Blake tucked his hands behind his head and eased back onto his bed. He turned to face Katie and said, “Being with you has been the most real thing I’ve had in a long time. That’s probably why I’ve rushed you.”
“You haven’t rushed me,” Katie said softly. “I’ve wanted everything that we’ve done to happen. I feel it too, you know, between us. It’s scary for me though, how it’s moving so fast. I haven’t had a boyfriend or anything even close in a long time.”
“I’ve been alone a long time too. There’s not a lot of room for relationships in a career like this.”
“I’ll bet. I’m sure you get plenty of chances though, if you ever just want female attention.” Katie smiled mischievously. “I doubt you’d have much trouble finding someone to share your bed in every town you visit.”
“That might be true,” Blake said, with a sly grin. “That’s not what I want, though. I want someone to actually want to know me, know who I am. Most of the time I meet girls on the road and they want the picture with me, or they want to go back to tell their friends that we met. It’s a strange situation, how everyone knows so much about me but nobody really knows me at all.”
“Nobody? You know, I already feel like I know you, like I can trust you. It’s just too bad we’ve got so little time together before I go back home.”
“I’ve thought about that too, sweetheart. Maybe we can figure something out.” Blake leaned over and kissed Katie’s forehead. “Will you stay with me tonight? I promise to keep my hands to myself.”
Katie giggled and kissed him. “I know you will. I trust you.”
Blake pulled her close and inhaled deeply against her hair as his arms tightened around her. Katie felt her body respond to Blake’s touch and pulled herself closer to him, and whispered, “All right,” before surrendering to another deep kiss.
• • •
Katie grabbed her toothbrush and a fresh set of clothes to sleep in while Blake sat in the front lounge of Sterling’s tour bus. Charles sat down on the sofa facing Blake and watched with amusement as the rest of Sterling tried to get ready for a night out in the cramped quarters.
“Looks like everyone’s heading out tonight. It’ll be good to get a little breathing room, I guess.” Charles stretched his legs.
“You guys are already put-out with one another after only a few days on the road? Hopefully you’ll find your rhythm before long.”
“Mr. Jackson, it’s not that we’re put-out. It’s just been a little stressful for everyone. We’re not used to it, and we were already pretty cramped on board, so it will be nice to get a little breathing room. I’m a little disappointed that the reason we’re getting it is because our Katie is going to your bus, though.” Charles tried to sound casual, but the reproach in his voice was apparent.
“Well, Katie is an adult and can make her own decisions, but for what it’s worth, I have real feelings for her and completely respect her. She’s in good hands, Charles. There’s no need to worry.”
“I hope that’s true. Katie is a sweet girl, and she’s been through a lot. I’m just worried for her and don’t want her falling for someone who will be gone and out of her life in less than two weeks.” Charles sighed heavily and got up when Katie returned to the front lounge. “Y’all have a good night. We’ll see you in the morning.”
With that, Blake and Katie returned to his bus while the rest of Sterling piled into a cab to head out for a late night out. Everyone had publicity commitments during the day and a show tomorrow night, but they weren’t about to pass up the chance to get out and see a new city. Nobody was on board the Sterling bus when a figure dressed all in black emerged from the parking lot’s shadows and slashed the tires.
Chapter Eight
Soft sunlight streamed through the windows of Blake’s bedroom and the insistent beep of his alarm clock nudged Katie from her sleep. She stretched, yawned, and a satisfied smile spread across her face as she remembered where she was. Blake was already awake, propped up on an elbow and watching Katie.
“Good morning, beautiful,” Blake murmured as he ran the back of his hand gently down Katie’s cheek. He kissed her forehead and asked, “How did you sleep?”
“Great. I can’t remember the last time I slept so well.”
“Me too,” he said softly. “I think it’s meant to be.”
Katie giggled and pushed Blake’s shoulder playfully. “I could get used to this, Mr. Jackson. Your bed is a lot nicer than my bunk. Your bus is a lot quieter than mine, too.”
“Maybe you should just stay with me until you go home then,” Blake said, suddenly serious.
Katie was stunned momentarily, not sure how to respond. On one hand, spending her days and nights with Blake sounded like a dream come true. She imagined ending each day on the tour snuggled up in his bed, cocooned together under the blankets, whispering together, and her heart squeezed with emotion. It would be so easy to trade in her tiny bunk on Sterling’s tour bus for a spot next to the man of her dreams, blissfully passing the hours on the road in his arms instead of cramped in her little bed, pulling the curtain closed for any little scrap of privacy. Spending every night together might make it harder for her to keep her promise to herself, though. Katie couldn’t imagine lying next to Blake night after night, always remaining abstinent. Would it really be so bad if she did give in to her feelings for Blake? Or would it make it even harder to say goodbye when they went their separate ways?
Katie looked into Blake’s dreamy blue eyes and melted against his warm, solid chest as he pulled her close and kissed her deeply. How could she ever say goodbye to him? A part of her realized that it was too soon to have feelings this strong for a man, it had to be. The constant togetherness and bubble of intimacy the tour provided intensified everything. Katie had already become accustomed to an ‘us-against-the-world’ mentality, finding herself feeling proprietary over Blake, like the only one who truly knew him.
“I’d love to spend every night with you, but I’ll have to think—” Katie was cut off by loud rapping on the bus’s door.
Blake groaned and pulled himself out of bed. He slid on a pair of shorts over his boxers and pulled a T-shirt over his head as he made his way to the front of the bus. He looked unbearably handsome, even rumpled and sleepy. Katie sat up and smoothed her hair, leaning over and craning her neck to see through the bedroom door. She couldn’t see all the way to the front of the bus, but she heard Charles’s voice when Blake let him in.
“We don’t know exactly when it happened, but our tires were slashed last night. I called the police, but that’s it. We didn’t know if we should contact tour security or what exactly the protocol is for this kind of thing.”
Katie hopped out of bed and hurried to the front. “The tires were slashed last night? Is everyone okay? Is anything else damaged? Did y’all see anybody?”
Charles looked down at Katie, his mouth set in a grim line. “We didn’t see anybody. It was late when we got back to the bus last night, so we don’t even know when it happened. It could’ve been done while we were away or it could’ve happened while we were sleeping. We didn’t see anything or notice it when we got back and we never saw or heard anything when we were on board last night. There’s no other damage or sign of trouble.”
Blake picked up his phone and dialed, then wandered to the back lounge as he spoke with tour security.
Katie sat down on a sofa, shaking with fear and anger. “Who would do such a thing? Some crazed jealous fan?”
“It could be some random crime, could be somebody with mental illness, we just don’t know. Could be personal, you know, you hear about fans who think they have a connection to a celebrity. Honestly we’re surprised it was our bus and not Blake’s. That’s what’s really confusing. Hopefully the police will be able to find some evidence. I’m sure that Blake will get security tightened up and you’ll be safe wh
ile we figure everything out.” Charles sat beside Katie and rubbed her back. “It’s going to be all right, kiddo. I promise.”
Katie put her head in her hands while tears streamed down her face. She looked up into Charles’s kind eyes and cried, “God, what if it’s some crazy person obsessed with Blake? What if they’re trying to get rid of me?”
“I don’t know, sweetheart, but it’s going to be fine. I really don’t think you should read that much into it before we know what happened. Chances are it was just a random act of vandalism, maybe some prank.” Charles continued to rub Katie’s back and tried to soothe her.
Blake returned to the front lounge and set his phone down on Caroline’s desk. “Security is on their way. They’ll meet with the police and then they’ll probably want to talk with you guys. I want Katie to stay with me while they check everything out. I can ask Caroline to help find a place to get the tires replaced while we’re on site today. We’ll probably have to get a few extra guys out to watch over the buses while we’re away, too. The drivers will be here but they shouldn’t have to worry about this while they are getting the rigs ready to roll out.”
Katie began crying again in earnest. Blake sat down beside her and pulled her close, holding her in his arms. Charles stood up and awkwardly moved towards the door, not sure whether to stay or go. Blake stroked Katie’s hair and kissed her tear-streaked cheeks while he whispered to her softly. He looked up and met Charles’s eyes and waved him out. “I’ve got her. You go on ahead.”
Katie took a deep breath and wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. “I’m scared, Blake. I feel like this is because of me.”
“Hey, look at me.” Blake’s voice was firm but gentle, and Katie turned her tear-stained face towards him. “This is NOT your fault, sweetheart. I don’t want to hear that again,” he insisted. “There’s no reason to think that this happened because of you or that you’re in any danger. We’ll get extra security out here until we find out what happened.”
“I just feel horrible. I don’t know how we’re going to afford this, and we were barely starting to break even as it was, between the tour and all our new expenses. You know? Now we’re going to need new tires, more security, and that means more money. The guys aren’t going to come out and say it, but they’ve got to think it’s because of me. I don’t know what to do,” she finished weakly.
“You’re not a liability, and I don’t know why on earth you think that this is somehow your fault. Even if this is the work of a fan trying to send a message to you, it’s still not your fault. I’m sure insurance will cover the tires and if not, it’s just money. I can pay for the tires, and I’m happy to do it. Nobody thinks this is your fault. The guys really care about you, you know, I can tell when I see y’all together. All you need to worry about right now is staying safe and doing your job. We’ll figure the rest out.” Blake planted a kiss on Katie’s forehead and smoothed a lock of hair behind her ear.
Just being near Blake, safe in his arms soothed Katie. His confidence almost made her believe that everything would turn out all right. Katie was humbled by Blake’s unconditional promise to keep her safe, by his offers to care for her without hesitation. She could fall in love with this man. It would be so easy. And it was going to be so hard to let him go.
• • •
Blake sat in the front lounge of his massive tour bus, across the desk from Caroline Mathers. She looked at him over the top of her glasses and crossed her legs under her chair as she leaned forward on her elbows.
“So let me get this straight, you want to hire a security guard just for Katie, and you haven’t asked her what she thinks?”
“That’s exactly what I want, Caro. Until we get the buses checked out, until we have an idea of what we’re dealing with here, I don’t feel comfortable having her exposed to danger. I can’t stay with her myself, so this is the only way we can be sure she’s okay. I don’t think I’ll be able to concentrate any other way.”
“Do you want to pull someone from the security detail or find an outside firm? You don’t think there’s some kind of conspiracy or inside job, do you?” Caroline bit her lip and looked like she was trying to disguise her amusement.
“I’m a reasonable man,” Blake said with a laugh, his eyes dancing. “If we have someone on staff already who we can pull for Katie, that would be fine.”
“I’ll go check with the head of security and see if someone can be spared for the special Katie McCoy security detail.” She smiled indulgently. “Do you want to tell her yourself?”
“I’ll call her if you can find someone for her. And stop laughing at me, this is serious.” Blake balled up a piece of paper and tossed it at Caroline.
She deflected the paper. “I know, I know, this is important. I’m just not used to this side of you. I’ve never seen you care for someone like this, and I’ve certainly never seen you so protective of anyone before. Katie must be a very special girl.”
“She really is.”
Blake picked up his phone to call Katie and Caroline left to meet with the head of security.
• • •
Katie put thoughts of the bus and the police out of her mind as she tried to relax in her dressing room before the show. Her hair and makeup team was hard at work transforming her for the night, and they seemed to sense that Katie wasn’t in a chatty mood. They worked quietly as Katie took deep breaths and willed herself to focus on the show and forget about the negative energy surrounding her. There was extra security at the buses, and they hadn’t heard about any trouble since the morning. Katie was as safe as she was going to get and there was nothing more anyone could do right now. The vandal had ruined her morning, no use in letting him—or her—ruin her band’s show tonight, too.
Caroline knocked on her dressing room door and poked her head inside. “Ms. McCoy? I know you’re busy getting ready, but I just need to quickly introduce you to your new security guard. Do you have a moment?”
“Sure, come on in,” Katie answered.
Caroline breezed into Katie’s dressing room on a cloud of subtle perfume and competency, her expensive-looking high heels clacking on the concrete floor. An imposing, handsome blond man dressed in a perfectly pressed charcoal grey suit stood behind her, stoic and serious behind wire frame glasses. He looked vaguely familiar to Katie and she tried to place him, coming up short until Cara and Tiffany started giggling. He was the gorgeous security guard they had been swooning over a couple of days ago.
“Did Mr. Jackson speak with you already about how you would have your own security until the vandalism problem is cleared up?” Caroline asked.
Katie nodded and Caroline continued. “This is Jonathan James and he’s been assigned to you. He will just be watching over you and making sure that any threats against you are contained. We’d like to ask you to exercise caution, you know, be a little more aware of your surroundings and let Jonathan know immediately if you notice anything out of the ordinary.”
“I will, but having a personal bodyguard seems a little extreme.” Katie managed a nervous smile.
“I’m sure it’s overkill, but Mr. Jackson feels very strongly about making sure that you are safe. Feel free to call me if you have any questions.”
With that, Caroline left Jonathan alone with Katie, Cara, and Tiffany, her footsteps fading as she made her way through the venue.
“So, should I call you Jonathan or Mr. James?” Katie gave the serious man a winsome smile.
“Jonathan is fine, ma’am. We’ll be spending a lot of time together so please feel free to get comfortable. I’m going to try to stay out of your way for the most part. I’m just here to make sure nothing happens to you, so try to forget I’m around if you can.”
Tiffany and Cara stifled giggles and Katie laughed. “Well I don’t know if we can forget you’re here but we’ll do our best.”
Jonathan surprised them with a quick grin that revealed very white, very straight teeth. “All right, ladies, then if you don’t need anything I’ll step outside. I’ll be right outside your door.”
Jonathan stepped aside as Blake came in and poked his head in the door. “Can I come in?” He gave Katie an irresistible boyish smile.
“Sure, come on in, we’re all decent in here,” Katie responded. She slid off her chair and smiled in anticipation. Seeing Blake was exactly what she needed.
Blake made his way into the dressing room, oblivious to the charged energy that filled the space when he entered. The hair and makeup girls were frozen in place, and Katie realized that they had probably never met him. “Come on in. We’re just doing hair and makeup. This is my dream team, Tiffany and Cara. Girls, this is Blake.”
Blake crossed the room and shook each girl’s hand in turn. “It’s nice to meet you, ladies. I think you’ve got your work cut out for you; it’s hard to improve on perfection.” He laughed good-naturedly and the women giggled. Blake kissed Katie gently and squeezed her hand. “I just wanted to check in on you. Caroline said that there had been no sign of trouble today, and I see that you met Jonathan. Is everything all right?”
“Everything is fine. It’s a little weird to have a muscled bodyguard standing outside my door but I’m managing. I’m just trying to relax and focus on the show.” Katie tried to ignore the curious stares of Tiffany and Cara. “Jonathan seems like he’ll take good care of me, and I’m doing all right.”
Blake pulled Katie closer and kissed the top of her head. “All right, that’s good. I’ve got an interview to get to before the show, so if you need anything just ask Jonathan or Caroline. If there’s an emergency, get them to pull me away. Please just make sure you’re close to Jonathan until I can get back to you. I know that you’re in good hands, but I won’t feel comfortable until you’re back in mine.”
Nashville Nights Page 37