by Cherrie Lynn
That’s how she knew this was right, because at this moment, here with these people, she was the happiest she had ever been.
The future could work itself out. She wasn’t sure what a life with Elijah Vance would entail, but she could find out before writing it off her list of possibilities. At the moment, watching the band take one last tour picture onstage, all of them knelt down with the audience in the background, she couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.
The blond woman had introduced herself as a longtime friend from the band’s early days, and Iris could accept that. After what he had done for her out there in front of all those people, she had no doubts whatsoever about Eli’s feelings. Although after exclaiming, “Long time no see, bumble bee!” at Seger, she thought the boy might be ready for her to leave again. He had laughed, though.
Even Quin had walked awkwardly up to her, muttered a half-jumbled apology, and ambled away.
Now she was alone in Elijah’s dressing room, running her hands across the clothes in his open trunks. It felt like an eternity since she’d touched him, even if it hadn’t been all that long. When his arms had gone around her out there, everything had fallen into place. All the broken pieces of her had stitched themselves back together.
The distant thunder of the audience had begun to abate. He would be here soon, and her heart couldn’t take waiting much longer.
Evil Iris, Sara had called her. She laughed again and slipped out of her shoes and jeans before walking over to turn the lights down wearing nothing but her panties and the loose top Sara had loaned her. Seger had run off with Russell’s boys for a while per his dad’s quickly relayed instructions. She knew only Eli would be coming in this room.
The door opened and she turned, not having taken up the position she’d wanted yet, but his expression showed that nothing about her was a disappointment. He closed the door, locked it, and closed in, dark and dangerous as his ravenous green eyes devoured her. He almost scared her, just a little. She liked it. Her stomach fluttered, her breath coming faster.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“For what?” he asked, just as softly.
“Doubting you. Doubting us.”
“Iris.” He stepped to her, his hands coming up to cup her face with a gentleness belied by his intensity. “You never, ever have to apologize to me for anything. Ever.”
“But that isn’t fair.”
“Sure it is.”
“I haven’t told you everything Heidi threatened. I feel like I need to warn you what might come of this.”
“I doubt we need to worry about Heidi. She’s a kitten right now.”
Kittens have claws, but maybe he was right. Heidi couldn’t afford a nasty custody battle right now on top of everything else, and Elijah would give her one if she tried to keep his kids away from him. She no longer had any leverage since the truth was finally out. “She said she would ruin me,” she said softly. “I would never work again in this city.”
“That’s bullshit. You can do anything you want, Iris. That’s a promise.”
“I have a nanny job interview soon, but I was also thinking of going back to school. Getting my masters, maybe even my doctorate. I would love to be a child psychologist.” She didn’t know why she couldn’t stop babbling, but he listened intently to every word. Hearing her.
“You would be amazing at that. I can’t imagine anyone caring more about people than you.”
“It would keep me busy while you’re touring and working. It’ll be hard. But I’ll do it for you.”
His expression softened. “I work a lot because I tend to stay where I’m happiest. Now I’m happiest with you.” Her breath hitched as he said that, as he lifted her hand to his mouth to brush his lips across the back of her knuckles. “I’m with you. Whatever you want to do.”
What she wanted was not to talk about it anymore, even if they needed to. His nearness, his musky male scent, were wreaking havoc on her hormones. She stepped closer, sliding her free hand around his neck, the smoothness of his skin a delight to her fingertips.
His mouth covered hers, weakening her knees as she leaned into him, his hands heating up against her cheeks, holding her still for his seeking lips, letting her reacquaint herself to him. She didn’t need that. She didn’t need his tenderness right now. She needed him as desperate as she was. “I need a shower,” he murmured against her.
She didn’t need that either. “I like you dirty and sweaty.”
“Yeah?”
“Mm-hmm.”
His hands caught her ass and lifted her against him. Instinct wrapped her legs around his waist. She had to chuckle thinking about the conversation that had taken place outside as he planted her against the nearest wall, but all mirth left her as he struggled one-handed with his pants. She could only think yes, yes, yes, and fought to push her panties out of the way so he could get to her.
His mouth crushed hers. His body invaded hers. They groaned into each other’s mouths in mutual ecstasy, and nothing had ever felt as good as the stretch of him filling her, pinning her hips to the wall behind her. Unstoppable, inescapable. “Elijah,” she whispered, “oh God.”
She’d wanted him desperate, and she got it. His breathing rough and ragged, her legs thrown over his arms as he held her captive against the wall, his eyes never leaving hers as their foreheads pressed together, as he surged into her again and again. But she was ready enough for him, wet enough for him, and she wanted all of him. She never wanted him to stop.
“I’ll make love to you tonight,” he promised, something like apology in his voice, “for the rest of our lives, I will. Now I just need to make you mine.”
That was all she needed too. Every thrust pushed him deeper into her, her body fighting for more of him, greedy for the pleasure he gave. She began to meet him, rock against him, her head meeting the wall behind her.
“You’re fucking exquisite,” he growled, fastening his mouth to her neck. She felt his teeth score her flesh. She wanted more. And she wanted to tell him how perfect he was, but she didn’t know how. She only knew what she wanted.
“Will you come in me?” she panted.
“That’s like asking if I’ll take my next breath, Iris.”
“I’m still not on birth control.”
“I don’t care.”
No we’ll have to be careful. Her heart soared. Surely she would wake up any moment in her bed at home, crying from this beautiful dream she’d somehow wandered into. But seconds ticked past, and she didn’t. And he was rough and real against her; she could touch him and hear him and smell him and taste him when they kissed. When her body couldn’t take the slick friction they created any longer and exploded in a wracking climax, she didn’t wake up then, either. She held on, cried out and shuddered, feeling him join her in her passion. Felt him pulse inside her as he growled dirty things in her ear: how hot she was, how tight she was, how hard she made him come.
She hadn’t realized she was crying until her eyes opened, and she found herself staring at the ceiling, thinking for one awful moment the dream had ended. But then Elijah lifted his head, looked her in the eyes, and said, “I love you.”
She held him as tightly as her weakened, shivering arms would allow. “I love you too,” she whispered. “I do.”
“I missed you more every day.”
How had this happened? How had this loud, argumentative, aggressive man she’d once dreaded being around turned into one who melted in her arms? Who could melt her with nothing but a look?
He hadn’t turned into a different man, though. He’d been here all along. And she didn’t doubt he’d still get loud and argumentative at times. Instead of instilling dread, the thought made her grin. She would gladly meet the challenge.
“What is it?” he asked, smiling back at her.
“Just thinking about how things change. I’ve thought about that a lot lately.”
“How you actually like me now?”
She laughed with pure joy. “Yeah,
something like that. And you actually like me too.”
“I always liked you, Iris. That’s what pissed me off.”
“Ah, well, don’t let it make you that grumpy again.”
“You don’t have to worry.” He eased her down until her feet touched the floor, helping her fix her clothes before straightening and fastening his own. Between her legs, she could still feel him. What he’d given her. He watched her closely in that way she loved, the one that made her feel so treasured, then reached up and stroked her cheek. “Are you okay?”
“Yes.”
“With what might have happened here?”
Licking her lips, she gazed up at the face she would never grow tired of looking at. “Elijah, other than you, there’s really only one thing I want.”
He raised his eyebrows in question, and she thought of that night in his parents’ pool and the seeds of a dream he had planted deep in her heart even then. “I want Marley,” she said.
His hands went to her face, his breath shuddering out before he stopped her heart with a kiss she felt throughout her entire body. More joyous tears sprang to her eyes as, in the midst of it, she found a center of herself she hadn’t known existed. It was calm there, and safe. It was where he lived, deep in her soul.
“I would fucking love that more than anything,” he said against her lips. “I would. And I’ll do my best, but what if we have another rowdy boy?”
“That’ll be wonderful, too.”
“Preferably sooner rather than later, before I’m too old to chase after them.”
She giggled. “Stop. You’ll be able to chase for years to come.”
“As long as I can chase you, too.”
“Why? You’ve already caught me.”
“I want to spend my life chasing you, Iris. Keep me running. Never let me catch you.”
How beautiful he was, his eyes spring-bright and serene. She couldn’t imagine a more thrilling way to spend the rest of her life than being chased by this man. “Deal,” she said softly.
“So.” He gave her the teasing, crooked grin she loved so much, stroking her hair back. “Sounds like you think you can have it all.”
Iris smiled, believing it at last as she gazed up at him. Believing it for maybe the first time in her entire life. “I can.”
Epilogue
Marley Abigail Vance was born at 3:54 p.m. on April 27th, precisely nine months after Aesthetic Ruin’s last tour stop in Los Angeles the year before.
Iris gazed down at her daughter’s sleeping face and felt a rush of love like nothing she had ever felt before . . . and she knew love. Her daughter was utter perfection from the miniature version of her dad’s lips to her tiny toes, and Iris was in awe. And utterly head over heels.
It hadn’t been an easy delivery, but she doubted any mother on earth would say otherwise. She’d opted for a natural birth, wanting to feel everything about bringing her daughter into the world, even though Sara told her she was insane. Even Elijah had gotten a frown on his face whenever she’d talked about it. But he’d supported her wishes, staying by her side through every grueling contraction, letting her squeeze his hands without complaint even though she could feel his bones creaking with her force.
Having Sara and Eli in the same room was still an experience. Sara had never quite gotten used to him, and her face always lit up like a Christmas tree—one with red bulbs—when she was around him. Probably remembering all the naughty things she’d said about him to Iris. But Iris couldn’t hold any grudges. The man was hot. All was forgiven.
Dylan and Seger were ecstatic over their new baby sister. Seger had announced way back that he didn’t want another little brother to pester him, he wanted a sister he could protect. And Dylan, he just couldn’t wait for her to grow up a little so he could teach her to play video games. Right now they were at their mom’s, who had actually sent over a gift from a high-end children’s boutique.
Heidi was most likely feeling generous because she and Nic had happily announced their own addition to the family was forthcoming, so Seger and Dylan didn’t know what to do with themselves with all the new babies. They didn’t know yet if this one would be a boy or a girl.
“Do you think you need to rest?” Eli asked, stepping closer to gently brush the hair back from her forehead. He’d been fussing over her all evening.
“I think I’m running on pure adrenaline right now,” Iris said. “I’m okay. I’ll sleep tonight.”
“Get all the sleep you can in the hospital, honey,” Eli’s mother said from across the room where she and Sara had been chatting. “Once you get home, sleep goes out the window.”
“I know. But I can’t stop looking at her.” Iris was totally enamored with her baby girl, afraid to miss a single thing. Every twitch, every coo, was a thing of wonder. Hers. This was hers. She and Elijah had done this, made this together. She softly stroked her baby’s one little tuft of dark hair and looked up into her husband’s eyes.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
His dark brows drew together. “For what? You did all the work,” he said.
“Raised a smart one, I did,” Abby laughed. “At least he realizes that. Men only get the fun part of making babies.”
“Mom,” Eli groaned.
“Well. It’s the damn truth.”
Sara cracked up. “I like you.”
But Eli wasn’t about to have his competency as a father questioned. “I’ll make sure she gets enough sleep, Mom. I’m rusty but I still remember what to do.”
“Iris, Elijah was sleeping through the night by the time he was three weeks old, so maybe she’ll take after him. The kid loved his sleep.”
“God knows Seger didn’t. I don’t think that boy sleeps through the night to this day.” It still made Iris sad that he had to leave Dylan out when speaking of his genetics being passed on. But it wouldn’t be much longer before the adoption went through. That would be another happy day to look forward to.
“You can always hire a nanny,” Sara suggested, laughing. She probably wasn’t prepared for the sharp, simultaneous glares Iris and Eli sent her; she actually recoiled.
“No,” they both said at once, then looked at each other and laughed. Eli leaned over and kissed Iris on the forehead.
“Hey, I’ve got the best in the business already,” he said.
“Hold on, there, Mr. Vance. I’m not on the clock anymore.”
The love in his eyes, the love she had never once failed to see, shone even brighter as he looked down at her cradling his newborn daughter in her arms. Iris was sore and exhausted and had never been happier in her entire life, but she found room for a little more joy every time she saw him looking at her that way. It had all been worth it, just as he’d promised it would be. The signs had been there, pointing this way all along, and she couldn’t express in words how grateful she was for him and everything he’d given her.
“My own built-in nanny,” he teased, lightly touching his daughter’s pink cheek. “I’m joking. But how lucky she is to have you for a mother. The luckiest little girl in the world.”
It was the sweetest thing he could have said to her. Emotions and hormones warred inside her, pushing tears out of her eyes. “I love you so much. And I think she’s just as lucky to have you as a dad.”
“You both did good,” his mother said warmly. She smiled at Iris as she said it. Over the last few months, Abby had become the mother Iris had always wished she had.
Finally, she had the family she had always wanted, in the last way she had ever expected to find it.
Marley’s little eyes opened, dark right now even though Iris expected they might lighten as she grew. Her mom’s clear blue or her dad’s sparkling green? It would remain a mystery for now. Mother and daughter assessed each other for a long time, momentarily in their own little world. Marley’s fingers closed around one of Iris’s with a surprisingly firm grip.
“Hey there, baby girl,” she cooed. “I love you.”
She could have sworn
the baby smiled, even though it would be weeks before that would happen for real. Eli leaned over to watch her, every bit as enchanted with her as Iris was.
“She’s all you, baby,” he said. “She looks just like you.”
“Your lips, though. A little carbon copy.”
“Let’s hope to God she doesn’t have his lungs,” Abby said, making them all laugh. “And his foul mouth.”
Iris hoped Marley had as much of her dad as was possible. Maybe not the foul mouth. But even with it, she loved him with all her heart, and he deserved to see himself in his children, too.
“Oh look,” Sara said as she thumbed through her phone. “It’s already hit the fansites and social media.”
Once upon a time, that would have filled Iris with dread. Now it filled her with pride. “Good or bad?” Eli asked.
“All good. Congratulations all around.” Not that Sara would tell Iris right now about any petty jealousy that might be going around. She’d learned that most of Elijah’s fans, his true fans, only wanted him to be happy. Nothing else mattered.
She would devote her life to that cause.
Smiling at her daughter, then at her beaming husband, she felt peace suffuse her. So far, so good, and she knew it would only get better from here.
About the Author:
New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author Cherrie Lynn has been a CPS caseworker and a juvenile probation officer, but now that she has come to her senses, she writes contemporary and paranormal romance on the steamy side. It’s much more fun. She’s also an unabashed rock music enthusiast, and loves letting her passion for romance and metal collide on the page.
When she’s not writing, you can find her reading, listening to music or playing with her favorite gadget of the moment. She’s also fond of hitting the road with her husband to catch their favorite bands live.
Cherrie lives in East Texas with said husband and their two kids, all of whom are the source of much merriment, mischief and mayhem. You can visit her at http://www.cherrielynn.com or at the various social networking sites. She loves hearing from readers!
