Will broke the kiss and pulled back a little, his eyes on hers. Kate whimpered, leaning into him, and he pulled her into his arms, his mouth opening hungrily over hers. Kate shivered with excitement as she felt his tongue in her mouth, her fingers tensing on his broad shoulders. The world melted away until nothing existed but Will’s mouth, the clean, citrus smell of his skin, the taste of him, the pounding of his heart against her chest.
A soft knock on the door made them jump, and they sprang apart.
Will stood up. ‘Come in,’ he called hoarsely.
Kate got up as the door opened, hoping she didn’t look as guilty as she felt. She was amazed when Louise came in.
‘Hi, Kate.’ She smiled. ‘Will, I came as soon as I could,’ she said, rushing across the room and throwing her arms around him. ‘I’m so sorry about your dad.’
‘Thanks.’ He dropped a kiss on her forehead. ‘And thanks for coming.’
‘We were so worried about you,’ she said. ‘We were trying to contact you all day and no one could reach you. Grace was frantic – calling me every five minutes to see if I’d managed to get hold of you. When no one could find you, we were afraid… Well, we didn’t know if you’d heard the news or not.’
‘Sorry – I forgot to turn my mobile on when I got off the plane. I hadn’t heard the news – not until I got back here.’
‘So Tina told you?’ Louise said, sounding relieved.
‘No, it was some, um’ – Will gulped – ‘some bloke outside.’ He waved in the general direction of the drive. ‘A reporter,’ he said tightly. ‘I didn’t get his name.’
‘A reporter!’ Louise gasped. ‘Christ, I’m so sorry, Will.’
This was the first Kate had heard of that, and her heart went out to him. No wonder he had been so wired and had lashed out at Tina. She longed to put her arms around him again. Her eyes met the yearning in his own.
‘Well, I’ll leave you to it,’ Kate said awkwardly. ‘You’re sure there’s nothing I can get you?’
* * *
Kate was in the kitchen when Louise came downstairs, a set of car keys in one hand and her ever-present mobile phone in the other. ‘I’m going to take this lot to the concert,’ she told Kate, jerking a thumb towards the living room.
‘I can’t believe Tina’s still going,’ Kate said.
‘I know. Still,’ Louise sighed, ‘it’s probably as well to get her out of Will’s way. I’d happily tell her to get stuffed, only I think he wants her and her posse off the premises.’
‘I suppose you’re right. She’s not exactly helping things.’
‘No, she’s made things a whole lot worse. It’s her bloody fault all these reporters are crawling around here in the first place.’
‘I didn’t notice anyone around when I got back.’ Kate frowned.
‘No, apparently they cut their losses and followed the guys to the concert when there was nothing doing here.’
‘Poor Will. I wish he hadn’t heard it that way.’
‘He’s in a terrible state.’ Louise said. ‘I got him to ring your mum – he’s talking to her now. I think that’ll help.’
‘Good. Everyone’s being so unsympathetic. I’m surprised they buggered off to the concert,’ she said, somewhat accusingly. ‘All except Rory, but he’s just sitting out there.’ She pointed to the terrace where Rory still sat, his leg jumping to the beat of whatever was playing in his earphones. ‘Nobody was with Will when I came home.’
Louise looked out at him. ‘They just don’t get it,’ she said sadly. ‘You mustn’t blame them.’
Louise knew Rory cared about Will – they all did – but none of them would understand what he was going through. Leery of fathers as a species, Louise knew that Will carrying on a feud with his was one of the things that had endeared the band members to him in the first place. It was about the only thing they had in common.
But Will’s feelings about his father were complicated, whereas theirs were brutally simple. Rory and Owen’s father had disappeared when they were children, hadn’t been seen since, and that was the way they liked it. They were primed and ready to beat him to a pulp if he should ever raise his head above the parapet. Phoenix and Georgie hadn’t been so lucky. Their fame and wealth had brought their abusive father crawling out of the woodwork and he had taken to turning up at their hotels and trying to see them. A lump-sum payment and a restraining order had kept him at a safe distance so far – along with enthusiastic threats of violence from the Cassidy brothers. His death wouldsignify nothing more than the assurance that he would never darken their door again.
‘Do you know yet when the funeral is?’ Kate asked.
Louise nodded. ‘It’s on Monday, but Will’s flying back to England tomorrow. I’ll be staying here to take care of things while he’s gone.’
‘Isn’t anyone going to the funeral with him?’
