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Lars smiled in response. “I didn’t realize a person could shine like the sun, until you,” he admitted, pulling me close to him, and pressing a soft, chaste kiss to my forehead, and then down my temples, and across my cheeks, raining gentle kisses over my upturned face. “I’ll do things the Briar Vale way if you really want to, but right now, I’m taking you back to Ivy House, to show you exactly how certain I am that I’m here to stay, and have the morning after we were supposed to have.”
“You sound awfully confident about that, Mr. Nilsen. So sure of your charms, are you?” I cocked an eyebrow at him, mockingly serious, even though it was nearly impossible to smother my grin.
“Of course, I’m confident… don’t you know who I am?” he echoed, shooting me a disbelieving look, and sounding outraged for a moment, as he tugged me toward the door.
I followed him into the night outside. Snow swirled in the air, and there was music playing from a nearby bar, and voices raised in song and conversation.
“No, I don’t. Who are you?” I teased him.
He pulled me close, gripping me around the waist so tight, it was like he never planned to let go. “I’m your future husband, that’s who,” Lars said possessively, his mouth descending toward mine. “Now, let’s get home, so I can show you exactly how much I’ve missed you.”
2 years later
Fridays during tours were always frantic and this year was no different. It didn’t help that it was the last night of Lars’ UK tour, and also a few days before Christmas. Apparently, London rarely got a lot of snow, so it was just our damned luck that an unusual whiteout had threatened the last performance. Thankfully, the venue had pulled it off at the last minute, and all the Lars Nilsen faithful fans who had waited in a blizzard had gotten in and rocked the night away.
I was sitting in my husband’s dressing room when he made it back after three encores. I used to go on stage with him now and then, especially for the songs he’d written just for me, but lately, I sat it out. Too much noise was bad for the baby, after all.
“There she is,” Lars announced, as he shouldered in and slammed the door behind him, nearly in Phil’s face. “How did your meeting go?” he wondered as he approached me.
I scooted up on the small leather sofa and wrinkled my nose at him as he sat down. He smelled sweaty, and if I was perfectly honest, wonderful, but he surely had to want a shower. Performing always took a lot out of him.
“I’ll tell you in a bit, relax first,” I said.
He cracked the top of a bottle of water and took a long slug. “No need. Tell me your news.”
I grinned, excited to share, but willing to wait. That was one thing about my husband. He might be the international rockstar between us, but he was always more interested in what I’d been up to than himself.
“They like the idea. I think I could get the charity established here too,” I told him, pride welling up inside me. After two years of working hard to establish a charity and foundation, the Ivy Fund, which aimed to provide music lessons and instruments to underprivileged kids in group homes, juvenile centers, and orphanages, it was finally making enough of a difference to set up the system abroad as well. I couldn't be prouder of the work, and my husband couldn’t be prouder of me.
“I knew you’d nail it,” Lars said, lacing his fingers through mine. “You nail everything you do. Those kids are so lucky.”
“Yeah, well, I know a certain kid that was saved by music, so… I’ll never stop trying to help,” I muttered quietly. My hand fell to my swollen belly. I was nervous about having to scale back on work once the baby came, but Lily would be taking over for me. She’d become my right-hand woman since I’d set up the charity, and we worked together nearly every day at Ivy House. Lars had set up his own recording studio there, so his travel was minimal outside of tour dates, and my office was also there. We were perfectly happy in our little bubble. Of course, the copious amounts of small-town life made it even more exciting to go on tour with him. By my husband’s side, I’d been to all the countries on my list and then some. Nowadays, the tours were at a slower pace, giving us time in each location, and it didn’t tire Lars out as much.
“Christ, I love you, and I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but there are no takebacks, ok universe?” he said, directing the last to an imaginary listener. “Are you ready to go home tomorrow, just in time for Christmas?”
“I was thinking about that. Are you sure you don’t want to stay? I’ve heard that English Christmas food is something to try… mincemeat pies, Yorkshire puddings and trifle, setting the Christmas pudding on fire… could be interesting,” I teased him. Truthfully, I couldn't wait to go home. Traveling when pregnant was getting difficult. It was time to head back to Ivy House and settle in for a good long while, until the baby came, and then who knew after?
“As terrifying and fun as that sounds, I can’t miss Martha’s Christmas dinner and I miss our bed and having you all to myself. I want to get you home, Mrs. Nilsen, and believe it or not, I miss Briar Vale in Winter.”
I blinked at him. “Really? You really miss it?”
Lars laughed, sounding surprised himself. “I miss it, but I miss being alone with you even more.”
He put a hand on my tummy and caressed the bump. “We’d better make the most of it. Soon, we’ll never be alone again,” he pointed out.
I laughed and placed my hand over his. “That’s true, I suppose. Let’s leave tonight.”
He barked out a laugh and slid his way up the couch, so he was hovering over me. “Not tonight, I’ve got plans for you tonight. You know how I get when I get off stage, sugar,” he said throatily.
Heat blazed across me. It was true. The rush of performing was an aphrodisiac like no other for both of us. His energy was palpable electricity in the room. He leaned in and kissed me.
“You’re all sweaty,” I protested mildly, heat already curling through my body.
“You like me sweaty,” he countered.Hmm, true.
“Well, I’m all swollen,” Another mild protest.
“I like you all swollen… with my baby. In case you haven’t worked it out yet, sweetheart, I like you anyway I can get you.”
Then he kissed me and showed me just how much.
* * *
