Free Tangled Trust (The Lust List: Kaidan Stone #2) by Nova Raines Page B

Ethan’s performance, and all eyes go to the other stage.
    He comes out with a guitar, and his handsome face just… changes as the lights come on above him and cast him in a yellow glow, leaving the band members behind him shrouded in red light.
    His voice is deep and full of angst as he sings the opening lyrics. It’s like something comes over him, directing his movements for him, and his presence just sweeps the room, filling it up until none of the band members behind him matter at all, until the entire auditorium fades away, and it’s just him.
    He’s not a douchebag anymore. He’s a rock god, someone you can’t tear your gaze from. Charisma emanates off of him, holding me in his spell until he reaches the end of the song.
    The auditorium erupts with applause, and I realize Bia has disappeared to get ready for her performance next. Serena heads backstage to get ready to award best pop song as the applause dies down for Ethan.
    A few awards later, she glides onstage and stands behind the podium, a huge smile plastered on her face. I sip my champagne, mesmerized by the way the lights glint off the enormous diamond resting in her cleavage. Maybe I need to slow down on the champagne.
    A new artist, Sophie, a 16-year-old pop singer signed to Rev Records, wins the award. The young brunette bounces on stage grinning. My father didn’t win a HIT award until he was almost thirty, and he used to rant about the younger artists—how the labels exploited them and gave them manufactured pop shit to sing. How much better his metal music was.
    It’s clear Sophie has no clue how lucky she is—how long other artists have to wait to win an award like this. She isn’t even self-conscious as she gives her half-forgotten speech.
    Serena comes back to our table, and on the next commercial break, she gets up again, this time to leave for her performance. “You coming?”
    I glance at a perplexed Kaidan, wishing I hadn’t asked to go backstage. I regret even considering stealing the diamond… There has to be another way.

But I did ask to go, and I’ll look dumb if I tell her no now. Serena tilts her head to the side, annoyed I’m keeping her waiting.
    “Uh… sure,” I say. “I’m coming.”
    Kaidan reluctantly lets go of my hand, and I leave my clutch with him and follow Serena and a few of the bodyguards backstage. It’s crazy back here, people milling around: half-naked dancers, cameramen, stagehands, security.
    We pass by dozens of monitors, all of them trained on various areas of the auditorium. I glimpse Kaidan at our table, talking to Bia’s manager.
    He’s so damn handsome. And he’s with me. I can’t help but smile as I hurry after Serena to her dressing room.
    Serena falls back, waiting for me. “I just wanted to say I’m so glad Kaidan found a new girl!”
    “Uh… Thanks.”
    “I never liked Peyton. She was a bore. You seem like you’ll be so much more fun!”
    I don’t even know what to say to that. “How so?”
    “Well,” she says, dragging the word out. She touches my arm and glances around conspiratorially. “Calvin hasn’t asked me to marry him yet, but I just know it’s coming. The problem is that he loves his resort vacations. And oh God, I am so tired of sitting around while he goes and plays golf. Now you and Kaidan can join us! You and me can do the fun stuff while they play.”
    “Oh, yay,” I say, trying to actually sound excited about that terrible prospect.
    She throws an arm around me, smiling, and squeezes me before letting go. “We’ll be like sisters!”
    I let out an awkward laugh. Serena’s sudden change in behavior toward me is a little bizarre. “Only it’ll be more like mother and daughter, right?”
    She stiffens and stares at me blankly. “Definitely sisters.”
    “Yeah, for sure.”
    She grins at me and then bounds into her dressing room.
    I blow out a breath and follow. I’m pretty damn sure Calvin Stone is a perv, a guy who will trade in twenty-somethings for