Now there was Dylan.
What was it about him that made the butterflies in her stomach do a line dance?
And his eyes.
She stole a quick glance over her shoulder. Her body tingled to life when she noticed he was only an inch away from her. She held her breath.
His dark eyes gazed into hers. Was he reading her thoughts?
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
His breath caressed her cheek with cinnamon sweetness.
“I…I’m fine, thanks,” she whispered, forcing her gaze back to the bridal party.
She couldn’t look at him. Just being this close had her body reacting to the sound of his voice. Her legs trembled. Breathing deepened. Heart raced.
Nope. It wasn’t happening.
Getting involved with a rock star.
No way was she going to live the crazy life her best friend was about to embark on. Heaven had plans. Like going into the All Things Art program and traveling abroad. If she got accepted.
Her eyes roamed over Kyle’s face. The way he looked at Chelsea like no one else in the church existed. How his lips warmed each time she laughed.
Kyle loved Chelsea. But would love be enough?
“Guess it’s time to get this rehearsal going,” Heaven said as she took a step forward.
Her stomach knotted. A part of her seemed to break away when she moved away from the heat of Dylan’s body. She stole another glance behind her, meeting his brooding eyes.
“Thank you. For coming to my rescue.”
A smile teased the corner of his mouth as he nodded. “Glad I could help.”
* * *
Heaven stood in the archway near the front of the church. Her eyes roamed Dylan’s face, taking in each of his features as though he were a statue on display.
She knew him. How could she not? She’d seen his face so many times.
In the tabloids.
Yet something about him struck a familiar chord. Not a chord of celebrity recognition. Something about the twinkle in his eyes, or the way his smile perfected his full lips nudged her heart. Just the short time they’d known each other felt like a lifetime.
It was impossible, though.
She glanced at her watch. Yep. Just a little over thirty minutes since they’d met. So why did he seem like an old high school friend? Not that she had many guy friends in high school. Just the opposite. Even the last few years of college had only earned her a couple of male acquaintances. And one relationship.
One very bad relationship.
“I still can’t believe the press had you surrounded at my car.”
Chelsea’s voice pushed all thoughts from Heaven’s mind. She gazed at her best friend, thankful she’d interrupted the memories of Mick.
“It was definitely an experience I’ll never forget,” Heaven laughed. Her eyes went back to Dylan. She’d never forget the comforting glimmer in his gaze when he had pushed through the crowd, or the way his spicy scent soothed the fear the paparazzi had evoked.
“So you’re brave enough to take on one reporter, but not an army?”
Faith’s voice poked at Heaven’s patience.
“I guess so, Faith. Too bad you weren’t there to help me get in sync with my inner bitch.”
“Watch it, Hev,” Faith said, her index finger pointed to the ceiling. “You shouldn’t be cursing in church.”
How about fighting? Would God think poorly of her for punching her sister in the face?
Heaven sighed a breath of relief when Faith’s cell phone buzzed to life.
“It’s Mom. I’ll let her know we made it okay. Don’t worry, Hev. I won’t mention your run-in with the press. You can tell her about that.”
How thoughtful…Not really. Faith wasn’t much for chatting with their mom. But had it been Dad calling, it would have been a different situation.
Daddy’s girl. Yep, that was Faith.
“Let me talk to her,” Hope said, reaching for Faith’s phone and getting smacked on the hand.
After Faith and Hope walked over to the front door, Heaven noticed Chelsea’s toothy grin. “What are you smiling about?”
“Oh, nothing. So what did you think when Dylan rescued you from the mob?”
Heaven’s eyes shot over to Dylan. She caught him staring at her. At least until their eyes met. His gaze moved over to Kyle, whose mouth was moving a mile a minute.
“I’m grateful he came to help. I’d probably be hiding out in your car if he hadn’t.”
“I think he has eyes for you.”
Was she kidding?
“Yeah, whatever,” Heaven scoffed. Her brow jabbed upward. “Don’t even think about playing one of your match making games. It never worked our sophomore year. It’s not going to work now.”
“But he’s single…and hot.”
“Yeah, well, he’s good-looking and all, but not my type.”
Okay, maybe that was a lie. Dylan was definitely easy on the eyes. Hell, it was more than that. He was beautiful and witty. Not to mention attentive.
But he was a rock star.
And where rock stars went, thousands of willing women followed.
Competing with other women was the last thing she wanted to do. Not after twenty-one years of sibling rivalry with Faith. Heaven was an involuntary participant. Faith was the provoker.
Heaven choked back a snicker when she met Chelsea’s gaze. She wondered if Chelsea’s jaw hurt from dropping so hard.
“Not your type? He’s gorgeous, Heaven. And funny, charming, an all-around good guy. How could he not be your type?”
“He’s famous.”
Chelsea’s fists punched her hips. “So what?”
“That’s not the life I want to lead, Chels. If it works for you, great. I don’t want to go through the media blitz every time I walk out my front door.”
“Is that the only reason you’re not interested?”
First Dylan, now Chelsea. What was up with the mind reading today?
“Where rock stars tread, controversy follows. As do women with one thing on their minds.”
Chelsea cocked her head to the side, her fists still pressing against her hips. “Are you saying that my fiancé is going to cheat on me with some groupie?”
Was this conversation really going to start?
“I didn’t say that. Maybe I have trust issues, Chels. I don’t know.”
“Look, I know rockers have a reputation of being bad boys. Some of them are. Take Layne, for example. I’ve heard stories about him that have made me blush, and you know I don’t embarrass easily.”
“Great. Layne and Faith should have a lot to chat about.”
“Don’t change the subject. So Layne is one of the bad boys. I’ve known these guys long enough to know what they’re like. Dylan may be Layne’s best friend, but their morals and values are polar opposites.”
What a relief. So Heaven wouldn’t have to carry a can of mace with her to the reception. Didn’t mean she should go on a date with Dylan.
Even if the thought was tempting.
“Why would you try hooking me up with someone here in L.A.?”
“It’s part of my evil plan to keep you here,” Chelsea teased. “Seriously, I was hoping that you and your sisters would stick around for the summer. You’d be more than welcome to stay in my condo.”
“Really?”
“Yes! I thought it would be nice to spend some time together, once I get back from my honeymoon.”
Yes, the honeymoon. Chelsea would be a married woman when she came back. How would Heaven play into her life? Would things change between them? Or was that what Chelsea was trying to prevent?
“Wow, Chels. I don’t know what to say. I didn’t pack enough clothes for—”
“You can use anything in my closet. Most of my clothes are already at Kyle’s or packed. Whatever is in the closet is yours. Hope, too. I’m sure Faith brought plenty of clothing.”
“You do know Faith pretty well.”
“She’
s just like Brooke, you know.” Chelsea’s lips slowly twitched into a smile. “So will you?”
Heaven hesitated. This could work. Taking a leave of absence from the norm. From life. Staying in L.A. might be the distraction she needed. To forget about the past, the hurt, the freaky crap that happened with Mick. Even for a few months.
She definitely needed some off time.
“We’ll need to make sure Hope and Faith are cool with it. And change the plane tickets.”
“So you’ll stay?”
Chelsea’s exuberance was catching.
“Of course, I will.”
Heaven felt the air force from her lungs as Chelsea flung her arms around her. “You just made this day even better.”
As Heaven finally drew in a breath, her eyes went to the sanctuary and stopped on Dylan. He was staring, again. But this time, he didn’t look away.
Like a fishing line reeling in the biggest catch ever, Heaven battled the tug on her heart.
And her soul.
* * *
Papers and pens flew out of the darkened abyss Sid Baker called a satchel. His fingers, now scraping against the leather floor of the bag, sent a wave of nausea to his core.
“Where the hell is it? I know I put it in here.”
How in the hell do you lose a camera? A whole, damned camera?
Did he leave it lying somewhere? He’d only stopped to talk with the red-headed devil woman on the way to his office.
He had to find that camera.
Normally, he wouldn’t be upset. Granted, it would be five grand down the drain, but the contents were of more value. Or rather, his life was of more value.
Dylan McBride would kill him if those pictures got out. The ones he snapped of him and the beautiful young woman this afternoon.
Sid didn’t intend to publish the pictures. Even if his editor would pay double to get his hands on a photo of Dylan. Especially Dylan and a woman. The impression the photos gave would make for some juicy headlines.
And now he’d lost said photos.
Sweet baby Jesus. If someone published those pictures…
Yep. He was a dead man.
Dylan would make sure of it.
* * * * *
CHAPTER 9
Faith stood at the top of the staircase in Chelsea’s condo, staring at the newspaper in her hand. Her jaw ached from opening so wide.
“Oh. My. Gawd!” She scanned each word like a laser jet printer on crack. “I don’t believe this.”
The house echoed silence. No one was around to hear her complaints. Brooke was still asleep, as were Chelsea and Heaven. Hope was the only one in the house awake. Judging by the muffled sound of water beating against the tub floor, Hope was distracted.
Time to drop the bomb on Heaven.
Getting enjoyment out of ruining Heaven’s day was like breathing. It’s not like she didn’t love Heaven. But after twenty-one years of people confusing them, Faith found ways to vent.
The tension between them wouldn’t be so bad if guys she liked hadn’t liked Heaven. The way those jerks looked at her when they asked for a date. And the disappointment in their eyes when they figured out that she wasn’t Heaven…
Assholes.
Faith folded the paper, and barged into Chelsea’s room. The door cracked as it hit the wall.
“Rise and shine, ladies. Come on! Wake the hell up,” she demanded.
Chelsea’s eyes flew open as she sprang from the bed. “Oh, shit! I overslept, didn’t I? Damn it! I’m late for my own wedding!”
Heaven opened an eye and glanced at Chelsea. “The alarm hasn’t gone off, yet. Trust me; I would have heard it. You didn’t oversleep.” She sat up in the bed, blinking and stretching as she glared at Faith. “You’re pure evil, sometimes. Why did you find it necessary to wake us up like that?”
Because it was fun?
Faith stared into her sister’s eyes. For once, she’d love to wipe the smug look off Heaven’s face.
There was no time like the present.
“I thought you might want to see this.” She slapped the newspaper into Heaven’s lap.
Anticipation ate at Faith like a lion in a field of gazelles. She crossed her arms as her sister rubbed her eyes and glanced at the paper.
“If that’s Truth Newspaper, take it back out,” Chelsea told her and sat back on the bed. “It belongs to my neighbor. The paperboy was probably running late this morning and threw it here. He keeps forgetting that we canceled our subscription.”
“I don’t care whose paper it is. Look at the front page!” Faith demanded.
Heaven grasped the paper in both hands. As she raised it toward her face, the bottom section dropped down. Her mouth flew open.
“Oh, God!” Heaven spoke the words so fast that they sounded like one. The newspaper dropped from her hands, back onto her lap with a plop.
What a perfect response.
The seed of satisfaction sprouted in Faith’s heart.
“Congrats, Hev. I always knew you’d be involved in some type of scandal,” Faith said, tilting her head back as she howled with laughter
* * *
The distant chatter drew Hope into Chelsea’s room. She would recognize Faith’s agonizing laugh from anywhere. Faith only laughed that loud and boastful when she wanted to gloat or torment someone.
Usually Heaven.
“What’s going on in here?” Hope asked as she stepped inside the room. Heaven’s face showed shock. Well, more like horror. What had Faith done this time?
“Hev? Are you okay?” Hope asked. Her brows pinched in a glare as she bypassed Faith and went to the edge of Chelsea’s bed. Gazing down at her sister, she noticed the newspaper in her lap.
Chelsea’s eyes shot to Hope as she extended her hand. “It’s this; this is what is wrong with her.”
Hope grabbed the paper. Skimming over it, she saw the bold, all-capped headline and sub line.
“SLIDERS FRONTMAN AND MYSTERIOUS GIRL ‘FRIEND’,” she read aloud. “Is he finally dating?”
Then she noticed the picture.
Heaven and Dylan…
They were standing in a room, not far from a door with a bold, red EXIT sign just above.
Must have been in another part of the church.
Not much room separated Heaven and Dylan. Maybe a foot remained between them. But the closeness wasn’t what stood out. It was their gaze.
Was Dylan caressing Heaven’s face?
Hope read the article as fast as she could. It went on to say how Dylan seemed very cozy with the mystery girl, and that he neither confirmed nor denied their relationship.
“Now that I’ve brightened everyone’s morning, I’m heading to the shower.” The glee in Faith’s voice couldn’t have been more obvious.
Hope watched Faith walk out the door, wishing she’d learn to respect her elders. Okay, so Heaven and Hope were only a few minutes older, but still. Faith let out one last menacing laugh before disappearing.
Bitch.
Hope cast her gaze back to the bed. Chelsea was gazing at Heaven. She tucked a patch of curls behind Heaven’s ear, revealing her face. “Are you okay?”
Obviously not.
As if Heaven’s brush with the media hadn’t been bad enough yesterday. Now she would be the object of every paparazzo’s attention.
Heaven shook her head, blinking as though she were fighting tears from her eyes. “I think I’m in shock.”
Her eyes doubled in size. “Ah, crap!”
“What is it?” Chelsea asked, grabbing Heaven’s shoulder.
“How embarrassing,” Heaven whispered. Her chest rose and fell. “Dylan is going to be upset about this, isn’t he?”
Good question.
Hope watched as Chelsea shook her head.
“Why would he be upset?”
“The press is trying to link us together. Isn’t that reason enough? He told me this might happen,” Heaven paused and pointed at the paper. “I’m sure I’m the last person he wants the pr
ess associating him with.”
Classic Heaven. Always worried about the other person. She was the perfect martyr. How many times had she given up a shot at happiness just to benefit Faith?
It would take a week to count. Maybe longer.
“Okay, first off, Dylan knows how the paparazzi work,” Chelsea said, as she stood up from the bed. “They have a way of putting their own twist on a story.”
“No kidding,” Heaven snorted.
Eerie how much she had sounded like Faith just then.
“You really shouldn’t stress about it, Hev,” Chelsea said, patting her best friend’s knee. “Dylan will probably get a kick out of it. I mean, he did say no comment about being in a relationship with you. If he didn’t want to give the press the wrong impression, he would have denied it.”
Heaven’s eyes rose to meet Chelsea’s. “So, what are you saying?”
“Isn’t it obvious, Sis?” Hope asked. The mattress gave as she sat beside Heaven. “Dylan is interested in you.”
“Exactly,” Chelsea exclaimed. “Dylan didn’t deny the accusation—because he’s interested in you. He didn’t confirm it, either—because he isn’t sure if you are interested in him.”
“I’m not,” Heaven mumbled.
Yeah, right. Hope wasn’t buying it. Chelsea’s knitted brows said she wasn’t swallowing the pile of bull, either.
“I don’t know why you wouldn’t be interested, Hev,” Hope scolded. “The man stuck his neck out for you, yesterday. He’s sexy, seems sweet, and he’s mannerly. What’s not to like?”
Heaven leaned against the pillows. She released a sigh as her eyes went to the ceiling. “He’s a musician. He’s probably got a little black book full of women who would be at his door in minutes. Not to mention how many throw themselves at him on a daily basis.”
“That’s not the vibe I get from him,” Hope said. “Layne, um, yeah. Layne’s like the male version of Faith. But Dylan…I don’t think so.”
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