Hiding in the Spotlight

by Karen Booth

  They kissed again before Alex rolled out of bed, plucking her top from the floor. He caught a glimpse of her slipping it on when she flipped on the bathroom light. We need to do it where I can see her better.

  He heard the toilet flush and the rush of water from the sink. Watching as she traipsed back into the room, he was unsure what he’d done to deserve her.

  She surveyed the floor. “Where do you think my underwear went?”

  “No idea.” He patted the mattress. “You don’t need underwear in my bed. Nor do you need that shirt.”

  She dropped a knee on the bed and beamed as she crawled across it. She hovered above him. “Sorry. Habit. I always get dressed right away in case the boys come in my room.” She flopped on to her side, jostling the bed. “I don’t have to wear the shirt if it bothers you.”

  “It’s annoying. I want to see you.” His finger looped her hair behind her ear and he inhaled the heady mix of her honey-sweet smell and sex. The glut of new sensory pleasures only left him wanting more. “I love your body. Let me look at you.” He hooked a finger under the hem of her top and pulled it up, letting his knuckle graze her stomach and breast.

  She raised her arms for him to take off the shirt, a shy smile dancing across her face when it was gone. “Glenn never says things like that.”

  “Glenn’s an idiot.” The biggest idiot to ever walk the planet. He wrapped his arms around her. “If you were mine, I would tell you that every day.” His heart raced. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Don’t scare her away.

  “That’s sweet.” Her finger lazily traced his collarbone.

  He dropped his shoulders. She hadn’t run from the room when he’d suggested there might be a day when she would be his. “I mean it.”

  They snuggled and David knew no moment before this had been better. Not the day they signed their first record deal. Not the day they had their first platinum album. Not even the day he’d made his first million. No achievement rivaled that moment, Alex in his arms.

  He heard her breaths grow slow and even. “Alex,” he whispered.

  “Hmm?” she answered, sleepily.

  “I have a question.”

  “Shoot.” She curled even closer to him, nudging at his chest with her nose.

  “Do you want to go sleep outside?”

  “Outside, outside?”

  He chuckled. “I do that sometimes. It’s nice. Sort of like camping but less work.”

  “Won’t it be freezing?”

  “It’s not that bad. We’ll bring a bunch of blankets and I’ll drag the double lounge chair over by the fire pit.”

  She looked up at him. “You’re serious. Sleep outside. When it’s warm in here and you have this insanely comfortable bed.”

  “It’ll be fun. I’ll make it worth your while.”

  She raised both eyebrows. “How are you going to do that when I’m wearing two pairs of pajamas and a ski hat?”

  “Oh, no pajamas. It’ll be warmer if we’re naked.”

  “This is starting to sound like a ploy.”

  He pecked her on the cheek. “Trust me.”

  Alex loaded David’s arms with their gear—his Hungarian down comforter, two fleece blankets and seven pillows at Alex’s request. She wrapped herself in her black cardigan but nothing else, reminding him she was still deeply skeptical of his insistence they’d be warmer without clothes.

  They rolled the two-person chaise to a spot near the large stone fire pit by the pool. Alex flipped the switch and they had an instant roaring fire—flames flickering through black glass stones that covered the bottom of the pit. David ran back inside to grab some sheets from the linen closet.

  “You’re not messing around with this, are you?” she asked, as they began to make up the bed. “Real sheets. I’m impressed.”

  “Did you really think I was going to make you sleep on a canvas cushion all night long?”

  “Uh, yeah, I did.”

  He tossed her a pillow. “You have seriously underestimated me.”

  “Obviously.”

  They spread out the layers of blankets and the duvet and David pulled back the covers. He took off his T-shirt and noticed Alex watching him in the glowing, amber light of the fire. She bounced on her toes, arms coiled around her body.

  “You’re not going to get any warmer out here.” He stepped out of his basketball shorts and slipped under the blankets.

  Alex frantically followed him, leaving her sweater on. She huddled and shivered as he pulled the blankets around her. “It’s officially freezing.”

  “I told you. You have to be naked or it won’t work. Come here.” He unbuttoned her cardigan.

  She wiggled her shoulders out of the sleeves and immediately retreated to David’s embrace. After a minute or so, she stopped shivering. “Damn you. It’s warmer.”

  “You need to learn to listen to me.” He rubbed his feet over hers and smoothed her hair back as she looked at him. “You really are beautiful.”

  Her cheeks flushed. “Thank you.”

  “Just stating facts.”

  “Well, if we’re going to be stating facts, it’s my turn to tell you that you’re devastatingly handsome.” She giggled, a sound that stirred up his need for her. “And that wow review I gave you earlier? I may have been underselling it a bit.”

  “Better than wow?”

  “Way better.”

  He smiled and pulled her closer and she buried her face in his neck. Her breath against his skin warmed his entire body, even when the temperature had dipped considerably. Although the dark sky was cloudless, only a handful of stars were visible so close to the city. A dog barked in the distance, but it was otherwise peaceful and silent.

  “This is nice,” she said.

  “Again with the nice.”

  She fingered his chest hair, which sent pulses through him. “You know what I mean. Glenn would never do something like this. It’s too weird.”

  “You think this is weird?”

  “No, I don’t.” She cleared her throat and sat back, holding his hand. “Have you done this with a lot of women?” Her cheeks pinked and she rolled her eyes. “I mean, sleep outside. Not sex. I already know the answer to that.”

  He swallowed. He wished she wouldn’t ask questions about the past, or at least not the parts of his past that included other women. In some ways, he wanted to erase those parts of his history or pretend they were nothing more than a bad dream. “I usually come out here by myself. It helps me think.”

  “About what?”

  “Lots of things. The band, my music, what I’m doing with my life.” He stopped and took a deep breath. “But mostly, I think about you.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  The dog barked again, the sound echoing in the distance.

  Alex blinked. “Me?”

  “Yes. I think about you.” David threaded his fingers through her hair, his expression resigned as his warm palm brushed her cheek. “I have for a long time.”

  “Really?”

  “You have no idea.”

  “David. Why didn’t you say something?” Her mind shuffled through memories of David, looking for signs she may have missed. Once it dawned on her, she felt like a ditz. “You couldn’t.”

  “No, I couldn’t.” He kissed her, creating waves of dizziness as she sensed a greater meaning behind it. “Look, I don’t want to think about the past. The last two months with you and the boys have been the best of my entire life. I’m not exaggerating, either. That’s part of what makes me so pissed at Glenn. I can’t imagine why he would throw everything away.”

  Alex felt tears coming, something she always tried hard to hold back. He had such a generous and open nature, completely unlike Glenn. The idea of David having a thing for her was a glorious thought, a glimmer of hope for a new beginning, maybe even a chance at love. But she couldn’t stand to think she may have caused him pain, even unintentionally. “I don’t know what to say. You’ve been so good to me.”

  “You don’t n
eed to say anything.”

  She studied his face, putting her hand on his neck and rubbing her thumb against his stubbly jaw. “When you think about me, what are you thinking?”

  “Some of it’s not appropriate for polite conversation.” He nuzzled her neck, his steamy breath making her lightheaded. “But I’d love to show you. I meant it when I said I was tired of keeping my hands to myself.” He slid his hand around her waist to her lower back and pressed her closer.

  She hooked her leg around his. “You don’t seem to be having that problem anymore.”

  “I know. It’s amazing how easy it is once you start.”

  They kissed, their lips in perfect sync, and Alex’s heart felt as if it was swelling inside her, every pump of blood making it stronger.

  “You have permission to keep your hands on me as much as possible,” she said.

  “Just remember that I enjoy your hands, too.”

  Alex rolled on top of David, straddling his waist and combing her fingers into his thick head of hair. “Like this?”

  “Mmm.” He smiled at her. “That’s a start.”

  He pulled the covers up over her shoulders, even though she’d forgotten about the chilly night air, completely overwhelmed by him. She dotted his broad chest with kisses as she trailed a finger down his neck and rocked her pelvis against him.

  “Did you remember the condoms?” She skimmed her mouth along his collarbone.

  “What kind of Boy Scout would I be if I forgot birth control?”

  She giggled, rolling back to his side. “I doubt that’s what they were talking about when they said to be prepared.”

  He grabbed his shorts from the ground next to the chaise, pulling the pouch from his pocket. “Probably not.” He handed her the packet. “Would you like to do the honors?”

  “Saving your strength?”

  “I promised spectacular.” He brushed his lips against hers. “And I always keep my promises.”

  David’s eyes were intensely dark in the glow of the fire. She gazed into them unable to escape the feeling he was showing her things he’d never shown to anyone.

  They made love and fell asleep in each other’s arms for a few hours, Alex gently nudging him awake for another round when the sky first began to lighten. David quickly nodded off a second time, but Alex could only doze, lying tangled in his arms as the sun made its ascent, her mind busily working through the events of their night together.

  There was more to consider than their sexual chemistry, although that part was off the chart. She had to wonder how long David had had these feelings for her. What does a long time mean? She also wanted to know how deep those feelings went. Ever since she’d moved into his house, she’d been coming to the realization her romantic feelings for him, the ones that had started in school, had never gone away. They had just been set aside as a schoolgirl crush. Looking back over the years, it was really only when Glenn started to cheat that she found herself occasionally sneaking a peek at David or wondering about what it would be like to kiss him. She didn’t dwell on the thoughts at the time; they were wistful moments of fantasy, the by-product of feeling alone and ignored.

  David stirred as his hands began to explore, taking advantage of having her in his arms. “Mmm. I could get used to this.”

  “I know it. Unfortunately, the boys would bust us pretty quickly.”

  “True.” He worked his nose into her hair. “When do we have to pick them up?”

  “After ten-thirty.” She rolled over and grabbed her cell phone from the stone patio floor. “It’s almost eight. We should probably get up.”

  “Okay.” He sat up and squinted. “The sun is kind of a bummer right now, anyway.”

  Alex slipped into her cardigan. “Breakfast or shower first?”

  David smiled from ear to ear. “You’re my dream woman. You know that, don’t you?”

  She grabbed a few pillows. “Well, which is it?”

  “Shower. Food is the last thing I care about right now.”

  In the bathroom, David turned on the water and waited with his hand in the spray. Alex stood wrapped in a towel, glancing at the tattoo near his hipbone but trying not to be too obvious about it. That was a difficult task—he already had an impressive erection, which was its own glorious distraction.

  “The towel seems a little unnecessary,” he said.

  She looked down and shook her head. “I suppose it is.” She unwrapped herself and watched as his eyes washed over her.

  He curled his finger, urging her closer. “Come here.”

  She followed him into the steam, the heat surrounding her as David pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply. The deluge of drops rolled over them as his hands roved up and down her back. He rubbed against her leg, rock hard, and she twisted his wet hair in her fingers.

  Alex turned into the spray and raked through her long tresses. She lazily draped her head to one side, rolling back her shoulders. She turned and opened her eyes to see a sly grin across David’s face.

  “What?” she asked.

  “I like watching you.”

  She smiled and stepped closer. “Where’s the soap? I’m ready for you to lather me up.”

  He pursed his lips. “I’m going to have to pretend that you didn’t just say that.” He grabbed the bar of soap and began rolling it in his hands. “Otherwise, I might pass out.”

  “Well, we don’t want that.” Alex placed a hand at his waist, smoothing it over his hipbone and down onto his thigh. She glanced down and then leaned, stopping to kiss his stomach once. Now she could see the tattoo—a simple line drawing of a bird in flight, no larger than a penny. She ran her thumb across it. “So it’s a dove. Very sexy.” She cast her eyes up to his. The playful look in his eyes faded to one that was solemn. “Does it stand for something?”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  It felt as though Alex held his heart in her hands. Being with her was healing, but getting past nearly two decades of mental torture would take time. He studied her; dark hair washed back from her hairline, shining icy blue eyes, full, pink lips. Everything he’d fantasized about hundreds of times right before him.

  “It’s complicated.” He set the soap aside and pulled her closer.

  “Tell me.” She kissed the base of his throat, giving him all the assurance he needed.

  “It stands for a lot of things. Freedom, being at peace, but mostly it symbolizes you.”

  Her eyebrows drew together. “Am I the dove?”

  He took a breath deep enough to last for minutes. “Not exactly. It was supposed to be my way of making peace with my feelings for you. Setting them free.” He’d never uttered a word about the tattoo before. Every rationalization had been internal dialogue, anything he could do to get past the pain of not having her.

  “When did you get it?” she asked, her voice trembling.

  He didn’t know if he could handle it if she started to cry, but he had to keep going. “Right after you and Glenn were married. When I knew that my chance with you was gone. I had to let you go, Alex. Glenn was my best friend and I knew you two belonged together, that you loved each other.”

  “That was fifteen years ago,” she whispered, her body still.

  “I know.” His voice was on the verge of cracking. “And that’s just the tattoo. I’ve felt this way about you since high school.” The words sounded more pathetic than he’d imagined as he finally spoke them, but at least he didn’t have to hold on to them anymore. They would no longer walk the halls in his head.

  “Did the tattoo make you feel better?”

  He searched her face, craving the smallest sign she wasn’t about to turn and run. “A little. Not for long.” He’d tried to get over her, but he couldn’t do it. His heart wouldn’t let go of her. He kneaded his forehead, desperate to know what she was thinking. “I hope this doesn’t sound unbelievably creepy.”

  She circled her finger in his chest hair and he looked up at the ceiling for a moment, hoping for strength if she decide
d this just wasn’t going to work.

  “Not at all. I was thinking it’s the most beautiful, bittersweet thing I’ve ever heard.”

  His head dropped as if a lead weight was tethered to his chin. “Seriously?”

  “No man has ever said anything so profoundly sweet like that to me. Ever.” She smiled. “I’ll even go so far as to say it was nice.”

  “Again with the nice.”

  She popped up onto her tiptoes and threw her arms around his neck, kissing him with even greater enthusiasm than she had the night before. Her lips felt perfect against his, as if they always belonged there. She sucked on his lip and his hands pressed her against him, the need for her flaming in his stomach.

  He reached for the soap and quickly rolled it in his hands, creating handfuls of bubbles. “I believe someone requested lather.”

  “I was starting to wonder what I had to do to get some attention around here.”

  He laughed. “Trust me. You can have all the attention you want.”

  Her tongue slid across her lower lip and she dropped her shoulders. He spread the suds across her chest as they both watched him coat her breasts in creamy white bubbles. Her breath caught as he caressed her slippery skin, continuing in an endless circle. He rubbed his thumbs back and forth across her nipples, feeling the tension in her skin as they drew tighter with every touch.

  He smoothed a hand to her back and down to her ass, pulling her pelvis closer to him. Her mouth was eager, her tongue flicking against his and he slid his other hand between her legs. She gasped and dropped her head to his shoulder. She kissed his collarbone and brushed her lips against his neck, softly nipping at his skin a few times. David moved his fingers in slow circles and her belly and breasts, slick with soap, grazed over him. She nuzzled her face into his neck and raised herself higher on her toes, as she leaned into him and her thighs trembled against his hand.

  “Oh, God,” she said, now rooting around in his neck, restless. “Don’t stop.”

  He quickened the pace and she countered every move by grinding against his hand. Just as her breaths become short and fast, he slowed his strokes. She cried out, quickly muffling her voice against his shoulder. He smiled as she went limp with the release and clutched his back.