Untamed (A Moretti Novel) (11 page)

He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her.  She felt her back hit the wall again and she smiled.  Her familiar scent lit his body on fire.  He was putting her through hell with his indecision.  He resolved to let her work through her feelings for Damien.  He wouldn’t stand in her way but the second she decided he wasn’t what she wanted, or his rock star cousin inevitably screwed up, Steve would run to her and never let her go.  Four nights without her.  That is all it had taken for him to realize his life was nothing if she wasn’t by his side.

“I miss you and I need you home.  What if the apocalypse starts and you aren’t there to protect me?”  He whispered into her ear.  He hadn’t felt himself smile in a few days.
  She laughed and his whole body relaxed.

She pulled away from him just enough to look into his eyes.  Their lips were mere inches apart.  Her body leaned even closer.  She hadn’t kissed anyone in so long.  The act was intimate, trusting, and emotional.  The connection of
bodies was more primal, a carnal need.  But a kiss, that was full of commitment and love.  In that moment, she knew.  Damien would never be the one she kissed.  Her lips belonged to Steve.  She would give him everything.  All he needed to do was ask.

She licked her lips, drawing Steve’s attention to them.  He closed any distance that was left between them. 
His lips were a breath away from hers.  “I’ve been all over the place with my emotions for you.  You make me feel things I shouldn’t.  I’ve spent so much time building up these walls that aren’t Lily proof and it pisses me off.  You’re under my skin and I don’t know what to do about that.  I know I pushed you away.  It was the right thing to do because it isn’t fair to make you wait for me.  But fuck if I don’t want to kiss you right now.”

Lily was breathless.  She needed him more than she needed to breathe.  He was so close
.  “Kiss me.”

“
Yo, Lil.  You back here?”  Damien’s voice carried down the hall.

Steve straightened up, taking a
n awkward step back from her.  What had just happened?  He needed to walk away and let them be a couple.  “Shit.”  He took a deep breath and smiled as Damien came into view.  “You guys kicked ass out there tonight.  It was great to see you live.”

Damien gave Steve a fist bump.  “Thanks, bro.  It felt fucking awesome.
”  He looked back and Lily and tilted his head, studying her.  “You ok?”

She nodded her head.  “I’m good.”

“Let’s head out.  I want to hit the after party and the Beverly Hills Hotel.  You game?”  Damien took her by the hand and she followed.  “You heading out that way when you’re done here, Wainwright?”

“I’ve got interviews with Bayou
Stix and Burning Souls so I’ll catch up with you guys tomorrow.”  Steve smiled at Lily as he walked past them.  The fact that their hands were joined together solidified it for him.  They were a couple and he was a distraction she didn’t need.  He would force his feelings aside and be her friend.  It was agony and his heart was breaking, but it was the right thing to do.

Chapter 13

The limo ride was strained.  Lily stared out the window while she absently rubbed her hands together.  They were only a few miles from the after party being hosted by Ripping Pages, but it felt like they had been sitting in the car for hours.  Damien was silent, staring at her and then down at his hands folded in his lap.  She wanted to ask him what was bothering him but her mind raced with the plea she had made to Steve backstage.  She had almost thrown everything she had started to build with Damien away for a second with Steve that wouldn’t have meant anything in the long run.  She sighed as she put her head back against the headrest. 

Lily knew that Damien needed to make an appearance at the
party.  Ripping Pages was the headliner on the US tour Liquid Regret would be opening for.  Getting to know the band was important.  This was a big night for him and she wanted to be the supportive girlfriend.  Was she his girlfriend?  She didn’t know.  If that was what she was, she was failing miserably. 

“Why won’t you kiss me?”  Damien’s voice was barely a whisper.  “I know you’ve explained it to me before.  I need you to do it again.”

“You think it’s crazy.”  When he shook his head she stopped him from saying anything.  “It’s ok.  Most people do.  But it’s something that I don’t share with anyone unless I’m in love with them.  I like you so much Damien. We’ve gotten really close and I love spending time with you.  I’m just not ready.”

“Ok.”  Damien looked back out the window, his shoulders slumped in defeat.

Lily slid across the limo, taking a seat right next to him.  “Listen, you are amazing.  What you did out there tonight was so awesome to watch.  I felt like a superstar being your date.  You were my rock star and every woman in that place was jealous of me.  But when we aren’t at a show, you’re just Damien.  You give me shit and make me laugh.  You listen to me and make me feel like the only person in the world.  I want to be the person you deserve.  I want to wake up every morning and see you smile at me because there isn’t anyone else in the world for me.”

“But you don’t
wanna wake up with me.  Your heart’s somewhere else.  I’m not blind.  I see it every time he walks into a room.  And I get it.  He’s a good guy.  Blind as fuck if he can’t see what he has right in front of him.”  Damien smiled.  “I don’t want to lose you, Lil.  You mean too much to me.  I’ll be your friend and I’ll be there anytime you ever need me.  But I can’t be anything else.  It hurts too much when I know I’m just gonna lose.”

Lily hugged him as the limo pulled up to the hotel.  He climbed out, taking her hand and smiling for the photographers.  Life was changing so fast and his new reality was being in the spotlight.  Finding someone who coul
d love him because of who he was instead of what he had would be difficult now.  The thought of losing Lily gutted him.  For tonight, he would shut down his heart and play the role of rock star.  Tomorrow he would lick his wounds and find a way to move on without having her by his side.

By two in the morning, Lily was done.  She had met the most amazing people and had danced until
blisters had formed on her feet.  Champagne was a curious thing.  One never knew what would happen after several glasses.  She had lost Damien by midnight.  She spotted him once, making out with a brunette at a table near the dance floor.  She knew he was hurt and she had been the cause.  But seeing him kissing someone, just hours after their talk in the limo, stung a little.  Checking her watch, she realized it was too late to feel safe in a cab.  She pulled her cell from her clutch and dialed.

“Lil?”
  Steve’s voice was sleepy.

“I’m so sorry to wake you up.  I didn’t know who else to call.  I’m stuck at this party and I just want to come home.” 

Her voice was a little slurred.  Steve reached for his shoes.  “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

Lily did one last sweep of the room in an effort to find Damien and say goodnight.
  To her surprise, he was nowhere to be found.  She said goodnight to his band and headed out the front door.  The night had been perfect.  The awards show was a once in a lifetime opportunity and sitting with the ‘next big thing’ had been exciting.  She had spent a good portion of the night sitting with the other members of Liquid Regret and had an instant connection with the wife of the lead guitarist.  Harley and his wife, Della, had only been married for a year and as the band prepared itself for the first tour, Della was their biggest cheerleader.  She liked them all and was sad that she wasn’t going to be spending more time with them.

“Hey gorgeous.
  Need a ride?”  Steve’s voice broke into her thoughts. 

She smiled at him.  He was the sexiest man she had ever seen.  His gray t-shirt molded to his chest, hugging every muscle.  She was suddenly jealous of his shirt.  She wanted to be wrapped around him.  His Red
Sox baseball cap sat low on his forehead, hiding his jet black hair.  All he had done was drive up and roll his window down to look at her and she was having a hell of a time trying to catch her breath.  She couldn’t help but stare a minute longer as his smile widened.

“You coming or did you want to sit on that bench the rest of the night?”

She opened the car door and sunk into the soft leather seats.  The car smelled just like him.  There was always comfort being in his car.  “Thank you for picking me up.  I’d had enough.”

“Mr. Rock and Roll didn’t want to take you back to penthouse? 
Stupid man.”  Steve chuckled.

“He might already be there.”  Lily watched the lights of the city fade into the background.

“He left you there?”  Steve was staring at her now.

She just shrugged.  “I don’t know.  Last time I saw him, he was tongue deep in some brunette.  I will say
, he looks good in pink lipstick though.  It’s his color.”

“
I’ll kill him.”  Steve growled.

Lily smiled and put her hand on his leg.  His body stiffened.  “It’s ok.  It’s not the right time for us.  He’s a good guy, Steve.  Don’t be mad at him.  It was me.”

She shivered as she closed her eyes and curled into his shoulder.  Before long, her breathing changed and Steve knew she was sleep.  Her delicate curves begged to be touched but he focused on the road.  Why couldn’t he stay away from her? In the morning, he would tell her what he was feeling.  He was confused and scared and his head was all over the place.  But breathing was difficult without her and that had to mean something. 

Pulling up to the apartment complex, Steve parked his Corvette Stingray in his parking space and smiled.  When he sold the house, he had blown some money on something just for him.  The car was his baby and a constant reminder that life was still good. 
He’d wanted a Corvette as long as he could remember.  He had taken Lily to help him pick something out.  The way her eyes lit up when she saw the 2014 white master of machinery had solidified his decision to buy it.  She looked amazing in his car. 

“Angel, we’re home.”  Steve brushed the hair out of her face but she didn’t stir.  “Wake up,
baby.”

He
got out of the car and pulled her from the front seat.  He carried her up to their apartment.  She sighed and hugged his neck.  Once inside, he threw his keys on the counter and headed down the hall to his room.  He wanted her to be near him.  He couldn’t stomach the thought of another night without her. 

“Can you wake up for me, beauty?  I don’t want you to sleep in this dress.”

Lily moaned and sat up, her eyes welded shut in an attempt not to wake up.  Steve unzipped the side of the dress and pulled it over her head.  No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t keep his eyes from roaming her body.  She made his heart race.  

“
Whoops, don’t lie down.  Let me grab something for you to wear to bed.”  Steve laughed when she grunted.  Her eyes were still closed and he wasn’t convinced she was actually awake.  He pulled his shirt over her neck and helped her get her arms untangled.  He smiled.  “I need to talk to you in the morning.  I’ll let you sleep tonight.”

He tucked her under the covers.  When he tried to step away, she grabbed his hand.  “Stay with me.”

Chapter 14

Lily tried to move her legs and couldn’t.  She was pinned and it was hot.  She tr
ied to throw the covers off but they wouldn’t budge. Her eyes snapped open in a moment of panic.  She followed the arm across her chest, up to the broad shoulder, past the crazy mop of black hair and locked on to the most mesmerizing brown eyes she had ever seen.

“Good morning.”  Steve smiled and
her breath hitched.  “How’d you sleep?”

“I don’t even remember coming home.  I must have been in a coma.”  She looked around the room and realized she wasn’t in her bed.  She thought back to the party.  She had only had three glasses of champagne so she couldn’t have passed out. 
She looked down at the shirt she was wearing and then back at Steve.

He laughed.  “Don’t worry.  Nothing happened.  You were sound asleep and I brought you in here because it was closer.”  The lie rolled off his tongue too easily.  He needed to finally tell her what he was feeling. 

“I’m glad you’re here.”  She snuggled into his chest and sighed.  He was home for her.  Going back to Georgia was going to be the hardest thing she had ever done.  Staying here would only delay the inevitable.  Her heart was going to break if she continued to fall harder for him.  He had been very clear before she left to go stay with Kevin and Andi.  It was time to tell him what was happening.  She closed her eyes tightly. 
Like ripping off a Band-Aid
.  She tried to convince herself but even she wasn’t falling for that.  “I need to tell you something.”