Mr. Rockstar (3 page)

“
It’s no problem,” he said, tapping his leg. He’d been doing that since they got into the car.

“
Right,” she scoffed. “You totally didn’t have anything better to do than fly across the country to go to the rehearsal dinner and wedding of people you don’t even know. That sounds like lots of fun to me. Not.”

His fingers paused, then resumed their staccato tap-tapping.
“It’s not that big of a deal. I like adventure.” The gleam of his smile flashed at her.

She laughed.
“This may be more of an adventure than you want.”

He shrugged
, still smiling.

Isabelle pulled up to a red light. Thankfully, traffic was light, probabl
y because it was still early. She had to be there to help set up placemats and some flowers with Fiona. Todd’s parents were paying for the dinner, but the details were too important to Fiona to let out of her control. Unfortunately, Preston would be there early, too.

“
You sure?” she asked, foot on the brake pedal. “Because you’ve been tapping your leg ever since we got in the car. I know my driving isn’t that bad.”

His fingers went still, then he grinned sheepishly.
“I always do this. Can’t help it. I’m a little OCD, but I try to use my power for good: music instead of excessive hand-washing.” He performed a dramatic “out-damned-spot” motion, winking at her.

Isabelle laughed. Marvin was way more human than Vin, larger-than-life celebrity.
“I see.” She glanced in the rear-view mirror. “I still feel weird about your bodyguard, though. He could’ve just come with us.”

Marvin shook his head.
“No, he’d rather follow with a car. That way if something goes south, we can make a quick getaway.” He chuckled. “Also, he’s addicted to that bird game on his phone and he uses the time to beat some Japanese dude’s high score. They’ve had a rivalry going for almost two years now. I knew he was in trouble when they bonded backstage at my concert in Tokyo.”

“
I know that game! I had to delete it because it made me so angry I’d want to bang my head on the wall.” Isabelle lifted her foot from the brake as the light turned green.

“
I think that’s the point of the game. To make you angry,” Marvin said, fingers tapping again.

Isabelle rolled her eyes.

He chuckled. “So, this Preston guy is going to be there, right?”

Isabelle nodded, concentrating on driving. The rehearsal dinner was being held at a country club and the rain was making the rural road difficult to navigate.
“He’s the best man.”

“
Why didn’t you tell your friend what he did?”

She grimaced.
“I didn’t want to mess up her wedding. Preston and Todd have been best friends since high school.”

Marvin hmm
’d. “Doesn’t she know he’s a douche?”

Isabelle shook her head.
“No. I don’t think Todd really knows, either. Or if he does, it doesn’t matter.”

“
Todd sounds like a jerk, too.”

She pursed her lips.
“He’s not. He’s not perfect, but he adores Fiona. He’d do anything for her. I’ve seen it. I don’t think he and Todd have even hung out much in the past several years.” She squinted. That had to be turn-off up ahead. She could see waterlogged pink balloons sagging against the sign.

Marvin noticed them, too.
“Looks like it’s show time.”

She turned down the manicured gravel driveway and
gave him a sour look. “This is going to suck.”

“
No it won’t. I’ve got your back.” Marvin tapped a finger on her shoulder.

Isabelle felt her lips curve into a smile against her will. He was tapping out the rhythm of Beethoven
’s 5th symphony on her body. Her skin twitched. “Stop that.”

He sang the opening
,
da-da-da-dum
, just as she pulled into an empty parking spot. She couldn’t help but laugh a little, even though Preston’s car was already there.
Fiona and Todd are here, too, so it’ll be okay,
she told herself. Charlie, Marvin’s bodyguard, pulled in beside them. He waved, smiling, and Isabelle gave him a weak nod back, her momentary burst of humor dissipating. He saluted her with two fingers, his wedding band flashing near his bald head, and then he drove off, presumably to go park somewhere inconspicuous. There was a cluster of trees at the far end of the lot and she saw him heading that direction. She wanted to smile at him as he left, but the butterflies in her stomach were making her ill. She swallowed down the nausea and tried to get a grip.

“
Hey, it’ll be okay,” Marvin said, fingers stilling.

She turned off the car and rolled her shoulders.
“Sure. I was just telling myself that.”

Marvin squeezed her briefly and opened his door.
“Trust me.” He got out of the car and surveyed the building. He put his hands on his hips and squared his shoulders, every line of his body shouting belligerent testosterone and not much else.

Isabelle sighed. At least it had finally stopped raining, because the rest of the evening was going to be a disaster.

Chapter Three

Standing next to the car, Marvin took in the understated posh elegance of the country club’s main building and knew the evening was going to be a disaster.
Yup, Isabelle’s right. This is going to suck
, he thought, grimly. Every time he had to interact with super-wealthy celebrities, businessmen, or just the idle rich, which was far more often than he liked, he tended to get cranky. The indolent condescension of that particular class of people really irritated him. He glanced across the lot at Charlie just in time to see his bodyguard and friend raise his eyebrows skeptically. Marvin felt his shoulders hunch in so he forced himself to stand tall. He wasn’t going to let Ian’s sister down, no matter how awful things got.
And who knows? Maybe it will go fine. It’s not like I have to network for business. I’m just here as Isabelle’s date.

He looked at Ian
’s sister pulling two bulging bags of table favors from the trunk of her car. Little bits of bright pink tulle stuck out of the plastic that she stuffed back inside the bags impatiently. She’d changed her clothes for the dinner, putting on a smooth, red silk dress that flattered her curves deliciously. He had to grit his teeth as she leaned over the trunk to fish out a stray scrap of fabric. Damn, she had an amazing ass. She stood up, looking around for him. She gave him a quick smile when she saw him staring.

This is Ian
’s sister, you dog,
he reminded himself, forcing his eyes up. Again.
Hands off. You don’t touch your best friend’s family.
His traitorous cock ignored him, lengthening against his will. He sighed and adjusted himself. Again. This was the fifth or sixth hard-on he’d experienced since meeting Isabelle a little over three hours ago. He hoped to God she hadn’t noticed his total inability to keep himself in line around her.

She was gorgeous and sweet and remarkably down to earth, especially once she
’d lost her shyness around him. He understood her initial fear. He was a stranger, a famous singer, and the only reason she trusted him at all was because her brother had talked her into it. He’d teased her out of her awkwardness and she’d opened up to him in a way he hadn’t experienced with a woman in ages. It was damned alluring. And inconvenient.

“
Okay, I’ve got them all. You ready?” she asked, walking up beside him.

Marvin took the bags from her.
“I’m ready to rock-and-roll, baby.”

She rolled her eyes.
“Let’s not and say we did.”

“
You don’t like rock-and-roll?” he asked, teasing.

She sighed.
“I like the music, but I have a feeling that’s now what you’re talking about right now.”

“
Damn. You totally know how to read me and we’ve just met. You’re as bad as your brother.” He smirked.

“
Ian warned me about you, you know,” she said coyly, playing along and looking up at him through her eyelashes.

“
Warned you? I’m crushed.” Marvin clutched his chest dramatically. The tulle in the bags rustled alarmingly and he ended up grabbing for a stray favor before it landed on the ground. On the whole, it wasn’t his most graceful moment, but then again, Isabelle finally laughed. That’s all he wanted.

“
You are so absurd,” she said, grinning as she tucked the tulle-wrapped candle back into the bag.

“
I live to entertain,” he said, enjoying the way she flushed at his double-entendre. He winked at her, making her blush even more. God, she was beautiful.

“
I bet,” she finally muttered at him, and then a svelte blonde came running out of the building and Marvin had no more time to tease her out of her nervousness. It was truly time to rock-and-roll.

****

“Isabelle! Oh my God, I’m so happy you’re here. And you
did
bring someone, that’s awesome,” Fiona exclaimed, tackling her.

Isabelle braced herself, thankful she
’d chosen to wear the wedge heels instead of the spikes. “I’m here, Fiona, as promised.” She smiled into the silky blonde strands of her best-friend’s hair. “You didn’t think I’d skip out on the rehearsal dinner, did you? Good grief.”

Fiona laughed and let go.
“Of course not. You know everyone there, so there’s no reason to be shy anyway.” She stepped back and eyed Marvin. “And who is this?”

Isabelle let go of the tension she didn
’t even realize she’d been carrying. If Fiona didn’t recognize Vin Clementine, no one would. Fiona was an avid celebrity watcher.

“
Marvin Tine, at your service,” he said, smoothly transferring the bags of favors to one hand so he could take Fiona’s hand.

Fiona blinked, then shook hands.
“Fiona Lashkos, but not for much longer. I’m so glad you came with Isabelle.” She flashed an uneasy glance over her shoulder at the building.

Isabelle knew her friend was worried about Preston being an ass.

Marvin laughed. “I’m happy to go anywhere with Belle.”

Isabelle
’s eyebrows lifted.
Belle?
she mouthed to herself. Marvin shot her a look and she clamped down on her surprise.
Okay, if he wants to call me Belle, he can. He did fly all the way out here, after all. I owe him.

“
You call her Belle? I thought only Ian got to do that?” Fiona asked her, looking surprised.

Isabelle shrugged.
“He and Ian are friends, so…” she let her voice trail off as though that were enough of an explanation. And apparently it was, since Fiona nodded.

“
Of course! Well, let’s go in. Todd came with his parents and his little brother, but no one else is here yet.” Fiona took one of the bags from Marvin and peeked inside. “Oooo! These are so pretty!”

“
I told you—” Isabelle began to say, but then Preston’s BMW slid into the parking lot, distracting all of them. He was driving way too fast for the gravel road.
Like usual, he’s being a jerk,
she thought grimly. The perfectly coiffed blonde head of his secretary, Tonya, glared out at her from the passenger’s side of the car.
I don’t know why she hates me so much
, she mused.
She’s the one who got the guy.

“
That must be Preston,” Marvin murmured, edging closer to Isabelle. “And darling Tonya.”

“
How did you guess?” she retorted, just as low.

He snorted.
“Only an asshole drives like that in the rain. On a gravel driveway. In a sports car.”

Isabelle smiled.
“You’re wasted as a musician. You’re actually a genius.”

“
A musician?” Fiona asked, looking from Marvin to Isabelle. “You didn’t mention he was a musician.”

“
I produce music,” Marvin said smoothly. “The business side of things.” He shuffled closer to Isabelle and surreptitiously poked her.

Isabelle blushed. She
’d forgotten they were supposed to keep his career a secret. She sent him a pleading look in apology and he smiled minutely.

Fiona brightened.
“Oh, so that’s how you know Ian. You work together?”

Marvin nodded.
“Yup.”

There was no time for further pleasantries, which was just as well. Isabelle didn
’t trust Fiona not to press Marvin about his job, and she preferred not to lie to her best friend. She licked her lips and took a deep breath.
You can do this. You’re not a pushover.

“
Wow, he looks like a total douche,” Marvin said, leaning in and pretending to kiss her neck.

Isabelle shivered.
“He loves those stupid jeans.”

As expected, Preston was wearing the
skin-tight designer jeans he’d blown a pile of money on. They’d had a huge fight over those jeans six weeks ago because he’d borrowed money from her for his rent and then not paid her back. He’d claimed he needed them for his ‘image,’ the same way he’d needed to drive a BMW. Ugh.

Marvin made a disgusted sound, right against her ear. She ignored the fluttery feeling in her stomach as he continued to lean into her. He was supposed to be her boyfriend. Boyfriends did stuff like
kiss people’s necks, right? It wasn’t his fault he was so damn handsome that she couldn’t keep herself under control just because he was standing right next to her.

“
He must have a really small dick if he can actually walk in pants that tight,” Marvin said after a moment, kissing her neck for real this time.

Is
abelle choked on a laugh as the fleeting sensation of Marvin’s lips made her skin tingle. What the hell was wrong with her? Now was not the time to start acting like one of his crazed fans. She straightened up a little and he moved away a bit, giving her room to breathe.
And just in time,
she thought. Preston was out of his car and heading their way. Isabelle eyed him with what she hoped was a totally neutral look. The last thing she wanted to do was give him the satisfaction of her anger.

“
Fiona, you look gorgeous,” he said, ignoring Isabelle. He lifted Fiona’s hand and kissed the back of it. “If you weren’t already taken…”

Isabelle wanted to vomit. Preferably all over the blonde chick hanging on his free arm.
Tonya, may you trip over your stiletto heels and land face-first in the mud,
she prayed.

“
Thanks, Preston.” Fiona extracted her hand quickly.

Isabelle
watched a fleeting expression of distaste cross her friend’s face.
Hmm,
I guess Fiona doesn’t like Preston as much as her fiancé does.
She wasn’t surprised. Preston had managed to make an ass out of himself on any number of occasions.
Seven months of my life I’m not going to get back. Why the hell did I date him for so long?
she wondered, for the thousandth time.
Because you wanted to know what it felt like to have a relationship
, a quiet voice in the back of her head reminded her.

She grimaced. She
’d had a few dates before him, and a disastrous few weeks with a guy in high school, but nothing even remotely resembling a real boyfriend until Preston came along. It had been so easy: he was Todd’s friend and it was simple for the four of them to do things together. She hadn’t even really loved him, Isabelle realized now. He was just… convenient. In hindsight, she was ashamed of herself for allowing it to get as far as it did.

“
Welcome to my rehearsal dinner, Tonya,” Fiona said to the blonde, as polite as ever.

For one irrational moment, Isabelle wished her best friend
were a tad less nice.

“
And who is this?” Preston turned to Marvin, still ignoring her, the bastard.

Marvin stared at him, not saying a word. Preston
slowly lost his slick smile.

“
Preston, Tonya, you know Isabelle,” Fiona stepped closer to Isabelle. “And this is Marvin, her boyfriend.”

“
Boyfriend?” Preston laughed. “Yeah, right.”

Isabelle sucked in a breath.
She itched to slap him right across his sneering face.

To her surprise,
Marvin slung an around her shoulders and kissed her head. “Isabelle told me all about you, Preston.” His tone said he knew a lot more than Preston probably wanted him too. He grinned toothily at them.

Isabelle leaned into him gratefully.
He was awesome—except poor Fiona looked like she wanted the ground to swallow her up.
My best friend doesn’t deserve this
, she thought, a pang of shame shooting through her. “Why don’t we go inside and set up the favors?” she asked, trying to diffuse the tension. She truly didn’t want to wreck her friend’s wedding.

Fiona nodded gratefully and seized at the chance to redirect the conversation.
“Yes! We should totally do that.” She reached out and grabbed Isabelle’s hand, dragging her out from under Marvin’s arm. “I’ve rearranged the seating, too, so I need more help than I thought.”

****

Marvin watched Isabelle and Fiona head for the building. He was about to follow them, when the blonde on Preston’s arm spoke.

“
You look awfully familiar,” she said.

Internally, he sighed.
“We haven’t met, I would’ve remembered,” he said, trying to head off any discussion of familiarity. “I live on the west coast.” He forced a smile. “No way to just run into people when you’re on the other side of the country.”

“
There’s no way you and Isabelle are dating,” Preston interjected. He smoothed a hand down his silk shirt. “We only broke up a few weeks ago.”

Marvin frowned. He couldn
’t believe the guy would say that in front of his girlfriend.
But then again, she was the one he cheated on Isabelle with
, he mused. “What does that have to do with anything?” he asked, turning a cool look on the man.