by Quinn, Cari
“I’m taking you away for the night.”
“Wait, you said a few hours.”
“We’ll be back in the morning. I promise. I already covered it with Jazz. She and Bri are going over there. And you know, maybe Harper might want to take a shower and wipe her ass without you guys hovering over her.”
Margo melted into his arms and rested her cheek against his shoulder. “I know.”
“Lauren and Molly are with Jules tonight. Everyone is covered.” And he couldn’t listen to Margo fall apart in the shower one more time. She thought she was hiding it from him, but he knew.
He always knew.
But he’d hold her in the night and let her have her space. That was about to end. He wouldn’t allow space between them any longer.
“Juliet’s sniping at us all the time. I want to leave her be for a bit. I know she needs it, but the minute I think about leaving her, I have…I don’t know. I just know I shouldn’t.”
“Babe, you guys are running yourselves ragged. She’s going to have to be alone sooner or later.”
“I know.” Her voice broke and his heart stuttered.
Margo didn’t get choked up in front of him very often. And knowing she was that upset only firmed his resolve to take her away from there for at least a little while. It might not be much, but at least he could put a smile back on her face.
At least he hoped so.
He slid his fingers into the loose hair at the nape of her neck and tipped up her head so he could look into her eyes. The sheen of wetness starring her lashes gutted him and his own voice went rough. “Let’s get out of here.”
She nodded and allowed him to tuck her into the car. The fact that she did it without a complaint or a quippy remark worried him even more.
He took off into the midday traffic, weaving in and out of the cars until he could shoot onto the freeway. She stared straight ahead. Didn’t fuss with the radio like she usually did. Hell, she didn’t even pick up her phone.
The needle on the speedometer got dangerously close to reckless, but he was willing to chance it. He cut across three lanes when their exit came up, then downshifted and coasted to a stop at a small airstrip on the fringes of the city.
She swung her gaze to him. “Plane? You said it was just an overnight.”
“And it is.” He picked up her hand and brought her wrist to his lips. “Trust me.”
Her fingertips grazed his jawline before she withdrew her hand. He had the strongest urge to take her hand back, but the uneven ground required his attention so he didn’t bottom out his new Audi. One of the perks of being a spokesman for the company meant he got the latest and greatest toys they had to offer.
He pulled up to the small airstrip with the waiting plane. He shot off a quick text to his assistant who’d booked the flight for him on the way over to get Margo. This was as last minute for him as it was for his wife.
But they needed it. So much.
He got out and went around to open the door for Margo. She snagged her purse from the floor. “I don’t have anything with me.”
“You don’t need anything.”
She gave him a sideways glance. “Is that because I’m going to be naked?”
“Possibly.”
“Hmm.” She let him lead her to the stairs and they nodded to the steward who would be taking care of them. He was courteous, but he definitely wasn’t in their face.
The fact that his assistant seemed to know what he needed even before he did was still disconcerting. But between juggling his modeling accounts, the band duties, and his promo schedule, he’d be dead in the water without Ned.
The luxury plane held two cushy seats and a specialty set-up he’d requested. It was a sleeper chair built for two. He bypassed the regular Captain’s chairs and all their lush glory and went for the mini bed.
Instead of allowing Margo to ask any questions, he pulled her into his arms and swept her up against his chest. She grabbed onto his shoulders with a gasp. It was just enough of a surprise that he was able to cover her mouth with his. She sighed into his mouth and relaxed as he settled them both into the chair.
She curled into him with a sigh and buried her face in his neck. She pressed a kiss there and the light flutter of her tongue gave him a second’s pause. But they both needed this hour between now and their destination. He tugged the elastic from her hair and massaged the base of her skull.
It was like a light switch for his wife. She let out a yawn-groan combo and went lax in his arms. It had been a damn long time since he’d held her this close. And while every part of him wanted to turn her until she straddled him with those deliciously long legs, he resisted the urge and drifted off with her, her rich scent of honeysuckle chasing him into sleep.
* * *
The light bounce of the wheels hitting the runway dragged Margo out of dreams. For once, they weren’t of the shattered eyes of her best friend as she told them about what happened that fateful night.
No, these dreams were soft as gossamer curtains over a sun-drenched window. Fuzzy and warm with sandy beaches. Some of the best days of her life included a beach.
She half wondered if she was still asleep. She thought for sure she could smell the brine of the ocean and a hint of smoke.
That couldn’t be right.
Margo lifted her head off Simon’s chest. The gentle rise and fall gave her a moment to take him in. The jet-black slashes of his expressive brows, and his matching raven-colored hair curled against his shoulders again. He’d clipped it short while the band had been on hiatus, but now that he was back in singer mode, the wild was slipping back into him.
Gone was the slick, polished model he’d become when his voice had failed him. She didn’t mind that side of him, but it was the passionate singer with a zest for life and the wild who had captured her attention all those years ago. Cocky and full of himself for sure, but there’d been a kindness under the bravado.
His love for his band and his music had lured her out of her icy shell. He’d shown her all forms of passion, finally bringing it full circle with the ring of sapphires and diamonds on her hand.
The hiss of the pressurized door releasing dragged her attention back to the plane and not the fuzzy memories of their days on the island. The blast of ocean-tinged air and the roar of the tide urged her out of her husband’s lap.
Simon rolled toward her and pinned her back into the surprisingly comfortable lounger. “Not yet.”
“We’re here. Wherever you’ve whisked me away to.”
He lifted his head off her shoulder. “Oh. I could sleep another day or so, but we don’t have that much time.” He sat up and hauled her off the chair. “Ready?”
She laughed. Actually, it felt like it was the first time she’d laughed in ages. It felt good. Tinged in guilt perhaps, but good. She cupped Simon’s face. His silvery-blue eyes were tired and red-rimmed, but there was a resolve there.
One that she was grateful for.
She’d been so totally immersed in taking care of her sister when she’d allow it, as well as the McCoy family, that she was neglecting her own. And that wasn’t fair. Simon was her life and her heart. More so than she had ever thought possible.
This man-child had matured in the last few years. Some because of necessity, but most of it was thanks to all the things that had happened to the Oblivion band as a whole. Between the in-fighting, his vocal issues, and their own romance—shit had gotten very real since the day she’d met that cocky guy who had swaggered into that studio.
And she wouldn’t change a single day of it. Even the pain. Simon made her feel everything. He’d showed her just how very gray her life had been before him.
Just the idea of losing him—she couldn’t. The guilt had been eating at her for weeks now. She was focused on helping her sister and Harper get through this loss. But in the darkest parts of the night, it was the thought of losing Simon that left her gasping for breath. Of trying to control the sobs that attacked her in the shower.
There was no rhyme or reason to the tragedy. It had been an accident.
But that didn’t stop the what ifs. The endless churn of scenarios she created in her head, or that sneaked up on her in sleep. If she were in her sister’s shoes, could she survive losing her husband?
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
She swallowed down the lump threatening to strangle her. “Like what?”
“Like you’re looking for something. I’m deep as a puddle, babe. I told you to stop thinking too hard about my motivations.”
The laugh rolled out of her before she could stop it. “You’re far deeper than a puddle, jerk. But this time I was thinking what an awesome husband I have and I’ve been neglecting him.”
“Oh.” His face relaxed. “Yes, you do.”
“Humble as always.”
He smirked, took her hand, and dragged her toward the door. “You like my cocky side.”
“No, you keep mistaking that with my love for your cock.”
His head whipped back around and he groaned. “Don’t say cock. I get too excited when you use dirty words.”
She shook her head and followed him out into the waning sun. Sunset was nearly upon them and the runway was on a strip of land beside a maze of villas overlooking the ocean.
The sky was a cloudless blue with the first fingers of gold and red creeping across it, heralding the end of the day. But hers was just beginning.
They flew down the stairs and Simon headed for the trio of golf carts where a slim man in all white was waiting for them.
“Welcome to Fox Run, Mr. and Mrs. Kagan. I’m Anders, your personal concierge. I have your bags already.”
She gave Simon some serious side-eye, but he just shrugged and grinned at her.
Anders gestured for them to climb into the cart. “I’ll take you to your private villa. You’re just in time for sunset if we hurry.”
“By all means, let’s hurry. We only have tonight.” Simon led her to the back of the cart.
A few moments later, they were cruising up the winding streets far quicker than she would have expected. This thing could move. She half expected the cart to veer off, but Anders drove expertly up the curving road.
A Spanish stucco-style half wall ran along the edge of the property. Trees and lush grass were visible as far as she could see. The ocean roared in the distance and the sky exploded with color.
Finally, they came to a house at the top of the cliffs. Even the view from outside the door was breathtaking.
“Please head inside. I’ll bring your things.”
Simon dragged her off the cart and through the front door. She barely had time to look around at the wide-open spaces and sheer white curtains dancing in the breeze. He had one focus. “I booked this place for the view.”
“I can see why.” She trailed behind him, her gaze tripping over pieces in the space—a four-poster king-sized bed on a raised dais, and a water feature that bisected the room with gold-veined marble. But it was the pair of French doors leading out to the ocean that was the true beacon. It always had been for them.
“You didn’t even see the good one yet. It reminded me of the church.” He pushed through the French doors at the back of the room. And just like that, the ocean was there with its limitless scope of power.
The sky was streaked in crimson and blue with edges the color of flames. It looked like it belonged in a movie.
Instead it was here, a piece of her life with her husband. As insane as their life often was, there was moments like this that could still remind her how lucky she was.
He pulled her in front of him. She wasn’t wearing heels, so she was short enough to feel small in his arms.
He’d lost the posh, lean muscles of his modeling days. He was back to running around and monkeying around the stage like old times. Instead of living on alcohol and shit food, he took care of himself to keep his voice in peak form.
And he’d bulked up a little. She wasn’t ashamed to say she liked all of it. His voice coach was a dual trainer. Healthy life, healthy voice, healthy body. And while she’d never be willowy like her sister—
Just like that the pain shimmered over her.
Her sister.
Between helping to take care of both of the women she loved, she’d been running herself ragged to be everything to everyone.
Simon’s arms tightened around her. “You were right here with me, and now you’re gone.”
“How can you tell?” She peeked over her shoulder at him.
“I know your body.”
She elbowed him with a light snort.
“Well, there’s that part too. And I made it my life’s work to know every inch of you, Violin Girl. But this,” he pressed a kiss to her temple, “I know it equally as well.”
“Just a stray thought about Jules.”
He tucked his chin into the crook of her neck. “I know you worry, but if you run yourself any further into the ground, I’m going to need a shovel to get you back. And believe me when I say I won’t allow you to make yourself sick.”
“Oh, really? What are you going to do?”
“Kidnap you and drag you to the church.”
She sighed. The old renovated church that had been her childhood sanctuary—
and now their second house—was their own special place of healing. She’d give anything to go back there. But she couldn’t be that far away from her family. “We’ll get there. Maybe we’ll even bring everyone out there someday. A family holiday.”
“Best idea you’ve had. I’ll look into renting a few houses out there so everyone has their own space.”
She slipped her arms over his and dragged his hand up between her breasts until they were twined together. She allowed herself to relax for the first time in weeks. Simon was right. She needed to recharge. “We’ll make it happen.”
“Damn right.”
She twisted around to face him, winding her arms around his neck. The last of the sun’s rays soaked into them, filling their own private panoramic view. But just then, the only blue she was interested in was her husband’s eyes.
The only fire she wanted to feel was the one between them.
She lifted her mouth to his and melted into their kiss. The slide and glide of lips and tongue that would forever be them together. Their love had never been neat and tidy. It had always been a little bit scary, a little bit wild, and a lot overwhelming.
Instead of running from it, she embraced it as part of her life.
The most amazing part of what she had with Simon was the full spectrum of emotions she felt with him. Right now, she was swamped with love.
The salty tinge of tears mixed with their kiss. He brought his hand up from her hips to her hair and tightened his hold as their kiss spun out from sweet to intense.
She breathed him in and held on as the maelstrom of emotions fought for dominance.
Lust.
Love.
Longing.
Pain.
She’d been swimming in the pain for too long. And only he seemed to know how to bring the others back to her. She took all he had to offer.
Her fingers trembled as she fought with the buttons on his shirt.
She needed him now.
Right now.
* * *
Simon’s pulse spiked. It had been weeks since he’d had her focused attention on him. Again, he didn’t blame her. The first few weeks after the accident had been fast and furious touching in the night. Almost nightmare-induced.
They’d come together in an insane level of skin and sweat to remind each other they were alive.
But then it had been one thing or another coming between them. Hell, they were rarely sleeping in their bed at the same time.
Here and now, with her hands on him…he couldn’t stop her. Couldn’t even pretend to say no.
She cleared the buttons of his shirt in record time and was shoving it off his shoulders even as he was fighting with the cuffs. She stilled hi
s hands behind his back, bunching the material tighter so his shoulders were pinned wide. Her dark eyes were lit with something wild and fuck if he didn’t want to chase it.
She placed her mouth on his neck, her tongue swirling around his Adam’s apple before she went lower. Nips and bites followed until she got to his nipple ring. She tugged—hard. Just like he liked.
He groaned and tipped his head back.
This was supposed to be about her. Pampering her, letting her have a few moments of quiet.
He tried to tug his hands free. He could, of course, but he followed her cues. Would always follow wherever she wanted to go with him.
She dragged her lips over his obliques and crouched in front of him. The entire ride around his muscles and bones was done with her gaze locked on his. Tongue and teeth, a hint of breath.
His belly quivered as she followed the line of muscle from his hip to his zipper. There was no teasing grin, no dark laughter.
Those were the things he was used to when she got like this. And he loved that about her. That she’d opened up so much since they’d gotten together. Her sexuality matched his in every fucking way.
But this wasn’t sly Margo.
This was the Margo who would leave him in ashes.
His cock hardened painfully in response.
He’d follow her into that fucking fire. Without question.
She released one hand from his makeshift shirt-knot and tugged at his jeans. Finally, she broke her gaze only to jerk his jeans open and drag down his zipper.
Simon didn’t even have time to breathe before his cock was in her warm, wet, and willing mouth. She took him fast and relentlessly. She knew every button to press, every flick and suck required to bring him over quickly.
He tried to stop.
He even tried to get his hands out of his cotton prison to stop her, but he was too far gone. She released him and groaned out his name before covering his dick again.
He flung his head back, his entire body locked in reaction. Her name was a guttural string of expletives as he came embarrassingly fast. He came so hard that he wasn’t sure if night had fallen or he’d gone blind.
