“Have you talked to him?” I asked, sinking down onto the bed.
Mags sighed. “Walker did. From what he told me, Mitch is pretty angry and very broken up. He’s a big boy, though, and we’ll take care of him. Go live the rock star life I know you want to, and don’t look back. You can’t at this point. You’re already too far in.” Mags was right; there was no going back. There wasn’t anything left for me in Florida, and it would be better for everyone if I was gone for a while.
“It just sucks. I want to be excited, want to just live out this fantasy, but I feel like I’m stealing it.”
“What do you mean?”
“I feel like I don’t deserve to be happy right now, not with Mitch being so upset.” I didn’t know how to soothe the nagging guilt. Maybe there wasn’t ever really going to be a way to do it. It was a cross I was going to have to bear.
“You both deserve to be happy. If you are finding it already, don’t miss out because of someone else. You have to make your own judgments on this one and not feel guilty for doing what you needed to do. Mitch will get over it. It will take time, for the both of you.”
“I guess you’re right.”
“I always am. Now cancel that return flight you have for the morning and go live your damn life.”
Maverick rolled over in bed, grabbing my bare hip and pulling me into him. His growing desire for me pressed into the small of my back as his teeth sank into the tender flesh of my shoulder. Shifting into him, I put my leg over his, granting him access while his callused fingertips caressed my pulsing clit.
The heat from his breath danced over my skin, sending chills down my spine as he thrust hard into me, sending shooting pain throughout my entire body.
Gasping, I gripped the pillow under my head, breathing through the uncomfortable shoves and jabs.
“You’re so fucking sexy,” he growled into my ear as I panted, trying to hide my discomfort.
Knowing there was no saving how awful the sensation was, I pulled away from him. Kissing down Mav’s chiseled chest, I stroked and teased his thick cock.
Sliding the head into my mouth, I gagged on the spot. As Maverick’s fingers knotted into my hair, he thrust into my throat, making me choke even harder. Without warning, projectile vomit covered him, me, and the entire bed. Horrified, I jolted out of bed as he screamed.
In a panic, I shot up from my nightmare of a sex dream. Hyperventilating, I looked around the empty hotel room. I knew I was alone. I knew Maverick and I had never done more than kiss. All of a sudden, sheer horror flooded me.
What if we’re actually not compatible?
What if it all really is too good to be true and we suck at having sex together?
I didn’t know what to expect from leaving with him on that tour bus only twelve hours in the future. I had no idea if I would get my own hotel rooms or be expected to share with him or anyone else. I was a planner, and this was way too much to leave to chance. I knew I needed to talk with him before just showing up at that bus.
Chapter 4
Waiting Sucks
Maverick
Sitting at Dane’s breakfast table across from Fallon, who was breastfeeding her daughter, Leilani, I did everything in my power to awkwardly stare at the coffee mug gripped in my hands.
“Don’t worry Mav, she’ll show up today. Just have a little faith.” Fallon offered a kind smile as she readjusted the nursing blanket that covered her suckling babe. Even though it was a very natural part of life and Fallon made sure she wasn’t outwardly bare-chested while doing it, I still felt a little uncomfortable.
Dane walked in, taking the newborn from his wife. “Fallon’s right and you know it.”
The faith they had in the situation gave me a little bit of hope, but I hadn’t heard from Cali since putting her in a cab the night before. Waiting was the worst part. It flat-out sucked.
“Whatever she decides to do, I will be all right with it. It’s her life and I know asking her to come on the road is no small thing.”
I wasn’t normally like this. I didn’t usually care about anyone except for my family and the band. Cali was different, though, and I hoped she felt it down in her bones like I did.
“I’m proud of you,” Fallon muttered as she freshened up the mug still clutched in my hands.
“For what?” I asked.
“For finally opening up your heart again. It’s been a long time coming. You deserve to be happy and with someone.”
Dane nodded in agreement, pointing over at his wife as he bounced Leilani in his arms, trying to burp her. “I totally agree with Fallon. Leilani wouldn’t want you to be alone forever, she’d want you to move on and be happy. The brooding musician is all too cliché, and it’s about time you moved out of that category.”
Right then, my phone vibrated in my pocket.
Cali: Can we talk? I’m at the Marriott on N Michigan Ave, room 213.
Me: I’m on my way.
Shoving up from the table, I glanced back and forth between Dane and Fallon. “I guess I’ll get some answers sooner rather than later.”
Fallon got up to hug me. “I’m rooting for this.”
“Thanks, sweetheart,” I mumbled into the top of her head. Fallon had turned into a sister over the years and had restored a tiny bit of hope in me. Watching her and Dane struggle and truly find each other in the darkness of their lives was something I would never forget.
“We’re here for you either way. See you at four.” Dane walked me to the front door.
My stomach tightened into knots as I knocked on Cali’s hotel room door. It only took seconds for her to open it, but it felt like years.
“Maverick,” she whispered as she grabbed my hand to lead me into the small room.
My body went into autopilot as I scooped her into my arms, crushing my lips to hers. I needed her to feel everything I was feeling. There were no words that could describe what she did to me, how she made me feel. Actions were going to have to prove it all to her.
Lacing my fingers through her long blonde locks, I pushed her against the wall next to us, hunger consuming me as I let my tongue explore her.
Breathing into me, a soft moan escaped her lips as our mouths briefly parted. It was my green light. Gripping her sides, I took note of the thin black fabric that hugged her subtle curves perfectly. I couldn’t let her change her mind. Shoving up the flowy skirt of her black dress, I yanked down her lace panties and let my pants fall to the floor.
“Say the word and I will stop,” I said quietly.
Digging her nails into the back of my neck, Cali’s Cupid’s bow danced over mine. “This is better than talking.”
Shoving into her wetness, every vein in my body buzzed with exhilaration. It had been longer than I could remember since I had felt that way with a woman. Stupid, fleeting one-night stands stained my mind, Band-Aids who’d temporarily numbed the deep wounds of my heart. In that moment, they all washed away.
Cali’s head rolled back as she gasped with passion. Sinking my teeth into the nape of her neck, I let myself get lost in her—the way her body shook from my touch, the way her lips parted, the way her eyes slammed shut, the way my name rolled off her lips and whisked through the air.
As her walls collapsed around my shaft, control started to slip away from me, and Cali crying out, “I’m about to cum,” completely did me in.
Without missing a beat, I pulled out as she dropped to her knees. Right as her soft lips wrapped around the head of my cock, my body shook as euphoria consumed every part of me. Slamming my hand into the wall, I steadied myself before helping Cali to her feet.
“That was not what I was expecting when I asked you to come here.” A playful smile danced across her gorgeous face.
Fixing her clothes, I wrapped her in my arms. “I wasn’t expecting it either, but I just couldn’t help myself.”
“I can’t say I am complaining in the slightest.” Cali grabbed my hand, pulling me over to the bed after I fixed my pants.
/> “So, we need to talk?” I dreaded the conversation I expected us to have, but if she needed to tell me something, I wasn’t going to be a coward about it.
“I am just nervous. I have no idea what to expect from all of this. I’ve never been on a tour bus, never had to deal with stuff like this. I’m a planner, and walking into the complete unknown is scaring the hell out of me.” Lying back on the bed, Cali forced out a sigh. “So fucking sexy, I know, but I had to be honest with you.”
Pulling her into me, I shifted so her head could rest in the crook of my shoulder. “I honestly have no idea what to expect either, but I can promise that it will be a fun adventure—touring in exciting new cities, new venues. Honestly, though, I know it isn’t for everyone, and it was selfish of me to give you an ultimatum like I did earlier.”
Cali giggled. “I get it, but we haven’t even been on a date before, let alone spent the night together.”
“I guess I just got swept up in the fantasy of it all. Isn’t that what the hero in all those damn rock star books does? Swoop in when the damsel in distress’s life is utter shit and then show her the world of possibilities one show at a time?”
Cali propped up to be able to look at me, her baby blues captivating me but also filled with uneasiness. “Is that really how our story is?”
I felt like Aladdin trying to talk her into jumping on a magic carpet with me. “Isn’t it though?”
As Cali opened her mouth to speak, both of our phones started blowing up. Rodney was calling her and Dane was calling me. I stopped her from answering hers as I swiped mine open and put the call on speaker.
“Mav?” Dane yelled.
“I’m here with Cali. What’s up, brother?” I responded, grabbing Cali’s hand.
“You have to get to the hospital now. Your mom’s been trying to reach you. It’s your dad.” His voice was shaking.
“We’re on our way.” I hung up and Cali jumped to her feet.
“Maybe you should just go. I can hang back and wait here.”
“Please come with me.” I held out my hand and she wove her fingers through mine.
“Let’s get out of here, then.”
Chapter 5
Family First
Cali
Sitting in the waiting room with all the guys, I felt completely out of place. Fallon was trying to sooth Leilani, who was crying her head off only a seat away from me. Tears were pouring down the rock goddess’s face and she pressed her lips to her daughter’s forehead. “Shhhhh, sweetie. Everything is going to be all right.”
Getting up, I stood in front of Fallon. “You must be exhausted. Want me to take her for a little bit?”
Fallon’s storming eyes met mine as I took the seat next to her. “Thank you. I didn’t get a wink of sleep last night, and she’s way overdue for a nap.”
Rocking the cranky baby in my arms, I gave Fallon a small smile. “She’s beautiful.”
“Thanks. When she isn’t wailing up a storm, she’s pretty great.”
“How is it having her on the road?” I asked, trying to deflect the conversation from the looming unknown of what was happening with Dane’s father.
“I have hung back from the tour this go-round because I think she’s just too little to drag all over the place.” I could tell Fallon hated that she wasn’t touring with the band from the furrow in her brow and the sorrow in her tone.
“I’m sure it’s hard not having Dane around to help.”
“Marty and the rest of the Steeles have really been great. I don’t know what I would do without them.” Her sobbing erupted as her head fell into her hands.
Colt stood up, putting his phone back in his pocket after making some frantic calls. “I just got off the phone with our booking agent. We’re going to cancel the rest of the tour.”
My heart sank. I didn’t know if I was sad to not go on the great adventure with Maverick like he had wished or if I was relieved, but I knew if Colt was canceling the rest of their gigs, things were not looking good for Marty.
Maverick walked back into the waiting room with an older woman I assumed was his mother and a younger one who must have been his sister. Sinking down into the seat next to mine, he grabbed my hand. The two women were talking to Dane in the corner as his hands started to shake.
Fallon took baby Leilani from me, getting up to join her husband.
“It was a pretty bad heart attack. They have to take him into surgery right away to repair the damage,” Maverick told me as his head fell onto my shoulder.
“I am so sorry,” I muttered, resting my cheek against his.
“Mom, Julie, this is Cali.” Mav waved the women over to us as we stood to greet them.
Hugging both of them, I couldn’t help the tears that welled up in my eyes. “I wish we were meeting under better circumstances.”
Putting a kind hand on my shoulder, Maverick’s mom forced a smile. “Thank you for being here for all of us, especially my son.”
I didn’t know what to say, so I just hugged her again. Maverick held his sister as she cried, and my heart broke for them. In the short time I had known Marty, I could tell how special he was and how much he meant to everyone in that waiting room.
The hours ticked by. We sat mostly in silence, waiting for the surgeon to come tell us anything he could. It was grueling. I felt downright helpless. Fallon was fast asleep, drooling on Dane’s shoulder, while Leilani was cradled in his arms.
Finally the doctor strode into the room. Maverick leapt to his feet, rushing to his mother’s side, holding her hand.
“He’s stable. He did very well in surgery, but he does have a long recovery ahead of him. It won’t be long now until a few of you can go see him.”
I hurried to Maverick’s side, wrapping my arms around his middle. The sigh of relief that escaped him as he kissed the top of my head washed over me.
“He’s one tough son of a bitch.” Dane put his hand on Maverick’s shoulder as he offered words of encouragement only a brother could.
Maverick looked over to him. “You’re so damn right.”
Dane helped his sleepy wife to her feet. “Why don’t you take the baby home and get some real rest.”
Colt grabbed the diaper bag from Dane. “I’ll drive her.”
Fallon glanced over at me. “Want to come home with us?”
I looked up at Maverick and he nodded. “I’ll come get you in a little while.”
“I don’t mind staying.” I gripped his hand, not knowing if I should or shouldn’t leave his side.
“I should stay here with my mom, and I don’t know how long this is going to take.”
I called the hotel and booked my room for another night so I wouldn’t have to worry about getting my belongings before checkout. Helping Fallon clean up the kitchen after she finally got Leilani to sleep, I felt more at home than I had in a long time.
“It’s pretty amazing how apparent it is that all of you are a family, not just friends.” I dried off the pot Fallon had just rinsed as she smiled at me.
“We are extremely lucky. I don’t know what I would have done if Dane didn’t rescue me from my darkness and bring me into his family. The Steeles are amazing. The rest of them are too. I am truly blessed.”
I stared off, getting lost in my reflection in the stainless-steel cookware.
“You know, Maverick wants it all too—the family, kids, settling down. He’ll never admit it, but I can see through all the pain and darkness. It’s like a mirror showing me how I was all those years ago.”
Her words bored into my bones and I just stared at her.
“He’d kill me for saying that to you, but I know it’s why he wanted you to go on tour with them so badly. I think he’s scared if he lets you leave, he’ll never get all that.”
“Am I crazy for even being here?”
She shook her head. “You’re the only woman I have ever seen him look at the way he does. Dane told me this morning after Maverick left to go to your hotel that he hadn’t se
en Maverick look at someone like that since his sister. I think that says it all.”
“That was over fourteen years ago.” I couldn’t believe Maverick Steele, the gorgeous bassist of The Hysterics, hadn’t had a girlfriend or someone he cared about since high school.
“That’s why we’re all rooting for you.” Fallon winked. “He’s fucked up, I will give you that, but there is a diamond hiding under all that dust—promise.”
“Do you think it could really work out?” I felt so foolish asking, but I had to.
Putting her hand on my shoulder, Fallon whispered, “If I could have my happy ending with Dane, I have faith in one for you with Maverick.”
Chapter 6
Mortality and Drinking Buddies
Maverick
Collapsing on the couch, I tucked Cali into my side. Holding on to her for dear life was the only way I knew it wasn’t all just a bad dream. Somehow, she kept me grounded in reality, but in the best of ways.
“Thank you for everything today.” It didn’t seem like enough to express how I grateful I was to have her by my side.
“Of course. I’m just glad he got through it.” She nuzzled into me, pulling the blanket up a little higher onto her exposed shoulder.
“He’s not out of the woods yet.” Hearing myself say the words made it all too real. My stomach churned. My throat went dry.
Pulling me in tighter, Cali exhaled and said, “You have to have faith in him and his doctors. If you give up hope, how can you expect him to have the strength to fight?”
“You’re right.” I let out a forced sigh. “Fuck, the bar.” I had completely forgotten to deal with my father’s restaurant in the wake of the situation.
“Can I help?” she asked as I dug my cell out of my pocket.
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