“So, em, how bad did we do with the tabloids?” he asked, turning his body in a way that he hoped hid his crotch.
“Pretty bad. Lots of ‘first person’ accounts describing details of our sexual escapades all over town.”
“All over town? That’s impressive.”
She laughed. “Yeah, well, Conor took a little heat off of us with his own gossip.”
Martin looked over at the guitar player. Conor was shirtless and in shorts as well. He had his eyes closed as he played and listened intently to the melody Gavin was singing. The bastard was still far too good looking for Martin’s liking. But he viewed him purely in terms of appreciation rather than attraction—just like Shay suggested. Damn Ashley for ever trying to twist things.
“What did he do?” Martin asked.
“He was seen with his ex last night. The video and photos are pretty suggestive. I can see why Felicity has been a bit cold to him this morning.”
“Ah, it’s bullshit. He’s completely done with Colette. Felicity knows that, I’m sure.”
Lainey nodded. There was far more history to the situation than she would know and she wisely kept from discussing it further.
“Why didn’t you wake me?” he asked. “I didn’t mean for you to be on your own.”
She laughed. “The funny thing is, I was going to leave. But I stopped in the kitchen for some water and thought maybe I’d watch the sunrise. Then Sophie and Daisy came in. She wouldn’t hear of me going. She made me tea and we watched the sun come up. Then she made me breakfast and we talked. It was really nice. She’s so welcoming.”
Martin smiled in agreement. Looking over at Sophie in the pool, he had a new appreciation for her while at the same time feeling a sense of regret for the lack of closeness he’d had with her over the years.
“Then, one by one, I got to meet everyone else,” Lainey continued. “They couldn’t have been sweeter.”
“I’m happy to hear that. I would’ve been happier if you’d gotten me up.”
“I’m here now, Martin.”
That simple assurance was so pleasing that he leaned down and kissed her. He meant it to be quick, but she put her arm around his neck and prolonged their connection. Their chemistry was undeniable. It was fantastic that he might have a bit more time with her than he thought.
Reluctantly pulling away, he asked her, “You’ll stay for a while, then?”
“I have to.”
“Have to?”
She put her hands on his hips and slowly pushed him backward. “Because I haven’t been for a swim yet.”
With that, she pushed him into the pool and, laughing, jumped in after him. Martin pushed his way to the surface of the water and saw her smiling at him. He knew then that he was in trouble. Because he didn’t want his time with her to end.
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
It had been hours since Felicity left the group to hide away in their bedroom with the excuse that she needed to work. The work was cleaning up the headlines both Conor and Martin had made the evening before at the charity event.
Conor had known as soon as he saw that his encounter with Colette had gone public that he’d be in the doghouse, but he didn’t expect Felicity to take it quite as hard has she had. She’d looked at him with such hurt, quickly hiding that with coldness. He figured giving her some time was the best way to handle it. But his patience had finally worn thin when at four in the afternoon she was still playing her solitary game.
With Martin and Lainey cuddled together, napping on a lounge chair, Gavin and Sophie spread out on a blanket on the lawn with Daisy, and Shay and Jessica watching a movie inside, Conor was the odd man out. He took the opportunity to go upstairs to make up with Felicity.
When he entered the bedroom, he found it darkened by the drapes pulled against the sunlight. Felicity wasn’t working. Rather, her laptop sat open and untouched on the end of the bed as she was curled on her side sleeping. He picked up the computer and placed it on the nightstand. As he was turning away, the image on the screen caught his eye. Felicity had been searching local doctors.
Before he could suss out what it meant, Felicity breathed in deeply and turned to him. “You’re here,” she said, holding out a hand to him.
The offering was a good sign and he quickly took it, climbing into bed with her. They lay on their sides, facing each other. He stroked her cheek as he examined her, trying to decipher her mood. She looked relaxed, happy even.
“Not like you to nap,” he said.
“I know.” She stretched and then rested her arm around his neck, drawing him closer.
“I’m sorry I didn’t just walk away from her at the start,” he said. He hadn’t gotten the chance to apologize to her before since she had gone cold and remote upon learning of the tabloid stories. “I got sucked into her games, but only for the briefest of moments.”
Felicity didn’t reply. She kept her eyes closed.
“I love you, Fee. I’d never jeopardize what we have.”
Meeting his eyes, she smiled and nodded. “I know. Just took me a minute.”
He kissed her, hoping to take her mind far from any doubts she had about him. And to take him away from the guilt he felt. That episode with Colette proved to him just how happy he was to be where he was, how right it was to be with Felicity.
As was usually the case, she was easily seduced by his kisses. He’d been told before that he was a sensational kisser, but Felicity always made him feel that was true. When she was at that nearly breathless stage, he pulled away and smiled at her.
She touched his mouth, dragging her thumb over his bottom lip. Now she was the one examining him, taking in his features, from his thick black eyelashes shading bright blue eyes, to his high cheekbones, and his sensual mouth. It wasn’t desire in her eyes as she did so, but something more clinical.
“What is it, honey?” he asked.
“Gavin’s right.”
That threw him. He raised his eyebrows. What did Gavin have to do with anything?
She stroked the short black hair at his temple. “You are pretty.”
He laughed. “That bastard has been calling me pretty nearly all my life. You’re just now agreeing with him?”
“But you’re also ridiculously handsome.”
“I know,” he said and she laughed. “I feel like maybe I should be the one chatting you up, though?”
“Just making an observation, Con.”
“You feeling okay?”
She nodded. “I feel really good, actually. Especially because I suspect you’re about to make me feel a whole lot better.”
“Treating me like a sure thing, are you?” he asked with a laugh. “What if I want a little seduction?”
Reaching between his legs, she grasped his hardness. “Tell me how you want to be seduced.”
“Is that a real offer?”
“Of course.”
“Got any lingerie?”
She wasn’t the sort to do sexy lingerie most of the time and he didn’t mind. But since she was making the offer, it was worth a try.
“I’ll check. Don’t go anywhere.”
He watched her get up and go to the adjacent bathroom, closing the door. The bedroom’s closets were built-in there, so she would have privacy to find something suitable. Waiting for a moment, his thoughts returned to that laptop and he got up to have another look at it.
Waking the computer, he saw that the list of doctors were OBGYNs. He recognized the designation as being for women’s issues, including pregnancy. He supposed she must have been doing the research on Sophie’s behalf.
Stripping down to his boxer briefs, he went to the bed and sat on the side.
“Don’t laugh,” she said through a crack in the bathroom door.
“Why would I laugh?”
“I bought this on a whim and now it feels like too much.”
“Just get your gorgeous self out here.”
After a brief hesitation, she stepped out and he liked what he saw. A
lot. She wore a black lace teddy. It cut high against her hips, and the front was open and plunged almost to her navel, leaving just enough fabric to cover her breasts. Slender, with a nice shape, her body was beautiful to him, especially because she was so comfortable in it.
“I love it,” he told her. “Spin for me.”
She did as he asked, moving slowly around so he could get a look at her backside. The back of the teddy was mostly open and a thong. There was a rhinestone bow at the base of her spine. He suspected it was this part that had made her hesitate in coming out. It was the contrived “costume” feeling that she usually avoided. But that reluctance seemed to have disappeared now. She was watching him look at her, and there was no doubt she could see the desire in his eyes as she moved closer to him.
“It’s brand new, you said?” he asked. He reached out and grabbed her bare ass in his hands, squeezing with satisfaction. She had a great, tight little ass.
“Yes.”
Finding her nipple through the fabric, he pulled it into his mouth, sucking and biting until she took in a sharp breath. “I’ll get you another,” he murmured.
“Another? Why?”
“Because I’m about to rip this thing off and fuck you like never before.”
“Don’t talk. Show me.”
He looked up at her with a grin. That’s why she was the right woman for him. Because she both challenged and accepted him, and she always met him on exactly the same level.
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
It was getting dark and there was talk among the group of going down the hill to Musso & Frank, the storied Hollywood steakhouse, for dinner. They had all been lingering outside, enjoying the sangria Sophie had made but couldn’t enjoy herself. Lainey and Martin were sitting together in an oversized armchair in the corner of the patio.
“It’s probably time for me to go,” Lainey said as she got up.
Martin stood, too, overcome by a rush of disappointment at the idea of her leaving. They had spent the day in the most relaxed manner—playing around in the pool, lounging in the sun and chatting idly, eating a late lunch, napping together. She got along with everyone else, too, as they had taken her in as one of their own. Martin’s connection with Lainey was unlike any other he had ever had. He knew feeling like this in such a short amount of time was peculiar, but he chose to believe that it meant something good rather than guard against it.
“Won’t you stay?” he asked. “We don’t have to go with the others. We could stay here and order take away.”
“That’s really sweet, but I do need to get back to my life. I can’t hide out here forever.”
That characterization of their time together felt like a repudiation of his experience. He took a step backward, needing the physical space from her to try to see things clearly. Now he questioned the intensity and sweetness of their short time together, wondering if she had only been with him to avoid the paparazzi.
“I see. Yes, of course,” he said. “I can arrange for a car service.”
She touched his forearm. “You’re not mad, are you?”
“Not at all.”
“Okay, good. I’ve got a long day tomorrow. Costume fittings for the next movie. We start shooting in three weeks.”
“I get it. You’re busy.”
“Well, yeah, I am. But, didn’t we tell each other already that we’re a terrible catch?” she asked with a small smile.
She was trying to force some lightness into her cold truth, but it was the hint of condescension he found hard to swallow. The fact was that he felt hurt. He felt like she was rejecting him. But it was ridiculous to feel either of those things because she was right that neither was in the position to try to pursue anything more than they already had.
“We did, you’re right.” He managed to smile. “It was lovely spending a wee bit of time with you, Lainey. Maybe our paths will cross once more.”
Watching him for a moment, she slowly nodded. “I’d like that.”
It was such a non-committal answer that he just kept smiling dumbly.
Distracted by disappointment, Martin still managed to get a car to the house. Lainey said gracious goodbyes to everyone and Martin walked her to the Town Car.
“Enjoy your time with your boys,” Lainey told him. “I really hope everything works out with the custody.”
“Thanks. I’m sure it’ll be fine. And best of luck with your Lainey 2.0.”
She laughed. It was what they had come up with to describe this second half of her acting career. “I need it, thanks.”
Martin thought it ridiculous that someone this special could only be in his life for such a brief time. But that’s exactly what he needed to accept, because she was soon ensconced in the backseat of the car.
“Home safe,” he told her through the open window.
“One more thing,” she said, gesturing for him to come closer. When he leaned down to the window, she reached out and grabbed him by the back of the neck, kissing him for a long moment. And then, before he could register anything else, she pulled away, spoke to the driver, and the car was moving down the drive.
“Fuck my life,” he groaned.
Turning, he headed back toward the house. He gamely went out to dinner with the group, but his heart was not in the socializing. When his phone buzzed with an incoming text from Lainey, he smiled broadly and quickly opened it.
“I know I don’t really need to ask,” she wrote, “but you won’t talk about me to the press, right?”
His heart didn’t just sink, it plummeted to the pit of his stomach. The message was further proof that he and Lainey had been having different experiences. She had been looking for an escape while he had been immersed in the idea that they had something deeper.
Trying to withhold his anger from his words, he replied, “Not one word. I’ll assume this goes both ways?”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
The breezy reply did nothing to improve his foul mood. He realized this was the first time he had ever felt used in his life. And he hadn’t even gotten laid.
The only thing to snap him out of his brooding was the cute cocktail waitress in the red coat. Succumbing to his libido, he snuck away from the table long enough to flirt with the young woman. Flirting very quickly turned into standing sex in the restaurant’s dry-goods pantry. The relief that encounter provided was short lived, however, as his thoughts returned to Lainey almost immediately. He played out all kinds of scenarios in his head for how he could approach her again, of how he could convince her to see him. But all seemed just as doomed to fail as their original time together had in the end. It was clear that she was moving on. He would have to force himself to do the same.
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
After what turned out to be a nearly three-hour dinner, the group went back to the house and split up. Sophie went upstairs to lie down with Daisy; Conor and Felicity went for a swim in the heated pool; Shay and Jessica soaked in the Jacuzzi. That left Gavin with the opportunity he had been looking for ever since they had all arrived in Los Angeles—time with Martin.
He found Martin in the kitchen, rummaging through the refrigerator.
“You find any beer, grab one for me,” Gavin told him.
Sure enough, Martin pulled out two large bottles of Chimay Grand Reserve. There was a bottle opener on the kitchen island. Martin quickly used it to pop off the cap to both bottles of ale and handed one to Gavin.
“Sláinte,” Gavin said, knocking his bottle against Martin’s in toast.
“Cheers,” Martin replied before taking several large gulps.
“Good ride back at the restaurant, then?”
Martin coughed, wiped his mouth, and looked sheepish.
Gavin laughed. “What, you didn’t think anyone noticed you going off for a shag with that waitress?”
“Em, no, I guess I didn’t.”
“You really need to get better at this stuff, Marty. That is, if you’re keen to stay out of the tabloids. I’d wager the whole rest
aurant was rating your performance while we were enjoying dessert.”
Martin closed his eyes and grimaced.
“Hey, in the end you’re just a guy looking for a good time, right? You’re separated, so what’s the big deal?”
“Technically. But bottom line is I’m not after hurting Celia any more than I already have.”
“I was wanting to talk to you a bit about that—”
“Gav, I don’t really want to talk about it.”
“No, I’m interested in general terms. I was thinking we might take a stab at writing a song together.”
“You and me?” Martin was incredulous.
“Yeah. I know a bit about what you’re going through. The dissolution of a marriage is a heavy thing. I got halfway there with Sophie before we reconciled. I have some ideas for a song, but think you’d have a lot to add to it.”
Martin examined him for a moment, took another long swig of ale, and then shook his head. “Shay put you up to this?”
“Seamus? No. What makes you think that?”
“Come on, you’ve never once even asked my thoughts on your lyrics. Now you want to co-write a song? Seems pretty obvious Shay put you up to this, especially after what he and I talked about the other day in San Francisco.”
Now Gavin took a minute to study the bassist. Martin seemed convinced that Gavin had ulterior motives, but he really had none.
“What was this talk of yours about, exactly?”
“Well, you already know, don’t you? It was me telling him Rogue is all about you and Con. Always has been. I’ve counted myself lucky to go along for the ride, but I’m realistic enough to know I’m replaceable.”
“The fuck you are,” Gavin said, wide-eyed. “Marty, Rogue wouldn’t go on without you. It wouldn’t go on without Seamus. Or without any one of us. What’s brought this on?”
Finding Rhythm (Rogue Rockstar Series Book 4) Page 19