Groupie/Rock Star Bundle (71 page)

As the sun slipped into the Pacific each of
them were stuffed to the gills and pleasantly satisfied with their
simple homespun holiday. They cleaned up together and then played a
board game by the fireplace. Graham suggested that they set up a
Christmas tree but all three of them were worn out. It had been a
marathon to help him recover the time he’d lost while he was
ill.

In all honesty he wasn’t that excited to go
back out in the real world again given that’s where his bout of
pneumonia hit. Obviously his immune system wasn’t what it used to
be and the unexpected bacterial virus nearly did what a bullet
couldn’t even do. Maggie must have had the same concerns because
she was quick to shoot down any plans that would overexert
him.

His susceptibility to illness scared her more
than she cared to admit. He knew the severity of the condition and
the quickness in which it hit it reminded her of her late husband.
Since she made it clear she wasn’t going to quit until they got him
on his feet again, he knew she wasn’t going to take any more
chances with his health.

The three of them were content to let the
weekend pass without any strenuous plans. As tired as they all
were, Graham figured a weekend of rest was just what the doctor
ordered.

Holly, however, had other plans. She chose that
particular weekend to confide in Andy a secret that Graham knew
would send her into an emotional tailspin.

He happened to pass by the office as Holly and
Andy were chatting via video, as they had come to do now that
Dreaming in Blue had relocated to New York. The conversation was
more personal than business so Graham normally would have passed
right by.

That was when Holly dropped the
bombshell.

“I hate to be any kind of gossip but something
has happened that I think you should know, given your history. And
it’s only as your friend that I tell you this. He’s moved in with
someone.”

Andy tried to act uninterested but Graham knew
better. “It’s not the first time,” she dismissed. “Doubt it will be
the last.”

“It’s pretty serious,” Holly
insisted.

Andy reluctantly played the game. “How
serious?”

“They’re talking about having a
baby.”

Graham’s eyes closed. He knew that Holly had
just ripped out Andy’s heart with that casual tidbit of gossip.
“Isn’t that a little sudden? Vanni never wanted to start a family
before.”

“He said she’s different from any other woman
he’s ever known. He knew when he met her that he wanted her as the
mother to his children. And since he has reunited with his dad he
feels like he is ready for a real family. The way he sees it, he’s
put off settling down long enough. He said there’s nothing out
there but more disappointment, it is time to seize the happy while
he can.”

Andy couldn’t help but notice Holly had quite
the inside scoop on what Vanni was thinking. It reminded her of the
possessive way she had always spoken about Graham. She asserted
herself as an authority on the subject of Vanni. Andy tried her
best to play off the gossip, she couldn’t imagine Vanni had such an
about-face when it came to children. She was a veteran of that
particular war. “I’ll believe it when I see it,” she finally
said.

“They’re already trying,” Holly insisted.
“Given the circumstances I think it’s the best thing that can
happen. I think it could really turn his image around.”

Andy’s pounced all over that. “From what I
understand the controversy has died down considerably in the last
couple of weeks. And aren’t you supposed to be the girlfriend on
record? Won’t this just stir things up all over again?”

Holly hesitated for a moment. “Vanni would get
mad that I’ve said this much already. I just didn’t want you to get
sucker-punched again like you were in Los Angeles.”

She let that hang in the air for a moment as
both Andy and eavesdropping Graham let its implication sink
in.

“I gotta go,” Holly said suddenly. “Vanni’s
calling. We’ll talk later, okay?”

Andy mumbled, “Okay,” but Holly had already
disconnected. Graham waited for a minute or two before he opened
the door to the office. Andy was slouched across the desk with her
head in her arms.

“Are you okay?” he asked as he rolled into the
room.

She lifted up, white as a sheet, with an ocean
of unshed tears behind her darkened hazel eyes. “Fine. Just
tired.”

He rolled around to her. She was always tired
lately. “Maybe you should take a nap.”

She shook her head. “We’ve got work to do,” she
said as she tried her best to smile. He could tell she was dying
inside. It wasn’t that long ago when she thought she might be
pregnant with Vanni’s child, and now she had to face the fact they
had moved on and he could start a family with someone
else.

It was something Graham could no longer promise
he could provide for her. There were so many variables about his
future; maybe it was unfair of him to saddle her with them
all.

The thought nagged at him all day, especially
after she escaped to her room that afternoon. She had held back as
much as she could but he knew from the echoed sobbing behind the
door that this news had devastated her.

He wheeled out to the living room where Maggie
sat reading a book. “Are you okay?” she asked, immediately reading
the conflict on his face.

He nodded, and then shook his head. “Andy’s
upset,” he stated simply.

Maggie marked her page and placed the book in
her lap. “About?”

He took a deep breath. “The man she loves is
going to start a family with someone else.”

“I thought you were the man she loved,” Maggie
said gently.

“Not like this other man,” he answered
honestly. “This other man is a firework. Exciting. Explosive.
Dynamic. I’m the safe, old shoe.”

She chuckled. “Don’t discount the value of a
good shoe, Graham. Many women spend an entire lifetime looking for
that perfect fit.”

He had to smile. “What if I’m the wrong fit?”
he finally asked out loud. “What if she chose to be here because
she felt obligated to, but her destiny is the guy she gave
up?”

“That’s the thing about destiny. No matter what
you do, it’ll show up on your doorstep anyway. If he’s going to
start a family with someone else, that’s a good sign he’s not it.
She’s here. You’re here. Why does it have to be any more
complicated than that?”

He shook his head. He didn’t know. “What if I
can’t give her what she wants? What if I can’t father her children?
Forget about walking her down the aisle, what if I promise her
‘till death do us part’ only to die six months from now from some
stupid infection?”

“What if you live to be a hundred and father
fifteen kids? There’s no way to know the future. All we have is
today. And that’s what we gotta make great.” He still looked
unconvinced so she walked over to where he sat in his wheelchair.
She knelt down to eye level and put both his hands in hers. “If
it’s love, you never regret it, even if it doesn’t turn out like
you planned. I’m not sorry for all the years I lost with my
husband. I’m grateful for the ones I was blessed to have. There are
no guarantees, Graham. If you’re lucky enough to find love, what
else in the world could you possibly need?”

He grasped her hands in his. “You’re a wise
woman, Maggie Lawson.”

“I just read a lot,” she said with a shrug. She
reached up to kiss his forehead, a spontaneous gesture that took
them both off guard. “For the record, I think you’re the best
choice of almost any man. Anyone who can’t see that probably
doesn’t deserve you.”

She left him with that.

He still wasn’t convinced, and ran several
scenarios in his head where he could let her free to go to New York
while there was still time. He loved her enough that he never
wanted to see her unhappy, even if that meant they couldn’t be
together. But if what Holly said was true, and they had no reason
to believe that it wouldn’t be given Vanni’s history, maybe it was
too late for her to chase after him anyway.

Maybe that would just hurt her worse. It wasn’t
the first time she’d been tossed aside for one of his girlfriends.
In fact with his track record it was almost a virtual
certainty.

He was still torn what to do as the clock next
to his bed clicked past midnight. When the door opened he thought
he imagined it, but there she stood, as if he summoned her with his
very thoughts.

Even more remarkably, she wore a familiar
orange peignoir.

He watched as she floated toward him like an
apparition. “Andy?” he asked unnecessarily. “What are you
doing?”

She slid into bed next to him. “I’m making my
choice,” she said as she reached for a kiss.

The minute her lips touched his, every nerve
that could still feel anything went up in flames. He had longed for
this moment for so long; and here she was… in his arms… warm and
real. “Andy…” he started, as though he should still be the bigger
man and withdraw his affections so she could chase her happiness
elsewhere.

She held up a finger to his lips. He watched as
she slid each strap down her silky white shoulders, unveiling
herself to him. She ran her hand along his arm until she tangled
her fingers in his. Then she raised his hand to cup her bared
breast as she reached for another kiss.

He wanted to ask her if she was sure, to be
certain that he wasn’t just filling her bed because some other man
had been taken off the market. But all thoughts ground to a
standstill as her tongue danced around his softly parted lips. This
was his dream come true to have her fill his arms at
last.

Maybe it was just like Maggie said. When it was
destiny, when it was meant to be, then nothing could stop it from
happening.

He knew in an instant he didn’t want it to
stop. With every fiber of his being he wanted to make love to her,
and had for years. “Andy,” he whispered against her lips as he
submitted to the moment.

He caressed her gently as he deepened the kiss.
She filled his hand, which set off electricity inside his palm as
her nipple hardened and reached for him. He broke the kiss to trail
his hot mouth down her neck and over her chest until he could take
her into his mouth, which made her throw her head back with a soft
gasp. He held her hardened nipple in between his teeth as he
flicked over the sensitive tip with his tongue, determined to drive
away any ghosts from their bed. She whispered his name as her hand
drifted down under the covers to explore the hardened silhouette of
his body.

She groaned against him and urged him on, so
his other hand slipped lower between their bodies and up the soft
expanse of her thighs. His whole body seemed to spring to life as
he touched her where he’d never before dared to touch. He
luxuriated in her soft flesh, so warm and velvety against his
fingers. His touch was strong but gentle as he stimulated her,
making her breath catch in her throat in between long, slow moans.
He could feel himself ache for her in a way that he’d begun to
think was impossible. Whether it was in his head or a physical
response didn’t seem to matter. He knew the minute his finger
slipped inside her what it would feel like to be buried within her,
one at last.

He knew just where to touch her, a place she’d
never even discovered on her own, to make her quiver almost
instantly all around his fingers with a stifled scream.

He slid the silky nightgown up over her hips as
he urged her to straddle him. He said nothing as he stared deeply
within her eyes, watching her face as she slid down on top of him.
It was the most intimate moment of his life as he lived every
sensation through those golden green depths. He could tell how deep
he was by the way her eyes would open wider with each stroke. He
remembered how tightly she had circled his fingers, and he could
almost feel her clutch him deeper inside her.

He couldn’t have stopped her even if he had
wanted to. His fingers dug into the soft flesh of her hips as he
urged her to go faster. He panted as he tried hard to push up
inside her, though he thought maybe he imagined how much he could
actually do. Maybe he was crazy but he thought he could really feel
her. The sensation was muted but he could have sworn it was there
as she bucked against him.

She tilted her head back and closed her eyes as
she began to spasm uncontrollably on top of him. They both gasped
as they realized he was coming inside her too. She hadn’t expected
it, which is one of two major reasons why she didn’t bother with
birth control, but it pleased her to know that he could still feel
like a man in her arms if nowhere else.

It was the best gift she could give
him.

Vanni was right to move on to someone else,
someone who could give him the life he couldn’t. Her life was
Graham’s, and had been since he took a bullet for her.

This was the only way she could totally let
Vanni free. She would bond herself to Graham once and for
all.

As she dozed in his arms, Graham stroked her
hair like he had always dreamed he would do in the wake of their
lovemaking. It had been more than fulfilling. It had been
life-changing. He was in awe of the miracle she had performed, not
just on his body but in his very soul. She had given him a gift,
specifically his manhood. All he could do was pray that somehow he
could return the favor.