Starstruck, p.30
Starstruck, page 30
“What do you mean a real woman? Please don’t tell me he has a blow-up doll fetish or something.”
He inhaled quickly through his nose, snorting at her sense of humor. “No, not that I’m aware of.” He chuckled. “I mean he usually goes for Barbie dolls full of Botox with big plastic tits. Those types of women. Not the natural pretty girl next door.”
“Well, it’s not like they’ll start dating or anything. Caitlin’s done the long-distance thing before and knows it doesn’t work. And from what I already know of Ricky, he’s not really a one-woman kind of guy, is he?”
He tilted her chin toward him and kissed the tip of her nose. “Any man will settle down for the right woman. I know I would.”
Jesse replayed the discussion they’d had earlier that morning after making love. In the end, they’d agreed to take things slow. But he had to leave on Sunday and wanted Sam to go with him.
He pressed the issue again after they’d coasted back from their picnic, taking the opportunity while they had some privacy. Caitlin had gone ashore with Rick to help him shop for clothes. It was the perfect time to corner Sam and find out exactly what she was thinking.
“You’re asking me to go back with you, Jesse, but what happens then? I can’t just leave without—”
“Without what? All I know is I need to be with you. Nothing else matters to me.”
“Well how long are you talking about? A few days? A few weeks? What?”
Though he loved her, he hadn’t been able to expose all his heart. It wasn’t an easy thing for him to do no matter how right being with Sam felt. He was so out of practice. He had been deeply wounded and wasn’t sure the scars had completely healed—the infection ran deep into his core.
He and the band had been away on their first East Coast tour. Nothing huge, just some low-key pub gigs over the course of three weeks. After their eleventh show, he’d gotten the call from his mother. She was at the hospital. His high school sweetheart had suddenly miscarried at four months. He had been devastated, threatened to leave the band if they didn’t agree to cut the tour short. All he wanted to do was get home as quickly as possible and comfort his woman…and have her comfort him.
But by the time he’d traveled back and finally barged through the door of their small apartment, she was gone, having taken most of his possessions with her. She hadn’t just ransacked his house, she’d robbed him of the opportunity to grieve for his unborn child. His first love had mangled his heart and he’d sworn to never reopen it.
He’d thought the damage irreparable…until Sam. And though he’d asked her to return to New York with him, he hadn’t yet mentioned he wanted her stay to be permanent.
He cleared his throat. “A few months, maybe?”
“A few months?”
“Yeah, well, I still have the tour to do. I want you to come on the promotional run with me, Sam.”
“Jesus, Jesse, I don’t know.”
“Before you give me an answer, just hear me out, okay? You told me in London you were sick of traveling without enjoying the scenery. Well, now’s your chance to do some sightseeing and kick up your heels for a while. Just think about it, Sam. We could be together every day. After a few more cities in the States, we go to Canada, the UK, Italy, France, Spain, Japan, back here to Australia and then New Zealand. Think of it as a long holiday. You could paint.”
“A holiday? I don’t call doing things on my own much of a holiday, do you? You’ll be working all the time, Jess. I’ve seen your schedule, remember? I can’t sit around waiting for you. I’ll go mad. What about when the tour’s over? Maybe I could fly over and spend some time with you then.”
He groaned and gently pressed their foreheads together, holding her face in both hands. “Baby, this tour will last almost twelve months. Yeah we go home for a week here and there, but those’ll be few and far between. We’ll mainly be on the road.”
She sighed and relaxed her shoulders. “I don’t know what to tell you, Jess. This is a huge decision and a lot to take in. I’ve got commitments here…my house, my job…and I’m not sure Daniel would let me go for that long. The company’s global reputation is growing fast, and…well…I had a lot to do with that. I can see him letting me go for a few weeks, maybe, but a few months? That would be pushing my luck. Besides, I can’t afford to just take off whenever I feel like it. The bills will keep coming in even if I’m not here and I won’t have an income to pay them. I get a bonus for my last assignment, but it won’t cover everything.”
Here was something he could help her with and the idea brought a smile to his face. He licked his lips. He could taste victory.
“Amore,” he purred, “is that what worries you? You know money isn’t an issue. I’ll cover all your expenses. You won’t need to spend a dime.” He ran his thumb over her bottom lip. “Say you’ll come with me.”
She walked inside and busied her hands washing the dishes. He followed her. Was she angry?
“Sam? Is there some other reason why you don’t want to be with me? I’m a big boy, you know. I can take it. You can tell me anything.”
“Jess, I do love you. I really do so please don’t take this the wrong way. I just don’t feel comfortable with that kind of…arrangement.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I don’t feel comfortable with you paying my way, okay?”
“Baby, be reasonable. It’s not like I’m stretched for cash. Sam, I could pay all your debts outright and not even make a dent in my savings. It’s no big deal, really. I just want you with me. You shouldn’t feel bad I can make that happen. Anyway, I’d be doing it for selfish reasons. Don’t think of it as me doing you a favor, think of it as you doing me one.”
“But you’d still be—”
He plucked her hands out of the sink and put them around his neck, lifting her and striding to the bedroom. He laid her on the bed and snuggled beside her.
“Jesse.”
“Hush, love. I’ve never been more certain about anything in my whole life. I’m serious about you, Samantha Raven. I’d hand over my whole fucking fortune if it meant you’d say yes.”
Moving over her, he straddled her hips, raising her hands above her head. He hovered a soft smile over her slightly parted lips. Whenever he was this close to Sam his body hummed as if he were a metal conductor and she the electrical current. She filled him with lustful energy. He pressed their lips together and just like it had been since their first kiss, their mouths danced as one. Fred and Ginger had nothing on them.
She moaned against his lips. “This is not playing fair.”
“No. This is not playing fair.” He dropped his mouth to her neck and sucked on the smooth flesh below her ear, leaving his mark behind.
With a sigh, he pressed their foreheads together. “Say yes,” he whispered against her mouth, grinding his shaft into the warmth between her legs.
“Okay, now you’re just playing plain dirty.” She snapped at his bottom lip with her teeth.
He avoided her bite without a second to spare. “I’ll give you dirty, baby, if that’s what you want. All’s fair in love and war.”
“Ugh. You’re impossible!”
“So is that a yes?”
“Maybe,” she yielded beneath him.
He attacked her earlobe and ran his tongue down her neck, ending the wet trail at just the right spot, in between her collar and her ear. He sucked on her delicate skin, kissing her as he would her lips. It got her every time and he knew it.
“Yes,” she whimpered her final surrender.
“Thank you.”
* * * * *
Jesse eased back in his deck chair, raked a hand through his hair and scratched the back of his neck. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so relaxed. Rick was occupied at the bar, mixing cocktails and playing his new CDs. Sam and Caitlin danced along to the mellow tunes, their laughter drifting across the water as nightfall blanketed the lake.
Rick’s not-so-subtle persuasion soon convinced Caitlin to stay an extra night. She rang her boss—who also happened to be her father—and told him she needed more time with Sam.
“Hey, wanna help me with dinner, Sam? We could use the boys’ kitchen. It’s better equipped with more burners. C’mon. All hands on deck. You boys take care of drinks and music and we’ll do food,” Caitlin ordered.
Dinner on the Regal Lady, of course, was perfect. It seemed things rarely went wrong with Caitlin and Sam in the kitchen.
With darkness came a slight chill and neither he nor Rick could risk a cold so close to a tour. Closing most of the windows and doors of the cabin, they all settled in for a quiet night.
“So where did you girls learn to cook? It was an exceptional meal, ladies. I could get used to this.” Rick burped, rubbing his belly.
“I’m an executive chef. My dad owns the finest seafood restaurant in Sydney.” Caitlin winked.
The boys exchanged a glance. Food was the way to Rick’s heart. Lia Maurello was to blame for that. She spoiled him something shocking.
At Caitlin’s insistence, Jesse disappeared into the master suite and returned with his acoustic guitar. With Rick making use of the tabletop and the saucepan lids Sam tossed him from the cupboard below the sink, he accompanied Jesse on vocals and drummed along to the songs. They sang a few of their new tunes but kept mainly to old covers as the girls shouted out request after request.
What seemed like hours later, Jesse put his guitar away and joined Sam on the couch. He didn’t like being away from her. Even sitting across the room was too far to curb his appetite. He never imagined he could love this strongly. He was dead serious about giving up his entire fortune if it meant he and Sam could be together. As a last resort, he was prepared to leave his whole career behind. An early retirement had never been in the cards and it wasn’t what he really wanted, but his need to have a life with her far outweighed everything else.
Pulling her close to his chest, her head over his heart, he rubbed her arm gently and kissed her brow.
“This is nice,” she said.
“Mmm…” he murmured into her hair.
“I think that’s our cue,” Rick whispered loudly to Caitlin. “Join me outside under the stars, milady?” He jumped up and grasped her hand, dragging her with him.
“Ugh! Why do you Americans think we all speak like Brits? No one in this country calls a woman ‘milady’ for Christ’s sake!” She slammed the cabin door on her way out.
“Is this the last bottle?” Jesse tapped the last two drops of wine into his near-empty glass.
“I might be able to scrounge up one more.” Sam stood and slid her arms into her coat. “I’ll duck next door to check.”
He yanked her sleeve and pulled her back into his arms. Curving his hands over the line of her jaw, he kissed her gently. “I love you.”
“And I love you,” she breathed.
Those words boomeranged back to him—by her—filled his heart to the brim, mending his old scars.
* * * * *
Sam reluctantly pulled away and left Jesse in search of wine. Rick and Caitlin jumped a short mile when she swung the door open. They looked like two kids caught with their hands in the cookie jar—or watching porn.
Sam went on her way, pretending to ignore their panicked expressions, but grinned from ear to ear as she climbed aboard Daniel’s boat.
“Just getting some more supplies,” she called over her shoulder. “Be right back, kids.”
Rick waited until she was inside the cabin before speaking, but his whisper still wafted through the open door. “Do you think she saw us?”
“How old are you? She’s my cousin, not my mum,” Caitie replied.
“Should I be worried about your mom then?”
“Yes, Ricky. You should be petrified,” she muttered.
Inside the warm cabin of the Arteest, Sam searched the cupboards in the kitchen. They’d managed to wipe out the small stock of wine she’d brought with her, but Daniel always kept the boat well-stocked with nonperishables. Sure enough, there was a case of red in the back of the last cupboard.
She squatted to pull out the canned goods that sat in front and a cold shiver traveled up her spine, chilling her to the bone. One of her grandmother’s favorite sayings sprang to mind.
Someone just stepped over my grave.
Something wasn’t right…at all. Her thigh muscles clenched as she prepared to stand, but a hand seized her shoulder and pulled her back. A cloth smothered her mouth, forcing her to breathe through her nose. She fought to rip it away, to struggle against the body her back rested against, but her limbs quickly grew too heavy to lift.
The interior of the cabin blurred and swayed in her vision.
* * * * *
Sarah sat in a small black canoe in the water, hidden by the side of the large houseboat.
It hadn’t been difficult to track them. Earlier that day she’d spoken with a grumpy old man at the pier, but he’d refused to give out any information regarding the customers who leased his boats. Thankfully she’d been sitting in her rental, checking the rearview mirror to make sure her dark glasses and scarf were still firmly in place, when her cell phone had beeped with another text message. She’d typed the new address into the car’s GPS and driven the few miles up the road to a bridge that spanned the lake, hoping this would be the last leg of her trip.
After entering the sleepy lakeside town, she happened to bypass Ricky on the main street—walking with a dark-haired woman. She’d followed them.
She was unsure how long she’d been sitting in the canoe she’d stolen off the grassy bank, but her ears pricked when a guitar gently strummed. She enjoyed the music until a chorus of voices began to sing the first song of many. She became more infuriated with each bout of laughter cutting through the night air.
Was she being careful enough? She had covered her tracks with meticulous care, but even the most thoughtful plan had its weak spots. Now, confined in the small craft, she was vulnerable, like a sitting duck. It would only take someone poking their head over the side and she’d be caught—no matter how dark her clothes. As far as she could tell, all the occupants were still on the opposite boat.
She sat back to silently revise her plan should she have the opportunity to execute it tonight when the distinct thud of bare feet hopped onto the boat she clung to. Then a voice, one she recognized.
She waited for following footsteps but none came. The cabin door closed with a soft click.
Her internal mentor, her only true friend, spoke into her ear. Do you remember lesson number five?
She jumped at his voice. He’d been gone so long she feared he’d abandoned her. “I haven’t forgotten anything you’ve taught me. Number five is patience, is it not?”
Yes…and you’ve waited long enough.
Steeling her nerves, she stood tall enough to peer over the deck. Ricky was attached to the same woman he was with earlier in town. Their lips were locked as they stood on the deck of the adjoining boat.
After tying the canoe to the rail and making sure the coast was clear, she quietly climbed the small metal ladder and boarded the Arteest. She entered the cabin and ducked into the open bathroom. Samantha Raven was tinkering in the kitchen, opening and closing cupboard doors, mumbling about where to find wine.
This was her chance. She had to be quick. Her physical skills, or lack thereof, were up against a woman who had substantial martial arts training. Sarah could not lose this fight. Her best option was a surprise attack.
Like a cat stalking a sparrow, she crept across the floor, a white cloth in one hand and a knife in the other. She didn’t allow time for a struggle. She was swift and precise and the chloroform worked its quick magic.
The bitch never knew what hit her.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Jesse dimmed the lights after lighting the candles he’d found in the kitchen drawer, praising the soft ambience they emitted. He wanted the atmosphere to be romantic.
He lounged back on the couch and his attention was drawn to the dual stack of CDs by the stereo. He browsed through them, stopping when he came across an interesting title. Bernard Fanning’s Tea and Sympathy. Heflipped it over to read the back cover, and then stopped short when he found a song titled Songbird—the one Sam had sung in his living room. After setting the CD in the player, he immediately liked the first track. That rarely happened. He disagreed with a lot of today’s music. Sometimes it made him feel his age. The industry was pumping out pop and dance hits with no substance or longevity and he hated it.
Longevity. The word jolted him back to Sam…his life, his future. There was no doubt in his mind. He had to be with her. It was just a question of how they would proceed from here. And there was also the fertility problem to face. He so desperately wanted kids—with her—but if he had to resort to less conventional methods, then that’s what he was prepared to do. He’d give anything as long as they stuck together.
What could be taking her so long?
He left the cabin, finding Rick and Caitlin smooching on the back deck, so caught up in each other neither acknowledged him when he opened the door.
“Ahem.” He grinned when they surfaced for air and blushed in unison. “Seen my woman, have ya?”
“Try next door.” Rick tipped his head toward their sister ship, rubbing Caitlin’s back as she snuggled closer into his chest.
Jesse jumped boats and swung the cabin door open with a huge smile planted on his face. Their trip had gone better than he could ever have hoped now that Sam had agreed to return home with him. He couldn’t wait to tell his parents. They’d be thrilled. And little Gianni Jr. hadn’t stopped asking about Sam since the night he’d met her at the restaurant.
“Sam?” Jesse called into the empty kitchen.
A cupboard door hung open in the galley and he closed it absentmindedly as he passed. He checked the master suite, but his blonde, green-eyed goddess was nowhere to be found. Trying the other rooms, he came up empty.
He finally knocked on the bathroom door. “Sam?”
He turned the handle and it opened freely, but again, no Sam. She could be nowhere else except for the top deck.
