Vaughn had been all over the world. He’d awakened to fresh air in a hut nestled in the mountains of Tibet. To the demanding cries of howler monkeys in the rainforest in Costa Rica. To the sights and sounds of nearly every major city in North America and Europe. He awakened in palatial luxury suites and in a grass hut while volunteering on a mission in his birth mother’s home country of Argentina. But he was pretty sure that he’d never awakened more content than he had that morning holding Allie in his arms.
He’d slipped from beneath the covers, gone to the bathroom and brushed his teeth before returning to bed. The moment his skin met hers, Allie wrapped herself around him again.
Allie’s soft, warm curves were nestled against him. Her cheek was pressed to his chest, and one arm and one leg were slung across his body as she breathed softly.
Her face was shielded by her wild, loose curls. And she wore one of his old Sin & Glory T-shirts and nothing else—since her bra and panties had been hand washed and were hanging in the bathroom to dry.
When Vaughn glided a hand up and down her back and kissed the top of her head, Allie stirred. She stretched and yawned, her face still pressed into his chest and hidden by her dark, silky strands.
He brushed her hair away and kissed her forehead. “Morning, beautiful.”
Even seeing just half her face, the smile that slid across it made Vaughn’s heart swell. She slowly opened her eyes and glanced up at him with a grin before burying her face in his chest again, distorting her words. “Good morning, handsome. What time is it anyway?”
Vaughn glanced at the bedside clock. “Six thirty.”
She groaned. “I could lay here all day but—”
“Then stay.” He cradled her against him. “You’ve only had four hours of sleep.”
“I wish I could stay. But your custom cabinets are going in today, then we can finish laying the hardwood floor in the kitchen. Besides, if the crew arrives and sees my car, it won’t take much of a leap for them to realize I spent the night here.” She kissed his chest. “But I could stay again Saturday night, then I’ll make a full spread for breakfast on Sunday morning.”
Any disappointment he felt melted in the wake of her radiant smile and those glittering dark eyes that hinted at mischief.
“It’s a date.” He pressed a quick kiss to the soft, plump lips that he’d kissed so fervently the previous night. When he tried to slip his tongue between the seam of her lips, she immediately withdrew, pressing a hand to her mouth.
“Let me brush my teeth first.” She scampered out of bed, grabbed her purse from a chair on the other side of the room, then ducked into the bathroom.
Vaughn chuckled as he stared at the ceiling with one arm behind his head. With the other hand, he ran his fingers over the charm around his neck. His mother would’ve really liked Allie. They both had bold personalities, vibrant smiles, an irreverent sense of humor and a contagious laugh.
Allie returned a few minutes later. She hovered over him, tucking her hair behind her ear. “So...where were we?”
Vaughn pulled her into bed and she let out the most delightful squeal of surprise, then she giggled. The sounds made his heart dance. He hovered over her, studying her gorgeous face, scrubbed free of all makeup. He thought about the little girl who’d asked him to marry her. Who would’ve believed that time and distance had brought them here?
Vaughn leaned down and nuzzled her neck, then pressed kisses to her ear.
“Your brothers are going to kill me,” he whispered. “But I’ll die one happy man.”
Allie burst into laughter. She kissed him, then lay back with a gleam in her eyes. “Then it’s a good thing your secret is safe with me.”
Vaughn kissed her, his tongue exploring the minty taste of her mouth. Suddenly, her words hit him.
It’s a good thing your secret is safe with me.
“Wait...what do you mean my secret is safe with you?” He studied her face. “Are you saying we need to hide our relationship from your family?”
“Okay...relationship is a strong word,” Allie said with an uneasy, teasing-but-not-teasing smile. “We literally spent a night together, Vaughn. I don’t think that’s something I need to announce to my entire family.”
Vaughn sat up and wedged a pillow between his back and the headboard. “I thought you said you didn’t need your brothers’ approval when it came to your love life?”
“I don’t need my brothers’ approval when it comes to my sex life.” Allie sat up beside him. “But that doesn’t mean I hop on the family group chat to announce every hookup I’ve ever had, either.” Her tone was soft and teasing.
This was clearly no big deal to her. So why did it feel like one to him?
“So for you, last night was just a hookup?” Vaughn cringed inside just saying the words.
“Isn’t that what this is for you?” Allie seemed genuinely puzzled. She pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them as she studied his face. “I know we didn’t discuss it, but I just assumed...” She raked her fingers through her hair and tugged it over her shoulder, then heaved a quiet sigh. “You’re returning to LA once this project is done.
Allie furrowed her arched brows, her doe-like eyes assessing him carefully. When he still didn’t respond, her gaze softened. He could swear there was a hint of pity in her eyes.
“Given the situation, what was I supposed to think?”
Her words cut deep, and Vaughn wasn’t even sure why. He’d probably used every one of the lines Allie had just said.
Relationship is a strong word. We literally spent a night together. I’m returning to LA after the tour.
So this was how it felt to be on the other side of that conversation. Or maybe he felt different because it was Allie saying those words.
From the moment Allie Price had strutted through the front door of the resort and smiled at him, he’d been an absolute goner. Even before he’d realized who she was.
He’d spent the past few weeks fighting his attraction to her and vehemently denying his growing feelings for his best friend’s kid sister. But Allie was all grown up now.
She was a brilliant, accomplished woman who was sweet and funny. Allie was confident in her abilities. She knew just what to say to set his world right again when it felt like things were going sideways. And she’d inspired him to write some of his best songs yet.
Suddenly, it was clear why things felt so different for him this time. He’d spent the past few weeks falling for Allie, despite his efforts to keep things between them platonic.
Vaughn cradled Allie’s face and kissed her. When he pulled away, she stared at him, studying his gaze.
He grazed her cheekbone with his thumb. “Baby, do you really think I’d risk blowing up a lifelong friendship and my relationship with your entire family for a few nights together?”
Her throat worked as she swallowed hard. She opened her mouth, yet no words came out. He’d rendered the opinionated Allie Price speechless. Something that might never happen again.
Allie stared at Vaughn. Her heart raced, and she went through a variety of emotions in the blink of an eye. Shock. Guilt. Embarrassment. Affection. Flattery. More guilt.
She opened her mouth to speak, but her brain and her mouth suddenly seemed incapable of functioning. Allie sighed softly and squeezed her eyes shut as she leaned into the palm resting against her cheek. She opened her eyes and studied the face that had occupied her thoughts from the time she was a tween until she was twenty.
That was the summer Vaughn Reed had married the younger sister of the band’s lead singer. Allie’s heart had been broken, and she’d been forced to banish the notion that Vaughn Reed would one day return to Willowvale Springs, confess that he’d loved her all along and whisk her away to join him and his bandmates on Sin & Glory’s latest tour.
Now it was ten years later, Vaughn Reed was back home, very single, and she’d just awakened in his bed.
Allie wasn’t a little girl who fantasized about love and relationships anymore. She was a grown woman who’d known the heartbreak and humiliation of a relationship that had failed quite publicly. She’d learned to accept that not every connection was meant to last forever. Some were only meant to last a season—however long or short that season might be. She’d been loving her life since she’d learned that very painful lesson.
So no, she hadn’t expected that Vaughn was interested in anything more than a spectacular one-night stand or perhaps a clandestine fling.
“Vaughn, last night was incredible,” Allie finally managed to say, her pulse racing. “And we’ve already made a date for Saturday night.”
“You mean we’ve made plans to hook up on Saturday night,” he corrected her. One eyebrow shot up and his nostrils flared. He dropped his hand from her face, and she immediately missed his touch.
“I would happily spend every night with you for as long as you’re here in Willowvale Springs.” Allie kissed him and smiled. “I just didn’t want to assume that’s what you wanted.”
“That’s fair. But now you know that I do want to see you again.” He toyed with a strand of her loose hair, his gaze not quite meeting hers. “So now what, Allie?”
Allie worried her lower lip with her teeth, her heart thudding in her chest. She took his hand in hers. “I’d still prefer we kept this between us.”
The pained look in Vaughn’s eyes made her chest ache. She had valid reasons for her concern, so why did she feel like such a terrible person?
“Being one of the bad boys of rock is part of your brand, Vaughn. People expect you to be in and out of relationships and have random one-night stands.”
“Is that what’s bothering you? My reputation in the tabloids?” Vaughn asked. “Because I’d think that by now you know I’m not the guy they portray me as for clickbait online.”
“I do know you, Vaughn.” Allie forced herself to meet his gaze. “But I have my life and reputation to worry about. If you and I had met under any other circumstances, I wouldn’t hesitate to let my family know we were seeing each other. But you’re a business client, Vaughn. Do you have any idea how long it was before my father and brothers trusted me alone on a job with the crew members or male clients?”
Vaughn sucked in an impatient breath, that one eyebrow cocked even higher. But he didn’t respond.
“Three years.” Allie held up three fingers. “One of them would always make an excuse about why they needed to come along or they’d suddenly pop in. I had to threaten to move to Salt Lake City or Vegas for them to start treating me like an adult. I don’t want to go back to that because they’re worried I’m going to be swept off my feet by every handsome, wealthy male client I encounter. Nor do I want the contractors I work with to think that this suddenly means they have a shot.”
“I know how overprotective your dad and brothers are.” Vaughn ran his thumb along the back of her hand. “And I don’t want to make things difficult for you. But I don’t want to play games either, Allie. Nor do I want to lie to my oldest friend about being with his sister.”
“And why would you have to lie? It’s not like Rey is going to randomly interrogate you about whether or not you’ve been banging me.” Allie nudged Vaughn’s arm playfully.
“There is such a thing as a lie of omission,” Vaughn said. “I should know. My ex-wife was really good at it.”
Allie threaded their fingers and leaned her head on Vaughn’s shoulder. “I’m sorry about how things worked out with your ex and that it led to the dissolution of the band. But it sounds like she was holding back information you were entitled to as her life partner,” Allie said. “My family isn’t entitled to know who I’m sleeping with, Vaughn. It isn’t the same thing. You see that, right?” She hoped so. Because she wanted to keep seeing Vaughn while he was in town.
“I do. So if you want to keep this between us, that’s what we’ll do,” he said begrudgingly. “But I need to make something clear...” He lifted her chin. “I won’t lie to your brother about us. Is that a gamble you’re willing to take?”
After all her talk about how she was her own woman, she wasn’t about to back down. Not if it meant walking away from Vaughn before either of them was ready.
“Deal.” She extended a hand to him.
Vaughn didn’t shake her hand.
“And what if this is just the beginning and we eventually want more?” Vaughn swept her hair from her shoulder and kissed her neck, then her ear. “Because when it comes to something I really want... I’ve never been a halfway kind of guy.”
There were butterflies in Allie’s stomach. Her childhood crush was actually worried that he might be falling for her. This night just didn’t seem real.
After years of crushing on Vaughn, she’d finally come to the painful realization that her feelings for him had been a childish, one-sided, imaginary affair. That he’d never seen her as anything more than Rey’s kid sister, and he never would. So despite her bravado in going after Vaughn, she was stunned by his question.
This can’t possibly be real.
Allie was sure that any minute now she’d awake to discover that this was all some lust-induced dream and the hand that had taken her to such great heights had been her own.
A part of her was terrified to consider the possibility that Vaughn might actually be serious about her. That he might want more from her than some forbidden fling.
Allie shoved his shoulders back against the rickety old wooden headboard and climbed onto his lap, her sex positioned over the bulge in his boxer briefs. She ground her hips and pressed her mouth to his, ending any objection he might’ve had to her evading his question.
Vaughn lifted the hem of the shirt, and she raised her arms to accommodate him. He tossed the shirt onto the floor and grazed her nipples with his thumbs, his eyes locked on to hers.
His gaze seemed to tell her that he knew exactly what she was doing, and he was choosing to let her get away with it.
Fair enough.
Vaughn dipped his head and took one of the pebbled tips into his mouth. Teased her with his tongue. Grazed her erect nipple with his teeth.
Allie dropped her head back, her hips moving more deliberately over his thick length. She murmured softly at the delicious friction provided by the now damp fabric encasing his erection as it made contact with her hardened clit.
Vaughn grabbed hold of Allie’s waist, pulling her hard against him.
She cried out from the unexpected pleasure of the sudden move, her pulse racing.
The corners of his mouth lifted in a wicked smile. Vaughn lowered his hands, gripping her bottom so tightly she held back a small yelp. There was a hint of pain that only intensified the pleasure she was feeling. Then he repositioned her. She moved back and forth with increased fervor, chasing the high of the mind-blowing orgasms he’d given her last night. He pulled and pushed her, moving with her and increasing the friction for both of them. Until she came hard, calling his name so loudly again and again that her throat felt hoarse.
Vaughn flipped her over, then he reached for one of the remaining condoms and sheathed himself as she lay on her back looking up at him as she tried to catch her breath.
She whimpered softly at the sensation of him filling her until he’d reached bottom. Hands behind her knees, he’d lifted her legs, his hips gliding back and forth slowly at first. Then more quickly. He’d taken her over the edge again, her fingernails digging into his biceps as she called his name. Until he’d stiffened, his back arching as he’d emptied himself inside the condom.
He lay on his back beside her, both of them huffing, as they tried to catch their breath. Vaughn wrapped his arms around Allie and pulled her against him, dropping a kiss on her head.
Allie sighed quietly, her heart still racing as she held on to him. She squeezed her eyes shut, thinking about Vaughn’s question.
What if this is only the beginning and we eventually want more?
It was too late for that.
She’d gone into this telling herself that her flirtation with Vaughn was only a bit of fun. A chance to bang her celebrity crush and check something a little wild off of her bucket list. Knowing that having anything real and long-term with Vaughn Reed was an impossibility because his life was in LA and hers was there in Willowvale Springs.
But now she wasn’t so sure. Because that little voice in the back of her head that had always believed that she and Vaughn were meant to be together had grown louder. And she wanted to believe it, too.