Hell Bound (Seventh Level Book 2) (10 page)

“Why were you climbing onto the sink when I came in?” he asked forcibly keeping them on topic.

“I thought I heard someone trying to get in last night.”

“What?” Wade roared as he shot to his feet and moved to inspect the window. “Why didn’t you call me or the police, for that matter?” He glanced over his shoulder and Morgan shrugged. “I felt stupid because I didn’t see anyone. I hated the cops to show up for nothing so I called Kathy and she came right over. Nobody in their right mind would cross her.”

That was true Wade conceded, feeling the muscles in his shoulders relax. If Kathy didn’t hate him and if he didn’t already have Mark, he might consider her for his head of security. She was the scariest person he knew. “You still haven’t answered my question as to why you were hanging over the sink when I came in,” he reminded her. She crossed the room and came to stand at his side. Pointing at a white piece of plastic with two-sided tape, she said, “I was trying to stick these things on the window. It’s supposed to emit some high-pitched squeal if the window is opened, but it’s one more thing I can’t do right now. I hate this,” she said with a huff. “I can’t fix my hair or get properly dressed. Half the things I do on a daily basis take two hands. Ugh!”

She all but stamped her foot in her aggravation and despite the situation, he thought she looked sexy in her frustration. Of course, he wasn’t stupid enough to say so. He debated how to handle things, but in the end, he knew no matter what he said she was going to argue. “Come stay with me.”

“You know I can’t.”

Backing her against the counter, he used his weight against her and he knew she wasn’t as unaffected by him as she pretended to be. “Come on, Morgan. Let me take care of you.” He brushed his knuckles along her jaw. “Please,” he added, when she didn’t answer right away. He could feel her reluctance but he could see her caving. A flash a movement above her head caught his eye and he lifted his gaze in just enough time to end up staring straight into the camera lens of a reporter as they snapped a picture through the window.

“Mark,” Wade barked out bringing the guard crashing into the kitchen.

“Holy shit,” Mark said as he caught sight of the horde of reporters surrounding the house. Turning her head, Morgan’s mouth dropped open as she spotted the problem, but Wade gave her a tiny shake calling her attention back to him. “Get Kathy to help you pack.”

“But—”

Wade cut her off. “You can’t stay here now. They won’t leave you alone since they’ve seen us together.” She looked as if she was prepared to continue arguing but several camera flashes went off and Mark reached up, tugging the kitchen curtains closed. He barked orders into his phone arranging for more security and Wade knew he had won by the look on Morgan’s face.

“Go,” he said, pushing her out of the kitchen. With her back turned, he hid a smile. She didn’t stand a chance.

* * * * *

Morgan trailed from room to room exploring the massive structure Wade called home. She was torn between which thing horrified her the most—the crazed mob of reporters she’d been subjected to while being shuffled from her door to an awaiting car, or the fact Wade’s home showed her how much his lifestyle had changed.

The winding driveway had carried them so far back into the trees, at first she’d thought they were on another back road until his house came into view. She’d done her level best not to show any reaction at the sight of it, but it hadn’t been easy especially with Wade watching her so closely.

His voice didn’t show even a hint of excitement as he gave her a tour, but she could tell her opinion was important to him. There were eight bedrooms, ten bathrooms, an in-law suite, at the back of the property he had his own recording studio, a pool house, stables, a six-car garage, and she felt sick, but it was all gorgeous. Coming to a large bay window with a view of the pool, studio, and stables, Morgan stared out while stamping down her panic.

Instead of freaking out as she was tempted to do, she asked, “How many acres are on this property?”

“Close to eight hundred.”

Holy shit. “That’s a lot,” Morgan said, feeling proud of how steady her voice sounded. A deep chuckle rumbled from Wade’s chest.

“I like my privacy and the quiet.”

The sound of his laughter combined with his words made her smile. “Well, with a two-year old around, both of those things are over,” she said, and the burst of humor fled at the reminder of what having Cole there might do to Wade mentally. Meeting his gaze, tears pricked the back of her eyes. “I’m so sorry.”

“Daddy,” Cole called as he came tumbling into the room. Stooping, Wade scooped the boy from the floor and Cole let out an ear-piercing squeal at the sight of the pool through the window. Wade cringed against the sound, but the smile stretching across his face caused Morgan’s heart to turn over in her chest. It was real. Very few people saw the real Wade, but Morgan knew him, and he was genuinely happy.

Cole pressed his face to the window, while Wade kept him from falling to the floor. “Don’t be sorry,” Wade said over the sound of Cole happy chanting. “This is the good kind of invasion of privacy.”

She knew he’d not misunderstood her apology, but she let it go. There was something different about him. He almost seemed healed or whole in a way he’d not been before. Cole threw himself backwards in Wade’s arms nearly clocking him in the chin before pushing forward and kissing Morgan several times. Wade didn’t flinch over the assault and stood patiently holding him. Finally, Cole demanded Wade let him loose and went back in search of Mark.

“I’ll remind you tomorrow how this is a good break from your solitude when you’re ready to pull your hair out,” she teased, but Wade’s face had gone serious again and she caught herself fidgeting nervously under his stare. “Mark is a godsend by the way,” she added to fill the silence.

“Yes. He’s a good friend.”

To Morgan’s mind, his confession said everything. Wade didn’t consider many people as friends. Mark might work for Wade, but Wade cared about him. People didn’t get close to Wade and if Mark had, then he was truly special.

“Are you tired?”

“A little,” she admitted even though she didn’t want to sleep. What if he disappeared or she woke up only to learn he’d never really been there? It wouldn’t be the first time such a thing happened to her.

“Come on, I’ll show you to your room.”

There was no way they could’ve left Kathy behind to face the media on her own, and she’d been forced to come along with them. Mark had shuffled Kathy away as soon as Wade had begun his tour, and if it had not been for the knowledge she was there to help with Cole, then Morgan would not have felt right accepting his offer. The pain medicine and lack of sleep was kicking her ass.

“All right,” she agreed after a moment of debate and he snagged her good hand. Linking their fingers, he tugged her toward a hallway to her left and she forgot to make note of where they were headed. Nostalgia filled her as she automatically brushed her thumb over the familiar callus where his guitar rubbed while he played. The light squeeze of his hand let her know the motion had not gone unnoticed and her heart sped up. Even through his shirt, she could see how the muscles flexed in his back as he pulled her behind him making his way down the hall. She didn’t care about the shining wood of the gorgeous furnishings of each room they passed and the beautiful molding never fazed her. It was him keeping her in thrall.

As he led her through an open doorway, she spotted a closed door across the hall, before the massive bed in the center of the room caught her eye. It looked soft and was calling her name, but still she didn’t want him to leave.

“Where’s your room?” she asked, and then wanted to slap herself for doing so.

Nodding toward the closed door, he answered. “Right there.”

She filed away the information that he would be sleeping only feet away as she looked around the room. Gleaming marble of an opulent bathroom peeked out of an open doorway near the bed. She was tempted to go look, but the soothing yellow walls and cushy white comforter drew her in like a magnet. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she suppressed the urge to moan as she sank into the soft mattress. Wade glanced around uncomfortably as if reluctant to leave but unable to find a reason to stay.

“I guess if you don’t need anything else, I’ll let you take a nap.” He finished with a nod and shoved his hands in his pockets but made no move toward the door. When she didn’t respond he took a step toward the door.

“Will you stay with me?”

Her question seemed to freeze his feet to the floor and she almost took it back. A muscle ticked in his jaw and she came to her feet. Turning her back to him, she pulled the comforter down and rearranged the pillows to support her wrist. She didn’t want to look at him as he rejected her, and she didn’t know why she’d asked other than she didn’t want him to go away.

Kicking off her shoes, she climbed beneath the covers refusing to ask again. She turned on her side unable to look at him and she felt the bed dip at her back. The sound of his boots hitting the floor seemed unnaturally loud, but nowhere near as loud as the sound of her heart beating in her ears.

“Scoot over,” he demanded. “I’m not about to lose an eye from your cast as soon as I doze off.”

Hiding a smile, she did as he bade and he slid in beside her. The weight of his arm landed across her waist as he hauled her backward, molding her against his chest. They still fit together perfectly. She didn’t want to look at things too closely or admit she was playing with fire. It wasn’t only her who would lose this time if Wade shut down, but it seemed she would never shake her addiction to him. “You’re the only person I’ve ever been able to sleep in the same bed with.”

“Not as if you had a choice in the tiny studio apartment of ours,” she reminded him with a laugh.

“Nah. There’s always a choice. I slept in a truck more times than I can count but there was no way I was leaving you alone in our bed.”

She knew he’d intentionally lowered his voice to lure her into sleeping, and she could feel her eyes growing heavy even though she didn’t want to fall asleep. The warmth of his embrace and the steady beat of his heart against her back took away any choice she had in the matter. As the last wisp of consciousness drifted away, she felt Wade’s lips brush her temple.

* * * * *

As soon as Wade was certain Morgan wouldn’t miss him, he slipped from the bed long enough to retrieve his song notes. Returning to her side, he spent close to an hour watching her sleep and simply scribbling in his notebook before attempting to work on his latest lyrics.

When the light faded from the room, preventing him from continuing, he went in search of Cole. It was going to take some getting used to on his part to keep track of his son’s schedule. He never considered such a thing would ever occur in his life. With Kathy and Mark on the job, he’d let time slip away. By the time, Wade thought to check in on them, Mark had already assigned Cole his bedroom, and Kathy was sleeping soundly at the boy’s side. A swell of gratitude for her friendship with Morgan caught him off guard. He never expected to be thankful for Kathy’s presence in his life. It’s not as if he didn’t like her as much as she was bit overwhelming.

Wade wandered aimlessly throughout the house, biding his time before Morgan woke. Normally, he didn’t have any trouble filling his day, but with her in his home, he didn’t want to do anything but spend time with her. His feet carried him into the living room and over to the same bay window he’d stood at with Morgan a few hours earlier. With only the glow of the lights from inside of the pool to illuminate the outdoors, the bright white room at his back cast a mirror image in the glass. Even as he stared at the gleaming cherry wood bookcase in the reflection of the window, it still took him a moment to realize Mark had moved to join him. Although Wade was there in body, his mind remained in the bedroom down the hall.

“I feel guilty for neglecting Cole all day.” As he spoke, Wade glanced at Mark taking note of the guard’s appearance for the first time in months. Although they were together a majority of each day, Wade had a way of drawing inside of himself and becoming only half-aware of the people around him. He realized now, Mark looked exhausted. Mark seemed every bit as steady as ever, but the dark smudges beneath his eyes told a different story. His massive shoulders rose in a dismissive shrug.

“He was busy checking out the place and didn’t notice either of you were missing. He fell out from exhaustion about an hour ago, and Kathy decided to stay with him in case he woke up scared. Besides, you and Morgan need some time alone. You have the rest of your life to get to know your son.”

Wade still felt bad, but he nodded in agreement, recognizing the logic in Mark’s words. “Whatever happened to the girl you followed to Nashville?” Wade asked. It wasn’t like him to pry, but he did consider the man a friend, and Mark knew all his business now so it seemed only fair.

Mark rocked back on his heels and shoved his hands in his pockets. He couldn’t have looked more uncomfortable if he tried. His face took on a guarded look, but he still answered. “She disappeared on me in the middle of the night.”

Wade winced. The thought of Morgan sneaking away without a word almost caused him to run and check to make sure she was still there. In fact, it took all his willpower to stay still.

“I went after her,” Mark added. “But I never did find her.”