The sound of a champagne cork popping was music to Andrea’s ears. She rarely drank champagne – her drink of choice was whiskey on the rocks – and that sound was one she always associated with good things, like her younger sister Sofia’s independent music award for Best Producer last year. Like Christmas when she was a child, before her Mom died. Like Hannah’s baby’s christening. But mostly, it was the sound of her own success. It was one beat in a score that had become the soundtrack to her life. Above all else these days, Andrea strived for success, to be the best at her job.
She poured the pink bubbles into a flute and walked to the window of her new office. She closed her eyes as the first hit of effervescence danced in her mouth, and opened them to her upgraded view across Williamsburg, East River and out to the big old city of New York.
The lights of the city’s skyscrapers shone out against the black backdrop of the sky. Not bad for a girl from Nashville, Tennessee, she thought. She scanned the view, closer to her office, and her eyes landed five blocks away on the old building that had started it all for her. The lights were still on at Sanfia Records – the indie recording label that her father had started twenty-five years ago. Two short years ago, she had been heading up the label when she was poached by XM Music Group to come over to one of their fastest-growing labels. She had never planned on leaving Sanfia Records but circumstances, plus the fact that XM Music Group’s offer had been too good to turn down, had forced her hand. Now, being promoted to chief executive officer of the group’s Stellar label proved she had made the right decision.
It had been a difficult transition at first and she still had doubts sometimes. Every now and then she would feel a wave of guilt for having left her sister to take over the family business but now that she was CEO of Stellar, she could help her sister by throwing work her way.
She raised her glass, wondering whether her sister was still working inside Sanfia Records. In that move, she toasted her own success. She wished her sister and Sanfia Records the best of luck. She silently thanked her father for everything he had done for her for thirty-eight years because telling him to his face was not something she would do.
‘Knock-knock.’
She hadn’t heard him come in but Hunter’s familiar voice was welcome. She watched him close the office door behind him, taking in his latest slick-cut suit. Hunter always dressed to impress. He was a man in his late fifties who looked barely a day over forty-five. He was tall and deadly attractive. The creases that decorated his eyes served only to add charm to his face and fiercely blue eyes.
‘Mind if I come in to toast my newest executive?’ he asked, holding up a bottle of Dom Pérignon and two glasses.
Andrea felt her lips curve up slightly. ‘Sure.’ After all, he had been the first person she had wanted to tell when her promotion was approved by the leadership board.
Hunter clocked the bottle of fizz Andrea was already enjoying and flashed her a devilishly handsome smile. ‘Great minds think alike.’
He poured himself a glass and as Andrea came to stand by him in front of her unnecessarily large desk, he clinked his drink against hers.
‘You deserve it,’ he said.
‘That means a lot coming from you, Hunter.’
He was, without doubt, an industry great. Like a lot of execs at the top of the music giants, Hunter’s background was actually Wall Street, rather than the music industry. He was cut-throat and sharp and helped XM Music Group – its artists, producers, sound engineers and the business in general – achieve more accolades and awards than the world’s other two largest recording labels. He had an eye for the market and trends, for lean financials and tight management. With Hunter at the helm, XM Music Group was capable of causing ripples that could result in wholescale waves in the global music industry.
He moved around the office, sensually running his fingertips along the black leather sofa at one side, the windowsill that ran the length of the full wall of windows, the table and chairs that took up one corner of the room. Power and control oozed from him.
‘Do you know what I like most about this office?’ he asked, running the back of his hand along the vertical blinds that hung on the interior windows. ‘That you can do this.’
He tugged on the line that drew the blinds closed, then he turned the lock on the door, shielding them from any prying eyes that might still be in the office.
Andrea’s heart thumped in her chest and her mouth was suddenly dry. No matter how many times they had been together, each time still felt exciting, outrageous, sinfully sexy. He was not hers. He belonged to another woman. She hated the truth – that knowing it was so wrong caused her body to hum with anticipation.
‘Hunter.’ Her voice was so heavily drenched in lust that his name left her as a hoarse whisper.
He crossed the room, his eyes on her. She licked her lips as her breathing quickened. Then he was pressed against her, and all she knew was pleasure. The kind of pleasure that made her forget all the sensible questions she should have been asking herself – How did I let this happen? How did I fall for the one man I absolutely cannot have?
She had lost count of how many times they had done this, how many nights they had shared countless orgasms over recent months, but she now knew the feel of him, the shape of him, the undertone of every noise he made.
When she was once again presentable, her tailored suit in place and the rogue hairs from her chignon smoothed, she topped off her glass of champagne.
‘Another?’ she asked Hunter.
‘Afraid not. I have a dinner tonight,’ he said casually, as he unclicked the lock to the door and moved to open the blinds.
Andrea checked her watch. ‘It’s already eight thirty. Where is your dinner?’
He paused by the blinds, gave her a look of pity, and said, ‘Let’s not become those people, Andrea.’
Which she took to mean he would be having dinner with his wife and possibly his daughter. She shook it off. ‘You’re right,’ she said, waving a hand vacantly. ‘I have a few things to sort out here so you best leave me to it.’
He smiled condescendingly. ‘That’s my girl. You know my advice – new posts demand a stamp of authority. You should be working on your first big move.’
Hunter flipped open the blinds and standing right outside the office was Bryant Matthews, talking with another senior member of staff. Both men looked into the office; first at Hunter, then Andrea. Andrea jumped up from her position on her leather sofa, uneasy, but Hunter took it in his stride, dipping his head in acknowledgement to the men.
If someone could have freeze-framed the look on their faces at that very moment, Andrea’s would have said, ‘I’m guilty.’ Bryant’s would have said, ‘I finally understand her promotion.’ He had been second-in-line for the role of CEO of Stellar but he had believed himself to be ahead of Andrea and now there was no doubt he would be harbouring a grudge the size of Canada.
‘Fuck,’ Andrea whispered.
‘We’re two colleagues enjoying a celebratory drink, Andrea,’ Hunter reasoned.
‘With the blinds drawn?’
He picked up his suit jacket and drained what was left of his drink. ‘That, I admit, was unfortunate timing. I’m late so I’ll be seeing you. I’m proud of you, kiddo.’
She watched the door close behind him, waiting for it… Sure enough, the guilt came. She wished she could put an end to it. But he had become an addiction to her. She was always waiting for her next fix. And they both knew that if he was a happily married man, he wouldn’t come to her. What they were doing was wrong, dirty but sensationally erotic. Just one more time, that was what she would promise herself after every romp.
But her promotion to CEO had brought with it a stark realisation… When she had first found out, she hadn’t wanted to tell her best friend and executive assistant, Hannah. Nor had she wanted to run to her sister, Sofia and tell her how she’d been promoted two short years after ditching the family label. She definitely hadn’t wanted to tell her friend Rosalie. No, the first thing she had wanted to do was celebrate her new role with Hunter.
That thought terrified her.