Assured (Soul Serenade #2)(39)

She doesn’t respond for a long time. Finally, she looks up at me, those green eyes putting me under her spell. “This is real to me, Cole.”

Fuck! This is not where or how I wanted to do this. I move to sit up and she does the same; her back against the seat, I lean over and block us from the view of our friends. I gently cup her face, feeling her soft skin. “Baby, I’ve never been more real about anything in my life. I want this. I want you. I don’t know what the hell I’m doing, but whatever it is, being in a relationship, all of that, I want it with you.”

She bites down on her lip and her eyes fill with tears. I’m just about to take it all back, to tell her we can do what we’ve been doing, anything to stop her tears. Until she nods.

“Baby?”

“Okay,” she whispers, as if she’s still uncertain. “Don’t break my heart, Cole.”

Never.

Leaning in, I kiss her, just a soft touch of my lips to hers. I feel tears on my lips.

“Don’t cry, sweets. We’re going to rock this. You and me, okay?”

“Okay,” she says again.

Fuck, I sound like I’m giving her a f*cking pep talk before a damn basketball game. She’s going to dump my dumb ass before we get started.

“We’ll take it as fast or as slow as you want, but I want you to be mine. Above all else, I need to know that you’re mine.” I know with all that I am that we will make this work. Failing her, these feelings I have for her, is not an option.

“Okay,” she repeats. This time, a slow smile graces her lips.

She’s mine. That was easier than I thought, but then again, I’ve been showing her every f*cking day that she’s all I see.

We pull into the hotel and the paparazzi are ready and waiting. Someone tipped them off, and I’m sure it was Brian f*cking Wilson, none other than the CEO of Stone Records.

“Fucking Brian,” Kacen seethes. He’s pissed too.

We want a few nights to just be us. Most of the time, people will leave us alone if we don’t roll in a huge entourage. Unless someone tips them off. We’ve had a feeling it’s been Brian for a while now. It all traces back to him. Jones wouldn’t do that; he’s one of the good guys.

“Stacy, I need you to stay close to me. The valet will take care of the car and our bags, so just grab your purse and stay close.”

She nods. I climb over her and get out first, wanting to shield her from them as much as possible. Not because I want to hide her, but because I just got her to agree to try this with me. I don’t need them digging into her life and scaring her away before I have a chance to convince her that we’re good together.

Once I’m out, I reach in for her hand. The others are already inside. When she steps out, I wrap my arms around her and she buries her head in my chest.

“Cole, over here.”

“Who’s the girl?”

“Is she your girlfriend?”

“Cole, can we get a picture.”

I ignore every single one of them. All I want to do is get Stacy inside. Everyone else is waiting for us just inside the door. Security is keeping the paparazzi out.

“You all right, sweets?” I kiss her temple.

“Yeah.” She smiles up at me.

“What did we miss?” Logan asks.

I look down at the stunning woman in my arms and smirk. She gives a small nod; she knows what I’m asking.

I kiss her temple one more time before facing our friends, my family. These three guys and Logan are my extended family, and I’m bursting with both anxiety and excitement to tell them.

“I convinced this one”—I pull her to my chest—“to be my girl.”

I expect a chorus of “No shit.” Or “What are you thinking?” for Stacy. Instead, we’re met with knowing smiles.

“Finally, you both realize it. I thought we were going to have to dumb it down for the two of you.” Gavin says.

“What?” Stacy asks.

“Stacy, we all could see it. You two don’t take your eyes off each other. We were just letting you come to the conclusion on your own. Although, Gavin’s right. We thought we were going to have to point it out,” Logan tells us.

Stacy giggles beside me and I want to bottle the sound.

A hotel attendant approaches us. “Mrs. Hampton?” He looks at Stacy, because well, everyone knows Kace and Logan are married.

She used my name. I want to beat on my chest like a f*cking caveman. It sounds pretty f*cking fantastic too.

Stacy Hampton.

Mrs. Cole Hampton

I like it.

“You used my name,” I say next to her ear.

Looking over her shoulder at me, she smiles. “You told me to.”

“Here are your keys, ma’am. As we discussed on the phone, I already checked you in. The valet will handle your car and deliver your bags. . . . Uh, we might not know whose go where.” The girl looks scared that we’re going to rip her head off.

“No problem. Just drop them off in any of the rooms and we can sort it out from there,” Stacy tells her.

“Yes, ma’am. Take the elevator to the top floor. All the suites on that floor are yours.” She hands her room cards.

In the elevator, Stacy hands everyone a key but me, and I don’t question her. I assume she wants to talk about this revelation in the car before we go our separate ways. If I had my way, I would never leave her side. My room can set empty for all I care.