by Raine Thomas
“Lily.”
His hands spanned her waist and held her still so he could thrust more deeply into her. She cried out. He did it again.
“Yes, Dane. Yes.”
A few more strategic thrusts had her body spasming hard around him. He meant to stop so she could ride out her orgasm, but his body had other ideas. He moved mindlessly, desperate for release. Lily clung to him, doing her best to meet his almost savage pace. Her nails raked his shoulders, adding to the intensity of the moment and shoving him into bliss itself. His orgasm pounded through him.
He had to be hurting Lily with how firmly he was gripping her hips, but he couldn’t seem to control himself. Only when the powerful waves of pleasure subsided did he regain enough of his senses to release her. By then, she had collapsed against him.
“Did I hurt you?” he asked as he caught his breath, lifting a hand that felt nearly numb and brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
She shook her head and made a sound against his chest like, “Nuh-uh.” It was enough to ease any concern on his part.
“Damn. We made one hell of a mess.”
Her shoulders shook with laughter. “Oh, well. That’s what towels are for.”
When they were recovered enough, they finished their bath and nighttime routines and crawled into bed. Lily curled up beside him and brushed her lips over his.
“‘Night, Dane. Love you.”
“Love you too.”
She dropped instantly into sleep. He pulled her closer and breathed in her comforting scent, wishing he could fall asleep as swiftly as she did. His mind wouldn’t allow it, however. It kept trying to bring him to the dark place he was struggling to avoid, the place where Lily came to her senses and broke off their engagement.
It was a long time before he convinced himself for the hundredth time that things were great between them, and reminded himself that he’d do anything to keep it that way.
And even then, his dreams were troubled...as though his subconscious knew the truth.
Chapter Five
Insomnia had plagued Rosemary for most of her adult life. Tonight was no exception.
She had been so sure that the concert and after-party had exhausted her enough to allow her to sleep through the night. Yet here it was, approaching two o’clock in the morning, and she was wide awake.
“Shit,” she said into the silence of her hotel room.
She was on her bed lying as still as a corpse and staring at the ceiling. None of her non-medicinal sleep aids had helped, not even yoga breathing and meditation. She had resorted to a sleeping pill over an hour ago and it hadn’t done a thing. Her mind was still wired and raring to go.
It was well and truly pissing her off.
Huffing in frustration, she tossed aside the bedding and got changed out of her pajamas, slipping on her favorite pair of faded ripped jeans, a comfortable white peasant top, and a pair of suede ankle boots. Unsure of the Kansas City weather, she grabbed a thin hoodie and the phone wallet out of her purse, made sure she had her key card and earbuds, and headed downstairs.
The hotel was quiet, much as she expected. After all, she silently grumbled, most of the guests were normal and sleeping at this time of day.
She made her way to the front desk, where she knew from the hotel’s guide in her room they offered an assortment of snacks and beverages for purchase twenty-four hours a day. The twenty-something man standing behind the desk smiled at her as she paused in front of the refreshments behind a glass display case. She noted his nametag read Harvey.
“Good morning,” he said.
The greeting made her all the more aware that she should be sleeping and not down here spending her money on overpriced snacks. Ignoring that thought, she replied, “Good morning. Can I please get some Sour Patch Kids and a bottle of water?”
“Ah, the midnight snack of champions,” he said with a friendly wink as he retrieved the items.
“One I’m sure I’ll regret since the sugar will just keep me up, but I can’t resist,” she said.
“I hear that.” Harvey moved over to a nearby computer that must serve as a cash register. “Do you have your room key so we can add these items to your account, Miss...?”
“It’s just Rosemary, and I’d like to pay for these separately,” she said. She wasn’t about to spend Archer’s money on such a frivolous purchase.
Harvey gave her an apologetic smile. “I’m afraid it’s room-charge only this time of night.”
Her face fell. “Okay. I guess I’ll pass then. Sorry to trouble you.”
“Hey,” he said when she turned to leave. “Tell you what, Rosemary. I’ll put them on my employee account. I don’t want to come between a beautiful woman and her midnight sugar rush.”
It took her a moment to realize he was flirting with her. She smiled, appreciating the flattering attention. He was cute too, she thought. Tall with warm brown skin, shortly-cropped black hair, and rich brown eyes. His smile produced dimples reminiscent of Archer’s...completely disarming. Too bad she wouldn’t be in Kansas City much longer. She might have asked him out.
“I really appreciate that, Harvey. But I insist on giving you the cash for it. It’s only right.”
“Nah,” he said, holding out the candy and water bottle with another charming smile. “Consider it my ‘pay it forward’ moment of the day.”
“That’s so sweet,” she said, accepting the items. “Thanks. I’ll have to figure out how I’ll pay it forward from here.”
“You could have lunch with me when my shift ends later,” he said with a deliberate batting of his enviably long eyelashes.
She laughed over the hammy gesture. “I really would, but I’ve got to work.” She would be neck-deep in Lily’s wedding planning by then. “How about dinner?”
He sighed. “Can’t. Got my kid sister’s ballet recital. Tomorrow?”
She reached out and patted his hand on the counter between them. “Sorry. We’ll be heading out at the crack of dawn on our way to Nashville.”
“We?”
That made her stumble. “Uh, me and...the band.”
His eyes widened. “Wait. You’re here with The Void?” His voice was lowered as though in reverence.
“Yes. My sister is getting married to the lead singer.”
She wasn’t sure his eyes could get any wider. “I thought you looked familiar,” he said. “You’re Lily Montgomery’s sister?”
“Yes.”
“Holy sh—um, wow.”
She wasn’t sure whether to be embarrassed or humored. She preferred his good-natured flirting to this star-struck wonder. The encounter went from feeling comfortable and lighthearted to awkward.
“Would you like an autograph from anyone in the band?” she offered. It was the least she could do after he’d been so kind.
“Hell yeah,” he said with a wide smile. “Any of ‘em. All of ‘em. I’ll take anything I can get.”
“You got it,” she said. “I’ll drop by tomorrow. For now, I’d better get going.”
“Sure,” he said, some of the wonder easing from his expression. “Enjoy your snack, Rosemary.”
“I will. Nice to meet you, Harvey.”
“You too.”
The exchange played itself through her mind as she made her way from the lobby to the closed outdoor pool, where she settled into one of the lounge chairs beneath a small cabana. Harvey’s switch in behavior towards her once he learned of her connection to The Void didn’t sit well.
Is that how people would treat her once they knew who she was from now on? Would she be able to tell who was being naturally friendly with her and who just wanted to get closer to the band? How did Lily deal with people acting like that?
Rosemary knew The Void was popular. Even though she didn’t tune into the tabloids and entertainment channels like Monique or her younger half-sisters did, she paid attention to the music charts and had been reading Lily’s social media posts throughout this tour. House of Archer had prope
lled The Void into mainstream news. One could hardly turn on the radio or television without hearing about the band and the show.
Yet she hadn’t ever imagined that impacting her life. The rock-and-roll scene was so far outside of her quiet lifestyle that she couldn’t imagine herself in it.
Then again, she’d never imagined Lily entering into that world, and here they both were.
Observing everyone at the after-party earlier had given Rosemary more insights into the band and how their fans reacted to them. Lily and Archer were the center of attention. They never had a moment to themselves, always surrounded by cameras, reporters, and fans. Despite that, there had been no denying the love between them. Rosemary considered herself something of an expert at determining when love was true and likely to last. Lily and Archer were the real deal.
So, it seemed, were Keith Connors and Sydney Ward. The wedding planner in her had prompted Rosemary to give them a careful study as potential future clients. Their relationship had recently withstood a brutal beating in the media after some volatile content aired on House of Archer, yet it seemed to Rosemary’s knowledgeable eye that they were a solid couple. She had noticed the frequent glances Keith slid Sydney’s way as she patiently waited for him to finish interacting with fans. She saw the subtle messages they sent to each other across the room using sign language, one of which she had been able to interpret.
I love you.
The gesture had melted Rosemary’s heart. It seemed out of character for The Void’s typically gruff bassist, which made it even more meaningful.
At first she thought the messages exchanged between the couple had gone unnoticed by anyone but her. Then she had spotted Nikki Calvey, Keith’s ex, watching them from Suddenly Something’s table. The other female had looked murderous. In fact, Nikki seemed far more focused on what was happening on The Void’s side of the room than on Suddenly Something’s. Her attention ranged from Keith to Archer and back again. Rosemary had seen enough of House of Archer to deduce that Nikki had some unresolved issues with the band. She decided to steer clear of the other woman. She had enough on her plate as it was.
The Void’s lead and rhythm guitarist, Xander Phillips, had also been with a woman at the party, but Rosemary didn’t think it was serious. Lily had introduced Rosemary to Xander and his date, Tonya Melton, and later explained that Xander had started spending time with Tonya after Lily’s roommate, Aria Simpson, left the tour. Lily suspected Xander was rebounding with Tonya, a long-time Void groupie. Rosemary felt her sister was right on the money.
Other groupies did their best to attract the attention of the band’s members, apparently not caring that several of them were either engaged or in serious relationships. Appallingly, Rosemary’s half-sisters were among them. Caroline and Bridgette made the rounds from one Void member to the next, flirting shamelessly and making a nuisance of themselves. If it hadn’t meant having to talk to them, Rosemary might have intervened. She just hadn’t been able to stomach the thought of a dramatic scene after everything else she had dealt with that day.
Not getting anywhere with The Void, Caroline and Bridgette shifted over to Suddenly Something’s table. They spent most of their time fawning over one of the group’s members, a guy who Rosemary learned through a quick Google search was bassist Vic Crawford. Vic at times encouraged the flirting and at others ignored them, something that amused Rosemary until she figured out that he was only flirting with them when Lily or Archer looked his way. As much as she disliked her sisters’ behavior most of the time, knowing they were being used had ticked her right off. She fully intended to talk to Caroline and Bridgette about it. They might tell her to screw off, but she wouldn’t feel right if she didn’t warn them.
Still, seeing her sisters flirt with a jerk like Vic was better than seeing them flirt with Sage, something they had done periodically throughout the evening. Rosemary had no right to be jealous about it. She’d had her own chance to flirt at the after-party and had opted not to, even though she’d definitely felt a spark between them. It wasn’t Caroline or Bridgette’s fault that they had the gumption to flirt with him and she didn’t.
No, she told herself as she plugged her earbuds into her phone and pulled up her favorite playlist. It wasn’t that she didn’t have the gumption. She just didn’t chase after taken men.
Curious about Sage, she had asked Sydney for the scoop when they had a moment alone. Sydney hadn’t been sure about Sage’s relationship status, but she thought that he had a girlfriend in L.A. Lily had confirmed it when Rosemary asked her.
It figured. All the good ones were taken.
Settling back in the lounge chair, she did her best to clear her mind and focus on the music. She opened the Sour Patch Kids and chewed on a few as she looked up at the dark swatch of sky she could see beyond the cabana top.
A few minutes later, a shadow shifting along the pool’s edge startled her. She pulled out the earbuds, the hair standing up on the back of her neck over the other person’s deliberate stealth. Her eyes narrowed in concentration.
Something about the figure looked familiar.
“Sage?”
The figure jumped, thudded into the side of a lounge chair, and fell with a loud curse into the bushes surrounding the pool.
“Oh my God,” Rosemary gasped, scrambling to her feet and hurrying over to him. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. Are you all right?”
The words came out in a rush as she reached down in an offer to help. He adjusted his glasses, which had ended up askew on his adorable face, and then grabbed her hand. She tugged until he was once again standing upright.
“I’m fine,” he said with a soft chuckle. “Guess this serves me right after knocking you down earlier.”
“Ah, well, this was my plan all along,” she replied, brushing some loose debris off his T-shirt sleeve. “I made sure you were closest to the thorniest bushes with the prickliest leaves.”
“Very thorough of you.”
“Of course. I’m a planner, you know. Revenge requires particularly strategic thought.”
He laughed, making her smile. Her amusement faded when she saw the long red line along his forearm. She reached out and grasped his wrist, bringing his arm closer so she could see the injury better in the moonlight.
“Oh, Sage...why didn’t you tell me you were really injured? Come here.”
Not waiting for a response, she pulled him over to the cabana and directed him to the seat next to the one she had been using. He obligingly sat down and watched her as she opened her wallet.
“Are you going to pull a magic healing wand out of that small purse?” he asked.
“No, just Neosporin and Band-Aids,” she replied, holding up both items.
His eyebrows lifted. “You just carry those around?”
“Yep.” She reached for his arm and began applying the antiseptic. “I’ve also got a sewing kit, a packet of aspirin, breath strips, tissues, safety pins, and a nail file in there. Don’t tell Homeland Security, but I carried the nail file onto the plane with me.”
“Hoodlum. I’m not sure I should be seen with you now.”
“Oh, come on. I haven’t even made the Most Wanted list yet.”
“Is that an aspiration of yours?”
“Of course. We can’t all make it to the top of the music charts, you know. Some of us have to get creative in our pursuit of notoriety.” She applied two Band-Aids to cover the scratch and gave him a gentle pat. “There. That should do the trick.”
He smiled. “Thanks. Hey, maybe the next time we see each other we can manage to do it without knocking each other on our asses. What do you say?”
Sitting straighter, she held up a hand as though making a solemn vow. “I’ll do my best.”
“Me too.”
There was a lull where they just sat there staring at each other. Rosemary found herself wishing she could see the lovely golden color of his eyes. She chided herself, reminding herself that he was taken. He was so attracti
ve and easy to talk to. It was hard to keep her thoughts chaste.
Shaking his head slightly as though coming out of a daze, Sage said, “Well, I guess I’d better get going. Garrett could figure out I’m gone at any time. That wouldn’t go over well.”
“Garrett?”
“My security specialist.” He shrugged as though it was unimportant. “I duck out of my room sometimes when he’s asleep.”
“Is that a good idea?”
“It’s fine, really. I’m not the one in any danger. My security detail is really just a precaution due to the show.”
“If you say so.” But she wasn’t convinced. She thought he should take his security more seriously. “Do you do this often?”
“Do what? Get scared into bushes by beautiful fugitives?”
It was the second time in less than an hour that she’d been called beautiful. This time, she felt the thrill of it all the way to the soles of her feet.
Stop it, she scolded herself.
“I’m not on the wanted list yet, don’t forget,” she said. “And I meant you walking around hotels at night.”
“Ah. I’ve spent a number of nights like this,” he admitted.
“Insomnia?”
“Yeah. You?”
“Yep. It sucks.”
“It sure does.”
Struck by the impulse to keep him there, she reached for her candy and held the box towards him. “Sour Patch Kid?”
“What?”
Her mouth fell open in amazement over his blank look. “You don’t know what Sour Patch Kids are?”
“Aren’t they gross mockeries of Cabbage Patch Kids?”
“No, those are Garbage Pail Kids. Here, try one.” She reached for his hand and turned it palm-up, shaking a sugared gummy candy into it.
“I don’t think this will help me sleep,” he said, but he indulged her by popping the red candy into his mouth.
She bit her lip to prevent a laugh over his reaction as the sour flavor hit his tongue. “Stick with it,” she encouraged him. “It’s about the whole experience, not just the first punch of flavor.”
