by Elks, Carrie
“So this is me.” Gray led her into a huge hallway. The walls were painted white, the floor a sandstone tile. In the center was a round sofa, the seats facing outward, upholstered in a light gray velvet that caught the lights as he turned them on.
“It’s different to home,” Maddie said, trying not to be overwhelmed by the size of everything.
Gray laughed. “You could say that. Let’s head to the kitchen. Are you hungry?”
She shook her head. “No. Not really.”
“I’ll grab us a couple bottles of water. Then I’ll show you around the place.”
It felt like every room was more impressive than the last. The furniture was big – custom made, according to Gray – and the whitewashed walls were covered in paintings and posters. But they did nothing to dull the echo of their footsteps as they walked through the doorways of the rooms. There was something else, too. Maddie frowned, trying to place what was missing.
“Where’s all your stuff?” she finally asked him.
“What stuff?”
She bit her lip, thinking of her own bedroom strewn with photographs and mementos, clothes and cosmetics. And of course her music. That was everywhere.
But Gray’s place felt like an elegant hotel room. Beautifully furnished and full of style, and yet somehow soulless.
“Your things. Your clothes. Your shoes. Magazines or books or things you leave on the table because you’re tired and can’t be bothered to clean up.”
He blinked. “I guess the maid puts everything away. I’m not here that often. A few weeks at a time. And when I’m here, I just want to relax, you know? Stare out at the ocean, play my guitar. I don’t have a lot of things.”
“Oh.”
He smiled at her. “It’s a big house for one person. I bought it a few years ago, thinking I’d eventually settle down and find someone to live in here with me.”
“It’s very beautiful,” she told him, ignoring the tightness in her chest. “For the right person, it would make a wonderful home.”
They’d made it to the living room. She followed him to the huge sliding glass doors that overlooked the beach. Even at night she could see how amazing the view was. No wonder he’d fallen in love with it.
And yet… it wasn’t home.
Not to her.
“You don’t like it,” he said, his voice casual.
“I didn’t say that. It’s just not…” she trailed off and took a deep breath. “It seems so impersonal.”
His eyes softened. “It’s okay,” he told her. “I feel the same. It’s like living on the set of a movie or something. It’s not real life.”
He’d captured it exactly. Being here felt like being on vacation. Perfect to spend a few days, but after that, she’d yearn for home.
He turned to her and cupped her face with his warm palm. She closed her eyes and breathed him in.
“I bought this place because I had something to prove,” he said softly, leaning in to brush his lips against hers. “To my dad, more than anybody. And he doesn’t even know it exists. I wanted everybody who saw it to know I’d made it. That I’m someone. But at the end of the day it’s just bricks and mortar.”
Her eyes caught his. “I know you have to spend a lot of time here. And L.A. is an amazing place. But Hartson’s Creek is home. For me at least.”
He kissed her again. Firmer and surer this time. In spite of her exhaustion, and the throbbing ache in her hand, she could feel her body respond to him. She pressed her chest against his, curled her good hand around his neck and kissed him harder.
Gray moaned into her lips and a jolt of pleasure shot through her.
“Baby, home is wherever you are,” he told her, his mouth moving against hers. “Hartson’s Creek, London, Paris. I don’t give a shit. I just want you in my arms.”
“You say that now, but what about your job?”
“I’m always traveling, you know that. Maybe sometimes you’ll travel with me and sometimes you won’t. Eventually, we’ll have to rethink things when we have kids.”
Her lips curled. “We’re having kids?”
“Yeah. I’m thinking four boys.”
She laughed. “Because that worked out so well for you.”
He ran his finger along the sharp line of her cheek. “Boys, girls, I don’t really care. I just want a few of them. And you, playing the piano and keeping us all in order. I like the idea of that a lot.”
She was grinning now. The picture he was painting was pulling at her heart.
“And on Sundays, we’ll go to church and make Reverend Maitland happy. Then we’ll take the kids to Murphy’s and tell them to avoid the eggs.”
“You’ve got it all planned out.”
“I’ve had a while to think about things,” he told her. “Maybe Hartson’s Creek is in my blood. The same way it’s in yours. God knows I’ve tried to out run it, and I thought I’d done it, too. But then I went home and found my heart. Found a way to breathe again.” He pressed his brow against hers, their lashes touching. “Thanks to you.”
“Where would we live?” she asked him, not ready to give up the picture yet.
“We’d find a piece of land. Build a big house and have a studio attached. You can teach piano. Maybe write songs, too. When I’m not touring I’ll record my albums there. Maybe even produce for a few others. And at the end of each day we’ll sit on a couple of Adirondack chairs with a beer and stare at the lightning bugs.”
God, she wanted that. More than she’d ever realized. “What about the paparazzi?”
“They’ll move on because we’ll be boring as hell.” He grinned. “There’s not much money in a rockstar living happily ever after.” He tipped his head to the side, his eyes scanning her face. “Of course, that means you’ll probably have to hang up your boxing gloves.”
She raised her brows. “I can do that. It was only for one night.”
“That’s good, because you have a mean right hook.”
“You’d do well to remember it.”
“Baby, I will.” He kissed her jaw, her throat, the little dip at the base of her neck. She held her breath as her nipples peaked beneath her thin t-shirt. “And I mean every word of it. I want the happily ever after, the white picket fence. The Brady Bunch family who sings together.” His eyes were intent as he lifted his head from her chest. “I want you, Madison Clark. Will you have me?”
Her body ached with need. For him. His vision of the future. The family he wanted them to make. She could see the truth in his eyes as the corner of his lips curled up into that sexy smile she could never resist.
“Yeah, Gray Hartson. I’ll have you.”
* * *
The story of Maddie hitting Brad Rickson dominated social media for almost twenty-four hours. It even got it’s own hashtag – #suckerpunched. But then a national politician was caught on camera with a Hollywood actress and nobody was talking about Maddie and Gray anymore.
Gray couldn’t help but feel grateful that someone else had taken their place in the Twittersphere as they landed in Baltimore airport. It meant that their transfer from the plane to the car waiting for them outside was almost seamless. Only a couple of teenage girls noticed them.
“I guess we’re already yesterday’s news,” he said as the car drove down the highway toward Hartson’s Creek.
“Thank goodness.” Maddie leaned her head against his shoulder. Her hand was bandaged tightly, thanks to the doctor who’d arrived at Gray’s house two nights before. He’d told her to rest it up for a few days, and apply cold compresses if it ached any more. Gray laughed every time he looked at their matching injuries. “Maybe they’ll leave us alone for a while now.”
“Here’s hoping.” He kissed the skin on her brow. It was impossible to describe how warm he felt right now, driving toward his father’s house with the woman he loved next to him. The emptiness was gone, replaced by her. Maddie Clark. The woman he intended to spend the rest of his life with.
There was a reception line
waiting for them when they arrived at his dad’s house an hour later. Becca was there, grinning, with her fists held up as though she was about to fight. Next to her was Ashleigh, dressed to the nines in what looked like a brand spanking new pair of shoes and silk skirt suit, along with Maddie’s mom, and Aunt Gina. Gray swallowed hard when he looked up to see his dad standing at the top of the steps that led to the front door, his back ramrod straight, his face almost impassive.
Almost because Gray swore he could see a hint of a smile there before he turned and walked back into the house.
“I guess this is Hartson’s Creek’s version of paparazzi,” he murmured as the car came to a halt.
“They look innocent, but they’ll break you in thirty seconds,” Maddie agreed, her eyes bright with happiness. “We should go face the music.”
“Yeah we should.” He turned her to face him, then pressed the sweetest kiss to her lips. He wasn’t in any rush to get out and talk to them. Not when he could be kissing Madison Clark to his heart’s content.
“Gray?”
“Mmm?” His words vibrated against her lips.
“I think they’re watching.”
“Let ’em.” He kissed her again. “They need to get used to it. Because I intend to kiss you a lot.”
“Sounds terrible.” She kissed him back breathlessly.
He laughed. “That’s why I love you. You know how to stroke my ego.”
“Your ego doesn’t need stroking. It’s big enough.” Her voice dipped, her eyes softening. “I love you, too, Gray Hartson. Even though everything about us shouldn’t work.”
“But it does,” he told her, his heart growing about ten sizes bigger. She loved him and it lit up his world like a firework. He could never get enough of hearing it.
“Yeah, it does.” She leaned forward to kiss him again. “Now let’s go and face the inquisition. They’re starting to get restless.”
Sure enough, Becca was bearing down on them, along with Ashleigh and Aunt Gina.
“Okay,” he agreed, his eyes bright with love. “Let’s do it.”
Epilogue
Money didn’t just talk, it worked its ass off for you, Maddie thought as she stared up at the house. It had taken just under eight months to build. From the moment they put in the plans to the zoning committee, to the day the last contractor drove away, his orange van kicking up a cloud of dust as he disappeared into the distance.
And now it wasn’t just a house, it was a home. Their home. The one they would live in and work in. The one where her mom would eventually move into the specially built annex to the left of the main house, that was adapted to her needs.
There was a huge music studio at the end of the grassy yard. Along with the recording studio for Gray, it housed a separate music room for Maddie. There, she could teach the students she’d kept on, and work on writing her own music. She’d written two of the songs on Gray’s latest album, and they sounded great. Sometimes she had to pinch herself to believe it.
And when it was just the two of them working at the studio, the overstuffed leather sofa in Gray’s office was the perfect place for them to reconnect.
Yeah, that might have happened that morning. So sue her. He was her boyfriend and he was hot. Some things were too good to pass up.
“What time is it?” Gray asked, his shadow falling over her as he embraced her from behind.
“Almost four,” Maddie said, leaning her head back on his chest. He leaned down to kiss her neck and she felt it all over again. Those shivers, that need. Would they ever go away? She grinned as she pictured them being the kind of parents who drove their kids mad with too much affection. “People should start arriving by six. Your brother called to say they’d landed.”
“Which brother?” He curled his hand around her waist, sliding his lips along the curve of her shoulder.
“Tanner. He’s picking up Logan and Cameron, remember?”
He grinned against her skin. “I remember. I was just wondering which one of them would think to call. I should’ve known it was Tanner.”
In the past few months, Maddie had gotten to know Gray’s brothers better. They’d taken her under their wings, teased her the same way they teased Becca when they video-called. Challenged her to fist fights when they met up in real life. It was hard to not fall for all the Heartbreak Brothers. They were strong and warm, and if you were family, they protected you to the death. She liked them being part of her life.
Even Ashleigh had grudgingly admitted they were okay. Which was high praise from her.
“So, family here tonight, and then a big party tomorrow,” Gray said, sliding his hands down her hips. She loved the way he always had to touch her when they were close. As though he was half-afraid she wasn’t real. “And after that, we get the place to ourselves again.”
“Until you start recording in two weeks,” she reminded him. “And then the band is staying with us.”
He looked up, wrinkling his nose. “Do you think I could postpone it? I want to spend some time with my girl.”
“You’ve spent nothing but time with me.” But she grinned anyway because she knew how he felt. “I came with you to L.A. for the album, then you stayed here with me so I could work with my students. And then we both went to Mexico because you needed the break.”
“Maybe I should rethink this producing thing,” he murmured. “Become a house husband instead.”
“You’d get bored in a minute,” she said, raising an eyebrow.
“No I wouldn’t.”
She grinned. “Yeah, you would. You couldn’t even sit still for five minutes in Mexico. You ended up writing four songs. And when this place was being built, you kept insisting on helping the contractors. Let’s face it, Gray, you’re a guy who doesn’t like sitting around doing nothing.”
“I’d do it with you,” he told her, his lips curling into a smile. That smile. The one that always made her body shiver.
She slid her hand into his. “Then come and sit with me now. Tell me about your day. Then we can go and get ready for our families. You know Aunt Gina is always early.”
“And your mom and Ashleigh are always late.”
She grinned. “And your brothers usually get the wrong day completely.” It was amazing how easily he’d slotted into her world, the same way she’d fit perfectly into his. As though there was a Maddie and Gray shaped space in each of their lives, just waiting to be filled. Some weekends they really did go to church and then on to see Murphy – who’d finally come to terms with her quitting her job. And others were in L.A., spending time with Gray’s music friends and talking with his record label. She’d even managed to sell a few of her songs to them directly. It was a source of pride that it wasn’t only his money that had gone into building the home they were sharing together.
“You know, I’ve got a better idea,” Gray said, pulling her up the steps to the house before swinging her into his arms. “We’ve got an hour before anybody arrives, and a huge bed that’s missing us. We should go check on it.”
“Yeah, we should.” Maddie nodded. “I’d hate for an inanimate piece of furniture to feel lonely.”
He slid his hands down her back, his palms warming her through her thin sundress. “There’s only one way to make it feel better.”
“Sleep in it?”
He pulled her against him tight, until she was in no doubt about the way she affected him. “What I had in mind doesn’t include sleeping.”
She arched an eyebrow, loving every minute. “What does it include?”
“Let me show you.” He backed her up until she was through the door and in the kitchen, his arms still holding her hips. “It won’t take long.”
“Famous last words.” But she loved it anyway. Loved being in his arms. Loved being kissed by him. Loved the way he always wanted to be with her, on her, inside her.
Because that’s what she wanted, too.
* * *
Okay, so it had taken a little longer than he’d planned. But i
t had been worth every minute of worshipping her body. Gray let his head fall back on his pillow as Maddie curled her body into his, her head nestled into his crook.
Even after all these months he couldn’t get enough of her. He honestly thought he never would. They’d be old and decrepit and he’d still slowly shuffle her up to bed so he could take her all over again.
“What are you thinking about?” Maddie asked.
“You getting old and wrinkly.”
“Eww.” She turned to look at him. “That’s horrible.”
“Nope.” He grinned. “I was thinking how sexy you’ll be then. All that extra skin for me to kiss.”
She rolled her eyes. “Did you start drinking early?”
“This is all me, babe. No alcohol needed. You’re enough of a drug.” His eyes sparkled as they met hers. He could see the love he had for her reflected back in them, and it made him want her all over again.
“We should get up. Take a shower.” She rolled onto her side to check the clock on the table next to the bed.
That’s when the front door slammed. She whipped her head back, her eyes wide as a voice called up the stairs.
“Gray, you in here?”
“Tanner,” Gray mouthed. Maddie’s mouth dropped open, and he had to bite down a laugh.
“Where’s the beer?” That was either Logan or Cam. Gray still couldn’t tell their voices apart.
“Stop opening every cupboard, Cam.” Okay, that was definitely Logan. “You should wait to be invited.”
“They’re early,” Maddie whispered.
“Yep.”
“And I’m naked.”
“I noticed.” His voice was low and appreciative.
“You need to go down and stop them from coming up.” Maddie jumped out of bed. “Tell them I’m showering because… because… I’ve spent all day unpacking.”
“Sure.” He gave her a crooked smile. “They’ll believe that.” He climbed off the mattress and grabbed his clothes. “I’ll wash up real fast and go down to say hi.”