by Amy Lamont
Jeez. Usually the staff at things was a lot less obtrusive. I raised my eyes from the shrimp puffs to let the waitress know I wasn’t interested, only to find my gaze clashing with a set of angry eyes.
Scratch that. Maggie wasn’t angry. She was downright pissed.
“What’s the matter, Mr. Canter, my shrimp puffs not good enough for you?” She practically spit the words at me. Not that I could blame her.
As angry as she obviously was, she was the first bit of happiness I’d had in days. “How is she, Mags?”
Maggie’s eyes narrowed but she removed the tray from my chest. “How do you think she is?”
“Probably about as good as me.”
“Doesn’t look like you’re in too bad shape,” she grumbled. “You’re out of bed and dressed. I saw you eating a couple of those sliders going around earlier. I’d say you’re doing a lot better than Lily right about now.”
I straightened as cold fear gripped my chest. “Lily’s not eating?”
“Or getting out of bed or showering.” She shot me a look that should have flayed the skin from my body. “At least she wasn’t doing any of those things until today. But I took care of her. I’ve always got my girl’s back.”
I heard what she didn’t say. I didn’t have Lily’s back. “You’re right. I didn’t.”
“So what are you going to do about it?”
I pushed my hand through my hair. “I’m already working on it, Maggie. What the fuck was I thinking? She finally opened up to me about how she grew up, what she’d been through. And what do I do? I dump her because the thought of settling down scares the fuck out of me.”
“You’re already working on it?”
I nodded. “I’ve been working on it since about two hours after I left her. The minute I walked away from her, I knew it was a mistake. I imagined getting back to my regular life and it sounded like hell. I thought I didn’t want to settle down, but when I thought about the weeks I’d spent with Lily, I realized it wouldn’t be settling. It’d be building a beautiful life. If I could have what we’ve had this past month for the rest of my life, hell, I’d give up my music.”
Maggie gasped and I offered her a wry grin. “I can take my guitar with me wherever I go, so I’ll never be completely without my music. But if I don’t have Lily with me, I don’t have anything.”
She eyed me suspiciously, still not ready to forgive and forget. I was glad my girl had such a good friend.
“If you knew as soon as you left that you’d made a mistake, why didn’t you turn around and go right back to her?”
I shook my head. “She laid herself bare to me, Mags. And you know she doesn’t share that shit with anyone but you.”
Maggie nodded and I breathed a little easier as I saw her eyes softening a little.
“She laid herself bare and I all but kicked her to the curb. I can’t go get her back until I make sure she knows without a doubt she’s safe with me. That she can count on me.”
Maggie grinned and her face totally relaxed. “That’s exactly what I was hoping to hear. Welcome to the family, Will Canter. What can I do to help?”
Relieved laughter broke from me. After what happened, I wasn’t sure Lily would ever want to see me again, let alone let me back into her life.
But having Maggie on my side would go a long way with winning back Lily’s trust.
“Can you help get her to me on Christmas Eve? I have a few things I need to take care of to put my plan in place, but it should be all set by then.”
“I can do that.”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me, Will. Take good care of my friend.” Her words were both a warning and a seal of approval.
I smiled, feeling a little bit of hope for the first time in days. “I’ll spend the rest of my life taking care of her if she’ll have me.”
Chapter 11
Lily
It took me every second of the next week to set my plan in action. I usually prided myself on being able to do everything myself, but for this, for Will, I called in favors from everyone I could think of. Including one of the members of Will’s band.
Jared hadn’t hidden his amusement when I explained what I wanted. But I blamed his girlfriend, Paige. She’d been the one to put the idea in my head in the first place.
The awesome part was with Jared’s contacts, what I thought it might take months to accomplish came together in a matter of days.
And now I stood in a parking lot at a diner off the highway, actually not too far from my dream house, with my phone plastered to my ear.
“Are you sure he’s coming, Mags?”
She made an impatient clucking sound. “For the millionth time, Lils, I told him you were bringing some stuff up to your house and had some things of his. He said he’d come meet you to get it.”
“What if he just sends his driver? Maybe he won’t show up at all.”
“He’s coming. I’m telling you, he looked miserable at that party. When I called and asked him to meet you, he jumped at the chance.”
“I hope so.” But even as I said the words, I saw the Town Car pulling into the parking lot. “He’s here, Maggie. At least his car and driver are here.”
“He’ll be in that car. Have a little faith, sweetie. And call me after you christen the bus.”
That made me giggle. “Will do. And, Maggie, thank you. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“Same here, babe. Now go get your man.”
I hung up and waited nervously as the car approached. It came to a stop in a parking spot not far from where I stood.
Will got out and damn, but he looked amazing. I drank him in, only realizing he didn’t look equally as happy to see me as he stalked toward me.
Shit. Was he pissed he got dragged all the way here?
“Are you here alone, Lily?” he bit out.
I looked around me. The diner was open, but didn’t do a very steady business. There was a single car our front other than the Town Car. And me.
“Yes.”
“How did you get here? Did someone drop you off? The paparazzi’s published photos of us together. You need to be more careful. Any nut job could come along here.”
A slow grin spread across my face. He wasn’t pissed. He was worried. “Relax, Will. There’s nobody here. Plus, I’m not totally alone.”
His eyes narrowed and he looked at the car. “Did someone drive you here?”
“You could say that.”
“Whoever it is, tell them you have a ride back.” His voice softened. “There’s something I’d really like to show you, if you’ll let me.”
I felt my body angling toward his. It would only take three big steps to close the distance between us. Somehow I found the strength not to fling myself at him. I had a plan and I meant to stick to it.
“I’ll let you,” I said softly. “Can you come around the back with me first so I can tell my, um…ride?”
“Sure, sweetheart.”
My eyes drifted shut at the sound of that endearment, something I never thought I’d hear again. I pulled in a breath and opened them and tilted my head toward the back parking lot to get Will to follow me.
We walked to the end of the diner and around the building. As soon as we came around the corner my surprise came into sight.
“What the…?” Will froze in place.
I turned back toward him. “Merry Christmas, Will.”
His eyes flew to mine.
“I spent a month trying to think of what to get you for Christmas,” I told him. “What the heck could I get for the rock star who has everything? But then, something Paige said gave me an idea, and well…” I lifted my hand to indicate the vehicle parked behind the diner. “Merry Christmas.”
He moved to me and didn’t stop until only a few inches separated us. I had to tip my head up to look at him.
“What is this, Lily?”
I twisted my head to look at the present I got Will. “It’s a tour bus. And a
pretty spectacular one at that.” I admired the Christmas lights I’d managed to drape over the sides of the bus and the wreath that adorned its front grill.
“Paige told you I needed a new tour bus?”
“We,” I emphasized as I turned back to him. “We needed a new tour bus. When we were out with them one night, she told me how much she loved traveling with you guys. She said the only hard part was when she had to share a tour bus with the whole band for weeks at a time. She mentioned getting a tour bus for just her and Jared, and well…I don’t know. It seemed like a good idea to me.”
“What…? So you’re going to come on tour with me?”
A sudden attack of shyness hit me, something only he seemed able to provoke. “If you want me to,” I said quietly.
His arms snagged me around my waist and he yanked me against his body so fast, I had no choice but to wrap my arms around his waist to steady myself. “Will!”
“Sweetheart, my girl just told me that she still wants to be with me after I treated her like shit. If you think I’m going to wait one extra second to get you in my arms, you’re out of your mind.”
“Your girl?”
“Always,” he said. “But I don’t understand? Did the label buy this?”
“What?” I all but screeched. “Of course not. This is my present for you.”
“Then Lily, how did you pay for it?”
I bit my lip and shifted my eyes to the side. Here’s the part I wasn’t sure how he’d take. “I, um, sort of…well, I used the money I saved for the down payment on my house.”
He stood stock still, every muscle in his body going taut. I dared a peek up at his face, but I couldn’t read anything there. That was until he dragged me back closer to his body, buried his face in my neck, and burst out laughing.
“Will?”
Laughter still shook his body as he pulled his head back. “Does our new bus have a driver?”
I wrinkled my nose at him. “Yes, but…”
“Can he take us somewhere right now? I still have something I want to show you.”
“Okay.” Bewildered, I followed him to the bus and watched him confer with the driver. Once we were all settled in, the bus drove us out of the parking lot. I didn’t get a chance to see where we were headed, though, because Will insisted on exploring our new home with me at his side.
“You painted a mural.” I could hear the pleasure in his voice as he saw our bedroom wall.
“I did.” I leaned into him and examined the scene I’d painted. It resembled the tree-lined street where my dream house was. As I worked on it, I realized Maggie’s words were really true. Home was where we made it. As long as Will and I were together.
Will pulled me out of the bedroom and continued his tour. “This is incredible, baby. I can’t believe you did all this.”
He pressed a kiss to my temple, and I almost melted into a puddle at his feet. I hadn’t realized how much I missed that, his lips brushing over the tender spot beside my eyes, almost absently as if he didn’t even need to think about it.
“I’m glad you like it,” I said. I looked around and grinned at what I’d accomplished. I’d decided if I was going to live on a bus, I was going to do everything in my power to make it feel like home.
I’d put curtains on the windows, brought in a super, comfy slouchy couch and chairs. I’d attached some Velcro to throw pillows to keep them anchored to the furniture while we were moving. I’d even made a tablecloth for our four-seater table.
And of course, I’d decked the halls in here. We had a real live Christmas tree in the corner, complete with the ornaments and angel Will bought me. Twinkly white lights were twisted around railings and doorways. It definitely felt like Christmas in here.
It hadn’t hit me until now, but I guessed I needed one last ingredient to make it true. “It’s home,” I said to Will.
He looked down at me, his gaze examining every detail of my face. He bent and kissed me the way only he could—long, deep, wet and thorough. When he pulled back, I had to fight to catch my breath.
“We’re definitely home,” he said, his voice raspy.
Before I could respond, the bus came to a stop and the engine shut off. Will snagged my hand and tugged me to the front. It wasn’t until we were standing on the sidewalk that I realized where we were.
“This is my house.”
“It is indeed your house.” Will pulled a key from his pocket, placed my hand palm up on top of his, and dropped the key into it. “Merry Christmas, sweetheart.”
I stared stupidly at the key sitting in my hand. “I don’t understand.”
“It’s yours. I bought it for you.”
My jaw slackened. “You bought it for me?”
He shrugged and slid his arms around my waist as he maneuvered me to stand with my back to his front. His mouth by my ear, he explained. “If this house is my girl’s dream, then I’m going to be the one who makes sure she has it.”
“But, what…how? I don’t understand.” I turned in his arms so I was facing him. “What about your touring and traveling and not wanting to settle down?”
I searched his eyes for an answer. And then a thought occurred to me. “You weren’t planning on just leaving me here, were you?”
He chuckled and kissed the tip of my nose. “No, baby, not unless you wanted me to. I figured I’d talk to my agent. My contract’s up for renewal. I could cut back on my touring and the amount of time I spent on promotion, make sure I’m here with you as often as possible.”
I shook my head. “Cut back on touring?”
He shrugged. “Nothing’s worth losing you over. If it’s important to you that I’m here, helping you put down roots, then I’m going to be here.”
“But what if your agent or the label doesn’t go for all that?”
“Then I quit the band.”
“Quit the band,” I all but screeched. “Over my dead body will you give up something you love more than anything for me. You are not quitting the band, Will Canter. You and I are going to set up this place as home base for when we’re not on the road. And when we’re on the road, we’ll have our home away from home.” I nodded toward the tour bus. “And neither one of us is giving up everything, is that clear?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he teased. “You’ve made yourself very clear. All except one thing.”
“What’s that?” I asked, my tone huffy.
He grinned. “That part about music being the thing I love more than anything. Not anymore.”
My attitude fell away. “Will…”
His hands came up to cup my face. He kissed me, this one new. It was soft and slow and sweeter than anything I’d ever tasted. When he tore his mouth from mine, it was only so he could stare down into my eyes as he gave me the words. “I love you, Lily. More than anything in the world.”
“I love you, too, Will.”
“Merry Christmas.” He finished the words with his lips against mine, taking my mouth again in another heart-stopping, toe-curling kiss.
When he lifted his head, it was only to ask a question. “Which do we christen first, the bus or the house?”
“You’ve been talking to Maggie, I take it,” I said, remembering Maggie’s last words to me before I hung up earlier.
“I have. She’s a good friend.”
“That she is.” I grinned. “But to answer your question…”
Holy crap. An incredible thought hit as, mid-sentence, I realized the full magnitude of what we’d done for each other.
“What’s wrong?”
“You were going to give up your music. You bought me my dream house and you were going to live there with me whether you could stay in the band or not.”
His eyes crinkled as he caught on to where I was going with this. He dropped his forehead to mine. “And you gave up your dream house so I could have you and my music.”
“Wow.”
He chuckled. “That pretty much sums it up. Though I will point out, you still haven’t answered
my question.”
“Oh, I almost forgot. I have a present for you.” I grabbed his hand and hurried us toward the bus.
“Another present?”
“This one sort of goes with the bus.”
We climbed aboard and I led him to the bedroom, closing the door behind us. I let go of his hand so I could dig the wrapped package out from where I’d hidden it in the closet.
I handed it to him and we sat down side-by-side while he tore the paper off. When he saw what I’d given him, he burst out laughing. “When the tour bus is rocking, don’t come a-knocking?”
“We’re going to need it. From what Paige said, there’s not a whole lot of privacy on a rock tour.”
He shook his head, still grinning. “Where did you even find this?”
“I painted it for you.”
He shot me the wicked grin I loved and that I didn’t realize how much I missed until right this second.
“I think we should test out the shocks on this bus.” He bounced on the mattress a little.
I giggled. “What did you have in mind?”
I’d barely gotten the words out before he had me up and started stripping me of my coat and clothes. Not wanting to be accused of slacking, I did my part as best I could. Between the two of us, we might have popped a button or two, but in minutes we were naked.
Will swept me off my feet and placed me in the middle of the bed, coming down over me immediately.
I made a whimpering sound in the back of my throat at the feeling of his skin sliding against mine. All laughter left me as desire hit me hard and fast.
“I don’t think I can go slow, baby.” To prove his point, he nudged the tip of his cock against my entrance.
“I don’t want slow.” I widened my thighs so he had full access to me. “I’m already wet for you.”
“I can feel that, sweetheart. Your sweet little pussy is ready for me already.”
“Yes.” My eyes closed and my head fell back, my neck arching, as he pressed his hard length against my clit.
“I need you to look at me, Lily.” His tone was serious, almost stern.