Groupie Love (A Rock Star Romance) (Love in Shades) (15 page)

Chapter 39

Everson

Mackenzie and I lock eyes as she steps out of the bathroom adjoined to my hotel room. She swallows hard and her tongue sweeps across her bottom lip.

She’s nervous.

“Sorry – I just needed to splash some water on my face. Still reeling from what you just did out there in front of all those people.” She lingers near the doorway.

I know that swooping down into the audience and apologizing to her in front of 30 000 people was a ballsy move. If she had rejected me, I would have been devastated.

But the situation required a grand gesture, dammit.
This girl
deserved a grand gesture.

“Here, sit,” I say, patting a spot on the mattress next to me. Her eyes look hesitant but after a beat, she sinks down beside me. She smells as sweet as she always does and her face is just as pretty as ever.

“Everson, I –”

I hold up a hand to stop her from speaking. “I just need to say this right off the bat, before we get bogged down under the details of all that’s happened between us.” She looks at me attentively, her gaze soft and searching. “I love you, Mackenzie. I meant it when I said it at the concert.”

God – it feels good to say that to her
.

“I think I knew it deep down since the first day I saw you dancing on the patio,” I confess.

She interrupts me with a snicker. “You mean the day those two blonds dragged you into your bedroom and had their way with you.”

I groan, rolling my eyes. It feels like a lifetime ago. I don’t even remember being
that guy
. “Please don’t remind me of the enormous manwhore I used to be.”

She just laughs. I love the sound of her laugh.

“Basically, I just need you to know that I love you,” I say, looking sincerely into her eyes.

She smiles softly before leaning in and putting her lips on mine.

Fuck – they’re a distraction. They’re soft and ripe, but a distraction, no less. I want to fuck her. Hell – I want to make love to her. But I have to clear the air first. I have to make her understand what happened.

“I need you to know some things, Mackenzie,” I begin. “I haven’t been with anyone else since the first time I laid my hands on you.”

“I believe you,” she says quietly.

“That woman you saw in my dressing room in Chicago, she’s my ex-girlfriend. She works for my record label. She’s been making my life hell since we broke up, trying to get me to sleep with her. Long story short, she tried to seduce me in my dressing room in Chicago. I turned her down and then she filled your head with lies about me.”

“Shh…” Mackenzie whispers, her index finger searing hot against my lips. “I don’t need the details. I trust you and when I look at you, I see how much you love me.”

Her words lift a thousand pounds off of my heart. “Well,” I say reaching for the papers sitting on the dresser opposite the bed. It’s the document releasing the White Hot Coals from our record deal, “Thanks to your brother, Tasha won’t be a problem anymore.” She signed the document yesterday and had it couriered to Michael’s office.

“Well, that’s fantastic news,” Mackenzie says, inching closer and throwing her arms around my neck.

“Yes…it is…” I say as I lean in and kiss her lips, her cheek, her throat, her collarbone.

We tear at each other’s clothes, we grab at each other’s bodies. I lower her to the bed. She’s just as hungry for me as I am for her. But call me a sucker, call me whatever, I just need to hear her say it.

“Tell me you love me, Mackenzie,” I whisper against her cheek as I hover over her, my cock throbbing and aimed at her slick entrance.

“I love you, Everson Coal,” she says, her voice hoarse with emotion.

I beam down at her. “And that’s all I’ll ever need.”

Then, I make love to her with my mouth, my hands, my cock and every bit of my heart. And her sweet moans are music to my ears. Sweeter than any melody I’ve ever composed.

Epilogue

Mackenzie

Two months later…

Willow sits on the edge of my unmade bed and watches as I stack a pile of black leotards on top of my overflowing suitcase. “I can’t believe you’re running off with Everson on the White Hot Coals’ world tour. That’s insane!”

It
is
insane.

Three months ago, I didn’t even know the guy. Now, I’m uprooting my entire life here in New York to go travel the world with him. But in all honesty, my life is wherever he is.

“I’m really excited,” I confess, my voice over-zealous as I plop down onto the sheets next to her.

She smiles at me. “You should be excited! You’re about to dance your way around the world and fall asleep in the arms of the man you love every night. What more could you ask for?”

“God – you’re right,” I breathe out.

I’ve long forgiven Willow for her traitorous activities and her participation in the scheme that got me to the White Hot Coals New York concert two months ago. I didn’t have to think about it too hard to figure out that she had conspired with Everson to plan the whole thing out. What
did
shock me was Michael’s involvement in the scheme.

But when I reflect on it, I’m glad they did it. Because now Everson and I are together.

He ended his cross-country tour in Boston with me by his side. Now, we’ll travel the world together. Then, once the tour is over, I’ll go back to California with him while we shop around for an apartment in New York City, in Tribeca, near the water.

“Will you meet up with Jules when you’re in Paris?” Willow asks expectantly.

“I hope so,” I say with a small grin. “We talked about it. Just a matter of coordinating our schedules.”

“So, jealous,” Willow groans as she drops onto the mountain of pillows on my bed. “You guys get to have fun while I’m stuck in school.”

I give her a sympathetic glance. “You’re almost done. Graduation is right around the corner. Stay strong, honey.”

Willow bolts upright from the bed when we hear someone clear their throat near the bedroom door. “Hello Mrs. Moretti,” she says, her voice cracking as she gives my mother a nervous smile.

“Hello Willow,” my mother says coldly, her heels clicking loudly against the hardwood floor.

“I’ll give you two some privacy,” Willow offers as she scurries towards the door. I shoot her a pleading look, but she ducks her head down and rushes down the hall.

My mother glances around at the mess of clothing and shoes and accessories strewn about the room, before she carefully tiptoes around it all and comes nearer to me, sitting cautiously on the bed beside me.

I feel nervous. I’m not in the mood to fight with her today.

And apparently, she doesn’t want to fight, either.

She stretches a small note card to me. “This woman’s been calling here all morning. She says that she’s from Joffery. She saw a video of you performing at one of Everson’s concerts. She was very impressed. She wants you to come in for an audition.”

My heart trips over itself. “An audition?”

My mother shakes her head slightly. “She said the audition is more of a formality than anything else. You’re essentially guaranteed a place in the program as soon as you’re ready.”

I can’t believe the words coming out of my mother’s mouth. I can’t believe the small smile that graces her lips as she speaks. And when she leans over and gives me a quick hug, I’m convinced that I’m hallucinating.

“Give her a call before you board your flight, Mackenzie,” my mother says softly. “And congratulations…I’m proud of you.”

“Thanks, mom.” I feel tears readying to barrel down my cheeks.

My mother eases to her feet. “Let your father know if you need a ride to the airport. He’ll have his driver come pick you up. And your siblings are coming over to say goodbye before you leave.”

I nod at her. “Yes – Madison texted me. She and Michael are already in a cab. And Matt should be here any minute now.”

My mother pauses just as she’s about to walk out the door. She seems to be debating her next words. “Mackenzie, I need you to know that I’ve been hard on you only because I love you.” Her voice is soft. This is the first time I’ve experienced empathy from her since I was a child. “I just never wanted to see you get…lost.”

Her words pull at something deep inside my chest. “I love you, too, mom,” I say slowly. “And don’t worry. I won’t get lost. In fact, I think I’ve finally found myself.”

She smiles a little, her eyes watery, as she turns and leaves out of the room.

I finish packing, my heart actually buzzing with happiness.

I practically skip-hop down the hall when I hear the doorbell. Like an overzealous child on Christmas morning, I throw the door open expecting to see my siblings standing there.

But it’s Everson, all tall and lean and British, his guitar case tucked under his arm. He gets hotter every time I see him. I didn’t even know that was possible. And did I mention that the White Hot Coals are on fire these days?
Dance the Pain Away
stayed at number one on the Rock charts for six weeks and the band just signed a new recording contract with the biggest record label in the country.

And, I’m lucky enough to have this hot, successful rock god all to myself.

#Winning

“Hey Babes.” He gives me his sexiest smile.

I throw my head back, laughing. “I was supposed to meet you at the airport.”

He hocks. “As if I’d let my fiancée take a cab to the airport. There’s a limousine parked on the curb, waiting for you whenever you’re ready.”

“Wow,” I breathe out. “I’m getting the star treatment today.”

“Which is exactly what you deserve.” He takes my hand and brings it to his lips for a quick kiss. My enormous, gaudy-as-hell diamond engagement ring gleams in the light.

His lips slide over mine, his fingers dive into my hair and the whole world around us fades to black.

Coming tomorrow!

Julia’s story…

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A Very Eager Intern

(The Esquire HEAT Series)

Cassie-Ann L. Miller