I Want You to Want Me (Rock Star Romance #2) (32 page)

Tears glittered in his sister’s eyes. Derek heard a sniff, and he quickly turned to see Violet’s features crumpling. He wiped her tears with his fingertips.

“You’re the love of my life.” Emmie gazed up at her man. She brought their joined hands to her heart. “I give you my hand, my heart, my loyalty, my trust, and I hold your happiness higher than my own. I am yours, and you are mine.”

With a huge smile, Francesca said, “You may kiss the bride. Again.”

Everyone laughed as Slater scooped his woman into his arms and kissed her.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Jonny and Emmie Vaughn.”

Clapping and whistles filled the air.

“Now, let’s celebrate,” Francesca said.

A warm hand cupped her breast, a mouth closed over her earlobe, gently sucking. Violet smiled. Could there be a better way to wake up each morning?

Her hips pitched back, right into Derek’s very hard erection. He groaned, his fingers curling into her flesh, his palm rubbing her nipple. “Merry Christmas, my sweet V.”

Overwhelmed with love, she turned in his arms, draping a leg over his hip and pulling him tight against her. “Merry Christmas.”

He kissed her gently, stroking the hair off her face. “I love you.”

“I love you so much.” She kissed him, sinking into that hot, hungry mouth.

Over the sound of Otis Redding’s “Merry Christmas, Baby” someone hollered. She thought they were calling for them.

Whoever it was could wait.

Violet curled herself more tightly around him. Her hand went to the back of his neck, caressing. He gripped her ass, squeezed the flesh, and deepened the kiss. God, she wanted him inside her so badly.

Feet tramped up the stairs. Fists pounded on the bedroom door.

“Guys?” Ben called. “You up?”

“Everybody’s waiting.”
Cooper.

Dropping his head into the curve of her neck, Derek sighed. “Believe me, I’m
up
.”

He’d said it quietly, but when they snickered outside the door, she knew they’d heard.

“Come on,” Ben said. “We’re opening presents.”

“In a minute,” Derek called over his shoulder.

“You have the whole day to fuck around,” Cooper said.

“And, V, you promised to make that stuffed French toast.”

“I
said
a minute.” And then he pushed her onto her back, turned the kiss more heated, more carnal, and her whole body burned with need. His hands roamed restlessly, pulling her to him, stroking, grabbing. Roughly pinching her nipple, he stroked down the length of her body until his fingers parted her curls.

Sensation soared through her. “Oh, God, Derek.” Her hands gripped his tight ass and sealed him to her.

“Well, if it’s just a minute, we’ll wait right here,” Cooper said.

Derek lowered his head in frustration. “Get out of here.”

She could hear them cackling outside the door.

“Come on, you selfish prick,” Cooper said. “Don’t you want to see what I got you?”

“What’s going on up there?” Emmie called. “What’re they doing?”

“Derek said just a minute, and that was about thirty seconds ago,” Ben said. “So they should be coming right about now.”

Both guys hooted with laughter.

Violet smiled, caressing Derek’s back. “Later?”

“Fuck.” Derek closed his eyes, taking his time releasing her. Just as she started to roll away from him, he pulled her back, cupped her chin, and looked into her eyes. “As crazy as this day is going to be, I want to make sure we have some time alone together.”

Heat flooded her. “Me, too.”

He kissed her again. “I want today to be perfect for you.”

She’d never had a real Christmas before. Not with a houseful of people. Not with a Christmas tree and stockings and a turkey to baste.

And she’d never had a boyfriend. Well,
boyfriend
. Derek was so much more than that. He was . . . her heart. He was part of her. She blinked back tears, and his expression turned concerned.

“Hey. You all right?”

“It’s already perfect. Everything’s perfect.”

The doorknob rattled. “Okay, your minute’s up, so we’re just going to come in now,” Cooper said.

“Would you fucking grow up?” Derek called, but they smiled at each other because he knew. He understood. They were part of something bigger now, a family, and they both loved it.

She loved him. She loved their life. And, good God, she wanted him. Reaching between them, she gripped his hard length and stroked it. Her skin tingled, all the way from her scalp to the soles of her feet. “Can we just finish real quick?”

His big hands grabbed her hips, shifting her back underneath him. That hungry look in his eyes made her crazy.

And then the door flew open. “Merry Christmas!”

Both guys ran into the room, throwing themselves onto the bed.

The mattress bounced as her arms went to cover her breasts.

“Get the fuck out of here,” Derek shouted while reaching behind him to pull up the sheet. It engulfed them, and they shared a smile at their moment of privacy.

Scents from downstairs filled the room—cinnamon and pine, warm bread. Eartha Kitt’s “Santa Baby” played on the stereo.

Both guys bounced on the bed, and Derek hurled a pillow at them.

Violet lowered an edge of the sheet. “We’ll be right down. I promise.”

And then Mimi came into the room with a steaming
mug of coffee in one hand and a glass of orange juice in the other. “All right, you morons, hit it. I’ve got this covered.”

The guys rolled off the bed and headed out of the room. “Hurry up.”

Mimi set the drinks on the nightstand. “Do you have any idea what it’s like for me? Irwin’s practically humping my mom in the kitchen, Emmie and Slater are doing unspeakable things to each other on the couch, and those two morons are shaking this one big present to see if it’s a
Sports Illustrated
swimsuit model.”

Violet sat up, forcing Derek off her. “They’re shaking it?” She didn’t want them ruining his present. “We’re coming.”

Mimi gave her a warm smile. “Maybe later you are, but right now you’re putting on some clothes and coming downstairs.”

•   •   •

The
moment they entered the living room, the conversation and laughter stopped.

Irwin got up. “Before we open presents, may I have a word?”

Derek kissed Violet’s cheek, then sat down on the couch.

“Sure. What’s up?” She looked around at their faces, trying to judge if she was about to receive good news or bad.

“As you know, playtime’s over for these silly arses. Time to get them into the studio.”

They were leaving. They’d go wherever their producer wanted them to go.

But come on. She couldn’t exactly complain. She’d had him to herself for nearly four months.

“Last time they toured, things didn’t go so well. And frankly, I think you bring an element of structure to their lives they clearly need.” He gestured to them. “They’re all right on their own, of course, but really all bands should have someone like you. To give them, shall we say, healthy outlets for their energy. Keep them on a good track.”

Emmie came forward. “What he’s saying is Amoeba would like to hire you as their minder.”

“I . . . what does that mean exactly?”

Slater stood behind his wife. “The studio’s almost finished, so we’ll be making the album out here.”

“You will?”
Oh, my God, they’re staying here?

Derek nodded with a very satisfied smile.

Slater continued. “We could put the guys up in that B and B up the road—”

“No, they’re fine here.” She didn’t want them leaving. Not when she’d grown so close to all of them.

Emmie’s smile broadened. “And then after the record’s done, we’d like you to come on tour with us.”

Her gaze went straight to Derek’s. His knowing smile filled her with happiness. “So I’d be the boss?” She nodded toward Derek. “Of him?”

Everyone laughed.

“Yes, you’d be the boss.” Irwin smiled, taking his place beside Francesca.

Derek leaped up, grabbed her hand, and tugged her toward him. “You can be whatever you want to be.”

“Now can we open presents?” Ben crouched in front of the nine-foot-tall Douglas fir taking up a corner of the living room. Glancing at Violet, he held her overflowing stocking in one hand. “I’m playing elf. Sit down. The rest of us already opened our stockings, so you work on this while we move on to the good stuff.”

She smiled, sinking into the couch. They’d all spent a morning decorating the downstairs. Wreaths hung on the doors; garlands strung from the mantel and larger pieces of furniture. A huge basket of cinnamon-scented pinecones sat beside the fireplace, which now blazed with a crackling fire.

This was her home. Her family.

She almost had to pinch herself to make sure it was real.

Hoots and hollers drew her attention to the tree, where Cooper, Ben, and Slater tore open the hockey sticks and skates she and Derek had given them.

“So much for our little elf.” Irwin got up, rooted around the presents, and returned with a rectangular package for Francesca.

Violet could practically feel her friend’s anxiety. Given the shape of the box, what could she expect other than jewelry? And Irwin might not know about Francesca’s past, how
her family and husband had only ever given her tennis bracelets, diamond earrings, and necklaces she didn’t even wear.

Francesca slid her finger under the paper, careful not to tear it. She took her time, which only reinforced Violet’s suspicions that her friend was worried.

And when she saw the big, velvet necklace box, her smile looked forced. But then she opened it, and her features compressed. Tears sprang into her eyes, toppling over and spilling down her cheeks. She turned into Irwin, hiding her face in his chocolate brown cardigan.

He wrapped an arm around her, holding her tightly. Violet noticed Emmie’s hands covering her mouth, her forehead scrunched as she fought back tears.

The box fell to the floor, and Violet leaned forward to pick it up. Setting it on the table, she noticed the map, the Monopoly car, and a book entitled
1000 of the Weirdest Sights to See Across the USA.

Francesca had always dreamed of a road trip, where she bought corn nuts at gas station convenience stores and visited the biggest ball of twine. No one had ever had the time to do it with her.

Irwin was making the time.

Violet gazed up at Derek, and the look he gave her sent a bolt of lightning from her chest down to her toes.

Ben appeared. He thrust a gift at Derek. “From V.”

She looked at it and couldn’t imagine how they’d gotten swimsuit model from the shape.

But Derek got it right away. His eyes went wide. “What did you do?” He ripped off the paper to reveal a Fender. She’d asked the guys to rip out the frets, like he’d wanted, but they’d told her to let him do it. Apparently, that was half the fun.

“A Fender?” He planted a kiss on her mouth. Holding the guitar over his head, he shouted, “She got me a Fender.”

Of course, everyone already knew about it, but Emmie said, “That’s so awesome.”

“How’d you know I wanted one?” he asked her.

“In that interview with
Guitar Player
you said you’d always wanted another Fender so you could rip out the frets to get ‘an authentic Jaco Pastorius tone.’”

A slow smile spread across his beautiful mouth. “You’re
incredible.” He set the guitar down and lifted her onto his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I love you so much.”

He kissed her thoroughly, then pulled back. “Now, open up your stocking stuff.”

Everyone went back to opening presents. In the craziness of it all, paper crinkling, voices murmuring, Violet sat quietly, hoping to remain invisible. She couldn’t imagine what these guys had gotten her. It wasn’t like she needed anything. She literally had everything she could ever want right there. Her home, her friends—family—and Derek.

But as she opened each present, her chest grew tighter. Tears burned the backs of her eyes. Each gift had a tag on it to let her know who’d given it to her. Ben had gotten her a bubble gum pink diary with crystals all over it. Cooper got her a Furby. She blinked back tears as she unwrapped the Barbie doll Francesca had gotten her. Then she opened the New Kids on the Block cassette tape from Mimi.

As tears streamed down her face, she realized the room had gone quiet. She looked up to find everyone watching her.

“Merry Christmas, sweetheart,” Francesca said.

She fought the urge to curl into Derek and hide her emotions. But they’d done such a lovely thing—buying her all the gifts she’d never received as a child—that she couldn’t do that to them. “You guys—” Her voice broke, so she cleared it. Derek hugged her tightly to him. “You guys are so great. Thank you.” She waved the set of three Beanie Babies that Emmie had given her. “A girl at school used to stuff her backpack with them. She’d line them up along the wall in the cafeteria and play with them every day. I used to sit near her so I could watch.” She held them to her chest. “I coveted them.”

Smiles warmed their faces, and she started to look away. But then she didn’t. She let the emotion wash over her, and she let them see it. How much she appreciated their thoughtfulness. Even though they’d turned blurry from the tears, she could feel their love. “Thank you.”

But when she blinked away the tears, she saw they weren’t just sitting there watching her. They were gathered around her. Slater and Coop held guitars. Ben knelt before
the coffee table, hands flat on the surface, fingers tapping. Emmie, Mimi, and Francesca stood together off to the side.

And then someone handed Derek a guitar. He shifted away from her, facing her.

Her heart leapt into her throat. What was going on?

And just like that, they all started playing.

And Derek sang.

I thought I wanted gold

I thought I wanted fame

But I didn’t

What I wanted

I couldn’t name

I thought I wanted quick

I thought I wanted fast

But I didn’t

What I needed

Was your love to last

And then the women joined in, harmonizing.
Oh, my God
. She had
no idea
they could sing.

Because I found you

And that was it

It was done

You and me

We are one

I love you

It’s done

You and me

We are one

And then he set the guitar down and got on one knee, reaching for her hand.

Her heart pounded furiously. He held her gaze, the certainty she saw in his eyes stealing the breath from her lungs.

He pulled a red velvet box out of his pocket and set it on her knee. The women sat down on the couch.

It was just Derek singing now.

Do you love me, too?