It Must Be Your Love (The Sullivans #11)(52)

Though she assumed looking serious and menacing was part of the bodyguard code, Billy broke out in a huge smile when he saw her. He spoke into a transmitter in his left ear, and a moment later, Ford came busting out of a set of dark red double doors.

He was still dripping with sweat from being on stage...and looked impossibly beautiful to her as he called out her name. He looked like he couldn’t believe she was there—and as if pulled together by gravity, they moved toward each other. But just when she was close enough that he could easily have reached out and pulled her against him, he stopped.

She faltered for a few horrible moments as she looked into his dark eyes. Why wasn’t he touching her? Why hadn’t he kissed her yet?

But then, suddenly, she realized why. Because, just like in her office this morning, he wasn’t sure if she’d want everyone to know that they were together. He was waiting for her to make the decision about going public with him. Twelve hours ago, she’d made one decision.

Tonight, she made another.

The right one.

A heartbeat later, she threw herself into his arms and kissed him without holding back.

Chapter Twenty-two

There had been a lot of great moments in Ford’s life. His first sold-out show. Winning his first Grammy. Having his lyric notebooks put into the permanent displays in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

But holding Mia in his arms easily surpassed them all.

Her lips were soft, but her tongue and teeth were hungry as she kissed him passionately. Her gorgeous legs were wrapped around his waist and her arms were wound around his neck as she told him without needing to say a single word just how happy she was to be here with him tonight.

Though he wished she could have been in the audience, he’d been so inspired from being with Mia during the past few days that he knew he’d given a pretty great show tonight. And maybe it was good that she hadn’t made it to the stadium any sooner, because if he’d known that she’d be waiting for him backstage afterward, he might not have been able to resist cutting the show short just to have a few more minutes with her.

Though he knew he’d need to put her down soon, her soft moan of pleasure as he threaded his hands into her silky hair and took their kiss even deeper made him want to do crazy things to her...and nearly made him forget that they were making out in front of his crew.

“I drove as fast as I could,” she said when he finally managed to pull his lips from hers, “but I still missed your show.”

He nipped at her lower lip. “And I missed you all day.”

They were so close that between his wet T-shirt and her thin silk shirt, he could feel her heart beating against his as she said, “I should have gotten on the bus with you this morning.”

Of course that was what he’d wanted, but he’d been careful not to even suggest that his show might take precedence over her own busy day in the office. “You’re here now.” And that was all that mattered, just being with the woman he loved more than he’d known it was possible to love anyone. “I was just heading to my bus. Ride back to Seattle with me, Mia. Unless,” he teased, “there’s something you’re dying to do in Eugene tonight, first?”

“Just you. I just want you, Ford.”

Slowly, he slid her to the floor. When her feet finally touched solid ground again, he threaded his fingers through hers and was heading out to his bus when she suddenly stopped.

“My car. I completely forgot about it.”

So had he, in his rush to be alone with her. “Where is it?”

“I parked out front. I think it was in a red zone. All I could think about was getting to you before you left the building. For all I know, they’ve towed it by now.”

He kissed her again, a quick press of his lips to hers, but one full of just as much possession as it was surrender to the magic that had always been between them.

“Billy,” Ford called, “can you take care of getting Mia’s car back to Seattle?”

“Sure thing, boss.”

Mia handed him her keys. “Thank you, Billy.” She described the make and model and gave him her license plate number, just in case he did need to track it down with a tow truck company. “I really appreciate it.”

“No problem at all, Miss Sullivan.”

* * *

“Wow,” Mia said when they stepped into his tour bus. “Your old bus was nice, but this one is over the top.” She ran her hand over shiny iron handrail by the stairs. “Please tell me these walls aren’t gold-plated or that you’ve got diamond-studded rims on the tires.”

Ford gave her a wicked grin as he pulled her inside and closed the door behind them. “If you think this part of the bus is nice, you should see the bedroom.”

Mia had never been the nervous virgin type. She didn’t blush or giggle or play coy. And yet, though she and Ford already knew each other intimately, being alone in his bus while he stood beside her in a T-shirt that was damp enough to outline each incredible ridge of muscle along his chest and abdomen, made her heart race and her breath come too fast.

After he buzzed his driver to let him know that they were ready to head out, Mia decided she needed to take back control. After all, she’d already abruptly left work in the middle of the day, chased Ford to Oregon, then jumped him in the middle of a crowded backstage area. Now that she was finally here and they had hours of driving ahead of them to get back to Seattle, there was no way she was going to let him hold her at arm’s length again for the rest of the night.