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Chapter Twenty-Four
“Why are you looking so worried?” I asked, as I brought our clasped hands to my lips and pressed a kiss to the back of hers.
“Being with you when you’re in the spotlight,” she mumbled.
“Because?”
She shrugged. “Everyone will be focusing on us.”
“Us? You still care about that? Darlin’, I told you before. What anyone else thinks about us is inconsequential. You’re just nervous about being put in an unfamiliar situation, Billie. Personally, I don’t notice when anyone looks at me, and if they do, they’ll be looking at me because I have a beautiful wife on my arm.”
“Right,” she mumbled, and I pulled her head forward and kissed her temple.
“Your only focus should be that you’re with the hottest man in the universe,” I joked. “Think you can manage that?”
“You’re all I think about,” she chuckled. “I feel like a lovesick teenager when I’m with you.” My eyes immediately softened and I pulled her toward me and planted a small kiss on her forehead. “Okay, I’m over it again. Let them do their worst.”
Although she sounded like she didn’t care, I knew her bravery was for my benefit and she’d likely filled herself with doubts.
“Okay, you remember the games we agreed to, the secret words?”
“Midnight?” she asked. I cupped her chin and stared intently into her gorgeous blue eyes.
“What?” she said, her eyes searched my face and I continued to stare for a few more seconds before I dropped my hand and chuckled.
“That’s what I’m going to do to you when I hear the word midnight,” I teased. “Remember we had two? What’s the other word?” Her eyes rolled up to her brow as she thought then she groaned.
“Hot.” This time I took her head between my hands and kissed her passionately, my hand sliding to the back of her skull and I pushed her closer, deepening the kiss. When we broke away she panted, looking breathless.
“Wow,” she breathed in a whisper. I chuckled and cleared my throat because the way she’d kissed me back had affected me as well. I was immediately hard.
“Let’s hope no one says that tonight or I’ll be swimming in my underwear,” she muttered with a soft laugh, and just like that my no-confidence beauty floored me with a smutty comment out of the blue.
We had been so involved in our little game, we hadn’t realized the car we’d traveled to the Four Seasons in had stopped. The uniformed driver got out and opened the door. Stepping out first, I extended my hand, Billie slid across the seat and elegantly rose to her feet. I took a moment to appreciate how stunning she looked in the long aqua green dress that hugged her little body to perfection.
“You take my breath away,” I whispered into her ear, and shook my head in wonder at how our accidental meeting had changed my life in such a huge way.
Glancing up through her long dark lashes she flashed me the most gorgeous smile, and my heart melted for the umpteenth time when she did that.
Entering the foyer of the hotel no one would ever have guessed there was a rock band’s after-party in progress. The elegant foyer and front desk area were a picture of decorum and calm. I liked that no one batted an eyelid when we walked through the reception area and wandered up to two hired security guards dressed in slick black suits.
One nursed a clipboard with the guest list by the elevator, and he obviously had no idea who I was. Most guys in a band would have striven to be recognized, their main goals being to have fame and fortune, women, and wild nights.
In that sense I wasn’t much of a front man for our band. The fortune was already there from the start, I’d tired of the women, and since I’d found Billie, I wasn’t interested in partying with random girls.
As for fame, I couldn’t imagine life walking down the street having fans invading my privacy to pursue me and possibly taking pictures of my every move. That situation never appealed to me. I knew my bandmates were hungry for it, but I much preferred being largely anonymous; in my case, playing in a band was truly all about the music.
Clearing security, we’d entered the private access elevator that took us directly to the floor where the party was being held. Despite another guard inside the elevator car, I kept my part in the arrangement I’d made with my wife and kissed her until she looked dazed and slightly drunk by the time the doors opened and we stepped out of the car.
Billie’s fingers tightened around mine as we neared the door and I dipped my head. “Breathe, darlin’,” I shouted, my words were barely audible, even to myself, as I pushed the door and led us inside.
I hardly knew anyone and related to how Billie felt for once. I noticed Flynn Docherty, the lead singer of the band we’d hoped to open for standing by the bar, his lovely wife by his side. Valerie Docherty’s reputation preceded her as the formidable manager of his band, and from what I knew she was still younger than me.
From what I could see, Strings was talking animatedly to him and when he suddenly looked toward the door his face lit up, and the look of relief on it said it all.
“Sawyer,” I had seen his mouth move and was sure he’d called out, but the noise in the room made it impossible to hear anything, except the music. Tugging Billie’s hand, I signaled to him and weaved my way over to where they stood.
Leaning forward, I saw Strings shout into Flynn’s ear, but Flynn scrunched up his face and shook his head, appearing annoyed. I wondered for a moment what my bandmate had said until I saw him look over his shoulder and said something to a large set guy behind him. I assumed he worked for Flynn and watched when the guy cut his way through the crowd to reach the DJ. Seconds later the volume was reduced to lower level for people to talk.
