The weight of her words sank into him. He tightened his grip on her hand, feeling the delicate bones and the softness of her skin. Maybe they weren’t so different after all. Maybe he could take a lesson from her life.
“Out on the beach, you asked me why I brought you here.” He cleared his throat. “So why are you here with me? If you’ve got everything you want, where do I fit in?”
With a sigh, she collapsed onto the pillows and threw an arm above her head. The movement hiked the shirt up to her thighs. She looked relaxed and drowsy and sexy. Her hair spilled around her shoulders, damp strands sticking to her neck. He smoothed them back, overwhelmed with the need to take care of her.
“Well, I decided to come because I was told to take a vacation while the hospital investigates the death of that baby.” She stared at the ceiling, a glimmer of tears in her eyes.
“They think it’s your fault?” He pulled her closer and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “That’s crazy.”
“It’ll be fine,” she said, but her voice trembled. “I didn’t do anything wrong. It’s just a formality.”
“I’m sorry,” he said, feeling a surge of empathy for her. She turned her face into his chest while he drew in a lungful of her fresh, clean scent. All this time he’d been agonizing over himself while she’d held this devastating secret inside. He’d been a selfish bastard once again. “I know how much it means to you.”
“I got a text from Pilar this morning. She said not to worry.” The soft puff of her breath warmed his chest. Her voice came out muffled. “And the reason I chose you is because underneath your shiny celebrity, I get the sense you’re a good guy.” She paused, and he felt her lips curve into a smile. “And you’re hot.”
She lifted her head, rested her chin on his ribs, and smiled up at him. He studied every line of her face, committing it to memory, savoring the moment. The world slowed around them. Her words filled him with a heady sense of satisfaction and warmth.
“Okay. Your turn,” she said. One of her hands slid up his torso. Her light touch soothed him. “Tell me something about yourself. Make it good, or I win.”
Nervousness knotted his stomach. He shifted beneath her. How could he reveal pieces of himself when he didn’t know who he was anymore? She’d asked him for answers on the beach. If he wanted her respect, he needed to give them to her. He’d start with the worst of it and work his way back.
“You asked me about Luke and Tasha,” he began. His throat felt thick and gritty. He cleared it and started again. “Luke’s been my friend forever, but for awhile I thought it was something else, something more.”
The caress of her hand stopped, and his heart fell. She wouldn’t understand. He’d been insane to believe she might. And then it started up again, the slow brush of her fingers against his skin.
“Keep going,” she murmured.
“I got it all mixed up in my head. Too many pills, not enough sleep. I was partying nonstop, day after day.” While she spoke, her fingers toyed with his chest hair. “I could tell Luke liked Tasha from the start. More than liked. And I was so jealous. I thought I could take her away from him, but after I got to know her, I really liked her, too. One thing led to another. Things got a out of hand between the three of us.” Her fingers stopped moving again, and she lifted on an elbow to study him.
“Were you in love with her? Or him?” The tone of her voice held no judgment, just honest curiosity. She found his gaze and held it, forcing him to reveal the truth.
“I thought so, but now, I know better. I love them both, but not like that.” He glanced away, waiting for her to get up and leave. When she didn’t move, he glanced up at her.
Both of her eyebrows arched. “So you like guys and girls?”
“I prefer women, not girls,” he said, attempting humor and failing. She didn’t smile. “But I’ve been known to swing one way or the other on occasion. When you’re in a bed full of naked people, gender isn’t always a priority.”
Those lovely violet eyes kept a hold on his blue ones, pulling him into their depths and keeping him there.
“Have I scandalized you yet?” he asked.
“Oh, I’m scandalized, alright,” she said. “I guess what I need to know is if that’s what you want. Because I can’t do that.”
He didn’t have to think about his answer. He already knew. “It’s not I what I want,” he said. “And it’s not who I am now. I want to be with one person.”
A slow smile brightened her face. She leaned over and dropped a kiss on his mouth. Her next words liberated the dread trapped inside him. “I’m not interested in what you’ve done. It’s what you’re going to do next that concerns me. Make it count.”
CHAPTER 26
LAUREN AWOKE to the brilliant flood of daylight in her eyes and Elijah staring down at her. For a few seconds, she forgot where she was. She rubbed her eyes and stretched in the sun-warmed sheets, luxuriating in the moment. The sight of Elijah’s broad shoulders, naked torso, and messy blond hair brought the memories rushing back.
Sex on the living room floor. Gabe. He’d asked for her deepest, darkest secret, and she’d told him. She’d confessed her true name, but she hadn’t told him everything. A few pertinent facts like her father’s fame, her actress mother, their scandalous affair, and her illegitimate birth had been left out. Even though the words had perched on her tongue, something kept her from finishing the story.
“What do you want to do on our last day?” he asked. The sleep-roughened words caused her to shiver and pulled her away from her thoughts. Even a simple question could sound dirty when he spoke in that voice. “It’s supposed to be a beautiful day.”
The scent of soap and aftershave drifted between them. He’d already showered. The waistband of gray boxer briefs peeked above the sheet wrapped around his hips. Without thinking, she ran her palm up the sculpted length of his arm to grip the swell of his bicep. The thick veins pulsed under her touch.
“I wish we could stay longer,” she said. All she really wanted was to drag him under the sheets with her. A sunbeam shafted through the window, illuminating all the fine dark gold hairs on his forearm. They stood up beneath her touch.
“I know.” His warm breath tickled her neck as he planted a kiss there. “But I get to see Layla this weekend, and I’ve got a meeting with my label.”
Reality loomed over their horizon. By this time tomorrow, he’d be back in his hotel room, and she’d be contemplating her return to work. A sudden pang of sadness hit her. She was going to miss his company. They’d only known each other a week, but it seemed like a lifetime.
“Let’s just go somewhere, anywhere,” she said, still entranced by the power in his arms. “Take a road trip, have a picnic. See where the day takes us.”
Playful light danced through his eyes. She bit her lower lip, captivated by the green flecks in his blue eyes.
“Yes, I like the way you think.” He bounced from the bed to his feet, grabbed her by the waist, and threw her over his shoulder. She was naked. Her bare skin heated against his. “Get in the shower. Hurry. Let’s go now.”
Of course, Elijah had a convertible beast hidden in the garage. The low-slung car exuded sex and money, and nothing about it was understated. Just like Elijah. From behind her sunglasses she studied his profile, admiring the way the sun caught the hints of red in his beard and the wind ruffled the tips of his hair. He looked healthy and carefree, the picture of sin and fun and everything missing from her life.
They zoomed along the curving highway, in no particular direction. The vibration of the car beneath her exacerbated the hum between her thighs. She tilted her head back, let the breeze flow through her hair, and basked in the heat of sunlight and freedom.
He made it so easy to forget who she was, the stress of the Millers’ baby, the pressures of work and everyday life. Looking at his strong profile, it was easy to ignore the panic attack, the addictions, and the pain in his eyes whenever he gazed out to the sea. He was a mystery an
d an enigma wrapped up in a sexy candy-coated shell that she wanted to crack.
The car skidded to a stop. Lauren lurched forward, carried by momentum, and placed a hand on the dash to brace herself. A mischievous grin curved Elijah’s lips. He threw the car into reverse and backed to an intersection with a gravel road.
“Left or right?” he asked.
“Left,” she said. “Always left.”
“If you always go left, you’ll just end up where you started.” She gave him a look of amused exasperation, and he waggled his eyebrows at her then shifted into gear. “Left it is then.”
Within seconds they were barreling down the gravel road, dust pluming behind them. The road led to a winery, tucked into the rolling Santa Monica Mountains. Tiers of grape arbors covered the hillsides, interspersed with copses of trees and confined by weathered board fences. A shaggy dog of questionable parentage lumbered from the shade of an olive tree to greet them.
They had the place to themselves. After a few minutes, an elderly man inched his way across the dirt parking lot, a broad smile on his tanned, wrinkled face. If Elijah’s tattoos alarmed him, he didn’t show it. He offered a hand in greeting. Elijah removed his sunglasses and shook it.
“Come for a tasting?” the man asked in a voice tinged with an Italian accent.
“Yes,” Elijah said. “We were just driving around and stumbled upon you.”
“It’s beautiful day for it. Come with me. We’ll get started.” He nodded to Lauren, his cheeks brightening with shy color. “My name is Tony. My wife and I have lived here many years—some prosperous, some not—but all of them happy.”
They wandered the grounds and listened to the man ramble with maddening slowness about the vines, the grapes, the soil, and his grandchildren. Elijah seemed enraptured. Lauren couldn’t take her eyes from Elijah, fascinated by the long column of his neck, the curling tattoos, and the rise and fall of his Adam’s apple when he swallowed. She’d never known a man’s neck to be so sexy, so mesmerizing, so…
“Have you been married long?” Tony asked, breaking Lauren’s stare.
“We’re—” Lauren began, but Elijah interrupted before she could finish.
“Not long,” he said. “We’re newlyweds.” The crinkles in the corner of his eyes and the question mark curls at the corners of his mouth begged her to play along.
“Ah, so nice,” Tony said, his smile broadening. “My wife and I have been married nearly sixty years, and every day seems like the first.”
They were seated at a long wooden table beneath the shade of a spreading oak tree. Tony had brought out a dozen different wine bottles, opened them all, and poured them into wine glasses lined along the table. He proceeded to describe each vintage with passion, as if describing a lover. Lauren tasted the wine, rolled it on her tongue, and savored the burst of flavor while Elijah watched her. His pupils grew larger, his eyes darkening as she swept her tongue over her lip to catch a stray drop.
“And how did you meet your love?” Tony asked as he swirled the wine in his glass.
“It was a blind date,” Lauren said, smiling at Tony and casting a teasing sideways glance at Elijah. She liked the way he watched her, as if they were alone, as if he wanted to do nasty, dirty things to her. “He didn’t make a very good first impression.”
“I was late, and she wasn’t very happy about it,” Elijah said. His cheeks flushed an adorable pink. “I begged her to give me a second chance and—” he spread his arms wide, “—here we are.”
“He swept me off my feet, and we got married a week later,” Lauren said. She bit her lower lip. Elijah reached out to pull her lip away from her teeth then swept his thumb along the curve of it, the way he’d begun to do so often.
“Is he still late?” Tony asked, his pleasure in their fun obvious.
“Always,” Lauren said, kissing the tip of Elijah’s thumb then biting it lightly. Elijah’s eyes grew darker still. His breath hissed inward, the sound inaudible but obvious to Lauren.
“Eleanor!” Tony bellowed the name with such force that Lauren jerked and nearly tumbled backward off the bench. Elijah steadied her with a hand on the small of her back, low and intimate. “Come meet our guests! Where are you, lazy woman?”
Lauren’s eyebrows lifted to her hairline, straining the muscles in her forehead. Elijah choked back laughter. His hand remained on her back, his thumb tracing small circles on the bare strip of skin between her slacks and top.
“Don’t yell at me, you son of a bitch. I’m right here.” A woman appeared from the small shed behind Tony. Her tiny, frail frame wavered in the hot breeze. Silver hair piled high on her head. She carried a tray laden with bread, cheese, fruit, and a carafe of coffee.
“I swear to God, you test me every day,” Tony said. Lauren’s gaze flew to the man’s face. He grinned broadly and with such affection at his wife. Lauren felt a catch in her throat. “Il mio amore.”
My love. Lauren didn’t know much Italian, but she’d spent a few summers there with her grandmother as a kid, enough to catch the endearment.
The woman placed the tray on the table in front of Elijah and gave him an assessing perusal with almond-shaped eyes. She must’ve been beautiful once with sharp, graceful features and a regal tilt to her head. Even the lines of age couldn’t hide the telltale signs of her lost youth. “Oh, shut up, old windbag,” Eleanor said, her tone mild and unaffected. She spread the food in front of them before wiping wizened hands on her apron. “Mangia. Eat.” This remark was directed to Elijah. The woman’s gaze swept over Lauren, her brow furrowing deeper. “You no feed him? The boy is too thin.”
Elijah laughed and popped an entire cake into his mouth. “No. She never feeds me. All she wants is sex, sex, sex.”
Lauren sucked in a horrified breath and kicked his shin beneath the table. He winced, grin broadening. She felt the rush of heat into her cheeks. “Elijah.”
“What? You know it’s true.” His unapologetic tone and blatant leer made her nipples tighten beneath the cotton of her top.
“I’m sorry,” she said, lifting her eyes to the older couple, filled with mortification. “He has no filter.”
To her relief, the couple laughed. Eleanor moved behind Tony, resting her hands on his shoulders, and dropped a kiss on the top of his head. “I know how it is,” Eleanor said. Tony placed a hand on top of one of hers and turned to smile at his wife. “The wanting and needing. Never able to get enough. Always wanting more.”
“You will stay and have dinner with us,” Tony announced. He slapped his hands on the table, leaving no room for excuses or refusal. “We will eat and drink wine, and you will remind us of what it is like to be young.”
CHAPTER 27
LAUREN HELPED Eleanor in the kitchen, while Elijah and Tony carried on a private conversation on the attached veranda. Whatever Tony was telling him, it must’ve been fascinating. Elijah’s rapt gaze only wavered occasionally to find her, as if to reassure himself she was still there.
Eleanor showed her how to make fresh pasta, rolling and kneading the dough with her hands, cutting the noodles and dropping them into a huge pot of boiling water. The meal was simple. Olive oil, pasta, tomatoes, and garlic simmered to meld the flavors. Everything tossed together at the end, sprinkled with a bevy of cheeses, and served family style in the center of the long table outside.
“You are famous,” Eleanor said when the food was almost gone and Lauren’s stomach swelled to the point of discomfort. “I have seen your face many times, I think.”
“I’m in a band,” Elijah said, shifting uncomfortably. “Seven Drift.”
Eleanor’s eyes locked with Lauren. She realized the statement was meant for her and not Elijah. Cold sweat erupted on her palms. Elijah’s gaze flickered with concern. She lowered her eyes to the empty plate in front of her.
“Yes. I have heard of you. My grandson listens all the time with the blam and the bang and clash.” Tony waved his hands in the air, something he did a lot. “All noise and clatter
to me. No insult.” Elijah grinned and dipped his head in acknowledgment. “I prefer the music of the outdoors. Listen.”
They fell silent. Wind rustled through the leaves. Birds twittered a cacophony of songs. The brook at the base of the hill where they sat, babbled and shooshed over rocks. A horse neighed in the distance, plaintive and solitary.
“This is all the music I need. This and the sweet sound of my Eleanor’s voice.” Tony pinched Eleanor’s backside. The most charming blush swept over her wrinkled cheeks. She slapped Tony’s hand away, moving quickly for someone so frail and aged.
“I was famous once,” Eleanor said, her gaze once again boring into Lauren. “I was an opera singer and I sang all over the world. Bustling here. Traveling there. Living from hotel to suitcase.” She passed a hand across her forehead and her eyes clouded, as if relieving those days so long ago. “I had everything. Fame. Fortune. But not love. Not until I met my Antonio.” Her voice softened on her husband’s name, caressing it.
“I was a no one. Just a boy working at my father’s grocery store. I found her crying on the street one day. So beautiful. So triste. Sad.” His eyes glowed as he spoke.
“I sneaked from my hotel to meet him when I could. I was never alone. Never able to do what I wanted. Go where I wanted. My father guarded me like a treasure.” Eleanor was no longer talking to Elijah and Lauren. Her words were for Tony. She cupped his chin in her hand and turned his face to hers. “Antonio rescued me. He took me away on the handlebars of his bicycle. We stayed hidden for a week before my father found us.” She pressed a chaste kiss to Tony’s lips. He closed his eyes, savoring it the same way he’d savored his wine earlier. “It was only a week, but it was long enough for me to become pregnant with our first boy.”
Felony Romance Series: Complete Box Set (Books 1-5) Page 85
