She smiled. “I’m not with anyone else right now. I’m here, with you, so why don’t we just enjoy it, okay?”
He shook his head, knowing he wouldn’t be satisfied unless he and everyone else knew that this woman was his. That meant putting a ring on her finger and there was only one way he could do that. He had to divorce Abby. “I love you. I want to be with you, only you. I need to know how you feel about me.”
She closed her eyes. “Please, don’t do this.”
He felt the fear but knew he had to confront it or continue battling this uncertainty about his future, their future. “I need to know how you feel about me.”
She opened her eyes to look at him. “We haven’t known each other very long.”
“That’s a cop out and you know it. I feel it. I need to know if I’m alone in this. If I am, just say the word.”
“You’re not,” she whispered.
He was shocked at the depth of his feelings for this woman, overwhelmed by the fact that he hadn’t even realized how much he needed to hear her say those words to him. “I want to be with you, only you.”
“I want that too, but...”
He shook his head, pressing his fingertips against her lips. “No buts. If we both want this, I’m gonna find a way to make it happen.”
“What does that mean?” she asked, looking apprehensive.
“I’m gonna find a way to divorce Abby so we can be together, officially, forever.”
Tears trembled on her eyelids. “Ty, I can’t ask you to do that to your family.”
The thought of doing anything to hurt his family ate him up inside, but he couldn’t live with himself if he lost her again. “I’ll find a way to make it work,” he whispered, brushing his thumb over her lower lip. “I need to be with you. I need everyone to know that we’re together, that you’re mine...”
She smiled as a tear slipped down her cheek. “Does that work both ways, cowboy?”
He grinned. “Baby, I haven’t looked at another woman the same way since I met you.”
“Have there been a lot of women? Since you met me, I mean.”
“Hell yeah.”
She slapped his chest. “You could’ve lied.”
He laughed before turning serious. “I was trying to convince myself that what I’d found with you that night was just my imagination. I thought if I could find that with someone else, I’d be able to forget about you.”
Biting her lip, she looked away. “And did you?”
His hands slid up her ribcage. “What do you think?”
Her voice was low, barely audible, when she said, “Ty, you’re going to be out on the road soon. You’ll have women throwing themselves at you all the time. How do you know you won’t meet someone else?”
He cursed himself for not realizing it sooner. It was so obvious to him now. Her reluctance to be with him stemmed from her insecurity about his career. He pulled her down on top of him, holding her close as he whispered in her ear, “It’s you I want to be with, Avery. That’s not gonna change.”
She rolled off of him, turning her back. “You don’t know that for sure. No one knows what the future might bring.”
He knew there was no way he could reassure her with words. He had to find a way to show her, beyond the shadow of a doubt, how much she meant to him. He kissed her shoulder. “Let me love you.”
He closed his eyes as he listened to the words of his song besiege them. It was a song about a man who was tormented by the woman who’d left him. He saw her face in every crowd, longed to hear her voice every time the phone rang. Those were his words, his story. He couldn’t go through that again. He had to find a way to convince her to believe in him, in them, as much as he did.
She rolled over to face him. “I do want to be with you. I’m just scared.”
He brushed her hair off her face. She was so beautiful, so perfect, and so achingly vulnerable. “I would never do anything to hurt you. I need you to believe that.”
“I want to,” she whispered, refusing to look him in the eye.
He tipped her chin, forcing her to look at him. “Let me prove it to you.” He reached for his jeans on the floor and found a condom, setting it on the nightstand.
Her eyes drifted closed as he kissed her neck. She put her arms around his neck, drawing him closer.
“I love you, baby,” he whispered. He moved his mouth over hers and kissed her deeply, slowly, thoroughly.
She whimpered, raking her hands through his hair. “Show me.”
He reached over to retrieve the condom. Without taking his eyes off her, he slid it on, positioning himself on top of her. He slid in slowly, giving her time to adjust to him as the music surrounded them.
“Yes,” she whispered, her eyes drifting closed. “That feels so good.”
He took a moment, remaining still, as he admired her. Her cheeks were flushed, her hair was tousled, and her eyes, when open, were dark with arousal. She was every fantasy he’d ever had, and she was his.
He braced her wrists above her head as he found a smooth and steady rhythm that he knew would create just enough friction to optimize her pleasure.
“Oh God,” she moaned. “Yes, just like that.” She gasped. “Oh God, Ty, oh, that feels so amazing.”
“That’s it, baby. Just let go.”
She strained against his hands. “Yes, oh, I’m gonna...”
Gently, he rocked back and forth, allowing her tremors to subside before he claimed her mouth again. “You are so damn beautiful,” he said, when they finally broke apart.
She smiled against his lips, squeezing him with her inner muscles.
He threw his head back, stunned by the sudden intensity. “Jesus, that...”
She did it again, tensing and relaxing around him. “Yeah? You like that?”
He closed his eyes, releasing her. He braced his hands on the headboard above her as he struggled to find control. “You have no idea.”
“Let go, Ty,” she whispered.
He threw his head back and gave himself over to the powerful sensation rocking his body. “Ahhh, damn it...”
She touched his cheek. “I love you, Ty.”
He opened his eyes to look at her, shocked by her words. “What did you just say?”
“I said I love you.”
He grinned. “Say it again.”
Chapter Nine
Ty had barely taken the time to sleep in the weeks following his afternoon tryst with Avery in her apartment. Between interviews, special events, and studio time, his quality time with Avery was limited to an hour in front of the TV before bed every night. He’d taken to staying at her place instead of trekking back into the city every morning. Every moment he spent with her served to solidify his confidence in their future.
She was starting to open up to him, sharing some of her childhood memories, both the happy and the heartbreaking. He was beginning to understand why she was so reserved, why she guarded her heart and chose emotionally unavailable men instead of putting herself out there and risking rejection. She believed her own parents, who were supposed to love her unconditionally, had rejected her, so how could she be expected to believe a man when he said he would be there to love her forever? But Ty was determined to convince her, no matter how long it took, that she could count on him.
He flipped the dial on the radio as he turned onto the dirt road leading to his family’s ranch. More than anything, he wanted to be cuddling on the couch with Avery, telling her about his day. But this conversation with his parents was long overdue, and if he wanted to move forward with the woman he loved, he had to put the past behind him.
He pulled his truck up behind his father’s old work truck and sighed as he cut the engine. His parents had worked so hard all their lives, to maintain the family homestead, to provide for their boys. One of the main reasons he wanted to make it in this business was so he could make their lives easier. He only hoped they weren’t too proud to accept his help.
He pulled the screen d
oor open and was overcome with the sounds and smells of home. His mother had the radio in the kitchen tuned to a classic country music station and the fire was burning in the hearth, warming the main living areas.
He hung his coat on the rack and called out, “Something sure does smell good, Mama.”
She came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on her flowered apron. Her creased face broke into a wide smile, her blue eyes shining with delight as she held her arms out to him. “Come here, you. We haven’t seen you around here in ages. Where the heck have you been, boy?”
He bent to hug her, taking in the scent of cinnamon and nutmeg. “You been bakin’?”
She smiled and swatted him with her tea towel. “You haven’t changed a bit since you were a boy. You always could smell my apple pie from a mile away.”
He grinned. “Apple pie, huh? Looks like I’m just in time.” He poked his head in the living room. “Where’s Dad?”
“He just went out to see your brother about something. He’ll be in soon enough.” She grabbed his hand and led him into the kitchen. “What’s been happening with you, honey?” She patted his hand. “Tell me everything. I don’t want you to leave a thing out.”
He pulled out one of the big oak chairs surrounding the dining table in the middle of the kitchen and settled into it with a weary sigh.
His mother’s gray brows drew together in a frown. “What’s wrong, sugar? Haven’t you been sleeping?”
She set two coffee mugs down on the table before going back to the counter for the creamer and sugar. “Listen here, I know you’ve been waiting a long time for this, but you can’t be running yourself ragged. You’ll get sick if you don’t take care of yourself.”
Ty didn’t know how to tell his mother that when he fell into bed at night, no matter how tired he was, sleep was the last thing on his mind. He settled his hand over hers. “I’m happy, Mama. Things are good, real good.”
She smiled as she searched his eyes. “Why do I get the feeling this is about more than just your music? You’ve been spending an awful lot of nights in town lately, Ty. Is there someone special you wanna tell me about, honey?”
His mother knew him too well. He hadn’t been in the door five minutes and she was already calling him out. “There is someone. Her name is Avery.”
His mother took her glasses off her head, where they were perched amid her soft grey curls, and settled them on her face. “Okay, I wanna hear all about her.”
Ty’s mother had a way of questioning him that made it feel more like an interrogation than idle chitchat. “She’s my publicist, Ma.”
“Your publicist?”
He knew that in his parents’ world, publicists were as foreign as sushi. “Yeah, she prepares press kits, releases, arranges public appearance, interviews...” He laughed at his mother’s bewildered expression. “Let’s just say she’s helping me with my career.”
She smiled and shook her head ruefully. “So, what’s she like?”
Just thinking about Avery made him smile. “She’s beautiful, smart, successful...”
“Sounds like you’re pretty taken with this girl. I haven’t heard you talk about anyone like this since...” She cleared her throat, looking uncomfortable. “Well, in a long time.”
He patted her hand. “It’s okay to talk about it, Ma. In fact, I want to talk about it. In fact, that’s part of the reason I’m here. I want to get a divorce.”
“Well, it’s about time. What took you so long, boy?”
He took a long drink of his coffee, trying to find the words to explain. “You know why I stayed in this marriage. Abby’s parents...”
She patted his hand. “I know, darlin’, but eventually they have to be willing to let her make her own mistakes. Just like we had to let you make yours.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, when I screw up I do it in a big way, don’t I?”
She patted his hand. “I don’t know about that. If you hadn’t met Abby, Melanie never would’ve come into your life and I know you wouldn’t trade your time with that little angel for anything.”
“You’re right about that.” He sighed. “Anyways, I wanted to talk to you and Dad about what the divorce means for you guys, in terms of the loan.”
She waved her hand. “Don’t give it another thought. Your daddy and I have been thinking of selling off some of the land. Now would be the perfect time. That’ll allow us to pay our debts and have a nice little nest egg for our retirement.”
He grabbed her hand. “No, Mama, I can’t let you do that.”
She frowned at him. “I don’t remember askin’ your permission. I was telling you, not asking you, son.”
He flushed, humbled by her quiet determination. “I didn’t mean to...”
“Honey, your daddy and I have been talking about this for a long time now. We wanted to hold onto the ranch because we thought you and your brothers might want to work the land someday.” She shook her head, looking sad. “But it’s pretty clear that’s not gonna happen now. David’s off in the military, Derek’s committed to the police force, you have your music, and J.T.’s off trying to be a rodeo star when he’s not working the ranch. He does it because he feels he has to, not because he wants to.”
Ty felt guilty, pursuing his dream while his brother was here at the ranch, shouldering the burden for all of them. “Has he said something to you about it?”
She traced her finger around the edge of her coffee cup. “No, your brother wouldn’t say anything. He’s a good boy. He wouldn’t want to make us feel guilty, but I know he’s not happy here.”
“Maybe with this recording contract, I could pitch in a little more, financially. We could hire a few more hands, find a way to make it work.”
She squeezed his hand. “Honey, this ranch was our life, your daddy’s and mine. And we wouldn’t have traded it for anything in the world, but we’re at a different stage in our lives now. We don’t need or want that kind of responsibility anymore.”
He was still trying to wrap his head around this. Selling the ranch was something he’d never even allowed himself to consider. “You’re sure this is what you want, Mama?”
She smiled. “Positive. Old Joe Foley’s been after us for years to sell to him. We didn’t want to until you boys had figured things out, but it looks like you finally have.”
He laughed. “Took us long enough, huh?”
“It takes as long as it takes, sugar.”
“So, will you keep the house?”
“Oh, we’re not goin’ anywhere. This is our home, always will be. We’ll keep the twenty acres surrounding the house and let Joe have the rest.”
“Okay, if that’s what’s gonna make you happy, then I’m happy for you.”
She reached over to kiss his cheek. “I can’t tell you how happy I am that you finally seem to be claiming your own happiness, son. It’s long overdue.”
Lisa stormed into Avery’s office, beaming. “I just heard your boyfriend’s new song on the radio.” She fanned her face with a file folder. “Avery, you are one lucky lady. That boy is H-O-T.”
Avery shifted in her seat. She and Ty agreed that for the time being, downplaying their relationship would be in the best interest of his career. Given how hard she’d been working to help him build a fan base, the last thing she needed was negative publicity to negate her effort.
“Lisa,” she said carefully, “Ty is not my boyfriend. He’s my client and my friend.” Both of which were true statements. In the past weeks, Ty had become her shoulder to lean on at the end of a grueling day, the first person she called when she had a problem. It was becoming increasingly more difficult to remember what her life had been like before Ty and she knew that was venturing into dangerous territory. She had always prided herself on being strong and independent, believing she didn’t need anyone to make her life complete. But he had walked into her life and filled a void she hadn’t even recognized.
Lisa rolled her eyes. “Sure, whatever you say, boss.”
L
isa had worked for her for several years. She trusted her to run her office and protect her client’s right to privacy, but they were co-workers, not friends. “Do you have those press releases for me?”
Lisa waved the file folder in her hand. “I have the hard copies right here.” She handed Avery the folder.
“So, I guess Ty’s going out on the road with Trey in a few days, huh?”
Avery tried to ignore Lisa’s obvious attempt to pump her for information about the status of their relationship. “You’ve seen his schedule, Lisa. You know where he’ll be as well as I do.”
“First stop is Florida, right? Will you be going with him?”
Avery pretended to scan the press releases. “No, I don’t think so. Why do you ask?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “I was just curious. I wanted to know whether I’d have to hold the fort down while you’re gone.”
It seemed like a logical explanation, so Avery decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. “He’ll just be passing through, five cities in five days. I’ve arranged a few interviews with local radio stations, but Luc intends to be there so Ty won’t need me.”
Lisa winked. “I bet he wishes you were going instead of Luc though, am I right?”
Avery set the file down and glanced at her assistant. In the four years they had been working together, Lisa had never taken an interest in her social life or travel schedule. She couldn’t imagine why Ty’s presence in her life should pique Lisa’s curiosity. “Why are you so interested in my relationship with Ty?”
Lisa blushed, feigning a sudden interest in her manicure. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I was just making conversation.”
Avery sensed Lisa’s uncharacteristic discomfort at her probing. “Are you sure about that?” She leaned back in her chair, studying Lisa carefully. “I get the feeling there’s more to this than you’re telling me.”
The phone rang and Lisa flinched. She craned her neck to check the call display. “I’ll get that in the outer office. I thought you had a lunch date with Luc?”
Reckless (Nashville Nights) Page 12
