by Amiee Louise
He winks cheekily, and I blush fiercely as I make my way back to my seat, still in shock from Sam’s surprise proposal. Ruby grabs my hand enthusiastically.
“OH-MY-GOD!” she squeals as Jax begins an epic guitar solo.
“You know what this means? Double hen do!”
She starts to clap excitedly as I admire my ring. It is a platinum band with an infinity knot and a huge, princess cut diamond encased in the centre. Right now, my heart feels almost too big for my chest, and I’m so deliriously happy that nothing could possibly ruin this moment.
After the gig finishes, Cole escorts both Ruby and me backstage. As we stop outside Sam’s dressing room, he unexpectedly kisses me on the cheek.
“Congratulations, sugar. Look after him.”
He winks and knocks on the dressing room door. Ruby nudges me with her elbow.
“Told you he was a big teddy bear!”
We both giggle as Sam swings open the dressing room door. He is shirtless with a towel around his waist. His hair is dripping wet, and Ruby rolls her eyes.
“Is it too much to ask for you wear a fucking shirt, Newbolt?”
Sam throws his head back and laughs.
“Is someone jealous, sweetheart?”
She huffs.
“In your dreams.”
She chuckles softly and pushes past him, straight into Jax’s arms. I fidget nervously with my new engagement ring, and Sam lifts my hand to his lips. He places a gentle kiss on my ring, and I stroke his face.
“Angel,” he rasps, and I smile softly.
“Hey,” I whisper, and he steps out of the doorway, gesturing for me to go into the dressing room.
I walk in, and he closes the door behind me. He stalks forward and pins me to the door.
“Fuck, it’s taking everything I have for me not to just pin you to this door and fuck you until neither of us can see straight,” he says gruffly, and I shiver at the sound of his voice.
“How romantic! You could at least wait until we’re all out of earshot, you fucking animal!” Ruby quips and I laugh as Sam tries to suppress his smirk.
Sam kisses my forehead and drops his towel, flashing everyone in the room.
“Fuck me, dude, put it away!”
Brody yells, and Lucas shakes his head.
“The size of that thing ain’t normal, man! It’s the size of a baby’s arm!” he says drily, and we all laugh.
“Do you mind not flashing your dick in front of my woman, Newbolt, I’ll get a complex!” Jax jokes and covers Ruby’s eyes with his hand.
“My cock is like a work of art! It should be in a fucking art gallery!”
Sam picks up his towel and bows gracefully as he goes off into the small bathroom towards the back of the dressing room.
“Are you sure you want him to be your future husband, sweets? It’s not too late to change your mind!” Brody asks cheekily, and I roll my eyes.
“It’s not the size of the boat, babe. It’s the motion of the ocean, and boy does he know how to use it!” I say wryly, and Brody sticks his fingers in his ears.
“La-la-la-la-la! TMI sweets!”
I laugh hysterically and sit down next to Ruby on the sofa. We gossip while I wait for Sam to finish up getting ready. Ten minutes later, he emerges from the bathroom looking like he could literally be on the cover of a magazine. He is wearing black skinny jeans with a skull belt buckle, a red, white and black checked shirt with the sleeves rolled up and three buttons undone, revealing his ‘My Angel’ tattoo across his collarbones. He is wearing black motorcycle boots and finishes off his look with a black beanie hat. I stand up and move towards him. He offers me his arm.
“We have a table reserved, angel. I’m taking you to dinner, we’ve got some celebrating to do.”
I take his offered arm, and the room erupts with applause.
“Congrats, to both of you.” Jax says sincerely, and Sam shakes his hand.
“Thanks, man”.
Jax kisses me on the cheek, and we say our goodbyes as we head out on our date.
The drive to the restaurant is short, and Sam doesn’t let go of my hand the whole way there. I feel safe with my hand enveloped in his large, tattooed one. We soon arrive at our destination. We pull up outside and Sam helps me out of the car. He takes my hand and leads me down a hidden path along the Regents canal to a stylish and unique restaurant called ‘The Cave’, complete with a bright conservatory. We are greeted at the door by a tall, muscular man wearing camouflage combats, a black apron, and a black vest which shows off his full sleeve tattoos on both arms, and black Doc Martens. He is wearing a black and white checked bandana. He has dark olive skin, deep brown eyes, and a goatee on his chin.
“Sam! My man! When my Maître D said the Sam Newbolt was gracing us with his presence, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to come and greet you myself. It’s been a while, mate!”
He beams brightly, and I instantly like him, his enthusiasm is infectious. Sam gives him a one arm hug and slaps him on the back.
“Kit, so good to see you, mate. Yeah, it’s been a while. You know how it is, being on the road and all that. How’s it going?”
Kit nods.
“All good, Sam, all good.”
He regards me intently.
“Kit, this is my fiancée, Peyton. Peyton, this is an old friend of mine, Kit Roman. He’s the chef and the owner of this fine establishment; we went to school together.”
He takes my hand and cheekily places a kiss on the back of it.
“Pleased to meet you, Peyton. You kept that quiet, man! Congratulations!”
Sam smiles, flashing his dimples, and he looks almost shy.
“Do you have a sister?” Kit asks, and I laugh.
“As a matter of fact, yes I do!” I banter back, and he winks.
“If she’s as beautiful as you, put in a good word for me.”
I nod.
“I will do, she also happens to be single.”
I cock my eyebrow, and he looks from me to Sam.
“I like this one, Sammy. Keep hold of her.”
He winks and shows us into the restaurant. The restaurant is filled with what look like paper lanterns as the main source of light. The bar is made of stone and the round tables are covered in black and white striped tablecloths. The walls are decorated in a mid-grey colour, with a selection of different beachscapes. The table he seats us at is towards the back of the restaurant in the corner, shrouded in the privacy of four exotic looking trees that are covered in colourful foliage. Sam pulls my chair out for me as I sit down, and he takes his seat opposite me.
“You need anything at all, holler me. My staff have been briefed not to bother you unless you need them. I know how you get!”
Kit chuckles, and Sam smirks.
“Anyone would think I’m some high maintenance rock star!”
Sam jokes, and we all laugh.
“Cheers, man, I really appreciate it.”
Kit nods curtly.
“I’ll leave you two to it. It was nice to meet you, Peyton. We’ll catch up soon, I’ll dish the dirt on this one.”
He points at Sam, and I laugh. He leaves, and I find myself idly twirling my new engagement ring around my finger. Sam reaches across the table to tip my chin up to face him.
“This is day one, angel. Just for one night, can we pretend we just met, we don’t have any history, and we’re two ordinary people getting to know each other?”
I smile at his sentiment, and my eyes lock with his.
“It’s a little difficult when I’ve just agreed to marry you, and we have a child together.”
Sam laughs.
“Fair point. But please, just try, for me,” he rasps, and he knows I can’t resist that husky voice.
I nod, and his face relaxes.
“I’m Sam, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
He offers me his hand, and I take it.
“Peyton, pleased to meet you too, Sam.”
He smirks as a waiter comes
over to place two champagne flutes and an ice bucket on the table with a magnum of champagne in it. Sam nods his thanks, and the waiter scurries away nervously. Sam takes out the bottle of Cristal, pops the cork, and pours the champagne into the glasses. I watch the pull and flex of his muscles as he completes the action; I involuntarily lick my lips. Even doing the most mundane of actions, he gets me hot. He places the bottle down, lifts his glass, and hands me mine. I take it, and we clink our glasses together.
“To us, to our engagement, and laying to rest this past year. I know I said this is day one, but it needs to be said, angel. When you came back, I felt like we were given a second chance. Then to find out you’d given birth to our son, it was like…I was finally alive. My world was bright again after living a year in the dark. So this is a toast to us, our engagement, and to second chances.”
I clink my glass with his and we both take a welcome sip of the cold, bubbly, liquid. Sam looks at me, his eyes smouldering with want, and all I can think of is him taking me across the table. He smirks, as if he reads my mind.
“Keep thinking those thoughts, because I’m thirty seconds from taking you into a toilet cubicle.”
His voice is gruff with seduction, and I squirm in my seat, remembering the last time we had sex in a toilet cubicle. I anxiously rub my legs together to satiate my pussy’s wanton needs. Slut. He puts his glass down and hands me a menu. I pretend to peruse it, but I’m distracted by the more than perfect specimen of a man in front of me. He really is perfect. Sam summons the waiter with a curt nod of his head, and he is instantly at our table.
“Two steaks, please. Both with homemade chips, both rare, one with stilton and mushroom sauce, one without please?”
Sam smiles, and I smile at his skills. The waiter scurries off with the order, leaving us alone once again.
“How do you do that?” I say, with a hint of awe in my voice.
“You forget I spent seven months with you, angel. I know all your little tells. I know you better than you know yourself. I know that you pushed me away because you thought you were protecting me, but deep down, you wanted nothing more than to be with me. That’s how well I know you. I know I might have over reacted, but I had to make you see for yourself. I know your favourite foods, your favourite colour, your favourite song, favourite film…I know it all.”
He takes a sip of his champagne, and I narrow my eyes.
“That’s the look you get when you can’t work something out. I’m just good at reading people, and I told you once before, you fucking own me. You know every corner of my heart, just as I know every corner of yours, angel.”
He smiles smugly at his deduction skills, and I smile, almost feeling ashamed that I hardly know anything about him.
Before I know what, I’m saying, I blurt out, “Did you always know you wanted to be in a band?”
He laughs, and his face turns thoughtful, as if contemplating my question.
“Pretty much. I know it's a cliché, but it's in my blood. I grew up in awe of my dad and his band mates. I didn't speak my first words, I literally sang them! While my mates were practising football, I was practising guitar and piano until I pretty much perfected both. Then I moved onto drums, and then started to exercise my vocal chords.”
He smiles as he reminisces, and it's good to see him so animated, almost passionate about his chosen profession. I am suddenly struck by the fact that this is the first time we have actually sat down and just got to know each other since we met all that time ago.
“Did you always know you wanted to be a tattoo artist?”
I smile and take a sip of my champagne. I nod and swallow the liquid, feeling the bubbles burst on my tongue and the warmth as it settles in my stomach.
“Yeah, I'd always been creative from an early age. I'd start to daydream and get bored easily. I'd start doodling on anything I could get my hands on. My teachers always used to tell me I had my head in the clouds, but my art teacher, Miss Ferguson, saw something in me. She said I was naturally gifted when it came to art and sketching. I can sketch from memory, I remember every little detail. I knew I was different from the other kids, creative…a tom boy. I never really had any female friends, until I met Ruby; she bought me out of my shell. When I left school, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, then I heard of this tattoo artist who was opening up a shop in Islington high street. I knew then, I think, that I wanted to be a tattoo artist. I dropped out of school at seventeen, and I had a year of my mum and dad on my case about getting a job. Then Ruby had an interview for an apprenticeship at this big shot advertising firm in London. She got it, obviously, because she’s a natural flirt and knows how to talk the talk. She asked me if I wanted to move to London with her, and I jumped at the chance. The rest you probably know.”
He laughs.
“Of course! Like your favourite colour is purple, your favourite film is Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, but you also love The Hangover, 21 Jump Street, and the Fast and Furious films, mostly because of the cars. Your favourite actor is Leonardo DiCaprio, favourite actress is Keira Knightley. Your favourite TV show is Supernatural, but you also love The Walking Dead. Your favourite book is P.S I Love You by Cecelia Ahern, but you preferred the book to the film. Your favourite food used to be chicken and mushroom pasta Alfredo, but you went off it after you gave birth. Now your favourite food is steak, cooked rare.”
Sam leans back in his chair and regards me intently. I sit there in awe of this man in front of me, the man who seemingly knows me better than I know myself. The waiter comes to serve our food at that moment, and we both nod our thanks as he leaves. The food looks and smells delicious, my mouth instantly starts watering. I pick up my fork and wipe it on the napkin provided, and Sam chuckles softly at my actions. We are about to tuck into our meals when Sam’s phone chimes. He takes it out of his pocket, and his eyes widen at whatever is on the screen.
“Is everything ok, babe?”
He clears his throat and nods.
“Message from Cole.”
He takes a moment to gather his thoughts before he speaks again.
“J.D’s dead, he committed suicide in prison.”
The look of relief that washes over my face is evident, and I feel like I can breathe again, for the first time in a long time. The genuine smile that Sam flashes me causes me to almost melt in front of him.
I hope he never stops having that effect on me.
He reaches over and takes my hand in his.
“Let’s go to Vegas tonight, let’s get married. J.D’s dead, it’s over. There’s nothing stopping us now, angel, marry me.”
I smile at his childlike enthusiasm and find myself agreeing all too easily. Even though I was taken, kidnapped, and almost killed in Las Vegas, I made it through, and I rose like a phoenix from the flames.
This is mine and Sam’s second chance at our happy ever after.
34
Peyton
Two nights ago, after we left the restaurant, Sam set up the bands private jet, and we flew to Las Vegas. After making a few calls, we gathered all our close friends and family, and Sam flew them all out yesterday to witness our big day. It wouldn’t feel right if they weren’t there to celebrate with us. We are staying in one of nine exclusive private villas at The Bellagio. It is the height of luxury, with a twenty-four-hour butler service, and a spacious marble foyer with glass chandeliers that add opulence to the room. The living room has a fire place, a forty-inch plasma TV, and home theatre entertainment system with surround sound. We also have access to a full-service bar, a formal dining room for eight people that is separated by a private entrance, and a private kitchen that looks like something out of a movie. We have lavish his and hers marble bathrooms that sport whirlpool baths, rainforest steam showers, and a fifteen-inch built in LCD TV.
Ruby and I have been taking full advantage of the private salon and massage room. We have a personal workout room, a steam sauna room, and a private courtyard with a fireplace, pool, spa, and man
icured gardens.
Today is our wedding day and I’m being pampered and preened within an inch of my life. I am sipping champagne when the nerves suddenly begin to kick in.
Fuck me, I’m getting married today to Sam Newbolt, one of the world’s most famous rock stars.
Never in a million years, did I think that we would be here a year ago.
“You look like you’re about to throw up, babe. You’re marrying the man of your dreams; this is your happy ever after. Enjoy it, you deserve this,” Ruby says sincerely and takes my hand in hers.