By Your Side

by Brenda Ford

  “Well, what more can they say about me now?” I laugh. “There isn’t anything else.”

  “So, you will let me take you out then?” Lance asks me. “On a real-life date in public here?”

  “Oh no.” I shake my head with a smirk. Lance looks disheartened, but it will only be for a minute. “You don’t know anything about this place. I will be the one to take you out. I know all the best spots.”

  “You do, huh? Well, I guess I will have to trust your judgement then. Since you know it all.”

  I shoot Lance a playful wink. “Oh, that I do, and this place will blow LA out of the water. You haven’t ever seen anything like it. You better gear yourself up to have your mind blown.”

  Lance and Dad both laugh, and I find myself joining in happily. Now without the weight crushing down on me, the laughter feels freer and much more joyful than before. It feels genuine. And I have to admit that I’m really looking forward to showing Lance my home town as well. I can’t wait to show him a side of me that he hasn’t seen before. I never thought that he would see it either because I thought this part of my life was locked away forever. How quickly things change. But that change is good, isn’t it? Change has always been good to me, and I can only see this being incredible as well. After all, this time I get to have Lance by my side.

  Chapter 17 – Lance

  “Not exactly LA, is it?” Millie says with a playful laugh as we enter her local diner. “Sorry, it’s also not the best on offer, but I love it here. It reminds me of my childhood because this is where my dad always brought me. Then it was the hang out when I was a teenager. The place to be.”

  “I like it here as well.” I glance around and smile. “I like the fifties vibe that we have going on here.”

  We take our seats in the red plastic chairs and grin at one another over the plastic covered menus. This definitely isn’t the LA vibe, no one would ever go to a place like this there, but that’s exactly what makes it so perfect. Me and Millie need a date that isn’t anything like our home with all its reminders.

  “I don’t imagine that the paps will be in here,” she laughs. “Hopefully no teenage girl fans either.”

  I hang my head low as the guilt flows through me. “I’m just worried that we won’t be able to avoid it completely… with the way that my career is going at the moment, there will always be interest. Plus, my publicist, Stephen, will go mad if I start avoiding the celebrity world any more than I already do…”

  “As long as you don’t need me to be seen out with you, at those parties or on the red carpet, I will be fine.” She smiles reassuringly at me. “I don’t see how the interest in me can last forever.”

  I lean back and grin to myself, thinking about how incredibly different she is to any other LA girl. They would usually be desperate to get in a designer dress and be seen on the red carpet. But that isn’t Millie, and that’s what makes her perfect for me. That’s why I know there isn’t any chance of me falling out of love with her.

  “I love you,” I tell her happily. “I love everything about you, Millie. You are awesome.”

  Her face lights up as she tells me that she loves me too. I feel the intense fluttering of chemistry between us as our eyes meet over the table, like we are back to where we were before all over this started. Maybe even closer than before because we now know so much more about one another. I can see the true Millie shining through and I love it. I adore her even more than I did before, not that I thought that was possible. She’s strong, she’s been through a lot, there are more layers to her than she can possibly know, she’s incredible.

  “What do you recommend then?” I ask her with a grin. “Since you are the expert at the menu here.”

  “A burger and a milk shake, of course. The perfect teenager combination. Followed by an ice cream.”

  “Of course. Sounds perfect to me. Good job I’m not a calorie counter. Can you imagine?”

  “A big Hollywood actor like you? You should be.” She tosses her head back and laughs. “In fact, you should be ordering a salad and watching me tuck in to my burger, salivating and jealous.”

  “Not a chance.” I shake my head hard. “That will never be me, I can assure you of that. If any job needs me to avoid a burger and milk shake diet, then I will be out right away. I couldn’t handle it.”

  Millie orders for us as the waitress comes over to our table and then she opens up some more about her childhood while we eat and drink. She even discusses her mother a little which is a pleasant surprise. It’s nice to see her finally comfortable with me enough to share parts of herself which she has clearly locked away for a long time. I hope this is a step in the right direction for us, a step towards our happy ever after.

  “I’m absolutely full.” Millie leans back and blows out a breath. Her cheeks are slightly red, and her eyes shine with glee which makes my heart race faster. “I don’t think I can eat another bite.”

  “But we can’t go without ice cream,” I insist with fake surprise. “We’re going to have to wait until you can eat. You have sold the whole menu to me now and I need to try it all.”

  “Oh, I still have room for ice cream.” She knots her eyebrows together. “That’s a different stomach.”

  “Ah, I see. Toddler logic. Of course.” Millie nods emphatically. “Right, let’s get it sorted then.”

  It’s honestly the most blissful night ever. Me and Millie remain locked away in our own little bubble the entire time. The only time it’s popped is when a mother and daughter ask me apologetically if they can have a photograph with me and an autograph as well. Millie rapidly excuses herself to use the bathroom so I can interact with fans without dragging her in to it, and I have to admit that it gives me hope for the future. Me and Millie can make it work without bringing the media in to our private lives.

  “All done?” Millie asks with a smile as she returns to the table to find me alone. “That was nice.”

  “It was. I don’t mind it when people aren’t too intrusive. It’s when they want me for a long time when I’m trying to get on with my day that it gets challenging. But I need them. I wouldn’t be where I am without them.”

  She smiles and nods. “Right, well let’s pay the bill then we should go for a walk or something. Don’t you think? It’s such a nice night out and I can show you some more of your home town.”

  “I’ve already paid the bill,” I inform her before she can pull her wallet out. “I did it when you were in the bathroom.” I hold up my hands in a surrendering gesture when I spot her expression. “Sorry, I know that you wanted to take me out, which probably means pay as well, but I had such a good time. It’s my way of thanking you.” Her eyebrows furrow and her lips turn downwards. “Don’t worry, we have all the time in the world for you to pay me back now. We’re going to be together forever, right? You can get me next time…”

  “Ooh, you’re lucky you are so cute.” She pinches my side playfully. “Well, when you put it like that, I can’t be mad, can I? Come on, let’s take a stroll. I can show you the river… well, it’s more of a stream…”

  As we get outside, I’m suddenly distracted by the sound of my cell phone ringing. “Oh, it’s Artie.”

  “Your brother?” Of course, Millie knows exactly who that is, I’ve told her about my family enough times. “Well, you better answer it, hadn’t you? You never know, it might be an emergency.”

  I can’t believe she doesn’t mind me interrupting our date with this. I grin at her as I hit the answer button while slipping my free hand in to hers so we can still walk together. “Hey, Artie. Are you okay?”

  “How has it gone, Lance? Come on, we are all on egg shells here,” he gushes. “We’ve been trying to keep up to date with what’s going on online and both Ryan and Daniel told me not to ring you, but I can’t hold back any longer. I need to know what’s happening. I can’t handle it any longer. You are in Millie’s home town, right? We saw some pictures taken by some girls and tagged there earlier, but what happened next?”<
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  “You are so impatient!” I laugh, hoping that my jolly voice will let him know how things have gone. “But yes, things have gone well. I got to see Millie and we talked everything through. It’s all perfect.”

  She leans in closer to me and smiles happily. There is a sweet bliss in her eyes which makes heart sing. I can almost feel her becoming a part of me, us together forever, a team from now on.

  “And you’re together? It went well? We are all rooting for you. I have the others on conference call waiting for the answer. Even if they don’t want me to call you, I know they’ll be happy…”

  “Me and Millie are together right now.” I hug her tighter. “All is amazing. I couldn’t be happier.”

  Artie cheers so loudly that I have to take the phone away from my ear. If I listen carefully enough, I think I might be able to hear my brothers as well, on the other end of Artie’s conference call. They are all rooting for me, all hoping that me and Millie can find happiness at the end of this, and that feels great. Just another reminder that if things are good or not so good, I will always have my family at the other end of the line.

  “Right, Artie, well I have to get going. I’m kind of in the middle of a date here…”

  “Oh right, of course. Of course, you get back to your date and have the best time. Say hi to Millie from all of us. And we will all have to make some time to get together soon. It’s been far too long since a Wilson family reunion. In fact, I am going to see if I can plan one right now. I will see you later on, Lance. I have to sort these zoo animals out and try and get them to sort out their diaries for me.”

  He hangs up quickly, leaving me a little bewildered, but in a really good way. It really has been too long since I saw all of my brothers in one go and I know that their lives have changed as well, just as dramatically as mine, which means we all need to get to know one another again. Hopefully that’s something we can achieve soon and without getting in to our usual dramatics and arguing. Now that we’re all older, the teasing can stay to a minimum… I would like to think anyway. But with my brothers anything can be possible.

  “I would love to meet your brothers,” she tells me with the peaceful tone of voice that can only come from someone who hasn’t been in a room with my brothers all in one go. “They sound lovely.”

  “They are… but they’re chaos too. It gets very noisy when we’re all together. It’s manic and too much.”

  “Tell me about them. About you growing up. I would love to hear all of it…”

  I might have already told her, but I tell her once more, sharing stories that I might not have gotten to before. In between my tales, Millie shares anecdotes about her life as well, which is made easier as I get to see where these things happened. It gives me a yearning to take Millie back to my home town as well, to show her more of me. Maybe that’s where we should have our family reunion. Back at home. Where it all began…

  Eventually, we end up back at Millie’s home and I’m surprised to find it empty. There’s a note from her father making excuses as to why he isn’t it, but I’m pretty sure that he has done this on purpose to give us some much-needed space. He really is a great man who only has his daughter’s happiness at heart. He wants what’s best for Millie which makes his approval of me even more grateful received. He trusts me, he likes me, and I absolutely refuse to let him down. I will take care of Millie for as long as she will let me, I will never let anything hurt her again. She has been through enough. It’s time for her to be happy.

  Chapter 18 – Millie

  As soon as I realize that me and Lance are alone, I take him in my arms and kiss him hard. This isn’t a house that I have ever had a guy in before, Dad hated Dante too much for that, and I’m going to take full advantage of that. I have wanted to get my hands on Lance ever since I heard him say that he loves me and now I can.

  I kiss him hard, passion locking us together in a wonderfully chemical way. The magnetic pull between us is sheer proof that me and him are meant to be, and I am never letting go of that again. Sure, the vultures of the press are always going to be on the out skirts of our relationship now, that hasn’t changed, but as long as that’s where they remain and I don’t fully let them in, then everything will be fine.

  “You want to see my bedroom?” I declare with a cheeky grin. I even shoot him a wink. “It hasn’t been slept in for a very long time, so it might be a little dusty, but it could be fun…”

  “I haven’t ever been invited in to a teenager bedroom before,” Lance says with a chuckle. “So, yes.”

  “Oh, I don’t believe that for a second.” I roll my eyes dramatically but don’t let go of his hand. “I bet you get invited in to the bedroom of teenage girls all the time. Now and when you were young as well.”

  “Maybe now,” he concedes. “But I was a late bloomer. No one showed any interest in me until I was almost twenty. And she wasn’t a teenager then herself, so I stick by my words. This is my first time.”

  Those words send a shiver down my spine. The idea of sharing something new with this man thrills me to the core. “Well, it’s my first time having anyone in my teenage bedroom as well.”

  Lance makes a couple of jokes about the cheesy posters on my bedroom wall and the bright pink color of the sheets on my bed, but I haven’t got time for this. Tit for tat, teasing one another, I’m too busy trying to kiss him, wrapping my arms around him, holding him right up against me. He can say anything that he wants to me later on when we’re squashed in to my queen size bed together. Then I will be able to take it all.

  The desire for this man claims me hard and I shove him up against the hard wall behind him. A little grunt flies passed his lips as I wind him a little, but I’m far too inflamed to let that get the better of me. I slide down his body, fumbling, tying to remove his tee shirt as I go, but ultimately, it’s him who has to whip it over his head revealing that gorgeous muscular chest of his which I adore so freaking much.

  “Mmm, you taste good,” I murmur as I slowly run my tongue over him, all the way until my knees hit the floor with a thump. “You taste really good, Lance Wilson. I need to get my mouth on all of you.”

  I dart my eyes upwards and smirk as I fiddle with his zipper. A strong self-confidence washes over me as I tug his trousers apart and pull his throbbing erection free. I’m a goddess, I’m on fire, and I think it’s as much to do with Lance and the closure I got from being here. I’m finally free. He’s gasping, short of breath already, and I haven’t even put my lips on him yet. God knows how quickly he will lose it when I do.

  “You are gorgeous, Millie,” he gushes while running his fingers through my hair. He massages my scalp, tugging at the strands lightly as my fingers graze over his cock, sending the pair of us in to oblivion. “Stunning.”

  I continue to pump my fist up and down his rock-hard length as I move my lips closer to him. His tip is nearly grazing my lips, I can tell that Lance can feel my breath up on him and it’s driving him crazy, which leaves me waning to tease him that little bit more. I touch his tip ever so gently, causing him to grunt.

  “Fuck, Millie, that feels good,” he cries out so loudly that I’m grateful to my father for being out. “So good. But it isn’t enough. Fucking hell, I need more from you. I need you to taste all of me.”

  But I don’t. Not right away. Instead, I continue to press light kisses against him. His shaft, his tip, his balls… I kiss him everywhere until I can physically see him becoming weak at the knees. I hold him in my hand right now in every single way. I have all the power over his body and I fucking love it. It’s causing pleasure to pool between my legs, a heat to spread from my core and all the way through my body, I can’t hold back.

  “Oh, God.” The sound flying from his chest is guttural as I slide my moth down over him. It’s primal, coming from the depth of him, and it grows continually louder as I hold him in my mouth and drag my lips up his shaft. It’s like he’s praying, shouting out for God as I circle my tongue around his length and take him
deep down the back of my throat. I really do taste every inch of him and it’s utterly erotic. “Shit, oh my God, shit!”

  I stretch my lips around him, open up my throat for him, I hungrily suck him down wanting to send him in to a serious oblivion. I clutch on to his ass to keep him in place, to keep that control over him. I love having the power, being the dominatrix, not that we’re really at that stage, but it’s close enough for me.

  “Stop, fuck, stop…” Lance finally cries out, halting me in my tracks. For one heart stopping moment, I’m afraid that I’ve been doing it wrong, that he isn’t enjoying himself as much as I might have imagined. I definitely had my confidence dented in the bedroom when it came to Dante and it’s hard for me to not drop in to that once more. I might have had closure, but not totally. Not enough just yet. That will come though, I’m sure.

  “What’s wrong.” I scoot back along the floor and stare up at him curiously. “Did I do it wrong?”

  “No, it was good,” he chuckles weakly. “Too good. I was about to lose my shit there…”

  I lightly brush my fingers to my neck, almost as if I can feel his seed sliding down my throat already. He didn’t erupt between my lips like I thought he might which is a little disappointed, but the pulsing between my thighs would never forgive me if I didn’t explore the incredible feeling of him inside of me anyway.

  “So, where do you want me now?” I ask him coyly. “What are you going to do to me?”

  He leans down and takes my hands in his before pulling me to my feet. His lips lightly brush against mine causing my heart to flutter violently in my chest. Then just as I rise to my tip toes to deepen the kiss, he starts to gently peel my clothing off piece by piece. He treats me carefully, like I’m precious, which is so romantic it hurts. But combined with the flames dancing behind his eyes, the passion over comes me as well.