Love Me Sweet (A Bell Harbor Novel) (20 page)

Chapter 20

THE PARADISE BROTHERS WERE A
hit with the Heartbreak Hotel crowd, and Grant had to hand it to Reggie. The guy might be as obnoxious as hell, but he could sing, and he was a natural entertainer. They all were, Finch and Humphrey too, joking with each other onstage as effortlessly as they had on the bus. Playing guitars and bass, keyboards and drums. They were masters, offering up a mix of Elvis classics, old country western, and some original honky-tonk songs with lyrics so raunchy the audience cheered and Elaine blushed.

Still so innocent, even after last night.

God. Last night. His body went hot at the memory. It was the best night he’d ever had, and the fact that they had the room completely to themselves for this evening? Damn. That had been on his mind since the moment he’d heard. Unfortunately that also left him touring the entire Graceland mansion this afternoon with a semierection, but certainly he wasn’t the first one. Everybody loved Elvis.

“Let’s slow it down for the lovers in the crowd tonight,” Reggie said into the microphone, and Grant wondered if that was just for them or for lovers in general. Either way, Grant pulled Elaine to the center of the dance floor and then into his arms. The song was something sad, an old story of woe about love gone wrong, but nothing about this felt wrong.

Everything about this was just right.

The truth was, he’d never felt this way before. He’d been with plenty of women, some who he’d been fond of, a few he thought he might have even loved, although he never told them so. But this was different. He and Elaine were in sync, every rhythm, every breath. He wasn’t naive, of course. He understood she was shiny and bright, and everything about this had that new car smell. Sure there would be bumps in the road, and yes, he still had more to learn about her, but if Elaine could put up with the amount of stress they’d encountered over the last few days with such grace and patience and good humor, well, he couldn’t imagine ever growing tired of her. He’d definitely never grow tired of her lips, because they tasted like caramel and set his skin on fire. He wouldn’t grow tired of her laugh and the way it burst like a firecracker. He’d certainly never get tired of the way her body moved like water under his palm either. Nope. Never getting tired of that.

Grant pulled her closer, breathing in the sweet, fresh scent of her. That curve where her shoulder glided into her neck. He could spend the rest of his life there, breathing in the scent of that curve. He’d always trusted his instincts. They’d rarely steered him wrong, and if he followed them right now, he’d end up strolling down the aisle right toward a preacher. Who the hell would have thought his idiot brother was right? When you knew, you just
knew
. And right now, he knew Elaine Masters was the one for him.

He was punch-drunk with it, the idea, the surreal quality of all that had gone on since he’d met her. He’d never been one of those fanciful dolts who believed in fate, or love at first sight, but whatever elements of destiny had brought this woman into his life, be it coincidence or the actions of his batshit-crazy mother, well, he was thankful because Elaine was beauty and heartbreak and everything in between. Learning all about her would be like having an endless gift to unwrap.

His hand slid up her back and threaded into her hair. He had to kiss her. Right now. In the center of a crowded dance floor in the middle of the Jungle Room Lounge, he had to kiss her. So he did. She kissed him back, and he knew this night would be even better than the one before. It needed to start right now.

As soon as the last strains of the song floated out over the crowd, Grant pulled her from the dance floor and around the corner. He pressed her up against the wall next to the elevator and the big Elvis ’69 poster and kissed her again.

She chuckled, low and sultry, as he reached around blindly for the elevator button. When the door opened, they practically fell inside.

“Want to go upstairs?” he asked, as the elevator started to rise.

She laughed again. “I think we’re halfway there.”

“God, I’m halfway there.”

The door opened with a soft glide and then they were almost sprinting down the hall. His hands shook as he stuffed the key into the slot at the suite door. Maybe that hand tremble wasn’t manly, but he didn’t care because they were still in the hallway and Elaine was already pushing the edge of his shirt up from behind.

He slammed down the handle and shoved open the door, pulling her inside. He wondered, briefly, if there was a security deposit on this room, because there was a good chance they were going to break something.

They rushed past the burgundy walls and into the bedroom, falling to the bed with a bounce and a bit of laughter. His shirt came off first, then he caught the hem of hers, pulling it up, fast, urgent. What he lacked in style he’d make up for in pure enthusiasm. This wasn’t the time for finesse, it was the time for raw need. He didn’t want to slow down, he just wanted to be buried deep inside her. He kissed her neck, and bit. She arched up against him and he caught her around the waist, turning them on the bed so that their heads were near the pillows. Her soft gasp of encouragement would have buckled his knees if he hadn’t already been lying down.

She knocked the pillows aside so she was lying flat on the mattress. He gazed down at her, marveling once more at his good fortune that this woman had stumbled her way into his life. Maybe some things really did happen for a reason.

“God, you’re beautiful,” he whispered and dipped his head for another kiss. She reached down between them and tugged at the waistband of his jeans, popping the button. She may as well have been pulling the pin from a grenade because there was no stopping him now. He growled down deep, the sound scraping in his throat. She pulled at the zipper but his pants were uncooperative, given that they were stretched to capacity by his extremely optimistic cock. He reached down and moved the zipper on his own. She reached inside his boxers and set him free, running her hand along the length of him. Everything inside him turned to chaos and want.

“God,” he ground out again, and pressed another kiss along the slim expanse of her neck. “I need to lose these pants before I lose my mind.”

She offered up a sweet huff of annoyance when he rolled away to take off his jeans, but he was back before the sound ended. He moved lower, his face nuzzling her belly. Her laughter was breathy and she tried to turn but he held her steady.

“That tickles,” she gasped, and pulled at his hair.

He might have kept at it, just to hear her laugh again, but he had more serious matters on his mind. He reached down and unzipped her jeans. She sighed with relief as he caught the waistband with his hands and inched them slowly off. They got caught up at her ankles and he had to stand up to get them all the way off, but that was OK. He dropped them on the floor as a wickedly delicious idea took hold. Yes, he was in a hurry, but he still had time for one small and luscious detour.

Delaney was so happy to be naked. Grant’s hands and lips and tongue seemed to be everywhere, leaving her mindless and blissful. Everything else faded away. It was just them, and this bed. An oasis of pleasure. She heard her jeans land on the floor and then Grant was kissing her ankle, and then her calf. His tongue traced a path upward, sending tendrils of desire right to the center of her. Delicious. Hot and delicious.

He kissed the inside of her knee, his fingers gripping her hips tightly. A confusion of sensations competed for her attention, some rough, some gentle. The sweeping glide of his fingers, then the scrape of his whiskered cheek brushing against her skin before he dipped his head and kissed her. There. Right there.

She bit her lip, but the moan escaped her anyway and she pulled at his hair again. This tickled in a completely different way. He was good at this. Really, really good at this, and she let herself be swept away on that tide, the roll and the swell, until her body crashed and broke apart and all her muscles turned to water. It felt like the only thing holding her together was his embrace.

Then he was beside her, inside her, riding his own wave, and she wondered if he had any idea that she was falling in love with him.

They lay together under the blankets a little while later, facing one another as he curled and uncurled a strand of her hair around his finger.

“Do you want to hear something kind of funny?” he asked, staring at that strand.

“Sure.” She was feeling sleepy, and thoroughly satisfied, and would’ve said
sure
to just about anything he’d asked her at that point.

“When I came home for my brother’s wedding, I was going to tell him he was an idiot for getting married.”

Some of her blissful euphoria waned. That wasn’t funny. It was mildly distressing.

“Why is that funny?”

He twined the hair back in the other direction. “It’s funny ironic . . . because I thought he was crazy for marrying someone he’d only known for six months. But I think I’m starting to see the appeal. Now that I’ve met you, I think I finally understand.”

Her heart tumbled clumsily over itself at his words. “You do?” she asked.

He looked at her, and all her euphoria swelled back into place. He was talking about her. He was talking about them.

“Yes.” He chuckled then, kind of dazedly and self-consciously, and turned his face into the pillow for a few seconds before looking back at her. “Yes, I do. I’m guess what I’m trying to say here, Lane, is that I’m falling for you. I’m falling . . . all the way.”

His smile fell away too, and he was gazing at her with such honesty that it nearly stopped her breath altogether.

“Falling . . . all the way . . . in love?”

“Somewhere very near there. I know it’s fast, and illogical, but I’m kind of hoping I’m not out here on this ledge all by myself.”

It was a ledge, and once they jumped, there was no going back. But she was out there too. If he was going to jump, she would jump right next to him. He was looking at her expectantly, optimistically. Her heart felt the plunge, the sense of weightlessness before gravity took over and began its inevitable pull.

“I’m with you, Grant. I’m falling too.”

“You are?”

She nodded, and nearly felt like crying because she had so much to tell him, so much to say that was important. She needed to tell him her story, but it would keep for a few more hours. Right now, she would exist in this beautiful, timeless bubble of perfection, awash in this glow.

“Yes, I am. I’m crazy about you,” she said. She kissed him then, sealing a promise. No matter what tomorrow brought, she’d always love him.

Chapter 21

GRANT WALKED INTO THE HOTEL
lobby with a spring in his step and a slightly sore back. The sexual gymnastics from the last two nights were taking their toll, but hot damn, it was worth it. He was in love, Elaine was in love. The world was a beautiful place. Today, they’d get her bag back from his mother, and whatever came next, they’d face it. Obviously there was shit in Miami to deal with, but it couldn’t be that bad. She was obviously close to her family, and no matter what it was, he’d help her work through it. That’s what a man did for the woman he loved. He took care of her.

Grant had never taken care of anyone before. At least, no one except himself, but since the moment Elaine had shown up at his door, his bathroom door, he’d been striving to look after her. And he liked it. It was rewarding in a way different from any other accomplishment, and now he understood what had driven Tyler to make that commitment with Evie. It just made sense in a way that nothing else did. When you knew, you just knew.

Grant chuckled to himself as he crossed the lobby, his feet in Memphis but his head somewhere else entirely. He could see life stretching out before him, a life with Elaine. The two of them would live in that little house in Bell Harbor for part of the time and travel the world the rest of the time. She’d left home to find adventure, so damn it, he’d show her adventure. He’d give her a lifetime of adventures. They’d make love on every continent. Now there was a goal to look forward to.

It was sunny outside and the Memphis cold snap seemed to be over. Good news because they had to figure out how to get back to Bell Harbor, and driving through another blizzard did not appeal to him. It already felt like they’d been away for weeks, but it had only been a couple of days. Amazing how a couple of days could change a man’s life forever.

He walked into the gift shop for coffee. He’d already showered and dressed, and since Elaine needed a little extra time, he’d been sent on a java run. A rotund woman in a pink shirt behind the counter greeted him with a big, toothy smile.

“Good morning, sir. Can I help you find anything?”

“I just need a couple of coffees, please.”

“We got Krispy Kreme doughnuts too, and you know Elvis loved to have himself a Krispy Kreme doughnut now and then.”

Grant was unaware that Elvis had an affinity for Krispy Kreme doughnuts, but it appeared this young lady had enjoyed a dozen or so. In fact, there were little pieces of glaze on the front of her shirt.

He smiled and shook his head. “No, thanks. Just the coffee today.”

“Sure thing. Here are the cups. You can fill them up over there.” She set two disposable cups next to the cash register and pointed to a coffee station on the other side of the store. “That’ll be two dollars, please.”

He tugged his wallet from his pocket and pulled out some money, then watched with teenage-boy horror as a foil-wrapped condom flipped out from between two bills and landed with a slap on top of a stack of magazines next to the counter.

The girl’s eyes widened, then she burst out with a big hearty guffaw that shook her whole body, which was no small amount of mass. Those little pieces of doughnut glaze hopped around on her breasts like hot popcorn. He guessed it was lucky she had a sense of humor but heat still suffused his face. He hadn’t carried a condom in his wallet in years but had tucked one in there as a joke for Elaine.

He chuckled a little at his own expense. At least he and the shop girl were the only two in here. Thank God Reggie was nowhere in sight. He’d never hear the end of it if that guy was around. Grant bent over to retrieve the brightly wrapped party favor—and stopped short. The air kicked from his lungs and he reached over to grip the counter for support. Because there—right there next to the Paradise Brothers condom—was Elaine’s face on the cover of a tabloid magazine.

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS DELANEY MASTERSON?

That’s what the headline said in big, bold letters across the top. Delaney Masterson? Who the fuck was Delaney Masterson? The glossy image of the woman on the cover of the magazine had much lighter hair than Elaine, and gobs of makeup, but the eyes and the smile and the curve of her chin were pure Elaine. He couldn’t breathe. The air inside the little gift shop pushed down and all the muscles in his love-sore back clenched.

“Aw, shucks, honey,” said the clerk, “you don’t need to go getting all embarrassed. I’ve seen all sorts of stuff at this hotel. One little rubber ain’t nothin’ to fret about. In fact, we sell them right here from behind this counter. You need some more?”

“No. No, thanks.” He managed to stand upright but the room was spinning. “I’ll take this magazine though.” He slapped it down on the counter next to the cups and took more money from his wallet. He grabbed the condom and put that in his pocket.

The woman looked at the magazine and tsk, tsk, tsked. “Now ain’t that a shame? That pretty young girl with so much going for her and then she went and did something so naughty. And now she’s missing. Her sister says she’s hiding out with some other man, not even the man from the video.”

Jesus Christ. “What video?”

“Oh, honey, where you been at? It’s all over the news. That girl has a sexy-sex video. I read all about it though I ain’t seen it. Apparently,” she leaned forward to whisper conspiratorially, “and I heard this from my cousin Bernice when we went to get our nails done, she said that this Delaney Masterson released the video just to boost the ratings for her TV show. Now isn’t that sad?”

Wind from some unknown source roared in his ears so loudly he could hardly hear this girl. He had to concentrate very hard. “What TV show?”

“
Pop Rocks.
That’s the show she’s from. Her daddy is Jesse Masterson. You’ve heard of him, right? Everybody has heard of him.” The girl jabbed a neon-orange fingernail against the cover of the magazine. “But anyway, nobody knows exactly why she took off, but they found her abandoned car up in Illinois and nobody has seen or heard from her since.”

He looked down at the cover of the magazine. It was Elaine Masters. He was as certain of that as he was of his own name, but snippets of their past conversations started jumping around in his head like an old record skipping. Questions from the night they’d met screeched to the forefront. Questions he’d let her explain away without much effort. What had he missed? How was this possible? He picked up the magazine and turned to leave.

“Hey, mister. Here’s your change,” the girl called after him but he didn’t turn around. “What about your coffee?”

He just kept going. He left the shop and went into the Jungle Room Lounge. It wasn’t open yet because it was only nine in the morning, so there were no overhead lights on. He walked over to a seat by the window and sat down with a thud. He was numb, except for his stomach, which was roiling like water about to boil over. He looked at the cover and tried to breathe.

She’d lied. Clearly she had lied. But why? And to what extent? His hands nearly tore the paper as he opened the cover and flipped pages until he found the article.

Police have canceled their search for the missing Delaney Masterson, 27, youngest daughter of ’80s rocker Jesse Masterson and supermodel Nicole Westgate after learning from relatives that she is hiding out in a super-secret love nest with a new beau. Even her closest friends and family don’t know exactly where she’s holed up, but one thing is for sure, absence only makes our hearts grow fonder for
Pop Rocks’
favorite wild child.

Sources close to the celebrity stylist say Delaney had grown increasingly frustrated by her limited role on the family’s increasingly popular reality show and vowed to do whatever it took to make herself a household name, even if that meant releasing a risqué video of herself with onetime boyfriend Boyd Hampton.

“Delaney was always a good-time girl,” sources close to Hampton say. “She was up for anything, and obviously, so was Boyd.”

He kept reading, his eyes burning at each word, until the article finished with another quote.

“I guess dressing stars wasn’t enough for her anymore,” said one client who asked to remain anonymous. “Maybe Delaney decided it was time to be the star, instead.”

There were pictures dotted all around the article, seven or eight of them, and every single one was of Elaine. At least, the woman he knew as Elaine, but this woman was a stranger. She was glamorous in a shimmering, backless dress in one photo, sultry in another wearing a black miniskirt cut up to there. Her hair was various shades of light brown or nearly blonde in most, but there was one picture that made his heart feel like it had pierced itself on one of his ribs. It was her with dark hair and little makeup. She was in a cheerleading outfit and had to be a teenager, but that photo looked just like his Elaine.
His
Elaine.

But he didn’t have an Elaine. The woman he’d professed his love to not ten hours ago was nothing but a mirage. A propaganda machine, a master manipulator, and he’d fallen for every bit of it. How could he have been so blind? The article said she wanted attention. She’d certainly gotten his. Calling her a
reality
star was an understatement, though. She had real acting potential. She’d managed to convince his entire family, a busload of musicians, and him that she was just a sweet young woman trying to spread her wings. At least Miranda had been forthright about her career motives, but Elaine—Delaney—she was sly. She’d flat-out lied, and she’d used all of them.

Especially him.

For nothing more than publicity and fame. But he should have seen it coming.

Delaney was nervous as hell, but the minute Grant got back with that coffee, she was going to sit him down and tell him everything. Everything. Every last detail. She’d only sent him away so she could gather her thoughts for a minute, but she couldn’t stand the subterfuge any longer. Hiccup.

Last night she’d handed over her heart, and this morning he was probably going to drop-kick it right back to her, but full disclosure was essential. They were leaving for his aunt’s house just as soon as she was ready to go, so it was now or never.

Although
never
wasn’t actually an option.

So . . . it was just . . . now.

He took a while getting the coffee. She paced as she waited, thinking of various openers.

Oh, by the way, funny thing about . . . everything. I made most of it up.

Her skin prickled. She was perspiring, and she desperately wanted to rewind, but even if she could, what would she have done differently? If she had known then what she knew now, would she make the same mistakes? She paced some more, wishing he’d hurry.

She’d avoided having that panic attack the other morning, but now might work just as well. Hiccup. Finally, when she heard him at the hotel room door, she jumped so high she was practically a cat clinging to the ceiling with kitten-sharp claws.

Big breath, Delaney.

She was standing in the center of the room, right under the blue-sky-and-clouds mural, when he came inside. Empty-handed.

“Where’s the coffee?” she asked.

He pulled out something tucked under his arm. “No coffee, but I got you a magazine.”

He dropped it on the floor, right at her feet, but one look at his face and she already knew. She’d hit the tabs again. Her heart skidded to a halt and left her teetering on the edge of a cliff. No, no, no. Not now. Five more minutes. Five more minutes and she would have told him herself.

She bent over to pick up the magazine as he stalked into the room to stand by the window with his back to her, his hands jammed into his pockets. The floor tilted and the walls shook, but it wasn’t Memphis having an earthquake. It was
her
world that was falling apart. And maybe Grant’s. She hadn’t meant to involve other people in her charade, but she had, and the enormity of that surrounded her.

She looked at the glossy cover and there she was. She grimaced at the headline. God only knew what lies they’d printed inside, but even if they’d only printed the truth, it was still pretty bad.