by Piper Lawson
“Morning,” Haley says cheerfully.
“How was your flight?” I wrap an arm around her, and she returns the hug.
“Charter was bumpy as hell,” Jax gripes.
“Sophie’s stomach was upset, but we got a cookie when we landed and she’s better than ever.” Haley shoots her daughter side-eye. “Funny how that works.”
I feel Annie’s presence behind me before Haley and Jax lift their eyes.
“Hey, kid.” Jax’s voice is warm and gruff at once.
“Dad.”
“The grownups should talk. Let’s get the kids inside and the bags upstairs first,” Haley suggests.
We take care of that, and Annie fixes coffee for everyone, then we take seats around the living room.
Haley shifts forward to the edge of the couch. “Your dad and I are so happy we can be here with you this week.”
“Thanks.” Annie sets a mug in front of Haley but holds Jax’s away. “You want to tell me when you decided to offer my fiancé a golden investment opportunity the week of our wedding?”
Everyone starts to talk at once.
“How about we take turns?” Haley grabs a tour shirt off the counter. “Whoever’s holding the shirt gets to speak.” Jax reaches for it, but Haley holds it away. “Annie, you start.”
“Okay.” My fiancée takes the shirt and folds it neatly in her lap. “When did you ask Tyler to get involved in this deal?”
Jax starts to speak, and Haley clears her throat. “Annie, want to pass the shirt?”
“No. Why didn’t you come to me? Why didn’t you think of doing this at a time that wasn’t my wedding?”
Jax gets another shirt. “You were too busy planning your wedding. The last thing you’d have wanted was shop talk.”
“Jax, that defeats the purpose,” Haley says, exasperated as she reaches for the shirt and her husband holds it away.
“Labels don’t time their sales around weddings, kid. I wish they did.”
“But—”
“The company is going into the ground. We have a chance to revive it.”
“You have a label!” she exclaims.
“A small one with limitations I ran into pretty damned quick. Space, for one.” He turns to his wife, who nods reluctantly. “Can’t expand operations if they’re gonna eat into my backyard anymore. Wicked is the biggest name in the industry. They’ve got a reputation—hell, used to even be a good one. And there’s a family connection.”
Annie looks between us. “So, you needed Tyler’s money.”
I rise. “I wanted—”
Jax cuts me off. “You don’t have a shirt.”
“I’m on the shirt,” I interrupt, exasperated. “The shirt is me.”
I turn to Annie. “I wanted to be part of this, Annie. I could’ve said no. I didn’t. It’s not your dad’s or Haley’s fault.”
My fiancée’s stony silence has Jax jumping in. “The lawyers can handle the heavy lifting. It’s just taking a little longer than we thought.”
“How long will it take?” she asks tightly.
“Exclusivity lapses Saturday. We can’t get a deal locked down by then, everything falls apart.”
Annie shifts out of her seat, yanking the T-shirt from Jax’s hand. “Believe me. If you and Tyler spend the rehearsal dinner negotiating terms”—her flashing amber eyes pin me next, and dammit if guilt and arousal aren’t a better mix of feelings than I ever guessed—“a lot more than this deal is going to fall apart. Understood?”
I nod, and Jax does too.
There’s no way I’m letting this deal interfere with the most important day of my life.
Haley glances at the clock. “Annie, don’t we have to get to a dress fitting?”
Mason chooses that moment to wake up and cry.
Haley lifts him in her arms and walks toward the bedrooms. “Jax, help me a second.”
He follows, and we’re alone.
I catch Annie’s hand and pull her back until her chest brushes mine. “You know the only thing I care about in this wedding is that it’s you and me. If you want me to back out of this deal, I will.”
She looks up at me from half-lowered lashes. Her amber eyes glint, accented by the faintest hint of makeup she wears when she’s not on stage. “If you say it’s almost done, I believe you. And you better be present because I have surprises in store.”
I rake a hand through my hair, emotions fighting in my gut. Hurting the woman I love is the worst. I swore I wouldn’t do it again—no matter how good my intentions. “All I want to unwrap is you.”
“I want this week to be special, for us and for everyone.” I press my lips to her temple, and she relaxes into my hold. “I have to go to this dress fitting.”
“I want a picture.”
“You get nothing.” Annie steps back out of my grip.
“Then I’ll come with you. That’s what changerooms are for.”
Her low laugh drags up my spine. “Take those capable hands of yours and put them to good use.” She sinks her teeth into her bottom lip as she backs toward the doorway. “I meant signing papers.”
“Sure you did.”
7
I wouldn’t call it a fight, but when we first discussed our wedding plans with Dad and Haley, Dad had some strong opinions on his contribution. In particular, he insisted on paying for the flowers, the reception, and all the décor. It seemed easier to give in.
Plus, seeing his stubbornness directed at supporting us hit me in the feels.
So, Tyler and I paid for the guests’ activities, and me…
I bought my dress.
“Are you ready to see the final version?” the designer, a petite woman with short, dark hair, asks when Haley and I arrive for our appointment at the small all-white storefront in Malibu.
“You have no idea,” I say.
I’ve seen photos of it but haven’t tried it on since an initial fitting ages ago.
The designer returns with the garment bag and clears space on the rack, hanging what looks like a relatively modest package compared to some of the huge gowns in the store. She unzips it from the top, and my breath catches as the smooth fabric emerges an inch at a time.
“Annie,” Haley says quietly, “it’s gorgeous.”
I step forward, running my hands over the bodice. It’s the palest purple, off the shoulder with a deep V in the front. “It’s modeled after the dress I bought to wear to prom with Tyler.”
“You guys didn’t go to prom.”
“No, we didn’t.”
But I’d wanted to. It was that night, that week, that month that everything crystallized for us.
That I knew Tyler and I would never be the same because I was so in love with him.
And because he couldn’t deny me either.
“I made some modifications given the fabric and the fact that you’ll be wearing it on a beach.” The designer pulls the dress out of the bag fully.
My gaze drags to the bottom in surprise as Haley moves closer behind me.
“What do you think?” I ask.
“I think it’s stunning and you should try it on.”
I strip down behind a curtain and change into the dress before coming back out. I step onto the small dais—unnecessary because my dress doesn’t have a train—and turn in front of the gilded mirror. It lifts my breasts, gives me cleavage without looking too crazy, and fits tightly to my stomach and hips before flaring softly below.
My stepmom studies me, thoughtful as ever. With her dark ponytail and simple, stylish clothes, it’s easy to imagine she’s a friend or a sister rather than the woman who married my dad.
My attention flicks between Haley and the designer. “I just want to stand in it a moment.”
The designer’s smile relaxes a degree. “Of course.”
When she heads toward the back of the boutique, I spin a little circle. The dress follows my turn, clinging to my curves. The spotlights overhead and the natural light from the front window make it even mor
e ethereal.
“I used to think brides were crazy for wanting everything to be perfect,” I tell Haley. “Nothing in our lives has been perfect so far.” Emotions swell in my chest, making me clench my fists. “But that’s why I need it to be perfect. I’ve been planning this for months, even little details I haven’t told him, because I want this for Tyler. It’s my gift to him. My commitment to us.”
Her lips purse. “And this Wicked offer makes it harder.”
“I hate it. I wish Dad told me before he asked Tyler. Not that he would’ve asked permission, because Dad doesn’t ask anyone before doing anything.” I snort as I hold up pieces of my hair, imagining how it will look pinned up. “I know they have their own relationship, but it’s like whenever I think Tyler and I have a chance to catch our breath, something else comes up.” I shake my head. “I’ve been focusing on us having this time together. Every decision I’ve made for the past six months has been for that. I thought Tyler would do the same. That he wanted it as much as I did.”
My chest tightens in a way that has nothing to do with the dress.
Haley comes up behind me and squeezes my shoulders. “He does want it, Annie. I can see it in the way he looks at you. But fame is a strange thing. It doesn’t wait until you’re ready. God knows your dad wasn’t ready for it when he was swept up as a teenager. We’re rarely prepared for the things life throws our way. Tyler’s opportunities are suddenly on a huge scale. He’s one man, and he’s growing into something bigger than humans were made to be.”
I sigh. “I love everything success has brought him. And it’s not that I envy him what he’s achieved—I’m so proud of him. But I wish he would’ve included me so we could figure it out together.”
“There’s one thing I know with Tyler—he’s not careless with anything, least of all with you. If he’s kept you out of something, he’s considered it. Agonized over it. For better or for worse.”
Haley doesn’t talk much about her relationship with my dad or insert herself in mine with Tyler, but I respect her. She knows what it’s like to be caught in the middle of this surreal life.
“You know,” she goes on, “when your dad was starting his label, I was pregnant with Mason. He was supposed to do a promotional thing in LA. It was important and had been scheduled ages ahead of time. I called him and told him to come back.”
I blink in surprise. “I can’t picture you doing that.”
“I thought I was okay without him, but I wasn’t. So, I told him,” she says. “He dropped everything and came back for us.”
I turn that over. Even though he’s working on other things, I know he’d drop them if I truly asked him to.
But Haley’s right that Tyler’s growing and he has to deal with new opportunities. I’ve seen that growth in him even in the past year, when he’s matured as an artist, a friend, a partner.
And I don’t want the first act of our marriage to be me holding him back from becoming the man he’s meant to be.
8
“What do you mean he’s not coming?” I ask in the car on the way back from running errands after my dress appointment. “We’ve been confirmed for a month!”
“Mr. King is sincerely apologetic,” comes the crisp British voice over the line. “I assure you he’s made multiple attempts to reconcile his schedule, but running a conglomerate of companies leaves little time for personal commitments.”
Disappointment overwhelms me as I scroll through the email correspondence, most signed by an executive assistant at Echo Entertainment on behalf of the CEO. I’ve been trying to get Harrison King, one of Tyler’s friends from touring, to the wedding without him knowing.
I know how hard it is to get on the schedule of a man running a multinational conglomerate, but I figured we’d navigated all the hurdles already.
Now it might be over before it’s begun.
When I arrive at the house, the garage door’s open. The motorcycle sits out front, and my body twitches the second I see it.
We still haven’t been on it. I want to get on the back with Tyler and disappear. But we can’t. At least not yet.
Dad and Haley are talking in the kitchen, getting Mason to eat some kind of solids by the sounds of it.
I follow the sound of music upstairs. I peer in the first of the guest bedrooms.
The first thing I notice are the organized piles of merch.
Next, I see my fiancé, patiently holding the strings on his guitar while Sophie picks with an awkward enthusiasm that melts my heart.
The piles dwarf him.
Haley’s words come back to me, and compassion and love for the boy who changed my world, the man who owns my heart.
I pick up a Sharpie. “Can I get an autograph?”
Tyler looks up, his eyes brightening when he spots me. “Play your cards right.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I meant her,” I say, gesturing toward Sophie.
My little sister giggles in delight, abandoning the instrument to fill the Post-it I hold out with a careful scrawl.
“Do you want a selfie?” she asks solemnly.
“Um. Sure. But I left my phone downstairs.”
“I’ll get it!” Sophie bounds toward the door and down the hall, and I turn back to Tyler with a grin.
“You have to sign all this?”
“Was supposed to be before we leave for the wedding. My hand cramped up an hour ago.”
I survey the room. “I’m tempted to pack half of it up and send it back to Zeke with a note saying, ‘Sign it your damn self.’”
“Yeah, but I remember the first concert I got into as a kid. It took months of fixing bikes to earn the money, and I had to hitchhike to get there. A lot of this is for charity, and some of it’s for fans who work like I worked to see that first concert. I’m one of the lucky ones, Annie. Anything I can do to give back I’m going to.”
My heart kicks in my chest. “You’re the best guy, Tyler Adams.”
“Maybe not the best. I would like to see you take on Zeke for me. You’re sexy when you’re pissed.”
“Just not when I’m pissed at you.”
“You’re sexy then too.” He winks as he straightens and sets the guitar back on its stand. “You get everything done that you needed to? Remember, I’m supposed to do the anthem at the Lakers game tonight. We have a box so we can bring your dad and Haley and the kids, and Beck and Rae said they’d show.”
“Absolutely. It’ll be fun. Go team.” I pull my imaginary pompoms into my chest before planting a hand on my hip. “Would I make a good Laker girl?”
He crosses to me, eyes darkening. “Fuck that. You’re my girl.” He drops his lips to my neck. “And you need to take off that skirt.”
Electricity jolts through me at the heat in his voice. “Sophie will be back any second. Besides, I thought we had to go to the game?”
“We do. And to get there, I need you to change.”
When we arrive and Tyler cuts the engine outside the VIP entrance, I laugh, exhilarated.
“I was eyeing this on the way in earlier,” I say, pulling off my helmet.
He does the same, hooking his helmet to the back of the bike and taking mine. “I’ve been wanting a chance to take you out on it too. It’s unbelievable.”
I feather my hands through his hair from behind. “One complaint. How come my hair’s plastered to my head and you just look sexier?”
“It’s my curse.”
Before I can swing my leg off the bike, he reaches back and grabs me. Tyler shifts me around so I’m in front of him, straddling him. I’m breathless. My legs wrap around his waist as a bead of sweat runs down my back under the leather jacket.
I grin as his lips descend to claim mine.
We’re in the middle of a secured back parking lot, the loading docks surrounded by eighteen-wheel trucks and buses, the smell of fumes and asphalt in the air. None of it matters when Tyler’s hands dig into my ass. He rocks my hips against his, matching the slow pace of his lips and tongue, content t
o do slow and maximum damage to my defenses.
“Mr. Adams!”
We turn to see a staff member in black waving from a nearby door.
The second Tyler pulls back, I want to close the distance between us again. His expression says he wants that too.
I shift off the bike, and he takes my hand as we head toward the door. “I’m so ready to get to this island,” he says. “Let’s skip the wedding and get right to the honeymoon. Leave a note and some food for our friends. They can split the cake however they want.”
I pull up, forcing him to turn back, his head cocked in mock expectancy.
“Hell. No.”
He musses my hair and has me ducking away, laughing under the watchful eye of the staff person who greets us at the door. We head inside, escorted through the back hallways of the Staples Center, and I broach a topic that’s been plaguing me all day.
“I was thinking how good it’ll be to have our friends in one place. Most of them, anyway. It’s too bad Harrison King couldn’t make it. Is there a reason you didn’t invite him to the wedding?” I ask under my breath as we head through the building.
“I didn’t think he’d be able to come. He’s been in a dark place. But it would’ve been good to see him.” Tyler’s face goes serious. “He saved my life.”
Surprise grips me. “Please tell me you’re being poetic. You never told me you were in danger on tour.”
Tyler brushes a thumb over my lips. “I’ll tell you about it someday.”
I exhale a shivering breath. “So, you’re what, blood brothers?”
“Pretty much.”
I think he’s joking, but still… I didn’t realize it went so deep.
Security takes Tyler to get ready and shows me a different way to the booth. Through the open doorway, I hear Beck’s laughter and see Sophie’s head bobbing as she dances in the middle of the floor.
I thank my escort and linger in the hall, pulling out my phone. “I apologize for calling so late, but it’s urgent.”