“I’d still be a leech.” She sank back down on the sofa. “The whole idea behind this journalism thing was to be independent, to not have to rely on someone else’s money to get by.”
“Yeah, but people like you and me are always going to have to prove that we’re something more than spoiled little rich girls.”
“You seem to have no trouble with your job.”
“That’s because I’m doing something I love. Press releases, social events, media spotlights—they’re all right up my alley.”
Elaine’s statements about not letting her emotions interfere with her stories came back to haunt her. “I thought I felt the same way about journalism.”
Ari sat down next to her and gave her a hug. “Don’t give up on it, yet. You’ll find a way to do what you love.”
The doorbell rang, and Ari got up to answer it.
Ethan’s voice came in from the doorway. “Ari, Becca wasn’t at the meeting—”
She looked up from the sofa, not caring that she was wearing old flannel PJs and sporting a pair of red-rimmed eyes from crying.
Ethan crossed the room in less than a dozen long-legged strides and crouched down in front of her. “Are you okay?”
She forced a weak smile on her face for him. “I will be.”
“When you weren’t at the meeting, I got worried.”
Her heart flopped, reminding her of all the reasons why she’d never betray him. “I went home sick from work, that’s all.”
“Would this cheer you up?” He pulled a small box bearing the logo from Gitta’s café. “She said it was some kind of holiday cake and that you would like it.”
She stroked his cheek. “Thank you, Ethan. That was very sweet of you.”
His eye flickered over to the glass of wine beside her, and his lips pressed together. “Is there anything else I can do for you?”
Ari stood behind Ethan, signaling that she should tell him about the situation, but Becca just shook her head. “I just need some time to mend.”
He glanced once more at the wine glass before rising. “Give me a call if you need anything.”
He leaned over to place a kiss on her forehead and said good-bye to Ari before letting himself out.
Her roommate jumped right into the place he’d vacated in front of her. “What is wrong with you, Becca? He wants to help, and you just pushed him away.”
“I can get through this without him.”
“Bullshit.” Ari took a step back. “You know trust is essential to a good relationship.”
“Yes, and he’s entrusted me with his secrets, and I’m not going to exploit them to save my career.”
“But trust is a two-way street, Becca. You have to trust him, too.”
“I—” She couldn’t come up with a good excuse. Ari was right. She needed to trust Ethan with her secrets, too. But she hated the thought of dumping her problems on him. “I’ll sleep on it.”
“Fine, but I hope you get over your reservations, or it’s going to become a big problem between you two.”
Becca retreated to her bedroom and tried to go to sleep, but no matter what she did, she couldn’t quiet her troubled mind. There simply was no easy way out of her predicament. She tossed and turned well after she heard her roommate go to bed and finally got up a little after one. A few seconds later, she was dialing Ethan’s number.
“You up?” he asked when he answered.
“Yeah. You?”
“Yeah.”
Her voice sounded small and meek as she asked, “Is it too late for me to come over?”
“Do you want me to come and get you?”
“No, I can get a cab.” She checked her wallet to make sure she’d have enough cash for the fare. “I’ll be there in a bit.”
She threw on some clothes and hailed a taxi.
Ethan was waiting for her when she arrived and pulled her into his arms. “What’s wrong, Bec?”
“You know that expression, ‘Between a rock and a hard place’? Well, try smashed between the boulder and cliff face.”
He tightened his arms around her and led her up the stairs. “Care to explain it to me?”
“Maybe.” She shook off her jacket and shoes and crawled into bed next to him, her body instinctively curling along his. “It’s a work issue.”
“Tell me about it.” He massaged her scalp while he waited.
Her eyes grew heavy from the fatigue of the day, and she risked falling asleep if she didn’t unburden her soul soon. “My editor gave me an assignment I disagree with.”
“Why?”
She chewed her bottom lip, wondering how much she should reveal to him. “Because people could get hurt if I write it.”
“And if you don’t?”
“I’m fired.”
He sucked in a breath through his teeth. “Tough call.”
“Now you know why I’m torn.”
“Yeah, but I also know you. You’ll listen to your heart and do the right thing.”
“Even if it means the end of my journalism career?”
“Who says it’s the end? You’re a brilliant woman, Bec, and it won’t take you long to find another job, even if it’s freelance writing.” He gave her a playful jostle. “Besides, didn’t you say you hated working there anyway?”
“I do.” She snuggled closer to him, the worries of the day finally slipping away. Ethan believed in her. Now she just had to believe in herself and do the right thing. “Thank you for making me feel better.”
“Any time.” He planted a gentle kiss on the top of her head and held her until she fell asleep.
Chapter Fifteen
Becca strolled into her father’s office Thursday morning, ignoring the protests of his secretary. Two days had passed without a solution to her work problem, but she could at least deal with her father. “Daddy, we need to talk.”
He looked up from his computer screen, one brow arched above his cool blue-green eyes, and dismissed his secretary. “Have a seat, Rebecca.”
She took the chair across from him and crossed her legs, her spine ramrod straight with determination. “First off, I don’t appreciate you telling Elaine about Ethan.”
“We were merely having lunch as old friends, and the conversation turned to you.”
“Yes, but now she’s forcing me to write a story about his personal life or I risk losing my job. A job, I found out, that I only have because of you.”
“You were running into dead ends with this ridiculous pursuit of a journalism career, and I opened a door for you.”
“But it’s not ridiculous to me. This is what I want to do with my life.”
“Oh, please. You can’t stay clean long enough to hold down a responsible job. And dating another addict like that rock star is only going to drag you down further.”
She jumped to her feet, her skin burning with rage. “First off, I’ve been clean for almost three years, and it stopped being an issue once I cut myself free from your controlling and manipulating ways. Second, Ethan is a recovering addict, just like me. We help each other stay clean.”
“Or you can pull each other back into that cesspool of heroin, just like what happened to your mother.”
She drew in a deep breath before she launched a series of four-lettered words at her father. “I have no memory of my mother, so I can’t say if I’m like her or not. But I do know that the reason I started using was because of you.”
Surprise flickered across his face, shocking the muscles lax for a brief second before the controlled mask of composure settled back into place. “Don’t try to point the finger at me. We both know that addiction has a genetic component.”
“Maybe, but the way you always demanded perfection from me didn’t help. Do you have any idea how fucking great it was to not care what you thought of me? To be comfortable i
n my own skin without being reminded of the hundreds of things you found wrong with me?”
He settled back in his chair, his fingers splayed against his mouth in a pensive gesture.
“I know I’ve always been a disappointment to you. I know you don’t expect me to be much more than some loser addict with a trust fund. But you’re wrong. I found something I wanted to do. I wanted to tell stories that invoked change. I wanted to champion the wronged and make others aware of the difficult situations all around us. I wanted to write articles that would eventually make someone’s life better. And no one believed in me except for Ari.”
She pressed her hands against the immaculate glass top of his desk and leaned forward. “I know why you told Elaine about me and Ethan, and I’m here to tell you that although your stunt may end up costing me my job, I’m not giving up on my dream, and I’m not giving him up, either.”
She turned around on her high heels and left without another word.
After spending the last three days feeling like her world was crumbling, she finally felt like she was back in control. Telling her father off got one monkey off her back, and by the time she reached the ground-floor lobby of his office tower, she had an idea about what to do with Elaine.
***
Ethan played a few notes on his piano and wrote them down with a grin. Even though he was still trying to set up the release of a new album, the music kept coming. At the rate he was going, he’d have another album’s worth of material ready to record by spring.
He only wished things could be this easy for Becca. The last couple of nights, she’d tossed and turned beside him, only sleeping after he made love to her in the wee hours of the morning. She hadn’t gone back to her office, choosing to chew up half a dozen of his pencils while she scribbled idea after idea only to toss her notes into the shredder a few minutes later. This morning was the first time she’d woken up with a determined look in her eye and it gave him hope that she’d found a solution to her problem.
She left before dawn to go back to her apartment, and he hadn’t heard from her since then. He hoped that her silence was a good sign.
He worked out a few more bars of music before his phone rang with her number on the display. “Hey, beautiful, how you doing?”
“Much better. I turned in a story to Elaine, and I’m looking at flights to the Caribbean. There’s one leaving for Barbados tomorrow morning at six. Want to make a quick little getaway with me?”
He glanced outside at the snow piling up on his windowsill. “Some sunshine and warm sand sound great to me.”
“Awesome. Booking the flight right now. It leaves out of JFK, so why don’t we meet at my place before heading over there?”
“Done.” He ended the call with a bigger grin than before. Becca was back to her usual fearless self, and he couldn’t wait to see what kind of fun they could have in the tropics. It was just the sort of vacation he needed before he put himself back in the public spotlight again.
And it would provide the perfect opportunity to convince her to come home with him for Christmas.
***
Becca’s knee wouldn’t stop twitching as the plane zoomed down the runway for takeoff. What was I thinking, getting on a plane? I hate flying. But it was a spur of the moment thing. She needed to get away, and Claire had been kind enough to slip her a credit card number for emergencies months ago.
And turning in a story that would probably cost her the only job she’d ever had counted as an emergency.
Ethan steadied her by placing his hand on her thigh. “Should I ask the flight attendant for a barf bag?”
She shook her head. “First time I’ve flown in a while, that’s all.”
She didn’t have to add it was the first time she’d flown sober. Ethan nodded, the understanding in his gray eyes telling her he understood exactly what she meant. “At least it’s first class.”
“Yeah, it’s a bit of a splurge.” She looked out the window at the sun rising over the city below. “But I figured it’s now or never.”
“Why Barbados?”
“My family has a little beach house there. I haven’t been there in years, but it’s private enough for the two of us.” Complete with an iron fence and an infinity pool with a fabulous view of the water. “Thank you for coming with me.”
“Of course.” He paused, his head tilted to the side. “So what happened at work? You said you turned in your story, but I know you were having a hard time writing it.”
The sick feeling in her stomach now had nothing to do with the flight. “I came up with something different. It’s not what she wanted, which means I’ll probably come home to a termination email, but at least my conscience is at ease.”
“You never told me what she wanted you to write.”
“It doesn’t matter anymore.” She squeezed his hand and smiled at him. She hadn’t caved to the pressure because he mattered more to her than her job. “I did what I felt was right, and now I’m looking forward to a few days in the sun with you.”
“Same here.” He settled back in his seat and closed his eyes.
Becca chewed her bottom lip and checked the time on her phone. Five hours until they landed. Just enough time to turn her stomach into knots.
Because even though she hadn’t turned in an exposé on Ethan, her story could place her back in the center of controversy once again if it was published.
Chapter Sixteen
Ethan dove into the infinity pool and swam the length of it, stopping at the wall that overlooked the Caribbean. The sun was setting over the water like a fiery red ball that blazed bright before surrendering to the night’s long shadows.
Another perfect day in paradise.
“How’s the water?” Becca asked behind him.
“Warm.” He turned around, and his jaw dropped.
Becca stood by the pool wearing absolutely nothing. She dropped the towel in her hand and descended into the water with a sexy sway in her hips. Her eyes locked with his, seductively intense. By the time she reached him, he was fully hard and aching to be inside her.
“Are you trying to tell me something?” he asked, his voice raw with want.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, her body fitting against his like she was specifically made for just him. “It’s nice having a private beach house like this, isn’t it?”
“Indeed.” He lowered his lips to hers in a kiss that only increased his desire. The weekend had the ideal mix of fun and sex, from the outdoor activities like sailing and snorkeling to the long, languid lovemaking sessions in the bedroom. No TV. No Internet. No interruptions. And based on the way she was responding to his touch, she craved more.
He turned her around so her back was pressed against the wall of the pool. The sunset ignited the red highlights in her hair to form a glowing crown around her head. The subtle taste of mangos lingered on her lips from earlier. Her wet skin slipped and slid against his, every movement teasing and tempting him. The sweet scent of the tropical flowers filled the air around them, mingling with the coconut shampoo she’d used earlier that day. Everything culminated in the embodiment of something from a fantasy.
And yet it was all real. This sexy, intelligent, generous woman was in his arms, making him the luckiest son of a bitch in the world.
His swim trunks started to fall, and he kicked them off. He grabbed her ass, hoisting her out of the water and to the well-cushioned outdoor sofa beside the pool. “Should I go inside and grab a condom?”
“If you want, but I did remember to take my pill today.”
He hesitated, the tip of his cock hovering over the opening to her sex. “Are you saying you trust me?”
She nodded. “Do you trust me?”
He’d witnessed her take her morning pill like clockwork enough to know she wasn’t trying to trap him with a pregnancy. A
nd even if the pill failed, he wouldn’t mind. He wanted a future with her. One that might even include kids someday.
But right now, he couldn’t think past how wonderful she felt as he eased into her. The tight, slick heat. The way her inner walls clenched around him. The way her lips parted in a gasp when he first entered and then released a moan as he began to move inside her.
He took his time, drawing out each exquisite stroke. This may be a one-time deal or it might be the first of many, but he was determined to savor every moment of this experience. Her body rose to meet his like the waves on the shore. He laced his fingers through hers while his mouth devoured hers in one passionate kiss after another. And when he took her over the edge, he held her tightly as he followed.
When the world came back into focus, night had fallen. Solar lights illuminated the paths through the garden leading back to the house, and the quarter moon overhead provided just enough light for him to see her face. Her beauty nearly took his breath away, but the glow in her eyes made his heart skip a beat.
She gave him a shy smile as she reached up to stroke his face, trailing her fingers along his jaw. “I love you,” she whispered.
Time seemed to freeze, but instead of being terrified, he welcomed it. This was a moment he wanted to last forever, to commit to his memory. Once he’d memorized every detail, he brushed a lock of hair back from her forehead and said, “I love you, too, Becca.”
Her smile widened, and she pulled him down to another kiss.
And he couldn’t think that his life could be more perfect than right now.
***
Ethan’s phone rang, pulling him from the last blissful remnants of sleep. He saw Adam’s name on the screen and hurried out of the bedroom before the call woke Becca.
“Hi, Adam,” he answered while throwing on a bathrobe. “How are you this morning?”
“A little annoyed. Why didn’t you tell me you were dating Becca Shore?”
It looked like it was shaping up to be another gorgeous day in paradise, but the coldness in Adam’s voice carried over the phone and raised gooseflesh on Ethan’s arms. “Because I knew you’d have a shit fit like this.”
Rockers After Dark: 6 Book Bundle of Sexy Musicians Page 108
