The Long Way Home

by K. Langston

  “Babe,” he breathes, relief heavy in his voice. “So damn good to see your face.”

  I step into the bedroom, shutting the door behind me and taking a seat on the bed. “God, I’ve missed you. How was your day? How’s the promo going?”

  “Good, I’m tired as shit though. I’ve been running around all day. How about you? Are you at Mom’s house?”

  “Yeah, we’re staying with her tonight. I made spaghetti for dinner and now she’s in there trying to teach Caroline how to crochet.”

  Linc smiles. “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “Helping me take care of her.”

  “You don’t have to thank me, Linc. I want to do it. I should have done it a lot more before but…” Tears sting my eyes.

  “Hey, what’s the matter?”

  “Nothing. Why?” I say, swiping away an escaped tear.

  “Don’t lie to me. I know you. I can tell when something is bothering you. What is it?”

  I should have known he would be able to see right through me.

  I sigh. “Dani. When she left the other night she said some pretty nasty things to me. I’m just…still trying to process it all.”

  “I thought you said everything went fine.”

  “It did. Until she got ready to leave.”

  “What did she say?”

  I let go of a deep breath; her cruel words still cutting me deep. “She expressed how unhappy she was that you and I are together and that I drove Dean to kill himself in order to be with you.”

  Linc pulls a hand down his face. “Christ. Why didn’t you tell me this the other night?”

  “I didn’t want to bother you with it. You have enough going on right now.”

  “It doesn’t matter how busy I am. I want you to talk to me. You can’t hold this shit in. It makes it worse, you understand?”

  I nod.

  “You take what she says to heart, Syl. She’s still hurtin’ and people in pain do things that they might not realize hurts someone else. You know what I’m saying?”

  I nod again; reminded of the pain I’ve caused him and so many others without even realizing.

  “Have you thought any more about what we talked about?”

  “Linc.”

  “You better get your ass on that plane. I need you here with me, Sylvie.”

  When he begs like this, I can’t help but want to give in. “What about Caroline?”

  “It’s already been taken care of. Your parents already said they would keep her. You have no excuse.”

  “Okay, I’ll come. But just for the weekend.”

  He smirks. “I’ll take whatever I can get.”

  Present

  Linc greets me in baggage claim with the biggest smile on his face. He can hardly contain himself as he sweeps me off of my feet with a full spin, my hands releasing the hold on my small bag in favor of his cheeks. His handsome face is covered in two days’ growth, ticklish beneath my palms. My enthusiasm is rewarded with a bone-melting kiss and firm squeeze to my behind. I allow myself to drown in his arms and this warm kiss without an ounce of shame or care in the world to who might be watching our public display.

  “God, I missed these lips.”

  “I missed you,” I say.

  “I’m so glad you’re here,” he whispers between kisses, kneading my ass once more before lowering me to my feet. My heart floods with warmth at his words and the underlying need laced within them.

  We’re in our own little world, his eyes holding mine in a way that should only be reserved for the bedroom. When he finally releases me, I look around to find we have garnered an audience. I smile up at him sheepishly.

  “Excuse me, Lincoln Cole?”

  Linc reluctantly drags his eyes from mine to land on a stunning brunette with a star struck look on her face.

  He smiles at her, and I swear she dissolves into a puddle at his feet. Hesitantly, she holds out a pen and the latest copy of a popular music magazine with his gorgeous face on it. “Ca—can I have your autograph please?”

  With a short nod and a wink, he scribbles his name across the glossy mag.

  She blushes fifty shades of red before gathering enough courage to ask for a picture. “Would you mind?” she asks, handing me her phone. Linc gives me an apologetic look as he drapes his arm around her shoulder.

  “There ya go,” I say, handing her back her phone and reaching for my bag on the floor.

  “Thank you so much,” she squeaks out before scurrying off.

  I blink, wondering how often he’s bombarded with such requests. But then I mentally shake myself. He’s famous for crying out loud. He probably gets this all the time.

  “Well, that wasn’t weird at all,” I tease.

  Linc shrugs, crimson staining his cheeks. He tries to hide his embarrassment by turning away from me. “I’m used to it.”

  I don’t think anyone could ever get used to that.

  He collects my luggage from the carousel and threads his fingers with mine, leading me out to the parking lot.

  “I guess I’m gonna have to get used to women drooling all over you, huh?”

  He keeps his eyes focused forward. “They’re just fans.”

  “Pretty sure guys don’t gush like that when they meet you.” He doesn’t respond. I tug his hand, making him stop. “Hey, it’s okay. It’s just gonna take some getting used to is all.”

  He pulls my hand to his mouth. “There are a lot of things about me you don’t know, Syl. Who I am in Grandeur is not who I am here. But only you know the real me.” He looks almost scared. “I want you to always remember that.”

  Raising my other hand to touch his face, I rise up on my tiptoes to kiss his lips. “I know.”

  His forehead touches mine. “What did I ever do to deserve you?”

  “I ask myself the same question every single day,” I whisper, kissing his lips.

  Linc’s mouth is warm and tender. “Meant to be,” he murmurs, and I melt all over again. “C’mon, I want to get you somewhere private so I can show you how much I’ve missed you.”

  After several more feet, we come to a stop in front of a souped-up King Ranch. It’s a sparkling pearl white with shiny chrome wheels and blacked-out windows. A far cry from his old pickup back home.

  “Nice truck.”

  “Shit, this old thing?” He grins. Linc is not the type of person who would ever let money go to his head, so I’m not surprised by his modesty.

  He can’t stop smiling as he maneuvers through rush hour traffic, that roguish smile doing wonderful things to my heart.

  Holding my hand, he lifts it to his mouth. “I’m so damn happy you’re finally here.”

  “Me too.”

  After everything that happened with Dani, I was ready to get away. The hardest part was leaving Caroline.

  “She’ll be fine,” he assures me, placing another tender kiss on top of my hand, knowing how hard it is for me to be away from her.

  I nod. “Have you checked on your mom?”

  “Yes, Greg says she’s having a really good day. He’ll make sure she’s taken care of.”

  I smile as relief settles my tense muscles. I relax in my seat, ridding my mind of my worries. I just want to spend the weekend with Linc and focus on us.

  A short while later, we pull onto a single lane road. It’s a long winding road lined with sycamore trees on both sides. When the house finally comes into view, I gasp.

  Linc tenses next to me and releases my hand to put the truck in park. “My head was a little swollen when I bought it.”

  “Oh my God.” I don’t think I’ve ever seen a house so big. “It’s huge.”

  “That’s what she said.”

  I slap his arm playfully. “Shut up.”

  On a lazy smile, he gets out of the truck and walks to my side, opening the door. “It’s a little bit—”

  “Over the top?” I ask, raising a brow.

  He grabs my hand, leading me to the ornate wooden doors. “Y
eah, but I’m getting one hell of a return on my investment.”

  “You sold it already?”

  “Yeah, I closed last week. Sam Hunt and his fiancée bought it. They move in next month.”

  I’m pulled to a halt in front of the double door as he unlocks them. I blink up at him, my mouth gaping. “Where will you stay when you’re here?”

  “The label will just have to foot the bill for a hotel.” He wraps one arm around me, pulling me close. “I only have one home now, and it’s wherever you are.”

  My legs get a little wobbly at his declaration. He dips his face to claim my lips, drinking tiny kisses from my mouth like a starved man. Then his tongue demands entry, devouring what’s left of my inhibition. I hop up to wrap my legs around his waist, allowing him to carry me inside. He kicks the door shut as I drive my fingers through his messy hair. I pull him close while his large, firm fingers flex and grip the skin of my thighs.

  “I’m taking you here,” he says when my back meets the wall, then he lets go of my legs long enough to peel my jeans and panties off then hoists me up again. His lips claim mine once more as I reach between us, frantically undoing his jeans to release him.

  “Fuck,” he growls, tearing his mouth from mine.

  Stroking him up and down, I gasp when he drives into me.

  “Oh God,” I pant.

  “I know, I wanna scream his name, too.”

  I laugh, finding his lips. “You feel so good.”

  “So do you. Too damn good. This is gonna be quick.”

  “I don’t care. We have all weekend.”

  “We have forever.” He thrusts harder.

  Deeper.

  I close my eyes, lost in his words, this moment. He slams into me on a hard groan, increasing the pressure between my thighs.

  “Yes, Linc, God.”

  I climb higher with each deliberate thrust, pleasure soaring through my blood. I splinter, shattering into a million tiny pieces around him, my body going limp as he draws in and out of me slowly.

  He rains kisses over my entire face, my cheeks, my forehead, my mouth.

  Once I’ve caught my breath, he picks up his pace again, holding my eyes while he moves in and out of me, both hands digging into the skin of my ass as he holds me in place. “I can feel you gripping me. Every time I leave,” he says, drawing out.

  I involuntarily clench around him again, my body holding on to his in the most intimate way. “That’s it, I’m almost there, come with me.”

  His fingers dip lower, renewing their grip, pulling me apart for the deepest penetration possible.

  That’s all it takes.

  We explode together, a euphony of moans and sighs. It’s beautiful the love we make. I’m lost in the harmony our bodies make, the raw beauty of it, struggling to recover from this intense moment. His breath is hot on my neck. “So this is the foyer,” he says.

  I laugh, taking a look around the opulent space. “Nice.” Lifting his head, he grins. “Wanna show me the rest?”

  “Sure.” He slowly pulls out of me, lowering me to my feet. “If I can keep my hands off of you long enough.” Kissing my lips, he buttons himself up then reaches for my hand.

  After we get ourselves cleaned up, Linc shows me the remainder of the house. I’ve never seen anything like it. Rachel and Will told me it was nice, but they’d been modest about it. They never told me it had a small recording studio, a media room, and an Olympic-sized swimming pool and sauna. The place is massive and decorated in a sleek, modern style that is nothing like Linc at all. When I point that out he says the previous owners sold the house and contents as is after a nasty divorce, and he never got around to changing it since he was on the road so much.

  There are a few boxes scattered throughout each room. He’s had movers packing all week.

  “What are you thinking?” he asks once we settle in the kitchen.

  “How much I don’t know about you.”

  He lifts me to sit on the stool, moving between my legs. “You know all the important stuff.”

  “Yeah, but I feel like I’ve missed a lot.” All I can think about is how many times I ran to him with my problems and all the times I never asked him about his life here.

  God, how selfish can I be?

  “Water under the bridge, babe.” His words do nothing to eliminate my guilt. Besides his music, I never asked about his personal life. I didn’t want to hear about how happy he was. I didn’t want to hear about his life with Charlotte. I was under the delusional notion that if I didn’t know I wouldn’t care, but now it’s all hitting me square in the face.

  “So what’s the plan for this weekend?” I ask, quickly changing the subject.

  “Well, tonight I plan on spending as much time as possible with you. Then we’ll sleep in until the last possible minute before we head on over to the meet and greet at the Stage. Sign a few autographs, perform my new single, then I’m taking you shopping.”

  “Shopping?”

  “I wanna spoil you.”

  “You don’t have to do that, Linc.”

  “I know I don’t have to. I want to.”

  “But I don’t need anything.”

  “When was the last time you went shopping, Sylvie?”

  “Yesterday?”

  “What’d you buy?”

  “Why?”

  “Just tell me.”

  “I bought Caroline three new books, Skittles, and a box of Popsicles.”

  “Did you buy anything for yourself?”

  “Deodorant. Oh and a pack of gum so my ears wouldn’t pop on the plane.”

  His mouth curls into a smirk. “When’s the last time you bought yourself something nice?”

  “I don’t need anything,” I whisper.

  He kisses my lips. “I know what you need, baby.” He knows he’s got me now.

  With every kiss he draws from my mouth, he weakens my resolve. I’ll give him this. He needs it. I don’t know why but he’s always had this insatiable need to take care of me. But now it’s my turn to take care of him, to love him, to make him as happy as I possibly can. He deserves more than I can ever give but there’s no way I could ever let him go.

  I wrap my arms around him, pulling him in close. “Okay, shopping, then what?”

  “Dinner with my agent and a few big wigs from the label then the rest of the week I’m all yours.”

  “You mean half the day on Sunday?”

  “No, I mean until Friday when we fly back together.”

  “My flight leaves Sunday night at six.”

  “Not anymore it doesn’t.”

  I tense, anger swiftly stealing my good mood. It was enough to get me to come for the weekend, now he wants me to stay the whole week. “I can’t stay until Friday. I have to work.”

  “I already took care of it.”

  “You took care of it?” I ask, raising my voice. “What do you mean you took care of it?”

  “I called your boss.” He looks completely unashamed.

  Shoving him aside, I hop down from the stool. “I can’t believe you called my boss.”

  He laughs. “Mitch is a nice guy and he was more than happy to give you the time off. Said you deserved a long vacation.”

  I huff in frustration at Mitch’s generosity and Linc’s blatant interference. “Is Mitch gonna pay my bills while I’m off for an entire week?”

  “No, I am.”

  Folding my arms, I gape at him, thinking he cannot be serious. But by the smug look on his face, he totally is.

  “Linc, you’re not paying my bills for me. And what about Caroline? I can’t leave her for a week. I just can’t.”

  My chest constricts and tightens. It took everything I had to leave her this morning.

  Linc takes a tentative step forward. “She’ll be fine. Your parents were more than happy to have the extra time with her.”

  “You called my parents too? I can’t believe you did all of this behind my back.”

  “I didn’t do anything behind you
r back. I wanted to surprise you. And I was afraid if I told you earlier you wouldn’t come.”

  “Well, you would’ve been right,” I snap. “I’m so pissed at you right now.”

  “I can tell.” He smirks.

  He moves closer and I try to look anywhere but his eyes. They are sparkling with amusement, and I know if I look I’ll cave. Knowing that he’s gone to all the trouble to spend more time with me all but eliminates my anger.

  But I refuse to tell him that.

  Reaching for my hand, he uses it to pull me into his open arms. “Don’t be mad. I just want you all to myself for a little while longer. Is that so bad?” I try to hold on to my anger but when he drops a kiss to the top of my head, I soften completely.

  “No, I guess not. But I need to call Caroline and you are not paying my bills.”

  His deep laugh vibrates beneath my cheek, causing me to smile. “Whatever you say, babe.”

  Present

  Linc’s fans come out in droves today to meet him. He signs countless autographs, and promises to sign more once he finishes performing his new single, “When We Break.” We found out on the way over here that it’s currently sitting at number one on the charts. I can’t contain my excitement, much less the smile smothering my face. He’s trying to play it cool but deep down I know he’s dying inside. This is the first single to ever hit number one within the first week of release.

  I am so damn proud of him.

  “He’s incredible.” His personal assistant, Kacey, stands next to me as we both watch Linc perform. He owns the stage, his fans echoing his every word.

  Kacey has been his assistant for a little over a year now. Apparently, his last assistant couldn’t keep her legs closed. Linc told me the girl slept with half the road crew and got pissed when he wouldn’t sleep with her.

  That made me smile.

  Thankfully, Kacey is the exact opposite. She’s soft spoken but professional and firm when she needs to be. She definitely keeps Linc’s butt in line, making sure he stays organized.