by Erin Wright
“You are gorgeous,” he said hoarsely. “I’ve never seen a more beautiful woman in all my life.”
She smiled then, those gorgeous lips curving into an arc of happiness and joy. “So,” she said teasingly, her usual self-confidence back, “you got me all dressed up but you still haven’t told me where we’re going on our night out on the town.”
“Surprise. It’s a surprise.” He cleared his throat, wanting to get his voice back to normal. He was a singer – his entire career depended upon him being able to control his voice to the nth degree – but right then, it was shaking with desire, just like the rest of his body.
“Ummmm…Is that what you’re going to wear when we go out?” she asked, her voice innocent in a transparent bid to keep it free of judgment.
His eyes flicked down to his clothes – the jeans and t-shirt he’d thrown on that morning – and his face flushed. “Oh. God, no. Let me – I’ll change. Don’t move.” He ran for the staircase, taking them two at a time, vaguely registering the sounds of Buttons saying goodbye and promising to send her invoice to his assistant. Whatever she wanted to do. Whatever she wanted to charge.
Tonight was worth it – worth it all.
CHAPTER 36
LOUISA
L OUISA SAT CAREFULLY on the formal loveseat, doing her best not to crush the gold fabric of her dress. Buttons had assured her that the gossamer fabric was tougher than it seemed and wouldn’t tear at the slightest provocation, but Louisa still didn’t think it was a good idea to get too comfy. This dress, these shoes…they didn’t invite someone to sprawl out on the couch with a bag of chips.
She’d never been this beautiful in her entire life, she was sure of it. She’d been giving herself periodic pinches to the inside of her arm for a while now, trying to make sure that she really was awake and this really was happening, but still, it didn’t seem real. None of it did. She was the daughter of Mexican immigrants. She’d grown up in a home where her father drank and there hadn’t always been enough to eat.
And now…
“Are you ready?” Zane asked, his deep voice jerking her from her thoughts. She looked up and gulped, standing reflexively because she could not sit while in the presence of someone as godlike as Zane. His tux was the perfect complement to the glow of his tanned skin, his dark blond hair, his brilliant blue eyes. Even with her heels on, he was still taller than her and she smiled to herself. All her life, she’d been the tallest girl in her class, and she’d tended to beat the boys too. She’d worn ballet flats to every dance in high school, trying to shrink herself so she didn’t tower over her dates.
So this afternoon, when she’d been picking out which pair of shoes to wear, she’d kept drifting towards the flats, instinctively going with the type of shoes she’d always had to wear. It was Buttons who’d encouraged her to “go big or go home.”
“Zane is tall enough,” she’d said. “You can get away with these heels when you couldn’t with any other guy,” holding up a pair of heels that looked like nothing more than straps of gold and light. There was no way Louisa could wear something so beautiful but even so, her hands reached for the shoes of their own accord, wanting – if nothing else – to simply hold them.
Buttons had been right about the shoes, of course. She was beginning to believe that there was nothing Buttons wasn’t right about, at least when it came to clothing.
Zane held out his arm for her and Louisa slipped her hand through it, feeling shy and uncertain for the first time in a long time. This wasn’t Zane, the guy she’d gotten into a water fight with at the lake, or seen come downstairs with his hair mussed and sleep creases across his face, unable to do more than grunt a hello before his first cup of coffee.
This was Zane Risley, the country music superstar, and she was just Louisa, a nurse to a little boy.
What was I thinking? I can’t pull this off. I don’t care what Buttons says. I’m not a trophy girlfriend. I don’t know how to act in situations like this.
They stepped outside, the warm glow from the setting sun bathing everything in a golden light that seemed to tell Louisa that it was okay. She was okay. This wasn’t scary. It was wonderful.
Okay, maybe wonderfully scary.
A limo was sitting in the circular driveway, and as she watched, the driver got out and hurried around to the passenger side door, opening it up for them. “Mr. Risley. Ms. Vargas,” the man said, giving them a little bow. Was she supposed to bow back? Ask him his name? Chat about his children with him? Zane inclined his head and murmured a simple thank-you to the man, and grateful, Louisa followed suit. Zane helped her inside and then slid in after her, the door closing behind them with a quiet thump, encasing them in the kind of silence that only truly expensive cars could ever achieve. They pulled away from the house and began heading towards town. Instinctively, Louisa braced herself for the jerks and bumps that were about to come, but the car purred on, gliding smoothly over the road.
“The suspension on this car is superb,” Louisa said, partly because she wanted something to talk about but also partly because she was truly impressed. Even in the Audi, they’d felt the bumps and ruts and potholes.
“Oh, the road got filled in today,” Zane said dismissively. “I’ve been meaning to do it ever since we got here, and I realized while I was making plans for tonight that I couldn’t get you all dressed up and looking perfect, just to bounce and jostle you the whole way into town.”
He really had thought of everything. She pinched herself again. Ouch. Yup. This was real.
“Thank you,” she said softly. “For this.” She gestured at her dress. “And tonight. Buttons was…delightful.”
“Buttons is a talker,” Zane said with a rueful grin. “I keep thinking she needs to marry a mute. I’m pretty sure she divorced her ex because he’d wanted to say more than ten words a month. Honestly, there’s really no point in her significant other being able to talk.”
Louisa snort-laughed at that, and then clapped her hands over her mouth. She really shouldn’t laugh at something like that and in this dress, she really shouldn’t be snort-laughing either—
“I like your laugh,” Zane said softly. “It makes me want to laugh. And it’s been a long, long time since I’ve wanted to laugh.”
Louisa met his gaze for only a moment and then let it slide away. She still didn’t believe this was really happening, and thus she couldn’t let herself trust the moment. She was going to wake up and realize that she’d just had the most realistic dream of her life. Or Zane was going to wake up and realize that he could have almost any woman on earth and so why would he choose a Latina nurse?
And then it would all end and she’d have to go back to her boring life and just be Louisa Vargas again.
She was proud of who she was. She was proud of how hard she’d worked to get to where she was.
But tonight. This. It was a whole new level…
The car pulled smoothly to a stop and she looked outside, realizing that they’d somehow made it into Franklin already. Was this where their night out on the town would happen? She hadn’t been sure what to expect. Franklin? Sawyer? Boise? Paris? With Zane’s access to a private plane, she had no clue where they would be by the end of the night.
The driver opened the door and Louisa slid out, doing her best to appear graceful, as if she wore ball gowns and 3-inch spiked heels every day, Zane following on her heels.
“Let the maître d’ know when you are ready to head home, and he’ll get in touch with me,” the driver said with a quick bow of his head, and then he was heading off into the evening twilight, the red tail lights disappearing.
“Are you ready?” Zane asked, holding out his arm, not thrown off in the slightest by the idea that the driver would be waiting all evening – and maybe all night – at his beck and call, just to drive them around.
She slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow, her breath coming in choppy bursts. Out of my depth, out of my depth, out of my depth…
“Ha
ve you been here before?” she asked politely as they headed towards the front doors of an expensive-looking steakhouse.
“I haven’t. My assistant, Nina, is the one who found it. She assured me that it was the nicest restaurant in Franklin. I didn’t want to spend hours in the car, going to Boise and back. I wanted to spend the evening just focused on you.”
Louisa found that her heart was starting to match her breathing, erratic and hard to control. Zane smelled so damn good, the clean masculine scent drifting off him as they walked sedately through the front doors of the restaurant.
But then, his scent was gone, buried under the explosion of flowers, a mixture of every floral scent imaginable. Louisa looked around, stunned. There were flowers everywhere. They’d entered some sort of tropical paradise. She glanced back towards the doors into the restaurant, wondering for a moment if they’d accidentally wandered into the wrong building. Maybe they weren’t at a restaurant after all. Almost every table in the joint had flowers on them. There was no place for anyone to sit and eat, except one table up against a window that had been left open.
“Nina cleaned out the local florist,” Zane said with a grin, clearly pleased with the look of awe on her face. “I’ve been told there isn’t another flower to be had in all of Long Valley.”
Louisa looked up at him, stunned but smiling. “But, where are the other guests?” she asked as he steered her towards the only open table. “We can’t be the only ones eating out tonight.”
“I bought out the house,” he said with a shrug. “I wanted the place all to ourselves. No one to ask for autographs or call you a—”
He stopped.
She sucked in a quick breath. This couldn’t be a dream. Surely her dreams would allow her to live in a world where no one called her a spic.
Which meant that this was all real.
This. Was. Real.
Maybe fairytales did come true. Maybe sometimes, it was okay to believe.
Maybe – just maybe – she really was Cinderella, and she’d finally found her prince.
CHAPTER 37
ZANE
Z ANE MADE a mental note to give Nina a bonus. This was, quite simply, the most impressive move she’d ever managed to pull off on his behalf, and that was really saying something.
Louisa smiled at him from across the table, looking like she was practically floating on air, and he couldn’t help but smile back. This was exactly what he was wanting – an evening of just the two of them where she could see what her life would be like on his arm. Last night was all about showing how he could be just as normal as the next guy, watching a movie and eating dinner on the couch. Tonight was all about showing her a world she probably didn’t know existed.
The waiter was superb, keeping Louisa’s wine glass filled while Zane stuck to a Diet Pepsi. His eyes had strayed to her glass a few times, a large part of him wishing for the easy glow of alcohol to calm his nerves – so very much was riding on tonight – but the more he craved the alcohol, the harder he was willing to fight the impulse. Somehow, Louisa had been right and he’d become an alcoholic when he wasn’t looking.
There goes my reputation as the priest of the group…
Courses came and went, and the conversation flowed as easily as their drinks. He could tell when the alcohol started to really kick in, watching the flush in her cheeks grow a little pinker and her laugh a little easier. How was it that her asshole of an ex had cheated on her? She was breathtaking. More than just her beauty, her personality and wit and intelligence made her sparkle in the candlelight.
“I can’t eat another bite,” she protested when the waiter came out with a selection of small desserts. “They’re beautiful, truly,” she said apologetically. “I would love to, but…”
Zane caught the eye of the maître d’ and gave a small nod, and the man headed towards the back, pulling out his cell phone as he went. The waiter backed off as Zane hurried around to help Louisa out of her chair.
“Oh!” she gasped as she stumbled a little, Zane automatically enclosing his arms around her and holding her up. She looked up at him and grinned widely. “My handsome prince,” she said, the first hint of a Hispanic accent in her voice that he’d ever heard from her. Normally, her English was as flawless as his. Hell, better, considering he slipped into a southern twang occasionally. She was still looking up at him, her eyes drifting closed even as she tilted her head back, and he was lost. He couldn’t resist another moment. His mouth swooped down on hers and he tasted the wine on her lips and felt drunk…on love.
“I love you.” He murmured the words before he could stop them but he didn’t want to stop them anymore. He had to tell her how he felt.
She had to know.
He was kissing her way up her jaw when he felt her tremble slightly in his arms.
“Are you okay?” he asked, pulling back a bit to look her in the eyes. They were shining as she looked up at him.
“I love you too,” she whispered.
He wanted to whoop for joy. He wanted to scoop her up in his arms and carry her to the car. He wanted to kiss her and never come up for air again.
But instead, he pulled her against his chest, her arms wrapping around his waist and they stood, fitting together like two pieces of a puzzle. She fit him perfectly, like she’d been made for him.
And maybe she had.
“C’mon,” he murmured into her hair. “Let’s go home.”
Home. What a lovely word.
CHAPTER 38
ZANE
HE ROLLED OVER with a happy groan, feeling more alive than he had in a long time. Last night had been magical – exactly what he’d wanted to show Louisa what a life like him could mean – but today was back to reality. They’d need to pick Skyler up and bring him back home. He seemed to be dealing well with staying with the Millers, but still, Zane had missed his son and was ready to have him back at home.
I’ve missed my son.
Just another miracle he could chalk up to having Louisa in his life. Skyler had always been someone Zane had to make sure was taken care of. Someone he had to ensure was happy, or at least not unhappy.
Not someone to miss and want to be around.
Before he and Louisa could pick him up, though, they needed to talk about what they were going to tell him. What if things didn’t work out between him and Louisa? It was so damn strange to date someone and not only have to tell his son about it – something that he’d not had to do with the various one-night stands since Tamara’s death – but to have Skyler know just as much about his date as Zane did.
They’d have to take this carefully. Really plan out a strategy before—
His phone buzzed on the nightstand and Zane shot an apologetic look at Louisa’s sleeping form even as he rolled over to snatch it up. A stupid text message trying to sell him guitar strings was going to wake Louisa up, and after the night she’d had, she needed…her…
He blinked a few times. Something was wrong. His thumb scrolled down his lockscreen, where message after message, interspersed with voicemails, was lined up, some from close friends, some from people he hadn’t talked to in years.
Automatically, he stopped on the message from Jacob Allen, the lead singer of the Jacob Allen Group, and one of Zane’s closest friends. They hadn’t really talked since Zane had flown out to Idaho, but honestly, Zane hadn’t talked to anyone since starting his hideout in Idaho, so that wasn’t much of a surprise.
Holy shit, Zane, what is going o—
The rest of the message was cut off so Zane swiped to open it, swinging his legs over the side of the bed as he sat up, trying to keep from disturbing Louisa. Whatever was causing his phone to blow up, it didn’t need to include her.
Holy shit, Zane, what is going on? Are you seriously sleeping with the nanny? After what happened with Dan, this seems like a dumbass idea. Call me.
After what happened with Dan? What in the hell did Dan have to do with Louisa?
He stumbled out of the room and down th
e stairs to the merrily brewing coffee pot in the breakfast nook – thankfully set to auto-brew every morning – and swiping to call Jacob as he went.
“God, tell me it isn’t true,” Jacob said as way of greeting when he answered.
“I just woke up,” Zane said curtly, rubbing at his eyes and trying to stifle a yawn, “and saw your message. What the hell is going on? How do you know about Louisa?”
Jacob let out a string of swear words under his breath that’d make a priest’s toenails curl. “Dammit, Zane, I was hoping maybe someone had just photoshopped the pictures. You really did go on a date last night with your Hispanic nanny?!”
“Jacob, if you don’t tell me how you know that in the next three seconds, I’m gonna hang up.” He slid the coffee pot back into place and sucked at his black coffee. He normally liked to sweeten it up a bit but not right now. What he really needed was a caffeine injection straight into his veins, but this would have to be the next best thing.
“It’s all over the news. Not just country music news – hell, not even just entertainment news. It’s everywhere. It’s sweet right now – you might as well start calling her Cinderella because everyone else is – but you know how this goes. The fairytale shit only lasts so long, and then the media starts looking for muck they can stir up. ‘Country music star falls in love with serial killer’ makes for a hell of a headline.”
“Louisa is not a serial killer,” Zane said, torn between laughing at the absurdity of the statement and wanting to scream at the unfairness of the situation.