“Never?” he asked, sounding incredulous. “How is that possible?”
She knew it would be difficult for someone like Clint to understand her choices, but she wouldn’t have done a single thing differently. She’d done what she had to for her family and would have done it all over again in a heartbeat. “After my daddy died, I just focused on working part-time to contribute to the bills. We all did. It didn’t leave a lot of time for dating. Since I got pregnant before college, I was still living with my mama.”
“So you didn’t invite boys over when you were a teenager?”
“Uh, no.” Though she’d had an atypical teen experience, she was grateful she’d always been able to lean on her mother and siblings for support. “When we moved into this place, Austin was just over a year old. I was so focused on taking care of him I don’t think I stopped to take a breath until he was in school full-time.”
“Must have been rough.”
She heard the respect laced in his words, and while she appreciated it, she wasn’t telling him about her past because she needed a pat on the back. She wanted them to get to know each other better, to forge an even more intimate relationship before they crossed the line into physical intimacy. “I don’t know that I’d describe it that way. It’s been kind of nice, just the two of us—and my mother, of course.”
“Does that mean you don’t see room for someone else in your life?” He looked a little dejected as he shifted back against the cushions.
“No, that’s not what I meant at all,” she said, resting her hand on his knee. “You wouldn’t be here if I felt that way. I hope you know by now that I don’t play games. I was apprehensive about the whole relationship thing at first, but you’ve convinced me to give it a try.” She grinned before leaning forward to kiss him. “And for the record, I’m really glad you did. I can’t remember the last time I’ve been this happy.”
“That’s all I want, you know, to make you happy.” His eyes lingered on hers. “And I know I could. I will,” he whispered, sounding more determined.
“I just want you to understand,” she said, gesturing down the hall toward the empty bedrooms, “why I haven’t had the kind of relationship I described to you earlier. I haven’t felt comfortable having anyone sleep over with Austin right across the hall. I don’t want to confuse him.”
“I can understand that, but you do realize we’ll have to find a way to be alone together moving forward, right?”
“What did you have in mind?” she asked, biting her lip as she waited for him to continue. She didn’t need him to spell it out for her though—obviously, he was referring to sex.
“Well, I’ve got that big house. The master bedroom is in one wing, and there are four bedrooms on the other side.”
She remembered the layout from the tour he’d given her. At the time, she’d thought it was way too much house, but now it seemed perfect. “And since Den and Ryland are occupying two of the bedrooms—”
“That still leaves a guest room for Austin. You too, if you want to play it that way. I know Austin would love to have a sleepover with Ryland, and I’d sure like to have a sleepover with his mama.” He curled her long blond hair around his index finger. “What do you think? Could that setup work?”
“I know Austin would love to spend more time at the ranch with Ryland, but I’m not sure if I’m ready for him to know our relationship is getting more serious.”
“You could sneak back into the guest room before the kids wake up, if you prefer.”
Since they’d just agreed they wouldn’t be sleeping together in the immediate future, Natasha knew she had time to decide. Clint would never pressure her into doing something she wasn’t ready to do. “Can we just figure this out as we go along?” She ran her hand down his bicep. “This is uncharted territory for me, and I’m just not sure how I’ll feel when the time comes.”
“No problem.” He looked at his leg, giving her the impression he had something on his mind but was reluctant to share.
“Is something wrong?”
“I don’t want to risk pissing you off by bringing this up again, but I really would love it if you’d consider having Austin’s birthday party at my place.”
He looked so adorably uncertain, as though he were expecting a tongue-lashing, that Natasha couldn’t help but smile as she stroked his face. “Thank you for—”
“Please,” he said, gripping her hand. “Just hear me out before you say no. Now that you’ve seen the place, you know that it’d be the perfect setup for a party like that. Horses, video games, game tables, big-screen TV, fully stocked fridge. What else could they want?”
He had a point. His house was a little boy’s heaven. A big boy’s too, apparently. “But you’ve already done so much for Austin.”
He frowned, looking annoyed. “Don’t say that again, Tash. Everything I’ve done I did because I wanted to. I know I don’t have to tell you this, but you’ve raised a pretty great kid. I could easily see myself falling in love with him.”
And just like that, she lost her heart to him. Mortified when tears sprang to her eyes, she dipped her head.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” he asked, sounding concerned. “What did I say?”
“No man has ever said that to me about my son before,” she said, trying to hold herself together. “Austin is the most important person in the world to me, and to hear you say that about him just makes me realize how special you are.”
“I knew going into this y’all were a package deal,” he said, his voice sounding husky. “I already loved you. Austin’s a part of you. How could I not love him too?”
“You love me?” she whispered, hoping he would repeat it.
“You couldn’t see it in the way I look at you?” He leaned in close, his lips a warm brush against her ear. “You couldn’t feel it in the way I touch you? You couldn’t hear it every time you made me laugh? You couldn’t taste it in my kisses? Girl, I think a part of me has been in love with you ever since I laid eyes on you.”
Natasha closed her eyes as she melted into his arms, savoring his words. Thinking back over the hundreds of conversations they’d had, everything he said rang true. She could have seen the signs if she hadn’t been too much of a coward to look.
“Say something,” he whispered. “Tell me I didn’t scare you off by telling you how I feel.”
“You didn’t scare me off.” She forced herself to pull back and look him in the eye. “You opened my eyes to the truth. The truth of how you feel about me and how I feel about you.”
“Does that mean what I hope it does?”
“I feel the same way, Clint.” She framed his face with her hands, mirroring his awestruck smile.
“You’ve made me just about the happiest man in the world. You know that, right?”
Reaching for the buttons on his shirt, she rethought her slow-and-steady strategy now that she was convinced they were on the same page. “What could I do to make you the happiest man in the world?”
He stilled her roaming hands with a smirk that told her he wasn’t going to succumb to temptation so easily. “You could let me host your son’s birthday party.”
She threw her head back, sighing. “Fine. But if I agree, will you let me have my way with you?”
He laughed. “In due time, beautiful. In due time.”
Chapter Ten
By the time Saturday night rolled around, Clint could hardly wait to pick Natasha up for their first official date. He took the limo, in case they wanted to enjoy a few drinks, but when his driver pulled up in front of her building, he realized his mistake. Slipping under the radar in a pickup truck was easy. In a limo, not so much. Especially in a neighborhood where chauffeur-driven limousines were probably as rare as Northern Lights sightings.
Before he could clear the front steps, Natasha stepped outside, shooting glances at their spectators. “I thought it would be best if I met you downstairs. Apparently, I was right.”
He’d mentioned he was bringing the li
mo, and since she knew her neighborhood better than he did, he wasn’t surprised she’d had the foresight to meet him downstairs. Before anyone could hit him up for a photo or autograph, he hustled Natasha into the car. He loved and appreciated his fans, but this was his and Tash’s night—the first of many, if all went according to plan.
“Sorry about that,” he said, once they were safely ensconced inside the limo and his driver was pulling away from the curb. “I guess I didn’t plan that out very well, did I?”
She laughed, snuggling up next to him before kissing his cheek as she laid her hand on his thigh. “I guess I’m just going to have to get used to all this attention now that I’m dating a big-time musician, aren’t I?”
He was relieved she was in a playful mood. He hadn’t been sure what to expect after the gift he’d sent her that afternoon. “That dress looks like it was made for you.”
“Thank you,” she said, smoothing a hand over the bodice. “It’s way too much, but I can’t deny I love it. I’ve never owned anything so beautiful.”
That was why he’d bought it. He’d known as soon as he’d spotted it in the window that it would look stunning on her, and the price tag told him she would never buy something so exorbitant when she could treat her son instead.
“The color is incredible,” she said almost reverently as her eyes devoured the soft, flowing fabric. It covered only one shoulder, had a cinched waist, and landed just above the knee, but the dark pink melding with tangerine before fading into soft pink was eye-catching.
“I hope I got your shoe size right,” he said, eyeing the nude heels the saleslady in the upscale boutique had assured him would be ideal with the dress he’d chosen.
“They were a touch big, but I just slipped an insole in to compensate. No big deal.” She curled her hand around his. “Seriously, this is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. Thank you.”
He was touched by her gratitude but mildly frustrated at the same time. He’d bought gifts worth thousands for women he didn’t care half as much about, yet no one had ever taken the time to show Natasha how special she was. It wasn’t right.
“I love that you wore your hair up,” he said, touching the pink and peach gemstone earrings with matching bracelet he’d selected at the boutique. “You look beautiful.” He drew her closer, though was careful not to mess up the makeup and hair he knew she’d taken extra time to perfect. “Though I’m starting to question the wisdom of my decision. You’ll attract the attention of every man in the place.”
“Hmm,” she said, brushing her cheek against his smooth jaw. “Then I guess it’s a good thing I only have eyes for one man. I won’t even notice the others.”
When she said things like that, which she’d said with more and more frequency since he’d found the courage to admit he was in love with her, she made him feel ten feet tall. He looked up to note his driver was pulling into the parking lot of the small lakeside restaurant. “Here we are.”
“That didn’t take long,” she said, reaching for her seat belt. “Or maybe I was just so into you I didn’t even notice.”
He smiled, reached for her hand, and kissed it. She wouldn’t appreciate it if he smudged her lip gloss, but he had to let her know, in some small way, how much it meant to him that she was here with him. He knew she probably felt out of her element and nervous about meeting the friends who owned and managed the upscale restaurant.
His friend, Dean, met them at the door and pulled Clint into a back-slapping hug. Dean claimed he would be forever indebted to Clint for helping put his restaurant on the map when Clint had nonchalantly mentioned that it was his favorite restaurant during a magazine interview. According to Dean, they’d been packed every night since the article ran.
“How’s Maria?” Clint asked. “She must be getting close to her due date, right?”
“Three more weeks,” Dean said, grimacing. “But it can’t come soon enough for her. She’s getting pretty uncomfortable.”
Natasha smiled sympathetically. “I remember what that was like. By the last month, you just want it to be over. Is this your first?”
“Yes,” Dean said, beaming. “We can hardly wait.”
Natasha laughed. “You’re in for the ride of your life. Lots of ups and downs for sure, but the peaks overshadow everything else.”
“I’m sorry,” Clint said. “I haven’t introduced you formally. Natasha, this is my friend, Dean. He and his wife, Maria, opened this restaurant about five years ago, and I’m not exaggerating when I say they make the best seafood dishes you’ve ever tasted.”
Natasha smiled when Dean took her hand in both of his. “I can’t wait to try it. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Dean. I assume your wife isn’t here, so please give her my best. I look forward to meeting her.”
She shot a quick glance at Clint, as though she were concerned she may have been too presumptuous. Didn’t she know he would gladly spend every night with her if he could?
Slipping his arm around her waist, he said, “Trust me, you’ll be seeing a lot more of us, Dean. Maybe we’ll even bring Tash’s son next time. I think Austin would love your burgers.”
The fear fled from Natasha’s eyes, and he could tell she was grateful he’d put her mind at ease. “Austin hasn’t met a burger he doesn’t like.” She winked at Dean. “That’s the way it is with preteen boys, I’m afraid. I go to the grocery store practically every day.”
“I can imagine.” Dean reached for two leather-bound menus from beneath the hostess counter before leading them to their table. “The usual wine, Clint?” he asked once they were seated.
“Yeah, that sounds good, thanks.”
“And the antipasto platter for two?” Dean asked.
“Please,” Clint said. When Dean walked away, Clint noted Natasha looked a little uncomfortable. “Is there a problem?” He could tell she’d liked Dean, so he was pretty sure that wasn’t the cause of her sudden melancholy.
“Do you, uh, bring your dates here all the time?”
Clint couldn’t help laughing at the question. “Honey, this may surprise you, but I don’t date all that much. I’m busy with work stuff or on the road too much to have a real social life.” Fearing she would assume he wouldn’t have time for her, he reached across the table for her hand. “I haven’t had anyone in my life in a long time who’s made me want to put my career on the back burner.”
“I can’t imagine you putting your career on the back burner for anyone or anything,” she said, licking her lips before her eyes fell to her empty plate. “It’s too important. You’re too important to country music and the record label.”
“That doesn’t mean I can’t have a life.” He couldn’t blame her for being concerned about his career’s demands. He would have been too if he were in her situation, but that meant he’d have to work harder to prove to her that he wanted to make her a priority in his life. “I want to spend time with you and Austin, sweetheart. Hell, I can’t think of anything I’d rather do.”
Her eyes softened when she looked at him. “I love that you’re always thinking about him too, that you realize how important he is to me and that we’re a package deal.”
“You forget I’ve known you a long time.” He squeezed her hand. “I think I’ve heard about every milestone in Austin’s life even though I just met him recently. No one is more aware than I am how much that boy means to you.”
“He does mean everything to me.” Her eyes lingered on Clint’s. “I never thought I’d want anything more than what we have—a nice, quiet, uncomplicated life, just me and my son.”
“But…?” He sure as hell hoped there was a “but” coming, because he didn’t like where she’d left that statement.
“But you’ve made me want more.” She cleared her throat delicately. “Lately I’ve been thinking about what it might be like, you know, if we were to build a life together.”
He liked where this was going. He’d hoped they would spend some time talking about the future, so she could
see clearly what he did—their relationship had the potential to go the distance. “I think it could be incredible.”
He released her hand and leaned back in his seat when the waiter presented their wine. Clint took a small sip before nodding in approval and encouraging the waiter to pour. “Thank you.”
The waiter left them alone again.
“I know you’re concerned about how demanding my career is, and I’d be lying if I tried to downplay how all-consuming it can be sometimes, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make the time we have together count.” He knew she was looking for a forty-hour-a-week guy, which he clearly wasn’t, but he didn’t believe that made him the wrong man for her.
“I want that to be true.” She sighed. “I really try to be positive—I think you know that about me—and I hate that I’m being so pessimistic about your career. But—”
“You never expected to fall for a guy like me. I get it.” Acknowledging that his career could be the obstacle standing between them stung, but she had every right to air her concerns. He had to prove he was willing to listen and do what he could to put her mind at ease.
“I don’t think I ever expected to fall for anyone,” she admitted, leaning into the cream upholstered chair. “Maybe it was an abstract idea in my mind, but I assumed if it ever happened for me, it would be later in my life, when Austin was off in college or pursuing his own dreams.”
“Then you don’t want to have any more children?” She was a few years younger than him, so she certainly couldn’t claim her childbearing years were behind her. Even though she had an eleven-year-old son, at her age, many women were just starting to think about a family.
“I never said that.” She lowered her eyes to her lap. “I guess I always figured I’d think about it if and when the time came.”
As far as Clint was concerned, this was the time for her to think about it, before he got in any deeper. “Look, Tash, I don’t want to pressure you, but—”
“You want to be a dad.” She nodded. “I can tell by the way you are with Austin and Ryland that you really love kids.”
Hero Worship (Music City Moguls Book 6) Page 9