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by Lynn Rider

  Amber…

  “Quit fidgeting,” Austin says as he grabs my hand and holds it still. I look over to him and see his sympathetic expression. “Babe, you’re really making this bigger than it is. You and Kelly already talked. Ashton and Meagan are stoked to see us. It’s going to be fine.” He leans over and places a sweet kiss on my forehead.

  “You’re right. I’m being ridiculous.”

  “I wouldn’t say ridiculous.” I look in his direction with a cutting stare. His hands go up in surrender as a lazy grin claims his face. “Overreacting, yes. I’m just saying I understand your reason behind being nervous, but it’s not necessary.”

  I look over at Sophia, who is sleeping soundly in her seat between us. “Austin, you know why I left, right? I mean we’re good, right?”

  “Yeah, babe, I do,” he sighs. “I’d want you to do the same if it ever happened again.” His voice so soft it’s almost quivering. “If you ever felt your safety either physically or emotionally was in danger, I’d want you and Sophia to get as far away from whatever you were being threatened by. That includes me.”

  I can see the sincerity through his moisture-filled eyes.

  “It won’t happen though.” It’s not a question, but my tone implies one.

  “Nope. I know I’ve broken promises before, but never again.” His gaze drifts down to Sophia.

  She’s rescued him.

  “I love you, Austin,” I say, sitting back with a smile.

  “I love you too,” he says as he reaches over Sophia to caress my face.

  “You want to join the mile high club?” He teases, lightening the tone of our conversation. “You’re thinking about it, aren’t you?” he says playfully.

  “Austin.”

  “One day, babe, I’m going to hire a private plane to take us somewhere and we’re definitely joining that club,” he threatens as he rights himself in his seat, smiling pensively.

  “You’re crazy.” I laugh as I sit back and close my eyes.

  “Shit,” Austin mumbles as we’re exiting the plane. I glance over and see he’s looking at the text message screen of his phone.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Paparazzi. Hand me Sophia.” He scoops her carrier from my arms without waiting for my reply. “Dave’s at the gate and someone will wait for our bags. We need to get you two to the truck,” he says, dragging me along by the hand as he picks up his pace.

  I see Dave over the sea of people outside the terminal gate, but don’t recognize anything else amiss. The first flash catches me by surprise and then a sea of others follow. Austin’s arm snakes around my shoulders, pulling me tight and holding Sophia between us.

  “Keep your head down,” he mumbles.

  I notice the three men with large cameras circling us. Dave does his best to block their shots, but he’s no match for the rapid-fire shutters of their camera.

  “It’s okay, babe,” Austin mutters soothingly as we hurry through the crowd.

  I glance up briefly at the barrage of eyes watching us in wonder before I look down and snuggle tightly into Austin’s side. He weaves us through the chaos of the crowd with precision. I feel the burst of New York’s winter air as we step from the warmth of the airport followed by the smell of exhaust fumes. Austin ushers me into the back door of an awaiting black SUV and the door closes immediately after he climbs in behind me. I hear a quick tap on the glass before the driver jets out into the line of traffic, leaving the men with their cameras standing at the curb.

  “Baby, we’re home,” he singsongs.

  I see the driver’s eyes flit to me in the rear view mirror. He’s handsome in a rugged way. The width of his back poking out on each side of the seat says he’s a big guy. “Welcome home, Austin, Miss.”

  “Thanks, Nick. This is my girlfriend, Amber, and daughter, Sophia,” Austin says casually.

  Through the narrow mirror, I see his brows shoot up before a smile forms.

  “What the hell happened back there?” Austin asks as he glances at the screen of his cell phone.

  “Not sure. The media was discovered during Dave’s sweep about thirty minutes before you landed. I’m not sure if they were there for you or just trolling, but I was told to get here and be waiting.”

  Austin’s phone rings, preventing him from replying. “What happened?”

  Sophia begins to stir and her eyes flutter open. “Good afternoon, sleepyhead,” I coo, ignoring Austin’s conversation. She grins as she reaches for the lion that’s dangling from the handle of her seat. Austin flashes a silly face in her direction and is met with a squeal of delight followed by her gum-filled smile.

  My heart threatens to explode from my chest.

  “You slept through all the excitement, Princess,” he says after he hangs up. His is expression turns solemn as he turns to me. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, nothing like landing with a bang,” I say lightheartedly.

  His phone rings again, but he ignores it. “I’ll do everything I can to protect you from this craziness, but I need you to promise to tell me if it’s getting to you.”

  “I’m not that same girl, Austin,” I reply, holding his gaze.

  He nods as a slow smile forms. The SUV turns into the entrance of an underground parking garage. My eyes travel the height of the building from my window before looking over to Austin in silent question.

  “This is where I live,” he says as the metal gate rolls up, clearing the way for the truck. I want to ask what happened to the other high-rise he lived in, but knowing that’s a bittersweet part of our past I don’t.

  When the SUV rolls to a stop at an elevator, a flurry of nervousness at entering his life takes hold in my stomach.

  He untangles Sophia from her seatbelt and unbuckles her seat while Nick opens my door. I climb from the SUV with the help of his hand and I see the possessive expression on Austin’s face as he rounds my side with Sophia.

  “Thanks, Nick,” he mutters to the man, clearly showing his disapproval for touching me. His arm snakes around my shoulders, leading me toward the set of stainless steel doors.

  “He was nice,” I say cautiously.

  “He’s not my favorite employee of Dave’s, but I don’t get to decide that,” he says roughly.

  I know by his tone that I’m better off not asking. I dismiss it and silently watch the blue numbers increase as the elevator climbs.

  “I’ll walk you through how to get in and out of the building on your own. Although, after what we dealt with at the airport, I doubt I’ll be leaving you this trip.” The elevator comes to a stop on the twenty-second floor and the doors part. Austin leads me into the hall. “On the end,” he says as we walk down the hall.

  He inserts his key and flings the door open, allowing me access first. “Welcome home, baby,” he says when our eyes meet. The tension leaves my body at hearing those words flow from his perfect mouth and I smile softly.

  I’m surprised by what I see when my eyes scan the open floor plan. The dark hardwoods line the floors throughout. The kitchen boasts creamy-white cabinets, shiny stainless steel appliances and stone countertops. The large island serves as the only interruption in the flow of the room. The oversized living room furniture comfortably adds to the room, making the insanely large flat screen TV feel like it belongs in a house and not a movie theater.

  “It’s beautiful, Austin,” I say in awe as I look out the large glass windows to the city’s skyline.

  “I was hoping you’d like it. I just bought it and had you in mind when I did.”

  My eyes pull from the view to meet his. “Why?”

  “You’re always on my mind, Amber. I’ve struggled in the past, but this time around I came out with a new sense of clarity. I’ve always wanted to bring you home.”

  Tears sting my eyes. His simple words say so much. “Thank you, Austin. That’s really sweet.” Sophia leaps from his arms, thrusting her body in my direction and breaking the moment.

  “Come on, I want to show you
her room.”

  I stand stunned for a brief minute as he walks toward a short hall. He stops and looks back at me before my feet set in motion.

  My breath hitches as I see the room. The walls are painted with two different, but complementing shades of muted pink. Their shades alternate, forming thick stripes from the ceiling to the floor. The oversized furniture is creamy-white, giving its indulgence a softness. Again, the dark hardwood lines the floors, but a shaggy pink rug softens its texture. The dresser holds a framed picture of her and Austin and another of her and me.

  “Do you like it?” he asks softly. The tears overflow as a soft sob comes from my throat. “Oh, babe, I didn’t mean to upset you.” He pulls us into his embrace. “I just wanted it to be worthy of our princess.” He strokes his hands over my hair.

  I nod, attempting to reign in my emotions. “It’s beautiful, Austin.”

  “God, I’m glad you like it. Ready for our room?” He pulls back, looking down at me with a wiggle of his brows and making me laugh.

  When the doorbell rings, my nerves elevate tenfold. I knew to expect Ashton and Meagan, but their visit is sooner than I hoped. I met Meagan once at Kelly’s when Austin first got out of rehab, but she had stayed glued to Ashton’s side that day.

  Austin opens the door proudly holding Sophia. His grin is the widest I’ve ever seen it in all the years we’ve known one another.

  “Holy cow! She is you,” I hear Meagan call out happily. “Let me have her,” she says pulling Sophia from his arms. She settles on the couch within seconds, holding Sophia up and looking goofily at her. I inwardly laugh at another victim of Sophia’s charm. She has the ability to turn every adult into a babbling, idiotic, grinning fool. And the beautiful model-like woman on the couch is no exception.

  Ashton walks toward me, his stride screaming of purpose as he covers the expanse of the room. His smile is wide as he extends his arms out, drawing me toward him roughly. “She’s beautiful. I couldn’t wait to get here,” he says as he hugs me tightly.

  “Yeah, we probably circled the block six times waiting for the all clear,” Meagan calls out playfully from the couch.

  Ashton flashes a disappointed grin at her as he releases me. “I’m glad you’re home,” he says, looking back at me.

  My heart stutters with his kindness. “Thank you.”

  He smiles kindly and walks to the couch where he joins his wife in making crazy sounds and faces at a smiling Sophia.

  “Looks like I can take you on a date now,” Austin says as he sidles up next to me behind the counter. I look at him quizzically. “We just found babysitters. Look at them. Fell right into her web of goodness.” He nods at the couch with a grin, causing me to laugh.

  “I’m sorry I’ve forgotten my manners. I just got caught up in this one,” Meagan says the last in baby talk for Sophia’s benefit. “I’m not sure if you remember meeting me, but it’s so nice to see you again,” she says in a normal tone as she peeks around Sophia.

  “Sophia has that effect on everyone. It’s good to see you again too,” I reply with a smile.

  “So what the hell happened today?” Ashton asks in Austin’s direction.

  “I don’t know yet. Olivia is digging around.”

  I look at Austin.

  “Olivia is our PR person. She keeps her nose to the ground for us so we can get ahead of things,” Austin explains.

  “That’s not the only place she puts her nose,” Meagan says snidely before a sweet smile covers her beautiful face.

  Ashton nods. “Yeah, it helps she likes the gossip.” He laughs. “Meagan’s not a fan of hers.” Ashton looks at her with pure love lacing his expression.

  I know it’s rude to stare, but I can’t believe my eyes.

  “If you need to know who’s good and who’s evil, ask me,” Meagan says. She follows her words with a wink before cooing at Sophia.

  I’m going to love Meagan.

  Austin….

  Amber’s grasp tightens on my hand when I turn into Kyle’s long driveway. The entire band is out front, and our approach looks like it’s just stopped their game of football mid-play. Happiness morphs their looks of wonder as my car creeps to a stop near the large, five-car garage.

  “I wonder what the neighbors think of this crew,” I say lightheartedly, trying to ease the obvious nervousness Amber’s feeling. Her hesitant smile tells me she’s trying.

  Kelly is walking full stride from the front door and down the driveway in our direction. “You think she was watching out the window?” Amber asks, knowing the answer.

  “Yep.” I turn to face her. “Tell me when you’ve had enough, okay?”

  “Okay. It’ll be fine, though. It’s the first five minutes that terrify me.”

  “This is between you and me. This is our family. Nothing that’s said or felt by any of them means shit to us.” I kiss her lips softly for reassurance. She nods silently with a hint of a smile. I pull my keys from the ignition and climb out, running around her side of the car to help her out before I pull Sophia from her car seat.

  “Oh my God!” Kelly shrieks. “I always knew you two would make gorgeous babies! Let me have her,” she says, extending her arms. Sophia shrinks into my side shyly, taking me and Amber by surprise.

  “Are you harassing that baby, Kell?” Kyle says as he walks up. Kelly grunts at Sophia’s rejection.

  “Don’t get upset, Kelly. She’s going through a phase,” Amber lies while fighting back a smile.

  I inwardly groan when Kyle sticks out his hands and she leaps toward him happily. Amber’s eyes flash to mine once again and I see the humor dancing in them. Kyle laughs and walks away toward the others as he bounces Sophia.

  “Well, doesn’t that just suck? Have you been schooling her about me on the way over?” she asks through narrowed eyes before breaking another smile. “Come in. We have a shitload of food.”

  “Where’s Chelsea?” I ask once we’re in the house.

  “She’s sleeping and so are the boys. Why do you think those rowdy-ass guys were out front?” She laughs as she leads the way to the kitchen.

  “Austin, come check this out. I’ve got the track from the studio,” Kyle calls out from the door.

  I glance back at Amber and she nods, giving me the okay that she’s going to be fine. I smile before pressing my lips softly against hers. “I love you,” I whisper against her ear before walking out.

  “Awesome isn’t it?” Kyle asks excitedly when the music stops.

  “Incredible.” I’d written the song about Amber and Sophia. It was the one we were working on the day Sophia was sick and needed to go to the hospital.

  “Do you want her to hear it?” he asks.

  “No, not yet. It’s too soon,” I say, hoping he understands.

  “Are we putting it on the album?”

  “Definitely, but I’m just not ready to push her.”

  “So what’s going on with you two?” He’s not like Kelly and feeding off gossip; his concern is genuine.

  “This is it. I’m doing everything different this time, man. It’s killing me to take it slow with her, but I am.”

  “So take charge Austin is gone?”

  I laugh at his description of my usual MO. “He’s not gone, but he’s being very accommodating.”

  “When can we expect you back in New York? I don’t want to push you, but we got shit to do.”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Austin, you’re gonna need to be part of this band. You gotta find a balance, man.”

  “I know, Kyle. I just haven’t figured out how to create that yet. Give me another week or two so that we can work something out.”

  “I can do that. We’ll do as much as we can by phone, but I need you to be a part of this. Not only because you’re part of the band, but because you’re my best friend. I need you.”

  “I know,” I remind him again before going in search of Amber, wanting to get the hell out of here.

  “Are you okay?” Amber asks, br
eaking the silence we’ve been riding in since we I pulled her out of Kyle’s. “Austin?” she probes.

  “Yeah… Are you?” I ask, ignoring her question.

  “Yes, I’m fine, but you’re not.”

  “Just band shit, babe,” I say with another sigh.

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  I glance in her direction once more and know I’m gonna have to man up. We’re about to go on tour and dragging her and Sophia along with me isn’t an option, but damn if it hasn’t crossed my mind every day since finding her.

  “The band needs me here. We have shit to do and they’re pushing to get it done.”

  “So what’s the problem? This is your dream, Austin. It’s all you ever wanted.”

  “I want you more,” I say pointedly as I look into her eyes.

  Amber…

  “Whoa, Flower, you weren’t kidding,” Rob says with a whistle through his teeth. He stops just inside the doorway, taking in the grandeur of Austin’s apartment. “Shit, this is some pad. Did I just land in an episode of Cribs?”

  “Insane isn’t it?”

  “You said it was nicer than anything you’d ever seen, but I thought you were exaggerating.” He laughs. “So where’s my baby?”

  “Sleeping, but she should be up soon,” I say, glancing at the kitchen clock.

  “Hell yes, she will. Uncle Rob didn’t come all this way for her to sleep.” He winks.

  “You were already in New York, Rob,” I point out dryly.

  “So things going good with you and rock god?” His keen eyes remain on me, awaiting my response.

  “Yes, everything’s fine.”

  “Fine? Spill it, sista!” he demands playfully.

  “Nothing to spill. We’re trying this and things are going well.”

  “Fine and well aren’t words you should be using when referring to a relationship with a man as fine as Austin Harris. Hot. Explosive… Those are words that describe the hotness wrapped in that dilicktable body.”

  “Di-lick-ta-ble?” I ask with a brow raised.

  “Yeah, my word,” he says assuredly.”Dilicktable—a word used in a variety of ways to express the following. Delightful in a way that makes one lickable. Not limited to just the dick like the word may suggest. But that is my favorite place to be on the giving and receiving end of a lick,” he says with a waggle of his brows.