Still, Amy was human and she couldn’t help but wonder what Roper had thought when he’d turned from Hannah in her itsy-bitsy teenie-weenie bikini to face Amy in her Speedo one-piece racing suit.
It shouldn’t matter.
But it did.
Just like she shouldn’t be personally interested in Roper.
But she was.
And that truth had been driven home to her when she’d heard the sound of Roper’s deep, familiar laugh coming from the whirlpool and she’d walked in on him making time with a gorgeous woman who, true to form, hung on his every word.
Amy knew she ought to have expected it, but since she hadn’t talked to him in a week and their last real encounter had been an argument, she hadn’t been able to laugh it off. Instead, unwanted and unbidden jealousy had swamped her and remained with her, even now.
Four days with a respiratory virus had nearly killed her, and Amy had dragged herself out of bed for the first time in days to take a sauna and visit the outside world. She hadn’t expected to run into Roper, and she sure as heck thought she’d look better the first time she did. But her nose was still red, her eyes sunken and tired-looking and her choice of bathing suit wasn’t exactly sexy.
She stepped out of the shower and towel-dried her hair, then used a diffuser to air-dry the curls. The one benefit to being in New York was the lack of constant humidity, but there was no getting away from the fact that she wasn’t a model-thin, glossy-haired starlet. She picked clothes that suited her, but at times like these it was hard to remember that she liked herself just fine.
Drawing a deep breath, she headed over to the room number where Hannah was staying. She’d told Roper she’d meet him there, knowing she’d need time to pull herself together before seeing him again.
Voices, laughter and soft music sounded from inside. Amy knocked once and the door eased open, so she let herself inside. She took in the small group of people, immediately noticing they were dressed as casually as she was in her jeans and a loose-fitting cotton long-sleeved T-shirt. One hurdle over, she managed to relax.
Then she zeroed in on Roper sitting beside Hannah, along with a bunch of other guys who joked and talked while she strummed on her guitar. Although he was laughing and enjoying himself with the guys, Roper didn’t look particularly hung up on the pretty musician. In fact, he seemed more mellow and relaxed than she’d ever seen him.
A sudden sense of peace settled over Amy as she realized she’d done the right thing by bringing him here. At that moment, he seemed to sense her presence. He turned her way, his gaze locking on hers. A welcoming smile eased the corners of his mouth upward in a grin that told her he was genuinely happy to see her.
She walked over and joined the group.
“Hi, there,” Roper said, light sparkling in his eyes.
“Hi,” Amy said, not wanting to interrupt the ongoing conversation.
“Join us,” Hannah said.
“We’re just listening to Hannah and her favorite relaxing music,” one of the guys said.
The other woman rolled her eyes. “They are not. They’re being guys, making crude jokes and basically ignoring me,” Hannah said.
“Who’s this pretty lady?” A big, dark-haired, tattooed guy asked. His easy laugh was at odds with his rougher appearance, and Amy could tell he was a teddy bear in wolf’s clothing.
“I’m so bad at names.” Hannah blushed. “But I remember your first name. It’s Amy. Amy…?”
“Stone,” Roper said, rising and stepping over to join Amy, placing a protective, possessive arm around her shoulders. “Amy Stone, meet Mike Morris, the drummer.”
“Hey, don’t forget about us,” another of the group said.
Amy glanced over. Two identical faces, both blond-haired men, stared back at her.
“Joe and John Glover, Amy Stone.” Hannah gestured between all involved. “You can see how rough it is. I’m surrounded by guys all the time. I’m glad to have another girl here.” She placed her guitar beside her and jumped up. “Me and the guys, we tour together all the time, but sometimes it gets a bit much, if you know what I mean.”
Amy laughed, glancing at the men she found herself suddenly surrounded by. “I can imagine.”
“Don’t listen to her,” Mike said. “She loves us.” His gaze caught Hannah’s for a brief second before he quickly glanced back at the other guys.
“Like a brother, baby.” She made a face at her drummer, but the stare and the connection lasted long enough to tell Amy there was something between them. Something they both fought to deny.
Hannah turned to Amy. “Come on, let’s get to know each other,” Hannah said, pulling her away from Roper and to the far side of the room.
She handed Amy a can of Coke and grabbed one for herself, another thing that surprised Amy. No drugs or alcohol. Everyone here seemed high on just hanging out and enjoying life.
“So how do you know Roper?” Hannah asked Amy.
“I work for his PR firm.”
“Publicist?” Hannah asked, drinking her Coke directly from the can.
Amy nodded. “But on this assignment, I’m more like his handler.”
Hannah nodded. “I’m ducking my handler-manager at the moment,” she said, sounding way too wise for her years.
Amy was intrigued. “Mind if I ask why?”
Hannah strode to the window and looked out. Amy joined her, struck by the beauty of the falling snow. White and full flakes dropped against the backdrop of the inky night sky. So different from Florida and yet so magnificent it took her breath away.
Hannah sighed. “My manager likes to keep me in the headlines even when I don’t have a CD currently out. You know the expression, no publicity is bad publicity? Well she lives by that mantra and frankly it exhausts me.”
“How so?” Amy wanted a point of comparison for Roper’s life. The two sounded similar.
“I can’t go out for dinner without the press finding out about it. If I call a guy friend just because I need a shoulder to cry on, the next thing I know I’m reading about how we’re an item. I know this sounds selfish considering how fortunate I’ve been, but I need some downtime and it’s been hard to get it lately.” She glanced around the room at the guys in the band. “They understand and feel the same way. So we came up here without telling her where we are.”
Amy placed her soda can down, unopened. “Boy, we all have a lot in common.” She didn’t know why she thought she could trust Hannah, but she did. Something about the sincerity she sensed in the other woman’s demeanor and personality spoke to Amy. “I basically dragged Roper up here kicking and screaming for the same reasons. Nobody knows where he is and I really need to keep it that way.”
Hannah turned toward Amy, her eyes full of understanding. “He’s had it rough lately, hasn’t he?”
“He has. Much more than he deserves. I want him to have time to regroup without personal issues pulling at him. Every day he gets here is a bonus as far as I’m concerned.”
“He won’t be outed by any of us, that I can promise you.” Hannah crossed her heart.
Amy glanced across the room and her gaze met Roper’s. He held the stare for a long moment before he winked and turned his attention back to whatever Mike was saying.
They hadn’t had a real conversation since the car ride up here one week ago. Her cold had sidelined her, but watching him now, maybe it was for the best. He’d had a chance to come to grips with what she’d done and why. He’d needed to be here and he understood that now.
Amy refocused on Hannah, realizing Roper’s emotional health depended on everyone’s discretion, but apparently Hannah felt the same way. “I believe you’ll keep his location secret.”