by Kylie Scott
All of the children clapped their hands.
“M-A-L, he’s the best. Yes, he is.” The drummer had a full cheer routine with hand motions and all going on. “Yay for Uncle Mal!”
Lena just shook her head. “Martha, come see this one. I think it might make a good cover shot.”
“Coming.” I hopped up.
“Can I stop staring slightly broodingly yet meaningfully at the wall now?” asked Adam.
“No, stay there,” ordered Lena. “The light’s perfect.”
On top of deciding to become Adam’s manager (with Sam MIA I had plenty of time to think deep thoughts), I’d temporarily played the part of his stylist today. Mal had offered, but we’d let him experiment on the children instead. Hence the current array of crazy hairdos on everyone under three. The second twin had an attempt at a mohawk and Gib’s hair had been spiked. Lots of hair products were involved in both. Lizzy or Ben could do bath time tonight. My nephew had a tendency to howl like a banshee when hair wash time came around. No way would I be volunteering.
“Nice,” I said, checking out the picture.
“The wall will be out of shot, but you see what I mean about the light?”
I nodded. “The shadows work. Very emotive.”
“I feel like an idiot,” mumbled Adam in his black shirt and distressed jeans. We’d nailed the outfit. It really made the most of his messy hair and lanky frame.
“And you look like one,” said Mal. “Rest assured.”
Dave chuckled. “Get used to it. Photo shoots are always awkward as hell. Remember that time they tried to put me in red sequinned pants?”
“That was special. Though the tartan suit was my favorite.”
“Actually, I didn’t mind it.”
“Davie, you are such a show pony.”
“Afternoon, ladies and gentleman.” A familiar deep voice entered the room. “And children, of course.”
My head shot up, eyes narrowing.
Sam stopped cold. “My love, it’s good to see you. Is something wrong?”
“It is good to see you,” I said, abandoning the camera and heading straight for the bodyguard. “Surprising to see you even.”
“What’s with that tone of voice?”
“Guess.”
“You’re very, very angry.” He slid an arm around my waist. I didn’t knock it away. Not yet at least.
“Four days, Sam. Four days with barely a fu…” I looked down just in time to catch Gibby attaching himself to my leg. “Freaking word.”
“Sam-Sam-Sam.” The small child grinned, reaching out to pat the black slacks of the big man. The one in seriously deep shit.
“Hello, Gibby.” Sam smiled then exhaled. “Martha, I’ve been busy at Jim and Lena’s. I texted to tell you that.”
“One single text. That’s the best you could manage.”
His Adam’s apple bobbed. “Ah...”
I said nothing.
“I should have at least made the effort to call you. You’re right.”
“Keep going,” I encouraged. Still not smiling.
“It’s possible I have some workaholic tendencies. And well, we’ve been very busy…and, um…” His gaze darted around the room, seeking inspiration or pleading for help from the other adults. So nice to have everyone witnessing yet another dramatic moment.
“May I remind you that you said working twenty-four-seven no longer appealed to you,” I said. “That you wanted to make time for more in your life. Like a relationship, perhaps?”
His mouth opened slightly, but nothing came out.
“Given the old saying, begin as you mean to go on, does disappearing with barely a word for four days sound like a relationship to you?”
“I definitely should have made more of an effort to stay in contact with you.” He licked his lips. “It was an error. I can see that now.”
“And the next time there’s an emergency situation?”
“I’ll call?”
“Not good enough,” I said, turning away.
“Love…”
“If you want me to be all in on this, then you need to make an effort to be there. Things will always come up, needing your attention. I get that.” I attempted to smooth down Gibby’s hair a little. It didn’t work, but it was quite calming. “But you can’t talk marriage and children to me, even jokingly, and then disappear for days.”
“I wasn’t joking,” said Sam, voice low and serious.
“Marriage and children?” The whites of David’s eyes seemed huge. “Really?”
Sam made a noise in his throat. “Yes, Dave. I love her. Is that a problem?”
Holy shit. I just kind of froze.
“No. Just a…no,” said David. “You two? Right. Um, none of my business. Sorry, I—”
“Stop speaking now, man,” wisely suggested Mal.
“Yep.”
Hands cupping my face, Sam frowned. “Love, I’m sorry. You’re right, I messed this up and I did want to slow down on the working around the clock and having no life. So you’re in charge, you tell me how to fix it and I will.”
“Marty’s in charge?” asked Mal, tone somewhat astounded. “Seriously, man?”
“Shh,” whisper-hissed Lena.
I did my best to ignore them all while Sam stood in front of me, waiting. Because I was in charge. At least right now. This required some thought. “I don’t want to run your life, but I do want to be a part of it. I know that much. I also know that if you keep doing the same job you’re doing now, at the rate you’re doing it, this is going to keep happening.”
He nodded. “You want me to consider retiring?”
“No,” I said, shaking my head slightly. “You’re like me, I think. Without something to keep your brain occupied you’d slowly go insane.”
“Probably.”
“Definitely.”
“What then?” he asked. “Time to consider a change of vocation?”
“But you’re good at this and you enjoy it. Hell, you’re the best.”
“Hell,” repeated Gibby, still clinging to my leg.
“So, my thought is, what if you went into business for yourself?” I asked, turning the problem over inside my head. “What if instead of being the guy standing out on the driveway at all hours, you were the person in the office managing everything and only on site some of the time?”
Speculation filled Sam’s gaze. “You know…that’s not a bad idea.”
I smiled.
“I could start my own security business.” He placed a sweet kiss upon my lips. “This is why you’re in charge, love. Brains and beauty, they’re a lethal mix.”
Mal cleared his throat. “Sorry to interrupt, but…you’d still work for us right, Sam, man?”
“I’d work with you, Malcolm, as a contractor. And charge you a very generous rate.”
“A reasonable rate,” I corrected. “Let’s not go overboard.”
“Huh,” said the drummer. “Okay then. Carry on.”
“When you’re not busy with Adam, perhaps you could help me?” asked Sam. “Setting things up is going to be quite involved.”
“Really? You want me to be involved?”
“Absolutely.”
I grinned. “I’d be delighted to.”
“No more disappearing, I promise,” he said, kissing me again. Deeper and more thoroughly this time. Yet without squishing the small child still attached to me. He kissed me like he’d missed me even more than I’d missed him. Because of course I had. Dammit. Maybe things would be okay after all.
When we finally came up for air, I still had the grin on my face. “You said you loved me.”
“Why else would I call you love, hmm?” He smiled back. “You’re not even freaking out about it, quite surprisingly.”
I shrugged. “Eh. With all that time to think things through, I realized I wouldn’t have been half as mad about you going MIA unless there was actually something meaningful going on between us.”
“Why, that’s very brave
of you, love.”
“Thanks. I thought so.”
EPILOGUE
“We’re late,” I panted, bent over my office desk. “Hurry up.”
“You were late. I just came to get you. Then I saw how you were dressed.”
Sam did some swivel type motion with his hips and holy shit. I saw stars. Sparkling, swirling big-ass stars. With my dress hitched up around my waist, his cock resumed pounding into me, driving me out of my everloving mind. My insides tightened, legs trembling.
“That’s it, love,” he ground out. “Nearly there.”
“Fuck, Sam!”
The man in question grunted, managing another couple of thrusts before following me over the edge. That sweet lethargy combined with an awesome chemical high filled my body, making it hard to move. Lungs heaving, heart stuttering, I just half lay, half stood there. Holy shit. Talk about breaking in the office section of our new home. Nothing like a quick orgasm to make you ready to party.
“Still alive, love?” he asked, pulling my panties back into place and straightening my skirt. The man was good with his hands in all sorts of useful ways.
“Mm-hmm.”
“Everyone’s waiting downstairs,” he said.
“I know, I know. Just had some urgent emails to answer and Adam is just…being Adam.”
“The boy’s a little out of control since he hit the bigtime.”
I frowned, slowly straightening. “That’s an understatement. But Ziggy’s on him so our rock ’n roll prodigy shouldn’t get into much mischief…tonight at least.”
“Let me see.” He turned me to face him, looking over my makeup and hair. “Still perfect.”
“Yeah, but you say that when I have bed hair and morning breath.”
“Not my fault you’re so beautiful.”
“You’re awfully good for my ego.”
“When it comes to you, I live to serve.” He brought my left hand to his lips, giving the monster-size rock on my ring finger a smile. Because bigger is always better.
“I love you,” I whispered.
“I love you too. Why are we whispering?”
I laughed. “No idea. Let’s go do this thing.”
Sam’s business had been in operation for almost six months and was a total success. We’d both put in some serious hours along the way, but it’d been worth it. Turned out he had a gift for training up the new executive protection officers and managing in general. Our team was still small at present, but in high demand. Though the Stage Dive family tended to keep us busy. And Adam, of course.
As for me, between Adam’s overnight success, finding our own place, and helping Sam get things going, I’d been kept plenty busy. There’d been no time for Hawaii or anywhere else for that matter. So about a month ago, I’d informed my big, strong, and very understanding man that it was time for some bling and he’d delivered. Boy, had he delivered. No idea when we’d have time to plan a wedding. Maybe we’d stick with group tradition and go get hitched in Vegas.
Downstairs, the whole crew was assembled. Jimmy and Ben were keeping an eye on the assorted children busy at play while Lena and Lizzy caught up over beers. Gib’s box of toys in the corner had been one of our first investments. Because having a three-year-old running around your house bored is just asking for trouble. Having three of them with nothing to play with would be an outright nightmare. And while I might not be Gib’s nanny any longer, he still visited once a week for a sleep-over so his parents could get some adult time together. Also so Gib, Sam, and I could have our bonding time, of course.
Ev and David were preparing pizzas in the kitchen. God only knew what would be on them. When it came to pizza toppings during our girls’ nights, I’d learned to just let the woman do her thing. It had taken a slightly tense discussion/argument between us regarding broccoli and zucchini. Because honest to God, who the hell puts those things on a pizza? I mean, honestly. It still blew my mind. But so long as pepperoni continued to be provided, I decided to let it go. So yes, we might occasionally still butt heads over small silly things. But it generally all worked out just fine. Due to age, wisdom, or being too damn worn out running our respective businesses to bother stressing…who knows? Ev and I were at peace. Even David and I basically got along.
On the long gray suede couch, Anne enjoyed the housewarming by sitting and doing her best to relax. Something probably not easily managed, care of Mal ever so gently tapping out drum beats with his fingers on her huge pregnant belly. Her tolerance levels were pretty much superior to mine in every way. Anne was a saint as far as I was concerned and the designer baby suits I had stashed away waiting for the delivery were too cute for words. Sweet of her to give me another reason to shop. The two women I’d really bonded with, however, were Lena and Lizzy. They were both slightly evil and sarcastic, two qualities I appreciated greatly. And if I needed something, they were there for me. Ditto to me being there for them. Because relationships were totally a give and take type situation.
It might have taken me a while to figure it out, but family and friends mattered. Family, friends, and my man. And our house.
“You’re smiling,” said Sam, slipping an arm around my waist as we stood at the bottom of the stairs.
“That’s because I’m happy.”
“Oh? And why is that?” he asked, pretending ignorance.
I shrugged, nestling in closer to him. Turned out I was a cuddler after all. “Because life is good.”
“I’m glad, love. I’m very glad indeed,” he said. “Welcome home.”
THE END
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Returning home for her father’s wedding was never going to be easy for Adele. If being sent away at eighteen hadn’t been bad enough, the mess she left behind when she made a pass at her dad’s business partner sure was.
Fifteen years older than her, Pete had been her crush for as long as she could remember. But she’d misread the situation—confusing friendliness for undying love. Awkward. Add her father to the misunderstanding, and Pete was left with a broken nose and a business on the edge of ruin. The man had to be just as glad as everyone else when she left town.
Seven years later, things are different. Adele is no longer a kid, but a fully grown adult more than capable of getting through the wedding and being polite. But all it takes is seeing him again to bring back those old feelings.
Sometimes first loves are the truest.