Bound by Song (Cauld Ane Series, #4) Read online

  “I want you to meet with Grace tomorrow. You’re going to hire her.”

  “To do what?”

  “She’s going to be your assistant,” Max said.

  Silence.

  Max frowned. “Did you hear me?”

  “Aye, Max. I heard you.”

  “What time works for you to meet with her?”

  An exaggerated sigh came over the line. “How’s eleven?”

  “I’ll check with Grace, but I think that’ll be fine.”

  “Anything else?”

  “Yes. You’re to treat her with respect.”

  “Excuse me?”

  Max scowled. “You heard me, Kenna. You’re to treat Grace with respect. Is that a problem?”

  “Bloody hell, Max. You’re an arse.”

  “Because I want you to treat my mate with respect?” he ground out.

  “No, you bampot, because you think I wouldn’t. Is there anything else, Your Highness?”

  “Don’t call me that.”

  “My deepest apologies,” she droned.

  “You know I can sack you, Kenna.”

  “I know you can try,” she countered. “Anything else?”

  “No.” Max scowled. He might have the power to fire her, but the truth was, the band would never survive.

  “Good night, Max.”

  Kenna hung up before Max could respond. He sent off a quick e-mail to Grace and then tried not to worry about her meeting with Kenna as he dragged himself to his room and forced himself to bed.

  * * *

  The next morning, Grace pulled on a black pair of pants and a blouse that she hoped would be suitable. She had no idea what the appropriate interview attire was when meeting with the tour manager of one of the biggest bands in the world.

  She decided on flats rather than heels, and pulled her hair back into a ponytail in an effort to keep it out of her face. She heard the faint ring of the doorbell and grabbed her purse just as Maggie knocked on her door.

  “Your limo’s here,” Maggie said with a giggle.

  “You find that funny?”

  “Um, yeah. Don’t you?” Maggie grinned. “Do you know anyone else who’s been picked up by a limo for a job interview?”

  Grace chuckled. “I guess you have a point there, sissy.”

  “If you get this job, does that mean I can get backstage passes?” Maggie asked as she followed Grace downstairs.

  “I think you can probably get those now, Mags.”

  “Really?”

  Grace nodded. “I have it on good authority that Max finds you delightful.”

  “Shut up, he does?”

  “Yep. He told me that last night.”

  Maggie clapped her hands. “He did?”

  “He did.”

  “Can he put that in writing?”

  Grace laughed. “You so want to get Laurel riled up, don’t you?”

  Maggie had the wherewithal to blush. “What? No, I would never do that.”

  Grace stared at her sister until she caved and started laughing.

  “Okay, yeah, that would be a bonus,” she admitted.

  Grace nodded. “As I suspected.”

  “She’s just so nasty,” Maggie said.

  “I know she is. I’ll talk to Max about those passes,” Grace promised, and pulled open the front door. Bruce waited on the porch.

  “Have fun,” Maggie said, and closed the door.

  “Good morning, ma’am,” Bruce said, tipping his hat.

  “Hi, Bruce. Thank you for picking me up.” She followed him to the car. “I hope it wasn’t any trouble. I could have driven.”

  “No trouble at all.” Bruce pulled open the back door and handed her a small package. “This is from Mr. MacMillan.”

  “Oh, thank you.”

  Grace climbed into the limo and secured her seatbelt before unwrapping Max’s gift. A box and a note were enclosed. Opening the box, she found two cell phones inside, her old one and a brand-new iPhone. She unfolded the note and smiled...his familiar handwriting floated on the page.

  Grace, I took the liberty of purchasing you a new phone. I wasn’t clear which century yours hailed from, and I’d feel much better if you had something new. Yours, Max.

  “Oh, you’re funny, mister.” She stared at the iPhone and then at her Nokia flip phone. She didn’t even know how to turn on the new phone, which was part of the reason she refused to give up her Nokia. She liked her “dumb” phone...she never saw the need for a “smart” one.

  She dropped the phones into her purse, along with the note, and carefully folded the wrapping paper, laying it inside the box. She would return the expensive phone to Max as soon as she saw him. She wondered if she’d see him before her interview, and was dismayed with the sudden racing of her heart at that thought. She missed him and that concerned her. If he’d managed to wheedle his way into her heart in a matter of a few days, what would happen if she saw him every day for an extended period of time? The thought was terrifying...and somewhat exciting.

  Bruce pulled the car up to the front of the Governor Hotel, maneuvering around the crowd outside, and faced her. “Do you still have my card?”

  “I have your number in my phone,” Grace said.

  “I’m at your disposal today, ma’am, so please call me if you need a ride somewhere.”

  “Okay, thank you.”

  A young man opened Grace’s door and she climbed out. The crowd started yelling, but then a collective groan of disappointment sounded when they saw Grace.

  “I’m glad I don’t have low self-esteem,” she muttered.

  The young man chuckled. “We’ve been dealing with them ever since the word that there might be a famous band staying here got out. At least they’re no longer inside.”

  “I’m sure your guests would have loved that.”

  “Yes ma’am.” The young man held the main door open and smiled. “Just through these doors, Miss Wilson.”

  “Oh, thank you.” Grace wondered if she’d ever get used to people knowing who she was before she even arrived. It was a little disconcerting.

  She entered the hotel and was greeted by yet another hotel employee who led her back to one of the private meeting rooms. He opened the door for her. “Thank you,” Grace said and stepped inside.

  A woman who appeared almost as young as Grace, rose from her seat and smiled. “You must be Grace.”

  “I am. Kenna?”

  “Aye.” Kenna held out her hand and Grace shook it. “It’s lovely to meet you.”

  “You too.”

  Kenna had the most glorious red hair Grace had ever seen, and her gray eyes sparkled as she waved Grace to a seat at the table.

  “I understand you’d like to work for the band,” Kenna said.

  “Um. Yes. I suppose so.” Grace bit her lip as she sat down. She wasn’t sure how honest she should be with this potential employer.

  “Have you seen an outline of the job description?”

  Grace shook her head. “No, sorry. I actually know nothing about it.”

  Kenna opened a file and handed Grace a packet. “Well, why don’t you take a minute to familiarize yourself with the responsibilities, and we can go from there.”

  Grace set the packet on the table and sighed. “Kenna, may I be completely honest?”

  Kenna nodded. “Please.”

  “I have never worked for a band before. I know nothing about what it involves, and I know that Max has this grand idea that you’re going to hire me and everything’s going to be perfect, but I want to be upfront about my experience. I don’t have much. Max also alluded to the fact that you weren’t really going to have a choice in whether or not to hire me, because he’s so incredibly self-important.”

  Kenna stifled a snort and nodded.

  “I think working in an assistant manager role for a popular band sounds like a lot of fun, and also like a lot of work, but I truly don’t want the job unless both you and I think I’d be the right fit. Max or no Max. I can tell yo
u what my strengths are and what aspects of being an assistant I love, and maybe they’ll match up with this description.” Grace laid her hand on the packet. “But will you please be honest if you don’t think I’ll work out? I only want the job if I deserve it, and not because Max has some weird fascination with me.”

  Kenna smiled and nodded again. “Never fear, lass. If you’re not a right fit, we’ll sort it out, but I’ve had a chance to look over your resume, and it’s quite impressive. It’s true that you don’t have specific training in the world of temperamental musicians and international touring, but why don’t I just lay out some scenarios and you can tell me how you might handle them. That way we can see what sticks, eh?”

  “Perfect. I would like that very much.”

  Kenna grinned, and opened her portfolio.

  GRACE SPENT THE next hour grilling and being grilled by Kenna. By the end of the interview, she was employed and felt like she’d made a new friend.

  “I have the offer paperwork, if you’d like to look it over,” Kenna said.

  “Oh, wow, that was quick. Yes, that would be great.”

  Kenna slid an envelope with the word “confidential” written across the top. “Also, we will provide a phone and all the necessary technical items you’ll need to do your job. Laptop, iPad...that sort of thing. If you accept the position today, it’s perfect timing. After the show in Alaska, there’s a decent break before the next one, which means you can acclimate to the job before it gets crazy. Is there an issue for you if we fly out tomorrow?”

  Grace shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

  A knock at the door brought Max, his hair a perfect mess, wearing tight dark jeans and soft cotton V-neck T-shirt. Grace forced herself not to react, but this man was gorgeous.

  “Max,” Kenna said coolly.

  “Kenna,” he responded, although, his eyes never left Grace. “How has it all gone?”

  “We’re actually not quite finished,” Kenna said.

  Grace felt the tension between the two of them, but couldn’t drag herself away from Max’s gaze.

  “Grace and I have a lunch date,” Max said.

  Grace heard Kenna’s quiet sigh beside her and glanced at her. Kenna smiled.

  “Max, I’ll just finish up here and then we can go to lunch,” Grace said, focusing back on him. “Sound good?”

  “I’m happy to wait.”

  “Thank you.” Grace smiled. “Would you close the door on your way out, please?”

  Max frowned, but left the room without argument, closing the door behind him.

  Kenna chuckled, drawing Grace’s attention back to her. “Well done, Grace.”

  “Thanks. I think.” Grace smiled.

  “It’s good that you challenge him,” Kenna continued. “Not many of us do...at least, not many of us do and stick around.”

  Grace wondered how long it would take him to get rid of her. She pushed the maudlin thought aside and shrugged. “I’m just me. If I stick around, I stick around, I guess.”

  Kenna raised an eyebrow. “You’re not going anywhere.”

  Grace smiled. “We’ll see.”

  “Right,” Kenna said, and laid her hand on the envelope. “Have a read through this and if everything looks good, you can sign and either give it to me or Max. Whatever’s easiest for you. And if you have any questions, feel free to give me a ring. My card’s in the offer folder.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Shall I send Max in?”

  Grace shook her head. “Will you ask him to wait just a bit longer, please? I’d like to look this over in private.”

  “Of course.” Kenna stood and gathered her paperwork. “It was really lovely to meet you, Grace. I think you’re going be a great asset to the company.”

  Grace rose to her feet and shook her hand. “Thank you for taking the time to meet with me. I really appreciate it.”

  “My pleasure. I’ll see you soon.”

  Kenna left the room and Grace opened the envelope. For the most part, everything was pretty standard, until she came to the offer salary. Before she had a chance to fully process everything, Max walked in the room. He leaned down and kissed her cheek, and Grace bit the inside of her cheek in an effort not to sigh out loud.

  “How does the offer look?” he asked, sitting down in the chair Kenna had vacated.

  Grace shook her head. “The offer is far too much.”

  Max chuckled. “I don’t believe I’ve ever heard that before.”

  “Max, seriously. One-hundred thousand would be exorbitant enough, but this is in pounds. I don’t know any assistant making that, except maybe in California.”

  “We pay our employees well, Grace,” Max explained. “We like them to stick around.”

  “Are you telling me you’d pay someone else this much? Someone who wasn’t me?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t discuss employees’ income, love.”

  “Okay. What about when you’re not on tour? You can’t pay me if I don’t work.”

  “There’s plenty to do at our corporate headquarters.”

  “In Scotland.”

  Max nodded. “Aye, in Scotland.”

  “Max, I can’t move to Scotland. At least not right away. My family and friends are here.”

  He shrugged. “We’ll work around it.”

  “What about health insurance? I didn’t see anything in here about insurance.”

  “We will cover any medical costs you have.”

  “Max, not that this is any of your business, but I have migraine medication that’s exorbitantly expensive without insurance. It’s not a big deal right now, because I’m on my dad’s insurance for the time being, but I’ll age out of that option soon.”

  “Grace.” Max’s spoke as to a very small child. “If you have need for your prescription, doctor visits, whatever it might be, do it. I will reimburse you.”

  “What about confidentiality?”

  “Baby, you don’t have to tell me what it’s for. Just tell me you need X amount and I’ll make it happen.”

  Grace snorted. “You are too much.”

  “Are you going to accept the position?”

  “Of course I am,” Grace said. “I’m not an idiot. I just hope this doesn’t all go down in a fiery ball of shit.”

  Max laughed. “It won’t, Grace. I promise.”

  She opened her purse and pulled out the iPhone. “I was going to give this back to you because I didn’t feel like I could keep it, but I really won’t need it now, because I’ll be getting one for my job.”

  “That is yours for the job.”

  “What?”

  “That’s the one you’ll use in your administrative capacity.”

  Grace raised an eyebrow. “What if I’d said no to the job offer?”

  “I knew you wouldn’t.”

  “Am I that much of a given?”

  Max cocked his head. “I feel as though the honest answer to that question will not go well for me.”

  Grace shook her head with a sigh. “I wish I had the luxury of telling you to take this job and shove it.”

  Max laughed. “Would now be a good time to tell you that you do have all the luxury in the world?”

  “Max.”

  He smiled and leaned forward. “Let’s have lunch, eh?”

  “I’ll sign these first and then, yes, lunch would be great.”

  Grace signed her name, initialed where indicated, shoved the papers back into the envelope, and then held it out to Max. “My official acceptance.”

  Max rose to his feet, pulling her up with him. “Welcome to the company,” he said, and then kissed her breathless. Grace dropped the envelope onto the table, slid her hands into his hair and let herself go. He truly was irresistible, and the way he held her, making her feel wholly loved and protected, was something she’d never experienced before. She wondered how long it would last.

  He broke the kiss and gave her a gentle squeeze. “I’m getting carried away.”

  “
You’re dragging me with you.” Grace giggled. “Do you give this much attention to all your new hires?”

  “Only the pretty ones.”

  Grace bit back her jealousy and handed him the paperwork again. “Lunch?”

  He took it from her and nodded. “Aye, lass. Where would you like to go?”

  “You’re going to brave the public with me?”

  “I’d brave anything with you.”

  A shiver stole up her spine. “Lord above, you’re too much.”

  Max grinned. “Am I growing on you?”

  “Yes, Max. Somewhat like a weed.”

  He laughed.

  “Do you think Bruce is up to driving us a few blocks from here?”

  Max nodded. “Of course. Where to?”

  “One of my favorite lunch places is in the Pearl, and I think you’ll cause less of a frenzy there.”

  “How so?”

  Grace smiled. “They’re far too cool be impressed by you.”

  Max laughed again. “Then, by all means, lead on, love.”

  THURSDAY MORNING ARRIVED and the house was in chaos. So much for Grace’s grand plan to pretend she was going to a “normal” job. She’d packed last night and set everything in the foyer, hoping her family would go about their day like regular folk. Her hope was for naught.

  “Grace, honey,” her mother said, as she knocked on Grace’s door. “I made you breakfast.”

  Grace laid her hand on her roiling stomach. “Oh, Mom, I’m sorry, I don’t know if I can eat anything.”

  Her mom smiled. “You’re going to do great, you know. After a thorough check, Daddy feels sort of okay with you working for Max’s band... company... whatever they consider themselves.”

  “You still never answered the question about how you guys have access to background information.”

  “And I don’t think I will.” She took Grace’s face between her hands. “Guard your heart, sweetheart. I don’t worry about you the way I worry about Maggie, because you’ve always had a strong sense of discernment and you’re justice driven, but this boy is different.”

  “Ya think?”

  Her mom leaned against the bed. “That being said, try to give him the benefit of the doubt, okay?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Not everything works on paper, honey. Sometimes, things that are delivered to us with a pretty bow aren’t always nice, and the gifts in a brown paper sack are better than we could have imagined.”