by Rachel Lacey
Jenn slapped a hand over her mouth. Cole, what are you doing?
“But the thing is…I fucked it up.” He glanced in her direction, but she knew he couldn’t see her, not where she stood concealed in the wings. The crowd gasped collectively at his revelation. “Jenn, I know you’re out there listening, and with all these beautiful people here as my witness, I need you to know that I am head over heels in love with you.”
The crowd shrieked with delight, and Jenn almost passed out. Her head swam, and spots danced in front of her eyes. Did he just say…?
“I know I’ve been an idiot, but please give me a second chance.” There was a vulnerability in his tone that she’d never heard before.
“What are you waiting for?” Jorja hissed in her ear. “Get out there!”
“What?” Jenn whirled around, surprised to find Cole’s assistant standing there.
Jorja was grinning from ear to ear. She gave Jenn a gentle shove toward the stage.
Jenn wiped the tears from her eyes. “Did you know he was going to…?”
“No, but I know you guys love each other, and he just laid it all on the line for you out there. Now go!”
Jenn stepped onto the stage, blinded by the lights. She stopped, staring in Cole’s general direction as the crowd shrieked in delight. And then, through the dazzling glare of the spotlights, Cole was walking toward her. He stood in front of her, so close she could feel the heat of his body. He clicked off the microphone in his hand and reached for her.
“I’m so sorry, baby,” he murmured, gripping her hands in his. “I never should have let you walk away, but I didn’t know…I didn’t know what love felt like. I thought if we stayed together, we’d only end up hurting each other, but losing you hurt so much more.”
Tears swam in her eyes, turning the stage lights into a sparkling kaleidoscope. “Why now?”
“I’ve been trying to find the way, and I just kept messing it up, but I can’t wait another minute. I love you, Jenn. Please tell me we can rip up those divorce papers and give this marriage a real chance.”
* * *
Behind him, the audience had risen to a deafening buzz of excitement, waiting to hear what was happening. Cole could hardly breathe. When he’d first seen Jenn earlier tonight, standing off to the side of the stage, he’d been hit with something so powerful, it had almost knocked the knees out from under him.
Love.
He had no idea why it had taken him so long to realize it, but now he felt like his heart was going to bust right through his rib cage while he waited for her response. “So what do you say, will you give me another chance?”
“Yes,” she murmured.
Warmth spread through his chest all the way to his heart, making him grin like a fool. He leaned forward, and Jenn’s eyes closed. He brushed his lips against hers, and it was like something came to life inside him, something that had lain dormant since she walked out that door two weeks ago.
“God, I missed you,” he whispered against her lips.
“Me too.” A lone tear snaked its way down her cheek.
He brushed it away, deepening their kiss as the crowd screamed. He felt it in his bones, vibrating in his chest, making his blood boil with need and his cock ache. “I love you,” he whispered.
“I love you too.” Her eyes opened, and she was grinning at him as the stage lights twinkled in her eyes. “You’d better get back out there and finish your show.”
“Only if you’ll join me.”
Her eyes rounded. “What? No way!”
“There’s a piano waiting just offstage.”
“How…?”
“It’s someone else’s, but they said we can use it. Please. Let’s play ‘Right Away’ and do this thing right.”
“You’re insane,” she said, but she was still smiling.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” He clicked his microphone back on and turned toward the crowd, his hand still clutching Jenn’s. “I’m the luckiest man in the world because this amazing woman just agreed to give me a second chance, and she’s going to join us for the encore. Please put your hands together for her, ladies and gentlemen…Jennifer Nix.”
Jenn waved to the crowd as a tech rolled the piano onto the stage. It was sleek and shiny and white, and the sight of Jenn seated behind it was almost more than he could stand. After weeks spent pining after her, the idea of waiting even five more minutes before he had her all to himself was almost more than he could bear.
But this would be worth it.
She played the first bar of “Right Away,” and his cock went from half-mast to rock hard inside his pants. Nothing turned him on like the sight of Jenn behind that piano, playing their song…
Instead of playing his guitar tonight, he let the guys carry the melody while he sat on the piano, singing as he watched Jenn’s fingers dance over the keys. His heart felt like it had grown too big for his chest, so full it almost hurt. He loved Jenn. She loved him. They were onstage together right now, singing their song in front of twenty thousand eager fans.
Earlier this week, he’d made things official with Naveen, Tom, and Ricky. Social Experiment was his future. He was no longer a solo act, personally or professionally, and he’d never been happier. As the last note of the song died away, he leaned over the piano to kiss her again, and they stood together to wave and bow for the crowd. “Thank you, Los Angeles. Good night.”
With Jenn’s hand in his, he led the way offstage, not stopping until they were in his dressing room with the door closed and locked behind them. He pressed her against the wall, his lips on hers as his body trembled with need. “I missed you so much.”
“Me too,” she whispered.
“Need you so bad.” He pressed his cock into the vee of her thighs, painfully hard and still halfway not believing she was really here with him. “I love you so much. I don’t know how I didn’t realize it for so long.”
“All’s well that ends well, isn’t that what they say?” She unbuttoned his jeans and pushed down the zipper.
“I really fuckin’ love our after-show tradition,” he gritted, groping behind her for the duffel bag he’d left there and praying there was a condom inside it.
“So do I.” She held up a condom with a wicked smile. Then she was rolling it on him, and he was pushing inside her, and his whole world shifted into alignment.
“This,” he said as he thrust inside her. “This is the real highlight of my performance. Just you and me. God, I love you.”
“Let’s end every show this way, okay?” she murmured, gripping him with her thighs.
“You got it, baby,” he panted. “Our own private encore.”
Epilogue
“You didn’t!” Jenn rounded on her husband in mock exasperation.
“Oh baby, but I did. I hoped our wedding night might turn out a little differently this time around.” Cole pushed open the door of their rented villa on Luca Cay—the very same villa he’d been staying in on that fateful night a year ago. Today was their first anniversary. They’d started the day by renewing their vows with a big Catholic wedding in the church Jenn had grown up in, in front of all their friends and family.
And they were ending it by taking the honeymoon they’d never had after their accidental vows one year ago today. It had been her idea to come back to Luca Cay for their honeymoon, but out of the dozen or so private villas on the island, she hadn’t imagined they would wind up back in this one.
She walked through the living room to the entrance of the bedroom, remembering the way it had felt when she woke in that bed, hungover and horrified. She never could have imagined that morning that she’d be back here again today, still married and madly in love.
“It seemed only fitting,” Cole said, coming up behind her to slide an arm around her waist. “I think we need to go down to the Tiki Bar tonight and have a moonlight martini for old times’ sake.”
“Why, Colton Nix, I never knew you were such a sentimental man.” She spun in his arms so that
her chest pressed to his.
“You bring it out in me.” His voice rumbled through her, low and deep.
“I wouldn’t have picked this villa, but now that we’re here, you’re right. It’s perfect. Today is all about redoing things the right way.”
“And as much as I want to throw you on that bed right now and get started on our wedding-night celebration, we have dinner reservations, and I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.”
“I am too.” She was starving, but she couldn’t quite believe Cole wasn’t throwing her on the bed anyway. He’d been so romantic all day, and it was melting her heart into such a puddle of lovesick mush that she could hardly complain about anything he had planned.
“You’d better get ready, then.” He nudged her toward her suitcase, which the bellman had already left in the bedroom for them.
“Okay.” Grinning, she walked over and unzipped it. She’d hadn’t packed much other than breezy sundresses and bathing suits. There was one dress she’d almost left at home, and somehow she knew it was the dress she needed to wear tonight. She grabbed it and her toiletry bag and ducked into the bathroom.
Again, her mind flashed on that morning a year ago when she’d run in here to throw up, the horror she’d felt when she first noticed the flowered wedding band on her left ring finger. Tonight, she rubbed her finger over it with a smile. Even that morning, she’d been struck by how much she loved this ring. It had made her even angrier to think that she’d received a ring she loved so much from a man she didn’t even know, that she might someday marry someone else and have to settle for a less perfect ring.
If only she’d known…
Grinning, she slipped into the dress she’d worn on that fateful night. It was turquoise and breezy, layers of sheer chiffon that just reached her knees. She hadn’t worn it since, but tonight it was perfect. She brushed her hair and freshened her makeup, added a spritz of perfume and some simple jewelry, and stepped out of the bathroom.
Cole stood in the middle of the bedroom, in khaki shorts and a blue polo shirt. He walked over and pulled her into his arms, his brown eyes hot with lust. “I was hoping you’d pick that dress for tonight.”
“Is that the same outfit you were wearing too?” she asked, running her fingers down the front of his shirt.
“Fuck if I know, but it’s similar at least.”
She pulled back and turned to her bag to pull out the matching shoes.
“Leave them,” he said, threading his hand through hers.
“Are we having dinner at the Tiki Bar?”
He shook his head, but the gleam in his eyes made her heart pound. He was up to something, and although she didn’t know what, the knowledge that he’d preplanned something romantic for them here on Luca Cay spread warmth through her veins that settled into a happy ache in her heart. Together, they walked outside, barefoot against the sand. The sun was a fiery ball on the horizon, just minutes from setting. Already the sky was streaked with reds and purples that reflected on the water below.
“It’s so beautiful,” she said.
His hand tightened over hers. “Even prettier than the sunset the night we met, I think, or maybe it just looks better now because I have you to share it with.”
They walked farther out onto the beach. She wasn’t sure where they were headed, but she didn’t really care either, because the weather was perfect, the sunset was gorgeous, and the man she loved was at her side. And then she saw something up ahead on the sand, something glimmering and flickering against the setting sun.
She stopped short, pressing a hand to her mouth. “Oh my God.”
“I asked them to recreate it,” he said softly, “since you loved it so much.”
It was a wedding arbor, their wedding arbor, and she realized now that they were on the same stretch of beach just past the Tiki Bar. The arch was lit with hundreds of white fairy lights, just as it had been that night, but tonight, a table sat in front of it. A table set for two, with a white cloth draped over it and a candle flickering in the center.
“Dinner on the beach?” he said.
“Yes,” she whispered.
“I want to hear you say that word a lot tonight.” He squeezed her hand again, drawing her in for a kiss.
“Oh, you will,” she said with a smile.
They sat together at the table, reaching for the glasses of champagne that had been poured and placed there. A waitress came walking toward them across the sand to take their order. They both decided on the fresh catch of the day. As she walked away, Jenn raised her glass and tapped it against Cole’s.
“To new beginnings,” she said.
“New beginnings.” They both drank, and then Cole rose from the table. She followed him over to the arbor. The sun had set now, leaving only a faint orange glow in the sky behind them while the arbor twinkled brightly overhead. “There’s something that was still bothering me about the way our marriage came about,” he said, and there was something odd in his tone. He almost sounded…nervous.
“Really?” She cocked her head to the side, staring up at him.
“I never got to do this.” He reached into the pocket of his shorts and pulled out a little black velvet box.
“Oh!” She sucked in a breath, her heart lurching in her chest. “Oh, Cole…”
“We have a habit of doing things backward,” he said with a smile that made her knees weak. “But this place, and this arbor, are the foundation of our relationship so I thought it only fitting that I do this here.” He opened the box, showing her the ring inside.
Tears welled in her eyes. It was a diamond engagement ring—a post-engagement ring maybe. The diamond was flanked on either side by aquamarine stones.
“The aquamarine reminded me of the ocean here on Luca Cay and that dress, the one you were wearing the night we got married and why it was so fuckin’ perfect that you chose it again tonight.”
“It’s beautiful.” Tears spilled over her eyelids as he slid the ring onto her finger, nestling it against the gold flowered wedding band she already wore. “It’s perfect, so perfect.”
“I thought about giving it to you this morning,” he said. “At the church.”
“I’m glad you didn’t. Our church wedding was beautiful, but this is…well, it’s us. I think this place kind of defines us, don’t you?”
He traced a finger over her ring and then drew her up against him. “It absolutely does. I think we should come here every year on our anniversary.”
“And make some music together while we’re at it?”
“Swift as the wind, high as a kite, I can’t get my mind off you, day or night,” he sang, swaying with her to an imaginary beat. “I need you, baby, right away.”
Dear Reader,
* * *
I hope you enjoyed Encore! This was a really fun book to write, and I loved getting the chance to visit Kate and Josh and my Rock Star Duet world again. Want to stay up-to-date on my upcoming releases and receive a free copy of my award-winning novella, Only You? Sign up for my newsletter for exclusive news and giveaways and receive a free copy of Only You just for subscribing. If you enjoy chatting about books, I’d love for you to join my reader group on Facebook. It’s a great place for us to stay in touch, and I often ask for help naming upcoming characters and pets plus lots of other fun reader group exclusives.
* * *
Hope to see you there!
Rachel Lacey
Have you read UNWRITTEN, the first book in my Rock Star Duet? Buy it now to read Kate and Josh’s story, or keep reading for the first chapter, included at the end of this ebook.
* * *
Already read it? Try CRASH AND BURN, my sexy, suspenseful standalone where a plane crash leaves the hero and heroine – along with an adorable rescue pup – stranded deep in the Sierra Nevadas with a forest fire on their heels.
Acknowledgments
Thanks as always to my family for their love and support. Thank you to my editor, Linda Ingmanson, for your expertise,
and to Hang Le for the gorgeous cover. A huge thank you to my critique partner and all around awesome person, Annie Rains, for always steering me in the right direction. Thanks to April Hunt, Tif Marcelo, and Sidney Halston, the best author friends a girl could want.
Thanks to Lynn Brooks for naming Cole’s new band. I hope you enjoyed seeing Social Experiment on the page.
A huge thank you to everyone in my reader group and to all the readers, bloggers, and reviewers who’ve supported me along the way. Love you all!
xoxo
Rachel
Also by Rachel Lacey
Rock Star Duet
Unwritten
Encore
* * *
The Stranded Series
Crash and Burn
* * *
The Risking It All Series
Rock with You
Run to You
Crazy for You
Can’t Forget You
* * *
The Love to the Rescue Series
Unleashed
For Keeps
Ever After
Only You
Haven’t read UNWRITTEN, Rock Star Duet book 1, yet? Keep reading for an exclusive look at the first chapter...
1
Unwritten Chapter 1
Katherine Hayes ducked behind a large sycamore tree, a blue-wrapped package in one hand, two black leather leashes in the other. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure she hadn’t been followed before turning her attention to the tree. Its trunk was wide and knotted, with gnarled branches jutting in all directions, reaching toward the blue sky above.
