And things were about to go downhill.
Grey took a long sip of water and swallowed, gearing up. “Actually you’re Tangled Royal’s manager. If you gave a shit about what I wanted to do with my career or my life, you’d be my manager too.”
Simon stiffened. “What are you saying?”
“You’re out, Simon. I appreciate everything you did for me and the band, but you and I don’t share the same vision anymore.”
Red mottled the man’s face. “Ever since you got a bug up your ass about that stupid chick, your priorities have been fucked up. Lola would’ve continued with the band if you weren’t constantly harping on coming home.”
Not one part of the man’s statement was true. Grey’s head throbbed, and the desire to rip Simon’s head off for what he’d said about Avery was strong, but so was his sense of self-preservation. A lawsuit was the last thing he needed, and Simon wouldn’t hesitate to cause him trouble if he could.
“Get. Out,” Grey said, his jaw clenched as hard as his fists at his sides. To emphasize his point, he headed out of the kitchen and into the living area and straight for the front door.
Simon’s heavy footsteps followed. He picked up his jacket, his movements jerky, his anger palpable. “You wouldn’t be anywhere if it weren’t for me, Kingston. And you won’t get anywhere either.”
“My life, my choice,” Grey reminded the other man.
“A choice you’ll regret,” Simon said before storming out, passing Lola on the way.
“Simon?” she called after him.
“Let him go, Lo,” Grey said.
Lola stepped inside, and he shut the door behind her. She had bags in her hands, and he grabbed them from her, and they made their way to the kitchen. “What was that all about?” she asked.
“I fired him, and it was a long time coming,” he muttered. “If he works for you, that’s great, but as far as I’m concerned, he’s a pain in the ass. He doesn’t care what I want. He blames me for the band breaking up, and worse, he blames Avery. He’s rude and insufferable, and I’ve had enough.”
Lola stepped up and hugged him tight. “I get it,” she said before easing back.
“He never lost his shit when you got together with Rep. What the hell is his problem?”
“You’re his golden boy. Where you go, we go, and he knows it.”
Grey shook his head. “You’re keeping him around, right?”
Lola met his gaze. “If he can’t stand by you or a relationship that makes you happy, then no. I’m through with him too.”
Grey blinked, stunned at her statement and loyalty. “You don’t need to go that far.”
“I do. If he’s capable of acting that way with you, who’s to say he won’t turn on me next? I always told you, even if we’re not together professionally, we make a good team. I trust your judgment, Grey. In all things.”
His throat grew tight. He was fully aware that this was her way of apologizing for how she’d treated Avery. “She’s important to me,” he said.
Lola nodded. “I know. And I want you to tell me why. Over dumplings and Chinese food,” she said, turning to the bags she’d brought.
Grey grinned as she began to place the containers on his kitchen table, making herself at home. She bounced around his kitchen in her tight leather pants and cropped top, chatting away about Rep’s recent hamstring injury. After dealing with pain-in-the-ass Simon, she was a breath of fresh air, and he was glad she’d showed up when she had.
A little while later, his mouth burning from the spicy food, his stomach full, Lola met his gaze across the table.
“I have a question.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “Shoot.” They’d always been honest with each other, and he wasn’t about to stop the flow now.
Lola leaned forward, elbows on the table, empty Chinese food boxes surrounding them. “Why Avery? I mean, let’s face it. You had more than your share of women over the years, right? What is it about her that makes you want to give up everything and settle down?”
Grey eyed her, wondering who she was really talking about here. “Is this more about you and Rep than me and Avery?”
“What do you mean?”
He shrugged. “I could ask you the same thing.”
She ducked her head, then said, “Okay, fine. I know how I feel about him, but when I think about forever, I wonder how you know. I mean, I do, but I kinda want to hear what you think too.”
He nodded. “First, I have to say she’s not making me want to give up everything. Or anything. The need to come home, to settle down, quit traveling … that’s all me. Without Avery, I’d be here. Although I admit, probably not as happily.”
Lola laughed. “Okay, that helps to know. I mean, I wouldn’t want you to give up a life you loved because the woman in your life couldn’t handle it.”
Grey rubbed his chest at her mention of Avery not being able to deal. “I’m not going to lie and say I’m not worried about that end of it. I’ll always be Grey Kingston from Tangled Royal. If things don’t settle around me, I have to hope she can get past her issues.”
“One thing at a time. Answer the why her, and we’ll talk about making it work.” Lola began stacking the food boxes, one inside the other.
Grey breathed out hard. “That’s the easy thing to answer. From the day we met, she saw me. My father saw a disappointment, my mother … she had to love me,” he said wryly. “It was always tough to make friends because I’d rather be playing my guitar than be with people.”
Lola laughed. “I feel that.”
“Eventually I met some guys, and we formed a band, but we were a bunch of loners drawn together. We weren’t friends. Then I met Avery. I was sitting under a tree with my ever-present notebook. I was struggling with some lyrics I couldn’t get right, and she plopped down next to me and offered me one of her cookies.”
“The key to a man’s heart and all that?” Lola grinned.
Grey groaned at her bad pun. “Hardly. Turns out she was a loner in her own way too. Ever since her father was outed as … I don’t even know the word for a guy who has two families, but ever since then, she felt alone and ostracized. She got me immediately.”
He shrugged. He didn’t know how to explain their bond. “I never told her I had these huge dreams. Not in so many words. I think she knew I’d go after fame one day. I mean, she did know how much I loved music. She understood it took me out of myself and had always kept me away from the pain at home. But we graduated, and I read an article about an up-and-coming rock star who’d hitchhiked cross-country and made it big. I wanted that.”
Lola watched him, understanding clear in her eyes.
Grey grabbed another gulp of water, suddenly parched. “I knew Avery was so bonded to her family she’d never leave, and frankly, selfishly, it never dawned on me to ask her.” He ducked his head at the admission. “Once the dream took hold, it wouldn’t leave. So one day I said good-bye and was gone the next. I blindsided her.”
He’d told Lola a lot over the years, about his family, his life, even about how Avery was his first love. But he’d never told her this. He’d always kept his betrayal deep inside.
She let out a slow whistle. “Okay then. I can understand why Avery is skittish about you. And add her father’s life and abandonment into the equation …”
“Yeah. But I came home to see if things were still the same for us. If the memory I kept all these years held up over time. And it turns out that, yeah, we still get each other. Still have that deep respect and understanding.” The sexual compatibility and chemistry was theirs alone. He didn’t need to discuss that with anyone. “I’m not giving up on her,” he said.
“I don’t think you should.” Lola reached across the table and grasped his hand. “And I’ll do everything I can to help you make it work.”
“Same for you, baby.” He grinned at his best friend—next to Avery, of course.
“I know.” She winked, then stood up and began cleaning up.
* * *
Avery, Olivia, and Sienna agreed to meet at their father’s hotel, The Meridian, in South Beach. It wouldn’t have been Avery’s first choice, but Sienna was on the beach with friends, and it was easiest for her to join them there.
Avery arrived at the restaurant on the water first. Rick left the car with the valet. He stayed close by even though once inside the private hotel, she didn’t have to worry about paparazzi. Prying eyes were something else, and she couldn’t stop people from looking and recognizing her, but she doubted anyone would.
She settled into a chair facing the ocean and closed her eyes. She breathed in the salty, humid air and tried to relax, but thoughts of hot, sweaty sex with Grey prevented her from mellowing out. He’d taken her against the wall, hard and fast, and she’d let him, giving in without thought, without care. Without a condom.
He’d apologized afterward, sworn he was clean. He had recent blood work to prove it, he’d said, and he hadn’t had sex in over six months. She was on the pill, so she wasn’t worried about possible pregnancy either. But she hadn’t stayed for a long conversation after that, his I love you while buried deep inside her ringing in the air and inside her head when she’d left. She knew her lack of acknowledging his words had hurt him. Just like she’d hurt him running off this morning.
Except she really had somewhere to be this time. Before she could think and make herself crazy, Olivia joined them, waddling in, Avery thought with a happy smile. Her sister wore maternity clothes now, and the small bump protruded from the light blue tank top she wore, along with what looked like black biking shorts, but Avery was sure those, too, were maternity.
“You look so cute!” Avery rose and hugged her sister.
Olivia flushed red. “I feel like a butterball. This kid likes when I eat. I’m always hungry and I’m gaining fast.” She patted her stomach.
“Eating for two,” Avery said as she settled into her seat.
“At some point, that’s not going to be an excuse, right?”
Avery shrugged. “Milk it for all it’s worth. When else can you just relax and indulge?”
“That’s what Meg said. She seems more relaxed about this whole thing than me.” Olivia picked up a glass of ice water and took a long sip.
“Meg is further along and has had more time to get used to the idea of having a baby. Relax. You’ll be a natural.” Avery knew it was easy for her to reassure her sister when she had no idea what Olivia was going through. She did, however, know that her older sibling would be a wonderful mom.
Before Olivia could respond, Avery caught sight of Sienna and waved. She was twenty-two and the youngest of Robert Dare’s children. Like her mother, she had blonde hair that she’d pulled into a pony tail and brown eyes. She had a lace cover-up over a bikini, and she joined them, tossing her bag onto an empty chair.
“Hi!” Sienna said, settling into a chair. “Sorry I’m late.” Her skin glistened with perspiration from the heat and a healthy tan from the sun.
“You aren’t. We haven’t even ordered drinks yet,” Olivia said, waving to a waiter.
A few minutes later, they’d ordered unsweetened iced teas, and they each chose different salads for lunch, then played catch-up with each other’s lives as they ate. After they finished and the plates were cleared away, they sat with refills on their tea and began to discuss the prom event.
Avery pulled a pad from her purse. She already had notes from the meeting at the hospital and the places she and Ella had contacted for help.
“So we have the venue since the hospital agreed to host there,” Avery said. “We can’t use flowers, because I don’t want to worry about allergies, but I was thinking about using Mylar balloons instead. And what do you think of letting the kids pick the color scheme? We can do a poll or something? Let them be part of things.”
“Good idea,” Sienna said. “I have a friend who works in party planning. I’m sure she could either get the balloons at a great price or donate them. And I know she has the helium machine. I’ll see what she thinks she can do for tablecloths and things.”
“Awesome.” Avery made a check next to décor.
“Does the hospital have silverware, or do we need to handle that ourselves?” Olivia asked.
Avery responded, and they went back and forth on details, each offering their own ideas.
“What about music?” Sienna finally asked.
Avery bit down on her cheek. “That’s the big expense I haven’t figured out yet. We can always resort to an iPod and speakers.”
“Or my sister, who’s dating a rock star, can ask him to sing,” Olivia said, then began whistling and looking around innocently.
“Oh my God, yes!” Sienna squealed and practically flew out of her seat at the idea. “I saw the picture of you and Grey Kingston in the paper. That is so cool!”
Avery winced and grabbed her sister’s wrist. “Sit and shh.” She glanced around to make sure nobody was paying attention.
“Sorry.” The younger girl lowered herself into her seat. “But it really is cool.”
“Yeah, so cool his stalkers are now my stalkers,” Avery muttered under her breath.
“What do you mean?” Olivia asked, leaning across the table.
Avery closed her eyes and sighed, then explained about this morning’s events and Grey’s offer for her to move in with him.
“Crap,” Olivia said helpfully.
Avery shot her a look.
“What are you going to do?” Sienna asked.
“I don’t know. Ella’s away on business, which is good, because I don’t want to have to worry about her getting hurt. I also don’t want to be alone in my apartment right now, but moving in with Grey? Isn’t that … I don’t know. Extreme?”
“I’d do it in a heartbeat.” Sienna shrugged, but Avery knew that was a young mind speaking.
Sienna had missed a year of school thanks to her illness, and she was just going into her senior year of college now. All she was thinking about was Grey Kingston, rock star. She didn’t have a clue the damage Grey could do to Avery’s already shaky sense of trust.
“You can always stay with us,” Olivia said, reaching out and clasping Avery’s hand.
Avery shook her head at Olivia. “Thank you. But I don’t want to bring trouble to your door. Same with Mom. Scott and Tyler offered me a place to stay too, but I think I’d kill them both within a day.”
Olivia snickered. “Point taken.”
“You could take a room here,” Sienna suggested.
Avery mulled over that idea, then discarded it. “I think Grey’s feelings would be hurt if I chose a hotel over the apartment next door to him.”
Olivia pursed her lips and met Avery’s gaze.
“What? Just say it,” Avery said.
“Fine. You can’t move in next door like you’re best friends. It’s not like he’s a one-night stand. You two have history and—”
“He said he loves me.” Avery hadn’t meant to say the words out loud. She’d been pushing them away ever since hearing them, but they’d kept coming back. Echoing in her head. Pecking away at the shields around her heart.
“Holy shit, that’s huge!” Sienna said.
“Not helping,” Avery said, shooting her younger sister a grin.
Sienna blushed and shrugged. “Still cool,” she said under her breath.
Avery shook her head. “Anyway. You see my issue.”
“I see a guy who’s got it bad. What’s holding you back?” Sienna asked.
“It’s complicated but mostly fear,” she admitted. “I don’t think he can really know how he’ll feel about living here in Miami and giving up the spotlight until he does it. And I don’t want to give everything to him only to lose him all over again. So I’ve been telling myself to live in the moment, and it’s worked … until now.”
“Now that you might have to move in?” Olivia perceptively asked.
Until she’d realized they weren’t just having hot sex, they were making love. She’d panicked and run, but now she had to face those fears to keep herself safe.
“Girls!” a familiar, booming voice said.
Olivia flinched, and Avery stiffened as her father put his hand on the back of her chair.
“Hi, Dad,” Sienna said, sounding more subdued. For all her youth, Sienna was a smart, perceptive woman, and she knew exactly what her father’s choices had done to his other family.
“Hi,” Olivia and Avery said.
He wore a suit as usual, a power play for a man who enjoyed power.
As for his children, their relationship had nothing to do with him and everything to do with the bond formed between Sienna and Avery after she’d donated bone marrow. It had started off slowly, but as they’d gotten older, Sienna had kept reaching out, Avery had kept responding, and somehow the girls had all formed a tight bond. The men? Not so much and not as easily, but Riley and Alex had been best friends. When she’d ended up with Ian, the men were forced to form a truce. Slowly but surely, everyone had or was coming around.
Ironically, though Robert Dare’s blood bound them, his presence caused rifts and old resentments to resurface … as evidenced by the sudden headache pulsing behind Avery’s eyes. She hadn’t heard from her father since her name had been publicly linked with Grey’s … she couldn’t imagine he hadn’t heard about the paparazzi swarming her apartment. All her siblings, half and full, were aware. And the man did read the newspaper.
“So what brings you all together?” he asked, still not checking on her well-being. Or Olivia’s pregnancy, Avery noted.
Avery didn’t believe he was deliberately cruel; he was just selfish and absorbed with his life with Savannah, Sienna’s mother, and his family with her.
“We’re working on a fundraiser that Avery is putting together for children at Miami Children’s Hospital. For kids with serious illnesses,” Sienna said. “I’m helping out.”
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