“You ambushed me,” she corrected. “It would serve you right if these pants crawled up your ass.”

He snorted.

“Umm-hmm.” She stepped back and considered the draping. “Well, I guess if I have to make it work…”

She popped the first latch closure on her corset top. The weight of her breasts separated the front, drawing his attention instantly.

“I love how you troubleshoot,” Syon drawled.

She opened the second one, giving him a view of the sides of her breasts.

“It’s really having an effect,” Syon continued. “A very desirable one. But I should warn you…my resolve to keep you is…hardening.”

She heard the truth of it in his voice. A deepening in the timbre. It stroked her senses, making her nipples tighten into hard little points.

She opened the last one, and her corset split open. This one had straps, so the garment stayed on her body, only open to give him a full view of her chest. She didn’t have a chemise on, so her breasts were in full view.

“Stay right there, or you’ll ruin my work,” she ordered him.

He snorted but settled back into his stance. She stroked the sides of her breasts, slowly trailing her finger down one until she got to her nipple. His eyes narrowed.

“Let me see if we’ve found the solution.”

She reached out and stroked the bulge of his cock. It was iron hard now, and she had to adjust the fabric.

“That’s it.”

She straightened up again to take one last look. “Got it.”

“You’re going to get it as soon as you take this fabric off me,” he warned her wickedly.

She stood still, fingering one of her puckered nipples, enjoying the moment of having control in her hands.

The door to the suite pushed in.

“In here, we have a full leather studio for outfitting the performers.”

Cid walked in, a guy with a huge camera right behind him. Kate gasped, whirling around, but not before the cameraman hooted.

“Right on!” he commented as Cid led him forward. “Perfect shot of those tits!”

Kate succeeded in getting her top closed and turned around to see Cid flashing a smug smile at Syon.

“This is the team from Roadkill. Local fan-based blogosphere,” the road manager said as he introduced them to Syon. Kate was as insignificant as a used coffee cup.

An ultrathin girl was with the cameraman, impeccably dressed in a hot dress with a plunging neckline and short enough that it showed off her tiny butt. She smiled at Syon, batting her eyes and boldly licking her lower lip before she pushed a microphone up to his mouth and started asking questions.

Syon didn’t miss a beat. His voice was liquid sex. The girl’s eyes took on a sultry mode as she flashed him an inviting look. Kate unpinned her draping, trying not to look at the camera.

When they were finished, Cid guided them off to find the rest of the band.

“I got to get ready for the show.” Syon sounded disappointed. “Didn’t expect the interview.” His eyes narrowed. “We’ll have to wait.”

“Does Cid know how to knock?”

Syon shrugged. “I’ll talk to him about it. Don’t worry. Those shots won’t get out. I’ve got to get over to the arena for sound checks and warm-ups.”

Kate looked up from her worktable. She felt the real world jerking them apart. Like they’d been hiding, and now their cover was being ripped away. It was a little strange to discover something as normal as work obligations getting between them. But that added only another layer to their interaction, that touch of normalcy that made it seem much more real.

She was definitely scaring herself now.

She pointed at the draping she had laid out on the table. “Got work to get to myself.”

His expression was guarded. He gave her a single nod and turned around.

It was stupid to get emotional. He was a rock star.

So…she should get busy making him look like one.

At least working with leather restored her balance. It had always been her comfort zone, since she’d first discovered what she could do with a sewing machine. She stroked and worked with the pattern. Time melted away while she was focused on getting it perfect. It wasn’t going to be some universal size. It was going to fit Syon perfectly, with just the right amount of give.

In the right places, of course.

She spent a lot of time going through her stock of hides, searching for the right color and then for one that had a great finish. She settled for a magenta-colored one, deciding it would go stunningly well with Syon’s eyes. Adjusting it on the tabletop, she circled it several times, making sure the pattern was in the best spot before going in with her shears.

She loved the scent, the sensation of cutting through it. But most of all, she loved being mentally mesmerized by the project. Time wasn’t a factor. Perfection was. Syon provided an amazing image for her to try and fit, the over-the-top persona of the man merging with her insatiable love of working with hides.

She turned up the music and let herself be absorbed by her project. Syon thought she was the best. She intended to show him exactly how right he’d been.

* * *

“I thought you’d be flying high after getting into Kate’s pants.” Ramsey grunted as they came off stage.

“My game wasn’t off,” Syon defended himself. They were both covered in sweat, their hair tangled after the wild performance they’d just given.

They went down the backstage steps as the crowd roared behind them. The noise bounced off the ceiling designed for sound retention and rained down on them. The overhead lights still flashed, making sure the fans left on a high.

“You were pushing hard.” Ramsey reached the performers’ backstage room and ripped a towel off a rack to mop his face.

Syon jerked his hand toward the screaming behind them. “No one sounds upset.”

“I know the difference.” Ramsey grabbed a bottle of water and drank down a third of it. “Just sounded like you and Kate worked it out.”

“We did.” Syon reached for some makeup-remover wipes. Tonight the crap was driving him batty. He needed it off. Fast.

That wasn’t the real problem, but he took out his aggression on his face, working at it until every last trace of eyeliner was gone.

“I need some air,” he said when he was finished.

Ramsey was still nursing the water bottle. He studied Syon for a moment, his eyes narrowing when he came to a conclusion. “She wasn’t here.”

Ramsey hit the nail on the head.

“So what?” Syon shrugged.

Ramsey knew him too well. Syon lifted his hand to wave it off and started out the door. Cid was coming through it, blocking his path.

“Brilliant, mates! Fucking brilliant.”

Cid’s beaming expression faded a tad as he looked at Syon. “Why the clean mug so early in the night? I’ve got plans for you.” He dug his tablet out of his suit pocket and stroked the screen. “Two clubs to visit, and I hear there’s this topless joint near the waterfront that has a reputation for wild parties.” Cid looked up with a smirk. “That should be great for some publicity.”

“I’m out tonight,” Syon said.

Cid caught his arm. “Whoa there, partner. You can’t buy this kind of publicity. The fans want to see you party. It’s all about image. We need those birdies tweeting.”

“I’m not in the mood.”

“Get in the mood,” Cid said. “We’re not sold out in Seattle yet. A few pictures in the tabloids will take care of that. You can sleep on the road tomorrow. That’s what drivers are for.”

Ramsey hooked him around the neck. “Some guys actually have to work for a living. We have to party. It’s rough, but we signed up for it.”

“Yeah.”

And he felt just as trapped as someone reporting to a cubicle. He didn’t crave the insanity of a club. What he wanted was Kate and the opportunity to take her for a ride on the back of his bike. She was right; they didn’t know each other, and he wanted to change that.