She slowly crawled out of my lap—topless, might I add—then grabbed the yellow notepad and started reading.
I’d never been nervous about anyone going over my lyrics before. Not until that moment. Suddenly, she started wiping tears from her cheeks.
Without speaking, she grabbed the notepad and went into the living room. I slowly followed.
She grabbed my vision board and started drawing.
I let her sketch, though I didn’t know how she was seeing through her tears to do it.
When she was done, I was stunned into complete silence.
She’d drawn a small globe and then had written my name over it. After that, she drew a sun next to it.
“I knew you would never put this down, but it needs to be on here. Because the minute this album drops, you’re going to change the world with your light, and I’m so damn proud to be a part of it, even in a small way.” She turned, and I almost lost it, almost told her I loved her. I knew that my love was too soon, but I didn’t care.
Instead, she beat me to it by kissing me again and again. I was lost to her and barely had any time to take her to the couch before our clothes went flying and our touches became a hurried mixture of pain and pleasure. When I thrust into her, felt her heat around me, I knew I would never want anyone else.
Ever.
“Stay,” I whispered as we moved in sync.
Her eyes were glassy as she answered, “Where else would I go?”
I flipped onto my back, letting her ride me as she pressed me into the couch, her hair draped over her face.
“Away,” I barely squeezed out, finding myself getting choked up. “Would you believe me if I told you, you were my soul?”
“Would you believe me if I told you, you owned my heart?”
Neither of us answered.
But our bodies did.
And in that moment, all I kept thinking was, thank God I was spared.
Even if it was only for a day. It still meant I had her.
Chapter Fourteen
Piper
Five more days in his arms, that’s what the universe gave me, and I told myself to be thankful. Technically, my time was up next week. Even though I wasn’t still working for the production company, I was trying to help in small ways. Like attempting to get him to finish a full album and making sure he was nourished enough to do so. I even told my old boss not to send someone new, that I was doing this pro bono, that I refused to leave his side.
Braden was funny when he was writing; it was either food or sex or both. I still hadn’t told him who my interview was with. I was too terrified that he’d panic or say no.
And I knew his denial would break me, so I kept it to myself. I decided I’d tell him after the surprise.
I just hoped it worked. It was a last-ditch effort to get him to see that the world needed him and his music. I could only hope that he didn’t blame me or panic when he saw what we had planned.
That was the other problem. I’d been half hoping that Drew and Zane wouldn’t be able to work miracles that fast, but apparently, money talked. When they called me earlier that day and said that Project Free Braden—Zane’s idea, not mine—was a go, I was already mourning the loss of the man who’d stolen my heart with his words. Who made me sigh with his touch.
How did people survive knowing this sort of feeling and then suddenly living without it?
“So that was weird,” Braden said as he walked into the room wearing nothing but low-slung dark jeans that showed off his perfect chest and ramped up his wow factor.
I sighed, totally distracted by his ink and hard muscles.
“Hey, eyes up here.” He snapped his fingers. “I’m a person, not a piece of meat!”
I just shook my head. “Not what you said this morning when I had you in my mouth. Pretty sure you said something like, ‘Suck me like your favorite lollipop, and I’ll call you queen.’”
His grin was smug. “Hey, I’m not the best at dirty talk, all right. But that mouth…” His eyes zeroed in, and suddenly, my black sweater dress felt too tight, like I needed to take it off, get some air, and then some Braden.
“Eyes up here.” I winked.
“Yeah, that’s fair.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Anyways, Zane just called, which he never does. Thought the dude was in prison or something since he didn’t send a text, but he wants us all to go out since we only have a few days left.”
I swallowed the giant lump in my throat and nodded. “That sounds fun. Did he say where?”
Braden shrugged. “Said he’d text me in a few minutes. They wanna meet now, is that cool?”
“Yep.” I didn’t tell him I’d already gotten a text hours ago and had done my hair and makeup since I’d literally lived in Braden’s sweats for days, helping him focus and get on track with his music. “You better go put on a shirt so girls don’t just swoon at your feet though.”
He laughed. “I don’t think I’ve been this shirtless in a long time. And someone keeps stealing my sweats so…”
I bit my bottom lip and gave him an innocent look. “They’re comfier than my pantsuits.”
He gave me a stunned expression. “Does that mean we can burn them and stay naked?”
“Um, no. Because we still have to go outside this house.”
He pouted. “That’s not actually accurate. We can get groceries delivered, and food ordered like a date night in. Technically, I could keep you here as my prisoner.”
“I’d want nothing more,” I said honestly.
His face fell like he knew where my thoughts were headed, and then he was walking over to me and pulling me into his arms.
He would be leaving for his tour soon.
And if I ever wanted to see him again, I needed to ace my interview and hope he didn’t get pissed.
The future was so uncertain.
But I knew I could count on his kisses.
On his words.
His touch.
The way he protectively held me close and showed me that he was in this even when nothing was said between us. I clung to him so tightly that I started to get hot.
Finally, he pulled away, kissed my forehead, and whispered, “We’ll figure it out, all right?”
“I believe you.”
He groaned as his phone went off. “That’s probably Zane. Let me go put on a shirt real quick.”
“Wear that gray beanie I like too!” I shouted after him. I knew what was coming; he didn’t.
“On it!” he called back.
Within minutes, we were in his Jeep headed toward downtown. There were a ton of people. Not just a few clusters, more like hundreds, all going in the same direction we were.
“Shit, is there an event going on?” Braden asked.
“It’s Seaside, who knows?” I answered. “Just park wherever, we can walk.”
“If we can find parking.” He laughed and then a car magically pulled out. We pulled in, and I felt like puking. “God provides.”
“Ha.” I pressed a hand to my stomach as we joined the crowds of people walking toward the beach, in the direction of the circular drive of the Seaside boardwalk where a stage was set up.
It was already starting to get dark.
Butterflies erupted in my stomach as we finally got close enough to see the stage and the name in front of it.