A/N: This is #2 of a two-part update today, so be sure to read Chapter 11 first!

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JACKS

I find myself preening in front of the mirror for the umpteenth time. When I'm alone in my hotel room, I usually just wear sweats or, honestly, nothing but my boxers, but I tried to wear something nice tonight for Skye. I opted for a navy blue henley and casual jeans, plus a beanie over my hair that's still drying from a shower.

I'm just glad I had a chance to wash up so I no longer have that toxic post-concert odor.

I bet that's something the groupies never consider until they get backstage.

I look at the time on my phone—Skye should be here any minute.

Why am I so nervous?

I just performed to a crowd of over 15,000 people, but being alone in a hotel room with Skye is the most terrifying thing I've done in ages. Plus, I told her she could pick the activity, so I have no idea what I'm in for.

My phone vibrates in my hand with a text from André.

André: Good luck Romeo ;)

I cock an eyebrow looking at the phone. I didn't even tell him she was coming over, so how did he find out?

The thought is interrupted by a soft knock at the door. As I walk over, I instinctively give my outfit a once-over and take a deep breath, then turn the handle.

The door opens to Skye in an oversized Rolling Stones t-shirt, black skinny jeans, and tennis shoes. She's smiling and holding a six-pack of beer.

This girl is perfect.

Deep down, I was kind of hoping that I'd get to know her and find out that the fantasy was better than the reality. But everything I learn about Skye makes me like her even more.

"Hey," I say, feeling a smile stretching across my face. "Come in. Make yourself at home."

She says hello and I step back and gesture into the suite. It's made of several rooms, but the main one is a living space with a long white sofa and a big-screen television. She sets the six pack, which oddly seems to be missing a bottle, on the coffee table and sits down.

"If your plan involves beer I'm liking it so far," I say with a laugh.

"How do you feel about a little beer and bad fanfiction?" She raises an eyebrow and smiles, pulling her phone out of her pocket and waving it in the air.

I can't help but laugh.

"You got me. Let's do it."

I grab a bottle opener from the wet bar and sit down on the armchair next to her. I pop open a bottle and pass it to her then open one for myself and take a sip.

"Okay, I found this list," she says, looking at her phone. "It says '10 Best Jackson Ford Fanfics' with about a million heart emojis next to it. Seems like a good place to start. I figure we read some descriptions, maybe dive into some random chapters if we're feeling bold."

"You've gotta start."

Her eyes widen.

"Heck no! Reading fanfiction to the person it's written about? No way, you at least have to go first and I need to finish this bottle before I even consider it."

"But you'll make me do it?" I ask with a laugh.

"That's the price of fame, friend."

I shake my head and she hands me her phone.

"Your choice," she says. "What do you want to start with?"

I scroll through the list and find one titled 'Darkest Soul' with a very edited photo of me on the front with glowing eyes.

"Okay, alright," I say, starting to read in my best serious voice. "'Jackson Ford: Multi-millionaire CEO. Sexy bad boy. Tabloid star. But there's one thing they don't know about him—he's a vampire.'"

Skye bursts into a fit of high-pitched giggles and I start to laugh myself.

"Stop interrupting my very serious performance, Buttercup. It's incredibly rude. I take my craft quite seriously."

"You're right," she says, composing herself slightly. "Continue."

I try my best to put on a narrator-like voice and start reading again.

"'People think he's cold-hearted, but they don't know how right they are. His heart stopped beating a long time ago. As the CEO of Immortal Co, h-'"

We both find ourselves bursting into laughter at the line.

"Immortal Co?" she asks with a giggle. "You're a secret vampire and you name your company Immortal Co?"

"Completely unrelated, actually." I chuckle and take a sip of beer. "It just so happens to be named after my great grandfather, Immortal Ford."

She nearly spits out her own beer and curls over with laughter.

"Of course. I should have known. Go on..."

"Ehh hmm. As I was saying, 'As CEO of Immortal Co., Jackson has money and power, but he's missing one thing—a vampire mate.'" Skye giggles and falls sideways onto the couch.

"This is amazing. I'm loving this. Go on, I've gotta know! Does he find his vampire mate?"

"Maybe you would know if you let me finish," I tease before resuming. "'He never expects to discover his mate is actually his business rival and arch enemy, Roman Dewan.'"

"Ha!" she squeaks at a high pitch.

"Oh god," I groan, rolling my eyes. "They have me getting together with Roman?"

"Is that what hashtag-Joman is about? That one is everywhere!"

I shake my head and cringe.

"Of all the people, why Roman?" I ask. "There were other guys in N3XT, ya know."

"They just didn't have the same undeniable chemistry." She giggles and takes another sip of her beer.

"Oh yeah, me and Roman. I see it now."

"I could see it being a hate-fuck kind of thing with you two." Her eyes immediately widen and she covers her mouth with her hand. "Oh my god, I should not have said that. I'm sorry. I have absolutely no filter—it's a curse, I swear. That was so inappropriate!"

I laugh and shake my head, placing a hand on her knee.

"Don't worry about it. I live in the public eye, I'm pretty hard to offend. Besides, I don't want you to censor yourself around me. Just be you."

She looks down at my hand and I give her knee a friendly pat before pulling back. After another sip of beer, she nods shyly.

"You don't wanna say that kind of thing to me," she says. "I'll just start saying all kinds of uncomfortable things or asking personal questions. It's like Pandora's Box. Can't force all that stuff back in once it's out."

"Then don't. Say what you want. Here, you have a personal question for me? Let me have it."

"I don't think that's such a good idea." She bites her lip and her cheeks start to turn red.

"I'll start for you: Am I a vampire? No. Am I sleeping with Roman? Hell no."

She laughs and her posture seems to relax.

"So you like guys and girls, right?" I can tell she feels awkward about the question the moment it comes out, but she just pinches her lips shut and nurses her drink.

I am a little nervous to answer this. It's pretty much public knowledge, but I don't know how she'll feel about me being bisexual.

"Yeah." I watch her eyes, attempting to gauge her reaction, but she doesn't seem to do much.

"But the person you like right now, is a girl right?"

"Yeaahh..." I say, trying to figure out how she knows that and what she might be getting at.

"Have you given her the pictures?"

Of course. She wants to know if my 'mystery girl' liked the photos. The irony of this moment is not lost on me.

"Yeah, uh... She told me I'm a good model, so I think she liked them."

I look up and our eyes meet.

"Awesome! I'm so glad they worked out. I told you you were good, see?"

I can't fight the smile that stretches across my face.

"We're gonna have to schedule another session to do some vampire shots for the fans," I say, showing her the fanfiction's cover on the phone screen.

"Blood-oir?" She immediately starts laughing at her own joke and I can't help but join in.

"That was terrible."

"Hey, I take photos, I talk too much, and I tell terrible dad jokes. That's pretty much 90-percent of my personality, so you better get used to it," she jokes.

"I think I can handle that." I smile and look down at the phone. "Okay, your turn."

I throw the phone back to her and she catches it. She holds up her beer and scowls.

"I'm only halfway through. That's not gonna be enough."

"Funny, you don't strike me as a wuss," I say with a teasing smirk.

She grumbles and narrows her eyes at me.

"Okay Mister Bigshot, but if I die of embarrassment this is on you." Her eyes dart across the screen as she scrolls through. "'Angel Steele'... Oh my god, that's really her name? Wow. Okay, sorry. 'Angel Steele has it all: she's beautiful, engaged to her handsome boyfriend, and just got her dream job as writer for Stars Magazine. Her first assignment? Get an interview with the cold, brooding pop star who refuses to talk to anyone: Jackson Ford.'"

"Wait a minute, why am I cold and brooding? The last one said I had a cold heart too."

"In the last one, you were a literal dead guy."

"But I'm me in this one," I say with a huff. "I like to think I'm a pretty nice guy. Why are all these stories making me a bad guy or an asshole?"

"It's not about you. Women just like bad boys, you know how it is. You've got the sexy tattoos and that intensity about you, sometimes women just want guys like that to dominate them in bed and beat up their ex-boyfriends."

Her eyes widen and she looks down at her beer. She's probably thinking she's just said something inappropriate.

I'm more focused on the part where she called me sexy and said she wanted me to dominate her in bed.

Okay, that's not exactly what she said. But that's absolutely what my brain heard.

I stare at the wall behind her head attempting to avoid an obvious reaction.

"Fair enough," I say, my voice slightly strained.

Skye drinks down the remainder of her beer and resumes reading.

"Jackson takes an immediate liking to the blond beauty and shocks her by agreeing to her interview request. When Jackson Ford decides he wants something, a little thing like a fiancé won't stand in his way."

My mouth goes dry as she looks up at me and her eyes meet mine for just a moment.

Am I hallucinating or am I now being taunted by fanfiction?

"I uh..." she says, biting her lips slightly. "Can I use your bathroom?"

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