“No one,” Trent said. “Just a friend from college.”
Understanding dawned before Trent disappeared into the mélange of tuxedos and haute couture. She was no longer a suitable candidate for a senator’s wife, and he no longer had use for her. The rebuff stung more than she thought it would. Not because she needed his approval, but because it marked the end of her need for it. A rush of relief flooded through her, her soul filling with lightness. She stared at the people moving around her, ignoring her. She didn’t belong in this world, with these people. She didn’t want to belong here.
Before she could overthink it, she pulled the painful high heels from her feet and tread across the marble foyer in her stockings. She didn’t pause to say goodbye to her father. He’d never notice her absence anyway. Instead, she retrieved her Jeep from the valet, rolled down the windows, and let the night air blow through her hair as she drove home.
CHAPTER 33
SUMMER TURNED into fall. After a great deal of thought, Lauren applied for med school. Her hair grew longer, her hips slimmer, and she spent weekends with friends at the lake. Sometimes a nice, boring young man asked her on a date, and she politely declined. Even though she hadn’t spoken to Elijah in four months, he was always in the back of her mind. He’d been released from jail a few days earlier. The day had come and gone without any word from him. And with each passing day, her heart grew a little heavier.
As she walked through the parking garage after work, she rummaged in the depths of her purse for her keys to the Jeep. It was late and dark and silent. She walked with part of her attention on the ground, part on her purse. Cadence wanted to go out for drinks. A long soak in the tub with a glass of wine sounded more interesting. Her phone vibrated, but she didn’t glance at the screen until she got inside the Jeep.
Three missed calls. One from Cadence. And two from Elijah. Her heart thudded with adrenalin. She stared at the phone, savoring the site of his name on her caller ID.
With shaking fingers, she called up Elijah’s voice mails. His voice caressed her ears, warm and familiar in the best possible way. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the headrest. There had been some kind of holdup with his release, and he’d been detained an extra day.
“But I’m catching a flight out now and I’ll be there soon. I thought maybe we could get together. If you’re free.” His voice sounded uncertain but hopeful. “If you want to.”
She hit redial, trembling from head to foot with anticipation. Of course, he was already in the air and her call went to his voice mail. She left a message anyway, trying not to sound like a besotted teenager, and accepted his invitation.
Outside the Laurel Falls airport, Elijah lifted his head to the sky, letting the warm sunlight bathe his face, overwhelmed by the wide-open space of the outside world. Never again would he take for granted the freedom of his life or the people in it.
Thanks to Robert Ellington, he’d gotten a reduced sentence, time off for good behavior, and two years probation. And all Lauren’s father asked in return was that he released a statement severing ties with Lauren and abstained from contacting her until his jail term ended.
Resisting contact with her had been more difficult than he anticipated, but he took Robert’s advice and used the time to get his head straight. He read books, wrote music, and mediated. After a while, he began to appreciate the quiet. No phones. No screaming fans. No clutching hands. And no one was trying to steal his soul.
CHAPTER 34
AT THE end of the week, the doorbell rang and sent a thrill of excitement and apprehension through Lauren. She gave one last look at her reflection in the mirror before going to answer it. She wanted to look her best. Elijah was on the other side of the door. Her heart hammered against her ribs. They’d talked on the phone, but meeting in person escalated her anticipation to a whole new level. Had jail changed him? The time apart had certainly changed her in many ways.
When she opened the door, he stood with his back to her, looking over the street. He turned, slowly revealing his profile and then his face. The beard was gone, his hair a little longer but neatly trimmed. He wore a white dress shirt and blue jeans faded in all the right places. His gaze drifted over her before he spoke, lingering on breast and thigh and finally reaching her face. The smile on his lips caused a flurry of butterflies inside her.
“You look great,” he said, taking in every detail of her oversized loose-knit sweater and white shorts. They were going to the park, and she’d changed clothes three times, looking for the perfect outfit. By the glow of his eyes, she’d chosen well.
“Thanks. So do you,” she replied, warming under his appreciation.
“Are we ready?” He inclined his head toward the driveway and the Land Rover parked there.
He opened the door to the SUV and waited for her to settle in before crossing to the driver’s side. She bit her bottom lip and tried to quell her nervousness. By the lightness of her heart, she must be grinning like an insane woman. He was smiling too.
“I’m nervous as hell,” he said suddenly, wiping his palms on his thighs. “Are you?” He turned to face her, the smile on his lips fading. His eyes, deep and dark and blue, fixed on her lips. The sight of them accelerated her pulse. The cab filled with his clean scent, masculine and familiar. “I missed the hell out of you. I know we only knew each other for a week, but you made an impression on me.”
“You made an impression on me too,” she said. Tears pricked her eyes and she blinked them back. Words tumbled out in a rush. “I’m so sorry, Elijah. It was all my fault. I should’ve told you before. I just didn’t think it would matter and—”
He stopped her with a finger to her lips. “It’s okay. We’re good. The only person to blame is me. I should never have pushed the guy, but when he came at you like that, all I wanted was to protect you.”
“But your band. The label.” She dropped her focus to her hands, unable to look at him. “You lost all that. I know how much it meant to you.”
He laughed, drawing her bewildered gaze. “Actually, it all worked out great. I got out of the contract, and since the label initiated the break, it wasn’t as costly as it could have been. And all that time alone gave me time to think. I’ve got a plan now.”
He put the vehicle into gear and pulled into the street. His hand found hers across the console. The pad of his thumb swept tiny circles over her knuckles. Every brush and stroke of his skin against hers sent a twinge of desire barreling through her nerve endings.
“Everything’s going to be alright,” he said and lifted her hand to his lips.
The light in his eyes was different, more confident. She couldn’t take her gaze from him. She thought the attraction between them might have been imagined or would fade during their time apart. The way he smiled at her told her she was wrong.
“Before we eat, I want you to meet someone,” he said once they reached the park. He opened the door, took her hand to help her out, and didn’t let go.
A tiny girl with golden curls and enormous blue eyes toddled across the grass toward Elijah. He released Lauren’s hand to bend down. His arms spread wide to welcome the child into his embrace. He gave her a tight squeeze before lifting her high in the air. She squealed and kicked her feet.
“This is my daughter, Layla,” he said, laughing as she tangled her fingers in his hair and pulled. “She’s a handful.”
“Like you?” Lauren asked, raising an eyebrow. Seeing him happy filled her with an emotion she hadn’t known existed. And that was when it happened—she fell the tiniest bit in love with him.
“Something like that,” Elijah replied.
“No,” the little girl cried. “No, no, no.” She squirmed until Elijah set her down on the ground.
“She’s beautiful,” Lauren said, watching the toddler tumble on the ground before bouncing up and trotting back to Elijah. This new emotion expanded in her chest, consuming her in the best possible way.
“I know,” he replied in a voi
ce full of awe and wonder. “I can’t believe she’s mine. If I ever needed a reason to get up in the morning, I found it in her.” He locked his gaze with hers. “And you.”
“Well, I believe I should get half the credit in there somewhere,” said a female voice from behind them. “After all, I did carry the kid for nine months, and giving birth was no small pain.”
Lauren turned toward the voice. If she’d been less self-assured, she might have been intimidated by such a beautiful woman. She was tall and slender. Raven-black hair fell in a shiny bob over exotic features and accentuated blue feline eyes.
“This is Chelsea, Layla’s mom. Chels, this is Lauren.” Laughter bubbled to Lauren’s lips at the warning glare in Elijah’s eyes. She cleared her throat to cover it. “Play nice, Chels.”
“Nice to meet you,” Lauren said.
“Hey,” Chelsea said. A measure of approval flared in her eyes when Lauren lifted her chin and stared back. Chelsea’s lips curved into a reluctant but genuine smile. “So, I’m going to run some errands. You kiddies have a good time.” She turned to Elijah, dismissing Lauren without comment. “I’ll be back in an hour to pick her up.”
They played with Layla for most of the hour, taking turns chasing her. Elijah picked the child up and blew raspberries on her belly, sending her into fits of charming giggles. When Lauren stopped to catch her breath, Elijah tackled her to the ground, lifted her sweater, and blew raspberries on her belly, too, until Layla collapsed into peals of laughter over the silly adults.
“I’m going to buy them a house,” he said when Chelsea had returned and taken Layla home. “They were living in a shitty apartment in the projects. I moved them into a nice suite at the hotel for the time being. And I’ve set up a trust fund for Layla so she’ll never want for anything.”
Lauren swallowed against the thickening lump in her throat, and before she knew it, she fell the rest of the way in love with him. Elijah stretched out on the blanket beside her, his long fingers toying with a small twig. The selfish rock star of the past had morphed into a kind and sweet man. Watching him with his daughter revealed a new layer to his already complicated persona. She could hardly wait to see what came next.
They were beneath an aged walnut tree. The heavy branches hung low and enveloped them in a lacy green canopy. She leaned back on her hands. Sunlight warmed her face, and a light wind ruffled her hair. A new and wondrous contentment filled the remaining spaces of her heart. If everything in the past had led her to this moment, it was well worth it.
“Did you love Chelsea?” The question slipped from Lauren’s lips before she could stop it. She didn’t want to know, but how could he not? Love her, that is. Chelsea was every man’s wet dream. She swallowed back a pang of jealousy.
“Chelsea?” He snorted. “Hell, no. I don’t even like her, really. But she’s the mother of my kid and like she said, she deserves some credit for that. I just wanted you to meet her and Layla, in case…” He paused to chew his lower lip. “In case things get serious between us. Between you and me. Layla and I are a package deal, and I need you to know that up front.”
“Do you think things are going to get serious?” she asked. The concept sent electric jolts of hope rocketing into her heart.
His eyes fell to her lips and stayed there. “A guy can hope, right?”
CHAPTER 35
FOR THE next two months, Elijah did something he’d never done before. He dated one girl. No more anonymous fucks in tour buses or hookers in hotels. He spent time getting to know Lauren, courting her, and falling in love with her.
He’d been the perfect gentleman, opening doors and holding her hand. He wanted to take things slow, ease into their relationship. She needed to know he’d changed, that he was done with meaningless affairs. The moment he’d lost her on the airplane had defined his future, and he planned to make every second of it count.
After an intimate dinner at an Italian restaurant downtown, he drove her home and wondered how much longer he’d be able to keep his hands off of her. They’d kissed on their other dates. Chaste brushes of the lips while they watched a movie. Long, lingering kisses on the front porch before he left each night. Tonight, they barely made it inside her house before she shoved him against the wall and pressed her mouth to his.
“No more waiting,” she said.
“Whoa,” he exclaimed as his back hit the wall, suppressing a laugh. The cabinet next to him shook from the impact. He raised his hands in the air, surrendering to her attack. Lauren ran her hands up his chest. His ribs swelled, bursting with anticipation. Pressure built in his groin. The sweet ache of longing accompanied each and every brush of her fingers over his skin. She was teasing him, tormenting him.
“Do you want me to stop?” she asked, lips still pressed to his.
“No. I just thought you wanted to take things slow,” he said. “Get to know each other.”
Her smile curved against his mouth. “No. You said you wanted to get to know each other.” Her hands flew to the buttons on his shirt, fumbling and stumbling over them in her haste. “I want you to take me to bed. Right. Now.”
The heat of his skin warmed beneath her palms. He groaned into her mouth. The friction of teeth and tongues added an extra layer to his frustration. She tugged on his belt buckle, cursing when it failed to come free. His cock strained against his zipper.
“Elijah.” The way she said his name sounded so dirty and needful. She tugged on his belt again, groaning in adorable frustration. “What is wrong with this thing?”
“Hang on a minute.” He covered her hands with his, stilling their motion, and tried not to laugh. “Don’t you think we should shut the front door first?”
Lauren’s eyes went dark and stormy. She kicked the door shut with her foot. Her chest rose and fell with a heavy breath. She bent and licked the curve of his collarbone, pausing to nip the spot where his pulse thudded beneath his jaw. Every fiber of his being needed to be inside her, to show her just how much he felt for her and how far he’d fallen in love with her.
“That’s it,” he muttered, unable to stand another second of self-restraint.
In one smooth motion, he pulled her sweater over her head and tossed it aside. The clasp of his belt buckle came free. She unbuttoned his jeans, slid down the zipper, and shoved them over his hips. He swept an arm around her waist, lowering her to the floor. A tiny sigh slipped from her parted lips as he settled between her spread thighs.
The feel of her lips brought back memories of rainy ocean views and sandy walks on the beach. He kissed a path from her ankle to her thigh, pausing long enough to pull her pants down, taking her panties away with them. The tile floor chilled his knees. Lauren shivered until he covered her with his body, sharing his heat.
Sensation ebbed and flowed like an incoming tide. He drifted boneless and breathless beneath the caress of her hands. He murmured words into her skin, low and soft, trying to make her understand how much he wanted her. The unbearable tightness in his groin and the heat of her mouth made him hard as a steel rod. He nipped her breast and sucked her nipples into tight peaks, making her whimper in decadent pleasure.
“I’ve waited so long for this,” he said, bracing himself over her to look into her eyes. “I don’t want this to be a one-night thing. I need to know it’s more than that.”
“It’s already more than that.” She bucked her hips, needing him inside her, too impatient and too overcome with wanting to hear his words. Just the way her needed her to be.
“I want it to be your everything. I want to see you when I wake up in the morning. To taste you. To be inside you.” His erection nudged her sex. A simple shift of his hips would send him into her depths. She dug her nails into his back and groaned with impatience. “I want to be like Tony and Eleanor. I want you to know I’ll be there for you.”
The gravity of his words struck him in the chest like a fist. He’d die trying to prove it to her. Her violet eyes glittered with tears, intense and unwavering. She traced the cu
rve of his mouth with a fingertip, swept her hands along the curling lines of his tattoos on his neck, and pulled his mouth down to hers.
“I love you, Lauren,” he murmured against her mouth and slid inside her.
He didn’t care that he said it first. Saying the words felt more right than anything he’d ever done. She knew who he was. She’d seen the best and worst of him and hadn’t walked away. His life had come together because of her. He’d started his own record label and was going to build a recording studio. Chelsea and Layla lived in a new house close by. He got to see his daughter every day, and it made him happier than he’d ever thought possible.
Heat prickled along the surface of his skin. Every tiny hair felt alive. The curling hairs on his legs rasped along her silken inner thighs. He savored the slow glide of his cock in and out of her. When he was inside her, he didn’t care about anything. It was just the two of them. All he wanted was her and everything that came with her. He closed his eyes, inhaled her scent, and let the mistakes of his past drift away.
Felony Romance Series: Complete Box Set (Books 1-5) Page 88
