When in Rome(95)

“You’re…here,” I say, still having trouble formulating words.

A slow smile unfurls over his lips and he steps toward me. His eyes track the length of my body and then to my face again. “I am. And you are stunning. Your concert was incredib—Oof!” I slam my body into his before he can finish his sentence and crash my mouth into his. I wrap my arms tightly around his neck, so he gets the message that I’m never letting go. I hope he doesn’t have stage fright because I’m going to have to perform like this from now on.

He laughs and encircles my waist, holding me tightly to him.

“You were out there!” I say once I finally stop kissing him. “Did you throw flowers from Annie’s shop?”

He nods. “I’m sorry I’ve been distant this week.”

“It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not,” he says as his face shifts into a frown. “Emily stopped by the shop yesterday and pointed out that I’ve had my head up my ass.” I laugh because I can perfectly picture Emily giving Noah a dressing-down. “Turns out, I’ve been distancing myself from you because I worried this wouldn’t work between us.”

“I figured when my third call went to your answering machine.”

He grimaces. “I’m so sorry. But you have my word that I’m all in from now on. No more playing it safe. I want to give this relationship everything I’ve got. And to prove it…” Noah’s hand dives into his pocket and then pulls out an iPhone. He takes my hand, turning it over and placing the phone in my palm.

“You got a cell phone?” My voice is pure awe. Tears are clinging to my lashes. For most people this wouldn’t mean much, but for Noah, adjusting to modern technology is on par with changing religions.

“And Wi-Fi is being installed in my house as we speak. If I have to be apart from you for months on end, I at least want to be able to see your pretty smile on FaceTime.”

“You really are getting internet installed at your house?”

“Yep. And I’m going to need you to show me how to use this damn thing. Why are there so many little pictures on the screen?”

“Those are called apps.”

He grunts. “I don’t like them.”

“We’ll delete all of them except for the ones you need.”

“I still don’t love it.”

I smile and toss his phone onto the dressing room couch so I can wrap my arms around him again. “I’m all in, too, just so you know.”

“Good, because there’s more.” He runs his fingers across the fringe of my bangs and then down the back of my hair like he’s savoring me. “If your offer still stands, I’d like to join you on tour more often. I don’t want to spend these entire nine months without you.”

A happy sigh escapes my ear-to-ear smile. “Really? What about your grandma and The Pie Shop?”

“I worked it out with my sisters. They were happy to adjust the schedule to where they take more days visiting Grandma. And I already have someone who works weekends for me who said she’d be happy to cover for me while I’m gone.”

I give him a quick peck on his mouth again like I’m proving his frown doesn’t exist now. “What about this week? Could you take off and come with me to the next two shows?”

He bends and kisses my cheek. And then my jaw. And then my neck. “I was really hoping you were going to offer that because Claire already had my bag taken to your tour bus.”

A joyful laugh spills out of me. Along with an embarrassing amount of happy tears. “Are you kidding? We are going to play so much Scrabble now!”

His kisses turn hotter—blazing one after another up the line of my throat while his big hand cups my backside and squeezes playfully. “I don’t know…I was thinking of something else we could do that would be more fun.”

I give a delighted hum, telling him just how much I approve of that idea.

He pulls away long enough to give me a slanted smile. “Finish the book we were reading together, obviously…what did you think I was meaning?”

I kiss him. Slowly and tenderly. “Oh, me, too. Reading for sure.”





US WEEKLY TOP HEADLINE


     RAE ROSE CONFIRMS ENGAGEMENT IN CRYPTIC SOCIAL MEDIA POST


For months fans have speculated on the possible relationship between Rae Rose and the mystery man who was spotted with her in a small town in Kentucky before her world tour began. Things seemed to heat up on her tour, as they were photographed together holding hands while getting in and out of vehicles, and even sharing a lingering kiss in line at a coffee shop in France. Anyone who saw the photo can confirm that the kiss was most definitely French.

Since the end of her tour the princess of soulful pop has disappeared from the public eye, only tweeting the day after her final concert that she loves her fans dearly and is taking an extended step out of the spotlight to rest and recover. The singer has not been seen or heard from for three months, until yesterday, when she broke her social media hiatus and posted an Instagram photo of her hand clasped with a man’s—a gorgeous princess cut engagement ring gracing her finger. The caption read: “When in Rome…” leaving fans buzzing with anticipation and hungry for more news.

Is Rae Rose officially off the market? And could it be that she’s been hiding in Rome, Italy, all this time?