“Oh my God,” Willow said, her heart racing as she pressed her face to the window. “Did you see what happened to Cerys?”
Izabel’s hand shook in her own. “I didn’t. But I saw the look of terror on Jase’s face. Shit, I hope she’s okay. Should we call the police?”
Just as she was about to answer, the door was yanked open and the band bundled inside, Jase awkwardly helping a weeping Cerys into the car.
Willow immediately hugged her. “Are you hurt? Do we need to take you to the hospital?”
“Let me have her, Willow,” Jase said, his voice gruff. “Come here, sunshine.” He scooped her gently into his arms. “What hurts?”
A large cut bled on her leg. “Just that,” she said, between sobs. “And my ribs. I think somebody stood on them.”
“That’s it. We’re going to the hospital,” Jase said, his face taut with worry.
“No,” Cerys said sharply. “Just take me back to the hotel. Please. I don’t think anything’s broken.”
“Fine,” Jase conceded, kissing her forehead. “But I’m going to get the hotel to call out a doctor to come see you. Okay?”
“We need security for events like this,” Ben said. “We talked about it last year, when Chaya got knocked over. I think it’s time.”
“Flower. Are you okay?” Luke cupped her cheeks softly.
“I’m okay. Just a bit shaken. I’m with Cerys. Let’s all just head back to the hotel.”
Luke paced the hotel room he shared with Willow. As the events replayed through his mind, he was certain that the barrier falling over was an accident. But it didn’t change the outcome. Cerys was hurt. It could have been Willow. And God only knew what would have happened had someone trodden on her, especially her stomach.
The looks on the faces around him replayed on a loop. Jase’s terror. Ben’s anger. Willow’s shock.
Fuck.
He picked up his phone and dialled Jase’s number.
“Hey, Luke. One sec . . . Stay in bed, sunshine. I’ll get that for you in a second . . . Sorry, Luke. What did you need?”
“Just wanted to see how Cerys is doing.”
“She’s being an impatient patient. Bit more banged up than she’ll admit because she doesn’t want to ruin the night. Right, sunshine?”
Luke heard Cerys mumble something in the background.
“Do you guys need anything?” Luke asked.
“Nah. I think we’re good.”
“Okay, well,” Luke was about to say goodbye when he thought of something else. “I’m sorry.”
“Not your fault. If we’d known about the barrier—”
“No. I’m sorry. For being a prick. Carrying a grudge. It didn’t help anything. And it was dumb.”
There was a long pause. “Thanks, mate.”
“Yeah, well.” Luke coughed. “You need anything in the night, let me know.”
“Will do.”
His chest felt a little lighter. But the security problem was an issue. Cerys was hurt. And why? Because the band was vain enough to have a fucking listening party. It didn’t matter how incredible an honour it was for the label to host such a thing for them, it wasn’t worth any of them getting hurt.
Especially Willow.
The idea that something could have happened to her had done something nothing else had been able to.
It had knocked some sense into him.
He couldn’t lie to himself anymore. He’d fallen for her.
After only sleeping with her once.
Maybe they’d look back on the last four weeks as a time to get to know each other.
He knew she worried that he was with her for the wrong reasons. But right now, he needed to be near her.
When they’d arrived back at the hotel, he’d called down to the desk to procure a few things she was hopefully now using in the bathroom.
He knocked on the bathroom door, pushed it open, then stepped inside. Candles burned on the little glass shelf above the sink and on the corners of the bathtub. The air was heavy with the scent of flowers. Lilies, he guessed. Her hair had been freed from clips and was in a messy bun on top of her head, her face already scrubbed clean of makeup.
“Is everything okay?” Willow asked, automatically covering her already bubble-covered breasts with her arms.
“I was losing my mind out there, overthinking everything. Just needed to check you were good.”
“Come here,” she said, reaching her arm out of the bath. Grateful, he took it and knelt down next to her.
“You feeling better?” he asked, smoothing damp hair back from her forehead.
“Much. I can’t imagine how Cerys feels, but the bath has helped. You were right.”
Luke grinned. “I’m always right. I was sitting in the bedroom thinking. And I think I understand part of the problem.”
“Part of what problem? And can’t this wait until I’m done with my bath? I was just managing to relax.”
“Part of your problem. And I think this will help you to relax.” He moved the bath mat so it was in the spot he wanted. Right next to her in the tub. “I know you worry that my change of heart is because I always do the right thing, even if I don’t want to. And a lot of people in your life have used you for what you can do for them, right?”
“So?”
He dipped his hand into the water, enjoying the warmth, the oils in the water that made her skin slippery. “I think to convince you of my very sincere intentions, to convince you that I’m in this for the right reasons, you should let me take care of you, with nothing in it for me.” Lazily, he dragged his fingers from her ankle, over her knees that were perched up out of the water. He circled the back of her knees gently.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Something just for you.” He dragged his finger along her thigh, dipping back under the water, beneath the bubbles blocking his view.
Willow placed her hand on his wrist, stopping his movement. “Luke,” she whispered.
He stopped moving and looked her in the eye. Such worry in them. “You really don’t want this, Will, just tell me to stop. I’m not an arsehole. I don’t want to coerce you. But it seems to me you need this. Need something more than us passing at cross-purposes. Like in the bedroom the other day.”
Willow bit down on her lower lip, a lip he’d been thinking about kissing and sucking. “Didn’t we decide it wasn’t a good idea?”
“Did we? Or did we agree there were new lines? Didn’t we agree that we needed to explore us? Let me help reduce the stress for you. Let me show you how good my fingers can make you feel.”
Her eyes remained fixed on his, and he’d do anything to take the doubt out of them, even though he’d put it there. But he didn’t move. True to his word that this was for her only if she wanted it, he lifted his fingertips from her skin.
“Part of the problem is I remember all too well how good your fingers can make me feel.” Willow closed her eyes, laid her head back on the bathtub, and sighed as she released his wrist.
Her submission filled the hole inside him. Even more so that he’d had to earn it. Not by fucking her senseless.