The Gypsy Ribbon Read online

  Several long moments passed. Beth coughed softly to bring him back to the present.

  With a start James raised his eyes to her. “A woman I could talk to, one who could make me laugh. A woman I could fall asleep with every single night and wake up with every single morning.” His voice dropped down to a husky whisper. “A woman like you.”

  He picked up the nearly empty wine bottle and divided the remainder into both glasses. There was an awkward silence before he spoke again, his emerald eyes sharpening with intent. “Still you’re not saying anything. Well, how about this, Miss Beth. When I first saw you, I felt an immediate connection, in spite of you running away and leaving without so much as a nod. We’ve gotten to know each other better, and I’m even more attracted now that I was before. And it’s just getting worse, Beth. Every single day, I’m thinking about you more and more.”

  * * * *

  Beth inhaled sharply, not even aware that she had been holding her breath. “James, I-”

  He cut her off with an impatient wave. “I’m not done. I’m not even close to done. I want to be a part of your life, and if you’ll just tell me what it’ll take to convince you that I really do care about you, I’ll do it. If you won’t tell me, then I’m going to continue to muck around until I finally hit on something that works. I’m not going away unless you tell me straight out that you don’t want me. And maybe not even then.” He held up his hand with his thumb and forefinger a fraction of an inch apart. “I’m this close to falling in love with you. What I want to know–what I need to know–is if maybe, just maybe, some part of you could fall in love with me.”

  He sat back in the chair and folded his arms across his chest, eyes lowered to the table. “All right, now I’m done,” he muttered, adding as an obvious afterthought, “talking, that is.”

  Beth took a sip of wine and dabbed at the corners of her mouth with the napkin, stalling to regain her composure. “James, it just seems that…”

  “Don’t even start with that ‘I’m not pretty enough’ business again, I’ll not have it.” He snorted. “I don’t want excuses from you, woman, I want an answer.” Holding her gaze captive, he deliberately shrugged his broad shoulders and nodded once. “Right, now I’m done,” he snapped. “Your turn.”

  Beth lowered her lashes and mentally reached out to read his energy. The turbulent emotions rolling off him were astounding; anger, exasperation, hope…but the one she was most surprised to find was the feeling of desperation. He really does care, she realized with amazement. Throwing caution to the wind, she decided to be completely honest.

  “I’m just having trouble believing that it’s really you, and that you’re really interested in me. Me. I’ve had a poster of you on my wall for years, saw you at the concerts and watched all those gorgeous women throw themselves at you. Turns out you’re a regular guy after all. A nice guy too,” she smiled shyly. “I just don’t want to get hurt, James.”

  He snorted again. “Well, that makes two of us, don’t it, darlin’.”

  She bit back a smile and conceded grudgingly, “I guess maybe I could love you a little bit.”

  He quickly turned his face away, but not before she saw the twinkle in his eyes. “Think you could manage that, do you?”

  “I’m willing to give it a chance if you are,” she snapped, arching an eyebrow.

  He wadded up his napkin and threw it on the table. “Fine by me,” he growled.

  “Fine.”

  “Fine.” He grinned. “Then give us a kiss and seal the bargain,” he said. She leaned over to give him a quick brush on the cheek, and he looked back at her with reproachful eyes. “Now that was weak,” he sighed.

  Her mouth curved into a smile. “Then how’s this?” and she wound her arms around his neck, sealing the bargain to both their satisfaction.

  10

  After dinner, James escorted her back to her apartment. One thing at a time, Beth fretted. Be strong. Show him you’re not a pushover just in case all that feelings stuff was a line. Pausing to unlock her door, she braced for a full-scale seduction. James followed her inside and once there he, as she had suspected he would, pulled her into his arms and held her. Wait…what? Just…held her. He stood quietly with his arms tight around her waist, his face buried in her hair, his breath warm on her neck.

  She raised her arms to encircle his neck and pulled him closer to her. He did not speak, but she felt him tremble in response. Her body melted into his as she reveled in the protective feel of his strong arms around her and when she leaned into him, he held her tighter still. The hard length of his body pressed against her and a small part of her thrilled at the idea that he was aroused at her touch.

  She had no idea how long they stood there, clinging to each other and breathing soft sighs of contentment. When the alarm on his Rolex went off just after ten, his entire body tensed in frustration. He held her for a second or two longer before whispering low in her ear, “I have to go, my darlin’.”

  She gave him a reluctant squeeze before loosening her grip. “What time is your flight?” she said in a muffled voice, her face still buried in his chest.

  He tilted her chin up to meet his gaze and smiled down at her. “Clever girl, when did you figure it out?”

  “I looked up your tour schedule,” she admitted. “It’s very flattering that you’d go to all this trouble just to see…me.”

  “I’d do that and more,” he said with a guileless grin, stepping back and taking her hand. “We’ll be in Tampa soon and I’ll have a whole day off. Will I be able to spend it with you?”

  “I’d like that,” she smiled and hugged him again, wanting those arms around her once more. He chuckled and obliged her, and then taking her by the hand walked toward the door. “The day will come soon where I won’t have to do this anymore. I’m sure looking forward to that.”

  He glanced at his watch again and swore under his breath. “I’ve got to go.” Pulling her hard against him he kissed her fiercely, then turned and left through the open door. She went out on the balcony to watch him go. When he reached the limo he looked up at her, put his fingers to his lips and rested them over his heart. She smiled and waved as he disappeared into the darkened recesses of the long car and watched until the taillights were no longer visible.

  Beth floated around her apartment, too excited to sleep, too tired to stay awake. He’s falling in love with me, she sighed happily. She glided over to her coffee table, reached over and pulled a Tarot card from the middle of the deck. The Two of Cups, courtship and love, and it sent her off in a paroxysm of giggles. With me, she smiled to herself in the mirror and gave her head a shake that sent her curls tumbling.

  Forcing herself into bed she lay awake memorizing all the details of the evening. When she got to the part where he had to leave, she remembered something that hadn’t sunk in at the time. My darling, he had said. My, as in possessive, she thought, and wrapping herself tightly in the memory of his arms, drifted off to sleep.

  * * * *

  At a quarter past midnight, Dante strode up and down the third floor hotel hall with his clipboard, poking his head into every room and yelling over the din. “Six a.m. wakeup, say goodnight, ladies,” to the assorted women scattered throughout. To the men, he yelled, “If you ain’t hit it yet, you ain’t gonna. Shut it down!” Room by room, the clamor died down and with customary good-natured grumbling the roadies began seeking their own beds. He kept his eyes open, but didn’t see the one person he was looking for. At the end of the hall he checked his clipboard again and grabbed one of the newer roadies by the arm when he stumbled by. “Hey, uh…” Dante scrambled to put a name to the face…”Brian, right? You seen Spiderman?”

  Frowning, Brian shook his head and stifled a loud belch. “He was here for a while, but he disappeared maybe an hour ago.” He stepped aside, openly admiring the rear view as a bevy of groupies brushed past on their way to the elevator, readjusting their various stages of undress. “‘Night, ladies,” he called after them chee
rfully.

  Ignoring the women, Dante looked thoughtful. “Did he have a girl with him?”

  “Not that I saw,” the young man offered, then added helpfully, “he kept checking his watch, though. Looked like he was waiting for something.”

  “Well, he’ll turn up. Better get some sleep,” he advised, “Six a.m. comes early.” When Brian just stared at him and blinked, Dante snorted in exasperation and gave him a small shove. “Go lay down before you fall down,” he growled. With a blissful smile, the young roadie nodded and ambled on down the hall.

  Acting on a nagging hunch Dante headed for the elevator, taking it up to the fourth floor. The bell chimed as he stepped out onto the heavily guarded floor where the band was housed, but the bodybuilder types waved him through without question. He walked slowly down the hall, listening to the various sounds coming from each room. There were parties in progress here too, but unlike downstairs Dante had no authority on this floor.

  When he got to James’s room, he paused to listen but heard no noise from within. Behind him, the stairwell door opened with a squeal of metal on metal and he quickly stepped back into a shadowed alcove to avoid being seen. Security immediately converged on the entrance and Dante overheard them demand ID from the intruders.

  There was a chorus of laughter and as Dante watched, the crowd of guards parted to let James Kelly and Spider through. The two men headed for James’s room, speaking in animated but low voices. James unlocked his door and slipped inside, and Spider gave him a casual salute before heading back to the elevator.

  Dante waited in his hiding spot until he was certain James wasn’t coming back out then took the elevator back down to his own floor. “Holy fuck,” he cursed, smacking the button with the side of his fist. Spider disappearing for hours on end was in itself no big deal. Disappearing with the lead singer of one of the biggest bands on the planet? Now that was something else entirely. Dante cringed, knowing which direction the shit would flow once it started moving.

  Making up his mind on the spot, he headed straight for Spider’s room and rapped twice on the door with his knuckles. “Talk to you a minute?” he asked when the door was cracked open.

  Frowning, Spider looked around him into the deserted hallway. “What’s up?”

  Dante frowned too, wondering just how much he needed to divulge to get his point across. “Where’d you disappear off to tonight?”

  Spider’s face was completely impassive. “Around. Why?”

  Dante’s mouth tightened into a firm line as his voice dropped. “Look, I like you. That’s why I’m telling you this, but if you repeat it, I’ll can your ass. Understood?” Spider nodded. “I don’t know where you went, but I know who you went with, and I ain’t the only one watching, savvy?”

  He didn’t wait for a response. Heaving a deep sigh of displeasure, Dante tucked his clipboard under his arm and headed for his own room, the early start time looming large on the horizon.

  * * * *

  Two days later, James spent the morning doing “rock star stuff”–two radio interviews, two quick public appearances, signing autographs and appearing in one local news spot for the upcoming show that evening. By mid afternoon, he was more than ready to blow off some excess steam. With bodyguards in tow, he made a beeline for the hotel fitness center and after a perfunctory survey of his choices opted for the gravity boots. Security took up the perimeter, not allowing any of the gawking bystanders to get close to their charge.

  Within minutes, James hung upside down, iPod cranked up with a favorite baroque cantata. He started on his regular routine, upper and lower abs and oblique crunches. Counting off set after grueling set, he reveled in the blood rush and the release of pent up energy. Not as good as sex, but still pretty good, he mused, eyes closed in concentration.

  He tried not to think about Beth…or sex…or sex with Beth, while he slowly worked each area. It wasn’t long before he realized in order to not think about her, he had to think about her to remind himself not to think about her. Recognizing his effort for the lost cause it was, he gave up. Instead, he allowed himself to get caught up in the delicious anticipation. A small groan escaped his lips as his balls suddenly tightened at the memory of their last night together. The pleasure of just holding her, drenching his senses in her unique feminine scent, the softness of her skin, her body pressed next to…

  “James?”

  His eyes flew open at the tentative tap on his shoulder, and he gritted his teeth at the unwelcome interruption. “Hang on,” he clipped out, fumbling to turn the music off. “What’s up, Aaron?”

  The band manager stood in front of him, arms folded across his chest. “You look like a fucking red-headed bat,” he said jovially.

  James snorted. “Abs like these don’t just happen, you know. Wouldn’t hurt you to do a couple of sets on here, either. That there’s a heart attack just waiting to happen,” he said, gesturing to the older man’s protruding belly.

  Aaron laughed. “You’ve got no chance of me strapping into that contraption, and if anything’s going to give me a heart attack, it’s you. I need to talk to you after you’ve finished abusing yourself. Give me a call when you get back to your room, I’ll come up.” He turned to leave but not before adding, “And for chrissakes be careful on that damn thing.”

  Nodding, James flicked the music on and threw himself back into his workout. After the abdominals, he went to the mounted bar for sets of one- and two-handed pull ups. Still not quite satisfied, he did a full circuit of the available machines and ended with running several miles on the treadmill.

  Feeling at last like he had been productive, he headed back for his suite and a hot shower, toying with the tantalizing vision of a nap before dinner. That bit of wishful thinking expanded into choosing room service over the hospitality room and getting Beth on the webcam so they could have dinner together. He was cheered by that prospect until he realized she’d be at work by then. “Bugger.” He sighed, but filed the idea away for another time.

  After his shower, he threw on a pair of sweats and stretched out on the bed. He had nearly dozed off before remembering the manager’s request. With an aggravated groan, he rolled over and reached for his cell phone.

  Within minutes, Aaron was knocking on his door. When James opened it, Aaron came in carrying his briefcase. Never a good sign as far as James was concerned. “What can I do for you, Aaron?” he asked. As soon as he spoke, images began flying past his inner eye. Pictures, Beth. Bloody hell, I’m caught.

  Aaron fixed him with a gimlet eye. “First thing you can do is put on a shirt. You’re giving me a complex.” His gaze roved over James’s chest with undisguised jealousy.

  “Ya think?” James caught a glimpse of himself in the large mirror over the couch. Every muscle clearly defined, the eight-pack was evident under golden skin, covered with a light dusting of fine auburn hair. His arms were long, muscular, and folded across his chest while he waited for Aaron to cut to the chase. “So, what’s up?”

  Perhaps a little intimidated, Aaron pulled his stomach in as he started to talk. “I’ve been working around with the schedules, just wanted to let you know I’ve gotten you a few days off at the end of the tour.”

  James allowed a note of sarcasm to slip into his voice. “A few days, he says. Pinch me, I must be dreaming.”

  Aaron put his hands up to sooth him. “That’s just a start. I’m still working on the rest of it. I haven’t forgotten you, my man.” He beamed.

  James nodded once, tugging a t-shirt on over his head. You’re so full of shit, he thought vehemently, forcing a smile in response. “Thanks, Aaron. I appreciate your understanding about all this.” Get to it, you bastard.

  “Not a problem, James. Gotta keep my stars happy, right?” Aaron said, reaching for his briefcase. “Speaking of which…there’s a little matter that I need to discuss with you.” He pulled out a folder and sat down at the table. “We’ve had a problem with security.” He opened the folder to reveal picture after glossy
picture of James and Beth having dinner and the two of them kissing outside the restaurant.

  With superhuman effort, James kept his face carefully neutral. “Where’d you get these?” he asked, picking one up and gazing at it with mild interest.

  “Didn’t get a name,” Aaron said smoothly, “but I was able to keep these off the tabloid covers. Cost a bit, though. Funniest thing. I heard these photos were taken in Florida. I checked the date stamp on the pictures and on the night they were taken–according to my itinerary–you were in New Jersey. Tell me,” he said, his voice growing rougher, “how long have you been sneaking out alone to meet this girl? Do you have any fucking idea what kind of security nightmare you’re creating when you do that?” His frown deepened as he studied the pictures again. “This is the same girl from the wedding pictures. The one you were all cozy with on the dance floor.”

  James bristled at his tone and called him on it, accent thickening as his temper erupted. “First off, you’ll be needin’ to adopt a less accusatory tone if you’re talkin’ to me, and second, it’s nobody’s business–including yours–what I do on me off nights.” He picked up the folder and thumbed rapidly through the pictures. “You’re havin’ me fucking followed? Is that the way of it?” He threw the pictures down on the table and paced the length of the room. “Am I to have no life at all, Aaron?”