AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Not at all.” And the question took form right there between them.
Are you attracted to me?
If he peeled her pajama top off her shoulder, if his hand slipped under the silky fabric and held the weight of her breast in his big, warm palm, if his lips brushed hers…he would have his answer.
She could feel herself softening, opening, desire wafting off her skin like perfume. She lost her moorings and felt herself float closer to him.
But he grew uneasy and tore his gaze off her mouth. And it took everything she had not to feel rejected. Because if she gave into those emotions, the night would end, and she’d break this spell that bound them together. “Okay, so, you didn’t want to be the lead singer…what happened?”
“The offer was too good to pass up, so my brother said he’d be the face of the band. It wasn’t what he wanted, but my mom needed us to do it. It wasn’t even on the table for us to walk away from that kind of money, so we all agreed that I would run the show, and Van would be the front man.”
“Your fans would freak out if they knew there were two of you.”
Fear flared in his eyes.
“No, no. I swear, you can trust me.” She shifted onto her hip to face him. With her hand on his bicep, she said, “Thank you, Bex. For being so open and honest. I swear you can trust me.”
He cut her a look under long lashes. “I’ve never been more real with anyone.”
“And it means the world to me.”
“Yeah, I get that. Trust is important to you.”
“It’s everything.” And because he’d told her his truth, she’d tell him hers. “I’ll never know what my parents were thinking, but when they got my mom’s diagnosis, they didn’t tell me. I guess they thought she would beat the cancer. But the thing is, you know when something’s going on. Your spidey senses are flashing and beeping, but you don’t know why. And we’re talking about my parents. I trusted them implicitly. And I only found out something was wrong when the principal called me into the office to say my dad was coming to pick me up. They’d admitted her into the hospital, and she never came home. All the whispers, all the times my mom wasn’t feeling well, went to ‘visit her sister’…it finally clicked. So, anyway, that’s why I have trust issues. That’s why I need honesty.”
“You must’ve been so angry at them. They stole all those moments you might’ve had.”
“You’re exactly right. God, when I saw her in that hospital bed, I felt so betrayed. So angry. So—”
“Lost.”
She looked up at him, his face just inches from hers. Filled with understanding. “Yes. How was I supposed to live without my mom? She did everything for me. And I don’t mean make dinner or buy my clothes. I mean, she had the answers, the solutions. She gave me advice for everything. She taught me how to live, how to handle situations. If I wanted to lie to get out of plans, she’d say, ‘Is that the kind of woman you want to be? The kind who lurks in the shadows? Or would you rather live your life out loud?’ She taught me to honor my commitment and to be more thoughtful about the plans I made. Because if I didn’t want to hang out with that friend, maybe there was a reason.”
“I like your mom. But it would’ve been helpful if she hadn’t lived her cancer in the shadows.”
“Yes. Yes. I hadn’t ever thought of it that way, but man, did you nail it. She told me how to live, but she didn’t follow her own advice.”
“Well, on the other side of the coin, my mom lived her life out loud, and it was difficult for all of us. She didn’t hide her exhaustion or anger or frustration. There were many days she wanted to give up, and she let us know. I don’t know which way’s better, but I’m thinking your mom wanted to preserve your childhood as long as possible because she knew that once she died, it would end for you.”
Della collapsed against his warm, hard chest. His big hand stroked her back gently, and she’d never felt safer. “That’s exactly what she would’ve thought. And I’m thinking there’s got to be a halfway point between your mom and mine.”
His body shook with quiet laughter. “I think you’re right. And maybe because we met and talked about it, we’ll be able to get it right with our own families.”
She pulled away, just staring at him. “You’re such a good man.” Instead of being bitter about his mom making him grow up too fast, instead of being resentful that he had to take on the role of breadwinner as a teenager, he had the maturity, the clarity of thought, to be not only forgiving but optimistic.
He wiped the tears from under her eyes with a thumb.
And in that moment of silence, their gazes locked, she just knew this was it. She’d waited a lifetime to feel this connection with someone.
Her gaze caressed his features—the soulful eyes, the high cheekbones, the shadow of a beard—and a primal desire took hold of her.
Him, a voice inside her head whispered.
This man.
Her heart claimed ownership. She had to know his taste, his touch. She couldn’t wait for the first lick of his tongue to unleash her, to unlock her in a way no one else ever had.
He pressed the flat of his hand on her shoulder, his entire being turning cold and impersonal. And he pushed her away. “You should go. We wake up in Vegas, and Van’s got a busy schedule.”
