Groupie/Rock Star Bundle (31 page)

Since Iain and Alana had planned a
more casual affair without all the pomp and circumstance of a
traditional wedding or reception, I didn’t have to worry about
speeches and the bridal bouquet. Instead Yael played his acoustic
music and allowed everyone to mingle or dance as they felt led to.
No one could break into the world that existed between the new
husband and wife, who were lost in one another’s arms.

This left me at a loss for things to
occupy me, thus leaving me vulnerable when Vanni sauntered next to
where I stood by the bar like a lonely wallflower. “Beautiful
ceremony,” he mentioned off-hand as he glanced to where Iain and
Alana swayed together on the dance floor.

“Lovely,” I agreed. I glanced around. “Where’s
your date?”

He pointed out on the dance floor. “Dancing
with yours.”

I glanced over to where Graham and Kat danced
politely on the edge of the floor near the sand. They laughed and
chatted but there was no heat. Not like what happened between
Graham and I in the car the night before with just a simple kiss.
It soothed my ego somewhat that at least one man could choose me
over someone else.

Regardless, I still felt the need to set the
record straight. “Graham isn’t my date.”

“No?” Vanni raised an eyebrow.

I looked away. What right did he have to any
answers? “It’s not like I’m living with him,” I mentioned, probably
more cattily than I should have.

“Touché,” he commented with that damnable
smirk. “Is there anyone special in your life, Andy?”

I looked him straight in the eye. “Yeah.
Me.”

With that I walked away to the
buffet, where Felix stood raiding the goodies. I virtually glued
myself to his side in order to avoid getting ambushed by Vanni
again. When he got the message loud and clear that I wanted nothing
to do with him, Vanni returned to his date. Their subsequent
cuddling was more than I could bear.

Since I was already barefoot I stepped off into
the sand and strolled down to the inky black ocean. I was calmed by
the rhythmic sound of the tide, and the foamy white caps that
rolled gently toward the shore. I didn’t stop until the sound of
the wedding was a low hum in the distance, and then I planted
myself down in the sand.

As the minutes ticked by I wondered if Vanni
would try to find me, and a tiny part of me hoped that he would.
Sure I wanted to stay away from him because of the pull he still
had on me, but there was a deeper hidden part of me that wanted him
to try and reclaim me as his own.

Or at least claim me in the first
place.

But when a male voice invaded my daydreams, it
was not Vanni at all. I looked up to see Graham, holding his shoes
in one hand. “Mind if I join you?”

I shrugged and motioned to the spot
on the sand beside me. He eased down and sat close enough I could
feel his body heat, but not too intrusive that it invaded my
personal space.

He was respectful like that.

“Beautiful wedding,” he mentioned,
and I tried my hardest not to think about my earlier encounter with
Vanni.

“Lovely,” I found myself repeating
again.

“You look beautiful, Andy,” he said softly.
“Even if you do look so sad.”

I didn’t look him in the face. Instead I just
shrugged again.

“You’re not over him yet.” It was a statement
more than a question, one that really didn’t require my
affirmation. “That’s a shame,” he finally said.

I glanced out at the ocean. “Yeah. It
is.”

“I know that no words help,” he said before he
took my hand in his. “But I’m here if you ever need someone to
listen.”

I gave him a genuine smile. I knew that he
meant well, and I knew that he was interested. He was just in the
unenviable position of waiting for me to make up my own mind what I
wanted. Or more specifically – make up my mind that I couldn’t have
what I really wanted.

I wasn’t sure if I was there yet, or if I’d
ever be there. As long as Vanni orbited somewhere in my
stratosphere I wasn’t sure I’d ever give up that tiny little kernel
of hope that maybe, one day, he’d miss what was gone.

“Thanks, Graham. I think I just have to feel
this way until the feeling goes away. It’s still sort of brand
new.”

He nodded. “Hey, listen. Let’s do
something tomorrow. Go to a museum or lunch or something. Get your
mind off of things and let me show you some of my city.”

“I don’t know…” I started to
protest.

“You have to work while you’re here, don’t
you?” He had me there. “You pick the venue. I’ll send the
car.”

I started to turn down his eager request but
one look in his earnest brown eyes and I was sunk. Here was a guy
who wanted to spend time with me, and I was trying to find excuses
to pine over the one guy who didn’t. Was I really that
stupid?

“Okay,” I agreed finally. “You can pick the
venue. It is your city after all.”

He smiled wide. “Great. It’s a date then. Or…
whatever.”

I had to laugh. He rose to his feet and reached
out a hand to me to help pull me to mine. We walked hand in hand
back to the party.

Alana and Iain had already gone, but the party
was still in full swing. Though I tried my level best not to, my
eyes easily landed on Vanni and Kat where they swayed together on
the dance floor. I knew from the look in his eyes he hadn’t missed
who was on my arm, and he didn’t look entirely pleased about
it.

Good, I thought to myself. I glanced up at
Graham. “Let’s go.”

He nodded and escorted me off of the outdoor
dance floor and on through the hotel lobby toward the parking
lot.

I didn’t look back at Vanni once.

When Graham kissed me goodnight it
was a longer peck on the mouth, but he didn’t press his luck.
Instead he told me to be ready at 11:00 a.m. the following
morning.

When the car came around Graham
hopped out in nice dress slacks and a casual shirt opened to the
first button. He looked youthful and playful in baby blue, and like
a proper gentleman he helped me into my side of the car.

I let his enthusiasm set the mood for our
“date,” which happened to be an afternoon in Beverly Hills. We
strolled down Rodeo Drive and he escorted me in and out of shops,
trying his best to convince me I should allow him to buy something
as a reminder of the trip. I finally settled on a scarf the same
shade of green as my bridesmaid dress, and he looked ecstatic to be
able to spoil me, if only a little.

We finally stopped for lunch at a
local Chinese restaurant where I chose their signature salad with
ginger dressing, said to be their claim to fame. It was delicious,
and Graham even ordered me a glass of their plum wine for us to
toast our good fortunes. Despite my heart being trampled underfoot,
and destroying my trustworthiness with several good friends, the
fact DIB came out to L.A. was benefiting everyone positively
overall. Graham offered a rather lucrative package for me to remain
on the press team for the band, which he assured me was fine with
all the members. All the stuff I had been doing for free, including
the message forums and fan emails, he now negotiated a rather
attractive salary to keep my services.

I had a sneaking suspicion that Alana had been
behind that.

My contact with the band could be as limited as
I wanted for now, he promised. They were busy working on their
second album, the first with Graham’s label, and wouldn’t tour
until the following year.

All I had to do was show up in
December for a fan event, which would begin the press push for the
CD release.

December seemed far enough away I
felt confident when I committed my services. By then I should be
sufficiently over my celebrity crush, star-crossed love affair or
mental breakdown, whichever definition qualified. At least in the
meantime I would get paid to do something I would have done anyway
just to help out Alana.

Graham looked especially triumphant when he
returned me to my hotel that afternoon. I was surprised he didn’t
invite me to share the day with him, but I sensed that he knew when
to pull back. I clearly wasn’t over Vanni, and Graham didn’t strike
me as the kind of person who would play second fiddle to any other
man when it came to pursuing a woman.

He had the patience of a gentleman, though I
could tell that resolve was tested by the way he held me close in a
lingering goodbye hug. When I finally pulled away I was speechless
by the look in his eyes. It was painfully clear that he wanted
me.

He was just waiting to hear me say
the words that I wanted him too. I let the moment pass without
offering an invitation up to my room, because honestly I wasn’t
ready. It wasn’t fair or right to use Graham to get over Vanni, and
I knew at this point that was all it would be. There could be
something legitimately between us, but I had to let go of Vanni
first to give it a real chance.

He leaned in for another peck on the
lips, and I let his kiss linger there. My breath caught as he tried
to deepen the kiss, and just for a moment I allowed the intimacy. I
even kissed him back. He was breathing hard when he finally broke
the kiss.

“See you in December,” he whispered his
not-so-subtle invitation. Instinctively I knew by then I would have
to have an answer, and his kiss made me think by then I actually
would.

“See you in December,” I promised before I slid
out of the car and walked into the hotel.

The minute I let the lobby doors
close behind me I saw that familiar long mane of golden brown hair.
He was sitting at the bar, nursing a drink, and staring at the door
expectantly.

My brow furrowed as my feet made the
unconscious trek to where he sat.

“Nice date?” he slurred.

He was drunk. I didn’t recall ever seeing him
that way before. “It was very nice,” I said, sure that my smeared
lipstick told its own story. Vanni stared at my lips as I
unconsciously wiped my fingers around the edge of my mouth. “What
are you doing here, Vanni?”

“Waiting for you,” he said unnecessarily. “I
told you before we need to talk.”

“And I told you before everything had already
been said,” I replied before I tried to turn and walk
away.

He grabbed me by the arm. “Are you afraid to be
alone with me?”

Yes. “No. I just don’t see a point. You made
your choice.”

“So did you,” he sneered. “But here we both
are.” We stood staring at each other for a long moment. Finally,
more desperately, “Let’s go somewhere private so we can
talk.”

I knew it was a bad idea. But I
didn’t see a graceful way to disentangle myself from the scene
otherwise. “Fine.” I led the way to the elevator so that I could
invite Vanni up to my room for the last time.

He stayed close to me on the ride up to the
10th floor, but he made no move to touch me or even speak, even as
I dug out my key card and placed it in the slot.

He held open the door and I walked in ahead of
him, but he grabbed my wrist as I passed by. With a force he’d not
yet demonstrated he slammed the door behind us and shoved me up
against the wall in a commanding embrace.

Before I could say anything his mouth was on
mine, eradicating Graham’s kiss from before. My entire body went up
in flames as his tongue forced its way into my mouth, rendering me
powerless to stop my treacherous body’s response to his
kiss.

He had me pinned against the wall, my hips in
his hands as he lifted me up and wrapped my legs around his waist.
My head was spinning when he finally dragged his mouth from mine
and buried itself in my neck. “Tell me he touches you like that and
I’ll leave you alone,” he muttered into my ear. “Tell me you want
him and not me and I’ll never bother you again.”

I wanted to lie but I couldn’t even speak. I
had melted against him and there was no denying what my body had
already confessed. “Vanni,” I started, but it only made him groan
in response.

“Say it again,” he demanded softly
as he carried me to the bedroom. He tore off his shirt after he
threw me down on the bed, and before I knew it I was pinned under
his weight against the mattress. His hands were reclaiming what had
always belonged to him, and his mouth blazed a trail across the
exposed skin of my neck and shoulders.

My soft curves melted against the hard muscles
of his body, and he knew just where to touch, just where to kiss to
drive away all resistance. Months vanished between us and it felt
like my heart had finally found its way home. The urgency of his
masterful touch intoxicated my senses until I felt drunk beneath
him.

When his fingers slid up my bare leg under my
skirt I finally snapped to my senses. The months between who we
were in New York and who we were in Los Angeles had changed
everything. This wasn’t a secret romance anymore, this was a
clandestine affair. No matter what I did or said he would leave
this hotel room and return to the house he shared with Kat. He
wanted me only for a moment, when no one else had a clue what was
going on.