It’s not the picture itself that makes me question my sanity, though; it’s the girl in the picture—the girl who looks crazily familiar. When my eyes shift to another framed photo, I gasp, snatching it from the shelf to bring it closer to my face.
Holy crap!
Just then, a pair of big, strong arms wrap around my waist, pulling me back against a hard chest. Five minutes ago, I would have melted into him, unable to stop myself from surrendering to his touch. Now, however, I’m too busy freaking out.
I whirl around in his arms, holding up the picture before I cry, “You’re friends with Britton Cortnie? The country music star? No—not just a country music star—America’s Pop-Country Princess? Oh, my god—is this her house?”
I push my freehand against his chest, suddenly needing space to breathe, and he lets me go without protest. It isn’t until I haphazardly return the photo to its rightful place that I realize that Ashley hasn’t spoken. When my eyes look up into his handsome hazel ones, I’m startled to find him looking at me with no expression at all.
“Ashley?”
Out of nowhere, realization hits me square in the chest, causing an instant ache to overwhelm my heart.
“Oh. My. God. This is Britton’s house. And you know her because—because—because you’re freaking Ashley Hicks!”
I clap my hands on top of my head as I begin to pace, my brain trying to wrap itself around the truth while simultaneously piecing together all the clues that were right underneath my nose—no, right between my legs—all night long.
“I just spent the night with Ashley Hicks. Ashley Hicks! Possibly the greatest guitar player of my generation. Ashley Hicks, the most successful, drop dead gorgeous rock-n-roll god on the music scene today. Ashley Hicks, who doesn’t have a beard or hair long enough to fall into his eyes. And—”
I gasp, the inhalation so sharp and so sudden, it sounds like a shriek. I turn to face him, dropping my hands at my sides as I cry, “Am I your rebound? What the hell? How is this happening to me?” I ball my hands into fists, willing myself not to stomp my foot as I continue my tantrum.
“The man of my dreams is not supposed to be on the rebound—especially not after the drama plastered about his latest break-up all over the tabloids. And—freaking hell!” I wrap my arms around my chest, suddenly feeling like I’m wearing nothing at all, even though I’m drowning in Ashley’s sweater. “I let you see me naked! Your last girlfriend was a freaking size two movie star, and I let you see me naked. Somebody, please, just kill me now.”
“Are you done?” he asks, his eyes still void of any emotion, his morning voice low and gravely.
I press my thighs together, my eyes filling with tears as I realize that this is it. Reality. All of yesterday really was a dream. Now, it’s time to wake up.
I nod at him in response to his question, dipping my chin to hide my tears as I begin to return to the bedroom to collect my things. I don’t make it very far before I feel Ashley’s hand around the side of my neck, his thumb pushing on my chin, encouraging me to look up. I tilt my head back, but I avoid his eyes, no longer feeling beautiful. Instead, I’m utterly humiliated.
“Corie, look at me.”
I shake my head as much as his grip will allow as I whisper, “I can’t.”
“Yes, you can. Corie, look at me.”
I shift my eyes to meet his, and that small movement is enough to send tears streaming down my cheeks. He reaches up with his other hand, gently brushing the wetness away with his thumb before he speaks.
“Why are you cryin’, sugar?”
“I wanted it to be real. I wanted us to be real. Now I know that it’s not.”
“Who says?”
“Come on, Ashley. I’m not naïve.”
“No, but you’re pretty dumb if you think I’m gonna let you walk out that door.”
I scrunch my brow at him in confusion. “So, what, now you’re kidnapping me?”
His face lights up with a huge smile as his laugh fills the room. My belly clenches and my heart sinks, loving the sound but wishing I didn’t.
“I’m not kidnappin’ you, darlin’.”
“What are you saying, then?”
His smile fades as he holds both sides of my neck, his gaze fixed intently on me.
“I’m only goin’ to say this once, you hear?” He pauses, so I nod in reply before he continues. “You’re not a rebound, and I’m not a god. To you, I’m just Ashley. And I’m gonna keep bein’ just Ashley for as long as you’ll have me.”
“What?” I murmur in shock, my tears returning.
He props his forehead against mine as he says, “The woman of my dreams celebrates birthdays with cupcakes and beer before she loves on her man until the sun comes up.”
His words wash over me and my knees grow unsteady, causing me to practically fall against his chest. He slides a hand down my back before wrapping his arm around my waist, holding me securely against him.
“Me?” I whimper.
“Yeah, sugar. Last night, it was just you and me. Corie and Ashley. Want a lot more, darlin’. I know a good thing when I see her; know for sure after I’ve been inside of her. Nobody compares, Corie. Nobody.”
I don’t get a chance to respond before his lips are on mine. He possesses me with a deep, slow, long kiss. With each stroke of his tongue against mine, my panic and doubt are chased away. Soon, my arms are wound around his neck, my body pressed flush against his chest.
I don’t protest when he bends down and grabs hold of the back of my thighs, lifting me from my feet. I wrap my legs around him and he carries me to the couch, laying me down before stripping me of my panties. When he reaches into the pocket of his sweatpants and pulls out a condom, I say a prayer of thanks that he found a forgotten stash amongst his things last night. We’ve been through a few—and by the look in his eyes, I get the distinct impression that we’re bound to go through a few more.
He sheaths himself before he settles on top of me. Then he reaches down and rubs the head of his cock along my slick seam, coating himself in my arousal. He then guides himself into the heat of my core. As my body takes him in, adjusting to his length and girth, I free a long, contented sigh. He looks into my eyes, and I reach up to brush his hair away from his face. I hook my legs around the back of his thighs, studying him as he glides in and out of me. My entire body feels as though it’s on fire with his gaze locked with mine, and my heart speaks loud and clear.
This is real.
This is us.
Ashley and Corie.
Ashley
“Will you tell me about it?”
I look up, watching as Corie enters the room. Her hair is wet from a shower, and she’s being swallowed up by a pair of my sweatpants and an old tour t-shirt. Her tits sway as she makes her way toward me, and I have to remind my dick that we’re giving her pussy a much needed break. I set aside my guitar, closing my journal as I lean back against the couch, opening my arms for her.
“Tell you about what?” I ask as she settles against my side, curling her legs beneath her.
“The storm,” she answers simply.
Pressing my lips against her forehead, I grunt my understanding. I then pause, not because I wish to hide the truth, but because her request reassures me that this woman deserves the truth. She’s still here, still looking at me like she did last night, still genuinely authentic, downright adorable, and undeniably sexy. Despite her knowledge of who I am, she still wants just Ashley.
“Natalie and I had been growing apart for months. When we broke up, it was a decision we both made. There were no tears. There was no fighting. It was just time.”
Corie twists her neck so she can look up at me. I look right back, noting the lack of judgment in her eyes. I rub my hand up and down her side as I continue.
“The shit she pulled a couple months ago? It was a publicity stunt. The lie that I left her broken hearted was meant to cast her in some favorable light. It worked. Her film took the box office by storm. T
hat, right there, was proof that I’d dodged a bullet. Had my management left it alone, it would have all blown over.”
“Your management?”
“Yeah. It was Mitch’s brilliant idea to toss me into the lion’s den, completely unaware. He told me he set up a private dinner between Natalie and me, a chance for us to clear the air and come up with some kind of statement that would leak, showin’ we could play nice—as if it’s anyone’s business.
“Anyway—I showed up, and halfway through the meal, Natalie started actin’ like some crazy person. Before I could get out of there, the paparazzi came swarmin’. The next day, my face was everywhere, the headlines nothin’ but lies. Mitch got a shit ton of attention thrown my way, but it sure as hell wasn’t the kind of attention I ever wanted.”
“That’s so unfair. I’m sorry that happened to you,” Corie murmurs softly, snuggling against me closer.
I rest my cheek atop her head, content to let the silence settle between us.
“I like the beard,” she whispers after a while. “I like you here, too; but you can’t hide forever, right?”
“I don’t know,” I mutter, circling both my arms around her before I give her a squeeze. “I kind of like it here, too.”
“Yeah, but you’ve got a life to get back to.” She turns her head, brushing her lips against my neck as she whispers, “The media doesn’t know who you are. Not really. Your fans, on the other hand, you mean something to them. They won’t remember this scandal. It’s your lyrics they cling to. You’ve got songs to sing—lives to change.”
“I doubt I change lives, sugar. I’m just a musician. I play because it’s in my blood. I can’t escape it; but the spotlight, that was never the plan.”
I think about the years I spent in the background, playing other people’s songs. It wasn’t until someone recorded me while I wasn’t paying attention, in the wee hours of the morning, on a tour bus traveling across the country, that I got discovered. Didn’t take long before I was catapulted onto center stage. Times like these, I wonder if it was worth it.
“That might not have been the plan, but I guarantee you’re more influential than you know. The song you sang to me last night? It resonated so deep within me, it almost scares me.”
I scowl down at her, remembering her tears, wondering what I can do to ensure she doesn’t feel trapped in the cage of her circumstances ever again.
“Tell me about it.”
She inhales deeply and exhales slowly, nodding her head as she begins.
“I’ve wanted out of this town all my life. Tourists love it, but they come here willingly, and they’re only ever passing through. I feel like I’ve been stuck here forever.”
“What’s keepin’ you?”
“I don’t know anymore. Until I was eighteen, I didn’t have much of a choice. But home life is a huge reason why I’ve always wanted to escape. My dad drinks a lot. My mom died giving birth to me, and he never recovered. I used to think that the clothes on my back and the food in the fridge meant that he loved me, but I’ve come to learn that that’s not love.”
“No, sugar, it isn’t.”
Her lips twitch in a small, sad smile I wish I could kiss away, but she continues before I get the chance.
“We didn’t have the money for university, so I stuck around here. I went to community college, earning a degree in business management, hoping it would get me out of here. Then my Aunt Edith got sick and passed. Uncle Calvin and my cousin Jill needed help with the shop. I’ve worked there ever since. It’s been a couple years, business is good, and I’m sure they could manage without me—but I don’t know what I want or where I should go.”
I stare down at her, all this talk of leaving causing a tug in my chest that’s unwelcome. I just got her, I’ve only just begun to know her, and there’s no way I’m ready to let her go. I think about what it would be like to simply pack her up and take her with me; and then a crazy idea pops into my head. I cough out a humorless laugh, wondering if I’m a love sick loon, or a brilliant opportunist.
“What? What are you thinking?” she asks, pulling me from my thoughts.
“You really ready to get out of here?”
“Like you wouldn’t believe.”
“Come with me.”
She opens her mouth to speak, but no words come out. I read the doubt in her eyes, and a sly grin tugs at the corner of my mouth.
Damn, she’s somethin’ else.
“You wouldn’t just be my girlfriend, sugar. I got a vacancy in my staff I need to fill. At least, I will after I make a quick phone call.”
When her eyes light up, I know I’ve read her correctly. She’s not interested in coming along for the ride as no more than the girl on my arm.
That, right there, is just another sign. The storm led me to this gorgeous girl behind the coffee bar, and I’m not lettin’ her go.
“Wait—you’re offering me a job?”
“Yup,” I reply with a nod.
“What kind of job?”
“Need a new manager, sugar.”
Her jaw falls open as she pulls away from me. “What?”
“You just said you studied business management in school. I need a manager for Ashley Hicks, the business.”
She chokes out a sigh, shaking her head at me. “You’re crazy! The most experience I have is helping to run a local coffee shop, and you want me to manage Ashley Hicks? Ashley Hicks is a multi-million-dollar business.”
“Got a team of people who could show you the ropes, myself included. Somethin’ tells me you could handle Ashley Hicks just fine,” I reply with a smirk.
She gapes at me, her pretty brown eyes wide in shock and wonder. It makes me want to kiss her, so I grab hold of the back of her neck and do just that, brushing my lips against hers in a gentle kiss. I pull away only to rest my forehead against hers as I softly speak, “Know a good thing when I see her, Corie. Say you’ll do it. Come with me, sugar.”
Her hand reaches up to grip my wrist, her fingers squeezing me tightly as she seals her eyes closed and starts to shake her head. I’m on the verge of begging when I hear her whisper to herself, “Be brave, Corie Flynn—be brave.”
A small grin plays at my lips, morphing into a full-on smile when she opens her eyes and offers me an enthusiastic nod.
“Yeah. Okay. I’m in.”
Corie
Two Months Later
I take a look in the hotel suite’s mirror, studying my made-up face. I hope I look okay. Then again, okay in the presence of outrageously stunning means I should probably just stay behind and let Ashley go without me.
Pressing my palms flat against my bare stomach, I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I feel like I’m about to throw up. Right now, I need my body to decide whether it can keep my cookies or not. The last thing I need is to slip into my gown before my nerves get the best of me.
The anxiety in my stomach ebbs, making room for the warm sensation of love I feel for the man whose lips now trail kisses across the length of my shoulder. His newly shortened beard is still present enough to scratch against my delicate skin, making my whole body break out in goosebumps.
“You look amazin’, sugar,” he murmurs, his tone deep and sexy.
Even after all the time we’ve been spending together, his voice still makes me ache in the most delicious way. Yet, his opinion is so completely biased, it doesn’t make me feel more confident.
“Are you sure I should go?” I ask, my eyes still closed. I’m afraid that if I even so much as catch a glimpse of his handsome hazel eyes in our reflection, I’ll cave before I can reason with him that maybe I shouldn’t go.
He doesn’t respond right away. Instead, I feel it as he straightens behind me; then he places something cool and heavy around my neck. My curiosity gets the best of me and I open my eyes, gaping at the stunning display of diamonds now resting across my collarbone.
“Ashley,” I barely manage. My eyes flick back and forth between the shirtless man behind me and the
sparkly necklace on my chest.
He slides his arms around my middle, pulling me back against him as he rests his chin on my shoulder. When our gazes lock in our reflection, he says, “I love you. It’s time the world knew it, too.”
I grab hold of his forearms, my equilibrium slightly off after his declaration. I’ve felt his love in more ways than I can count over the last couple of months, but this is my first time hearing him say the words. He’s been so patient and generous as I’ve begun to navigate my new role as his manager. I want to earn the right to my job title. I’ve been working so hard, and he has been so supportive, never allowing my status as his girlfriend to completely interfere with work.
More than that, my Ashley has become my heart. I don’t know when I fell in love with him, only that when I was ready to admit it to myself, it was all consuming. I haven’t spoken the words because I was afraid it was too soon. Now, here—wrapped in his arms—it feels like the words aren’t enough.
I turn around, wishing to look directly at him, and cup my hands around his cheeks as I tell him, “I love you, too, Ashley—with my whole heart.”
He responds with a kiss, parting my lips open with his tongue before he owns my mouth. I circle my arms around his neck, pulling him closer, and he grunts, kissing me deeper. I feel his erection through his sweatpants, and a small voice in the back of my head reminds me that we both need to get dressed. The car will be here in an hour to pick us up.
“Sweets,” I start to say when he severs our kiss. I’m interrupted when he yanks my panties down my legs before he lifts me up onto the counter. “What—?”
I lose my words as his fingers graze over my core before he begins to play with my clit.
“I know you’re nervous, sugar, but you’re goin’,” he insists, his breath hot against my lips. “Now hush and let me calm my woman down.”
As he speaks, he pushes two fingers inside of me, and all I can manage is a nod. Then he’s no longer standing in front me, but kneeling between my legs. He uses his free hand to grip the back of my knee and spread me wide as he sucks on my clit. With a moan, I throw my head back, bracing myself with my hands while he brings me closer and closer to my release.
