With Me in Seattle Bundle One (138 page)

“I’m not,” I respond as a tear falls down into my hairline.

“Sure you’re not.” He grins and kisses me gently as he begins to move more swiftly, hitting that amazing spot with each thrust, until I feel the orgasm move through me, and I clench around him, pulling him under with me.

Chapter Twenty-Two

“Where are we going?” I ask and frown out the window of Leo’s car. We’re in the middle of nowhere.

“I have to show you something.”

“Another house?” I ask, unable to keep the excitement from my voice.

“Sure.” He smiles over at me.

“I hope it’s a different real estate agent. That chick was not the one for you.” I laugh at him and run my fingers through his messy, soft, light brown hair.

“Definitely a different agent.” He catches my hand to kiss my palm.

We continue to drive on side roads, and I’ve completely lost track of where we are. Leo flips on the radio, turns to a popular local rock station and sings along with Pink.

“You’re a Pink fan?” I ask, surprised.

“Isn’t everyone? That chick is badass.” He laughs and shakes his head. “And she can fucking party like no one I’ve ever seen.”

“I’ve heard she’s slowed down since she had a kid.” I sing along with the radio. This song is currently one of my favorites.
You’ve got to get up and try…

“I think that’s true, but I haven’t seen her in a while.”

“Where is this house we’re going to see?” I ask and examine our surroundings. “We’re in the middle of nowhere.”

“Be patient.” He laughs.

“I’m not patient. Have you not learned this by now?”

“That blue scarf looks beautiful on you.” He grins over at me, changing the subject. “Makes your eyes look even bluer.”

“You’re a charmer.” I wave him off and scowl at all the trees along the road. “And you’re going to be a single charmer if you buy a house I can’t find.”

He laughs at me, and I stop trying to figure out where we’re going and sit back to look at him. He’s in his black leather jacket today with his trademark faded blue jeans. No beanie, which I prefer, so I run my fingers through his hair again and sigh contentedly.

He keeps checking his watch as he continues to drive.

“Are we going to be late?”

He just shakes his head and grips the wheel a little tighter.

Why is he nervous?

“I think this is it,” he murmurs and pulls up to a cliff area that looks out over the sound. I didn’t even realize we were this close to the water. There is a grassy bluff to my right with trees behind it. The view is spectacular.

But there is no house.

I frown at Leo, but he’s already climbed out of the car and opens my door for me.

“Uh, Leo, there’s no house here.”

“Give me a minute.”

After he’s pulled me away from the car, he leans into the open passenger door and cranks the volume of the radio up so high that I’m pretty sure my brother over in Alki can hear it.

He checks his watch again, nods and pins me in his gaze.

“What are you doing?” I ask and laugh. “This is not like you.”

“Listen,” he murmurs.

The song on the radio ends, and the DJ comes on.

“Hey there, Seattle, that was
Life After You
by Daughtry here on KLPR, Seattle’s best rock radio station. I have a special treat for our listeners. I got a call from Seattle’s own Leo Nash of the megaband Nash yesterday asking me to play their newest single from their upcoming album,
Sunshine
. The album doesn’t release for another month, but we have a sneak peek of the title track for you today. Leo tells me this song is dedicated to someone special. I hope you enjoy it.”

“Are you kidding me?” I ask, my eyes wide.

Leo’s smiling softly, and he grips the ends of my scarf in his fists and pulls me against him.

“Dance with me.”

He wraps me in his arms, and as the piano begins, he moves us back and forth along the cliff, the wind blowing through our hair and stinging my cheeks. He pulls back briefly, so I can slip my arms under his jacket, and tightens his arms around me again, holding me close, looking down into my eyes.

I don’t wanna be your friend

’Cause I’ve already let you in

Every time I see your sweet blue eyes

I know I need to make you mine

My walls crumble…and crumble

So all you see is the real me

When you smile

Your sunshine hits me

And the shadows in my soul

They are gone

He softly sings along, his eyes dropping to my lips and then moving back to mine. He kisses my forehead softly.

“I love this song,” I whisper.

“I love you,” he whispers back, bends me back into a deep dip, and then circles me more vigorously around the car. The song is swirling around us, the rest of the world has stilled, and it even seems like the crashing waves beneath the cliff have quieted.

Oh how many times

Did I stare at your lips

Wishing I could feel

Them on me

When you’re so close

Baby, I forget how to breathe

When you smile

Your sunshine hits me

And the shadows in my soul

They are gone

When I run my hand

Over your perfect skin

I know you see me

And not what I’m covered in

My walls crumble…and crumble

So all you see is the me I need you to see

I can’t look away from his eyes. This is how he sees me. What did I do to deserve him?

He cups my face in his hands and brushes my lips with his, gently nibbling and caressing my mouth, and then sinks into me, kissing me with all he has as our song comes to an end.

He pulls back, his stormy gray eyes happy and shining with lust, kisses my cheek and then releases me to lean in the car and turn the radio off.

When he turns back to me, his face is uncertain.

“When did you record the song?” I ask, a little out of breath.

“Last week.” He shrugs and pulls me back into him, my arms under his jacket again to keep me warm. “DJ and Gary came up from LA, and we spent some time in the studio.”

“Was that your mysterious errand?” I ask and give him a mock frown.

“Yes.” He chuckles and kisses my nose.

“I love it.” I kiss his chin and grin. “I really, really love it. Are you seriously naming the whole album
Sunshine
?”

“Yeah, we are.” He rubs my cheek with his thumb. “It’s appropriate.”

I grin and then look around us at the water, the trees, the cliffs. “So, no house, unless it’s wearing the invisibility cloak.”

“I didn’t know you’re a
Harry Potter
fan.”

“Sure.” I shrug.

“No house yet.” He nods and follows my gaze.

“What do you mean? Are you going to build a house on stilts?” I smirk and gesture to the sound. “Do you know how many houses fall into the water every year here?”

“So, here’s the deal.” He kisses my forehead again and pulls back, takes my hand, and pulls me closer to the cliffs.

“This is as far as I go.” I plant my feet and stop. “I’m afraid of heights, remember?”

“Okay, scaredy cat.” He laughs, and his eyes travel over the water. “Do you know how much I wanted to live on the water when I first moved out here? I’d never seen the ocean until I moved here when I was nineteen.”

He turns his eyes down to mine and squeezes my hand.

“You couldn’t find a house to buy on the water?” I ask.

“After the interesting afternoon with the last agent the other day, I thought it might be easier to build.” He shrugs. “Plus, then you’ll get exactly what you want.”

“Leo.” I swallow and try to keep my panic down. “I told you, I’m not ready to live together.”

“Me neither.” He laughs and turns to me, taking both my hands in his. “Do you know how long it takes to build a house?”

“Yes, Isaac is a contractor.”

“Great, he can build it.”

“But…”

“Listen.” He kisses me, his smile still in place, and I calm, just a bit. “We don’t even need to break ground until we both agree that we’re ready to take that step, Sam. The land will be here.”

“But it’s so far out of town.”

“No, it’s not.” He shakes his head and chuckles almost shyly. “I took the scenic route. I was trying to kill time while waiting for the radio to play your song.”

“How far out are we?”

“Only ten minutes from downtown.” He runs his fingertips down my cheek. “Think of the closet you can build, baby.”

“Oh God, it’s not fair to bribe me with a closet.”

“I’m not bribing you.” He tosses his head back as he laughs. “I want you to have full input on the house. You can have anything you want, whenever you’re ready.”

“Did you already buy it?” I ask, already knowing the answer.

He looks down and frowns nervously and then looks back into my eyes. “Yes. For us. For when we’re ready. It’s gonna happen, sunshine. You’re mine.”

He’s right. And I love him for not pressuring us to jump into it right now, but rather letting things progress as they should.

“So, when we’re ready to move in together,” I clarify, “we’ll draw up plans and have Isaac build us a house here, on a seventy-five-foot cliff?”

“Or on the grassy part over there,” he agrees.

I look out over the gray water, covered in dark clouds with white seagulls flying over it looking for food. A ferry is carrying people to one of the islands.

“It’s a beautiful view.”

“Yes, it is.” I glance over to find him staring down at me with serious eyes. “I want to look at it for the rest of my life.”

Wow.

“Thank you.” I hug him tight, bury my face in his chest and breathe him in.

“For what, sweetheart?”

“My song. This place.” I lean back and look up into his handsome face. “Being so good to me.”

“You’re welcome.” He kisses my forehead and leads me back to the car. “Wanna get takeout and a movie on the way home?”

“And cupcakes.”

***

“Seriously, why do men think all this blood is cool?” I cringe as another poor bad guy gets blown away on the big-screen TV in Leo’s bedroom.

“Ask your brother, he’s the expert.” Leo laughs and takes another bite of his lemon cupcake. I eye it longingly, and he pulls it out of my reach. “Mine.”

“But I didn’t get lemon.” I bat my eyes at him and cup his dick in my hand. “Please?”

“You don’t fool me.” He smirks and pushes my hand away. “You’re a selfish brat when it comes to cupcakes.”

“Meanie.” I pout and cross my arms over my chest. My cupcake was devoured long ago.

He smirks again as his phone rings.

“Nash.” He swallows his cake and frowns. “When?”

I don’t like the tone of his voice. He pauses the movie and sits up straight, checking his watch.

“Okay, man, don’t panic. I’ll call the flight crew and get the jet ready. You just get your shit together and meet us there. Yeah, I’ll call the other guys too. Tell Lori we love her.”

He hangs up and runs his hand down his face.

“That was Gary.”

“What’s wrong?” I immediately ask.

“Lori’s in labor.”

“She’s early.” I frown.

“Yeah, we thought we had time. Gary’s still here. We need to get him down to her.” He jumps up off the bed and just looks around, his eyes worried, like he doesn’t know what to do first.

“Okay, you make your calls, and I’ll pack your bag.” I reach for his large duffle.

“Are you sure? You should come with me.”

I fold his jeans and a few tees and lay them in the bag. “I can’t, babe. I have interviews, and Luke called today while we were at the cliffs. He wants to chat.” I shake my head and smile at him reassuringly. “It’ll be okay. Get Gary home, check on Lori. Tell her I’m sorry that I can’t be there.”

“Okay.” His mouth is grim, and I can see the internal struggle of taking care of his guy and being here with me. “I don’t like it.”

“It’ll be okay,” I repeat and hug him tight. “Make your calls.”

“Thanks.” He kisses my forehead and gets to work, calling to make sure the jet will be ready within the hour.

Must be nice to have a plane at your beck and call.

As he paces the bedroom, placing call after call, I gather his things and pack his bag. His toiletries, socks, underwear. He really has great underwear. They’re all the really short boxer-briefs in black. Some say Armani along the elastic waist. Some say Ed Hardy. God, they’re hot.

“Why are you staring at my underwear?” he asks with a laugh.

“I was picturing what you look like in them.” I smirk and throw them in the bag. “You have hot underwear.”

“What’s up with your obsession with underwear?”

“I just like it.” I shrug.

He shakes his head and makes his next call. I run downstairs to grab his computer and anything else he might need when I spot a notepad on the couch. The top sheet is covered in half-finished song lyrics. I read them and grin. This is definitely not a ballad, badass or otherwise.

I flip to a fresh sheet and scribble a note, fold it in half, and carry the rest of his things to the bedroom to add them to his bag.

“I think I’m about ready.” He frowns as his eyes move around the room and over to me. “Will you drive me to the airport?”

“Sure, but I don’t have my car,” I remind him. “I’ll have to drive your car.”

“I’ll drive to the airport, and you can drive it home, if you promise to be careful.”

“Are you insinuating that I’m a reckless driver?” I ask and plant my hands on my hips, feigning annoyance.

“No, I just want you to be careful with my car. It’s new. And really cool.”

“It’s okay.” I shrug and laugh when his jaw drops in disbelief.