“When I have an issue with someone I work with, I talk to them privately. I don’t discuss their fuckups with others.”
“Did you have a talk with Alec?”
“I did. He overextended himself. It has been rectified. He’s doubled his staff for the remaining time we’ll be here.”
“Then enough has been said.”
“I would think you would be more forgiving of other people’s mistakes.”
Reaper took it in stride that Kaden wasn’t taking his criticism of Alec lightly. Alec only had to answer to Kaden, not him. If Reaper wanted to say something about how Alec handled security, then he better be prepared to have his own faults thrown back on him. He lived with his past mistakes every day, so there wasn’t anything Kaden could throw out at him that he hadn’t said to himself.
“Then you thought wrong.”
Chapter Sixteen
The band was warming up when Kimmy opened the door. Taking a step back from the doorway, Reaper moved aside so she wouldn’t brush past him.
Instead of walking away, she paused. “I enjoy working with, Ginny. I usually don’t act the way I did today and yesterday.”
“Then we shouldn’t have any more problems, should we?”
“No, we won’t.” Embarrassed, Kimmy escaped down the narrow corridor.
With the doorway clear, he went inside, then wished like hell he hadn’t.
Her long, cream-colored boho dress had bell sleeves that swung with every movement as she tugged on the material clinging to the side of her hips.
Rattled by her appearance, he stood rooted to the spot.
“I need to give Marty’s burgers a rest for a while.”
He was unable to give her any reaction.
How did Ginny have the ability to make him feel like a little boy seeing tits for the first time? If she were side by side with Taylor, every man would get a rise out of his dick looking at Taylor, while Ginny would be the one placed in the friend zone. Taylor had the something extra that had a man determined to have her: there was nothing extra with Ginny. She was what she was—a good, wholesome girl who would make soup when you were sick, do you a favor, and even hang out with you when you were bored. Taylor was flashy on the outside, while Ginny’s beauty was ingrained into her character. Being around Ginny he was starting to remember the discontent in his relationship with Taylor before he was kidnapped.
“You look fine to me.”
The hurt look in her eyes gutted him. Fine was a bad four-letter word to women when they wanted to be complimented.
“Nice dress. It suits you.” He meant it as a compliment.
Sweeping loose hair to the side, Ginny gave him a false smile that didn’t reach her wounded eyes.
Her injured pride made him feel like a piece of scum. He hated himself for becoming the man he had. However, any encouragement he gave her would hurt her more if she really believed herself in love with him. Telling himself that didn’t ease his conscience, yet he made no move to repair the damage.
“They’re ready for me.”
“Ginny ….”
Inching past him, she went to the doorway. “If I don’t hurry, it’ll put Kaden’s set behind.”
Rushing out, Reaper followed her down the corridor. Her long hair falling to the top of her back in silky waves, and her backside swaying had his gaze fixated on her instead of where he was going, which meant he smashed his foot on a metal step, nearly sending himself falling face-first up the steps.
“Fuck!”
Holding the railing above him, Ginny turned toward him. “What happened?”
“Nothing,” he muttered.
Nodding, she went on up the stairs.
Being careful this time to keep his eyes on the steps and not her ass, Reaper managed to make it to the top. Then, as she took her spot behind the curtain, he had to squish himself behind her or fall off the small platform.
A wild compulsion came over him to grasp her upper arms and pull her back against his body. Every ion in his body wanted it, but the ones in his brain shouted to keep an emotional distance from her.
Disgusted with himself for even thinking about touching Ginny had him taking a step back. The metal railing pushing into his back cleared his mind from having her body so close to his.
Suddenly, the spotlight pointed toward the stage hit the portion of the curtain that Ginny was standing behind. She pulled the curtain so it would cover her more. In the dim light, Reaper saw the glint of her metal bracelet on her wrist as the bell sleeve fell down. It wasn’t the first time he had seen it. Recalling the last few days, the only time he hadn’t noticed her wearing it was when she came out of her bedroom in the morning.
Women often had a sentimental attachment to their jewelry, depending on how it was acquired. Taylor had loved jewelry. For special occasions, he bought her a few pieces, in addition to the engagement ring he had given her. Taylor would have ripped out one of her eyeteeth for the one Ginny was wearing.