Pressing her eyes closed, she gripped his fingers curled around her waist. Thank goodness they still had another week – another seven days to devote her attention to him. She knew she’d developed strong feelings for him. It was only a matter of time before she’d have to admit those feelings – and confess, she was falling in love with him.
Chapter Nineteen
“That’s it! That’s the one,” Fiona exclaimed as Nicky came out of her huge walk-in, multi-room closet dressed in a bold green Vera Wang evening gown.
The one-shoulder asymmetric silk charmeuse gown had a hip-high slit on the left side with subtle draping at the waist, creating an ultra-flattering effect. The expensive design clung to her every curve, and she couldn’t help but run her hands down her sides, feeling every bit of Old Hollywood glam. Thankful for Fiona’s expertise in the fashion world, she was overcome with emotion when she eyed herself in the three-sided mirror in the large closet before she made her grand entrance into the living room, anxious for Fiona’s feedback. She’d never felt more beautiful.
“You think so? You really think this is the one?” she questioned, her voice lilting with excitement. Leave it to her well-connected and fashion-forward friend to make a few calls and have a slew of beautiful, designer dresses delivered to her high rise in no time for a private fitting.
Fiona approached her with a genuine smile gracing her glossed lips, her blonde hair falling over her shoulders in perfect barrel curls. Nodding her approval, she eyed Nicky up and down before splaying her hand across her bosom with a loud exhale. “You look exquisite. Mac isn’t going to know what hit him when he sees you in this dress.”
Nicky eagerly nodded. The wheels were in motion for her to accompany Mac to the American Billboard Awards at the end of the month before he left and took off on his world tour. She’d never been to a high profile awards show before and having a friend like Fiona help her navigate the preparation helped ease her anxiety.
“What kind of shoes do I need to wear? And what about accessories, hair, and makeup?” Nicky fretted, her perfectionism rearing its ugly head. She wanted to look absolutely flawless for the occasion on the arm of her rock star, Scottish beau, who was up for the coveted Best New Artist award. He and the band were also scheduled to perform live, debuting the first song on their new record about to release.
Fiona crossed her arms at her chest and thought for a moment, the quizzical look on her face, an indication she was pondering. “I think we need to stick with a monochromatic look. I have a shoe expert who can match the color of the dress with some satin emerald green pumps.” Reaching toward Nicky’s head, she slid a strand of her long hair over her ear. “Hair down with tumbling waves and a side part – very Hollywood, and a smoky eye with a crimson lip – very red carpet. I would also recommend you wear a real show-stopping statement piece of jewelry.”
“Like what?” Nicky asked. She wasn’t much of a fancy jewelry wearer. Perhaps she could borrow her mother’s diamond tennis bracelet her father gifted her for their thirty-fifth wedding anniversary?
“Hold that thought,” Fiona grinned, trotting eagerly to her bedroom.
Nicky awkwardly stood in the living room with the spectacular view of the Empire State Building in the background, wondering what Fiona was up to. She didn’t have to wait long before her friend returned, holding a few pieces of what looked to be costly jewelry in her hands.
“What are these?” Nicky’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head when Fiona opened her palms to reveal emerald drop earrings and a huge diamond wrap bracelet. “Are those real diamonds?” she exclaimed, afraid to touch them.
Fiona giggled, clasping the statement piece around Nicky’s wrist. “Of course they are. They’re Cartier – they were my mother’s.”
“No, Fiona. I can’t….” Nicky worried, dollar signs flashing through her mind. She’d have to hire a bodyguard to wear her friend’s irreplaceable family heirlooms in a public place.
Fiona shushed her. “Of course you can. I insist.” She handed Nicky the earrings to put on. “A gorgeous gown like this deserves beautiful accessories. I’m thrilled to let you borrow them for this amazing occasion. Now, step back and let me see the full effect.”
Nicky shyly took a few steps back and stood tall, aware of the earrings swaying from her lobes and feeling the heaviness of the diamond bracelet on her wrist. With her shoulders back and one hand on her hip, she offered Fiona her best supermodel pose with a tentative smile. “Well?”
Fiona tilted her head, and Nicky could see tears welling in her blue eyes, her pregnancy hormones churning up all kinds of emotions as of late. “You’re exquisite. You just have to promise me one thing, okay?”
Nicky’s chest rose and fell in deep breaths, gratitude filling every nook and cranny of her thudding heart. “What? I’ll do anything – you know that.”
Fiona’s swiped a rogue tear from the corner of her eye, her cheeks flushing with emotion. “Chris and I discussed it. We’d be so pleased if you would consent to be our baby’s godmother.”
“What?” Nicky gulped, her eyes widening with adulation.
Fiona approached her with outstretched arms, Nicky placing her hands into her friend’s. “And there’s one more request, too. We’d be honored if you would give us a blessing to name our baby girl after you… beautiful Nicole.”
***
Mac sat on a stool in the center of the makeshift stage, plucking a familiar melody he’d been playing around with as of late, the beginnings of a new song slowly coming together. His bandmates were on a break, refilling coffee cups or on their phones in the green room, some of them milling about and chatting excitedly about their last day of rehearsal in the New York studio. The record label was sending them back to their homeland, Scotland, for a week long respite before their appearance on the American Billboard Awards Show, which was the official kick-off of their world tour.
Usually, Mac would have been ecstatic to go home – to visit his favorite pub and ride horses on his uncle’s property lying west of the city, some distance between the rivers Dee and Don that spilled into the North Sea. He could almost envision the crocuses blooming and feel the soft wool of the Macpherson Clan tartan wrapped around him while exploring the ruins of Dunnotar Castle. His homeland always brought him comfort and rest before going out on the road, but leaving Nicky behind left him muddled and uneasy. They spent every waking moment together when he wasn’t at rehearsals, the last few weeks a dazzling spotlight in time he would never forget.
He’d come close to confessing his love for her but stopped short, knowing they were about to be parted by thousands of miles, mountains, and deep oceans. The thought of being halfway across the world and away from her sweet embrace and intoxicating smile caused his heart to palpitate in a dizzy rhythm, and his emotions to go haywire. Nicky Sinclair had gotten under his skin and was firmly planted in the center of his being. The distant crooning of a certain Frank Sinatra song was on a constant playback reel humming through his mind.
Music kept him on track, the excitement of the upcoming album release always a thrill with the preorder buzz and anticipation from the fans. The tour was more than ready to launch, every song intro and ending, every light cue and video montage perfectly timed and calculated, the long hours of meticulous rehearsals paying off. Ticket sales in various cities across the world were already sold out, the Reid Macpherson Band tour a hot topic among radio and entertainment shows. This is what he and James worked so tirelessly for – this is what he was created to do with his life. But now that his existence finally included the woman of his dreams, how could he ever move forward without her?
“Hey, lad, what’s that riff ye’ve been noodling with for the past few days?” James was suddenly pulling a stool up next to him, acoustic guitar in hand ready to jam.
“It’s nothing,” he half-heartedly confessed, his cousin all the wiser.
“It’s something. What key?”
Mac sighed. There was no use arguing with James,
especially when his keen ear was curious with a melody. “Key of G.”
“Aye.”
The two strummed together, James bobbing his head to the steady tempo as Mac showed him his finger position through the changes. It felt good to share something new with his best friend, something especially close to his heart. The melody had drifted into his spirit as he woke up one morning with Nicky in his arms, the unmistakable cadence and scratch lyrics firmly pointing to her as the inspiration. He couldn’t get the song out of his mind.
“The chord change there is nice,” James indicated with a head tilt, his wavy brown hair falling across his forehead. “Sounds like a love song to me.” His hazel eyes twinkled with mischief as his mouth turned up into a wide grin.
Mac wasn’t taking the bait. “It’s just a song, mate – a melody churning in my head for the past few days.”
James stopped playing and rested the instrument on his lap, looking Mac directly in the eye. “Why don’t ye stay, then?”
Mac’s eyes shot to James’ face, his brow furrowed. “Come again?”
“Ye should stay – with Nicky. She’s been good for ye. Ye should spend some more time with her before ye’re off on the tour. We’ll be in Europe soon enough. Ye can visit Aberdeen then. I hate to see ye all moping and crabby the whole time we’re home anyway. All ye’ll be doing is thinking about her.” Placing his hand on Mac’s shoulder, James squeezed, his voice low and intentional right at his ear. “Trust me, it’d be good for ye to stay, cousin. Ye can thank me later.”
Mac didn’t say a word and watched his closest friend and family member get up and walk away. Strumming one last chord on the guitar, he let the strings reverberate as he mulled over James’ suggestion. As the tone infiltrated his system, his chest suddenly wasn’t so compressed, and he actually felt…lighter. Pressing his lips together to prevent a smile, he shook his head. Leave it to James to figure out what was best for him, his braw cousin the best friend he could ever ask for. His uncle would understand, especially if he told him how he truly felt about Nicky.
Manager, Ben Hightower entered the room, a pleasant grin on his handsome face. He looked around with his hands planted on his hips as if satisfied by the work they’d completed over the past month. The sound engineer greeted him with a clipboard in hand, and the two started a conversation. Mac waited for a beat before he handed his guitar off to one of the techs and approached the two men.
“Excellent. We’ll be running the show one last time after a short dinner break, then we can start packing up,” Ben patted the man’s shoulder. “Everything is ahead of schedule thanks to your incredible leadership on this team.”
As the happy engineer walked away, Mac nodded at him with a grateful smile, bashfulness soon taking over when he struggled to form the words he wanted to say to Ben. The Englishman’s eyebrows hitched, and he shoved his hands into his trouser pockets. “Mr. Lamont will be here for the final rehearsal tonight, along with a few super fans who won a contest,” he chuckled. “He’s extremely pleased how things have gone this month. Many thanks to you, Mac, for keeping your band on point.”
Mac shrugged. “We were all only doing our job. Thanks to ye too, and the label for allowing us to live comfortably during the process.”
Ben’s smile was warm. “You’re welcome.” The two started to walk side by side toward the exit. “Are you ready to have some downtime with your uncle back home?” he asked.
Mac stopped and touched the triskelion pendant hanging from his neck, the disappointment he would inevitably cause his dear uncle a fleeting thought. “About that…”
Ben eyed him with concern etched across his dark features. “Is there a problem?”
Mac inhaled deeply, throwing caution to the wind, his decision final. “There will be if I can’t stay in New York for the next two weeks.”
Chapter Twenty
Nicky gripped the edges of the brick half-wall on the terrace of the hotel and inhaled a deep breath. Her whirlwind month in the city with Mac was coming to a close, her luggage packed and waiting for the bellman by the door. The days and nights spent with her Scottish beau flew by in a kaleidoscope of color and emotion, her heart overflowing with gratitude – and love.
She’d planned on professing her true feelings to him the night before, after the final, incredible show she’d witnessed sitting among the small audience in the rehearsal space. But when the last note was played, the band was inundated with label employees, tech crew, big wigs, and a small group of super fans vying for photos and autographs in the intimate setting. The popping of champagne corks and numerous toasts echoed well into the late night. When they finally made it back to the hotel suite, Mac was clearly wound up and wanted to pack before going to bed, his emotional state hard to read under the circumstances. Nicky didn’t want to come across as needy or melancholy, knowing their inevitable goodbye was forthcoming. Instead, she relished his closeness when they finally went to bed, and the slow, intentional way he made love to her one last time into the wee hours of the morning.
Rising before him, she dressed and tiptoed her way into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee, content to reflect on the past month while enjoying the pretty terrace and city sounds one last time while he slept. She was never good at goodbyes and hoped for a quick getaway before she totally lost her shit in front of him.
Listening to the familiar thrum of the cityscape, she heaved a heavy sigh and sipped from her mug. The tips of the trees lining the coveted avenue were starting to change colors, the onset of cooler temperatures and autumn hues a definite contrast from the hot and steamy summer. She tried to convince herself she could get by without him for a little while. Mac would only be gone for a short time, and then he’d be back in the city for the awards show with her as his date. It was the part after the awards show that scared her the most. The band would be crisscrossing the globe for the next four months playing to sold-out arenas and amphitheaters with no time to visit during their crazy schedule. Sure, Mac indicated he could fly her out to where they were anywhere in the world. He even joked she could hand over her wedding business hat to her mother and staff for a few more months and join him for the whole damn tour if she wanted to. But she knew that wouldn’t be fair to her parents, her employees, or her bride and groom clientele. Maybe they could find a way to visit in some of the American cities when he was performing in the states. It would be better than not seeing him at all.
Nicky startled when she felt Mac hug her from behind, his sturdy, tattooed biceps wrapping around her, and his nose immediately dragging along the tender flesh of her neck. He smelled of lingering soap and freshly laundered clothes, his hair damp from a shower.
“Good morning,” his voice rumbled across the shell of her ear.
Rolling her head to the side, she closed her eyes, memorizing the feel of his flaming lips on her skin and the pressure of his hands on her forearms. “Good morning,” she faltered, her emotions teetering on edge.
“I see ye’re all packed up. Ready to be on yer way, are ye?”
She knew he was teasing but felt like it might be better if she really did get going so she wouldn’t fall completely apart in front of him. When she didn’t answer, he gently turned her around to face him, the expression on his face soft and endearing. A subtle breeze blew a strand of her hair across her face, and he gently tucked it over her ear, his genuine smile causing her toes to curl in her cowboy boots.
“Perhaps we could grab some coffee and a bagel at the train station. Might make for a better ride with some sustenance in our bellies while we make some plans for the next week, wouldn’t ye say?”
Searching his face, her brow furrowed. “What…what do you mean? I thought we had to say goodbye here…aren’t we taking separate cars, me to the train station and you to the airport?”
Mac pressed his lips together, fighting off a cheeky smirk, the blue in his gaze drawing her closer as he lightly ran the back of his hand across her cheek. “There’s been a change of plans.”
<
br /> ***
Nicky was animated all the way to Grand Central, her entire demeanor changed when Mac told her he was staying. When she finally put two and two together, she’d thrown her arms around him, pressing her heated lips against his in a passionate kiss. It thrilled him to know he’d made her happy.
“And your uncle didn’t mind?” she asked, snuggled against him with her legs crossed, one arm linked through his, the other holding a tall paper coffee cup. The city whizzed by them in a grayscale rush of hard static and concrete, the clickety-clack of the railway car at full speed ushering them toward Cold Creek.
“Nae. He understands, especially when I told him how I feel about ye.”
Nicky looked up at him with bright emerald eyes beckoning him to fall headfirst into her enchanted forest. “How do you feel about me, Mac?”
Swallowing hard, Mac pulled her closer, kissing the top of her dark head. “I should think ye already know how I feel about ye, Nick. But I suppose it’s time for me to proclaim it out loud and articulate the words that have been swirling around in my head and my heart.” Shifting in his seat, he turned to where they were face to face, mere inches apart. Her green eyes turned darker, and her expression was pensive, her body language rigid with anticipation. Taking the coffee from her hands, he slid it into the nearby cup holder before gripping her fingers and caressing her skin with his thumbs.
“I love ye, Nicky.”
Her eyes turned fluid, the immediate onset of tears making his heart clutch in his chest.
“You do?” she whispered, the hint of surprise unmistakable in her poignant tone.
“Aye. It was love at first sight. I’ve wanted to tell ye every day for weeks, but I didn’t want to scare ye off.” He paused to swipe a lone tear slowly making a trail down her gorgeous face.
I'll See You Again: A Scottish rock star, standalone opposites-attract romance (Reigning Hearts Book 4) Page 14
