Dare to Dream (Truth or Dare #2) (19 page)

I lean against the doorway, staring at three people I never thought I would have in my life and yet can’t imagine
not
having them here with me.

Aaron excuses himself so he can
take the kids to school. They’re late, but he insisted it was okay because they were both excited to see me. It’s a small gesture, but to me, it means the world. These people don’t care about me because they have to—they care because they want to, much like our circle of friends back home. And they’re imparting those beliefs on their children, even if it means skipping the first hour of school.
That
is the type of parent I hope to be someday, not the dictatorial example set by my own parents. I know Dad and I are getting along better now, but there’s still a lot of bitterness that I’m carrying around on a daily basis.

Once breakfast is cleaned up, the three of us women jump in the moving van and head to the new house. Rebecca calls her friend, who tells us he’ll meet us out front with the paperwork in hand.

The pictures online didn’t do the house justice. It’s quaint yet beautiful. Sophisticated while homey. In a single word, it’s perfect. Jack, our new landlord, leads us inside and goes over the lease. Because of Colby’s job, he gives us the option of a six-month lease, which will then convert to month-to-month, in case we decide that we’re ready to buy a home. I don’t foresee that happening any time in the near future being as I still have to get through school, but I appreciate the thought.

I walk through the house, taking pictures of each room to send Colby. I wish he was here with me, but that’ll happen soon enough. I have ten days to get everything in order before he comes home. Rebecca starts a list of furniture that I’m going to need, telling me that she will cover the cost and I can work out the repayment with Aaron. When I tell her that Colby won’t like that idea, she reminds me that he probably won’t like the thought of me sitting on the floor eating off paper plates in my lap, either.

Finally, there’s nothing left to do but unload all the crap from the back of the truck. We stack everything along one wall in an effort to save time. Rebecca is off from now until the end of the year and April has nothing better to do, so they are both eager and willing to help me unpack and organize.

“I want to have Christmas here for the band,” I tell them as I carry the last two boxes inside. “It’ll have to be the week between when the guys get home and Christmas, but this place is too nice to not show off.” Plus, it’ll give me a good reason to go all-out decorating for the holidays. Without anyone to see it, it seems like it would be frivolous spending.

“Sounds good to me,” April says as she hops onto the kitchen counter. I cringe internally when she does this as my mother ingrained in me that counters were for food, not butts, but what can I say when it’s about the only place to sit right now? As soon as we get the truck back, I have to go shopping. “Maybe by Memorial Day we’ll be in a better place and we can host.”

“Ooh, I could get used to this rotating holidays with our dysfunctional little family,” Rebecca laughs, joining April. I cringe
again, but wind up giving in and hoisting myself onto the small counter next to the sink. “I have no problem hosting, but I know Aaron would be relieved if I wasn’t running around like a chicken with my head cut off every holiday.”

“Sounds like that’s a done deal. But if that’s going to happen, we have a ton of work to do.” I hop off the counter, reaching for my purse. It’s almost three in the afternoon, so I try giving Colby a call.

“Hey, beautiful, I thought maybe you forgot about me,” he jokes. His mood is greatly improved from the last time we talked.

“April said that Gabe told her you were sleeping,” I say, on the off chance that he’s being serious.

“Baby, I’m giving you a hard time. It’s amazing what a good night of sleep will do for a man. But I have to tell you, I might wind up knocking someone’s lights out if no one fesses up to the artwork all over my arms.” April snatches the keys for the moving van out of my hand, letting me know that she’ll take care of returning it and they’ll come back to pick me up.

I jump back up on the counter and tell Colby about the
change in our housing plans. He seems to like the idea of a house rather than a condo, so at least one thing turned out okay in all of this mess. I ask if he has any preferences when it comes to the furniture and he tells me to get whatever’s going to make me happy. “Damn, baby, I wish I was there with you. I’m not sure how, but you’ve managed to make me homesick for a place I’ve never even seen.”

“Oh, I have pictures I’ll send you,” I say, thumbing through my phone for the best pictures of each room. “I didn’t send them before because I didn’t want all of the alerts waking you up. What time do you have to head to the club?”

“We’re already out back, but now they’re talking about cancelling the show because of how crappy the weather’s going to be.” I’m curious what happens with his pay if the venue closes down, but don’t ask. While I promised I wouldn’t hold things back from him, I figure this is something neither of us can do anything about and I have faith that we’ll be fine even if he doesn’t get paid. “If that happens, they’re going to reschedule it for sometime next month. I thought maybe we could find a decent car for you by then and you and the girls could drive up, depending on everyone’s schedules.”

“I’d like that. I really was bummed about missing the Rochester show. You get all animated when you talk about your gigs each night and I wanted to see you up there performing.” Even if we hadn’t left town early, chances are I would have missed the show. Colby’s car back home is rear wheel drive, not exactly the friendliest vehicle for a
three-hour drive in the snow. But that doesn’t ease my regret about not being there.

“Cool. Hey, I’ll call you tonight when I get off stage, but I do have to get in there for sound check. Pete’s been pretty cool about all of this, but I think it’s best if I don’t push my luck.” This is the first time I’m not sad to hear Colby cutting our time short. Simply being here, preparing to turn our empty little house into a home, knowing that he’ll be here in just over a week makes it easier for me to say goodbye.

“Yeah, don’t get yourself fired now,” I laugh, grabbing my purse when I hear Rebecca honking in the driveway. “Go kick ass out there tonight and I’ll talk to you soon. I love you, Colby.”

“I love you too, baby.” Pete calls for Colby to get his butt inside for sound check. “Gotta go.”

We hang up and I rush out to the car, ready to put a dent in the budget and get everything I want for the house.

Lea

There are too many things to do and I’m running out of time. Colby called and said they’re back in town, setting up for tonight’s concert. I had been hoping to drive down to see him while they were getting ready for the show, but every time I thought I had everything set for his homecoming, I’d find another task that needed to be completed.

I shrug into the white blazer I’m wearing over a cute purple top tonight and add a pair of amethyst drop earrings. With one last glance in the mirror, I decide I look as good as I possibly can tonight.

“You about ready in there?” Rebecca calls out from the living room. Her parents are in town to watch the kids tonight, so she came over early to give me a ride. Probably a good thing since I would have kept trying to make the house perfect if she hadn’t urged me to stop.

“Yep, let’s do this,” I say, wringing my hands nervously. After an emotional few weeks without Colby, tonight’s the night that we’ll walk through the door to our new home together, ready to begin our future.

We swing by the house to pick up Aaron
before we head downtown. Tonight, yet another dream is coming true for Colby. As we circle the block trying to find parking, I think back to the first time I came down here to visit him, when he told me that one of the places he had always wanted to play was the Wildhorse Saloon.

Pete meets us at the backdoor, handing each of us an all access lanyard. Slipping it over my head, I smile at the sight of Colby’s name listed just beneath Missy’s. “Lea, can I talk to you for a moment?” he asks, pulling me to the side. My stomach drops, not ready to face the man responsible for every move in Colby’s career.

“Yes, sir,” I say quietly, hanging my head as I follow him into a small side room. The fact that he told me to call him Pete the night I met him means nothing right now. I’ve done enough damage that I feel as if I don’t have the right to be on a first name basis with him.

“Relax, Lea.” He motions for me to have a seat. I sit, even though I’d prefer to stand, crossing my ankles, hoping to appear a bit more comfortable.

Pete sits at the opposite end of the couch, turning his body toward mine. “Is everything okay between you and Colby now?” he asks.

“As far as I know, sir.”
I can’t bring myself to make eye contact with him, afraid to see any traces of residual anger.

“That’s good. Look, I know you two had a bump in the road. The bigger he gets, the bigger the bumps will seem at times, but I see something between the two of you that leads me to believe you’ll be okay. Our world is a crazy one and it takes a strong woman to stand behind a personality like his.”
I think I take my first breath since we started talking, relieved that he’s not berating me.

We sit in silence as I absorb Pete’s words. He’s not mad at me, but I can tell he is concerned. “I understand, sir. I want to apologize for what happened the other week. Had I known things would turn out the way they did, I would have handled the situation differently.”

If there’s one lesson I’ve learned this month, it’s that every decision I make has consequences, some of which are long lasting. My choice to not be forthcoming with Colby from the very start didn’t only impact the two of us—it’s affected every person in our close circle.

“I’m sure you will.” Pete stands, patting me on the shoulder before crossing to leave the room. “Now, if I don’t get you back to see Colby, I’m pretty sure he’ll start beating down doors to get to you.” We both laugh, knowing it’s the truth. I’m not sure how I’ve been here this long without him hunting me down.

Colby’s deep in conversation when Pete opens the door to the green room. I take a moment to watch him speaking with a young fan on the other side of the room. He looks like he’s been doing this forever, as if he’s where he belongs. It takes every ounce of willpower I have to keep from running up behind him and jumping on his back, but I somehow manage.

His body seems to have filled out even more since Thanksgiving. His t-shirt is pulled taut across his shoulders, molding to the lines of his back. Missy taps him on the shoulder and he turns, a huge smile breaking onto his face once he sees me, his eyes sparkling with the same desire I feel for him. If there had been a single question before, I know now that this is the man I will spend the rest of my life with. No matter how much time we have to spend apart, it will be worth it to see that particular look in his eyes.

I race toward him, teetering on my dangerously high suede heels. “Welcome home, baby,” I squeal as he lifts me off the ground. He swings me in the air, kissing my neck as he tells me how much he missed me. The room full of people disappears as we allow our kisses to say everything we can’t put into words.
I love you
and
I missed you
and most of all,
I can’t live without you.
There’s an urgency as he bites my lip that will have to go unsatisfied a while longer. I pull away from him before we reach a place we can’t come back from.

“I’m so happy you’re here, Lea!” He reaches for my hand, pulling me over to Cameron and Missy. I glance down, noticing the way their pinky fingers are locked together. Missy’s eyes follow my gaze and she pulls away.

“Don’t be mad, but April told me,” I whisper so the guys won’t hear. It wasn’t April’s place, but I know why she did it. I move so Colby and I are blocking the view of their hands from the rest of the room and she smiles, lacing her fingers with his again. Cameron glances at her and then at me, smiling.

“Missy, I wanted to officially introduce you to the woman you’re probably sick of hearing about,” Colby says. The room is filled with laughter and smiles as everyone reunites with their loved ones. “Lea, this is Missy Harrington. If I go back on tour with her, be ready for more pictures because she’s so damn sweet that the paps can’t help but follow her everywhere, including the bathroom.”

“Ten minutes, Colby.” The entertainment manager disappears as quickly as he had popped his head around the corner.

Colby places his hand on the small of my back, leading me to the door of the green room. I don’t want to leave him for even a minute, but it’s time. Cameron joins me and we make our way to a VIP section. “I think you’re going to be surprised,” he says, leaning close enough to be heard over the sound of the sold-out crowd. “I knew he was good, but he’s really come into his own in the past month.”

Cameron beams when Colby walks out on the stage, filling me with pride because everyone can see what I’ve known for years. Colby has a raw talent, begging for the right people to come along and groom into something amazing. And Cameron Best seems to be grateful to be the man given that chance.

Colby opens with “The Road to You,” the song he wrote for me that’s starting to inch its way up the charts. It’s still low ranking, but it’s there, and that’s a huge feat. The crowd goes wild, singing along with him, but his eyes are fixed on me, winking as he mindlessly plays the bridge.

Throughout the rest of the set, I’m captivated by watching the way he commands the audience, bringing them to their feet and singing along to every song they know. Even the newer, original pieces which are unfamiliar to them have them singing along by the second chorus. It’s…amazing.

The moment the lights dim and Colby exits the stage, I’m on my feet, following Cameron back to the green room. I throw myself
onto Colby’s sweat-drenched body, which almost hums with excitement. “I’m so proud of you,” I cry, pressing my face into his neck. “You were awesome out there.”

Colby releases me and I follow him to
a side room where he has a fresh change of clothes. Nothing in the world could make me turn away from him as he strips out of the wet black t-shirt, revealing the muscles I was admiring earlier. “Baby, you keep looking at me that way and I’m going to have some angry fans out there,” Colby laughs, moving closer to me.

I run my hands along the planes of his chest, loving the way his body tenses under my touch. “Would that be so bad?” I ask, leaning closer to deliver kisses to each corner of his mouth. My hands travel around to his back, gently kneading my way from his shoulders down to his waist before sliding my hands beneath the waistband of his jeans and boxers.

“Damn, babe,” Colby hisses, sliding my blazer down my arms, allowing it to fall on the floor. He makes quick work of pulling my shirt over my head, leaving me before him in my skinny jeans, plum colored heels and a matching bra. Yes, I took the time to match my underwear to my shoes. “As far as I’m concerned, you should walk around like this every day.”

“You sure about that? I bet you wouldn’t let me open that door,” I say, moving away from him, pretending to head for the door.

“Fuck that!” He grabs my arm, pulling me back to him. “I’m the only one who gets to see you this way.”

His mouth crashes against mine, his tongue demanding entrance between my lips. “I…don’t…have…much…time…” he says between sweeps of his tongue. I moan when his hands reach for the button on my jeans, bracing my arms on his shoulders as he pulls the denim over my hips. “Bend over,” he demands.

My body pulses with need for him, clenching at the commanding tone in his voice. Colby is always a passionate lover, but this blatant control of the moment is something I rarely see. His fingers dip between my folds, circling the sensitive bundle of nerves before plunging inside me. “I need you. Right here. Right now.”

“Take me,” I pant, my back arches as my body tenses. Before my orgasm explodes throughout my body, Colby’s hand is gone, replaced by his turgid flesh taunting me. I shi
ft my hips as he makes another pass of his cock through my wetness,
needing
him to fill me. “Stop teasing, please,” I beg, my head dropping back.

“Oh, fuck!” he groans, his body tensing as he thrusts into me. “I’m not gonna last this time. I’m sorry, baby.” He begins moving slowly, taking languid strokes. The tip of his cock taps against my front wall, urging me to come apart.

“Fuck me, Colby!” I yell, throwing my hand over my mouth, mortified that someone may have heard us. The embarrassment is quickly erased from my mind as Colby plunges into me with one hard thrust. “Harder, baby! I need you!”

This raw, unapologetic screwing is something we’ve never done before. There’s no emotion, no consideration, only a frenzied quest for release. Colby reaches around my body, flicking my clit in time with his thrusts. It takes less than a minute before I’m biting my own arm to muffles my screams and Colby follows me over the edge.

There’s a knock on the door and we both rush to get dressed. “Colby, the fans who won backstage access are sitting around waiting on you,” Cameron tells him, biting back his laughter. He’s not a stupid man; he knows exactly why it’s taken Colby over fifteen minutes to change his shirt.

“Be there in two,” Colby yells back, burying his face in my neck. “As much as I hate to leave
you, my public awaits.”

I smack him in the chest, standing on my toes to kiss his cheek. “Look at you, getting all cocky. It’s okay
though, we have the rest of our lives. Go, play big shot celebrity and I’ll hang around here.”

**

Missy, Cameron, Colby and I hang around in the green room until after last call. I’m dead on my feet, fairly certain I’ve nodded off a few times, but I won’t say a word to Colby about it. This is his night to shine and I’m doing everything I can to show Pete and Cameron that I’m not going to be some sort of demanding significant other, especially after the whole moving debacle, which they’ve all learned to laugh about now. I had worried that tonight would be awkward and tense because of that situation, but enough time has passed that no one is holding onto their anger or disappointment any longer. For that, I’m grateful.

“Lea, you get this one home, but don’t keep him up all night. I need him in my office at ten-thirty tomorrow morning,” Cameron says, giving me a quick hug as he walks us to the back door.

Colby nods off as I drive and winds up sleeping all the way home. I turn off the engine, gently shaking him once we’re in the driveway. “Baby, we’re home,” I whisper, feathering kisses along his neck. He rubs his eyes, trying to get them to focus.

“Shit, Lea, this is awesome,” he says groggily. We get out of the car and I meet him at the hood, handing him his copy of the house key. “I’d carry you over the threshold, but I’m afraid
because I’m so wiped out that I’d drop you.”

“Are you insinuating that I’m fat?” I ask, feigning anger.

Colby wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me tight against his body so I can feel his erection pressed against my stomach. “Baby, you’re far from fat. As far as I’m concerned, you’re just about fucking perfect. But even if you were three hundred pounds, it’d do nothing to change how much I love you.”

“Aww, I bet you say that to all the girls,” I say, burying my face in his chest. As sickeningly sweet as this moment is, the night is cold and I want to get inside. “You ready to see what I spent
all of your money on?”

The day I went shopping for furniture, Colby made a call to Aaron, demanding to know how much money was spent so he could repay them immediately. They fought for a few minutes because both of them are stubborn men, but in the end, Aaron relented after Colby told him that he wanted me to be able to save my money for school next fall.

“I don’t care how much you spent, baby. Even if you’d bought the damn house, I wouldn’t care. This is for us and I’m just glad we don’t have to do any more of that living out of suitcases shit.” He turns his key in the lock, gently pushing open the front door, letting out a low whistle as the room is illuminated by a soft glow when I hit the light switch. “Baby, this is fucking perfect.”