Always Rayne (The ALWAYS SOMETIMES NEVER Rock Star Romance Series) (18 page)

“I’m sure you will.”

I was hoping my parents weren’t paying that much attention to Brooke but no such luck. They’ve always had eagle eyes and ultrasonic bat hearing.

“What was that?” my mom asks. “Harper has a company?”

For the first time since he’s arrived Nic actually looks a little uncomfortable.

“I do, Mom.” I grab Nic’s elbow and give him a kiss on the cheek. “
Nic purchased Chatter and he’s given the company to me to run.”

“That’s a big responsibility,” my dad suggests.

“I’m sure Harper can handle it,” Nic replies. “And she can hire people to help with the day-to-day operations.”

“Dad, we’ll come by again later this evening for another visit.”

“And we’ll work out the details of getting the car to San Diego for you. I’ve got a few days off before we start shooting the sequel to
Fire in the Twilight
. Maybe I can convince Harper to fly to Phoenix and drive the car back with me.”

“Maybe you can twist my arm,” I tease.

“I’ve got to bolt,” Brooke says as we exit the hospital.

“Where?”
I ask.

“My sponsor is going to pick me up. We’re going to spend some time at Denny’s drinking coffee and talking. It’s a recovery thing.
Denny’s and coffee.”

“I’m glad.” I give her a big hug. “Call me later.”

“I always do.”

“I’ve got a driver waiting,”
Nic says as he grabs my hand. He points to a limo waiting near the hospital entrance.

“Back to your hotel?”
I urge.

“Is that where you want to go?”

“Let’s just say you’re not the only one who’s missed being together.”

“And I still have to keep the rest of my promise.”

I raise an eyebrow. “What’s that?”

“I said I’d fuck you, then make love to you, then fuck you again. I
only managed two out of three so far.”

When I think about being with
Nic again it sends a wave of heat through my entire body.

“Then we’d better get to it,” I tease.

***

“I need a quick shower,” I say as we enter the huge suite. The place is even more massive than the suites we had when we were on tour. It’s almost the size of my parents’ house. “I want to get the hospital smell off me.”

As I head to the bathroom, I strip off my clothes. I start the shower and wait a few seconds for the water to warm before I hop in.

“Mind if I join you?”
Nic suggests as climbs in the shower behind me.

He grabs me and pulls me close so that I can feel his erection on my backside. The water feels good beating down on me but it feels even better with
Nic holding me tight.

“I’ve never taken a shower with anyone before.”

Nic laughs. “After meeting Jackson that doesn’t surprise me.”

I turn to face him. “That’s the first time you’ve ever called him an
ything but Harvard.”

“I guess I feel a little sorry for the guy. But not too sorry because I have you and he
doesn’t.”

Nic
pulls me close. “All mine,” he whispers. “I like how that sounds. I think I could get used to it.”

“I like how it sounds too,” I admit.

He kisses my shoulder then all along my shoulder blade and up my neck until he reaches my earlobe. I’m shivering even though the hot water is still streaming down on us. 

“Like that?” he teases.

“Yes,” I mutter.

“Good.” He does a repeat performance on my other shoulder then the other side of my neck and my other earlobe.

“Mind getting a little dirty before we get cleaned up?” he whispers.

“What did you have in mind?”

“I did promise to fuck you again.”

I gulp.
“In the shower?”

“Definitely.”

He turns me so I’m facing the wall of the shower. “Put your hands on up there.”

As soon as I place my hands on shower wall, he slips himself inside me. The shower has made him extremely wet and he glides in and out of me with ease. He grabs my hips and then pushes hard inside me, so hard I gasp.

“Too hard?”

“No,” I manage to get out.

“Good.”

As he continues to thrust, I feel like I’m losing control. “Oh, God,” I exclaim as he pumps me hard and fast.

“I told you I was going to fuck you again.”

And that’s exactly what he’s doing. And I can’t believe how much I love it.

“That’s it, Shakes,” he calls out. “Take it all.”

And with one final hard thrust, we both scream in ecstasy.

My legs feel like gelatin but Nic is holding me up.

“See that,” he whispers. “I kept my promise. I fucked you. I made love to you. And I fucked you again.”

“You did.”

“And I was right, wasn’t I?”

“About what?” When I look up at Nic, he’s grinning.

“I knew you’d love being fucked.”

***

As we lay in each other arms I can’t help
but feel absolutely blissful. I don’t ever want the moment to end but I know there are things that need to be said. Things that need to be discussed.

Like what happens when he goes on
location to film his next movie for several months? Or when he goes on tour with the band again? I know he cares about me but can he really wait for months to be with me? Is that too much for anyone to ask?

“You didn’t have to give my dad a car,” I say.

“I know. “ He runs his finger playfully down my arm as he talks.

I like that he likes to touch me so much.

“But I wanted to,” he adds.

“But I know
how much you love that car.”

“Maybe there’s something I love even more than that car.”

When I look over at Nic his eyes are not blazing like I expect them to be. He looks tender. I’ve never seen him look that way before.

“And just what do you love more than your car?” I prompt.

“You.”

“You love me?” I know I sound surprised
, and maybe I shouldn’t, but his declaration caught me a little off guard.

He laughs. “Of course I love you, Harper. But I think you already knew that.”

Maybe he’s right. Maybe I did have my suspicions. But it’s still a little hard to believe that Nic Rayne loves me.

“What happens now?” I throw it out there because I have some ser
ious concerns about our future.

“I’d love to test out this mattress. See how it handles my bedroom gymnastics.”

Of course, he’s giving me that little of grin of his and I can’t help but smile in return. “I was talking a little bit further in the future than that.”

“We could fly to Phoenix and drive the Mustang back for your dad?”

“I would love to do that but I was thinking even a little bit further in the future than that.”

All the humor is now gone from his face when
Nic runs his thumb down my cheek. “I don’t want us to be apart.”

“I don’t either but you’ve got a movie to shoot and now I have a company to run.”

“I was serious about hiring people to help. You can hire a managing editor and let him or her worry about the day-to-day operations. And I have an idea for Chatter that might bring in some great revenue. You could do a daily blog on the set of the highly anticipated sequel to
Fire in the Twilight
. I’ll talk to the producers but I think they’ll be cool with it. It’s an opportunity for some great publicity for the movie.”

I can’t help but smile.
“Very creative way to get me on the set while you’re filming.”

“I can have you on the set as my guest whenever I want
, but I want you to have a good reason to be there. Not just as my girlfriend.”

“I’m your girlfriend now?”

“I want you to be. And more than that eventually.”

“I’m not just a long-term lay?” I tease.

“You’re mine, Shakes. Now and always. I warned you. You’re stuck with me for the duration.”

“I guess I can deal with that.” I snap my fingers. “Oh, I almost fo
rgot. I have something for you.”

“What’s that?”

“While I was on the plane I wrote something for you. A list of all the things I love about Nic Rayne.”

Epilogue

FOUR MONTHS LATER

I had no idea being on a movie set would be so mind-numbingly boring. There’s a lot of sitting around waiting for shots to be set up, and then doing the same scenes over and over and over again to get the shots just right.

It makes me so glad I’m not an actor. And even gladder that I brought a Kindle loaded with books with me.

Brooke got me a Kindle as a going away present. I didn’t think I’d enjoy reading eBooks all that much, but she was right when she said they were easier for travelling.

Nic
and I have spent every free moment that we’ve had together. Not that there are a lot of free moments when you’re the star of a big budget popcorn movie.

As much as I love being with
Nic, and all of the Hollywood connections I’ve made that have helped make Chatter a huge success, I can’t help but worry about Brooke.

She promised me she’d be fine while I was gone. She had one of her buddies from AA move in with her. But I haven’t gotten a text from her in a few days and I’m getting concerned.

I’m just about to grab my cell phone and call her when Nic enters his trailer.

“Not busy writing, Shakes?” He places a kiss on my cheek.

“I’ve already made my post for the day. Did you get an early break?”

He shakes his head. “I may actually be done.”

The filming went a little past schedule when they ran into some weather problems so Nic’s been counting the days until he can get back to his place in Scottsdale. To say he’s a little burnt out would be an understatement.

“That’s great!” I exclaim.

I know Nic is excited about the two of us living together but I have to admit I’m a little nervous. It’s a big step.

“I have a surprise,”
he says. He’s grinning from ear to ear.

“What’s that?”

“I rented us a cabin in Northern Arizona for a few days. At a ski resort. Just so we can be completely alone. Before we head back to Scottsdale.”

“Aren’t we going to be alone at your house?”

He gulps. “Not exactly.”

I raise an eyebrow. “What do you mean not exactly?”

“Because we went over on the film shoot it messed up the production schedule for the new album. So it’s possible the guys and Raven may be staying with us for a few weeks while we try to get as much work done as we can.”

I can’t help but laugh. “I kind of had a feeling when I got involved with you that the guys and Raven might be part of a package deal?”

He furrows his brow. “Why would you say that?”

I place a hand on his arm. “They’re your family, Nic. You have to accept my mom and dad being a big part of my life. I have to accept Leo,
Xander and Raven being a big part of yours. It comes with the territory.”

Nic
kisses me. “You are the best thing that ever happened to me.”

“Better that being a movie star?
Better than being a rock star?”

He laughs.
“A million times better.”

“Getting a cabin sounds great. But I don’t ski.”

He gives me his big cocky grin. “Who said anything about skiing? I just want a fireplace, an extra-large bed, and you naked.”

Before I can respond my phone rings.

“I’d better get this.” I have a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that something is wrong.

“Hey former Roomie,” Brooke says when I answer. “I don’t have much time and you’re my one allotted phone call.”

One phone call…where does one only get one phone call?

“Are you okay?” I try to stifle the panic in my voice.

“I’m alive. Thank God for that. But I was in an accident. Fortunately, I wasn’t driving. But my new roommate was. And she may have been a little stoned.”

“You’re in jail? Why?”

“It’s possible I may have been a little stoned too.”

My stomach completely drops to the floor. “What can I do?”

“Bailing me out would be nice. And maybe helping me get a lawyer.”

“I just need to get a flight back to San Diego,” I say. “And I’m gues
sing you haven’t called your parents.”

“About that.
While you were gone they may have given me a three strikes rule. And this is kind of like the fourth strike.”

I know I shouldn’t
, because Brooke is a grown woman, but I immediately feel guilty that I left her alone. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“You know you’re the sister I never had,” she says.

“And you’re the sister that always manages to get in trouble who I love anyway,” I reply.

“Thanks for helping me, Harper. I don’t have anyone else.”

“I know,” I say before I hang up.

Nic
looks concerned. “Is Brooke in jail?”

I nod.

He’s already on the phone calling Brad to arrange flights for both of us back to San Diego.

“Are you sure you can leave?” I ask when he gets off the phone.

He frowns. “Do you really have to ask that question, Shakes? Where you go, I go. I’ll phone my lawyer on the way to the airport to see if he can recommend someone for Brooke.”