is Chloe Bennett, the violinist replacing Valerie.” Reid motioned to the guy sitting behind a drum set. “That’s Drew Simmons.”
Drew lifted a drumstick. “Sup.”
Reid turned to another guy and chuckled. “The lazy shit in the recliner is Greer Lawson, who also happens to play the keyboard from time to time.”
“I also keep your ass in line,” Greer retorted with a middle-finger salute. “Nice to meet you, Chloe.”
Chloe peeked up in time to see Reid roll his eyes before turning his attention to the last guy in the room. “And this well-dressed fella is Thomas Higgins, my tour manager, but we call him Tom. I think you two have spoken.”
“We have,” Chloe answered, giving a small wave in Tom’s direction. “Hi, Tom.”
Tom crossed the room and shook Chloe’s hand. “It’s nice to finally put a face with the name. Everything should be in order for the tour, but if you have any questions or need anything, just let me know.”
“Of course. Thank you.”
“Well, I have a ton of things to wrap up before we hit the road, so I’m going to leave you guys to it. I’ll see you again soon.”
“Later,” Reid called over his shoulder as Tom disappeared down the hall. “Chloe, I know you just got in, but if you’re up for it, I’d like to play a couple of songs and see what needs the most attention. Have you had a chance to practice your parts?”
“Damn, Reid, give the girl a chance to set her case down before you start cracking the whip.”
Chloe looked at Greer. “No, it’s fine. Really. We don’t have much time before the tour starts, and I have a lot of catching up to do.”
Chloe glanced at Reid when he blew out a breath. He gave her an apologetic smile and grabbed the back of his neck. “Sorry. If you need a little time to rest before we start, that’s fine. I’m just anxious.”
“I don’t need to rest. I just need a few minutes to set up and maybe find a bathroom.”
“Of course, the bathroom is the fourth door on the left. Take your time.”
Chloe smiled and set her case on the floor. “I’ll be right back.”
The moment she stepped into the bathroom, she released a huge breath and dropped her chin to her chest. Try as she might to keep her cool, Reid intimidated her. Everything about him felt overwhelming. He even seemed taller than she remembered. At 5’4”, she was used to feeling small, but it wasn’t Reid’s six-foot frame that made his presence overshadow everyone else. It was the way he carried himself. From the alluring pull of his hazel eyes framed with thick lashes, to the disarming smile hidden behind his full lips, everything about his face was aesthetically pleasing; captivating.
Shaking her head, Chloe yanked open her bag and pulled out a clean shirt. She had to get a hold of herself. She had been hired to do a job, not daydream about how the scruff covering his jaw would feel against her palm or how much of his skin was covered in ink. No, she hadn’t been hired to do any of those things; she just needed to remind herself of that fact. Repeatedly.
“You’ve been holding out on us, bro.” Greer threw his empty cup at Reid, hitting his shoulder.
Reid turned from the door Chloe had disappeared through and looked from the cup on the floor to Greer. “Excuse me?”
“Don’t play stupid,” Drew laughed. “She’s smokin’ hot. You could have at least warned us. We assumed she would be more like Valerie.”
“And that girl,” Greer cut in, “is no mousy Valerie.”
Reid shook his head, his annoyance clear. “Listen, guys, I didn’t hire Chloe so you two would have new spank bank material. I hired her because I was running out of options, and she happens to be really damn good. I don’t need you two assholes playing a game of who can get in her pants first, so get that out of your heads right now. I have a lot riding on this tour. I won’t let anything screw it up.”
Silence lay thick in the air as the three stared at each other. Drew was the first to speak. “All right, man. I feel you.”
Reid cut his eyes to Greer, whose face twisted into an incredulous expression. “So, wait, you’re not going to hit that?”