Chapter One
Read Just One Spark for Dash and Cassidy’s full story.
Note: This stand-alone short story takes place nine months before Just One Dare and four years after earlier Kingston stories.
“Once again, Dash Kingston has been photographed out with Peyton Jones, the twenty-two-year-old singer and opening act for his band, the Original Kings. The Kings are currently finishing up the final leg of their US tour on the West Coast, and it looks like their lead singer is taking full advantage of being away from home.”
Cassidy Kingston glared at the television in the break room of K-Talent Productions’ New York City offices. Someone had left the TV on, the channel showing CGC. Celebrity Gossip Central was currently focusing on Cassidy’s husband and whatever dirt they could make up about him based on no evidence and innocent interactions.
She placed her laptop down on the table just as the well-known host of the show continued to talk. “What does Dash’s producer wife, Cassidy Kingston, think of all the intimate time the two stars are spending together, heads bent in deep conversation?”
“She thinks you’re full of crap,” Cassidy muttered.
“Or has Dash already broken up with his wife so he feels comfortable moving on in public?”
Despite knowing better, she glanced at the screen in time to see Dash, so sexy with his inky-black hair long and falling over his face, as he leaned close to Peyton. The young, dark-haired rock star was beautiful, a pink stripe on one side of her hair only adding to her funky appeal. Cassidy’s stomach twisted in agony at the sight.
“Shut this off now.” Cassidy’s sister-in-law picked up the remote and clicked off the television.
The silence was a blessing. “I didn’t hear you come into the room,” Cassidy muttered.
“Because you’re too busy watching trash TV.” Sasha, her dirty-blonde hair tied into a messy bun, glared at the now blank screen.
Cassidy couldn’t argue the point made by the woman who wasn’t just Cassidy’s sister-in-law. She was also Cassidy’s former roommate, the world-famous actress who’d given Cassidy her start in Hollywood as her personal assistant, her boss since Cassidy had begun work for K-Talent, and her best friend. It was the best friend role Cassidy valued most.
“Please don’t tell me you believe a word they’re saying.” Sasha closed the break room door, giving them privacy.
Cassidy shook her head. “No, of course not. But hearing the rumors and seeing the photos when Dash and I can barely connect for more than five minutes at a time makes the innuendo really hard to ignore.” The time difference between the East Coast, where she was, and the West Coast, where his shows were, had made their availability to talk difficult to say the least.
Cassidy pulled out one of the comfortable chairs around the table and settled in to talk to her friend.
Squeezing her shoulder in commiseration, Sasha sat down beside her. “How are things when you do speak?”
Cassidy shrugged. “Rushed. We don’t have enough time to catch up let alone bond on any emotional level. It’s like two friends saying a quick hi before one or the other is called away.” She blinked back unnecessary tears, born more of frustration than fear.
She missed her husband. They’d had so much time together before the band went on tour, the six-month separation had been more of a shock than she’d anticipated.
“Look, I get why the gossips are talking. I knew who and what Dash was when I married him.” After all, he’d all but ghosted her after a one-night stand, and the next time Cassidy had seen him, he’d been dealing with a potential, thankfully mistaken, paternity scandal. “But he changed.” Even if the media and tabloids tried to make the world believe otherwise.
Sasha nodded, her blue eyes firm in her agreement. “He did. He changed for himself and for you. So hang on to that belief in him.” Reaching over, Sasha squeezed her hand. “I know better than most how damaging it can be to let yourself believe what you see or hear. Unless it’s from your husband himself, I wouldn’t put too much stock in it.”
Cassidy nodded, aware Sasha and Xander had broken up for a long time when he believed he couldn’t trust her. As an A-list actress who’d risen to sudden fame, she’d been subjected to the same scrutiny Dash was now under while on tour. Thankfully, Sasha and Xander had had their second chance and were now happily married and working together at K-Talent. In addition to being a screenwriter, Xander was also a best-selling thriller author.
“Good advice as always,” Cassidy said, doing her best to pull herself together and trust what she knew.
In the years she and Dash had been together, she didn’t believe he’d ever cheated. Not in their early days, when they were living near each other in the Hamptons, and not now, when he was away on tour.
“Anyway, I saw you staring at the television and came to do damage control, but I need to make a few calls.” Sasha stood just as the break room door creaked, indicating someone was walking in.
“Guess who came to visit!” At the unexpected sound of her brother’s voice, Cassidy spun around.
She squealed and ran for Axel, flinging her arms around his neck. “I missed you!” As the Original Kings’ drummer, he’d been traveling with Dash and the band. “What are you doing in New York?”
Axel set her down. “I grabbed a free twenty-four hours and came to see Tara,” he said of his veterinarian wife.
“Hi, Axel,” Sasha said with a smile. “Good to see you.”
He treated her to a grin. “Always nice to see you, too.”
Sasha tipped her head toward the door. “I was just going back to my office. You two catch up.” She waved and walked out of the room.
“I can’t believe you’re here! Was Dash able to get away, too?” Cassidy asked, excitement filling her at the prospect, and she looked past Axel to the empty doorway.
Her brother shook his head as he slid his leather jacket off his broad shoulders and hung it over the back of a chair. “There’s a lot of backstage drama going on and Dash has been handling it.”
She narrowed her gaze. “What kind of drama? Because if the tabloids are to be believed, he’s busy with Peyton.” Cassidy despised the bitterness in her tone. It wasn’t like her, and the only reason she was feeling insecure was the damned media hammering home Dash’s supposed infidelity.
Axel met her gaze and shook his head. “No, Cass. Just no,” he said, obviously talking about her husband and the young rock star. “It’s ugly drama we’re trying to keep under the radar until the tour ends. Dash will explain when you two talk, I’m sure.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Make that if we talk. Neither one of us has had the time. He’s called away; I’m needed on set.” She sighed. “It’s hard to hear the gossip and see the photos, Ax.”
He pulled her into a hug. “Dash would rather be here with you. Trust me, if I thought otherwise, I’d rip out his vocal cords, the band and the money be damned.”
She grimaced at the visual, but she believed her overprotective brother and relaxed for the first time since hearing the gossip-based news.
Axel had been her rock since their parents passed away in a car accident when she’d been five and Axel seven. They’d gone to live with their grandmother, who they’d lost to cancer when Axel had been eighteen. He’d taken over as Cassidy’s guardian when she was sixteen-year-old. As a result, she and her brother were tight. If Dash was cheating, Axel would tell her and blow up the band, just as he’d said. He would have no qualms about violating bro-code; his loyalty was always with Cassidy first.