He straightened, offering his hand. “Never been called that before.”
She let him pull her to her feet and followed him to the sofa. He dropped into the corner, landing in a partially reclined position, and pulled her down with him. She fell against his chest and sighed. For a long moment, they lay like that, her head on his chest, his arm around her back, whiskey and glasses hanging from one hand.
He kissed her hair. “This is way more comfortable than the bed of my truck.”
She laughed, just a little chuckle that turned into a giggle that made Wyatt laugh along with her.
Gypsy sat back and took the whiskey bottle from Wyatt. She poured two fingers in each glass, settling the bottle on the floor before taking one of the glasses from Wyatt. “Let’s toast to me finding a manager.”
Wyatt’s eyes widened. “You chose someone?”
“I did, and she said yes. Brandy Mason. I was just looking at the books, trying to figure out how and when to hand things over to her.”
Wyatt grinned and lifted his glass. “To a successful day.”
They clinked, and while Gypsy sipped, Wyatt shot his back.
“Well,” he said, setting his glass on the floor, “mostly. I tried calling the number on Francie’s cell phone bill for her parents. The line was disconnected.”
“Damn.”
Wyatt shrugged. “I knew it was a long shot.”
The noise in the bar quieted as customers moved on to their next destination.
“I really appreciate you getting those names for me and for bartending tonight,” she told him. “I got so much done, and I feel like the vise I’ve been in for so long is finally easing.”
“You also made a shit ton of money. This place was packed to the rafters.” He set his glass on the floor beside the whiskey. “I’m too old for this bartending shit.”
“You can perform on stage in front of thousands for days on end, and you think bartending for a night is tough?”
“Don’t forget keeping a miniature human alive twenty-four seven. That’s the stuff that’ll kill you.”
“Have you talked to your parents yet?”
“No. They were as excited for this cruise as Cooper is for his camp.”
“People say kids forget things,” she said with a smile and roll of her eyes, “but he won’t stop talking about camp. He’s had his doctor’s appointment tomorrow marked on his X-Men calendar for a month.”
“Exactly,” Wyatt said. “And I don’t want to spoil the cruise for them. If I tell them what happened, they’d be on the next plane home.”
She ran her fingers across his jaw, and the touch soothed his fatigue. He covered her hand with his, bringing her palm to his lips.
Her gaze softened and heated. The sight made Wyatt’s heart float. He took the glass from her hand and set it on the floor beside his. Then he reached up and combed his fingers into her hair before pulling her down for a kiss.
Her lips were soft and hungry. She tasted like warm whiskey, and Wyatt took a long, slow taste. Tonight, she was the one who couldn’t wait, pushing his shirt up to his chest and running her hands over his skin. Excitement coiled inside him, and he slid his hands under her shirt and over the warm skin of her back. She made a purring sound into his mouth, and Wyatt’s body responded, growing hard and hot.
God, when this woman was kissing him, touching him, loving him, he needed nothing else. Not the excitement of the road, not the overtures of the fans, not the attention of other women.
She’d seen him at his worst, like when his brother committed suicide and when he’d been faced with taking custody of Belle. Yet she’d treated him like a person, like a friend. Offered her help and support. Over the years, she’d always been there, for the good and the bad. And she’d never asked for a thing. Which was why this bar was always his first stop as soon as he got off the plane.
The truth was, he’d been in love with her for a long damn time. And feeling her wanting him was a true fantasy realized.
“Man,” he murmured against her hair. “Nothing’s ever felt this right before. Do you know how long I’ve wanted this?”
She tilted her head to look into his eyes.
“Years, Gypsy. Years.”
She smiled, but her gaze turned somber. “You’re an amazing guy. Really amazing.”
His heart dipped. “I hear a but coming.”
“Look, I know what life is like on the road. I know all about the never-ending party on tour. That might not have been a problem for me at one time, but Cooper changed everything. I don’t regret one second of it, but that lifestyle doesn’t work for me now. This, you and me, is just for now. No commitment. No promises. No strings. When you go back to the road, this ends.”
He’d known that going in, but now that he’d experienced life with her in it, he wasn’t willing to settle. He just needed to find a way to convince her he was worth the risk.
He fingered a piece of hair from her forehead. “That high life doesn’t work for me anymore either. I stopped all the hard-core touring shit years ago.”
“Well.” She sat up and maneuvered until she straddled his lap. “I guess that’s good news for Belle. With all she’s been through, she’s really going to need you.”
“What about you?” he said, wandering out onto an emotional ledge. “Could you ever see yourself needing me?”
She pulled his T-shirt over his head and dropped it on the floor, stroked her hands over his upper body. She pressed a kiss to his shoulder, and her hands slid to his waist, working on the button and zipper of his jeans. “As a matter of fact, I need you right now.”
He gripped her biceps and pushed her into a sitting position again. Her eyes were dark and hot. Her expression hungry. The light from her desk lamp cast the room in shadows. The noise from the bar dimmed even more.
“You know what I mean,” he cupped her face and held her gaze. “Beyond this. Because I do. I need a lot more of you.”
She searched his eyes with something that looked like confusion clouding her gaze.
“I’ll take that as a maybe,” he said.
Her smile was slow and sweet. The confusion cleared, and warmth filled her eyes again. “I could get on board with a maybe.”
He pulled her close and put all of himself into the kiss. Gypsy wrapped her arms around his neck, tilted her head, and opened to him. But now it felt like she was giving him more than her body. Now it felt like she was willing to entertain the idea of giving him her heart.
Hope filled Wyatt’s chest, and desire flashed through his body. He flicked her bra open and took both her breasts in his hands. He pulled himself up to sitting and pressed his face against the soft flesh, kissing and squeezing. Gypsy wrapped her arms around his head, running her fingers through his hair with a hum of pleasure.
“You’re a drug,” she murmured against his hair.
He lifted his head and kissed her. “Let’s see if we can get you addicted.”
Wyatt eased her backward slowly, giving her time to get her legs out from under her. Braced on his elbows, he spent long moments just kissing her, tasting her, loving the way her hips lifted against his.
He broke the kiss and unfastened her jeans, then tugged them down her legs along with her silk panties. He sat back and dragged them off her feet, pausing to pull off her boots.