by Raine Thomas
“He took Ms. Lily and Ms. Sydney back to the hotel, sir.”
“He did?” Archer pulled out his phone and looked to see if Lily had texted him. “When?”
“It was shortly after you went outside with Ms. Ramsey.” Trey deliberately met his gaze. “Ms. Lily was standing just over there when we exited the party.”
Archer followed his gesture and saw the ladies’ room entrance a short distance away. He thought back to when he went outside with Camilla. Remembering how he had put an arm over her shoulders, he frowned. It couldn’t have looked good. The lack of a text from Lily was a double-whammy.
“I want to go to the hotel,” he told Trey as he dialed Lily’s cell.
“Of course, sir. I’ll let Mr. Donahue know and get transportation arranged.”
Archer nodded his thanks. He wasn’t too surprised when Lily’s phone rolled to voicemail. It was well after midnight already and they had to get up before dawn the next morning for an early flight to their next concert in Santa Clara.
That didn’t deter him from stopping by her hotel room when he finally got there. He took care to knock softly so he didn’t disturb Lily or Sydney if they were asleep. After knocking twice and getting no response, he had to give up. He’d just have to start fresh in the morning.
At least he could go to sleep with the memory of their kiss stirring his dreams.
* * *
He went by Lily’s room first thing the following morning. He couldn’t believe it when he found it already empty. In his memory, Lily had never gotten up and moving before him. The discovery filled him with a sense of foreboding, especially when he checked his phone and still had no voicemail or text from her.
“Trey, have you heard from Barney this morning?” Archer asked when he returned to his room.
“No, sir, but I can check in with him.”
“Thanks.”
Archer tried once more to call Lily and again got her voicemail. He clicked off without leaving a message and waited for Trey to finish his conversation with Barney.
“Ms. Lily asked Barney to transport her and her friends to the airport thirty minutes ago,” Trey explained. “He said she seemed anxious to depart.”
Why was that? Archer wondered. Was she avoiding him? Had he made a huge misstep by kissing her?
His stomach churned at the thought of having damaged their friendship through his impulsive act. Unease weighed on him as he joined his band mates for the drive to the airport. He was grateful that even Noelle was too sleepy to converse with him. Christopher gave him several considering looks after they exchanged brief greetings, obviously detecting Archer’s distraction. He didn’t say anything about it, though.
They were driven directly onto the tarmac at Sea-Tac to board the private plane that would transport all of the Under the Bridge Tour performers and key personnel to San Jose International Airport where they would then catch transportation to Santa Clara. Archer hurried up the stairs and onto the plane when it was his turn to board. He looked for Lily, hoping she had saved him a seat.
She hadn’t, he quickly noted. She was seated behind Sydney and Aria, only a few rows down the narrow aisle. Corey Gauthier sat next to Lily by the window. Across the aisle from Lily was Erica St. James and Gregg Hoover, the third member of Brewer Street. They were all conversing as Lily jotted notes in a spiral notebook. Even as Archer started down the aisle, she laughed at something Corey said and elbowed him lightly in the side.
The scene produced mixed feelings in Archer. On the one hand, he was thrilled that Lily was getting the interviews she needed. He wanted nothing more than for her to achieve success with her career. It made him happy to know The Void’s tour was helping with that, even if indirectly.
On the other hand, if Corey Gauthier didn’t stop looking at Lily like she was a delectable meal, Archer might just have to punch him in his perfect, white teeth.
He took his time walking down the aisle when he neared Lily, intending to wish her good morning. She was too engaged in her conversation with Corey as he passed, though, never glancing in his direction. He had to settle for parking in an aisle seat next to Sage two rows behind Erica and Gregg, the closest he could get to Lily.
The plane filled up quickly as Suddenly Something arrived. Archer ignored them when they filed past. He pretended to be engrossed by something on his phone while surreptitiously glancing at Lily every other minute. Christopher and Regina were the last ones on the plane, both of them having wanted to confirm the loading of the luggage and equipment that hadn’t been driven overnight by the crew. Shortly thereafter, they took off.
Most of the plane’s passengers lowered their seats and attempted to get some more sleep. Archer wasn’t tired, though. Neither, apparently, was Sage, who opened up his laptop as soon as they were cleared to do so. Archer figured he’d spend the flight working on some of his mixes.
“Everything all right?” Sage asked as he plugged his earbuds into his computer.
Archer tore his gaze from Lily and glanced at him. “Hmm?”
“You seem pretty tense.”
“Oh.” Archer shrugged. “I had just hoped to talk to Lily and I can’t seem to get her alone.”
Sage shook his head as he inserted the buds into his ears. “Such is our life, my friend. None of us are ever really alone anymore.”
Seeing Elijah in the second row with a mini-recorder in his hand and a camera operator at the front of the plane, Archer knew Sage was right. The Void had been in the public eye before. House of Archer would make it so they were in the world’s eye all the time.
“You know she’ll never be okay with that, right?” Sage asked, glancing pointedly at Lily.
Archer didn’t reply. He knew Lily better than anybody. The answer was obvious.
But what if the kiss had changed things? Could he convince Lily to give a relationship with him a shot? Would she take that leap and try to overcome her aversion to his lifestyle? He’d have to explain about the show, which surely wouldn’t help his cause.
Should he even attempt to convince her to try? Was that really fair to either of them?
If he didn’t, he had to abandon the idea of them here and now. Otherwise they would both end up hurt.
He weighed it all through the entire flight. After a while, he gave up even the pretense of staring at his phone and just looked at Lily. Her interview appeared to be concluded, as the Brewer Street members were all attempting to doze. Lily was sitting with her tray table lowered as she wrote diligently in her notebook. He knew she would type it up later, translating her currently illegible shorthand.
The overhead light blended with the early morning sunlight and glimmered on her strawberry blonde hair, which was currently piled on top of her head in a messy bun. The light softly bathed her profile and gave her an unmistakably angelic aura.
Scratch that. Lily was no angel. She was more like an ethereal fairy queen.
Regardless, the artist inside him couldn’t help but see the symbolism in the soft glow. She was the light of his life.
The answer to his internal debate was suddenly quite clear. Lily wasn’t just an important part of his life. She was his life. He was never as happy apart from her as he was when they were together.
He had to try and make a relationship work with her. If he didn’t, he’d regret it forever.
* * *
Regina pretended to be engrossed in the news article she was reading when Christopher Donahue’s cell phone chimed beside her. The plane had just landed in San Jose, so a number of people were pulling out their cell phones to check them. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched him swipe his screen, read the contents of the message he had received, and then turn to look down the aisle of the plane.
As inconspicuously as she could, Regina also looked back through the slim gap between their seats. She guessed that Christopher was looking at Archer. She could barely see half of his face and he was staring right back at Christopher. She turned back around before Christopher could
notice what she was doing.
Curiosity ate at her, especially when she noticed Christopher’s thoughtful frown. She wished she could read the text. Ever since the tour began she had been feeling one step behind on everything. It didn’t sit well with her.
She avoided looking at the palm-sized camera being held by one of the film crew at the front of the plane just a few feet away. It might not even be on, but they had been told not to look at the cameras or it would ruin the shot. She wondered what kind of footage they had captured up to that point.
So far, her boys had been behaving themselves per her request. It hadn’t seemed like a good idea to damage their image in a way that could follow them the rest of their careers. After watching a couple of hours of reality TV in her hotel room over the past couple days, however, she was rethinking her position. For some mystifying reason, the public loved people who behaved badly on these types of shows.
When they all disembarked, she watched as Archer followed Lily and her two friends towards a black SUV. Lily climbed in first, never noticing when Archer’s bodyguard directed her two friends towards another vehicle. Archer climbed into the SUV with Lily and closed the door. Regina could barely make them out through the tinted windows. It was the first time she’d seen the two of them alone.
How interesting, she thought.
Spotting the car and driver that would escort her and a couple of her boys to their hotel, Regina strode over to it. She pasted a smile on her face for the driver and was pleased to see him giving her an appreciative once-over. She deliberately gave him a similar study and made sure he saw interest in her gaze.
“How are you today...” she began, glancing at his name tag. “Marcus?”
“It’s a fine day, thanks,” he said with a smile. “You ready for a ride, young lady?”
“Only if you’re my driver.”
He issued a low chuckle and opened the back door for her. She saw Brandon give her a questioning look as he climbed into the car on the other side, but she ignored him.
Touching Marcus’ hand before she sat down, she asked, “Would you do me a favor, Marcus?”
“Anything for you, sweet cheeks.”
She fought an eye roll, turning it into a flirtatious flutter of eyelashes. “You’re a doll. Would you do your best to drive next to that SUV?”
He followed her gaze to the SUV housing Archer and Lily. “You got it.”
“Thanks, Marcus.” She blew him a kiss before climbing in, making sure he got a nice glimpse of her long, toned legs in the process.
“What the hell was that all about?” Brandon asked as Marcus moved to the front passenger door to open it for Mal.
Regina checked her cell to make sure it had a full battery. Then she opened up her camera and switched it to video.
“Just working on a little insurance plan,” she murmured, lowering her window some so the tint on it wouldn’t obstruct her view.
“What kind of insurance?”
“I’m not sure yet. Let’s just wait and see.”
Chapter Fifteen
“What are...Dane? What’s going on?” Lily asked as he climbed into the SUV behind her and closed the door.
“We’re going to talk.”
“I don’t want to talk.”
“That’s too damn bad.”
Her irritation disappeared in a blink of shock. He hadn’t infused the words with any heat, but it certainly wasn’t the response she had expected.
Neither of them said another word until Barney had seated himself behind the wheel. “Do you need anything before we depart, Mr. Archer?” he asked.
“No, Barney. Thanks.”
Barney nodded and pressed the button to raise the privacy shield between the front and back seats. Once they were moving, Dane turned back to Lily. Since she was glowering out the window, she saw his expression in the reflective surface. For some reason he looked amused over her behavior.
“Lily, nothing happened with Camilla,” he began.
She shrugged. “Why would I care?”
“Because I kissed you yesterday.” When she didn’t reply, he continued, “Do you really think so little of me that you believe I’d go from kissing you like that to pursuing another woman?”
She huffed out a sigh and finally met his gaze. “Of course I don’t think little of you, Dane. Honestly, I don’t know what to think right now.”
He looked relieved that she was speaking with him in a calm manner rather than chewing his head off. It made her regret going out of her way to avoid and ignore him all morning. She had been acting like a middle schooler. He was her best friend. He deserved to have his say.
“Look, Lily, I know I screwed up last night. I should have mentioned I had that interview so you knew to wait for me. I was more concerned about keeping Camilla happy so she would give the band some good press than I was about hunting you down to talk about us.”
She bit her bottom lip and looked down at the notebook she was clutching in her lap. “It’s okay, Dane. I—”
“No, it’s not okay.” He ran a hand through his hair as though trying to find the right words to give her. “You have no idea how important you are to me, Lily. You’re the best friend I’ve ever had. You’re beautiful and funny and I know I can tell you anything. But I haven’t told you the truth about how I feel about you. I want more than just your friendship. I want a shot at a real relationship with you.”
Her heart ached more with every word he spoke. “Oh, Dane.”
His expression fell. “What? What’s wrong?”
Taking a deep breath, she said, “Johnathan asked me to marry him.”
The words seemed to knock the wind right out of him. She actually saw him flinch as though suffering from a blow. He shook his head and cleared his throat a couple of times before he spoke again.
“What did you tell him?” he managed to ask.
“Well...I told him yes.”
Lily wished she could take the words back. She never expected to see the depth of emotion in Dane’s eyes that she did right then. She might as well have swung a bag of rocks and struck him in the chest. His reaction touched her profoundly, much as his words did.
It stunned her to realize how much she had craved to hear exactly what Dane had just told her. She had never experienced the excited thrill, the absolute elation that had flooded her when he said he wanted more than friendship with her. It was beyond anything...including Johnathan’s proposal.
God, she was such an idiot.
“You’re engaged?”
Dane sounded as though he had swallowed a pile of sand. She couldn’t stop herself from reaching over and taking his hand. He had a disturbing shocky look. She hated herself for causing him such pain.
“Yes. I spoke with Johnathan last night. I...I was upset because I saw you with Camilla.” Admitting that made her feel even more stupid. “I know now that I never should have called him when I was so upset.”
“You’re engaged.”
This time it was more of a statement. It was clear that he was trying to process her news and figure out how to react. Her eyes burned and she had to swallow hard against the emotion that clutched at her throat.
“I’m sorry, Dane,” she said. “I made a big mistake.”
He pulled his hand from hers and looked at the scenery whipping by outside the tinted window. “A mistake. Sure. But I initiated the kiss. We don’t have to tell your fiancé about it.”
She blinked in surprise, releasing a tear that plopped onto her notebook. She realized that he thought she was saying their kiss had been a mistake.
“No...I’m not talking about our kiss. My mistake was in telling Johnathan yes. I don’t want to marry him.”
It was the first time she admitted as much, even to herself. She had managed to convince herself last night that marriage to a great guy she had so much in common with was the best thing for her. She had been reeling from Dane’s focus on Camilla and confused by his kiss, which hadn’t seemed to mean anything t
o him. Rather than talk to him about it she had gone and made one of the dumbest moves of her life.
His dark eyes met hers. “You don’t?”
She shook her head.
He studied her quietly before asking, “Why didn’t you tell me he had proposed?”
The answer sprang instantly to her lips and added an onslaught of shame to her already towering emotions. In that moment, she had never thought less of herself. She hadn’t ever been dishonest with Dane, though, and she wasn’t going to begin lying now to either of them.
“Because I’d hoped you would change my mind before I said yes,” she confessed.
He issued a dry, humorless laugh. “Guess I blew that.”
She blinked another tear free of her lashes. “You didn’t stop me from making the mistake of accepting Johnathan’s proposal, Dane, but you can stop me from making the mistake of marrying him.”
That captured his attention. He didn’t say anything for a long moment. Lily didn’t realize she was holding her breath until her lungs started to protest.
“Are you sure?” he asked in a soft voice.
She nodded, never looking away from his deep, searching gaze. As though they had shared the thought, they reached for each other. Her arms slid around him as he pulled her across the seat and onto his lap. She straddled him so they were facing each other and brought her hands around so they framed his heart-stopping face.
This time, she initiated the kiss. She leaned down and brushed her lips against his, teasing him with soft caresses and gently grazing his lips with her teeth. He only permitted that for a minute or two before issuing a low growl, twining his fingers in her hair, and kissing her thoroughly. Her lips parted without objection, welcoming him at last.
Their tongues met in an erotic dance that sent desire searing through her. Her heart pounded as Dane’s deft hands slid along her spine and down to her backside to press her closer to his hard body. Every touch was infused with sensual heat, sending pleasure pulsing all the way to her toes.
Moans escaped her throat. She ran her hands along his chest and then back up to his hair so she could reposition him and kiss him even more deeply. Their tongues met again and again, mimicking what they both clearly wanted. She touched him everywhere she could reach and wanted him touching her.