Idol. Carrie Duffy

      Sadie leaned forward so that her breasts pressed against his chest and gazed up at him with wide, innocent eyes. ‘I just realized I never thanked you for the meal …’ she murmured.

      ‘You can thank me now,’ Paul said, twisting her long, dark hair around his fingers and gently pushing her downwards to where his erection was growing once again. He sighed with pleasure as he felt her warm lips slide over his cock, her tongue gently flickering over the head. Then he settled back against the pillows, and smiled in satisfaction.

      6

      Despite Jenna’s change of clothing, the following day’s recording was the usual tense affair. She bounced into Sarm Studios looking radiant, with her long blonde hair freshly washed. For once she hadn’t blow-dried it, letting the natural wave take over and tumble softly down her back. Her make-up was subtle, and she had added just a touch of lip gloss. Tod’s loafers and a delicate pair of pearl earrings completed the image.

      ‘Wow Jenna, you look … real classy …’ Nick finished before he could stop himself.

      Jenna laughed a little too loudly, hoping her cover hadn’t been blown. ‘What’s the matter, can’t I dress like a lady once in a while?’ she joked, looking away nervously as Zac sauntered into the studio.

      ‘All right?’ he enquired gruffly, barely looking at her.

      ‘Not bad,’ she replied civilly. ‘You?’

      Zac picked up his guitar, throwing the shoulder strap across his slim, muscular back. He began to strum absentmindedly.

      ‘Yeah,’ he replied, meeting her gaze for once. ‘I’m good.’

      ‘Excellent,’ replied Jenna irritably, wondering why his flippant remark annoyed her so much. Why did he always have to seem so in control of every situation, making her feel as though everything she said was juvenile and ridiculous?

      ‘Going somewhere special?’ he asked easily.

      ‘I just felt like a change, all right?’ Jenna snapped back, as Zac smiled benignly.

      The day went downhill from there.

      Although Zac rarely openly criticized Jenna, there was a distinctly uncomfortable atmosphere that never seemed to lift. Something, somewhere, wasn’t quite gelling, and the music so far was worryingly second-rate. Despite rarely voicing his opinions, it seemed obvious what Zac thought of her – that she was lazy and uncommitted – and Jenna was worried that the production staff privately agreed with him. Stories had already begun to circulate in the media about how the Jenna/Phoenix collaboration might be over before it had even begun, and Jenna had been leaning hard on Gerry to stop these stories and get some positive stuff out there.

      Suddenly she caught sight of her reflection in the glass wall of the production box and twisted slowly from side to side, wondering if this change of image really suited her. The knee-length skirt was unflattering, and from the side her calves looked enormous …

      ‘Damn – sorry,’ she apologized, as she missed her intro. ‘I was miles away.’

      ‘Try to concentrate, sweetheart,’ Don pleaded wearily, sinking his head into his hands.

      ‘Sorry guys. I’m ready now.’

      ‘That’s good of you,’ muttered Zac under his breath.

      He glanced across at Jenna with a lingering trace of exasperation. She looked so vulnerable standing alone in the vocal booth, her eyes large and downcast, twirling her hair round her fingers with embarrassed discomfort. Okay, so he couldn’t deny that she was sexy. But she was also infuriating as hell, Zac insisted to himself. It was her whole damn attitude – the way she just swanned around in cute little outfits, flirting with the crew and thinking that she could charm Don and get away with second-rate work. Even the more demure clothes she was wearing today couldn’t hide that magnificent figure. Zac had been as surprised as anyone when she’d turned up looking like a society deb who’d been dressed by her mother, but Jenna Jonsson could probably still look hot in a garbage bag, he realized, his eyes skimming involuntarily over her rounded thighs, curving in to an impossibly slender waist. The neutral make-up served to highlight her mesmerizing eyes and plump, inviting lips …

      ‘Zac?’ Don’s voice came angry and questioning from behind the mixing desk.

      ‘Sorry, what?’ Zac looked around, confused.

      ‘Your solo?’

      Zac glanced down stupidly at his guitar, which was hanging uselessly at his waist. ‘Now?’ he asked, stalling for time.

      ‘Well, preferably thirty seconds ago, but yeah, it tends to follow the bridge.’

      ‘Sorry, I was miles away,’ he replied, mimicking Jenna. ‘Can we go again?’

      ‘Looks like I’m not the only one who can fuck up,’ Jenna couldn’t resist commenting. She aimed the remark at Nick, but it was easily loud enough for Zac to hear, which was her intention.

      He turned on her angrily, enraged by her arrogance and maddened that she was the reason for his lack of focus. ‘Yeah, I fuck up occasionally because I’m human,’ he shouted. ‘What I don’t do is fuck up every other take, because I’m too busy checking out my own goddamn reflection!’

      There was a deathly silence in the studio.

      ‘Screw you,’ Jenna spat, her eyes gleaming angrily and her breath coming fast.

      The tension was palpable. No one spoke, but all eyes were on the pair.

      ‘Grow up, Jenna,’ Zac said quietly. ‘Think of somebody else for once.’ He looked down at the floor, not trusting himself to meet her eyes.

      For Jenna, the remark hurt all the more because she knew it was true. She’d been behaving like a spoiled brat and she hated herself for it, but she would rather have died than admit it to that condescending arsehole. She glanced across at him through narrowed eyes. His chest rose and fell quickly under his T-shirt, indicating his fury. His dark hair had fallen across his forehead and stubbornly stayed there.

      ‘For fuck’s sake,’ roared Don exasperatedly. ‘Are we finished now, children? Can we get on with it?’

      Zac lifted his gaze and glared at Jenna, his dark brown eyes boring into her own. ‘I’m outta here,’ he announced, swinging his guitar strap over his head as Jenna threw up her hands in exasperation.

      ‘Zac?’ Don yelled pleadingly. He wondered what the hell had got into the guy. He was usually so pleasant and laid back, but since Little Miss Pop Sensation had turned up, he’d been foul-tempered and snappy, constantly catting with Jenna. What was it with those two, he wondered?

      Don sighed to himself. One thing he was sure of was that this track would bomb if the group couldn’t get on. If it could be done well, the music would be dynamite, no doubt about it. It was just a question of getting these kids to bond, and work together.

      ‘Zac, wait a second,’ he shouted, a note of appeasement in his voice. ‘What do you say we take a break for a while – order some food, then work through the night to get this thing nailed?’

      Zac hesitated for a moment.

      ‘Okay,’ he replied casually, pulling out his iPhone. ‘I’ll just call Amber, tell her I’m going to be late.’

      Don looked at Zac with relief, and a grudging respect. ‘Thanks,’ he commented.

      ‘No problem,’ said Zac with a shrug.

      An hour later, the group sat flaked out on the vast, welcoming sofas in the chill-out room adjoining the studio. The pungent smell of Nick’s spliff hung heavily in the air, and the table was littered with discarded takeaway boxes, crushed beer cans and empty bottles of champagne. The alcohol was flowing freely, but had only heightened the emotions that existed previously; Jenna and Nick were flirting like crazy, and Zac had sunk deeper into his dark