“That’s what I’m talkin’ about,” he murmured, his gaze latching onto hers. “Ride the waves, sugar.”
Sweat dripped off his chin, hit her chest, and slid between her breasts. Their bodies met with the hard slap of wet flesh. Her body rocked with each hit, creating a double tap of pleasure, once on the initial thrust, then again when her body rebounded against the force.
“Oh my G—”
Another orgasm splintered through her, deeper and richer than the last.
“Fuck, yeah,” Wyatt rasped. “Bring it on, sugar. Bring. It. On.”
She braced both hands overhead, locking her elbows to find the strength to combat Wyatt’s full-body thrusts, and her body arched as if in offering. She felt possessed. As if Wyatt had awoken a sleeping, insatiable monster. She couldn’t comprehend this level of pleasure. Felt completely out of control.
A whimper bubbled out of her throat as she felt another climax rise.
“Don’t stop, don’t stop,” she heard herself beg. “Oh my God.”
He dropped his head, covered one breast with his mouth, and growled, wringing another orgasm from her overwrought body. As soon as she returned from another trip to the stratosphere, she put a hand to his face, gripping his jaw until his eyes focused on hers.
“No more,” she breathed, barely a whisper. “No more.”
Wyatt covered her mouth with his and relented to his own pleasure. He was like a hurricane, blasting through every last wall Gypsy had erected over the last three years. And when he finally came to rest, just like the storm, he left her barriers in tattered disarray.
13
Wyatt paced a small room outfitted with one-way glass that looked into a kindergarten classroom where Belle sat in storybook circle time.
After researching all the local schools and calling a few celebrity friends with kids, he’d opted on a well-known private school for Belle. After talking with his bandmates who had kids, he realized that Belle might need added security and decided he’d rather be safe than sorry.
Wyatt had been told he couldn’t stay in the classroom with her because it would interfere with her actions and reactions, so he’d spent the last two hours watching her play with the other kids and work with teachers through the glass. He’d also been thinking a lot—about how to manage his career while also being the best dad he knew how to be to Belle.
The school’s administrator told him he could leave and they’d let him know how she did when he came to pick her up, but all he could think about was what Gypsy had said three nights ago. Wyatt, she lost her dad, and pretty soon, she’s going to learn she lost her mom. How do you think she’s going to feel when you tell her your leaving too?
He hadn’t been able to leave her since, and she’d become his sweet little sidekick.
Wyatt needed to tell her about her mom. Belle had been asking, but he’d hopscotched around the answer. She’d been excited about the prospect of moving up to kindergarten, and he didn’t want to add another change into her life—a major one—until she’d settled into school.
Now that she knew where she would go every Monday through Friday, Wyatt would tell her about her mom. Then he’d ask where she wanted to live. And they’d start setting things up for the future. But, songwriter or not, he still had no idea what to say or how to say it.
Belle was sitting in a circle with other kids her age, mesmerized by some book the teacher was reading. The classroom was brightly decorated for spring with grass and bunnies and pastel-colored eggs. Wyatt leaned his shoulder against a wall and let his mind drift to Gypsy, the way it had every day since—wow. That’s how he thought of that night with her, just off-the-charts, mind-spinning, life-altering wow.
A smile drifted over his face. A tingle rippled through his heart. She might not be convinced of it yet, but he knew. Nothing had ever been this right.
Movement in the classroom drew his gaze, and he refocused on Belle as the kids transitioned into another activity. His heart grew heavy again. Gypsy had been right on so many counts—that his life would never be the same, that Belle had to come first, that she would bring him joy he’d never imagined. But, Jesus, what a learning curve.
Gypsy had also been right about managing a relationship in the midst of all this crazy. Between Belle, Cooper, and the bar, there hadn’t been a moment when they were both free at the same time, which made the last three days since their soul-rocking evening feel like an eternity.
The door opened behind Wyatt, and he turned to find the school’s administrator, Kelsey Knight. She was young and pretty and gave him the same sparkly-eyed look he often saw in women’s eyes. But she wasn’t seeing him, not the real him. She saw the flash, the fame, the money. And that just made Wyatt miss Gypsy more.
When Gypsy got sparkles in her eyes, Wyatt knew they were for the real him, big fat flaws and all.
Kelsey stood next to Wyatt and looked through the glass. “She’s a delight. And so smart.”
“That’s good to hear.”
His attorney had called ahead and required the staff to sign an NDA so news of Wyatt’s new status as a sudden father didn’t leak to the press. Turned out there were quite a few kids in this school with celebrity parents. He’d been assured by one of the moms in Gypsy’s mommies’ group that this school gave celebrity children the most normal school experience.
Wyatt didn’t know the difference. He’d been a normal kid. Gone to a normal school. No fuss, no fanfare. A big part of him wanted that normalcy for Belle. But that didn’t seem possible now.
“So, you think kindergarten is the right place for her?” he asked Kelsey.
“Definitely. And our self-paced learning program will keep her challenged, no matter what grade she’s in.”
He nodded, still unsure. Unsure this was the right place for her. Unsure how to tell her about her mom. Unsure when she should go to bed or wake up. Unsure of what to put into her freaking lunch.
“She’s fitting in with the kids well,” Kelsey said. “She’s already made friends. At this age, children are just children. They don’t treat each other differently because of who their parents are. We do our best to keep them insulated from threats, fans, and paparazzi.”
Wyatt’s teeth clenched. He hated having to subject Belle to all that. This situation definitely hooked into his emotional baggage and his fear of his fame smothering Belle. Or worse, isolating her.
“I’ll introduce you to our security team,” Kelsey said. “They’re top-notch, all retired military or police, but they’re good at being virtually invisible. We don’t want the kids to feel like they’re in prison. And our school counselor is the child of celebrity parents, so she understands what these kids go through in a way only one of their own could.”
The door opened, and Wyatt and Kelsey both looked that direction. The woman who entered looked directly at Wyatt, and her smile widened. “A little bird told me you might be in here.”
Wyatt laughed and turned to face Paisley Jessip. “Paisley. Aaron and I were just talking about you.”
She headed toward Wyatt, greeting Kelsey before she wrapped Wyatt in a hug. “It’s been too long.”
“I’ll give you two time to talk.” Kelsey moved toward the door, glancing at Wyatt before leaving the room. “I’ll be in the office when you’re finished.”