“I’d love to meet them sometime,” she said. “Since I’m an only child, I always wanted brothers and sisters.”
“What should I know about you?”
She grinned. “What else do you want to know?”
He grinned back. “Everything.”
Silver laughed. “Favorite colors, music, vacations as a child? You asked for it. I’ve been teaching for five years at GaGa. Yes, I love my job. No, I’ve never been married. You’ve met the ex-fiancé up close and personal. I’ve been to England, and I don’t want to see Paris. My parents divorced when I was fourteen. My favorite color is powder blue. And I don’t care what my sign is because I don’t believe in astrology.”
“Miss Madison,” he teased. “I believe you left out something.”
“My blood type?”
He put down his fork and leaned back in his chair. “Why don’t you like being called darlin’?”
Chewing slowly, she considered her answer. “It’s silly, but I hate nicknames. Sweetie. Babe. Bunny. Sugar bug. Darlin’. Why not use a person’s name?”
“Sugar bug?” He exaggerated a shudder. “Try ‘honey bear’ or ‘cuddle socks.’”
Laughing, she reached for her water glass and found white wine had also been poured, so she opted for that instead. “You’re proving my point.” She took a sip of the wine and found it subtly sweet. Delicious.
“So if I call you gorgeous, you’d find it offensive?”
Setting down her glass, she shook her head. “Not offensive. Maybe a fallacy.” When he frowned, she raised her eyebrows. “What?”
He put one hand over hers, his thumb stroking the back of her hand. “You honestly have no idea how beautiful you are, do you?”
A warm flush crept over her face. His eyes never wavered and her heart sped up. She wanted to believe him. Wanted to hear more. Wanted to know how much he desired her. She’d been bold in the limo. Now she considered leaning across the table and picking up where they’d left off.
Instead, she changed the subject. “Your turn. Tell me more about Nashville and your dreams.”
With a smile, he picked up his fork and began talking.
Silver couldn’t decide if she felt relief or disappointment.
* * *
As Justin waited for Silver to come back from the ladies’ room, his thoughts strayed to plans for the next few weeks. A lot could change quickly and, even though there were no guarantees he’d become a superstar, he wanted his family’s support. Of course, his little brother, Hunter, hadn’t stopped razing him about being the newest country stud, asking how many times he’d get laid before New Year’s Eve.
For some reason, the only woman he wanted was Silver. Right now he couldn’t—
“Justin?”
Silver stood beside the table, looking at him as if waiting for a response. “Did you say something?”
She slid back into her chair. “Not me. The server asked if we’re ready for dessert.”
He nodded at the server standing against the wall. “Sounds great.” Looking back at the woman across from the table, he crossed his arms over his chest. “One more question.”
“About…?”
When I can get more of those honeyed kisses?
“What are your dreams?”
Suddenly the napkin in her lap had her full attention. “I always wanted to teach.”
“You’ve always wanted to teach, but…is there something more?” Justin prompted.
“Like what?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. Write a book? Be a dancer? Give guided tours of the pyramids?”
She threw up her hands. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Of course it matters, if it’s your life. Don’t you want excitement and something different?”
“That’s the point. I can’t be like you, famous so everyone will fall in love with the image of a person who doesn’t really exist. If you want that, go for it.”
Letting out a breathy laugh, Justin shook his head. “Great offensive move there, Madison. You should try out for the Dallas Cowboys. I hear they need a tight end.” At her gasp, he held up his right hand. “Wait. That didn’t come out right.”
“No, I’m glad you said it, because it must be what you’re thinking. Maybe there’s a reason I don’t open up and share my darkest secrets. The last time I shared my dreams with someone, he tore my life apart. Chase Richards, mother-approved and successful, slammed the door on my heart, and I’m much better if I keep the gates locked.” Tears shimmered in her eyes. “Maybe I prefer life routinely safe and boring.”
Stunned at her outburst, Justin sat speechless for a few moments while the servers put slices of cheesecake with caramel sauce on the table. When they were alone again, he leaned forward.
“First of all, you don’t know enough about me to talk about what kind of image I want. Second…” He held up a hand when she started to interrupt. “…it’s obvious that Chase did a real number on your heart. I don’t give a damn how successful a guy is, he should never treat a woman that way.” He leaned closer and used his fingers to gently brush away the tears rolling down her cheeks. “And third, I’m nothing like that egotistical jackass. I would never hurt you like that, so don’t put me in the same stable as him.”
Without another thought, he stood up and pulled her with him. When his lips covered hers, she softened with a quiet moan. He wrapped her tighter in his arms as he tasted the fiery sweetness of her passion. One of the servers cleared his throat and Justin remembered their audience. When he eased Silver back into the chair, she gave him a watery smile.
“Justin?” she asked weakly.
“Yes, Silver?”
“How did you know cheesecake with caramel sauce is my favorite?”
He smiled, then gave her a quick kiss before sitting back down. “Becky told me.”
She stared at him for a moment then lifted her chin, as if she’d made a difficult decision.
“It would be a shame to let any of this to go to waste.”
He recognized the white flag. Leaning over, he picked up a fork and a plate of the dessert, scooped up a bite, and raised it to her lips. “Then let’s get started.”
* * *
It was Saturday, a week since their last date, and Justin had picked up Silver for a late dinner. They’d been driving for nearly an hour and, though she’d begged, he refused to tell her where they were going.
“Justin, how much further? I’m starving!” She leaned toward the picnic basket on the floor behind his seat. He stopped her by grabbing her arm.
“Not yet! Are you always like this when you’re hungry?”
“Maybe. How do I know if I’m dressed all right?”
Her choice of jeans, a dark green T-shirt and a jean jacket was perfect. “You always look beautiful. Just a few more minutes.” Reaching for her hand, he wrapped his fingers over hers. “We’re almost there.”
“I’m surprised Sam let you out of his sight. Five shows this past week in Texas and Louisiana. Every time I watched the news, your face was smiling back at me.”
Letting go of her hand, he wrapped his fingers around the steering wheel. “That guy is driving me nuts right now. He’s obsessed with making sure the press knows where I am all the time, even when I don’t tell him where I’m going. I hope he doesn’t have a reporter hiding somewhere.”
“Did you check under the hood?” she teased.
Laughing, he shook his head. “Hey, at this point, nothing would surprise me.” He grew serious. “Something’s not right with Sam. He seems desperate, so I have someone doing a background check on him.”
“Shouldn’t you have done that before hiring him?”
“All I could think about at the time was becoming famous. That’s still pretty much at the top of my list.”
She turned her head to look out the passenger window. “When do you find out if you won Best New Artist?”
Justin took a deep breath to calm the sudden churning in his stomach before answering. “Not until Feb
ruary. Four months.”
When Silver didn’t say anything, he looked over and saw her smiling. “You’ll win. How could you not?”
For a woman who didn’t like country music, she seemed to be his biggest fan. And that made him glad there were no strings attached to this relationship. At least, not yet. There was no telling how crazy his life could get once his career really took off.
He slowed down the truck and pulled onto an unpaved road. He turned into a short drive, stopped between two large trees on either side of a dirt parking area, and shut off the engine. “This is our family lake house.”
She opened her door and stepped out of the truck. “Justin, this is more like a two story castle.”
He shrugged, climbed out of the truck, and reached for the picnic basket. “Come on, I’ll show you the inside.”
Justin opened the front door, turned on the lights to disengage the alarm system then stood aside to let her in.
“It’s beautiful!”
“We like it,” he replied, glad to see her response. His mom had made this place more subdued than the Rivers mansion, focusing on relaxation and comfort. Earth tones and natural woods were accented with soft blues and greens. The oversize, plush furniture let a person literally sink into the cushions. He set the basket on a table in the kitchen.
Silver walked over to a small curio cabinet. “I love these angel figurines.”
Instead of responding, he marveled again at how gracefully she moved as she explored the room. Her soft blonde hair rippled as it swayed across her shoulders. His hands ached to pull her into his arms. Silver opened the glass door to the back deck. Hearing her gasp of surprise, he led her outside.
“The moonlight on the water… It’s like midnight diamonds sparkling in the darkness,” she whispered almost reverently, pulling away from him to lean on the deck railing.
Her poetic words moved his creative spirit, and a melody began playing in his head. Cocking his head to one side, he listened to it as he stood next to her, watching the water.
When she turned, his heart slammed against his chest. Silver looked breathtaking in the reflected light. “You are stunning.”
He held his breath as she stepped closer. Her green eyes shone with silvery highlights and her lips curved into a smile. “Are you going to kiss me or stare at me all night?”
“I’m not sure. Both choices are very appealing.”
“Only to you,” she replied and stood on tiptoe, brushing her lips over his for a moment. “How about a compromise? You give me one very good kiss, then you can watch me eat.”
The sudden image in his head had nothing to do with food. Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her close and covered her mouth with his, tasting the cool night and heated passion on her lips.
When his phone chirped, he pulled it out of his pocket and saw the ID, groaned in frustration and answered. “Yes, Sam.”
“Justin, where the hell are you?”
“I’m at the lake house. What’s the problem?”
“GramMer wants to delay signing you until after the ACMA awards.”
Justin released Silver and walked away a few steps. “But that’s nearly four months. Isn’t there any way we can speed up the signing?”
Silver gestured toward the house and walked inside. Through the glass door he saw her open the basket and set out containers of the barbecue he’d brought along.
He heard Sam sigh loudly. “Not from what Merrill Graham’s secretary told me. The only thing that would change their mind is a huge media event. I have some ideas to run past you that could get their attention and I want to get started.”
“Tonight’s not good for me. We’ll talk tomorrow. While I have you on the phone, I need to ask you a question. Why is the business bank account so low? I just put money in it last week.”
A long silence met his words. Maybe the call dropped? Then Sam cleared his throat. “We had a few unexpected expenses. You know, the usual stuff. Hey, you enjoy your evening. We’ll talk later.”
The line went dead, and Justin felt a gut punch of warning. Something definitely wasn’t right. He dialed a number and waited for it to answer. Glancing back to Silver, he saw her putting plates and flatware on the table. She unscrewed a sauce jar and stuck a fork in it. First she smelled it, then she tasted it. The obvious relief on her face nearly made him laugh.
“Hey, what’s up?”
He turned away and lowered his voice. “Listen, I need you to check on what Sam’s doing with the finances.”
“Already ahead of you. And you’re not going to like what I found.”
Justin listened for several minutes and his free hand fisted. “Son of a bitch!” He paced the deck as anger wormed its way into his gut. “Why?”
“Gambling, and Sam’s a big-time loser. You gotta cut him loose, Justin.”
“Yeah. I’ll text you later.” He hung up, his jaw clenching. Loyalty meant everything to him, and Sam had failed that test. Right now, he really needed to leave and take care of this situation, but he’d driven all this way to spend time with Silver. This was exactly the kind of thing that he worried about, his personal life keeping him from taking care of his career.
Did he have room in his life for a woman? He loved being with her. She made him feel as if he were the only guy in the world. But could he deal with a relationship right now, and was it fair to her? Things would get more demanding, and he couldn’t afford to be distracted. And Silver Madison was definitely a distraction.
As if sensing his thoughts, Silver opened the door. “Hey, cowboy? Are you ready?”
“Sure, let’s eat.” Justin walked back into the house, more confused than ever.
* * *
Silver snuggled closer to Justin on the sofa as warmth from the fireplace eased into the room. “I’ve always loved watching a fire. It’s so relaxing, especially late at night.”
“Mm hmm.”
She frowned at his response. He hadn’t smiled once since the phone call, and she knew something was bothering him. Maybe he’d changed his mind about the two of them. Or maybe he’d gotten some bad news. Either way, the evening had dissolved into her watching him think.
“Justin, what’s wrong? And don’t say ‘nothing’. You haven’t uttered a complete sentence in over an hour.”
He pulled away and ran one hand through his hair. “Sorry, I have a lot on my mind.”
“About us?”
When he cupped her cheek with one hand, she leaned into the caress.
“No. Well, maybe. It’s just complicated right now.”
She’d heard those words before in a relationship. Justin had said that his career was his top priority, and it sounded like she needed to back away. Part of Silver’s heart withdrew behind protective walls she kept handy.
“Justin, I’m not asking for anything from you. I’m here as a friend if you want to talk.”
“Silver, you’re more than a friend. You are beyond gorgeous, and the time we spend together is great. But right now I’m dealing with some really lousy news, and I can’t concentrate on us.”
“OK, then let’s head home.”
Part of her had wanted him to say they were staying for the night. But Justin didn’t seem like a separate bedrooms type of guy, and the romantic mood had vanished with that phone call.
“I think that’s a good idea.” He stood up and began packing the picnic basket.
She joined him and swallowed hard against the rising irritation. Maybe it was good to know exactly what he wanted from her, which suddenly seemed to be a whole lot of nothing. When she reached for empty containers to throw them away, his hand gently caught her wrist, stopping her.
“I’m sorry. It’s not you, Silver.”
Facing him, she looked him in the eyes. “Why bring me here if you were going to push me away?”
“I’m not intentionally pushing you away. I just need time to get things straightened out with my career. Let me get through all of this and we’ll see what happens.”
Translation: he was too busy to be with her and this was his way of letting go. One thing she’d learned from her last encounter with a self-possessed man was don’t try and change his mind. While the rest of her heart slid behind those walls, she gave him a smile. “Fine. But you don’t have to do this by yourself. Sometimes there’s more strength in having someone beside you. Someone who cares about more than themselves.”
At first she thought she’d gone too far when Justin propped his hands on the table and dropped his head to his chest. She watched him for several long moments without saying a word and barely breathing. Finally he straightened, wrapped his arms around her waist, and pulled her close, leaning his forehead against hers. “You’re right. I get lost in overthinking and analyzing things, like I’m the only person in the world who can fix whatever is wrong.” He kissed the top of her head. “Would you come to Mom’s tomorrow night and meet my brothers?”
Exasperation made her lean away from him. “Justin, I’m getting emotional whiplash from the constant change in direction. What happened to focusing on your career?”
“That won’t change, but maybe we can try this together.”
When he leaned in to kiss her, she didn’t move and she didn’t tear down the walls. Not yet. Not even when she felt herself responding immediately to him. Her hands slid into his hair while his fingers slipped beneath the hem of her shirt, burning against her skin. As much as she wanted to be close to him, she pushed him away.
“One step at a time, cowboy. I’m still trying to figure out what’s happening between us.”
Chuckling, he dropped a quick kiss on her lips. “Let’s get you home.”
Silver finished packing the basket while he took care of the fireplace. But she really wanted him stoke the smoldering passion inside of her.
Chapter Eight
“Sil, we need to take you shopping. All you have are teacher clothes,” Becky huffed in exasperation as she popped her knuckles. “I mean, seriously, the hottest guy on the planet has asked you to meet his family, and you’re wearing that?”
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