Sophie
By the end of the evening, I had signed so many legal documents my head was spinning.
The police had come to our suite, and Claire had given them documents and filled them in on our assumption that Terry was trying to get me murdered due to the clause in my contract I didn't know about.
While the police said they couldn't arrest Terry, they did issue a restraining order against him and would be serving it to him that evening.
Claire was on the phone with Ben Demar, her attorney friend who went and filed paperwork at the courthouse back in New York for me.
The others had gone out to dinner. Phil and I had decided to stay in so we didn't have to deal with the paparazzi. It was dark out. I sat at the desk next to the window. I had Phil's laptop and was replying to the emails I hadn't accessed in several days.
Phil walked into the room. He stood behind me and put his arms around my shoulders.
I looked up at him, and he leaned down and gave me a peck.
"Let's go for a walk, Petal."
"Won't I get mobbed?"
He set a bag I hadn't noticed on the desk and grinned. "It's dark, but I also have this for you."
"What's that?" I gave him a sly glance.
"Your disguise."
"When did you get that?"
"I had the guards go get it."
"What is it?"
He laughed. "Open it and find out."
I pulled out a pair of glasses, a ballcap, and a long, brown-haired wig. I laughed. "You think this will work?"
He shrugged. "Who knows. Let's try it."
"Wow. This is a lot of hair." The wig was a lot longer than my normal hair and pretty thick.
Phil held his hands up in the air. "Hey, I just told Timko I wanted a disguise. I didn't choose it."
I laughed. "Okay. Let's try it." I grabbed the items and walked over to the mirror. I put everything on. I started laughing. "I look ridiculous." The wig was down to my butt and even had thick, long bangs that almost covered my eyes.
Phil started laughing. "Well, you don't look like Carlotta Ensign or Sophie Cradle. But you still look pretty hot to me."
"Ha, ha! Don't you think we'll look suspicious with guards following us?"
"I've already worked that out."
I looked at him in question.
He laughed again. "Don't worry. Grab your jacket, and let's go." He put on a ballcap that had long hair attached to it and grinned at me.
Laughing, I walked over to the front door, grabbed both our coats, and handed his to him. I put mine on.
We opened the door. Phil led me to an elevator the guard was holding open. We got in, and he pushed the button for the third floor.
"We're on the move," the guard said into his wristwatch.
The elevator stopped on the third floor. We got out, and several guards lined the halls. We didn't walk far before Phil led me around the corner and opened the door to the stairs.
We quickly moved through the stairwell and out into the lobby. When we got down to the lobby, several guards were scattered throughout. I recognized their faces, but they looked like normal guests.
We made our way through the lobby. From the corner of my eye, I could see them very casually following us, but so no one would notice.
"So far, so good, Petal," Phil murmured in my ear.
I grinned at him.
We got outside. I leaned into Phil as we walked through London.
"I just realized it's almost Christmas." I glanced around the street at all the lights and other decorations. You could hear Christmas music playing.
"Kind of hard to think about Christmas with everything that’s been going on," Phil said absentmindedly, and looked around.
"What do you normally do for Christmas?"
"Sometimes I go back home. It depends on what’s going on with work."
I stopped walking and gazed up at him.
"What?"
"I don't know anything about you, really. Well, besides your bio on your website and your secret after-hours life," I teased.
He gave me a cocky grin. "You've read my bio?"
I blushed. "I kind of have it memorized."
He chuckled. "When did this happen?"
"Maybe after our first night until I saw you again." I bit my lip.
He stepped into me and smirked. "So you were pretty obsessed with me, huh?"
I laughed. "Let's not get cocky now."
He bent down and crushed his lips against mine. As the people on the sidewalk bustled their way around us, Phil and I stood in the middle of London, lip-locked, with no one knowing who I was.
I inhaled his amber-and-rosewood scent as tingles raced through my body. "Mmm, you smell so good."
Someone bumped into us. I jerked my head, expecting to be mobbed, but it was an innocent pedestrian who kept walking.
"Come on, Petal." Phil put his arm back around me, and we started walking again.
"Is home still Washington, D.C.?"
He laughed. "You did read my bio."
I playfully smacked him. "Stop it."
"Okay. Yes. My parents and sister and brother still live there. My sister is married with two kids, and my brother just got engaged. His wedding will be next summer." He looked down at me and grinned. "You won't be on tour, so I'm booking you as my date now."
My heart fluttered. "You are, huh?"
"Yep."
"Good."
"What about your family, Petal?"
"My only family is Ethan. His dad, too, although he doesn't know either of us anymore. If I'm in town, I usually go to a party with Ethan, and in the morning we visit his dad. My parents died in a car accident when I was thirty-two. I don't have any siblings."
"That must have been hard for you."
I shrugged and tried to make a joke. "Add it to my list."
We walked in silence a bit.
"So how many guards are following us right now?"
"Eight."
"Eight!"
Phil laughed. "Yep."
"Jeez, you're a little over the top, aren't you?"
"Nope."
I laughed and leaned into him. "This is nice. I feel pretty normal right now. Thanks for this."
He pulled me closer. "I've been thinking."
"What's that?"
"You need your own label."
"My own label?" My pulse quickened. I’d always wanted my own label.
"Yep."
"That's a big investment. I looked at it before, and it's too much of a risk."
"Don't worry about that. I'll pay for it."
I stopped. "Phil, this isn't about my security. You can't just give me that kind of money."
"Why not? It's my choice. And it's about you having full control over your career. You told me to do what was necessary." He raised his brow at me.
I took a deep breath. "It's too much."
"Why does it have to be too much? Why can't you look at it differently?"
"How?"
"It’ll make me happy."
I laughed. "I know other ways to make you happy."
"Petal—"
"Phil, it's more complicated than just money. There's a lot I don't know about running a label, and it would be way over my head. I've never run a business. I've just been told what to do."
He scanned my eyes, then pointed behind me. "Let's go grab a drink, Petal."
I sighed. "Okay."
He led me into a quiet wine bar, and we walked to the back and sat next to each other in a booth. The waitress quickly came up.
"You want a pinot, Petal?"
"Please."
He held up two fingers to the waitress. She smiled and left.
Phil laced his fingers through mine and turned toward me. "You need your own label. You have the talent and fan base. The rest is just semantics."
"Maybe for you, but not for me. I don't know how to do any of that stuff."
"Sophie, you said you wanted control over your career. What does that look like to you?"
I sat back and thought. "I want to have full artistic control and final say over my schedule and promotions. I also want to be able to collaborate with up-and-coming artists. I want to deviate from my genre when I feel like it."
Phil said in a stern voice, "You need your own label, Petal."
"There's more to a label than talent, Phil. The other stuff that's done for me, I don't want any part of it. There are contracts, venues, employees, branding, accounting, and so many other things I don't even know about. That's not my forte, and I don't have any desire to learn it. I know my role, and I'm not looking to change sandboxes."
Phil laughed. "Nor should you, if you don't want to."
"So you see why I shouldn't have my own label. As sexy as it sounds to me, it isn't the right move."
The waitress came and set our drinks down. I took a sip.
"What if I handled all that other stuff for you?"
I jerked my head at him. "What do you mean?"
"I'll handle all of that. You focus on your music and bringing other artists into the label. You stay on your side of the sandbox, and I'll stay on mine. We can be partners."
"Partners?"
"Yes. Partners."
"You don't think working together will be bad for our relationship?"
"Do you?"
I shrugged. "I don't know. I've never done anything like this before."
"Tom and Liv work together on their businesses. It works because they both stay in their own lane. We can do the same thing. I'm not going to try and tell you what to do with your music or what artists would be good for the label. I doubt you’ll want to handle the attorneys and accountants."
I wrinkled my nose. "I definitely won't be doing that."
Phil laughed. "Well, there's your answer. No, I don't think it’ll be bad for us."
My pulse started to quicken. "How are you going to have time for this?"
He laughed. "I'll run it like any other company we buy or start. I'll put Liv's firm on the marketing and branding, my legal and accounting will handle those parts, and the rest of the issues I'll delegate to my existing team or find new talent. I'll be a part of managing it and there for the big decisions, but you and I will make decisions together. I'll handle the boring stuff, and you do your thing."
I stared at him. It sounded too good to be true.
"Why are you staring at me?"
"You make it sound so easy."
He laughed and shrugged. "That stuff is easy for me."
"Really?" I looked at him in disbelief. That stuff was totally over my head.
"I told you I'm old and boring."
I nudged him. "Ha, ha. You're anything but."
He pulled my face to his. "Sophie, you need your own label. You're more than capable."
Excitement rushed through me. "You're serious about this?"
He chuckled. "Don't forget, I'm underestimated."
I smiled. "That you are."
He brushed his hands against my cheek. "Do you want to do this with me, then?"
I bit my lip and thought. "Can you give me a bit to think about it?"
Phil kissed me. "Take as much time as you need."
I woke up the next morning, and Phil was still asleep.
I think it's time we finished what we started.
We were both naked from our previous night of fun. I peeked under the covers, then rolled on top of him and slid onto his hard-on.
"Mmm…" he sleepily moaned with his eyes shut.
I let out a small moan and stayed still for a minute as my body adjusted to his length and girth.
I focused my lips on his neck and started to move my hips against him.
He groaned. "Please tell me I'm not dreaming."
I giggled into his neck.
He kept his eyes shut and grabbed my ass. He breathed, "You feel so good, Petal."
Tiny little ripples started to move through my body as I slid against him. My lips made their way across his bearded jawline. I teased him, "You don't want me to stop?"
His eyes stayed shut, and he moved his hands to my hips and started to move me faster. "That's a cruel thought, Petal."
I smiled and started to circle my hips into him and nibbled on his earlobe.
He groaned.
My mouth moved over to his. I gently bit his lip, then parted his lips with mine. His amber-and-rosewood scent once again filled my senses and sent more shivers down my spine. His tongue slowly inched into my mouth, and his fingers started to brush against my naked back.
I moaned against his lips and started to circle my hips faster.
"Oh God, Petal," he muttered.
Warmth crept through my body, and my nerves started to tingle.
There was a knock at the door.
Phil opened his eyes, and we both yelled, "Go away!"
I gripped his hair and pulled his face into my neck.
He groaned and started to move me faster.
Liv's voice rang out, "Sophie—"
"Go away!" we both yelled again.
"Don't stop, Petal," he whispered to me. "Please, don't stop."
I nodded as more heat rushed to my head, and my bottom lip started to tremble.
Phil pushed my forehead to his and closed his eyes while thrusting into me harder. "You're so soft."
"Harder," I grunted to him.
He dug his fingers into my hips more and pushed me harder against him.
My insides started to spasm as he slid in and out of me. "Ah…" I cried out.
"You're so good, Petal," he moaned into my neck.
I started whimpering and vibrating against him.
He held me tighter and pounded into me faster.
"Oh...oh…" I blinked a few times, trying to focus, but I couldn't.
"Just let go, Petal," Phil whispered.
I shattered against him as his body erupted against mine. An explosion of adrenaline surged through me, and I was suddenly flying. I cried out his name, and he pulled my shaking body closer to his rupturing one.
I collapsed on him as we both tried to find our breath. His heart beat against my own.
He stroked my back and gave me a naughty grin. "Can you wake me up like that every day?"
I giggled. "Let's go see what Liv wanted."
Phil rolled his eyes. "They seriously need to stop knocking on our door in the morning."
I rolled off Phil and got out of bed. I threw on some clothes. Phil did the same, and we walked out to the living room.
Everyone was drinking coffee.
Liv looked over at us with a grimace. "Sorry about that."
My face got red.
Phil pointed to them. "You all need to stop knocking on our door."
"Maybe you should get your ass out of bed sooner." Tom smirked at Phil.
"I'll eventually get you all back," Phil promised.
I grabbed two cups off the table and started pouring us coffee. "So, what's going on?"
Liv glanced at me. "I need to know your decision about the press conference. If you're going to do one, I need to send the release out."
I took a deep breath and looked over at Ethan.
He scanned my eyes. "It's your call, Soph."
With all the paperwork and other issues I’d dealt with the day before, I hadn't made a decision. Did I want to do a press conference? No. But did I want someone else revealing my truth? No.
I decided it was time to deal with my past and take more control of my life. I looked at Liv. "Schedule it, please."
She looked at me in surprise, but only for a quick second, then smiled. "Consider it done." She walked over to the other table and grabbed her laptop.
I walked over to Ethan. "You don't need to do this. I can handle this myself."
He peered down at me. "You sure?"
I nodded. "I think you've taken care of me long enough, don't you?"
"I don't see it that way, Soph."
"I know you don't. And I appreciate all you've done—really. But I've got this one."
He nodded and gave me a smile. "Okay, Soph."
I turned and looked at Phil. "Hey, Liv? Can I also announce I'm firing my manager and label?"
"Yes."
I continued to stare at Phil. "Can I also announce that I'll be starting my own label?"
Phil
It was about an hour before Sophie's concert. Liv had decided it was best to do the press conference at the stadium in the press area.
I was nervous for her, but Sophie was a true rock star. Not just musically, but in all ways. I stood by her side as she told her story with grace and humility. Then I watched her as she announced why she was firing her longtime manager and label.
After answering several questions, one of the reporters asked, "What label are you going to?"
She beamed. "I'm so glad you asked that question. I'm excited to announce that I will be creating my own label so I can have full creative control, and collaborate and help new artists launch."
Questions started flying.
Sophie laughed. "You can address your business questions to my partner, Phil Laurent." She stepped aside.
I started answering questions. A reporter asked, "What's the name of the new label?"
I was about to tell him we hadn't decided that yet when Sophie stepped back to my side.
"Underestimated Artists." She glanced at me, and a big grin formed on my face.
It was perfect.
The same reporter asked, "How did you come up with that name?"
Sophie looked at him. "Because everything in life is a gamble. You have to choose what gamble you want to go all in on. We're going to look for the underestimated artists, and we're going to take a gamble and go all in on them." She stepped back from the microphone and winked at me.
I smiled and started taking more questions.
"Does Carlotta have a romantic relationship with you?" a reporter yelled out.
"Carlotta's personal life will not be discussed. Next question, please." I motioned to another reporter.
"Do you have a romantic relationship with Carlotta?" the other reporter asked.
I was about to give the same type of response when Sophie grabbed my chin and jerked it toward her. She pulled me down and gave me a long, steamy kiss, then pulled back an inch from my face and bit her lip.
I grinned and stared into her eyes.
She spun to the microphone. "You can come up with your own interpretation of the relationship status between me and Phil Laurent."
The reporters started laughing. I saw Tom grinning at me out of the corner of my eye.
We got through the press release. I put my hand on her back and led her through the door and into her dressing room.
She closed the door the second we stepped inside. She gave me a sly grin and put her arms around my neck. "Sorry I disclosed your personal life."
I laughed. "What made you do that?"
"I just decided it was time to claim you to the world as mine."
I laughed. "Is that right?"
"Yeah. All those women you work with are going to have to back off now."
I looked at her in question. "All those women I work with?"
"Don't you have tons of office sex?"
I laughed. "Are you seriously asking me that?"
She nodded. "Yes. Why wouldn't I be serious?"
"I don't play in the sandbox."
"Well, if we're going to partner together, you're going to need to change that rule."
I laughed. "I think that can be arranged."
She slapped me on the ass. "Okay, get out of here, then. I've got a show to get ready for."