My blush intensified as I thought about how much further Julian could’ve taken our encounter. My cheeks felt as though they were on fire, so I fanned my face with one hand.
“While I can understand why you’re upset, I’m afraid this isn’t a security issue,” he drawled as he leaned back in his chair and tapped the fingers of one hand on his desk. “Therefore, not my problem.”
I couldn’t believe he just said that. Stomping my foot on the ground, I argued, “Of course, it’s a security issue! He can’t just go kidnapping women from the audience. Someone is going to call the police…and…and…” I knew there were a ton of reasons what he’d done was wrong, but I was having a difficult time coming up with them. “It’s a publicity nightmare!”
Addilyn snorted, and I swung my head in her direction. “I disagree,” she chirped happily. “I think it’s marketing gold.”
The pregnancy hormones must’ve gotten to her brain because she wasn’t making any sense. “Pardon?”
She nodded and grinned. “If word got out that the incredibly sexy and talented Julian Storm was kidnapping women and locking them in with himself, the audience would be sold out every freaking night.”
I should’ve been jotting down notes because improving attendance at the Lennox’s shows was my job, but I was too busy being horrified by the idea of Julian kidnapping someone else.
“What?” Addilyn gave her husband an innocent look after he growled. “Seriously, he’s gorgeous, and women fall all over him. We should capitalize on that.”
What.
The.
Heck.
“Women...um...throw themselves at him?” I didn’t know why I was so surprised, considering my reaction to him, but I was horrified by the possibility of not being the only woman he’d kidnapped from his stage. “Does that mean this isn’t the first time he’s done something like this?”
She shook her head and frowned. “Not to my knowledge. I don’t think I’ve ever even seen him with a date.”
Her answer was more than I could’ve hoped for, and I barely refrained from heaving a deep sigh of relief. But when I caught Addilyn smiling at me, I twisted my lips into a grimace and threw my arms up in the air. “This is crazy! You’re crazy! It doesn't matter how hot he is; he can’t just go around snatching women and making out with them in his dressing room!”
And the next time I saw Julian, I was going to make sure he knew it...before he decided to pull the same stunt with another woman.
3
Julian
I ran a frustrated hand through my hair and stared at the door where Anna had just disappeared out of. Trapping her in the box and ambushing her in my dressing room probably hadn’t been the best idea, but I was having a hard time feeling guilty about it. I’d finally been able to get my hands and mouth on her. She tasted sweeter than I imagined, and one kiss would never be enough.
She’d started to respond before she shut down, giving me even more confidence in my determination to make her mine. It also confirmed what I’d known since the first moment I saw her; we were made for each other. Now, I just had to get her to admit it. Which meant tracking her cute ass down and forcing her to talk to me. Then I could do all the very dirty things I’d been fantasizing about for a month.
Unfortunately, I had another show to prepare for. However—I glanced at my watch—I had time to visit someone who should be able to help. As long as he didn’t decide to be a pain in the ass and force me to go on a merry chase for Anna. All for his own twisted amusement.
I stalked to Knox’s office and Darby, his secretary, blushed and smiled when she spotted me. She always seemed to have this reaction around me, and while I knew I was considered easy on the eyes, I was surprised she hadn’t gotten over being starstruck in the year I’d been performing at the Lennox. I returned her smile and lifted my chin toward Knox’s closed door. “He in?”
Darby nodded and pushed the intercom button. Before she could say anything, Knox’s gruff voice barked, “Tell whoever it is to go the fuck away.” A feminine giggle followed his instruction, and I rolled my eyes. Obviously, he was in there with his wife doing the kind of things I was hoping to be doing to Anna very soon. But I didn’t have time to wait for him to finish his...activities.
This time, I reached over, hit the button myself, and spoke without waiting for him to answer. “It’s Julian. We need to talk.”
There was a long pause, and I was about to hit the button again when he finally said, “Fine. I need to talk to you anyway.” After another minute, the door opened and Addilyn waddled out of Knox’s office. She winked at me, and I was grateful she was facing away from her husband because I liked my face just the way it was.
“I know quite a few women who would love to be kidnapped by you, Julian,” she teased. “If you’re interested.”
I shook my head firmly. “There’s only one woman who has captured my attention.”
Addilyn’s smile grew and she canted her head, looking at me with sparkling brown eyes. “I had a feeling that was the case.” Then she twisted—as much as she could with her very large stomach—and glared back at Knox. “Don’t be an ass.”
His eyes narrowed on his wife, and I chuckled but swallowed it when his scowl turned on me. I wasn’t afraid of Knox unless it involved his wife. Then he became a scary motherfucker no one wanted to mess with. “Get in here,” he snapped.
I walked in and slammed the door behind me, then stood in front of his desk with my feet planted apart and my arms crossed over my chest. “I need your help,” I stated.
Knox leaned back in his chair and raised an eyebrow. “And I need you to stop kidnapping women from your audience.”
I rolled my eyes. “No problem. Now, I need to find Anna, but I have another show in an hour.”
“Just like that? No more kidnapping?”
I started to agree but stopped when I realized it would be a lie. “I didn’t say that.” If snatching Anna was what it took, I wouldn’t hesitate. “The audience thing was a one-time occurance”—I narrowed my eyes on him—“and I’m pretty sure you know that, so stop busting my balls and let’s get back to finding Anna.”
“Why exactly would I help you stalk one of our employees, Storm?” His face was deadpan, but the glint in his eyes hinted at his amusement with the situation. My hands balled into fists at my side to keep me from leaping over the desk and strangling the jackass.
“Don’t pretend you didn’t take advantage of the security resources here when you were chasing down Addilyn.”
“It was different. She was my wife,” he rationalized.
I snorted and eyed him drolly. “I’m not sure it counts when you had to get her drunk to marry you, and she ran to get an annulment right after you said ‘I do.’” I grinned and needled him a little further. “You’re a walking, talking cliché, man.”
Knox glared at me and grunted, “Doesn’t matter. My ring was on her finger, and that’s where it stayed.”