RAPT - The Price of Love: Everhide Rockstar Romance Book 3 (Everhide Rockstar Romance Series)

by Tania Joyce

  Kyle scratched the tip of his chin, his voice low so only Gemma could hear. “I’d say she wanted both.”

  Janine’s tone took on a prying, slithering edge. “So . . . this means the wedding is soon. I haven’t received my save-the-date invitation yet. When is it so I can clear my calendar? It must be in two or three weeks, right?”

  Gemma dug her fingers into her thigh. There it was—the truth. This was why she’d rung; she wanted the wedding details. So she could tip off the paparazzi. No. Fucking. Way. “I’ve told you. You’re not invited.”

  “But I’m your mother.” Janine’s voice ricocheted through her ears, grated on her nerves like an out of tune violin.

  Kyle leaned forward, his jaw tense. “Janine, can you honestly say you wouldn’t sell pictures to the highest bidder, post the details online about the venue, and leak information about the date?”

  Silence.

  Then more silence.

  “I thought not.” Kyle sat back in his chair, the wheels of his stool hitting the wall. “Sorry, but that’s why you’re not, and will not, be invited to the wedding.”

  Warmth filled Gemma’s chest. He knew exactly how she felt. She’d tried for years to keep a civil relationship with her mother, partly at Kyle’s insistence. After he lost his parents, he didn’t want her to have any regrets about not having her mom in her life.

  She’d tried. Tried real hard. But her mom’s continual narcissism, toxic belittling, and ruthless pursuit of selling anything personal about her and her friends to gossip magazines meant Gemma had had to sever the ties. She only spoke to her once a month, if that.

  A metallic tink, tink, tink came through the speaker. Gemma pictured her mom tapping her latest gaudy dress rings against her phone. “But what I do with my personal photos is my business.”

  “No. It’s not,” Gemma snapped.

  “I’m hurt that you don’t want me there.” Janine sulked. “It’s disrespectful.”

  Her mom didn’t know the meaning of the word. How could someone be so spiteful and hate their child? Want to make money off them? The hole deep inside her chest ached—a reminder that her parents were supposed to love her, but they didn’t. “Disrespectful? That’s a joke. Be honest, Mom. How much are you being offered for our wedding photos? I know someone will be tempting you with cold, hard cash.”

  “No, they’re not.” Her mom was such a bad liar. Within a single breath, her voice turned soft and sweet as honey. “I just want to come to my daughter’s wedding.”

  “Bullshit.” Gemma balled her fist, cutting off the blood circulation to her fingers. “How much?”

  “Oh . . . it’s . . . it’s just a few dollars. It’s nothing.”

  “How much?” Her words cut through her clenched teeth.

  “Five hundred thousand.”

  “Holy fuck! Are you fucking kidding me?” Her mother’s audacity spiked her blood pressure. “And that’s why you won’t be there. I can’t trust you.”

  Gemma hung up and threw her cell phone onto the desk. Her insides twisted. She’d gone from playing her heart out with Kyle to feeling less than worthless.

  “Hey.” Kyle held out his hand. “Come sit with me.”

  She took his hand and let him lead her over to the small blue sofa on the far side of the room. He pulled her sideways onto his lap and held her tight. She rested her head against his shoulder. He stroked her hair with long, slow brushes of his fingertips. “Don’t let her get to you. She doesn’t fall into the realm of human decency. She may be your blood, but she’s not family. You and I are. Hunt is. Our connection is greater than any DNA. Remember that.”

  She drew circles on his chest. They did have an uncanny bond, but signs of strain had bubbled to the surface and threatened to unravel it. Their relationship had been nothing but a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs. With some stalker wanting her dead, security at a max, and letters arriving more frequently, she didn’t know how long she could hold on before she spiraled out of control. Love caused nothing but problems and she was scared it would destroy them.

  She nuzzled into the small of his neck, inhaled his woodsy scent. It soothed her twisted thoughts. He was her antidote to any venom in her life, from her mother, to the stalker, to the wedding stresses. “Yeah. I do know that.”

  “Good.”

  Her happily ever after couldn’t come fast enough. She erased her mother from her mind. “What did you need to speak to me about before we got rudely interrupted?”

  “Two things.” Stuffing his hand into the back pocket of her jeans, he cupped her ass. “One, it’s about the show this weekend. And two, the wedding.”

  Both kept her awake at night. She’d heard Kyle on the phone late last night, talking to Hunter. It twisted every sinewy tendon in her arms into tight knots, but she had to put their safety first. “You want to cancel this Saturday?”

  “Yeah.” The agony in his voice reflected her sentiments. “Hunt agrees with me, so it’s two against one.”

  The nerves in her neck pinched. Why did he make everything feel like a compromise on her part? She wriggled on his lap, finding comfort with her hand over his heart. “No, it’s not. I hate having to cancel, but I agree with you. Let’s just focus on getting married.”

  A sexy smile played across his lips. “I like the sound of that.”

  “Guess we better call Kate and Sophie.” Canceling two days before a show wasn’t fun. The fallout and speculation as to why would create a media frenzy. But safety came first. She patted his arm for him to release her, but he didn’t let go.

  “There’s one more thing.” His anguished tone meant it wasn’t good news.

  She sank back into his embrace. She’d hidden more threats from Kyle, written a wreck of a song, her mother had rung, and she’d had to cancel a show. What else could go wrong? “What is it?”

  He played with a strand of her hair, curling it around and slipping it between his fingertips. The gentle tugs tweaked her scalp. “We have a minor hiccup. Regarding the legalities.”

  She jerked her chin back and quizzed him. “Are you actually an illegal alien and I can’t marry you?”

  “No,” he smiled, but his eyes glistened, serious and solemn. “I haven’t received the documents from the Belize wedding officiant. So we either have to stay on the mainland for three days before we can apply for and get a marriage license . . . or . . . Richard can expedite a special application for us, but we would still need to sign documents in Belize . . . or . . . we head to the city clerk’s office . . . or . . . one of the lawyers in Richard’s office is an officiant and could legally marry us before we go.”

  She shot upright. “Marry? Before we go?” Holy shit! Some small snag, all right!

  He rubbed slow circles around her back, waiting for her reply. Daydreams of saying ‘I do’ to Kyle filled her head. It was so close. “If we have to stay on the mainland, we’ll need extra security, risk getting seen. I just want to get out to the island as quick as possible, undetected. To me it doesn’t matter where and when we sign the paperwork. Regardless of what we have to do to make it legal, saying our vows on the beach in front of the universe will be the moment we marry.”

  Damn, they should’ve married in Vegas.

  His hand stilled on her back. “So you want to get married here before we go?”

  She hated seeing disappointment loom in his eyes. He’d hate that his plans had been snared. But considering their options, this was the best choice. Less hassle. This news about the wedding was good news.

  She cupped his cheek. A smile inched across her lips. “Yes. I do.” She liked saying those words. “I get to call you husband sooner rather than later.”

  His gaze softened and he nodded slowly. “Name the day. I’ll make it happen.”

  Butterflies swarmed in her stomach. To hell with threats, work, and worry. They’d muddied her thoughts for long enough. It would be a relief to forget about them for a while, hopefully for good. Kyle adored her and she adored him. With their sh
ow canceled, this would be perfect. It would give them a few more days to relax and enjoy being married.

  She slid her hands up his chest and linked them behind his neck. She pressed her lips to his. Her heart thudded like rapid quickfire. “Let’s do it. On Friday. At Richard’s. Let’s get married.”

  Chapter 13

  Gemma woke to the smell of coffee, pancakes and bacon wafting up to her bedroom from the kitchen. She could hear the clattering of plates and cutlery, the sizzle of rashers and batter frying. Stretching her arms over her head, she grinned and leaped out of bed. Her belly rumbled with hunger and rippled with nerves. Good nerves. The kind where you wished time would fly by at sonic speed, but no matter how busy you kept yourself, the clock ticked by at tortoise pace. She glanced at the blue digital clock display on her nightstand. 8:03 a.m. Seven hours to go. Today, at three o’clock, in Richard’s office, she’d marry Kyle. Legally, on paper.

  She only had to go to Nina’s Bridal at twelve-thirty to pick up her dress for Belize.

  Come home and change.

  Go get married.

  Easy.

  Gemma grabbed her cell phone off the nightstand and skipped down the stairs. She dashed across the tiled floor and jumped into Kyle’s waiting wide open arms. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she kissed him.

  “Good morning.” His eyes glinted with saucy, sexy love, and he slipped his hands underneath the hem of her T-Shirt, his fingertips hot against her cool skin. “I have to admit; my Pearl Jam shirt does look better on you.”

  Any shirt of his felt good to sleep in. This one was her favorite.

  He kissed her lips, placed her on her feet, grabbed the flipper off the countertop and rushed over to the cooktop to flip a pancake. His gorgeous smile brightened his whole face. “Today’s the big day. You ready to sign your life away?”

  “Yea-p.” She put her cell phone on the counter, grabbed the cup of steaming coffee waiting for her, and took a sip. “But getting fake married in Belize will still be better.”

  “Yeah, I know.” Disappointment flashed in his eyes.

  The wedding hadn’t quite gone to his plan.

  But they had a plan. A good plan.

  This was a change she could handle.

  Gemma blew into her cup of hot coffee, taking in everything laid out on the granite countertop—berries, syrup, cutlery, napkins. She’d certainly nabbed a fine man. Her cooking was far from as sensational as Kyle’s. “Can I do anything to help?”

  “Nope.” He placed a pancake onto the stack beside the cooktop. “Sit. Relax. Enjoy your coffee. These will be ready in a few minutes.”

  “If you insist.” As she slid onto the breakfast bar stool, her cell phone vibrated. The caller ID lit with Kara’s name.

  Gemma swiped the screen and put the call on loudspeaker. “Hey Kar, what’s up?”

  “You wouldn’t believe what’s happened.” The stress in Kara’s voice spiked Gemma’s pulse. She took a steady breath and found her calm. She wouldn’t let things get to her today.

  “Tom Ford wants to meet this morning, not on Monday.” Kara spoke so fast, Gemma had to concentrate. “If I don’t go, they’re unavailable for another month. You know how long I’ve been trying to get them to be a supplier for you guys. I have to go.”

  Is that all? Gemma thought there’d been a catastrophe. She let out the breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding and smiled. “That’s okay, Kar. I’m more than capable of picking up my dress by myself. It’s chill.”

  The several fittings Gemma had had at Nina’s bridal shop over the past few weeks, slotted in around rehearsal times and travel, had been worth it. Even putting up with Kyle getting suspicious about why she had to have so many in-store visits was about to pay off. Her wedding dress for Belize was ready, and so was her dress for today—the outfit she had planned to surprise Kyle with and wear for dinner the night they arrived in Belize would be perfect to wear to Richard’s.

  “You sure?” Kara’s voice swooped back to normal. “Call Lexi. See if she can go.”

  Even though Kara couldn’t see her, Gemma shook her head. “No can do. She’s working until lunchtime to finish her magazine and blog articles that are due. She’ll meet us at Richard’s office.”

  This afternoon, it would be just her and Kyle, and their four best friends to witness their wedding at their lawyer’s office downtown. Not the most ideal venue, but the small guest list was perfect.

  “Gem.” Kyle stopped chewing on a piece of crispy bacon. “I’ll go with you to Nina’s.”

  “You can’t. You guys have to go pick up your suits.”

  He shrugged a shoulder. “I’ll change it to Monday.”

  “No, don’t.” Kara blurted. Kara would hate not being with her, but she knew of Gemma’s surprise plans and time was limited over the next few days before they flew to Belize. “The suits are done. Just try them on. Everything should be perfect. And you wanted new ties for this afternoon.”

  That pulled him up. “Fine. We’ll go.” The corner of his mouth tweaked into a half smile. “But I’d sooner go with Gem.”

  She gripped her phone tighter. The fine line between Kyle being adorable and him being obsessive about her safety blurred. With the ramped up threats, she could understand his concerns . . . hell, she was on edge . . . but she would have security with her at all times. There was nothing to worry about. Gemma dug her nails into her palm but kept her voice switched onto sweet. “Don’t be silly, Kyle.” He didn’t need to drop everything to be with her or see her dress before the wedding. Wasn’t that bad luck? Good thing she wasn’t superstitious. But to be on the safe side, Kara would be minding her dress until Belize so Kyle couldn’t sneak a peek.

  “Gem, are you sure it’s okay?” Kara asked.

  Gemma dragged her fingers down her face, when she really wanted to tear her hair out, tired of everyone’s apprehension. “Yes. Go.” Kara had been working overtime with Tom Ford’s team to finalize a supply contract, and even hinted at doing an advertising campaign with them. That would be fun. There’s no way she’d stop her best friend from trying to land this opportunity. “You go schmooze, girl. Have some fun.”

  “Okay.” Kara gushed with relief. “The meeting’s at eleven o’clock. I’ll call you when I’ve finished. I’ll be back at your place by one-thirty to get ready.”

  “Sounds like a plan. Love you.” Gemma ended the call and slid her cell phone onto the counter.

  Kyle threw her short, sharp glances as he tonged the bacon onto a paper-towel-covered dish. “Call Bec. Sophie. Kate. Carla. Vicki. Laura. Someone. One of the girls should be with you.”

  Gemma’s forehead ached. She could go pick up a freaking dress without being handheld. Vicki and Laura were at work; they weren’t the kind of friends she wanted to go shopping with anyway. She didn’t want to take Sophie, Kate, Carla or Bec because she didn’t want them to see the dress before Belize. “I’m not calling anyone. I’ll have Chester with me.” Not the most ideal outcome, and not having Kara with her would fizzle the element of fun, but she wouldn’t interrupt anyone else’s plans. “My appointment won’t even go for an hour. I’ll go straight there and come home to get ready. I’ll meet you as planned.”

  Kyle’s brow furrowed; any deeper and there’d be a new Grand Canyon. The tendons on the side of his neck strained as he finished cooking and rinsed the skillet in the sink.

  Only a few people knew they were getting married today. As long as their fans didn’t catch wind of what they were doing, and the paparazzi didn’t follow them, everything would go off without a hitch. There’d been a gander of gossip-mongering cameramen with long-range lens hanging around outside their apartment, set up in the small park across the road, since they’d come back from Vegas. Kate had told her that the online entertainment news sites were flooded with speculation about her health—was she ill? Pregnant? On the verge of a breakdown? Hmm. Breakdown might be close to the truth if she couldn’t get her life back to normal.

  Stupid t
hreats.

  The smell of sweet pancakes called to Gemma like the Pied Piper had entranced her with his flute. Her mouth watered as Kyle dished up warm plates of pancakes covered in a mix of blueberries, raspberries and strawberries, laid out with a side of crunchy bacon and drizzled in golden maple syrup. Yum!

  He grabbed their plates and cutlery and headed over to the table. Plonking them down onto the surface, he fell into his chair. He puffed at his hair, clearly not happy.

  Gemma rolled her eyes. Men! She grabbed the bottle of syrup and joined him.

  “Is there no one else who can go with you?” He picked up his knife and fork. “For moral support and extra security?”

  “Stop worrying.” She reached over and clutched his arm. “I’ll be fine. I’m not about to do anything stupid.” She picked up her knife and fork and gave him a cheeky smile. “Or are you concerned I won’t turn up this afternoon? Maybe I’m the one who should be freaking out.” She stabbed a piece of her pancake with her fork and waved it at him. “Should I be worried about you? What if you suddenly get cold feet? Change your mind about marrying me? Are you going to leave me stranded, waiting at the altar, desk, table, or whatever it is we sign our marriage certificate on?”

  While she may have been joking, the horrible thought lingered in the back of her mind. She wanted him. Only him. To spend the rest of their lives together. It was so close to the time when she could put all her family drama behind her and start afresh. The count was down to hours.

  Kyle flashed his panty-dropping grin. He stole the piece of pancake off her fork and ate it, then leaned over, and kissed her. “I’ll be there. Nothing will change my mind. I love you so God damn much.” Worry flickered in his dark eyes. “But please be careful today. Promise?”

  She stroked the side of his cheek, gave it a firm tap. “Yes. I promise.”

  ***

  “I’ll see you at two forty-five sharp. Don’t be late.” Kyle dipped his head and kissed her, soft and gentle delicious brushes of his lips against hers.