by Raine Thomas
Archer would have to be dead to miss the innuendo in her words and expression. Bridgette nodded and moved closer. He cleared his throat and glanced over their shoulders at Trey, who had heard their initial squeals and had approached them as silently as his former Navy SEAL training had taught him. The huge man pressed the elevator call button before bringing one beefy hand down on each of the young women’s shoulders.
“Sorry, ladies,” Trey said in his deep rumbling voice. “Mr. Archer is on a schedule. You need to come with me.”
“I’ll take the stairs,” Archer told Trey. He smiled at Caroline and Bridgette as they sputtered in protest. “It was nice to see you. I’ll tell Lily you said hi.”
He ignored their raised voices as he pushed through the door leading to the stairs and headed down to the lobby. Their anger over being kicked out of the hotel wasn’t nearly as important to him as Lily’s happiness. Knowing Trey would take care of it, he pushed Caroline and Bridgette from his thoughts and headed to the coffee shop.
There were more people in the lobby than Archer expected. They appeared to be mostly business travelers who couldn’t have cared less who he was, thank God. He followed the heavenly scent of freshly ground coffee to the brightly lit lobby café and stopped in front of the glass case full of pastries and breakfast sandwiches to figure out what he wanted to order.
“Good morning.”
Archer glanced over at the sound of Elijah’s voice. The heavyset producer stood a few feet away stirring creamer into a tall cup of coffee. There were several members of the reality show production crew sitting at nearby tables. Archer spotted some of their equipment and notebooks piled on the tables. It looked like they were getting ready to start filming for the day.
Archer nodded at Elijah and said, “Good morning. Sleep well?”
“Slept great,” Elijah replied before taking a slurping sip of his steaming coffee. “We got some amazing content last night.”
Relieved, Archer said, “I’m glad you thought so.”
“Oh, yeah. I couldn’t believe the chemistry between you and Lily Montgomery,” Elijah continued, placing his cup on the counter next to the glass bakery display so he could put a travel lid on it. “You two pair well together. I’m glad you took my advice there. The content we’ll get as things progress should really bump the ratings.”
Even though Elijah hadn’t spoken very loudly, Archer fought back a wince and glanced around to make sure no one was listening. The producer’s words added to the sliminess he had been feeling all morning for even considering seducing Lily just to help the show succeed. It didn’t help that Elijah was essentially confirming that a relationship with Lily would make the show more popular.
“Yeah. Well, good to see you,” Archer mumbled, moving hurriedly to the cashier to place his order in what he knew was a cowardly escape.
The brief encounter continued to play itself in his head as he carried his purchases up to Lily’s room. This was quickly turning into one hell of a mess. What was he going to do?
Should he just talk to Lily and see if she’d go along with the romance angle to help him get the show off the ground? He was pretty sure he could sway her into it even though she hated being the center of attention. She had shown over the years that she would do nearly anything to help him. It sure seemed the most straightforward and sensible way to go.
There were a couple of problems with that though. First, Lily was direct and honest to a fault, making her a terrible liar. Even if she agreed to try and act romantic with him for the show, it was bound to look forced on camera. Second, she was apparently still dating that dweeby writer, Johnathan. Getting involved with Archer for the show would surely interfere with that relationship. It was just plain wrong to ask that of her.
That left the option of not telling her. But could he really be a complete dick and leave her in the dark, wooing her for the show while knowing it would likely destroy their friendship once she discovered what he’d done?
How could he even contemplate that?
Shaking his head at himself, he approached Lily’s room and pushed the show from his mind. It wasn’t like he had to have all of the answers that very second.
He shifted what he was carrying to one hand so he could knock on Lily’s door but it opened before he could. Aria and Sydney spilled out.
“Good morning, Archer,” Aria greeted him. She nodded at the contents in his hands. “We were just heading down for some of that ourselves.”
“You could have ordered room service,” he said.
“Nah, but thanks,” Sydney replied. “We’re getting tired of having bedding thrown at us by Lily. It’ll be good to get out of the room for a while.”
Archer laughed and stepped forward to take the door from Aria. “I’ll bet. Let me work on her.”
“Good luck,” Aria said, linking arms with Sydney and pulling her towards the elevator.
Strolling into the room, Archer let the door close loudly behind him. The lump on the farthest of the two beds didn’t stir. He maneuvered around four pillows and a balled up sheet on the floor, clearly items that Lily had tossed at her friends when they tried to rouse her. Her bed had only a fluffy duvet left on it. Her long strawberry blonde hair spilled out from beneath it, a splash of color against the white on white bedding.
“Rise and shine, Lily Momilly,” he crooned, dropping heavily onto the side of her bed to jostle her.
When he got no response, he lifted an edge of the duvet to reveal her face. She squeezed her eyes more tightly shut against the lamplight, issued a mumbled curse, and grappled with him to try and snatch it back. He tightened his hold, laughing when she growled at him. He moved his other hand and its contents closer to her face so she could smell the sweet spice of the chai latte he’d brought her.
One of her eyes opened into a narrow slit and honed in on the cup. She seemed to be considering crawling out from under the duvet, so he loosened his hold on it. In a blink, she grabbed it and once again disappeared beneath it.
Making a tsk-tsk sound, he declared, “You need to get your ass moving, my friend, or you’re going to miss our departure.”
She issued another muffled curse and didn’t budge.
“All right, fine,” he said breezily. “Guess I’ll just eat this chocolate croissant myself then.”
The duvet all but flew off the bed as Lily finally shoved herself up into a sitting position. He grinned when he saw her outrageous bed-head. She scowled at him as she snatched the latte and paper bag holding her croissant and rolled off the bed to stalk to the bathroom without a word.
“Nice Tweety Bird boxers,” he commented.
She simply lifted a hand and gave him the finger.
He swallowed another laugh. Only Lily would flick him off like that without a thought for how he’d react.
His gaze grew thoughtful as he watched her enter the bathroom and close the door behind her. He waited until he heard the sound of running water and then grabbed a couple of the pillows from the floor and propped himself up on her bed. Her scent floated up to surround him. He instinctively breathed it in. It took him a moment to realize that her scent not only comforted him, it turned him on.
Jesus. Was this really happening? Was he actually attracted to Lily? Or was his mind merely finding a way to help him justify pursuing her to make House of Archer successful?
Rubbing his hands over his face, he once again reminded himself that she already had a boyfriend. Aria hadn’t seemed too impressed with Johnathan, but it was significant that Lily was still with him after so many months. She hadn’t ever been in a long-term relationship before, something he’d always had in common with her. Did that mean she and this Johnathan guy were serious?
It must, he thought, looking at the bathroom door with dawning understanding. She must be in love with him.
He flinched at the sudden pain that struck him somewhere between his heart and his gut. It was unlike anything he’d ever experienced, yet he knew it for what it was. It was
the pain of significant loss.
That knowledge didn’t make the pain ease. If anything, it added a sense of surprise and deep regret to the mix. How had he not grasped the importance Lily held in his life before now?
He didn’t know the answer. All he knew was he couldn’t stand the idea of Lily settling down with Johnathan or anyone else. His feelings had nothing to do with the show, either. He didn’t want Lily involved with another guy because he wanted to be involved with her.
I want Lily.
Blinking over the intensity of that thought, Archer shifted on the bed so he could plant his feet on the floor. He propped his elbows on his knees and stared at the bathroom door as if he could see beyond it. Though his head was spinning, everything was suddenly so clear.
He really wanted to pursue Lily. Not because of the show, but because he was attracted to her and she meant more to him than just about anyone in the world. He didn’t want to lose her...not to Johnathan or because of a foolish attempt to take advantage of their friendship. The question now was whether she could ever feel the same way about him.
His phone buzzed, turning his attention. He pulled it out and found a text from Christopher asking for his ETA at the transpo. He texted back that they’d be there in ten minutes, knowing Lily wasn’t one to take long to get ready.
A few minutes later, she emerged from the bathroom with her hair tamed in a simple braid, silver earrings dangling from her earlobes and some tinted gloss on her lips. She hadn’t bothered with other makeup and in his opinion didn’t need it. Just the sight of her brought an automatic smile to his face.
He really had been an idiot all these years.
He puzzled over the fact that she still wore her sleep tank and boxer shorts until she walked over to her suitcase and pulled out a turquoise sundress.
“Look away unless you want an eyeful,” she warned.
She turned her back to him and quickly shed her pajamas. Her purposeful movements told him she wasn’t changing in front of him to try and entice him. She was just that comfortable around him and knew they didn’t have much time.
He wasn’t quite sure what to think about that, especially because when he saw her lacy light blue underwear, he wanted to peel it off her with his teeth.
Before he was ready, she had pulled the sundress over her head and turned to look at him. Her eyebrow lifted at whatever she saw on his face.
“Perv,” she accused.
He didn’t smile, nor did he try to hide the yearning from his gaze as he slowly rose from the bed and moved towards her. Her smile faded and her eyes widened, but she didn’t back away.
The sound of the room’s door lock beeping stopped Archer. He and Lily both looked to the door as Aria and Sydney stepped into the room carrying coffee and bags of food.
“Archer, you’re a miracle worker,” Sydney exclaimed, seeing Lily up and ready to go.
Meeting Lily’s uncertain gaze, Archer replied, “I sure hope so.”
Chapter Seven
Dane had arranged for Lily and her friends to be chauffeured throughout the tour during the driving portion of their travels. They were currently riding in the back of a nondescript black SUV with tinted windows, trailing behind the band’s tour bus. Lily had met the SUV’s driver, Barney, on a couple of her previous visits with Dane. She knew he was a retired Marine who now led The Void’s security team. He had been married for twenty-three years and had two kids who were both in college. She thought his name suited him. He looked like an older and more serious version of Barney Stinson from How I Met Your Mother.
It seemed a little silly to be driven around by a highly-trained bodyguard, but Lily knew that The Void had their share of fans and some of them really lived up to the term “fanatical.” She could only appreciate Dane’s concern for their safety.
Thoughts about Dane had been occupying her for the past hour, ever since they left her hotel room to head to the transpo. She kept returning to the memory of the look Dane gave her right before Aria and Sydney returned to the room. It had been utterly primal...so hot it made her heart race and her palms grow damp. It had been a look unlike any other that had ever been aimed her way by anyone.
Why had it come from Dane? Why now? What would have happened if Aria and Sydney hadn’t returned when they did?
Her mind went in circles. After the way Dane had danced with her the night before and now that look, she didn’t know what to think. Unless she was seriously mistaken, he was attracted to her. It would be a flat-out lie for her to say she wasn’t attracted to him, too. He was—
“Earth to Lily. Hello, Lily!”
Blinking, Lily shook off her thoughts and tuned into Aria, who was waving a hand in front of her face as Sydney laughed. “Sorry. Did you ask me something?”
“Yeah,” Aria said, sitting back and grinning. “We were just talking about how goofy you look this morning.”
Lily glanced down at herself in bewilderment. “Really?”
“Not how you’re dressed,” Sydney said with another laugh. “She means the expression on your face. You’ve got to be thinking about Archer.”
“No—I—he—” Lily sputtered. She stopped herself when she saw their knowing looks. “Shut up,” she finished lamely.
“Come on, Lil,” Aria said. “You’ve never looked that way when you think about Johnathan, even when you first met him.”
Guilt rolled greasily through Lily’s stomach. It was true that her feelings for Johnathan hadn’t ever been as powerful or magical as people liked to talk about in romance novels, but he was a great guy. He deserved more of her focus than she had been giving him. She hadn’t even remembered to call him the night before like she had promised to do. What did that say about her?
“Archer’s my best friend. There’s nothing going on between us,” she said firmly.
“Oh, really?” Sydney countered. “What about that slow dance you two shared last night?”
Lily shrugged, hoping it didn’t look as jerky and defensive as she felt. “What about it? We danced, that’s all. We dance all the time when we’re together.”
“But do you usually look like this when you do?” Aria asked, holding up her cell phone.
Lily glanced over at the photo Aria had pulled up. It was one of her and Dane during the slow dance. She would have had to be blind to miss the obvious heat between them.
Seeing the image brought back the confusing and powerful rush of feelings she had experienced towards Dane during the moment. Her shame about neglecting Johnathan clashed with those remembered emotions. Soon, a low-grade headache was swirling between her temples.
“It was just a dance,” she said. “That’s all.”
Ignoring the looks her friends exchanged, Lily pulled out her own cell phone so she could call Johnathan. She found a slew of more texts from her sisters begging her to get them tickets and backstage passes to one of The Void’s L.A. shows later on the tour. Seeing the texts added a painful stomachache to the throbbing in her skull. She took a deep breath to push past the all-too-common stress pains and called Johnathan.
She tried to pretend she wasn’t relieved when it went to voicemail. “Hi there,” she said after the beep. “Sorry I didn’t call last night. The event went later than I thought it would. I’m safe and sound and we’re on the first leg of the trip. I...I’ll call you again later. Bye.”
Feeling a pair of eyes on her as she hung up, Lily glanced beside her and met Sydney’s gaze. The understanding she saw there had Lily frowning as she put her phone back in her purse.
“You didn’t tell him you love him,” Sydney said.
Lily didn’t reply. She had told Johnathan she loved him before. It hadn’t felt natural, but he had told her he loved her and she felt as though she should say it back. She figured that loving a guy romantically was new for her and the words would get easier to say over time. So far, that hadn’t happened.
“You know,” Sydney said, reaching over and touching Lily’s hand, “when it’s truly love, t
he words won’t be so hard to say.”
If that was true, Lily thought, she had a lot to think about.
* * *
For the first hour of the northern-bound road trip, Archer lay in his bunk on the tour bus staring at the bottom of Sage’s bunk above him. He had personalized his space shortly after they got the tour bus, lining the bottom of the upper bunk with photos of family and friends and stickers of other bands and musicians he admired. All but a few of the photos were of him with Lily.
That really should have told him something.
Now that he had acknowledged the depth of his feelings for her, he felt more and more like a moron for not having understood them sooner. His gaze moved from the early photos of them as teens, Lily looking very much like the nerd she was with her braces and glasses, to the few photos from just a couple of years ago. She had transitioned from that geeky teen into a beautiful woman right under his nose.
He’d noticed that, of course, but he hadn’t really dwelled on it. His thoughts about Lily had always been more about what a tremendous friend she was. Hell, she had started helping him hook up with other females only a couple of years after they met. It was little wonder he hadn’t considered more than friendship before now.
As far as excuses went, he had to admit that was pretty weak. But it was the best he had.
Regardless of why he’d lived so long with his head in the sand, it didn’t change the fact that Lily was now with Johnathan. Was he too late to make his move?
The pain in his gut returned with a vengeance. He had to do something about the feelings churning around inside him. Sitting up, he shoved out of his bunk and stood. Seeing that Sage was napping and Xander and Noelle were sitting with Christopher in the forward seating area, he walked down the narrow hallway to the rear seating area. Keith and Nikki were necking on the curved sofa. They ignored him as he opened one of the storage drawers under the sofa and pulled out a pad of paper and pencil from among his supplies. When Keith spotted what Archer had grabbed, he pulled away from Nikki with a raised eyebrow.