Lick (Stage Dive, #1)(54)

“Yeah, yeah, Adrian. I know,” he said.

Trepidation tightened me one muscle at a time. God, please, not now. We were doing so well. Couldn’t they stay away just a little longer?

“What time’s the flight?” he asked.

“Fuck,” came next.

“No, we’ll be there. Relax. Yeah, bye.”

He turned to face me, phone dangling from his hand. “There’s some stuff going on in LA that Mal and I need to be there for. Adrian’s already sent a chopper for us. We all need to get ready.”

My smile strained my face, I could feel it. “Okay.”

“Sorry we’re getting cut short here. We’ll come back soon, yeah?”

“Absolutely. It’s fine.”

That was a lie, because we were going back to LA.





CHAPTER FIFTEEN




David’s knee jiggled all the way back to LA. When I put my hand on his leg he took to toying with my wedding ring instead, turning it around on my finger. Seemed we were both fidgeters, given the right circumstances.

I’d never been in a helicopter before. The view was spectacular, but it was loud and uncomfortable—I could see why people preferred planes. A chain of lights, from street lights to houses to the blazing high rise towers in LA, lit the way. Everything about the situation had changed but I was the same bundle of nervous energy in need of sleep that I had been leaving Portland, not so many days back. Mal had thrown himself into the corner, closed his eyes, and gone to sleep. Nothing fazed him. Of course, there was no reason this should. He was part of the band, welded into David’s life.

We landed a little after four in the morning, caught up by delays on departure. Bodyguard Sam stood waiting at the helicopter pad with a business face on.

“Mrs Ferris. Gentlemen.” He ushered us into a big black SUV waiting nearby.

“Straight back home, thanks, Sam,” David said. His home, not mine. LA had no happy memories for me.

Then we were ensconced in luxury, locked away behind dark windows. I sank back against the soft seating, closing my eyes. It kind of amazed me I could be so damn tired and worried all at once.

Back at the mansion, Martha waited, leaning against the front door, wrapped up in some expensive-looking red shawl. His PA gave me all the bad feelings. But I was determined to fit in this time. David and I were together. Screw her, she’d have to adapt. Her dark hair shone, flowing over her shoulders, not a strand out of place. No doubt I looked like someone who’d been awake for over twenty hours.

Sam opened the SUV door and offered me a hand. I could feel Martha’s eyes zero in on the way David slung an arm around me, keeping me close. Her face hardened to stone. The look she gave me was poison. Whatever her issues, I was too damn tired to deal with them.

“Martie,” Mal crowed, running up the steps to slip an arm around her waist. “Help me find breakfast, oh gorgeous one.”

“You know where the kitchen is, Mal.”

The curt dismissal didn’t stop Mal from sweeping her off with him. Martha’s first few steps faltered but then she strutted once more, ever on show. Mal had cleared the way. I could have kissed his feet.

David said nothing as we made our way up the stairs to the second floor, our footsteps echoing in the quiet. When I went to turn toward the white room, the one I’d stayed in last time, he steered me right instead. At a set of double doors we stopped and he fished a key out of his pocket. I gave him a curious look.

“So I have trust issues.” He unlocked the door.

Inside, the room was simple, lacking the antiques and flashy décor of the rest of the house. A huge bed made up with dark gray linens. A comfortable sofa to match. Lots of guitars. An open wardrobe, full of clothes. Mostly, there was empty space. Room for him to breathe, I think. This room felt different to the rest of the house, less showy, calmer.

“It’s okay, you can look around.” His hand slid down to the base of my spine, resting just above the curve of my ass. “It’s our room now,” he said.

God, I hoped he didn’t want to live here permanently. I mean, I did have school to go back to eventually. We hadn’t exactly gotten around to discussing where we’d live. But the thought of Martha, Jimmy and Adrian being around all the time sent me into a panic. Shit. I couldn’t afford to think like that. Negativity would swallow me whole. What was important was being with David. Sticking together and making it work.

How horrible, being forced to live in the lap of luxury with my wonderful husband. Poor me. I needed a good slap and a cup of coffee. Or twelve hours’ sleep. Either would work wonders.

He drew the curtains, blocking out the dawn’s early light. “You look beat. Come lie down with me?”

“That’s, umm … yeah, good idea. I’ll just use the bathroom.”

“Okay.” David started stripping, dumping his leather jacket on the lounge chair, pulling off his T-shirt. The normal hoorah of my hormones was sorely missing in action. Drowned out by the nerves. I fled into the bathroom, needing a minute to pull myself together. I closed the door and switched on the lights. The room blazed to life, blinding me. Spots flickered before my eyes. I stabbed switches at random until finally it dimmed to a soft glow. Much better.

A giant white tub that looked like a bowl, gray stone walls and clear glass partitions. Simply put, it was opulent. One day I’d probably become inured to all this, but I hoped not. Taking it for granted would be terrible.