Muse: ( Groupie Volume 2 of 2)

by Susan Daugherty

  We synchronously bobbed our heads as we digested his words. It was uncanny, as if he knew we were overanalyzing things.

  Charlie napped on and off while we sat vigil, making sure he had everything he needed until Marsha came back at lunchtime. We were contemplative and quiet as we walked along the corridor, rode down the elevator, and out to the Jeep. Charlie’s voice haunted me. I could hear him saying, “You know you love him, just say it already. Don’t be so worried that it’s ‘too soon’ or that you misjudged in the past.”

  Inside the Jeep, we shut our doors and both suddenly turned to face each other.

  He said, “Lexie—” at the exact same time I called his name.

  He stopped short, and I let out a nervous laugh. “It’s okay, you go,” I said anxiously.

  “Well, I was thinking a lot about what Charlie said, and I think he’s right, you know? Life is short and we need to be honest—”

  I cut him off abruptly and blurted out, “I love you.”

  Chapter 38

  His lips parted and his eyebrows rose at my interruption. My hand flew up to cover my mouth, surprised at my confession. He sat motionless, in shock, while I rubbed my lips nervously.

  “Well, you know how to steal a guy’s thunder,” he said smartly, but simultaneously flashed my favorite smile. “But, those are the best words I’ve heard in my whole life … damn, my heart is racing right now. You mean it?”

  I let out a breath of relief and smiled widely. “I do, Jackson Morgan, with all my heart. I’m not nervous at all about saying it now that I’ve confessed it. I love you. There, I said it again.”

  He closed his eyes, savoring the moment, and then kissed me until I couldn’t catch my breath, butterflies taking over my entire body. “I love hearing you say it. Feel free to say it as often as you please. I guess I’m still not allowed to respond for twenty-four hours?”

  I shrugged as he took both of my hands into his. “It was supposed to be an honesty buffer.”

  “So not fair, considering you cut me off in the middle of my speech. Did you do that on purpose, just so you wouldn’t have to be the one to wait?”

  He kissed me tenderly again, and then I responded, “Not on purpose, but maybe subconsciously. I couldn’t physically hold it in. And just so you know, I’m not sorry.” I kissed him to shut him up, and he finally pulled away laughing.

  “Alright, well, you’ll have to stay in suspense then. But, thank you, for making me the happiest man alive today.”

  My heart had never been so full, and I savored the feeling during the thirty-minute drive to Murfreesboro. We arrived at Jackson’s childhood home to pick up Carl. It was just as I pictured it, the idyllic setting of a small farm with a cottage feel and lots of room to run and play. I wished for more time to relax and spend a day there, sipping iced tea on the front porch, while Carl told me stories about Jackson’s childhood. I could picture us, gray-haired, as we rocked on the porch and watched our grandkids play. My cheeks filled with heat when he caught me lost in daydream and asked what I was thinking. I shrugged with innocence.

  Jackson’s high school had a shadow box tribute to him in the lobby area with a gold record, a platinum record, and a few autographed photos and memorabilia. The current principal met us an hour before the show while the smaller crew set up a few speakers, two guitars, and two microphones on the small stage of the auditorium.

  Fitch, Amos, Andy, and Kate arrived. We congregated behind the closed curtain as the auditorium filled with excited fans ready to welcome back their hometown hero. He performed the fundraiser for the last two years. The first he was a newbie with the freshman record of modest success, and last year he had barely released the second album that turned him into a household name. This year, the price of admission doubled, and raffle tickets for his autographed items had raised over $50,000. He planned to play ten songs, as well as spend time between each one to talk to the audience and recognize some special students.

  I gave him his kiss on the cheek, but this time added, “I love you.” A smile spread to cover his face, and he winked at me. We took seats on stage left, out of sight, as the principal introduced him to a standing ovation. He charmed the crowd, talking about his days at the high school and growing up in Murfreesboro, even saying hello to a few teachers he recognized in the crowd.

  They played “Small Town Life” to kick off the show, and the next two hours passed with the most relaxed and personal show I’d ever witnessed. I found myself drawn to watch the pride in Carl’s eyes while he witnessed his son light up the stage with just one friend and two guitars.

  He leaned over to me with a glint of tears in his eyes. “If only Caroline could see our boy now.”

  When they reached the ninth song of the evening, Jack’s voice changed with a tone of nervous emotion. “If y’all don’t mind, I always save the second-to-last song of the evening for a very special person. She’s been with me for my last twenty or so shows.”

  Andy leaned over and teased me, “Well, except for two you missed while on your death bed in Evansville …”

  I elbowed him, making him grunt. We tried to stifle our laugh as Jackson glanced over.

  “I chose a cover song tonight, but it sure means a lot. I hope I do it justice. The first time I sang this was for a birthday wish; this time it’s because I mean every word.” He cleared his throat and nodded to Fitch while they began to strum softly.

  “I’m shameless, when it comes to loving you. I’ll do anything you want me to, I’ll do anything at all.…”

  His eyes remained closed, feeling the words, until he looked directly over to me, making my heart catch in my throat. I stood automatically, both hands over my heart as I drank the words in.

  “Oh honey, I don’t have a prayer. Every time I see you standing there, I go down upon my knees. I’m changed, swore I’d never compromise—you convinced me otherwise. I’ll do anything you please….”

  I felt the tears streaming down my face as emotion cracked in his voice and he struggled to stay composed through the last line of the song. I had never seen a person bare their soul on stage like that in my life, and I stood paralyzed by trembles taking over my whole body. I wiped tears away, quickly replaced by new ones. Tears stained his cheeks as well. He strummed the final chord to a thunderous applause and standing ovation, the crowd stunned by such a vulnerable performance. My friends around me were speechless, as was I.

  Jackson kept his head down briefly while he wiped his eyes and then smiled at the crowd. “Thanks y’all, for letting me get that out. Give me a quick second.”

  He strode across the stage, where I stood out of view, and took my face in his hands as he looked in my eyes and kissed me softly. I returned the kiss as if my life depended on it.

  I whispered, “No fair.”

  He was puzzled. “What do you mean, baby?”

  “You were supposed to wait twenty-four hours to say ‘I love you.’”

  “I didn’t say it,” he insisted, with a gleam in his eye.

  I grinned. “Oh, yes, you did. It was the most amazing way I ever could have imagined. I don’t know that I deserve you, but I’m going to try to be worthy of your love. Thank you for that song.”

  “I do love you. Screw the rules.”

  He kissed me quickly and headed back onto stage to the anxiously awaiting crowd chanting his name.

  He finished with an upbeat crowd pleaser, as usual, and then stayed to sign hundreds of autographs, while the rest of us mingled with some of the crowd. Several people recognized Kate and me from the video, and of course, Fitch from the band, so we signed a few autographs here and there as well.

  It was after ten o’clock when we finally got to the Jeep, then dropped Carl off, and reached the apartment an hour later.

  We fell quiet as we walked up the stairs hand in hand. It occurred to me that we were alone for the first time since both declaring our love … which had been the limit placed on our sleeping together. There was no longer a barrier. My he
art hammered in my chest, and heat spread through my body from head to toe.

  Chapter 39

  Jackson cleared his throat as he fumbled with his key in the door. “So, um … we can still take things as slow as—”

  “No!” I nearly shouted, blush filling my cheeks. “I mean, believe me, I am more than ready.”

  He smiled softly at me, guiding me inside with his hand on the small of my back, the way I loved. His touch made my skin tingle.

  “I’ll go change in the bathroom and get some wine poured, if you want to use the bedroom to, um, get more comfortable.”

  I nodded and shut the door behind me. I leaned against it and willed my heart to slow down. Rummaging through the clothes in the closet and my suitcase on the floor, I wished for lingerie to appear magically. Finally, I decided if I didn’t have the right thing to wear, I would wear nothing. I pulled on my black, knee length, cotton robe over my bare skin and cinched it tightly at the waist to prevent a premature show. Waves of my blonde hair fell loose around my face like he preferred, and I sprayed a hint of jasmine body splash.

  After a deep breath, I walked out of the room and glanced into the empty kitchen before finding him on the couch. Several candles bathed the room in a soft glow and a bottle of Pinot Noir sat between two full glasses. He sat with his back straight and shoulders tense as I took a seat near him, tucking a leg under me carefully. He wore my favorite low-slung black pajama bottoms and had done me the favor of leaving his shirt off, so I could watch his tan skin flicker in the candle light.

  He looked me over with appreciation, giving me confidence in the subtle way he always did. After handing me a glass, he took a long sip of his own. “You look so gorgeous,” he said hoarsely. His foot tapped nervously.

  How did he manage to be so hot and so vulnerable?

  I suppressed a giggle. “Jackson Morgan, I appreciate the whole seduction scene you have going on here, but let me give you a tip. I’m a sure thing.” I borrowed the line from Pretty Woman, but naturally, he didn’t get the reference.

  He still gave me a wry smile and shook his head. “I … I just want it to be perfect.”

  I took his hand in mine after a sip of wine. “Babe, I should be the nervous one. This is basically my first time, when you consider the duration and quality of my last experience.”

  “That’s the thing, though, Lex.” His eyes looked intently into mine. “This is my first time.” I looked at him dubiously, and he continued. “First time making love to someone instead of empty sex. This means so much to me … you mean so much to me.”

  Tears welled in my eyes, and I put down our glasses. I crawled onto his lap. “You mean so much to me, too. Making love to you is going to be the most amazing thing because we are in love. There’s no way we can go wrong.” He smiled and visibly relaxed as I leaned forward and whispered in his ear, “And you look so sexy right now.”

  He growled low and whispered back, “Damn, Lexie, I’ve never wanted anything so much in my life.”

  He suddenly grabbed me and tossed me onto my back, hovering over me, his anxiety gone, replaced by pure desire in his eyes. Heat rolled off him. My breath caught while he kissed me until we were gasping for air. He sat tall over me, legs pinning me down on either side and began to trace the V of my robe, while I felt my entire body pulse.

  “What do we have under here?” he asked coyly, expecting to find some lace or satin as he pulled the robe toward one side. He inched it over expectantly until he realized there was nothing underneath. His eyes widened. “Oh my god, that is hot as hell.” He groaned and pulled off the entire robe, and that’s the point where all control was lost.

  The late-morning sun filtered into the bedroom and roused me from the most magnificent sleep. I was tangled in sheets and limbs. I smiled, remembering the night that was, indeed, the most amazing of my life. I hated to move at all, because I sure did like Jackson’s heavy leg draped over mine and his arms wrapped protectively around me. Slowly, I lengthened my body, sore all over, but in the best way possible.

  He moaned in protest, and then his cheeks dimpled, eyes still closed as he gripped me more tightly. “You’re not going anywhere.”

  I giggled. “Well, I could quite possibly be convinced to stay in bed with you for the rest of my life.”

  He opened his eyes slowly and focused on me with a teasing grin. “Hmm, I think I may have created a monster.”

  I smacked his strong arm playfully. “It’s your own fault. I had no idea—”

  “What?”

  “That it could be so amazing. I never understood the fuss.”

  “Even better than you imagined, right?” he teased again.

  “Yes, but only because it was you ... and there’s still so much to learn!”

  He laughed. “You blew my expectations for our first time out of the water.”

  “And the second and third?” I asked coyly, tracing a finger down his bare chest.

  “They were even better, baby. I can’t wait for the next time and the next and—” He kissed my ear, pulling me impossibly closer. We kissed gently until both of our stomachs interrupted with hunger and we admitted we were starving. I pulled the sheet around me and hunted for my black robe. I found it strewn across the floor of the living room, where our long night had started.

  Jackson cooked with the basics in his fridge—eggs and biscuits—which was perfect for my appetite. I sat at the bar stool and watched him move, appreciating every muscle that contracted.

  “I promise to go shopping for lingerie,” I said shyly, still embarrassed by my lack of sexy attire.

  He glanced at me with his eyebrows raised. “You’re kidding, right? You without clothes is sexier than anything you could have on. You could wear a damn muumuu to bed, and it wouldn’t matter to me.”

  I grinned and grabbed my phone as it beeped a message at me from its place on the charger. Andy had texted us both multiple times and expressed worry at our lack of response. I called him back quickly as Jack dished the food onto our plates and set OJ in front of me. I dodged Andy’s inquiry as to why we took so long to respond. He finally asked if we were ready to leave that afternoon, or if plans still hinged on Charlie, who was stable but not yet released from the hospital. I handed the phone off while I dug into the food, realizing my famish.

  Jack hung up after a minute and then called Charlie’s room. He was spunkier every day and stated he felt solid. His release was schedule for the next day and insisted we should head out with Theo on the tour. Jack called Andy back to task him with making sure everyone was ready to roll out at three o’clock, a later start than originally planned.

  “Damn, we need to finish laundry, get packed up, and leave here in a few hours,” he said as he inhaled the last of his food, and I started on the dishes.

  I pouted. “I hoped to drag you back into bed.”

  He gave me a wicked grin. “Honestly, I’ll be kind of glad to get you back on that bus. There are so many places I had in mind for us to try out.”

  I balked. “You did?”

  “Hell yeah, I did. Way more than I care to admit. The kitchen counter, the wingback chair, the dining table, the shower—and the top bunk would be interesting.”

  I bit my lip. “You thought about having sex with me in all those places? When were you thinking those things?”

  “All day long, baby. Sometimes when you were with me, sometimes just daydreaming on my own.”

  I shook my head. I had been clueless to his dirty thoughts—except maybe while I chewed on Twizzlers or during a massage. I let my imagination start to run and then gave him a conspiratorial wink. “Your desk has real possibilities, too.”

  He groaned. “That’s it. We may be late, because there are too many naughty images in my mind right now.” He scooped me up over his shoulder and carried me back to the bedroom.

  We were definitely the last to arrive at the bus lot.

  Our next stop was Cherokee, North Carolina, which gave us over five hours in the bus. Af
ter unpacking and sorting through his therapy items, I started another session for the day. He breezed through the transition back into two shoes, but still had difficulty pushing off his toes while walking and developed a compensated gait. It was painful deep in the joint, which was the root of the problem, so I worked hard to mobilize the various joints of his ankle, midfoot, and forefoot. He grimaced openly and asked if we could just go back to the gentle massaging.

  “Not if you ever want to run, lunge, or do a full squat again,” I explained, and he relented.

  Our caravan pulled in around 8:30 p.m. at the designated tour bus area for Harrah’s Casino. It was about the only thing in the town, way off the beaten bath, but it brought in a whole lot of business and some big name shows as well.

  Gloria cooked up a storm on the drive and had lasagna, salad, and garlic bread ready for our late dinner. Jack and I settled into our lawn chairs and listened to the constant chatter as we sipped beer.

  Ric and Lee had set out a mission to initiate Theo into tour life. The first prank being to tell him the bathrooms were not operational while the bus was driving, so that he held his bladder for the long drive and nearly died by the time we got parked and hooked up to the sewer. They had all taken turns using the bathroom when he was asleep, and Theo assumed everyone was holding it.

  “Theo, really? Do you think us ladies really hold it more than three hours max? And the poor drivers?” Trina giggled until tears rolled down her face, and none of us could stop laughing at his expense.

  “It’s not funny! I was in serious pain for the last forty-five minutes.” He glared at us all and finally laughed at himself, too.

  Jack warned him, “It won’t be the last one, buddy, keep your eyes open.”