Release: A Ransom Novel

by Rachel Schurig

  I lean over the railing of his balcony and take a long pull of the wine. It’s probably something expensive, meant to be slowly enjoyed and not gulped, but I don’t care.

  “What’s wrong?” Reed asks behind me.

  I take another swig in lieu of answering. From the corner of my eye I see him join me at the balcony, leaning over to see the beach far below. “They’re still out there.”

  “Yeah.”

  He’s watching me now but I refuse to make eye contact. I know that if we just start kissing again I’ll be okay—able to lose myself in the emotion and sensation. If only I hadn’t nearly knocked him over, we’d be fine. It was the pause in the action that threw me off, got me questioning myself, got my brain spinning until I felt like crawling out of my skin...

  “Paige, we don’t have to do anything.”

  I close my eyes, resting the cool bottle against my cheek.

  “I mean it. I won’t be mad or think differently of you. We can just sit here and talk, that would be fine with me.” He places a finger under my chin, pushing gently so that I face him. His smile is almost shy and heartbreakingly beautiful. “I like talking with you.”

  “I like talking with you, too.”

  He nods, removing his hand, but I reach for it, pulling it to my chest and holding it in mine. “I’m not... I don’t have second thoughts.”

  His eyes widen. “No? When you came out here I thought—”

  “I just... I’m getting a little wired. I’m not sure why. I thought the fresh air would help.”

  He doesn’t say a word, just reaches for the bottle. When I hand it to him, our fingers brush and I feel that familiar shiver from the touch. His eyes visibly darken as he brings the bottle to his mouth and I know he noticed it too.

  “Then let’s stay out here until you feel less wired,” he says, his eyes never leaving me. “I’m in no hurry.”

  I laugh awkwardly. “You could take me inside and ravish me. That would probably help.” I’m only half joking but Reed shakes his head seriously.

  “I don’t want you going to my bed to try to escape from something. When we go to bed, I want it to be because you can’t imagine doing anything else.”

  God. The low rasp of his voice, the intensity of his words, the way he won’t break eye contact—it’s all driving me crazy, making my thoughts spin even faster. I’m scared I’m about to get out of control but then, without warning, Reed is pulling me onto his lap, moving to sit on the balcony chair in one fluid movement.

  “There,” he murmurs into my ear, passing me the wine. “Now we can relax.”

  “Reed—”

  “Shh. Just listen to the ocean. Look at the stars. Breathe.”

  I do what he suggests, focusing my eyes on the flickering lights above us. The sky isn’t as dark here as it was out on the beach, with the lights from the resort so close, but I can still make out countless flecks of light. The ocean waves crash on the beach in a rhythmic cadence. Behind me, Reed’s chest raises and falls steadily with each breath he takes.

  Then he starts to sing, so softly I can barely hear it at first. It sounds like a lullaby, something about the stars, but it’s not familiar. Somehow that makes it more special, like it’s just for us, his song.

  I don’t hear Reed sing all that often, not on his own. He’s usually singing a harmony line, backing up Daltrey, his voice muffled and hidden under the layers of sound. Now I can actually hear it, though, isolated and clear, unaffected by the addition of his brothers.

  It’s beautiful.

  Not as raspy or deep as Daltrey’s, Reed’s voice has a clearer, soft tone. I feel like I could sit in his arms and listen to him sing lullabies for the rest of my life. But then again, if he’s singing, he isn’t kissing me. I turn in his lap and he smiles at me.

  “You want me to shut up, don’t you?”

  “No,” I breathe, touching a finger to his lips. “I want you to sing forever. But I want to kiss you more.”

  He grins, the most perfect, honest smile, and then he’s kissing me. Somehow the buzzing in my brain is silenced, replaced with a warm glow that grows and grows as his fingers brush up my arms and over my shoulders. My entire body focuses on those fingers, on where they might go next. When he dips them below the neckline of my tank top, I’m pretty sure I’m going to drop dead.

  “Your skin is so soft,” he murmurs, lowering his head to kiss my shoulders. I shiver violently and I can feel his lips curve up in a grin against my skin. “I’d like to see more of it.”

  “Yes please,” I whisper, and he chuckles. Then he stands, keeping me in his arms, and all I can think is that Reed Ransome is carrying me to his bed. My lips find his again as we sink onto the mattress. I slide down to kiss his neck, the edges of that strong jawline I find so sexy. He sits up quickly to pull off his shirt and I move into a kneeling position, facing him. His eyes never leave mine as I pull my shirt over my head. It’s not until I lick my lips that his gaze flickers down to my chest.

  Thank the universe for push up bras, I think to myself as his eyes darken. Then he reaches for me, his fingers brushing away the cups of the bra, and I stop thinking about anything at all. His lips follow his fingers, running a line across my chest, taking each peak into his mouth. I cradle his head to me, running my fingers through his soft blond hair, thanking him for letting it grow long, because it feels so good. Everything feels so good—his mouth and his hands and his body pressed against mine.

  Time seems to speed up after that, feelings and sensations coming to me in vivid flashes. He’s sliding away my shorts, tossing his aside. Laying me down on the pillows so gently, his fingers so tender, I feel like I might cry. Then he’s lowering himself on top of me and we’re moving together and it’s better than anything else I’ve ever felt.

  “God, Paige,” he whispers roughly into my ear, and I’m overcome with the delicious knowledge that he wants me as much as I want him, that I make him feel as good as he makes me feel. He’s played on stage and on TV in front of thousands, millions even, but I’m the one who gets to see him like this, moving over me, his eyes closed as he shudders and comes apart, bringing me right along with him.

  We lie in silence for a long moment after, our hearts thundering against our chests. There’s nothing awkward in the moment, nothing to make me change my mind or regret my decision. I feel entirely satisfied, entirely calm. The buzzing in my head is gone, replaced with a steady sense of peace.

  “That was amazing,” he finally says, rolling away but pulling me with him so I end up pressed into his side, my head on his shoulder. “I’m going to need you to stay right there.”

  I giggle. “Sounds good to me.”

  I want to stay awake so I can watch him, want to study his eyelashes and his skin, the curves of his muscles. I want to memorize every bit of this man so I can take those memories with me for the rest of my life.

  But it’s a losing battle. I’m too sleepy, too satisfied, too warm and happy. I start to drift off. The last thing I’m aware of is his voice in the darkness. “Sleep well, Paige.”

  Chapter Eight

  Paige

  I wake to the sound of a boat motor. For a split second, I’m confused about where I am—but the sight of Reed’s open balcony doors bring it all back in an instant.

  Holy shit. I slept with Reed Ransome last night.

  To say there isn’t a part of me that’s freaking out over the fact that he’s a famous rock star would be a lie. I mean, up until a year ago that’s all he was to me. The drummer of my favorite band, the guy whose face graced several posters on my wall. The guy who I had swooned over in countless interviews and music videos. Of course, a part of me wants to squeal and jump up and down over the fact that I’m now in his bed. Naked.

  In fact, it’d be a hell of a lot easier to deal with this if that was all he was. If he was only a famous, pretty face I could stroll happily out of this room, merely thankful for the opportunity to do what millions of girls around the world would kill to
do.

  Unfortunately for me, Reed is a lot more than that, now.

  He stirs next to me, and my entire body tenses, completely unprepared to talk to him yet. I need time to process this—preferably in a location far from his gorgeous body. I open my eyes just wide enough to see a glimpse of his face, praying he’s still asleep. He is—his long copper lashes splayed out over his cheeks, a layer of stumble forming over the sharp angles of his jaw. God, he’s gorgeous. It seems incomprehensible to me that I ever favored Cash—Reed has to be the most beautiful guy I’ve ever seen.

  And that’s exactly why you need to get out of here, I tell myself firmly. Before he wakes up. Before this gets a hell of a lot more painful.

  I slip out from under the covers as quietly as I can. Just as I’m swinging my leg down over the mattress to the floor, I feel him move again. But he merely throws an arm over his head and turns away, a soft snore sounding from his covered face.

  I breathe a sigh of relief and extract myself from the bed, tiptoeing around the room in search of my shorts and tank top. As I slip the cutoffs over my hips, I have a brief flash of Reed removing them only a few short hours before. My face flames and I hurry into my tank top. I can’t seem to find my flip flops, or remember if I was even wearing them when I came in. Later, I tell myself. You can get them later.

  Fully dressed, I slip silently from the room, more relieved than I can say that I escaped with his detection.

  “Holy shit.”

  I spin around, my hand at my heart, to see Karen standing at the kitchen counter, staring at me, a look of shock on her face.

  “Hey, K,” I murmur, doing my best to keep my voice casual, thinking maybe she hadn’t realized whose room I just came from. Fat chance.

  “What are you doing sneaking out of Reed’s room at eight a.m.?” she hisses, her voice far louder than I’m comfortable with.

  “Shh.” I look behind me, as if I’d be able to see whether she woke him through the closed door.

  “What are you doing sneaking out of Reed’s room at eight a.m.?” she repeats, this time in a whisper.

  “I am so not talking to you about this right here,” I whisper back. “Someone is going to hear us!”

  “Fine.” It’s starting to sound ridiculous, the two of us whispering in broad daylight. “Then let’s go outside.”

  I shake my head. “I need to wash my face and pee.”

  Karen crosses her arms, glaring at me, and I know there’s no way in hell I’m getting out of here without filling her in. “You go to the bathroom. I’ll get coffee. Then we’ll talk.”

  Knowing there’s no point in arguing; I merely nod and make my way down to my room. Safely alone in the bathroom, I wash my face, hoping the cool water will help me think a little more clearly. I catch sight of my face in the mirror and wince, looking away. My cheeks are red, either from the sun or my embarrassment, or some combination of the two, and my hair is a rat’s nest of wild black curls. The worst part, though, is the brightness of my eyes. Despite my awkwardness and worry, there’s no denying that look—the excitement, the happiness. That’s from Reed. It scares me.

  I meet Karen on the front patio and she hands me a cup of coffee. “Want to walk down to the beach?”

  I think about kissing Reed down there in the sand and wince. Karen must see my face because she turns in the other direction instead. “Let’s go to the main pool.”

  It’s a short walk over to the resort proper, less than five minutes, and Karen grants me the indulgence of silence. I’m sure she’s dying to grill me for details but instead she lets me sip my coffee, slowly waking up a bit more.

  “Here,” she says once we’ve reached the resort’s main pool. She pulls a hair tie from around her wrist and hands it to me. “You’re looking a little rough.”

  “Thanks.” The pool deck is completely deserted, the sun not yet crossing the mountain behind us, leaving the pool in shade. We sit down in white plastic lounge chairs and I pull my messy hair back into a ponytail.

  “Okay, I think I’ve been about as patient as humanly possible,” she says, her eyes wide. “What happened?”

  I take a deep breath. “Pretty much what you’re thinking, I bet.”

  “You slept with him?”

  I nod, bracing myself for the squealing that I’m sure is about to follow. If anyone understands the surreal factor of sleeping with Reed Ransome, it would be Karen.

  So, I’m pretty surprised when, instead, she sighs deeply. “Oh, Paige.”

  It’s my turn to gape at her. “Oh, Paige, what?”

  “Sweetie, this was not a good idea. You have to see that.”

  “You know, you sound awfully judgmental for a girl with whom I have a sworn no judgment pact.”

  She shakes her head hurriedly, reaching for my hands. “No, girl. I’m not judging you. God knows I would have done the same if given the chance. I’m just... I’m scared for you.”

  I pull my hands back under the guise of reaching for my coffee mug on the little table beside my lounger. The truth is I don’t really want to touch her right now. Something about the look in her eyes is making me feel slightly sick.

  “Why are you scared for me? God, you make me sound about fifteen years old.”

  “You know that’s not what I mean. I know you’re a big girl and you can handle yourself. But this... this is Reed.”

  I’m not sure why I feel so defensive for him. “Reed is a totally nice guy. He’s not going to, like, be a jerk to me, Karen.”

  “I know he’s not a jerk. And that’s what I’m worried about.”

  I cross my arms over my chest, looking at her with narrowed eyes. I’m pretty sure I know what she’s getting at, but that doesn’t mean I want to hear it. “I’m not seventeen anymore, Karen.”

  She meets my eyes without blinking, her gaze steady. “I know that. But having six more years of experience doesn’t mean you’re not going to be affected by something like this.”

  “Karen—”

  “I know you, okay, Paige? I know that this isn’t just a one-night thing for you. That’s just not you.”

  “I’ve had plenty of one night stands!” I yell. Of course, at that precise moment the pool bartender appears on the other side of the deck. He gives me a strange look before continuing on to the bar. I make a face at Karen and she manages not to laugh, though her lips are quirking up suspiciously. “I’ve had plenty of one night stands, Karen,” I repeat, in a more conversational volume. “You make me sound like an overemotional, lovesick nut.”

  She rolls her eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous. All I’m saying is that having a one night stand with someone you don’t care much about is a totally different thing than having a one night stand with a guy like Reed Ransome.”

  I look away, not wanting her to see how close to the truth she’s treading. Of course, she can tell anyhow.

  “You like him, don’t you?”

  I sigh, pulling my knees up to my chest so I can rest my head on them. I feel tired suddenly. “Of course I do.”

  “Of course you do.”

  We’re both quiet for a minute, watching the water in the pool lapping gently against the edges in the light morning breeze.

  “So, what happened, exactly?” she finally asks, her voice gentle.

  “We went for a walk during the bonfire.”

  “Yeah, I saw you leave. It seemed a little strange to me—”

  “But the hot guy from Roadside distracted you,” I finish for her, and she laughs.

  “Pretty much. So, you went for a walk?”

  “Yeah, down the beach. There’s a little lagoon down there, it’s really quiet and private. And we got to talking and... I don’t know. I guess we just connected, you know? He’s... he’s different from what I thought. We have a lot in common but we also... don’t. Like, we balance each other, or something. I know that sounds stupid, we don’t know each other that well—”

  “It doesn’t sound stupid.”

  “I just felt... close
to him. It was nice. We were talking and drinking and then we were laughing, I don’t even know about what. And suddenly we just... stopped laughing.” I remember the look I had seen in his eyes the night before when the laughter cut off from his face. The intensity I had seen there, the naked desire. I shiver, in spite of the rising temperature, and Karen curses.

  “You brat.”

  I jump a little, surprised by her reaction. “What?”

  “I know that look on your face. It was amazing, wasn’t it?”

  I lean my head back against the lounge chair so I can look at her. “Oh my God, Karen. You have no idea. It was like, the best. Ever.”

  There’s a mischievous grin on her face. “Like I said, brat.”

  “Yeah, well, it was just a one night thing.” I try to make my voice sound stronger than I feel. “It really wasn’t a big deal.”

  She snorts with laughter. “Okay, Paige. If you say so.”

  “Look, it’s not like I expect him to, like, declare his undying love for me.”

  She raises a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. “Really? The thought hasn’t crossed your mind?”

  I scowl at her, hating her for knowing me so well. “Fine. I may have thought about it for, like, a minute. But that doesn’t mean anything. I just get day-dreamy sometimes, you know me.”

  “I do know you.” Am I imagining the sadness in her voice?

  “Karen, I’m not going to get all worked up over this. I’m a grown woman, I’m perfectly capable of being rational.”

  “I know you are, Paige. But I also know that you have a tendency to... blow things up in your mind. Make more of them then what they are. And I’m just scared that this time, with someone like Reed, the let down when it doesn’t come true will be too much.”

  “You keep saying that—someone like Reed. What’s that supposed to mean?”