by KB Winters
Stephen and Kent were hanging around behind Marcus’s chair, waiting for my answer. I glanced at the three faces staring back at me and sighed. “Fine, you caught me, I had dinner with Sophia. But let’s put the wedding registry on hold, all right?”
They laughed. Marcus tossed his hands up. “Probably a safe bet. Lawley’s gonna be a big-time CIA guy. He can’t off and marry a famous singer. No matter how much he wants a taste of that—”
“Napier! Shut it,” I barked.
Marcus stopped his taunt, but chuckled all the way back to his desk.
The biggest problem wasn’t being heckled, it was the fact that Marcus was right. It was the same message the not-so-little voice in my head told me—the unbreakable one—the logical one. That little voice had followed me around for my entire life. In most cases, it was a good thing, kept me from jumping off barn roofs thinking I could fly, or out of fights with bullies two times my size, and all the other shit guys usually end up getting themselves messed up in. But in this case, I wished I could drown out the nagging thought that chasing Sophia was pointless and would likely leave me with nothing but the urge to take a cold shower.
“How long is she here?” Kent asked, lounging against the top of Marcus’s chair, sending him tipping backwards. Marcus shot Kent a dirty look and jerked upright again. Kent pocketed his hands and waited for my answer.
“Ten days,” I replied. “Technically, eight left. She’s got four concerts spread out over those days and filming for some TV special they’re running back home.”
“Aha,” Marcus said, rubbing a hand over his jaw. “That’s plenty of time. Come on, Lawley, you can seal the deal in eight days.”
I didn’t respond, instead I spun around to get to work, starting with cleaning the top of my damned desk.
Marcus and company took the hint—thankfully—and went back to their own work stations, picking up wherever they’d left off when they’d stopped to heckle my entrance. The silence in the room was only broken by the slapping of file folders, shuffled papers, and keyboard clicks. After a few minutes, the tense silence started to eat at me. I sighed. “Anyone wanna go to Sophia’s concert tonight?”
Marcus, Kent, and Stephen all chuckled. Marcus said, “You need three wingmen? Jeeze, Lawley, I gave you more credit than that.”
With a roll of my eyes, I chucked a rubber band ball across the room at him.
****
Later that night, with my three self-proclaimed wingmen in tow, I filed into the auditorium. The room had undergone a drastic transformation since earlier that morning when I’d escorted Sophia to the entryway. Soft white twinkling lights covered every surface, bathing the room in a light glow. On the stage, three fake Christmas trees were decked out with ornaments, tinsel, and more lights. Cameras and speakers were concealed behind more decorations and an instrumental version of Silent Night played as the troops filled the room.
We took seats in the middle of the room, having arrived early enough to get our pick, and found paper programs lying on the chairs. I studied the line-up, wondering how long I’d have to wait to see Sophia again. She’d been on my mind all day, eagerly waiting for the chance to see her perform, wondering just how much more she could blow my mind.
And boy, did she.
Watching Sophia perform was like something from a dream. I’d never been much for concerts, that was always my sister, Rebecca’s thing, but the few I’d been to over my teen years, were nothing compared to watching Sophia on stage. It wasn’t a flashy, pop music type of show with pyrotechnics and backup dancers, but somehow made it all the more mesmerizing because of the simplicity. Sophia was radiant in a red dress that hugged her lush curves and had me counting down the minutes until I could get her alone. Truly alone. I knew the perfect spot and hadn’t been able to stop thinking about taking her there all damn day.
I ignored the knowing glances, winks, and whispered comments from the guys on either side of me, blocking all their chatter out to focus on Sophia alone. I knew there was no way she could see me from her spot on the stage, but when her eyes swept the crowd, it was hard not to wonder if her beautiful smile was for me.
Damn, Lawley, you’re turning into a real fanboy, aren’t you? She’s not the Backstreet Boys and you are not a fourteen-year-old girl. Get it together!
The music died down long enough to give the audience a chance to applaud. When Sophia took the microphone again, the music stayed low. “Thank you so much,” she said, her voice thick with emotion. “I appreciate you all taking the time to be here tonight. I hope you’re enjoying the show!” More thunderous applause and more than a few catcalls. “But really, the other performers and I are here to show appreciation and thanks for all of you! As some of you may know, I’ve had a bit of a rough year, and honestly, knowing I was coming here to meet all of you and bring some holiday cheer has been my saving grace over the last few months. So, thank you all, from the bottom of my heart. You are here, sacrificing time with your own family and friends at this special time of year, so that all of us back home can enjoy our holidays knowing that we have you all here watching our backs.”
Sophia paused and set the microphone back in the tall stand long enough to applaud, her own clapping swallowed up by the large room until the other acts who had performed before her, all rushed onto the stage, applauding and cheering loud enough to fill the room. Everyone in the audience joined in and a deafening noise rang through the large space.
When it died down, Sophia took the microphone again, tossing the trailing part of her dress back behind her legs before she could get tangled. She beamed out at the audience. “This is the last number of the show, so we thought we would all join together. We’d like to invite you all to sing along.”
The song Santa Claus is Coming to Town started playing and everyone smiled with sentiment as the bands on stage started singing. The crowd joined in, only stopping when a cluster of men in white beards and classic Santa suits raced in through the side exits, large bags strapped to their backs. A chorus of Ho Ho Ho’s punctuated the song as it went to an instrumental chorus. The guys in Santa suits spread out, each taking a section of troops, and started handing out wrapped packages. Each box was a different size and there didn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason as the gifts were doled out to cheering soldiers.
My eyes returned to Sophia, wondering what it was she had referred to when she’d told the audience that she’d been having a rough year. She seemed to assume some of the attendees would know what she was talking about, but I had no clue. I never paid much attention to celebrity gossip and hadn’t even thought to Google her after we’d first met.
Marcus elbowed me and handed me a shiny package wrapped in red paper with a huge silver bow on top. Sophia started singing again and I tucked the package under my arm to join in with the rest of the crowd as the song closed out.
When the last of the gifts had been distributed, Sophia gave a final speech, “Thank you, everyone! Truly, it’s been an honor. We’ll be out signing autographs and taking pictures in the dining hall. So, if you’re interested, please come by. Thank you and goodnight!”
The crowd applauded wildly for the concert and the gifts as the bands all took one final bow and waved their way off stage. Sophia went last, her long dress trailing behind her. A surge of hot blood roared through me as Blake Powell caught up to her, offering her his arm. She shot him a scowl, but quickly flicked the edges up into a smile as though she realized the entire roomful of people were watching her, and allowed him to lead her the rest of the way.
“Damn, that girl can really belt it, huh?” Marcus commented.
I just nodded.
Kent and Stephen were tearing into their gifts, a pair of wireless headphones for Kent and a pair of designer sunglasses for Stephen—which they immediately exchanged with one another.
“You going to see her?” Marcus asked me as we shuffled along the row of chairs as the auditorium emptied. It was slow going as most of the other troops were more interes
ted in their gifts.
“Planning on it. You wanna meet that girl from the dancing group? Saw you eye fucking her like you had sex-ray vision during their set.”
Marcus laughed and slapped me on the shoulder. “You know it, man.”
I chuckled and we finally broke free from the crowd. We maneuvered around the clusters of people doing impromptu gift exchanges and got out into the main hallway. It snaked through the palace, back to the mess hall, which—to my dismay—already had a huge line of people waiting to get inside.
When we got inside, I went straight to Sophia’s table, surprised to see that she’d changed into a grey long-sleeved t-shirt and a pair of black skinny jeans. The casual outfit clashed with her heavy stage makeup, but she was just as heart-stoppingly beautiful as the first time I saw her.
“Guess you weren’t kidding about not being a dress-up girl, huh?” I said, stepping up to her table when the line in front of me was gone. “Couldn’t wait to get back into a pair of jeans.”
She laughed. “Well, I wasn’t sure where you were planning on taking me, but I figured a giant dress with a train would probably get in the way…”
I bit back the comment that it would’ve been a helluva lot harder to get it off of her as well.
“So, what will it be? Autograph? Picture?”
I chuckled. “Do I have to choose?”
Sophia cocked her head, playfully considering my request. She kept her expression serious as long as she could—less than three seconds—before a smile burst across her face and she nodded. “I suppose, just for you, I could do both.”
I laughed. “Thank goodness.”
Sophia grabbed a glossy photograph from the table in front of her and glanced up at me through her thick lashes before dropping her gaze to the picture and scrawling a message across the front. She handed it back with a wide smile and a wink. “For your sister.”
I chuckled as I took the photo from her, skimming the message.
“Aren’t you going to open your gift?” Sophia asked, glancing at the still wrapped package tucked under my arm. I’d completely forgotten that I even had the package. I’d been so focused on getting to Sophia that the gift had fallen to the back of my mind.
“I guess I should, huh?” I peeled back the edge of the paper and Sophia groaned. I flicked my eyes up at her. “What?”
Sophia smirked. “You’re one of those people. The kind that opens wrapping paper like they’re handling delicate china or something!”
I laughed and made a point of tearing the paper. Sophia cheered as I ripped it all apart, revealing a handheld gaming system. “Oh, nice!”
“Very fancy. I might have to borrow it for the plane ride home,” Sophia teased.
I glanced up at her, grinning. “Oh yeah? And when would I get it back again?”
Sophia shrugged. “That’s up to you, isn’t it, soldier?”
I chuckled but then leaned in a little closer and asked, “Whatcha doing for New Year’s?”
Chapter Six - Sophia
“Are we allowed to be up here?” I asked, craning around to look up into Derrick’s face as he escorted me up a narrow staircase. His hand rested on my lower back and it took all my concentration not to trip over my own feet on the steep stairs at his first touch.
Derrick smiled down at me and nodded. “It’s fine. I come up here all the time. It’s the only quiet spot in this damn palace.”
I smirked and turned back in time to stop before a doorway. I pushed it open and stepped out onto a small balcony. The sight of the city below, with the moon and stars gleaming high overhead, took my breath away. “This is beautiful,” I breathed.
“I think so,” Derrick agreed, coming to stand beside me at the stone railing that was the only barrier between us and a four story drop to the courtyard below. A few people were below, probably security or Army MP’s on patrol. We were well within the green zone, but that didn’t mean danger didn’t lurk in the city below, even if it was hard to imagine as the city looked peaceful and quiet below.
“The sky looks like velvet,” I said, returning my gaze to the sky overhead. “You certainly don’t see this in the middle of Manhattan.”
Derrick chuckled. “No, I would assume not.”
I lowered my eyes to meet his and my heart raced a little faster as the quiet of the night caught up with me, and I realized how close and intimate our new surroundings were. The balcony was small, probably only big enough for two, maybe three people, and though there were a few people passing below, it felt like we were all alone in the twilight.
Derrick, as though realizing it too, took a side-step and leaned down against the stone railing that encircled the balcony. His forearms were exposed as the sleeves of his fatigues had been cuffed up to his elbows. It was still fairly warm, but it surprised me how different the temperature was compared to the day. I hadn’t expected the nights to be so chilly in the middle of a desert. I mirrored Derrick’s posture and scanned the city. “What do you do when you come up here alone?” I asked, glancing over at him.
He thought for a moment, before answering, “Think, mostly. I get to the end of a long day and just need a minute to myself to destress. Things out here can go from good to nightmare within a split second.”
I nodded, as though I knew what he was talking about, but didn’t dare compare my own personal tragedy to the kind that occurred out here.
“What about you?” he asked, meeting my eyes. “What do you do to unwind? I imagine your life gets to be a little much sometimes, as well.”
I laughed under my breath. “That’s an understatement. I try to keep a journal while I’m on the road. Helps me keep things in perspective when I can look back and have that record of my life so far.”
“Smart. I keep all my letters and emails from back home. Those are kind of my time capsule.”
“Do you get a lot of them?” I hoped the answer was yes.
Derrick smiled. “Yeah. My parents do a weekly newsletter of sorts and my sister sends me emails every few days, mostly with pictures of my little niece.”
The warmth in Derrick’s eyes melted me when he talked about his family. “You have a niece?”
“Harper,” he answered, his smile deepening. I traced the lines of his lips and the smile lines in his face with my eyes. “What about you?”
“Two of each, actually. Being an auntie is the best.”
Derrick chuckled. “It’s fun.”
“Do you want a family of your own someday?”
“Definitely,” Derrick replied with a nod. “What about you?”
“I think so…” I nibbled on my lower lip. “It’s hard to imagine sometimes. But yes, I do.”
Derrick’s hand found mine and traced the backs of my knuckles. “What was it that you were talking about at the end of the show? You said something about having a rough year and looking forward to coming out here.”
“Oh, that…” That whole speech had been a last minute addition, not scheduled or scripted on a TelePrompTer. Emotions had grabbed a hold, seeing all the smiling faces and knowing that there were thousands, probably tens of thousands, of families back in the states that were missing them. “I went through a nasty divorce earlier this year. It was splashed all over the internet and every grocery store rag mag cover. It was a nightmare.” I shook my head, wishing I could shake off the residual sadness that still settled around me whenever my guard wasn’t up. “Still is…” I added in a whisper.
Derrick interlocked our hands and I glanced down, fixated on the way his strong fingers engulfed my hand. “Wow. I’m sorry, Sophia. I didn’t know.”
I met his eyes and managed a small smile. “It’s all right. I actually like that you didn’t know. Everyone has an opinion formulated on whichever magazine or online gossip personality they follow. I’d rather you hear about it from me anyway. Although, on a night like this…it seems like there are better things we could be talking about.”
Or doing…
Getting lost in Derr
ick sounded like the perfect salve to heal the subtle ache left in my chest. I hadn’t been with anyone since the divorce was finalized. Hell, I hadn’t been with anyone other than my ex-husband. Ever. I’d worked too hard to cultivate a family-friendly brand for myself that affected every aspect of my career, and therefore, life. I didn’t have curse words in my songs, refused to wear sparkly booty shorts or tops that barely covered my boobs, and even in my personal life, I dressed relatively conservatively and didn’t go around stirring up trouble or bar hopping. Since I’d started my career at such a young age, I had younger girls who would find my music and I refused to be anything but a good role model for them.
But Derrick was standing there making me want to do some very unwholesome things.
“We can talk about anything you like. I just like being with you.”
I smiled over at Derrick, letting his words warm through me. “Me too.”
“Can I ask one question first?”
I nodded, steeling myself for the worst. Was this the part where he’d ask about my ex?
Derrick released my hand as he turned to prop himself against his elbow on the railing. “Were you serious about New Year’s?”
Relief flooded me and I nodded. “Of course. If you have a chance, after seeing your family and everyone…I don’t want to steal away your time from them.”
He smiled and leaned down, his lips getting dangerously close to mine. “I’m pretty sure they’d understand…” He captured my mouth before I could object to his statement and as he kissed me deeply, the arguments died away.
Derrick raised a hand to cup the side of my face and I moved in closer to him. His free hand went to my waist and pulled me against him before settling on my low back again, this time his fingertips grazed the top curve of my backside. A purr formed in the back of my throat and bubbled up, turning to a soft moan as Derrick’s tongue slipped past my lips and stroked the tip of my own with seductive rhythms that sent bolts of heat between my thighs. I squirmed against him, wanting and craving more of his touch. His hands slid down, over my ass, cupping me with an appreciative groan. The kiss broke away as he leaned down to nibble at my ear. “I know I should take it slow, but damn it, Sophia, I can’t stop thinking about you. All of you…”
