“Listen,” she lowered her voice as she dug a card out of her purse, “I have a friend in Taos, where we have our winter home. She runs a very prestigious gallery. Maybe you could give her a call.”
The unspoken “keep this between us” hung thickly in the air as she pressed the card into my hand.
“Thank you, Collette.”
If we were going to be partners in this little deception, I might as well call her by her first name. She’d asked me to on many occasions, but my mother would never permit it.
My mother.
Could I even call her that anymore? She obviously didn’t care about me. I was just a box she’d ticked off on her bucket list. An obligation. Procreate. Check. And when I didn’t turn out the way she wanted…
“Excuse me, Miss Tennison?”
Torn from my thoughts, I shifted my focus to the haughty sales clerk trying desperately to get my attention. Only she didn’t look so haughty anymore. She’d obviously figured out who I was. And that my mother spent more than the gross national product of a small country in this store.
“Here’s your dress.” With a big grin, she turned over the garment bag. Leaning in, she added in a whisper, “I went ahead and threw in that bra.”
I nodded, and she turned her pretty smile on Collette before retreating back to her spot behind the register.
“Thank you for t-the referral,” I said as I climbed to my feet.
Collette did the same, then folded me into another hug. “Don’t mention it, sweetheart.”
One last peck on the cheek and she was gone, gliding toward the rack full of overpriced clothes the haughty salesgirl had picked out.
Once they were in the dressing room, I unzipped the garment bag, pulled out the bra, and tossed it on the settee. And then I tucked Collette’s card in my pocket and went to find Cameron.
***
Cameron
I looked down at the guy crawling between my legs with the tape measure hanging around his neck. His hands were everywhere. Tucking. Pinning. Groping. I swear he was groping.
When Lily finally returned to the dressing room, a black zippered bag draped over her arm, I was pinned against the wall.
Biting down a grin, she hung up her bag, then dropped onto a chair to enjoy the show.
“Not funny,” I mouthed when the guy made another pass over my package.
Lily pursed her lips, and I could tell she was a second away from letting loose. Clearing her throat, she focused on the tailor. “Mr. Gravis, are you sure you can have this delivered to the Mansion before five o’clock?”
A smile lit his chubby face. “Of course...” Pushing to his feet, he cocked his head and surveyed me with a discerning eye. “The jacket—it is a perfect fit. A little tuck in the trousers and voila!” He glanced over at Lily. “A perfect body for the clothes, no?”
Lily’s gaze travelled the length of me. “Yes. He is perfect.”
Mr. Gravis nodded and gratefully, thankfully, departed so I could change.
“Hold on,” Lily said, dropping to her knees in front of me. My cock sprang to life, and I tangled my fingers in her hair. “Don’t get any ideas. You’re full of pins. You’ll be lucky if your balls make it out in one piece.” She carefully slid the trousers over my hips. “Cameron—step back.” But I didn’t move, tightening my grip on her silky locks. Those eyes met mine, full of fire. “I’m not blowing you in the dressing room at Saks.”
Before I could tell her all the reasons why it was a good idea, she scampered up to hang the trousers on the hook next to the mirror. I followed, sliding my hand under her shirt. “How about you take off your clothes and—”
“Later, you sex fiend.”
With a sigh, I stepped into my jeans, carefully tucking my erection inside. “I see how it is. Now that you’re my girlfriend, all the fun stuff is going to stop. No more limo sex. No more tying you up with your pretty pink bra.”
Our gazes collided in the mirror, and her lips fell into a frown. “Don’t tease me, Cameron. It’s not funny.”
If she thought I was teasing, she was dead wrong. I was terrified. And very serious. Looping my arms around her waist, I rested my chin on her shoulder. “I’m not teasing you, darlin’. But before you get all starry eyed, you should know I haven’t had a girlfriend since the eleventh grade. So I probably suck at it.”
Turning in my arms, her cornflower blue eyes quieted my every doubt. “Try not to hurt me, Cam.” Laying a hand over my heart, she sealed her plea with a soft kiss. “Please try.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
* * *
Lily
“Can I talk to you, Lily?”
I looked up from programming my new phone and found Greg hovering at the open door to my office. Despite the pictures in the paper, I had insisted on driving my own car back to the Mansion. And now I was waiting until Cameron made sure that none of the staff was in the bungalow before I joined him.
I set the phone down. “Of course.”
Greg had barely spoken to me since our evening in the lounge. And he hadn’t smiled at me once. “I’m sure you know why I’m here,” he said as he took a seat.
I didn’t, and I was about to tell him so when he tossed the newspaper on my desk, folded to the society page. A lump formed in my throat as I stared at the photo of Cameron and me. And then I counted. When I reached ten and my tongue still wouldn’t cooperate, I met Greg’s gaze.
He eased back into the chair. “You’re aware of our fraternization policy, correct?”
Technically, the Mansion’s policy only extended to dalliances between employees. The company couldn’t prohibit the staff from entering into a relationship with a guest. I’d never brought it up, because nobody had ever been reprimanded for it.
The serious set of Greg’s jaw told me that was about to change.
“You’ve been a great asset to our team during your tenure here, Lily. But…”
Greg’s lips continued to move, but I couldn’t hear anything over my pounding heart. He was firing me.
Tilting my head as if that might bring the world back into focus, I tried to concentrate on his words. I wasn’t having much luck until he said, “Bradly Westover called personally to voice his displeasure.”
My spine went rail stiff. “What d-does Brad have to do with th-this?”
Greg shifted as if he wasn’t quite sure how to answer. But he didn’t have to. In the few seconds it took me to gather my wits, it all became clear. The Tennison Foundation was the Mansion’s single largest client. And the reason I’d gotten my job here in the first place. I’d always known it. But I’d never cared. Because I was qualified.
“You know he’s my ex fiancé, r-right?” Greg rubbed the back of his neck, nodding. Rather than tell him how utterly unfair his decision was, I wobbled to my feet, tossing the new phone I couldn’t afford into my purse. “I’ll be back in a c-couple of days to get my stuff.”
Greg hopped up when I rounded the desk. “Maybe if your father were to call…”
Shoving his hands in his pockets, he surveyed me with a scrunched up brow. And I wondered if he’d thought of that on his own, or if it was all part of the plan. Either way, I wasn’t biting.
“No thanks,” I replied, snatching the garment bag from the hook on the back of the door. “I’m an artist, not an events c-coordinator.” My gaze flicked to the charcoals on the wall. And I smiled. “I was always j-just killing time here anyway.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
* * *
Cameron
Pacing the length of the suite, I tugged at the stiff collar on the starched white dress shirt while Dave set up the special dinner I’d arranged. How in the hell did people wear this shit? Running a finger between the fabric and my skin, I did my best to ignore the feeling of being choked by my own formalwear.
“You look very nice, Cameron,” Dave said as he dipped into his pocket for some matches.
“Thanks.”
He lit two tapered candles in the center of t
he table, nestled between the fresh lilies and other greenery that made up the centerpiece. “We sure are going to miss Lily around here,” he mused. “She was a joy to work with. Such a special girl.”
I stopped pacing. “Why would you miss Lily? She’s…”
In the next room.
After she’d dropped by her office to firm up the last details for our night at the ballet, I’d drawn her a bath and slid into the tub behind her to help program her new phone. Since we were naked, that quickly evolved into sex against the counter. She’d finally chased me out an hour ago so she could get ready.
Oblivious to my confused expression, Dave checked the flame under the chaffing dishes. “Mr. Greg told us this morning that’s she’d no longer be with us. It seems her picture was in the paper today and it caused quite a stir.” He finally looked at me, his eyes serious and troubled. “I was hoping that someone would have the balls to stand up for her.”
Ripping a hand through my hair, I dropped onto the uncomfortable chair. Fired. Because of me. “Are you sure?”
Dave nodded. “I take it you were unaware.”
“Hell no, I wasn’t aware.” I pointed to the closed bedroom door. “You mean to tell me she’s aware?”
His eyes widened. “Miss Lily is here?”
“You thought all of this was for someone else?”
Dave turned as crimson as the roses I had delivered for Lily prior to our arrival. Four dozen American Beauties. One dozen for each of the days I’d known her.
“It’s not my place to judge,” he said quietly. “I didn’t mean to offend.”
He looked so dejected, I couldn’t help but feel bad for the guy. “Don’t worry about it.” Clapping him on the back, I urged him in the direction of the front door. “Lily should be out any minute. I can take things from here.”
“Of course. Y’all have a pleasant evening.”
Once he was gone and the deadbolt was in place, I pulled out my phone to tap out a message to Chase. I’d always turned to my brother for advice. For guidance. But I wasn’t even sure what to ask.
Lily poked her head out of the bedroom. “I heard the front door close. Is the coast clear?”
Smiling, I slipped the phone into my front pocket. “All clear, darlin’.”
She swept into the room, tugging at the small train on her burgundy dress. Dumbstruck, my gaze traveled north to the soft skin spilling over the top of her tight bodice. And the tendrils of blond hair falling out of her loose bun. And her lips, painted to match the gown.
“What do you think?” She twirled in front of me, her smile fading when I didn’t move. Or speak. “I-I really liked the color. If it’s t-too much—”
“You’re beautiful.” I took her hands, spinning her around to get a better view of her ass. “Stunning.”
The light returned to her eyes, a brilliant smile breaking like dawn.
“Dinner’s ready.” I held the chair for her, and when she eased down, the deep slit on the side of her dress fell open, stopping just short of the Promised Land. Crouching to steal a kiss, I caressed her thigh.
“Thank you,” she said, her fingers twining in my hair.
“For what, baby?”
“Tonight.” Her gaze shifted to the lilies and the candles, then over to the roses, then back to me. “It’s already the best date I’ve ever had.”
The words slipped over her tongue without hesitation. And I knew they were true. Lily hadn’t had a hard life. But I felt her loneliness, like a weight on my heart.
I pressed my lips to the tiny crease between her brows where all her doubt resided. “Eat up. We haven’t even started yet.”
***
Lily surveyed the room over the rim of her champagne flute, eyes darting around to the knots of people sprinkled throughout the lobby. As excited as she was for our date, now that we’d arrived at the Performing Arts center, she was doing her best to blend into the wallpaper.
And, yeah… I got it. I’d insinuated myself into her world. And I didn’t fit. Not really. My hair was too long, and a hint of my tattoos peeked from the cuff of my dress shirt. I had no idea what Swan Lake was about, or who Tchaikovsky was.
But none of that mattered. Because I was here with Lily. It was her body molded to my side, her fingers linked with mine. And later, it would be her legs wrapped around my waist. Because we fit—her and me.
Lily’s gaze snapped to mine when I slipped the glass from her hand. “Let me get you another.”
She forced a smile and nodded. “One more.” As I turned to leave, she tightened her grip on my fingers. “What is it, baby?”
Levering up on her tiptoes, she pressed a soft kiss to my mouth. And the whole room faded away. Before I lost myself in her taste and backed her against the nearest wall, I broke the connection. “Be right back.”
With a wink, I sauntered off in search of the bar. After standing in the long line, and forking over a small fortune for a couple of glasses of champagne, I looked around for my girl. The crowd was thicker now, a sea of tuxedos, ball gowns, and painted on smiles. A group of six or seven inhabited the spot where I thought I’d left Lily. As I passed, I caught sight of her burgundy dress through a gap in the bodies. Her gaze snagged mine, panic etched on her features.
Holding those pretty blue eyes, I slipped into the circle, and shouldered my way to her side. “Here you go, darlin’.”
Despite Lily’s relieved smile, every muscle in her body vibrated with tension.
“Cameron,” she said shakily, her eyes on the couple in front of us. “I’d like you to m-meet my p-parents. M-Marcus and A-Abigail T-Tennison.”
Her mother ignored me, her narrowed gaze locked on her daughter. “Lillian,” she admonished. “All those speech classes, and you still haven’t learned to control your stutter.”
The guy at her father’s side chuckled, and I felt the scowl creep over my face. Before I could ask the chump why he was staring at my girl like he wanted to make her a meal, Marcus cleared his throat. “Cameron, is it?”
“Yes, sir,” I said, shaking his outstretched hand. “Pleased to meet you.”
He had the same piercing blue eyes, the same high cheekbones as his daughter. Which put me at ease for some reason. Marcus went around the circle, making introductions. “And this is Bradley,” he said when he finally reached the douchebag at his side.
Bradley. The ex-fiancé.
Swirling the amber liquid in his glass, the loser gave me a once over. “I thought your name was Knight. That’s what the papers said. Aren’t you a part of that rock band?”
Unless he’d been hiding under a rock, he knew exactly who I was. But I played along. “Knight is my stage name. But you can call me Mr. Noble if you’d like.”
Anger flashed across his features, and his lips parted, but before he could get the words out, a petite blond appeared at his side. “Sorry I’m late,” she chirped, popping up on her toes to kiss Brad’s cheek.
The blonde’s cosmetically engineered smile died when she noticed Lily. Moving closer to Brad, she cocked her head. “Lily. What are you doing here?” As if she just realized that Marcus and Abigail were mere feet away, she tried for a laugh. “I haven’t seen you at the ballet in forever.”
Lily cleared her throat. “H-hello, Amber.”
Amber’s attention shifted my way and it took all of two seconds for recognition to dawn. “Oh…wow,” she breathed. “You’re Cameron Knight.”
My eyes flicked to Brad. “That I am.”
“And you’re here…at the ballet. With Lily?”
I pulled Lily closer, but she was so stiff, it felt like she might shatter. “Yeah, I’m a little surprised myself. But since Lily loves the ballet, I figured I might as well get used to taking her.”
Amber nodded slowly, then turned her fake as hell smile on Lily. “So, how long have y’all been dating?”
Once again, I felt my girl struggling to get the words out.
“Long enough,” I interjected, my gaze settling on Abig
ail. “I’ve never met anyone like your daughter, Mrs. Tennison. She’s very special. You must be so proud of her.”
For the first time since her parents arrived, Lily straightened up. And I wished like hell I hadn’t said anything. Because the way she looked at her mother, her blue eyes pleading for the tiniest scrap of kindness, I wanted to lean forward and pull the compliment from the woman by sheer force.
“Quite,” Abigail said dismissively, offering nothing more than a bland expression. When the lights flickered, she slipped her gloved hand in the crook of her husband’s arm. “If you’ll excuse us. The ballets about to begin.”
Abigail looked anywhere but at Lily as Marcus tipped forward to brush a kiss to his daughter’s cheek. “It was nice to see you, Lily Bear. Have a good night.”
Since all my focus was on the heartbreaking scene playing out in front of my face, I almost didn’t notice Marcus’s outstretched hand. “Nice meeting you, Mr. Knight.”
I shook it mechanically, mumbling my goodbye. At the last second, Lily found her voice and took a step toward Abigail. “G-goodnight, M-Mom; it w-was—”
Anger on a scale I’d rarely felt flooded me when the woman turned away without letting Lily finish. And then something else. Sadness. It spread to all my limbs as Lily’s eyes lost all their sparkle. She tracked her parent’s movements in the crowd, sagging against me when they disappeared into the theater.
“So, Lily…” Brad said, rattling the ice in his glass. “Have you sold any paintings, or are you planning on keeping your career in food and beverage?”
The glancing blow snapped Lily out of her haze. And before I could deliver one of my own in response, she was in his face, her finger pointed at his chest.
“Don’t think that just b-because you have my f-father fooled that I don’t know exactly who you are. I know you c-called my b-boss.” Her focus shifted to Amber. “In case I never s-said it before, you t-two deserve each other. And just so you know, when Brad gets d-drunk, he still calls me.”
Rock Star Romance Ultimate: Volume 1 Page 64