Something was off and he wasn’t giving in until she told him what was going on. This all had to do with Mags—there wasn’t a doubt in his mind.

  “Hannah, you’re in my every fantasy and it’s clear I can’t resist you, but, we can’t go public right now,” he informed her, afraid of all of this spiraling out of his control. “It’s not a smart business move.”

  Her chin started to quiver, but she shook her head and glanced away. When she focused back on him, she’d composed herself and pulled in a breath. But he could see the pain in her eyes. Those bright eyes that once held so much fire and passion now hinted that she was on the verge of a breakdown.

  “So you won’t go public about our relationship?”

  Will pulled in a deep breath. “No, I won’t. This is the best option in the long run.”

  Now those beautiful eyes welled up with tears and she attempted to blink them away. Tried and failed.

  “The best option for who?” she whispered. “If we can’t go public, then maybe we shouldn’t be taking our personal relationship any further.”

  “What are you talking about?” he asked.

  “All of this,” she murmured, waving her hands, blinking again. “Maybe we shouldn’t be together.”

  “Why won’t you tell me what happened with Mags?”

  “Because that’s irrelevant. I want to know how you feel about me, but knowing you won’t go public tells me all I need to know.”

  Frustrated, he blew out a sigh. “It doesn’t tell you anything, Hannah. This is just not the right time.”

  “Would there ever be a right time?” she cried. “Because I can’t be with Elite knowing what we’ve shared and knowing that you threw it all away because you were scared for anyone to find out. Working with you would be too difficult.”

  Shock at her swift threat had him angrier than ever.

  “So you’d throw away everything if I don’t go public?” he asked.

  Her eyes closed and a lone tear slipped down her flushed cheek. What the hell was going on in that head of hers? Why this ultimatum? Why now?

  Will couldn’t stand it another second. Whatever she was facing had her more torn up than he’d first thought. Why wouldn’t she open up to him?

  He closed the space between them and framed her face, using the pad of his thumb to swipe away her tears.

  “Talk to me,” he murmured.

  She shook her head and closed her eyes. “I need you, Will. Just for tonight. One last time.”

  One last time? Like hell.

  Will lifted her off her feet and started carrying her up the stairs. Her shoes—first one, then the other—clunked down and fell back to the foyer. She looped her arms around his neck and rested her head against his shoulder.

  So long as he could keep her here, protect her, slay her demons, he damn well would. He just had to know what the hell he was facing. Going public was her answer...but what the hell was the problem?

  But right now, she wanted him for comfort. And he was more than willing to oblige. Tomorrow, he’d find out exactly what happened.

  Will laid Hannah carefully onto his bed and stood over her. He stripped out of his suit and got more and more turned on as she watched him. Her eyes were still damp, but that fire was back. There was no way she wanted to break things off, not even if he couldn’t do as she asked and go public right now. She wouldn’t leave him when she could look at him with that much pent-up desire.

  He reached down and unfastened her buttons, pulling the tuxedo jacket wide. She had on no bra and a skimpy pair of black lace panties that he wasted no time in sliding down her legs.

  Will eased up onto the bed and curled his fingers behind her thighs. She gripped his shoulders and kept her eyes locked on him. He could see much more than passion... There was trust in her gaze.

  That pull on his heart tightened and more than ever he wanted to protect her. Not just as an artist under his label, but as a woman he’d fallen for.

  This was not supposed to happen, but it did and he would have to deal with it. If he wasn’t mistaken, she’d fallen for him, as well, but there was that nonsense about breaking all ties.

  Not going to happen.

  And going public wouldn’t be smart at this early stage. Maybe they could keep everything under wraps and he could deal with Mags. He had to maintain control here, he had to make sure both he and Hannah were safe. He would do anything for her, no matter what.

  “Keep those pretty eyes on me,” he murmured as he joined their bodies.

  Her fingertips dug into his shoulders as he set the pace. Her hips ground against his, her soft pants and sighs had him pushing harder, but her eyes never wavered from his.

  What he’d thought would be gentle and soft turned to fire. Even though he loomed over her, Hannah set the rhythm.

  She jerked faster as she locked her ankles behind his back and arched her body against his. Will let her take the lead and use him for whatever she needed. He realized he would do anything for her, no matter the cost.

  When her body tightened all around him, she still kept her gaze on him, and Will let himself go. He stared into her eyes a second before easing down to capture her lips. He wanted her to feel his passion, his love. He wanted her to realize that he wasn’t letting her go without a fight, but she had to reconsider going public.

  “Stay,” he told her after as he gathered her close. “Tomorrow’s problems will come soon enough.”

  She didn’t say a word, but right before he drifted off to sleep, he felt a warm tear on his side. Will held her tighter and vowed to find out what she was dealing with and take care of it. Never again on his watch would someone hurt her.

  * * *

  “Well, well, well. To what do I owe this pleasure?”

  Will stood on Mags’s doorstep much too early in the morning. He’d left Hannah sleeping with a note on his pillow that he would be right back.

  “We need to talk.” He brushed past her and let himself in. “What the hell did you tell Hannah last night?”

  Mags closed the door and turned to face him, feigning shock. “What are you talking about?”

  “I’m not here to play games, just tell me what the hell happened? You’re holding something over her.”

  “If you two are having a lovers’ quarrel, that has nothing to do with me,” she sneered.

  Ah, so that was it. Mags had somehow discovered he and Hannah were lovers.

  “You blackmailed her,” Will stated. “With what?”

  “What did she tell you?”

  Will was about done with this nonsense. He clenched his fists at his sides and ground his teeth.

  “What. Did. You. Do?”

  Mags shrugged. “I merely showed her some interesting photographs of the two of you.”

  He wasn’t going to ask about the pictures or how she’d gotten them. That wasn’t the point right now.

  “So what?” he countered. “A few pictures wouldn’t be anything to hold over her.”

  Mag smirked. “No, but giving them to the media would. What would her fans think? What would your other artists think if they saw these photos? Would they think she went to Elite to sleep her way into the next chapter of her career?”

  Rage pumped through him, but he said nothing as everything hit him at once. Hannah’s threat to leave was her way of trying to protect him and likely trying to protect his label. She’d been willing to throw it all away so his name wasn’t pulled through the mud.

  That was the love she’d been talking about.

  “Imagine if I accidentally let those pictures slip into the wrong hands. What headlines would be posted?” Mags went on. “Damning for her career and your label. Such a shame, too.”

  “You won’t get away with this.”

  “No? Did she already break things off with you? I gave her two days to think about it. Looks like she moved fast.”

  Will was raised to respect women, but right now, he had nothing but disdain for Mags Dumond.

  “Whatever you think you can pull here, you’re wrong,” he warned. “You crossed the line this time and Hannah will not be coming back to Cheating Hearts.”

  “No?” Mags asked, her eyebrows raised. “Seems if she broke things off with you, she’s already made her decision.”

  Will was done here. He was done with her attitude, he was done with the games, and he was done with letting anyone threaten Hannah.

  He let himself out and headed back to his car.

  The awards ceremony was tonight, and Mags would be there, too. Will had to make sure Hannah steered clear of Mags. He would enlist the help of his brothers and explain everything that was going on.

  Hannah wanted them to go public. Well, she hadn’t seen public yet.

  As soon as he got into his SUV, he dialed up Cash, but got no answer. Then he tried Gavin, again with no answer. Strange. He called Luke and finally got him to pick up.

  Once Will explained everything, Luke agreed to help and have his back. Luke wasn’t actually part of the country music world, but he always went to the ceremonies, to network and support his brothers. The Sutherlands were a team, like a wolf pack. All the more reason Mags should watch the hell out.

  Nobody was getting to Hannah.

  EIGHTEEN

  Hannah had slipped out of Will’s house while he had been gone. She had no idea where he went, but she needed to get out. She’d slept with him last night, because she’d needed one last time before exiting his life for good. Saying goodbye face-to-face would have been too difficult this morning after sleeping in his arms all night, so she was actually thankful he wasn’t there.

  His note hadn’t indicated where he’d gone, just that he would be back soon and he’d see her then. Hannah grabbed a pen and jotted her own note on the other side, that she’d see him at the awards ceremony that evening.

  Hannah had called Hallie to come give her a ride back home and confessed everything to her sister. She’d needed to purge her feelings and nobody was better at giving advice than her twin. Now they were attempting to get ready for the awards show and Hannah would much rather stay home.

  “If you love him, tell him again,” Hallie insisted as she sprayed her hair. “Maybe he just needed a little time. Maybe he feels the same.”

  Hannah fastened her strappy heels and came to her feet, smoothing down her dark blue gown. She loved this dress, loved her look for the evening, but she just wasn’t feeling it like she normally did. Everything had changed and she would never be the same, no matter what happened with Will and Mags. Her heart had been broken when Will had said no to going public. It’d been like he was saying no to what they could have together. There was no going back from something like that.

  “I’m not telling him that I love him again.” Hannah grabbed her clutch and tossed her cell and lip gloss inside. “I put my heart on the line once already for him.”

  Hallie opened her mouth and started to say something, but Hannah held up her hands. “End of discussion. Now, are we ready to go? The car should be here.”

  Hallie ultimately nodded, though Hannah knew her sister wanted to say much more. Hannah couldn’t keep up this back-and-forth. As much as she wanted to confess everything to Will, she also knew Mags would follow through with her threat.

  That woman would do anything to have Hannah back and make Will suffer. She’d always been a jealous creature. First, she’d been jealous of Eleanor years ago, then she’d been jealous of Hannah’s fame when Hannah wanted to branch out and do her own lyrics, and now she was jealous of Will for signing Hannah.

  Well, now Mags might just get her way because Hannah couldn’t stay with Elite and be the reason their reputation was torn to shreds. And while Will was angry now, he’d come to see that this was better in the long run. Or maybe he wouldn’t, because Hannah was never going to tell him what happened.

  Thankfully Hallie didn’t bring up the whole L word again as they rode to the venue for the ceremony. As soon as the car came to a stop, the back door opened and the paparazzi were all in their faces snapping pics and calling Hannah’s name.

  “I’ll stay behind,” Hallie told her.

  Hannah grabbed her sister’s hand. “No, you won’t. You’re right here with me and just as important.”

  Hallie smiled and nodded, squeezing her hand in return.

  They posed and laughed, and Hannah answered a few questions along the way. Everyone wanted to know where Cash was, but she assumed he’d be along anytime if he hadn’t passed through already. In a perfect world, they would have had to start doing public events together...but that perfect world was now shattered thanks to some overpaid photographer and Mags’s evil streak.

  “How about that upcoming tour with Cash?” one journalist called out.

  Hannah smiled. “Nothing is finalized quite yet.”

  She didn’t want to lie, but she also couldn’t come out and answer the question. Everyone would know soon enough that all of those plans were no more.

  Hannah and Hallie moved across the carpet and into the venue, where the majority of stars and guests were already seated. Hannah finally breathed a sigh of relief once she was beyond the questions and flashing bulbs. She hadn’t thought about how to answer the questions about her tour or her new album.

  Nerves tightened in her belly that had nothing to do with her upcoming nomination for Entertainer of the Year. This entire mess had snowballed into lies and broken hearts, and it was going to get much worse before it would get better. But in the long run, Will’s label would remain untarnished and so would his name. That’s all that mattered to her right now.

  He might not love her, but she wasn’t sure if she’d ever stop loving him.

  Hannah was escorted to her seat and she wasn’t at all surprised to see she was in the front row, right next to all the Sutherland brothers.

  Wait. Where was Cash? The show was getting ready to start and he wasn’t here yet?

  Will met her eyes, but then that stare traveled down her body and she knew he loved the dress. She’d shown him a couple of options a few days ago and he’d told her how gorgeous she’d look in blue and how he couldn’t wait to see it on his bedroom floor.

  “Cash running late?” she asked, shaking off the image of what would never be.

  Their grim faces had her easing into her seat and leaning over. “What happened?”

  “He got arrested after the party last night,” Gavin whispered.

  Shock filled her. “What on earth for? What happened?”

  “DUI.”

  Confused, Hannah looked to Will. “I only saw him with one drink.”

  “Yeah, that’s the issue,” Gavin added. “He wasn’t drunk. I’m taking care of things.”

  The music started up, indicating the show was beginning, and Hannah sat there in utter disbelief. What was going on? Cash might sing about drinking and having that good ol’ country boy life, but she’d never seen him drunk and he certainly hadn’t been last night when she’d left.

  As the ceremony went on, Hannah had a difficult time focusing due to her worry about Cash. Not to mention her anxiety over having Will sitting just two seats down from her. At least Hallie was at her side. She needed her sister now more than ever.

  When Eleanor glided onto the stage in a fitted red beaded gown, the crowd cheered and clapped. Hannah couldn’t help but smile and feel slightly calmer.

  “It is my honor and privilege to present the final award tonight, for Entertainer of the Year.”

  Hallie reached for Hannah’s hand and squeezed. Right now, Hannah didn’t care much about the award, she just wanted to settle this roller coaster with Will and find out what happened to Cash. A DUI made absolutely no sense whatsoever. Not to mention he lived at the lake where the party had been held. Who the hell was trying to get Cash into trouble? Something was off here.

  Eleanor went through the nominees and Hannah didn’t miss the camera in her face to catch her reaction as her gram read Hannah’s name as the winner. Eleanor met her gaze and beamed a huge smile as she clapped.

  Hallie jumped up with Hannah and gave her a hug, then Hannah turned to Gavin and Luke, who patted her on the back and congratulated her. Will’s smile widened as he nodded his congrats. She wished she could celebrate this moment with him, fling herself into his arms and not have to hide her feelings. Unfortunately, that was impossible.

  Hannah climbed the stairs to the stage and reached for the award.

  Gram gave her a big hug and whispered in her ear, “There’s another surprise coming.”

  Confused, Hannah pulled back, but her gram stepped away from the mic to give Hannah the space for her speech. She hadn’t brought up a note or anything. Winning hadn’t even crossed her mind because she’d been so worried about everything else going on. So she just decided to speak from her heart.

  “This is such an honor,” Hannah began. “I value this award so much considering it’s voted on by the fans. I love my job and each of you. Being a performer has always been a dream of mine, so thank you for letting me live my dream.”

  The audience clapped, but then she realized she wasn’t standing at the mic alone. She glanced over and Will stood at her side. She covered the mic with one hand while holding her award with the other.

  “What are you doing?” she whispered as her heart thumped harder and her stomach twisted into knots.

  All Will did was smile and reach for her hand that covered the mic. He didn’t let go and Hannah had no clue what was happening, but he eased his arm around her waist and leaned into the stand.