The crowd roars as I finish singing at my sold-out Las Vegas concert.
"Thank you, Las Vegas, I love you. Good night!"
If I hurry, I can still make my brother's engagement party. My boyfriend Koga is already in my dressing room. And he's...moaning?
"Oh, God!"
"Koga, are you okay?"
"He's more than okay."
As Koga moves, I realize my best friend and choreographer is on her knees before him.
"Koga, Frida... How could you two do this to me?"
"Drop the drama queen scene, (Y/N). It could be worse."
"You're cheating on me with my best friend— How could this get worse?!"
Which is when the entire Las Vegas press corps walk in.
"International pop Star Takayama (Y/N) cheated by her boyfriend WITH her best friend?"
"This is the scandal of the decade! Takayama (Y/N), how do you respond?" Iggy asks.
"Like this... I can't think of any two scumbags who deserve each other more than these two."
"You can't talk about us like that. This is all your fault, (Y/N)!" Koga growls.
"How could your cheating be MY fault?"
"Because you wouldn't put out. Duh!"
"Don't feel bad, baby. (Y/N) doesn't put out for anyone... Because she's a virgin! " Frida blurts
Suddenly, all eyes are on me as flashbulbs go off in my face.
Shit, now I'm going to be publicly eviscerated for my personal choices.
I turn to the press, making sure they get my good side.
"I'm disappointed that my former best friend brought this up publicly. But I'm not ashamed to admit I'm a virgin."
"Maybe you should. You're twenty-six-years-old already!" she says rolling her eyes.
"How do you respond to that, Takayama (Y/N)?" Iggy asks.
"Every woman has the right to decide what's best for her and her body. This has been what's best for me. As my EX-boyfriend here has clearly demonstrated."
"Well said, (Y/N)!" a reporter agrees.
Without another word, I turn and leave. I'm still furious when I arrive at the Pearl Casino for my brother's engagement party. Which is probably why I can't remember which ballroom the party is in.
I'm already so late. Was it the north ballroom or the south one?
I decide to try the nearest door. But just then, it slams open, knocking me backward. Suddenly, warm and strong hands grab me, holding me steady. I look up into a handsome face.
"Is this the engagement party for Takayama Riki and—"
But he clamps a hand over my mouth, silencing me.
"Shh! Jesus, are you crazy, woman?!"
After the night I've had, I'm not putting up with any man calling me crazy!
I twist sharply just as he tries to turn me the other way. Off balance, my spike heel kicks into his shin. He stifles a grunt of pain. Suddenly, he grabs me in his strong arms and drags me off. The next thing I know, I'm in a nearby VIP lounge. It's deserted.
"What the hell is wrong with you?"
"What the hell is wrong with me? What the hell is wrong with you? "
"This hotel is crawling with sports paparazzi. Taki is the Las Vegas Phoenix football team's best player. You start yelling about his engagement party, and they'll start swarming like locusts."
"Who are you then? Are you a security guard?"
He looks away from me for a moment.
"Something like that."
"Now that we have that straightened out, I have an engagement party to get to."
He moves to block my exit. I can feel the heat from his body and smell his scent—clean and spicy. It tickles the back of my throat and makes me shiver.
"I'm not going to let some rando psycho chick charge into Taki's party and make a scene. Even if her eyes are gorgeous when she's angry."
"Don't act like you're trying to help. You're just making things worse."
And all of a sudden, I'm fighting back sobs.
"Hey, hold on! I didn't realize you were really that upset. Tell me what's going on. Maybe I can help."
"I don't even know you."
"Some things are better with a stranger."
He sits and pats the sofa next to him expectantly. I consider his generosity and sit next to him.
"That's more like it."
"If you must know, I caught my boyfriend and my best friend together cheating on me."
"What a couple of assholes!"
"That's not all. By tomorrow, everybody is going to know about it!"
"Well, not 'everybody', right?"
I look away. Once the paparazzi break the story about my breakup and virginity, 'everybody' really will know.
"Maybe the whole thing was my fault. I should have seen it coming."
"Don't do that to yourself, bright eyes."
He leans in closer to me.
"Nobody deserves to be treated like that. Especially not you."
We stare into each other's eyes. His sincerity leaves me breathless and wanting. I look for a way to break the tension.
"Shouldn't I find Taki and Carrie to congratulate them on their engagement."
"Why are you in such a hurry to leave?"
I realize I'm not ready to end the only moment of normality in this long, crazy day. Especially with him looking at me this way.
"Before we get back to the party, I wouldn't mind getting to know you better."
"As you wish. How about I—"
Before he can finish, I hear voices outside the lounge.
"One picture could make me rich! Scandal always sells papers!"
"Damn, that's the paparazzi again!" the mysterious stranger growls.
Evading the paparazzi has practically been at the top of my job description since I was 16.
"I know what to do. We should get cozy and hide under the table together."
"What? Why would you—"
I grab his hand and pull him under the table with me. The long tablecloth conceals us both, but there's not a lot of room with his muscles taking up so much space. Instead of arguing or demanding an explanation, he surprises me.
"We need to get closer, or they'll find us."
He wraps a strong arm around my waist and pulls me close.
"You okay?"
"I think I need to be even closer."
He shifts me nearer, one hard thigh pressing between my legs.
God, he feels incredible.
I press against him harder feeling his sudden erection
There's no way I can ignore that.
My hips sway forward, making full contact with his crotch. He rolls us both, so I'm under him, legs spread. He gives a quiet growl.
"God, you're driving me fucking crazy, and I don't even know your name." he tells me with a smirk.
I can feel the heat of his cock through our layers of clothes. Lust spreads out from my center. I can feel my panties getting damp. But then the paparazzi enter the lounge. We both freeze.
"Damn, there's no one here. Let's keep looking."
As soon as we're sure they're gone, we crawl out from under the table.
"I never should have doubted you."
For a moment, we just stare at each other.
"God, I want to kiss you."
The heat between my legs spread throughout my whole body.
"Well...I thought you'd never ask." I smile
He pulls me into his arms. His mouth takes possession of mine in a blazing kiss. The kiss goes on, and I realize he has no intention of stopping any time soon. My tongue laps at his lips, begging for entrance. He opens his mouth to mine. I grab his ass, pulling his hips against mine.
"God, you're amazing!"
His wanting me is obvious in his eyes and in his pants.
"Want to take this somewhere really private?"
This man has made me feel more passion in a few minutes than I felt with Koga in all the time we were together.
What if it's another five years before I feel this way again?
The thought is enough to decide I want it.
"You did say sometimes things are better with a stranger...so here's my room number."
We go directly up to my hotel suite. He immediately sweeps me into another bone-melting kiss.
"I bet you have something really sexy on under those clothes."
I fix him with my most come-hither look and hum a little tune. At the same time, I slowly circle my hips, tugging at my top and teasing the hem.
"What's this?" he asks with a big smile.
"Be patient. Good things come to those who wait."
He sits back but never takes his eyes off me. I peel away my clothes until I'm left in my lacy bra and panties.
"Stop. That's enough."
His voice is full of need and desire despite his words. I bite my lip coyly and smile.
"You don't want to see more?"
"I want to see everything, bright eyes. But I want to do the rest myself."
He strips off his own shirt, revealing toned muscles and velvet-soft skin, before pulling me to him.
"You're so damn beautiful."
He grabs me for another kiss. Then he slowly lavishes attention on every inch of my exposed skin.
"Oh, my God...that feels incredible."
"Good. I plan to make this whole night incredible. And when I make a plan, it happens."
The two of us tumble back onto the bed in a tangle.
The next morning I have to leave early for the next city on my concert tour.
Maybe I should wake him and say goodbye?
I look over at the handsome stranger in my bed and see that he is sound asleep.
No, it's a miracle he hasn't found out who I am before now. That would change everything.
I press my lips to his sexy stubble.
It's better if we keep it just one night. One amazing, glorious night.
Then I slip away before he even wakes up.
TWO MONTHS LATER
Two months later, I'm back in Las Vegas, setting up for the last encore of my final show. I glance over the stage and see something is very wrong. I wave down my dad, who is also my manager.
"Dad, where the hell is my lead guitarist? We still have one more song."
"I fired his whiney ass. He put up a fuss when I told him he won't be on the next tour."
"But he's the best lead guitarist I've ever worked with."
"You're the princess of pop. You figure it out. And don't think you can relax just because this tour is over. You have a press conference first thing in the morning. Don't fuck this one up."
He walks off before I can even reply. I call one of the stagehands over.
"Hey, you're Gina, right?"
"Wow, you know my name?"
"Of course, I know your name. you've toured with me for two years."
"Your dad—I mean, Mr. Takayama, he never knows any of our names."
"Well, I'm not my dad. I need a guitar. I'm playing and singing for the last number."
"But we've never rehearsed it that way."
"I wrote the song. I can play it."
I just hope I haven't forgotten any of the cords.
But as soon as I step into the spotlight, it all comes back to me. My fingers find their way across the strings automatically. My playing blends perfectly with my band. They nod and smile at me, impressed, as I finish the last song.
"Thank you, Las Vegas! You've been wonderful!"
The crowd cheers even louder as they jump to their feet for a standing ovation. Despite a late-night greeting fans, I'm up early for the press conference at the hotel the next morning.
"Remember, keep your mouth shut and let me answer all the questions. Especially anything about your virginity."
"Dad, the status of my virginity is nobody's business but mine."
"Don't be a naïve little idiot! Your whole career rides on people knowing you're still a virgin."
"In this day and age? You can't be serious."
He grabs my arm, hard.
"I don't have time to explain it in words small enough for you to understand. But look into my eyes and tell me you don't believe I'm telling the truth."
I look and immediately see what he's telling me is true—mystifying as it is. As soon as I sit, reports start yelling questions about my sex life—or lack thereof.
"Settle down everyone. I'll answer all your questions, but only if you behave like civilized people."
The reporters take their seats and raise their hands like school children.
"You in the back—I don't know your name."
The man stands up. It's HIM! My fantastic one-night stand.
"That's because I'm not a reporter."
"Then who are you?"
"My name is Horita Riki. You may know me by Maki. I'm the owner and quarterback of the Las Vegas Phoenix football team."
"But that would make you—"
"Your brother Taki's boss and team captain. The press obviously has a lot of questions about (Y/N)'s virginity. And I have something to say about it..."