“It hurt your mother immensely to know your grandfather never approved of me completely, and I don’t want to put you through the same thing.” Her father slid next to her on the couch. He met her considerate gaze, and in that moment, she felt the calmest she had all evening. “Marie, I give you and Aidan my blessing.”
Tears toppled down her cheeks.
“Thank you, Papa.” The words sounded shaky and weak, but the sentiment behind them was anything but.
Staring at the crackling fire, they sat in contemplative silence. Beth cherished their togetherness, but it was also a heartbreaking reminder of what Aidan had missed by losing his mother at a young age and growing up estranged from his father.
After smoking another cigarette and finishing his root beer, her father announced he was retiring to bed. Beth stood from the couch when he did. He pulled her in for a hug.
“I love you, Marie.”
When Beth looked up at him, he had tears in his eyes. Even though she was an adult, he would always see her as his little girl.
“I love you, too, Papa.”
He kissed her forehead and left the room.
Beth picked up his empty glass and the soiled ashtray and took them into the kitchen. As she rinsed the dishes and put them away, she admired the flowers Aidan bought her and revisited her father’s blessing.
Back in the living room, she curled up on the sofa she and Aidan had occupied yesterday. The house was quiet now that her parents had gone to bed. Having them here was bittersweet because their visit was only temporary, but this life away from Clarkson was the one she’d chosen for herself and she had no regrets. Despite the distance, her heart was never empty.
Beth decided to call Olivia tomorrow and invite her to dinner, hoping the restaurant could accommodate one more in the reservation. Now that her parents had been introduced to Aidan, it was only natural she introduced them to Olivia as well. Beth wanted them to return to Clarkson having seen as much of her new life in L.A. as possible, which included meeting the people who meant most to her.
Beth brought the quilt from the couch with her when she retired to Olivia’s room. Nestled comfortably in bed, she pulled it up to her nose and breathed in deeply. Aidan’s scent settled in her lungs, bringing a smile to her face and lulling her into a blissful sleep.
She couldn’t wait until Las Vegas so she could usher in the New Year with him—the man she loved with all of her heart, the man who was now one step closer to one day becoming an official member of her family.
In a chauffeured white limousine provided by RCA Victor, Aidan rode along what was referred to as the Las Vegas Strip with Beth, Nathan, Matthew, Olivia, and Connie. They had arrived via private jet from Los Angeles and were en route to the Sands Hotel. Nathan and Matthew were the only members of the group who had visited Las Vegas previously. The six of them were only in town for one night, but they intended to make the most of it.
Aidan looked forward to Matthew’s show and ringing in the New Year tonight with Beth before the Golden Gloves shoot started and took up the majority of his time. Most importantly, he was determined to stay awake all night to avoid a repeat of what had happened in Santa Barbara.
For his role as Joe Oliver, Aidan began training with boxing middleweight champion, Rocky Marcello, at a gym on Sunset Boulevard. So far, Rocky had taught him the most common stances, punches, and ways to block an opponent. He was eager to launch into more intense sessions next week when they moved his training to the studio lot. And with any luck, Beth’s next film assignment would shoot at the studio, too, so they could see each other more often. To aid in his training, Aidan made a New Year’s resolution to quit smoking. The habit hindered his progress, especially during the three-mile runs and jump rope warm-up sessions Rocky had him complete each morning.
When Aidan wasn’t training, he spent time with Beth, and sometimes they hung out with Nathan and Olivia. Matthew and Connie had returned from St. Louis yesterday. On the airplane this morning, they shared stories about Christmas with the McKenna family, which got Aidan thinking about his introduction to Beth’s parents. Between his abysmal reaction to their inquiries into his family background, and Beth’s guilt over not warning them beforehand, he preferred to forget the evening ever happened. He ended up earning her father’s approval, but the blow his confidence received regarding his ability to one day move on from his mother’s murder had been a tough price to pay.
The limousine slowed as they reached the Sands, and Matthew proudly pointed out the hotel’s marquee, which advertised his concert. To keep up appearances, Aidan and Nathan checked into two rooms, Matthew checked into the executive penthouse suite paid for by RCA Victor, and Beth, Olivia, and Connie checked into a third room one floor below. Once the bellhops left, the couples paired off and transferred their luggage to the correct rooms, leaving one room vacant.
Alone at last, Aidan took Beth into his arms and kissed her sweetly. Their large suite was state of the art with contemporary decor and a panoramic view of the city, but he only had eyes for her.
“You have no idea how much I’ve wanted to do this since we left L.A.,” he murmured.
“Me, too.” Beth’s reply shifted to a gasp as he drifted his lips down her neck.
She tightened her grip on his T-shirt, twisting the black fabric in her hands, as he kissed her lower. The feel of her body moving against his was almost his complete undoing. He brought her over to the bed. Before he could lay her down, visitors interrupted them.
“Open up, Evans!” Matthew pounded his fists against the door. Nathan’s laughter could also be heard. “No hanky-panky. We’ve got some gambling to do.”
Aidan groaned against Beth’s lips. “You’ve gotta be kidding me.” He dropped his forehead to hers and met her twinkling gaze. “Think they’ll go away if we ignore them?”
Matthew banged on the door again. “Evans, I know you’re in there. Open up!”
Beth stroked his cheek, admiring him with a tender smile. “I think you better open the door.”
“Give me two seconds to get rid of them.” Aidan kissed her once more before he sauntered toward the door.
He removed the chain and pulled the door open. Nathan and Matthew stood in the corridor dressed in different dark suits and fedoras than what they wore on the airplane.
“Come on, Aidan, we’ve only got a few hours before dinner.” Matthew rubbed his hands together, a mischievous grin pinned across his face. “We’re losing precious blackjack time.”
Aidan planted his shoulder against the doorjamb and crossed his arms over his chest. He understood why Matthew desired a distraction, given what the guy had planned tonight, but he didn’t share the enthusiasm.
“I’m gonna stay here. Beth isn’t interested in gambling, and I’m not leaving her by herself.”
Nathan cocked his eyebrows. “You sure? I think Liv and Connie are planning something for this afternoon, so you don’t have to worry about her being alone.”
Aidan regarded Beth over his shoulder. She gave him a fond smile, her cheeks still flushed from their intimacy. There was no place he’d rather be than with her.
“Yeah, I’m sure,” he said, turning back to their friends.
Matthew made a face. “Spoil sport.”
Nathan shrugged. “Okay. We’ll catch you later, then.”
“Yeah, later.” Aidan shut the door and reunited with Beth next to the bed.
“You could’ve gone with them,” she said. “I wouldn’t have minded.”
“No way. I wanna spend as much time alone with you as possible.” Aidan rested his hands on her hips and pulled her close. “Besides, I can think of a much better way to kill time until the show than gambling.”
“So that’s all I am to you, huh? A way to kill time?” The twitch of her mouth gave away her amusement.
Grasping her chin, Aidan leaned down and brought his lips to hers. Desire blasted through him as he coaxed her mouth open with his tongue and kissed her deeply. His hands roamed o
ver her wool sweater, his body attuned to every sound and movement she made, his mind consumed with the need to please her.
Beth dragged her hands down his chest to his stomach. His eyelids drooped as she arrived at his belt, just inches from the erection that pushed against his jeans.
With a whimper that sent his insides buzzing, she gave his belt an anxious tug. Aidan moaned and surrendered to her, letting her unbuckle it. She tugged at his T-shirt next. He quickened the process by removing it for her and tossing it to the floor. His lips searched her neck as she unfastened his jeans, which in no time, joined his shirt at their feet.
In a move that took him by surprise, Beth yanked on the waistband of his briefs and guided him to the bed. She gave his chest a playful shove, and he fell backward onto the mattress. He grinned up at her, loving how she took control.
Pleasure routed his amusement as she crawled onto the bed and straddled him, her knees sinking into the plush duvet on either side of his body. Desperate for skin-to-skin contact, he made an attempt to take off her sweater.
Beth stopped him by taking his hand.
“Not yet,” she said, her gaze captured by seduction.
Closing his eyes, Aidan rested his head back against the mattress and savored her removal of his briefs. His erection fell to his stomach but wasn’t there for long. Beth kneeled beside him on the bed and took him in her hand, extracting a deep shudder and groan from him. With the expert way she worked him, it wouldn’t be long before he found his release. He would have to stop her soon so he could give her an orgasm first.
“Does that feel all right?”
Aidan opened his eyes. “Incredible.”
Her broad smile touched his heart. “Good.”
She quickened her strokes. Aidan’s hips lifted off the mattress, his face contorting with ecstasy as he fisted the sheets beneath him. Beth studied him in her hand, looking as if she was attempting to solve a complex arithmetic problem. Then she licked her lips and bent over him.
Panic took Aidan hostage as he realized her intention. He grasped her wrist gently.
“Baby, stop.”
Beth sat back on her heels, her face clouded with confusion. She rested her hands on her thighs. “What’s wrong?”
“What you were about to do… with your mouth…” He shook his head, his eyes pleading. “Don’t.”
Beth pouted. “But I’ve wanted to do that to you since Christmas Day. I know you’re worried I won’t do a good job, but I’m willing to learn—”
“It’s not that I think you’ll be bad at it.” Aidan cringed at the doubt in her expression. With a frustrated sigh, he pressed his head back into the mattress and looked at the ceiling. His only experiences with receiving oral sex were during his darkest days in New York, involving broads he didn’t care about. There was no way he would subject Beth to such an act.
He settled on a compromise. “How about we repeat what we did in Santa Barbara instead?”
Beth averted her gaze. “Why are you rejecting me?”
Guilt spiraled through Aidan like a cyclone. He sat up and reached out to her, but she crossed her arms and turned away.
“Beth, I’m not rejecting you.”
She didn’t say anything, but the tears in her eyes were enough to disgrace him.
He tried again. “It’s just not the proper way to treat you, that’s all.”
Her eyes flashed to his. This time, they looked cold and unyielding. “You’ve obviously had it done to you before. So why won’t you let me do it, too?”
Aidan winced.
“Baby, that…” He racked his brain for the best term for the act, in an effort to avoid sounding crass. “That stuff… is reserved for a certain kind of girl. You’re not that type.”
Beth scooted toward the headboard and pulled her knees to her chest.
“I see.” Her tone remained abrupt, despite her wounded expression.
Aidan refused to back down. “I know what I’m talking about, okay? So just drop it.”
Beth tossed him a contemptuous glare. “Stop insisting you know what’s best for me, Aidan. We love each other, so I don’t see what the problem is!”
Aidan gritted his teeth to prevent from retorting harshly. Exhaling through his nose, he felt some of the tension ease in his chest. “Baby, we can be intimate in other ways—”
“You’re not being fair!”
“That’s enough!” Aidan leapt off the bed and snatched his clothes off the floor. “I said no. End of discussion.”
He threw his clothes on. When he turned back to Beth, he found her curled up on the bed, staring at the wall. His aggravation vanished, replaced by a million regrets.
“I’ve thought about it a lot, believe me,” he said in a gentle way he wished he’d used with her earlier. “But I decided I’m just not comfortable with it.”
Given the silence that greeted him, he might as well have been in the room alone.
Aidan sat on the edge of the mattress and brushed his hand to her hair. “Look, Beth, I’m—”
A knock at the door interrupted his apology. With a curse, he stood from the bed and stalked across the room.
“Matt, what the hell?” He yanked the door open. “I said I wasn’t—”
He snapped his mouth shut, feeling a rush of color to his cheeks as Olivia and Connie scrambled away from him, their eyes alight with terror.
“Uh, hey.” He dragged his hand through his hair. “What’s up?”
The frosty demeanor he was accustomed to from Connie returned. She straightened her posture and took a step toward him, staring him in the eye. Olivia hovered in the background.
“We’ve come for Beth,” she said hotly.
“Okay. Hold on.”
Aidan’s intention was to call Beth to the door, but Olivia and Connie brushed past him and entered the room, ruining his hope for more alone time with her.
Beth sat up in bed to greet them.
“Hey, you, long time no see!” Olivia plopped down on the mattress, smiling like she had no idea something was wrong.
Connie, on the other hand, shot Aidan a murderous look. If Beth wasn’t here, he bet she’d be reading him the riot act right about now.
“We’ve booked manicures and pedicures at the Sands’ spa.” Olivia tugged on Beth’s hand. “Come on, we have less than five minutes to get down there.”
Beth looked to Aidan. The hurt in her eyes made his heart reel.
“That sounds like fun.” She shifted her attention back to Olivia. The smile that overtook her lips wasn’t an Oscar-winning performance.
Aidan understood why she wanted to go off with her friends, but the rejection didn’t feel any less painful. He was ashamed of his behavior and wanted desperately to make amends, but as he watched Beth collect her purse and room key, he knew he would have to wait until later.
As Beth moved past him toward the door, he reached out and grasped her arm lightly. She stopped walking and peered at him, her expression void of emotion.
With a dip of his head, their eyes were equal. “We’re okay, right?”
Olivia and Connie traded awkward glances.
“Uh, we’ll wait for you in the hallway, Beth.” Olivia scurried out of the room.
Connie took her time leaving, fixing Aidan with another killer glare. For the first time since he met her, he didn’t blame her for hating him.
As the door closed behind them, Aidan took Beth’s hand. “You know I’m only putting my foot down because I love you and want to treat you respectfully, right?”
Beth’s free hand floated to her angel pendant. She gave him a look that derailed his hope his explanation would suffice. “I have to leave. I have an appointment to keep.”
Without waiting for a response, she slipped away from him and walked out the door.
Aidan gave a swift kick to the wall, cursing himself for handling everything so poorly. Surveying the empty suite, he decided he needed to get out of here or else he’d go crazy. He made sure Beth had enoug
h time to leave the floor and then headed downstairs to find Nathan and Matthew.
Aidan wasn’t in their room when Beth returned from the spa. After waiting over an hour for him, she gathered the items she needed for the concert and walked down the hall to the RCA Victor suite to get ready with Connie and Olivia. Thankfully, they never inquired into her solemn mood, even though she was certain they knew something was wrong.
Nathan called later that afternoon, informing them he and Aidan would get ready in Matthew’s dressing quarters in the Copa Room. Although rejection continued to gnaw at her, Beth missed her beau and looked forward to their reunion at the show.
Beth opted to wear a pale pink chiffon gown with pearl detailing on the bodice and silver-colored pumps in an effort to dazzle him. Olivia wore a sea blue, sequined ball gown and matching high heels while Connie was dressed in a mint green backless gown that accentuated her curvy figure.
As Beth entered the Copa Room with Olivia and Connie, she scanned the bustling crowd for Aidan. Nathan stood and waved to them from one of the circular tables situated right in front of the stage. Her breath caught as Aidan turned around in the adjacent chair and met her gaze. She wanted to rush over to him and calm the despair loaded in his eyes, but she forced a collected charade. One wrong move could raise suspicion amongst the other guests, many of whom were employed by Starlight Studios.
Matthew and Aidan stood to join Nathan in greeting them. All three men were dressed in black suits, black ties, and white dress shirts. Olivia and Connie greeted their beaux with amorous kisses and graciously accepted help in getting seated. In contrast, Beth stopped about a foot from Aidan, clutching her purse with both hands and eyeing him tentatively. She wished to greet him the same way, but with their argument fresh in her mind, she didn’t know if he’d want her to, even if it were at all possible. The notion made her stomach churn far greater than it did during their bumpy airplane ride from L.A.
In spite of the awareness that they needed to remain discreet, Beth couldn’t pry her eyes from Aidan. It felt as though she’d been transported into a dream sequence, like those commonly seen in Starlight Studios’ most romantic motion pictures. Her surroundings blurred, her pulse quickened. Aidan was the only item in focus, as if her eyes were cameras, filming his close-up in glorious Technicolor. His hair looked like he had tugged on it like mad lately, and his clean-shaven face showed off his chiseled jaw and high cheekbones. Most significantly, his green eyes bore into hers with such love that her worry over the impact of their argument vaporized.
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