Leather, Lace and Rock-N-Roll

by Mia Dymond

  “You know how much I love to admit I’m wrong.” Cameron paused to clear her throat. “I was wrong. He’s not playing at anything, Rachel, he’s crazy in love with you.”

  Rachel grinned. “I don’t think I like boring anymore.”

  “Maybe you should take one more trip through the house. You might find your answer.”

  “You really think so?”

  “You’ll never know until you give yourself the opportunity.”

  “Possibly.” Rachel glanced back over at the shoe rack. “I like those midnight blue ones.”

  Cameron leaned forward. “Those aren’t your usual style.” She stood, plucked the shoe from its place, and then grinned. “These are really hot. You should try them out in the bedroom.”

  Rachel felt the question marks leave her brain. Suddenly she knew exactly what she had to do. She returned Cameron’s grin. “I just might.”

  ***

  An hour later, Rachel stood in front of Hawke’s house, at the bottom of the steps, convincing herself she was doing the right thing. Counting each step, she finally climbed to the top and glided across the porch to the front door. She took a deep breath, eased the elegant oak door open, and stepped through with her heart pounding erratically.

  The house was almost complete; only a few minor details were left to be done before Cameron waved her magic wand. How could she abandon all this now? She squeezed her eyes closed and savored the sense of fulfillment she felt. It wouldn’t take much more than a couple of weeks to finish. Surely her heart could hold on that long.

  An easy smile broke through her mask of uncertainty when Rachel ran her fingers over the carved oak banister of the staircase. Hawke was such a sucker for detail. Together, the two of them spent hours searching for just the right design. She paused and connected the pieces of her scattered thoughts. Actually, she and Hawke made most of the decisions for the house together. She felt a warm glow flow through her as she remembered his excitement over planning this house. With dazzling determination, he made sure each decision included her opinion. Gazing around at the intricacy of the work, she realized pieces of her heart were embedded here. She would never be able to associate this house with anyone but him. She didn’t want to.

  “I thought I’d find you here.”

  She turned to see Hawke braced in the doorway, his muscles rippling under his white shirt. Her pulse quickened as her eyes traveled his long, lean frame and stroked him intimately before settling on his compelling, dark eyes.

  “I just wanted to make sure the banister arrived,” she said, clasping her hands to keep from reaching for him.

  His eyes sparkled. “So, what do you think?”

  She stood silently, summoning courage to continue.

  “I love this house,” she admitted faintly, drawing a step nearer to him.

  He nodded.

  “Everything about this house screams Jaydon Hawke,” she continued, “but I can’t help but feel a little attached.”

  “I couldn’t have done this without you.”

  “There are other architects in Diablo, Hawke.”

  “True,” he agreed, “but they don’t know me like you.”

  “They could.”

  “I don’t sleep with anonymous architects, Rachel,” he teased, inching toward her.

  She smiled warmly, closed the space between them, and draped her arms around his neck.

  “Good thing,” she said, “because you’re sleeping with this architect.”

  His lips touched hers like a whisper, sending currents of desire racing through her. She returned his kiss hungrily, desperate to imprint the feel of his love on her soul. Smothering a groan, she ended the gentle caress and rested her head on his chest.

  “I love you, Hawke. I should have never doubted you,” she whispered breathlessly.

  “Doesn’t matter, Baby.” His lips tickled the top of her head. “You’re totally worth convincing.”

  “Your life might get quite a bit more exciting with me in it.”

  “Think so? I’ll have to admit, this is the first time I’ve been shot.”

  She lifted her head. “I’m so sorry about that.”

  “Don’t be. I’m willing to take the chance.”

  “Do you know anything about this?” She stepped out of his embrace, reached into her pocket, and handed him a bright blue piece of paper. “Apparently, someone organized an all-star concert to benefit the Build a Block project.”

  “Really?”

  “Really. But that’s not all.” She ran her finger down the length of the buttons on his shirt. “I’ve been told,” she continued, “that the male participants have also agreed to help on the construction site. All those hard, glistening bodies in should raise a hefty amount of money.”

  Hawke chuckled under his breath and pulled her back against him.

  “Why?” she whispered against his neck.

  “The same reason you designed this house,” he responded softly. “I knew it was important to you.”

  She tilted her head and gazed deeply into the depths of his eyes. “You always get what you want, don’t you?” she teased.

  “There’s nothing else I want.”

  Hawke placed his lips to hers and squeezed her, relishing the sense of happiness he felt. He’d finally come full circle in the journey of life with love and security embracing him and making him whole. After twenty years of fame and fortune, he’d learned he hadn’t really achieved true success. Rachel was responsible for his reincarnation, leading him down another path, making his life complete.

  Leather, lace and rock-n-roll. What a combination.

  EPILOGUE

  Rachel suppressed a giggle as she stuck her head out from behind the heavy stage curtain and heard the familiar chaos of screaming women echo off the auditorium walls. A sense of bottomless peace and satisfaction embraced her as she tucked the curtain back into place and headed for Hawke’s dressing room.

  “The natives are restless,” she said as she squeezed past Max into the small room.

  “They can wait a few more minutes.” Hawke swung her into the circle of his arms.

  Her body burned as he crushed her to him and covered her mouth with his. She moaned when his tongue traced a path around her lips and back again before he leaned back to look at her.

  “Hawke,” she whispered, “the girls are waiting.”

  “And I shouldn’t keep the ladies in suspense,” he agreed, amusement in his voice.

  “Go,” she persisted. “I’ll be in my usual spot.”

  “I have a feeling I may not be so popular after tonight,” he mumbled under his breath as he unwrapped himself from her embrace and shuffled her to the door.

  Rachel turned to look at him over her shoulder. “What?”

  “Nothing.” He planted a kiss on her forehead. “See you from the catwalk.”

  She giggled as he opened the door and delivered her to Max.

  “Where’s Cameron, Max?” she asked as Max escorted her down the hall and out into the auditorium.

  Max grimaced and parked her at the end of the middle runway attached to the stage. “I didn’t draw the short straw tonight.”

  She squinted. “This isn’t my normal hangout.”

  “Change of plans.”

  She shrugged. She’d learned things were so fast-paced in Hawke’s business that sometimes last-minute changes were inevitable.

  As the lights dimmed, three massive video screens lowered to the stage and the volume of the crowd escalated. When the room was enveloped in darkness, the music began to play and Hawke appeared on the stage. Her body tingled as she took in his appearance, the sexual magnetism that made him so self-confident taunting her. She stared with longing at him, secretly willing him to hurry through his performance.

  Rachel watched Hawke mesmerize the crowd with his presence. The video screens flashed in time to the music as slinky pieces of multi-colored lingerie graced the stage. He stepped over each piece and never missed a beat. Hypnotize
d by the sway of his body, Rachel managed to catch a flash of something new on the screen as he moved across the stage. Not sure she had seen it correctly, she blinked twice and focused on the screen.

  Marry Me Rachel.

  She turned to look at Max, her eyes wide, demanding clarification. Max nodded in silent agreement.

  She looked around the auditorium, wondering if anyone else had become curious. She noticed that several women standing next to her pointed at the screen and shrugged, but became easily distracted by Hawke’s continued enchantment.

  Convinced the message hadn’t caused an uproar, she began to relax and enjoy the show. When Hawke met her at the end of the runway, her calm was shattered by the hunger of his kiss. Fed by his fire, she returned his kiss recklessly, exposing her overwhelming need to be close to him. She gave him a sexy wink before Max led her backstage to tuck her safely into the dressing room.

  Assigning a guard to the door, Max disappeared back down the hallway to prevent wayward women from slipping backstage. Rachel arranged herself in a chair, barely able to contain her excitement as she waited for Hawke.

  He entered the dressing room not long after, grinning smugly.

  “Did you learn anything tonight?” He leaned casually against the locked door.

  She crossed her legs and swung one foot. “I sure did.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I learned it’s breezy when I go to a concert bare-bottomed with my panties in my pocket.”

  His jaw fell open.

  “And,” she continued, standing and approaching him, her trembling hands smoothing the open flaps of his shirt away from his chest, “someone asked me a very important question.”

  “How did you respond?” His voice was hoarse as her fingers worked each remaining button of his shirt loose, one by one.

  “I didn’t. Yet.”

  “Why?”

  She rolled her eyes. “There’s more to a proposal than the question, Hawke.”

  He chuckled. “I know.”

  She bit the side of her cheek as he struggled to bend on one knee in front of her wearing the infamous red, leather pants.

  “Rachel, I love you. Will you marry me?”

  Tears spilled from her eyes. “Yes, Hawke, I’ll marry you.”

  He stood and wiped her tears with his thumbs. “I have a ring, but you’ll have to help me get it.”

  Her brow furrowed in confusion. Capturing her eyes with his own, he forced her to look down his sculpted chest, past his chiseled abs, finally resting on the zipper between his legs. Hanging from the zipper by a tiny string, a diamond solitaire radiated brightly in the fluorescent light.

  He smirked. “I figured this is how it all began.”

  Her hands shook as she knelt between his legs and carefully untied the ring. “Do you want to put this on me now,” she asked, licking her lips as he hardened, “or later?”

  “Now,” he answered quickly. “We’re going to be busy later.”

  ***

  Fabulous! Cameron smacked her palm against her forehead when she approached the backstage entrance and saw Max standing guard.

  She smiled a sexy smile. “Hey, Maxie! I forgot my thingie.”

  “Your thingie?”

  She illustrated with her hands. “You know, that contraption that hangs around my neck.”

  “Your pass.”

  “My pass hangs on it, yes, but you know me.”

  “I can’t let you back without a pass,” he insisted.

  “Stop playing! You know who I am.”

  “Do I?”

  “Then go get Sean. Or Hawke.”

  “And let you sneak back while I’m gone? No can do, Sunshine.”

  “I don’t have to sneak back, they’re expecting me.”

  He pushed himself off the railing. “I’ll let you back, Wildcat, but you know what you have to do.”

  She bobbed her head and her curls slapped her heated cheeks. “Absolutely not.”

  “Then you’re not getting past me.”

  “You really expect me to flash you?”

  He grinned. “No, just rub my head.”

  * * *

  Coming soon: Outspoken Angel (Cameron's story)

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