“Who’s that?” I murmur under my breath, and apparently to no one, because that’s who answers.

“Actually,” Lyle says, addressing her with a relaxed drawl. He’s as cool as a cucumber, leading me to the assumption that this type of intrusion is a regular occurrence around here. “I was right in the middle of a really great dream, starring this little hottie.” He plants a kiss on my shoulder before making a shooing motion toward the high-strung brunette who’s now pacing no more than a foot from his side of the bed. “Can we do…whatever this is later? I’d like to get back to it.”

“No,” she clips. “We can’t.”

“Had a feeling you’d say that.” With a loud groan, he drags himself up to rest against the headboard. He smooths a hand up and down my calf in an attempt to pacify me. “What brings you all the way back to California in such a chipper mood this morning, boss?”

Boss?

“Oh, this visit will be anything but pleasurable, I assure you.”

“Who is this woman?” I ask, already over her shitty attitude. I refuse to sit around like some prop caught in the middle of whatever the hell’s going on.

“This is our manager, Anik—” my husband starts before the bitchy brunette cuts him off.

“Funny,” she interjects in a tone that is anything but, “I was about to ask the same question with regard to you.”

Her apparent air of superiority isn’t sitting well with me. Manager or not, she’s out of line. “His wife,” I deadpan, quirking a lone brow in a silent challenge.

“So, it’s true?” Her eyes damn near bug out of her head, and that little vein between her brows doubles in size. The tips of her pointy ears turn fire engine red as she levels my husband with a murderous glare. “You said you were attending a wedding, Livingston!”

“Well,” he offers with a smirk, as he pulls me close and drapes an arm around my shoulders, “technically…”

“Oh, don’t technically me.” A string of muffled curses spills from her pursed lips.

“Wait,” Lyle says, holding out a finger as if he’s just processed what she said. His entire body stiffens over all that it implies. “You already knew?”

Her eyes narrow to slits. “The whole goddamn world knows, dumbass. There are no such thing as secrets when you’re a member of one of the most famous bands on the planet!” Some of her anger dissolves as a look of pure defeat shrouds her features with disappointment. “You know that.”

An understanding passes between them, and his cocky demeanor instantly morphs into one of sincere apology. His brow lines with what looks like regret and it’s one hell of a pill for me to swallow.