Will nodded. “I’ll make that happen. Monday work for you?”

  She pursed her bright pink lips as she thought and Will’s entire body stirred at the sight. He was in trouble with this one...and not the trouble that had to do with music. Damn, he hadn’t realized when he’d signed her that she would affect him in such a sexual manner. He figured he’d have to deal with a little bit of a diva, but he hadn’t once thought about being attracted to her.

  The country music world was flooded with gorgeous women, from artists to industry professionals. Why was he attracted to Hannah? Why did this woman—who was likely going to irritate the hell out of him as they worked together—drive him crazy with want?

  Probably because he couldn’t have her.

  Will Sutherland always got what he wanted, when he wanted. If there wasn’t a way to obtain his desires immediately, he eventually found a way to make it happen, anyway.

  Having Hannah in a personal, intimate capacity would sure as hell not be happening. He’d invested too much in her professionally. And the thought that he couldn’t have what he wanted made him a tad irritated.

  “I can’t do Monday morning. I have an important personal appointment,” she told him. “I can be back here by two if that’s good.”

  “I have a meeting that afternoon with my contractor.”

  “Send Cash, anyway,” she suggested with a shrug. “We don’t need you here necessarily.”

  Like hell they didn’t need him here, as a chaperone if nothing else. Uncharacteristic jealousy flooded through him. There was no way Will could unleash his flirty, playboy brother onto Hannah. The last thing any of them needed was a heated fling to stir up the press. The focus was Hannah’s relaunch and establishing Cash’s new squeaky clean reputation.

  Which was exactly what Will had to say to himself, as well. Hannah was off-limits...to all Sutherlands.

  The Sutherland brothers were all single and successful. With Cash a country music artist, Gavin an attorney to the stars, and Luke owning several upscale bars and restaurants in the area that catered to celebrity appearances, they were each probably appealing to an available woman. But not Hannah. No way in hell could she get personally entangled with any of them.

  “I’ll rework my schedule,” he told her. “Monday afternoon will work.”

  She narrowed her eyes and took a step toward him. “You don’t trust Cash and me to get along without you? I promise I’ll play nice.”

  Hannah offered him a megawatt smile that shot straight to the part of his anatomy that had no place in this business meeting.

  “Nobody will be playing anything,” he informed her, trying to circle back around to being the professional, music-label owner that he was.

  She cocked her head, clearly trying to be flirty or adorable—he wasn’t sure which, but he had no interest in figuring it out. He had a feeling she knew just how well she could get under his skin.

  “Oh, I’m sure we can make time for something fun,” she suggested. “You know what they say about all work and no play.”

  “Yeah. All work means a bigger bank account.”

  Hannah rolled her eyes. “Money, money, money. You sound like Mags.”

  Will reacted before he could think, carefully curling his fingers around her elbow. “Don’t ever compare me to that woman again,” he demanded as her bright eyes widened. “She’s nothing like me.”

  Before he even realized what he intended, he gave her a gentle tug until she fell against his chest. His hold wasn’t tight, but he still hadn’t meant to touch her at all. Touching would only fuel that desire for what he couldn’t have...desire that was essentially forbidden.

  Hannah’s lips parted as her gaze went to his mouth, then back to his eyes. Every part of his body tightened and that’s when he realized his mistake. Too late. Somehow he’d lost control of himself—something he never did.

  Hannah’s hands flattened against his chest as she continued to stare up at him and Will quickly realized their bodies were plastered together and her perfect pink lips were still parted. That gaze moved to his mouth once again and Will released her before he was burned by the fire that he’d ignited.

  “Not a Mags Dumond fan?” Hannah crossed her arms over her chest, seemingly unphased by their encounter. “The feeling is mutual. She sees you as a threat.”

  “I am.”

  Hannah’s mouth quirked into a crooked smile that only made her look adorable even as she was trying to be saucy. “She’s also feeling the pressure now that I left her label. She’ll try for Cash.”

  Will busted out laughing. “She’d have to have big balls to go after my brother.”

  “Oh, they’re big,” Hannah replied with a soft laugh. “She goes after anything she wants and nobody is off-limits.”

  “Every single Elite artist is off-limits,” Will growled. “Especially you and Cash. I hope she approaches him. He’ll laugh in her face and tell her exactly what he thinks of her offer.”

  “Are your brothers all like you?” she asked.

  Will jerked slightly. “Like me? How?”

  Hannah shrugged. “Outspoken, determined, arrogant.”

  Will couldn’t help but laugh at her once again. “Thank you for the compliments.”

  “Of course, you would take all of that as a compliment,” she muttered.

  Will slid his hands into his pockets. “Are we going to continue to butt heads?”

  “I’m easy to get along with usually. I mean, Mags and I clashed, because I always felt like she was trying to control me, to live her life through me...if that makes sense.”

  Oh, that made perfect sense. Margaret Dumond had wanted to be the next big thing in country music when she’d been younger. She’d been overshadowed by Hannah’s grandmother, Eleanor. The two had debuted at the same time, but the fans had clicked with Eleanor.

  Then Mags married Edward Prescott the mayor of Beaumont Bay, even then a monied bedroom community of Nashville. Her family had been founding members of Beaumont Bay decades ago, which was why she still clung to her maiden name of Dumond.

  Edward had absolutely adored the woman. He’d bought her a record label and thus Cheating Hearts was born. Clearly Mags knew that if she wanted to make a name for herself in the industry, it wouldn’t come from her singing.

  Once she had the label and a few artists beneath her belt, she had the power, reputation, and ego to bring Nashville’s superstars to Beaumont Bay. She’d dubbed herself “The First Lady of Beaumont Bay,” and the industry had played along.

  “I’m easy to get along with, as well,” he informed Hannah, picking up their conversation. “Providing you do what I say and we don’t have any more of those twin-swapping games.”

  Hannah rolled her eyes. “You really need to get over that switch. You’re too cute to be so surly.”

  Cute? What was he, a puppy?

  “Flirting will get you nowhere with me.”

  She cocked her head and flashed that smile that stirred his desire even more. Damn it. She knew how powerful her sex appeal was, but he wasn’t going to be another man who fell for it. Hannah Banks could have any guy she wanted...except him. All he wanted from her was epic sales and her help in boosting his brother to stardom.

  “Honey, if you think I’m flirting, you’ve been hanging around the wrong women.”

  Why did that Southern drawl come across as tempting as fiery bourbon?

  And he hadn’t been hanging around any women outside of work. Will had been devoting all his energy into keeping Elite the top record label since he’d taken over when he was only twenty-seven. With his parents in real estate, catering to million-dollar mansions and commercial properties, Will had gotten a bargain on the location and had used his wise investments to get the startup funds.

  Will loved everything about the industry—growing up in Beaumont Bay made it easy to fall in love with country music. Nashville had nothing on this lakeside community. This was where the heavy hitters came to play, to get away from the crowds, to live a slow, easy, posh lifestyle. It’s where they came to be themselves, to unwind at the local bars, to get back to their roots and play music for fun without the constrictions of contracts.

  Will didn’t live far from Hannah, but he’d never been to her home before. They’d only met once briefly, in his studio just before the storm hit. Then he’d met with her manager and sister, Hallie, at his house for most of the discussions and negotiations. And during those meetings with Hannah’s twin, he’d never felt the desire he felt with Hannah. Not once.

  What Hannah was doing to him was totally uncharted territory.

  If Hannah was getting flirty with him, then she would try to get flirty with Cash, no doubt. Will loved his brothers, but Cash and Gavin were known to be ladies’ men and they made no apologies about their lifestyle. None of the Sutherland men did, but Will and Luke were a tad calmer. They worked hard and played equally as hard...which was what made them so damn dynamic and successful.

  “Who I do or don’t hang around with in my personal time really isn’t your concern,” he countered.

  “It might not be my concern, but the press does love to snap photos of both of us, and I’m here to tell you, that woman you took to dinner a couple of weeks ago is not nice.”

  Will couldn’t help but laugh. “Not nice? What are we? In elementary school?”

  “I was raised to speak my mind, but I do still have Southern manners. I’m keeping my real adjectives in my head.”

  Intrigued, Will crossed his arms, very interested in hearing exactly what Hannah thought of his date with Bethany. He had been completely bored out of his mind, but he was keeping that bit of information to himself. She’d been his first date in months, and from the silence on Bethany’s end, she hadn’t been looking for a second date, either.

  “Just trust me when I tell you she’s a bit of a gossip,” Hannah went on. “She used to work for an online tabloid, so I’m sure she was just out for some fodder.”

  Only slightly offended, he dropped his arms and took a step toward her until she had to tip her head back to look him in the eye. Why did he keep getting so close? Why was he torturing himself with such temptation?

  He’d never been denied anything, so maybe what he was feeling here was just the thrill of the challenge. Whatever it was, there was something about Hannah that made him want to uncover her layers, find the woman who lived beneath the surface of what the public saw.

  “Are you saying she wasn’t out with me for my stellar charm and good looks?” he asked, barely suppressing a smile.

  Hannah patted his cheek. “Don’t let my comment hurt your feelings. I’m sure she found you cute in that surly sort of way, but I promise, she’s trying to get in with a magazine as a new gossip columnist...or so I was told.”

  “That’s ironic.”

  Hannah’s smile spread. “A little.”

  That smile and those eyes...and damn it, everything about her was getting to him when he’d sworn he wouldn’t let her get under his skin. She’d been just as beautiful in the coffee shop without all the makeup or her hair teased or bling on her shirt. Maybe he should’ve stipulated in her contract that she should just be herself in private.

  Regardless, he wasn’t digging too deep into this. He hadn’t signed on to be her therapist. He was just going to have to ignore that pull of lust and be a professional...you know, the way he was with every other star he represented.

  Will took a step back, surprised when she seemed a little disappointed. That smile faltered and her shoulders sank just a touch. If he hadn’t been staring like a damn fool, he would’ve missed it.

  If this attraction went both ways, they were heading down a path toward nothing but disaster. What would an affair between them look like to the public? That Hannah had swapped labels after he seduced her? No way in hell would he tarnish her name, or his, in such a manner.

  “I’ll be back Monday with Cash,” he told her, ready to remove himself from this situation. “Two o’clock.”

  He didn’t wait for her to argue or start flirting again. The more he was around her, the more he had to remind himself she was not available for anything personal.

  Elite had a reputation for producing some of the best music in the industry and having Hannah in his queue was going to skyrocket his label into even bigger territories. This would be from old school Opry to present-day country. The world loved Hannah Banks. He was even thinking of expanding her tour dates to do something international.

  Will turned from the studio and showed himself out before he made a mistake and touched her...or, worse, found out what her lips tasted like. Keeping his thoughts on how to grow her brand, how to market her new sound—that was what he needed to focus on. Because Cash was also involved in this and if Will and Hannah crossed that invisible line, Cash would also suffer.

  There was too much pressure on Will. All eyes were on him, his label, his family, and Hannah. So there would be no touching and no kissing—no nothing that didn’t involve music. Hell, maybe he needed a chaperone when he met with her from now on.

  Was it too early to hit up one of Luke’s bars for a drink?

  THREE

  Will curled his hand around his cold mug and relaxed into the cushioned chair along the glass wall of Luke’s rooftop bar. Cheshire was always hopping and crowded, but after hours, as in two in the morning, there was a nice calmness to the place, and he and his brothers could decompress and chill.

  After his in-person encounter with Hannah yesterday, Will desperately needed to take a mental break with a locally brewed craft beer.

  “Why are you scowling?”

  Will glanced to his other brother, Gavin, who was sitting across from him and holding his own mug. Gavin had crazy, messy hair that he always seemed to be running his fingers through, but somehow that shaggy look worked for him. He was the best damn attorney Will knew, which was why Gavin was on retainer for Elite Records.

  “I’m not scowling,” Will replied. “I’m enjoying the peace and quiet.”

  Honking and laughter filtered up from below, totally contradicting his statement. He took a long pull of his beer and wondered why he hadn’t tried a sample of this one before he decided on a tall glass. Definitely not his favorite.

  Cheshire was one of the most popular bars in town, which made sense considering it was on top of the poshest hotel, The Beaumont. They had a very distinct clientele, but Cheshire welcomed everyone—from the rich and famous to the wannabe rich and famous. Luke opened up all his bars to anyone looking for a good time.

  “You’ve been scowling since you got here,” Luke chimed in as he came over with his own drink. “Work or woman issues?”

  Both...which had never happened before and that’s what pissed him off. He’d never crossed those two lines and he sure as hell didn’t intend to start now. He prided himself on being professional and Hannah Banks was not going to be his downfall.

  “Hannah Banks.”

  That’s all he said when his brother Cash groaned.

  “She’s a diva, isn’t she?” Cash asked, standing behind Will’s chair with his beer. “She’s sexy and can sing flawlessly, but what am I going to have to work with?”

  Will shook his head. “You’ll be fine. She’s just...frustrating.”

  Luke laughed and eased forward in his seat. “You work in the music industry. Everything and everyone is frustrating.”

  Not like Hannah. She had already gotten in his head and wiggled her way into a spot where he didn’t want her. He’d dreamed about her last night and found himself replaying that damn erotic scene over and over all day. Now he was sexually frustrated and had nobody to blame but himself.

  Damn woman had too much power over him already and they hadn’t even fully started working together.

  “We still going Monday?” Cash asked. “I’m anxious to start working with her.”

  Work, yes. That’s all he should be focused on. Getting Hannah a jump start with Elite and cementing Cash’s reputation in the entertainment world were his purposes right now. His other recording artists were climbing the charts and thankfully nobody needed a recording session before those renovations were due to be completed.

  Damn high-wind storm. His home had been spared, thankfully, but a portion of the studio hadn’t been so lucky. The damage had given him the opportunity to do some remodeling and updates in the lobby that he’d been wanting to do but had kept putting off.

  “We’re going,” Will told Cash. “Her recording studio is top-notch. I was impressed.”

  “That’s saying something,” Gavin replied. “You’re a snob.”

  Will took another drink and sighed. “I’m not a snob. I refuse to settle for less than perfection when it comes to my work. There’s a big difference.”

  But he knew there was a nugget of truth in what his brother was saying. He aimed for perfection with anything in his life—professionally or personally. Maybe that’s why he’d never settled down...not that he was looking to. If it happened, it happened. But Elite was definitely more than a full-time job, especially when having so many artists kept him very busy when they had personal crises. He hardly ever thought about how he came home to a lonely house at night. He’d built a vast, three-story home on the lake. Eight bedrooms, ten baths, two kitchens, and more living space than he would ever need.

  But in that house, alone, Will was in control of his own fate. He had to be. At twenty, he’d been fired from a Nashville label after making an honest mistake. Since that day, he’d refused to fail at anything or let anyone else control his future.

  That went for everything in his life—business and personal.

  His brothers were all bachelors, too, and if one of them married off or got a serious girlfriend, she’d have to fit in with this tight crew. Luke had been engaged once, but that had fallen apart and Luke never talked about her anymore. Their mother would love nothing more than for all of them to settle down and start producing little Sutherland babies.