Platinum (All That Glitters #3)(82)

“So?” Damon asked.

“Not that I care that everyone knows you’re dating someone, but I have a feeling the paps are going to get crazier after this.”

Damon took the phone from her and read the Instagram picture Chloe had just been tagged in.

@avanaddict1234 with @damonstone in #piedmontpark missing our queen @chloeavana! Don’t worry Chloe! We yelled at him for being with another girl. #chloeavana #queen #addict #dontmesswithourgirl #squee #OMG #didthatjusthappen #toorealforlife #nofilter #totallyafilter #ATLlife “God, that is hard to read,” Damon complained.

Trihn peered over his shoulder, reading the message. “Who cares about one girl?”

“The paparazzi who stalk me and now Damon. Everyone is going to be wondering who said girl was,” Chloe said. She swept her gaze over to Damon.

“But I don’t care if they know who Trihn is,” Damon said.

“Yeah, well, you might if the tabloids start calling you cheating scum because they have pictures of you two together. This is why we have a publicist. I’m going to message her now, so she knows what we’re dealing with.”

“It’s only an Instagram picture,” Trihn noted.

“Welcome to my life,” Chloe said. She sighed and took her phone back. “Sorry, I’m in ultra-crazy mode. I haven’t been sleeping, and this shit is just getting under my skin. It is good to see you, Trihn.”

“Maybe we should just go to sound check and not worry about one picture,” Damon suggested.

“You’re right. I hope it all just blows over,” Chloe said.

But the look on her face said she didn’t think it would.




Backstage was a chaotic mess.

Trihn was hanging out in Damon’s dressing room in Philips Arena. It was a sold-out show at a major venue, and everyone was running around like crazy, getting things ready. The opener was onstage right now, which meant they only had another half an hour before Chloe would go on.

Damon was alternating between tuning his already in-tune guitar and messing around on the piano. He would sing occasionally, but it was more to fight the nerves than to warm up.

She was excited to see him perform again. It felt like forever since she had been backstage with him and Chloe. Trihn and Damon had come a long way since they first started dating.

“What are you thinking?” Damon asked.

“Nothing. Why?”

“You’re smiling.”

“Am I?” she asked, unable to mask her grin.

“You are.”

She shrugged. “I’m just happy for you. Excited to see the show.”

“It’ll be good to have you here again. I’m more involved musically with the whole production. I only sing on the two tracks, but since I play so many instruments, production let me switch instruments songs. It’s more interesting, I think—or at least more fun,” he said with a smile.

“Good. You’re too talented to play backup.”

He chuckled. “‘We Never Met’ is sitting at number one on the charts under my name. I don’t think I’m playing backup.”

“True.”

Damon stood from where he had been seated at the piano and walked over to Trihn. He held his hand out for her, and she took it. He hauled her to her feet. She stepped easily into his arms. Then, he started moving. Slowly, their hips swayed back and forth, their bodies were pressed tightly together, and he was drawing her hand up to twirl her in place.

She laughed. “What are you doing?”

“Dancing.”

“You’re about to go onstage in front of thousands of people, and you’re back here, dancing with me?”

“Mmhmm,” he said, pulling her back in and nuzzling her neck.

She sighed into his embrace and couldn’t deny how amazing this was.

Their bodies moved together in a seductive dance that they were all too good at. She dropped his hand, wrapping her arms around his neck. He gripped her hips. Her fingers threaded through his hair, and suddenly, he claimed her lips.

They were still dancing, despite the fact that there was no music. If they had been back at the hotel, this would have been leading straight to that king-size bed again. But now, it was just hot and sensual and making her completely weak in the knees.

Then, the door swung inward.

“Damon, I just wanted to go over—” Chloe abruptly cut off.

Damon didn’t jolt away from Trihn, like she’d expected.

He kissed her on the lips and smiled at her before turning to Chloe. “What’s up?”

Chloe was beet-red. She cleared her throat. “Sorry to interrupt. I just wanted to go over that one part in ‘Heartbreaker.’ It’s hell on my vocal cords.”

“Sure. Let me get you in key.”

Damon kissed Trihn’s cheek one more time, and then he and Chloe sat at the piano and worked on the song she had sang a hundred times before.

Chloe had real talent. It was clear why she was successful. But her insecurities about her success were also blatant in the way she always looked for reassurance from others around her. Trihn would never have seen it before, but she recognized things about Chloe the Girl that she would never have seen in Chloe the Mega Superstar.

By the time they finished up, an assistant came by to collect them, and then Trihn was deposited backstage, so she could watch the show.