Hero Worship (Music City Moguls Book 6)

by Cheryl Douglas

  “It didn’t.” Now that he finally had Natasha in his bed, he’d never been more grateful for his foresight. “So pretend we’re the only two people in the house because for all intents and purposes, we are.”

  Natasha gave him a playful nudge. “I’m not worried about making love to you with my son under the same roof.”

  “You’re not?” he asked, unable to hide his surprise.

  “No, I’m not.” She moved closer, slipping her leg between his. “This is a challenge married people have to face all the time, right?”

  “True.”

  “So why should it be any different for us? Austin’s not a little kid anymore. We don’t have to worry about him walking in without knocking or—”

  “Don’t even say that.” Clint glanced over his shoulder to make sure he’d remembered to lock the door when they’d entered the room.

  “I can’t believe you’re the one who’s bothered about this.” She laughed as she smacked his chest lightly. “I’m the one who’s supposed to be uneasy, remember? He’s my kid.”

  “I know.” Clint hadn’t expected to have any reservations, but the fact that Austin had come to mean so much to him muddied the waters in his mind. “Having Austin’s respect means a lot to me, and I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize that. He looks out for you, and I don’t want him to worry that I’m taking advantage of you. I sure as hell don’t want it to seem like I’m disrespecting you, or him, for that matter.”

  “I love that you care so much.” Natasha pinned Clint’s shoulders to the bed as she climbed on top of him. “But you have nothing to worry about. My son is crazy about you. I’m in love with you, and that’s not going to change, no matter what happens.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Taking control, Natasha guided Clint inside her slowly as their eyes met and held. She hadn’t made love in a while, so she’d expected to be nervous, but she wasn’t. Being with Clint felt perfect, as though she’d finally aligned with the right man after a lifetime of searching for him.

  Her tempo was slow and steady. She wanted to enjoy every second of their first time together. This was a night she’d never forget, not because Clint was a rich and famous celebrity but because he was the first man who’d ever made her feel treasured, as though she were the one thing he couldn’t live without.

  “I love you,” she whispered, thinking those words had never flowed from her lips so freely. She could barely contain them sometimes, as though the emotion bubbling up inside her couldn’t be suppressed for another second. But she didn’t want to scare him with her intensity, so she often found herself trying to temper her words and actions.

  “I love you.” He closed his eyes as he gripped her waist. His expression was strained, confirming her technique was effective. “This feels so amazing, Tash.” He sucked in a sharp breath as his fingers dug into her hips. “But you’ve got to…”

  She knew she was being evil, milking him just so she could watch that look of ecstasy steal across his handsome face, but she couldn’t help herself. Seeing a man who prided himself on being in control of every area of his life reduced to a sexy wreck in her hands was a serious turn-on. “I’ve got to what?” She glided her hands over his muscular chest as she lowered her head enough to tickle him with her hair. “Go easy on you? What’s wrong, Clint? You can’t take it?”

  He growled before rolling over, taking her with him. “I’m going to make you pay for that.”

  “Promises, promises,” she said, licking her kiss-swollen lips.

  His hands floated above her breasts, gauging her reaction, before he rolled the peaked tips between his thumbs and forefingers. Her eyes slid closed as she climbed a peak that had seemed elusive for a long time. She hadn’t indulged in a lot of self-pleasure, and finding completion with a lover was practically a foreign concept to her.

  “I love that,” she said, getting lost in the sensations sweeping through her.

  He made her lose her sense of self in the best possible way. She had no trepidation or self-consciousness with Clint. No questions lurked in her mind about whether he’d call or choose to see other women once he’d had his way with her. There was only trust and faith in what they were building. That was what made it so special. He was taking her beyond the physical to an emotional plane she’d never been to before.

  Her body forced her brain to shut down as she surged with the force of his crusade to claim her. He was painstaking in his approach, finding the perfect depth, stroking her with careful precision as he studied her face, looking for the signs she was ready to give up the fight and sink into his waiting arms. Surrendering to him was cathartic. She felt as though she could finally loosen her grip on the load she’d been bearing for so long and let someone else share the burden.

  When they were both satiated and looking into each other’s eyes, Natasha found the courage to tell him the truth. “I’ve never trusted anyone like this before.”

  Saying she’d never loved like this before would have been easier, and also true, but it was crucial to her to give a part of herself to him that she’d never shared. She was yielding to the power of a force that felt greater than her: their love.

  “That means everything to me, knowing that you trust me.” He rolled onto his back, coaxing her to curl up next to him. “In my line of work, trust is hard to come by in relationships.”

  “Because temptation is everywhere.” Natasha was surprised she didn’t feel the same surge of pain and fear she normally did when she thought of all the beautiful young women who would like to take Clint from her. She meant what she’d said. She trusted him, and perhaps more importantly, she trusted what they had. He would never lie to her or hurt her. That just wasn’t the kind of man he was. He was kind and decent, honest and hardworking. The kind of person who tried to help his loved ones through hard times.

  “It is, but beautiful faces, rockin’ bodies, and the promise of a good time don’t do it for me anymore.”

  “Anymore?” Natasha asked, trying to hide her amusement.

  “I’m not gonna lie—I had a good time at the start of my career. I was young and single and getting my first taste of fame and wealth. I went to bed with some women I wish I hadn’t, had a few experiences with stalkers. It didn’t take long for me to realize that wasn’t the life I wanted.”

  “What kind of life do you want?” she asked, holding her breath as she prayed that the words that would come out of his mouth would match the images floating through her head.

  “I want what we’re working toward, sweetheart.” Sliding his fingers through her hair, he said, “I want simple family dinners at home. I want to help Austin with his guitar and homework. I want to go to his sporting events. But most importantly, I want to spoil you rotten ‘cause you deserve it more than anyone I’ve ever known.”

  She loved that he treasured her enough to want to spoil her, but he didn’t realize she’d never felt more cherished than she did right then, lying in his arms and listening to him tell her how much her son had come to mean to him. “I don’t need things, Clint. I just need you and Austin.”

  “And maybe another baby someday?” he asked, sounding hopeful.

  “And maybe another baby someday.” She’d thought about what it would be like to do it all over again, without the pressure of worrying about how she would support herself and her baby. She’d be able to just enjoy every single moment of making those irreplaceable memories with the people she loved most.

  “I’d love that.” He kissed her forehead. “Don’t get me wrong. If it doesn’t happen, I’m okay with that too. But I’d really love to have a baby with you, Tash.”

  She smiled. She couldn’t think of a single thing that would make her happier than giving him the baby he obviously wanted so much.

  “What are we waiting for?” he asked. “Let’s get married.”

  Natasha’s heart pounded as she tilted her head back to look at him. “You’re serious?”

  “Damn right I am. I love you.
You love me. I’m crazy about your kid, and I’m pretty sure he feels the same way about me. So what’s stopping us? Why wait?”

  Why wait? The question raced through her mind as the rational part of her brain struggled to come up with an answer. Everything he said was true, but marriage was a big step. She couldn’t help but feel they may be rushing in to it.

  “I don’t know,” she said, when it was obvious he was waiting for an answer. “Don’t you think we should give it a little more time? Austin is just getting used to the idea of us being together and—”

  “Don’t use Austin as an excuse,” Clint said, his tone clipped. “He wants us to be together. We’ve already talked about this, and I know he’s in favor of us getting married, so if you’re the one who’s having reservations, just have the courage to be honest with me.”

  Natasha considered her response carefully. Was she being a coward and letting fear get in the way of her happiness? Just because she’d learned to be happy living alone with Austin didn’t mean they couldn’t be happier living with Clint and his family on the ranch. It would be a major lifestyle change, and she’d miss having her mother just upstairs, but her mama would want her to seize the opportunity for a future with Clint. She propped her head on her elbow as she inched away from him. “This is really sudden. I’m not saying no, but can I have some time to think about it?”

  He sighed. “Of course you can. I know it’s a big decision. I didn’t mean to back you in to a corner.”

  “You didn’t make me feel that way.”

  “I just love you so damn much, and I can’t wait to start our life together.” He reached for her hand and kissed it. “I keep asking myself, why the hell are we waiting? I know I’m going to feel the same way about you a year from now, so why drag this out?”

  “I want to talk to Austin about this,” she said, squeezing his hand. “You know we’re a package deal, and I need to make sure he’s okay with it before I give you my answer.” She was pretty certain her son would do backflips when he heard Clint had proposed to her, but they had to have a serious talk about how this would impact both of their lives before she got carried away with making plans.

  “I understand completely,” he said, releasing her hand. “This impacts Austin just as much as it does us. He needs to be a part of the decision-making process. Should we talk to him together? Maybe after the party tomorrow?”

  “Definitely after the party,” she said, though she didn’t want to put it off any longer than she had to. “But I’d rather talk to him alone first, if you don’t mind. Then maybe we talk about it together.”

  “Whatever you want, baby,” he said, leaning in to kiss her. “It’s your call.”

  ***

  Clint was having fun watching the boys tear up his property, first on some dirt bikes he had stashed in the garage and then during a flag football game, but his mind kept drifting to the conversation Natasha would have with her son after the party. He hadn’t planned to propose to her that way. Whenever he’d thought about what that moment would be like, he’d imagined all the romantic trimmings, but he’d felt compelled to ask last night. After years of wanting Natasha, he didn’t want to wait any longer to make her his wife.

  Natasha was inside, refilling the snack platters. When Clint had asked to help, she’d told him to stay outside and get to know her mother better. Clint had gladly taken her up on the offer since within a few minutes of meeting Mrs. Kerr, he’d felt as though he’d known her for years. She was a lovely woman who radiated positive energy and clearly lived for her family. Clint could understand how Natasha had made it through all of her challenges unscathed with a woman like Mary Kerr in her corner.

  “They look like they’re having a blast,” Mrs. Kerr said, sipping her sweet tea as she watched the boys chase each other around the big open field. “I’m sure they’ll be talking about this party for a long time to come.”

  “I hope Austin’s enjoying himself,” Clint said, perching on the picnic table.

  “I know he is.” Mary rimmed the glass with her fingertip before replacing the sunglasses sliding down her nose. “He’s talked to me about you several times. My grandson thinks very highly of you.”

  “I’m glad to hear that, Mrs. Kerr,” Clint said, beaming. “I feel the same way about him.”

  “Please, call me Mary,” she said, smiling at Clint. “I have to admit, you’re not at all what I expected.”

  Clint smirked. “Uh oh. I don’t live up to your expectations, do I?”

  “You’ve exceeded my expectations,” Mary said, slapping his knee. “I feared you might be full of yourself, being a big celebrity and all.”

  “Is that what your daughter told you?” Clint asked, pretending to be offended. “I’ll have to let her have it for filling your head with all those vicious lies about me.”

  “Oh, stop,” Mary said, laughing. “You know that girl’s crazy about you. She’s had nothing but wonderful things to say about you since long before you started dating.”

  “That’s nice to hear,” Clint said, reaching for his beer bottle.

  “I guess I was afraid I’d meet you and get a bad vibe.”

  “A bad vibe?” Clint asked, raising an eyebrow. “You’re not psychic, are you?” If she was, he was in trouble. He’d been having seriously impure thoughts about her daughter all day.

  “No, nothing like that. I just have good instincts when it comes to people, and I can tell you’re one of the good guys.” She set her glass on the table beside her. “I know I shouldn’t be surprised after everything I’ve heard and read about you, not to mention all the wonderful things Natasha has told me.”

  “Ah, so you’ve been doing your homework?” Clint teased. “Maybe I should give you a pop quiz. Quick, where was I born?”

  Mary threw her head back, laughing. “I’m not a stalker, for heaven’s sake, or a meddling mother, for that matter. I’m just a fan of your music who happens to be mildly interested in the company my daughter and grandson keep.”

  “I understand,” Clint said, watching Austin tackle one of his buddies even though the rules prohibited contact. “I’d be curious too if I were you. But I can promise you my intentions are honorable. Your daughter means the world to me.”

  “Can I ask you a personal question?” Raising her hand, she said, “Feel free to tell me to mind my own business, but I’m dying to know. Have you had feelings for Natasha for a long time?”

  “Years.” He wasn’t ashamed of his feelings for Tash. If anything, he was embarrassed it had taken him so long to find the courage to act on them.

  “Why’d it take you so long to ask her out?”

  “That’s a good question.” He set his untouched beer down before folding his hands and letting them hang between his bent knees. “I’d like to say it was a matter of timing or I just wasn’t ready for a serious relationship, but the truth is good old-fashioned fear of rejection did me in every time. When I offered to help Austin with the guitar, I figured I’d finally have a chance to get closer to her without the pressure of ‘dating.’” He made quotation marks around the word.

  “Well, it seems like it’s all working out,” Mary said. “I’ve never seen my girl happier. My grandson either, for that matter.”

  “Goes both ways. I’ve never been happier either.” With Natasha inside and the boys out of earshot, Clint decided it was a good time to do something he should have done before his impromptu proposal last night. “Mary, I never expected to fall in love with Tash.”

  “But you have?” she asked, looking hopeful.

  He nodded. “I have. If I’m being honest, I think it happened a long time ago, but I was too much of a coward to admit it to her or myself.”

  “But you’re ready to admit it now? Have you told Natasha how you feel?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Clint couldn’t say for sure, but he was pretty sure Natasha had already shared that information with her mother. Perhaps Mary was just testing him to find out if he was man enough to admit his
feelings to her. “She knows I love her, that I want to spend the rest of my life loving her.”

  Mary lifted her sunglasses up on her head, fixing Clint with icy blue eyes that reminded him of Natasha’s. “What exactly are you saying, Clint?”

  “I’ve asked Natasha to be my wife, but I realize now that may have been premature.” He took off his black cowboy hat and set it on the picnic table beside him. “I’m a pretty old-fashioned guy, and I’d like to ask for your blessing to marry your daughter.”

  She flattened her hand against her chest. “Wow, I didn’t see that coming. I knew y’all were getting close, but I assumed Natasha would date someone for years before she decided to get married. She’s never been the impetuous type.”

  She didn’t seem to approve, and Clint could understand her hesitancy. Natasha and Mary had been each other’s rocks for years. Mary was probably afraid of winding up alone as Natasha started a new life.

  “She’s the strong, independent woman she is because of you. I hope you know how much she respects you and appreciates all you’ve done for her. No matter what happens, you’ll always be one of the most important people in her life.”

  “You’re sweet to say that.” Mary gripped Clint’s forearm as her eyes filled with tears. “Thank you. I knew this day would come eventually. My daughter is a beautiful, smart woman. It was only a matter of time before some man came along and swept her off her feet. I’m just glad it was someone like you, who’ll love and appreciate her.”

  Clint was touched by Mary’s kind words. Knowing they had her approval meant a lot. “Natasha hasn’t agreed to marry me yet. She needed a little time, said she wanted to talk to Austin about it first. But I’m hopeful.”

  “I’d say you have reason to be.” Mary winked. “I saw the way she was looking at you earlier. If I know my daughter, it’s only a matter of time before y’all make it official.”

  “From your lips to God’s ears.”