Somethin' Dirty: Country Fever, Book 4 (24 page)

Calm down. Nothing different about this than singing in The Hellion.

What she wouldn’t give for her family to be in the crowd. Molly, her mother and father. They planned to come down in two weeks for her first big concert. It still stunned her that people were paying to hear her sing.

“Howdy, Nashville!” she cried into the microphone, and the crowd rippled with stomps and cheers. She strummed the first chord, and her nerves only increased. She let her gaze flick across the crowd.

A movement caught her eye—a dark head moving through the crowd. A man pushing his way to the front.

He looked up, and she met his gaze fully. Suddenly she felt more in the spotlight than she had in the eyes of five hundred people.

Griffin.

His hot stare sliced right through her. It hit her pussy and burned her with instant arousal. She sucked in a harsh breath and strummed again to cover the crazy spinning in her head.

He reached the front of the crowd, Lyric in his arms and a big bag slung over his shoulder. Nola’s heart tripped out of control, and she barely kept her feet glued to the stage. More than anything she wanted to jump down and forget about the concert, the people, her agent…she wanted to rush into Griffin’s arms.

Behind her, the band struck up, urging her to begin.

She opened her mouth, and the world vanished. She locked her attention on one man and sang for him. When his eyes slipped shut, she knew it was all worth it. She’d walked out, found her place in the world, and he’d come after her.

Grinning, she belted out the upbeat song the record label planned as her second release. The crowd responded by clapping and cheering. She strutted across the stage, playing to those who had shown up to see her today, but only two people were important to her.

Lyric had grown considerably. She sported a ponytail on top of her head that made Nola grin wider. Griffin rocked to the beat, and she let her gaze slide over his muscled form.

Broad shoulders were wedged between other onlookers, clad in a white western shirt—the one he’d worn that first day she’d set eyes on him at The Hellion. The one with the embroidery. At that time, she’d realized this was a man who knew who he was. Until then she’d only been with boys.

Now she realized she’d never be happy with anyone but Griffin. The whole universe belonged to him, and so did she.

She ripped through three more songs. Lyric got fired up for one, bouncing in his arms. After four months away, would the baby recognize Nola? The idea of the child being strange with her made Nola’s throat tighten.

She sang through it and let her mind whirl. Once she finished singing, what would Griffin do?

The band struck the first notes of “One Lyric”, and Nola stopped breathing. She couldn’t do this, could she? Sing Griffin’s song she’d stolen right in front of him?

No, I’ll sing it right to him.

His smile faded, and his gaze never wavered from her. The crowd roared then stilled to hear the first words of a song made more beautiful because Griffin was here.

Still, he might have come to force her to recognize him as the songwriter. Maybe she was fooling herself, thinking that dark look he wore was passion and not fury.

She stumbled over a word, and he caught her eye. When he gave her an easy nod, she recovered by shooting through an octave of notes. The crowd cheered.

Everything but Griffin and Lyric vanished. She threw her head back and sang with all her heart, hoping the things she’d done could be forgiven. Knowing she’d long ago forgiven him for succumbing to the stresses he bore.

As the final note tumbled from her, she met his gaze once more. He turned and pushed through the crowd. She fumbled off her guitar and spat out a few quick words of thanks. She hoped it was enough. It had to be enough.

Rushing offstage, she shoved past the stage manager and a few others. Bryant was there, arms open. But she ignored him and frantically looked for the one person she needed as much as air.

Then suddenly he was there, bigger than life. Her bodyguard stepped between them, and Griffin skirted the man, reaching for Nola.

She squeezed around the guard and hurled herself right into Griffin’s arms. Lyric’s solid little body was squashed between them.

“Damn you for singing that song. I loved every goddamn minute of it.”

“Four minutes and twelve seconds, actually,” she said breathlessly. Shivers gripped her as she tilted her head to stare into his eyes.

Nothing but love shone for her. She made a noise in her throat, and he smashed his mouth to hers.

The first taste was bliss. She gulped in his scent, and he thrust his tongue between her lips. She drowned in his taste and feel. Every scorching flip of his tongue ratcheted up her need. A tight string pulled between nipples and pussy, making her throb.

He snaked a hand around her neck and hauled her deeper with every pass of his tongue. She dug her fingers into his shoulders. Lyric fisted Nola’s hair, but even the sting on her scalp was perfect.

Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes.

Griffin broke away, panting hard. “I need to get you outta here.”

“Yes,” she breathed.

Chapter Sixteen

Griffin’s stomach bottomed out as he followed Nola through a crush of people. She stopped, smiled and autographed papers waving at her. Hearing her sing, seeing her onstage, had been a door opening to reality.

This was her life now.

Did he have a place in it? The way she’d kissed him said he did, but her polished appearance and the way she was already so comfortable with fame whispered otherwise.

Still, she’d clung to him, shaking. That couldn’t be faked.

“You didn’t ride your horse here, did ya?” she asked, throwing a smile over her shoulder at him.

His balls tightened. All he wanted was Nola under him, legs hooked around his ears as he made her voice rise and fall in the song of ecstasy. She was poured into a tight little white leather dress. Her breasts spilled from the top, but her ass…

He scrubbed a hand over his face in a battle for control. Her curves made his cock throb.

They broke through the crowd. Nola stopped to speak with a tall man who placed a familiar hand on her arm. Griffin wanted to bust his fingers.

But Nola looked back at Griffin, and his heart soared once more. The lights in her eyes were only for him. She reached for his hand, and he clamped his fingers around hers. “This is Griffin and Lyric. I won’t be answering my phone for a little while, Bryant.”

“Don’t forget I need you in the office tomorrow to discuss—”

She waved him off. “I know, I know. I’ll be there.”

Griffin’s throat tightened at the idea that her obligations were enormous. She wouldn’t belong to him forever.

Suddenly the ring in his pocket felt all wrong. He couldn’t ask her to marry him here. The event had to take place on Reedy soil. There, she was just a country girl and he a cowboy. Getting her away from this place to propose was the right course.

He shifted Lyric, and Nola led the way to a waiting car. The driver of the sleek black vehicle came around to open the back door, and Nola slid across the seat. Griffin got in too. The fact that Lyric wasn’t in a child safety seat bothered him, but they would be crawling through city traffic. Hopefully nothing bad would happen.

Nola was staring at him. Her red-gold hair was shinier, slightly longer. The bangs dipped into her eyes, and he used a forefinger to push it back.

She quivered and dropped her gaze. “I’m so sorry about…the song, Griffin. It was wrong of me, and…”

He placed a hand over her fingers twisting together in her lap. “It sounds just right coming from your lips, baby doll.”

She sucked in an uneven breath, and tears spilled from her eyes. “I never thought I’d hear you say that again.”

He placed his mouth against her ear. “Baby doll, I’m going to get you under me and love you until you stop thinking I’m upset about the song. I love you, Nola. I want you.”

When he pulled away, her ripe lips beckoned to him. He leaned in and took his time kissing her, letting the emotion build.

Lyric, bored with the entire event, released a squawk. Nola drew back, laughing. “Oh come here, you darling girl. I missed you so much!” She plucked the baby from his hold and deposited her in her lap. He could only think about that white leather and what would happen if Lyric’s diaper leaked.

He moved to take her back, but Nola shot him a hard look. Then she gripped Lyric under the arms and held her up in front of her face. Nola buried her nose against the baby’s belly, and Lyric giggled.

“Look how big you are. Why did you go on growing without me?”

His heart clenched at the remorse in Nola’s voice. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and drew her against his chest. “She’s not the only one who went on growing. Your voice today, baby doll… God, you sounded amazing. And you look…” He waved his hand over her form-fitting dress and the blue boots that had been his torment back in his kitchen.

She lowered Lyric and pressed kisses over the baby’s chubby cheeks. Then she directed her attention to Griffin.

“This is just paint on an old barn, Griffin.”

He grinned at her words and trailed a finger over her collarbone. “I’m the old barn.”

She caught his hand and threaded their fingers together. Tears glistened in her eyes. “If I could have wished for anything in the world, it’s this.”

The car stopped, and she looked past him, out of the tinted window. “This is my building. Let’s go inside.”

He raked his gaze over her creamy breasts bursting from her dress. “And hope Lyric’s feeling very sleepy.”

“I’m ready for bed myself,” Nola whispered, her throaty tone igniting him.

He rushed her out of the vehicle. The driver now acted as bodyguard, riding in the elevator with them, then trailing them to the door of her condo. When Griffin gave him a certain look, the man finally left them.

Nola’s door didn’t have a key, but she entered a security code into a keypad. She got it wrong the first time and swore. Giving Griffin an embarrassed look, she said, “This is all new to me. We don’t even lock our doors in Reedy.”

He watched her punch in the numbers, realizing with a shock it was his phone number and birthday.

Pressure built in his chest. He wrapped his arms around her from behind just as she opened the door. The inside was sleek and new. She waved a hand. “It came furnished. Bryant found it.”

Jealousy mounted inside him. “Bryant?”

“My agent. That man I was speaking with after the concert.”

“Ah.” In his arms, Lyric squirmed. He set her on the floor, and she took off across the carpet, hell-bent for a short black string on the plush white rug.

Nola dropped to her knees. “Oh my gosh, you’re crawling! I’ve missed so much.”

“Not too much. But she’s been taking some steps too.” He sank to the carpet beside her and hauled her into his arms. She melted against him. He cupped her ass and cradled her head as he slanted his mouth across hers.

She tasted of tears and mint—and him. He growled with possessiveness. He chased her tongue around her mouth, gathering all the flavors he’d craved these long, lonely months.

She rubbed against him, and his cock swelled against her hip. She dragged her mouth away. “I need you.”

He shot a look at Lyric. She was on her hands and knees, fighting to pick up the black string. “Let me get some toys out of her bag. That should buy us enough time for a quickie.” Maybe he shouldn’t have brought her, but it was clear Nola loved seeing Lyric.

Nola scooted off him, and he unzipped the baby bag. He pulled out a blanket, which he stretched out on the floor. Then he scattered toys on it. Lyric grunted at him, still determined to pick up that string.

When he removed a bottle of formula from the cold pack and set it on the blanket, she crawled as fast as she could for it.

Nola laughed, a full, rich sound. God, he’d missed that.

Lyric got the bottle and rolled onto her back to drink it, her feet up in the air.

“That should keep her occupied for a while.” He yanked Nola into his arms and crawled on his knees for a long sofa about ten feet from Lyric. He lay Nola on the cushions and lowered himself atop her.

She moaned, wrapping her arms around him. He burned with the need to sink into her, to make her his. Rocking against her, he took her mouth. Their kiss was fire to dry kindling.

“Christ, I need you. Missed you. Love you.” He swiped his tongue over hers and found the zipper on her spine. She arched upwards to give him access. Once he pulled it down to the crest of her buttocks, he slipped his hand into the opening. Her silky skin greeted his fingers.

She pulled off his shirt and bit into his shoulder. He groaned in appreciation, beyond even curse words now. His drive to take her was the only thought in his head.

In a flurry they undressed each other. He stripped off her boots and socks and licked her toes until she squirmed, then he unpeeled the white leather from her curvy form. “Fuck, you’re not wearing anything but this leather.”