The gong of the doorbell echoed through the house just after ten. David slept on against my back. He didn’t stir at all. With a couple more hours sleep I felt happily half human. I crawled out from beneath his arm, trying not to disturb him. I pulled my top and jeans back on and dashed down the stairs, doing my best not to break my neck in the process. In all likelihood it would be more deliveries.

“Child bride! Let me in!” Mal hollered from the other side of the door. He followed it up with an impressive percussive performance, banging his hands against the solid wood. Definitely the drummer. “Evvie!”

No one called me Evvie. I’d stamped out that nickname years ago. However, it might be better than “child bride”.

I opened the door and Mal barreled in, Tyler dragging himself along after. Considering Tyler had sat up drinking and playing music with David until the wee small hours, I wasn’t really surprised at his condition. The poor man clearly suffered with the hangover from hell. He looked like he’d been punched in both eyes, the bruises from lack of sleep were so bad. An energy drink was attached to his lips.

“Mal. What are you doing here?” I stopped, rubbed the sleep from my eyes. Wake-up call, it wasn’t even my house. “Sorry, that was rude. It’s just a surprise to see you. Hi, Tyler.”

I’d been hoping to have my husband to myself today, but apparently it wasn’t to be.

Mal dropped my backpack at my feet. He was so busy looking around the place he didn’t even seem to have heard my question, rude or not.

“David is still asleep,” I said and rifled through the contents of my bag. Oh, my stuff. My wonderful stuff. My purse and phone in particular were a delight to lay eyes on. Many text messages from Lauren, plus a few from my Dad. I hadn’t even known he could text. “Thank you for bringing this.”

“Dave called me at four in the morning and told me he’d written some new stuff. Figured I’d come up and see what was going on. Thought you’d like your gear.” Hands on hips, Mal stood before the wall of windows pondering the magnificence of nature. “Man, check out that view.”

“Nice, huh?” said Tyler from behind his drink. “Wait till you see the studio.”

Mal cupped his hands around his mouth. “Hipster King. Get down here!”

“Hi, sweetie.” Pam wandered in, twirling a set of keys on her finger. “I tried to make them leave it a few more hours, but as you can see, I lost. Sorry.”

“Never mind,” I said. I’m not much of a hugger normally. We didn’t do a lot of it in my family. My parents preferred a more hands-free method. But Pam was so nice that I hugged her back straight away when she threw her arms around me.

We’d talked for hours the night before down in the recording studio. It had been illuminating. Married to a popular session player and producer, she’d lived the lifestyle for over twenty years. Touring, recording, groupies … she’d experienced the whole rock ’n’ roll shebang. She and Tyler had attended a music festival and fallen in love with Monterey with its jagged coastline and sweeping ocean views.

“The lounge and another couple of beds are on their way, should be here soon. Mal, Tyler, help move the boxes. We’ll stack them against the fireplace.” Suddenly Pam stopped, giving me a cautious smile. “Hang on. You’re the woman of the house. You give the orders here.”

“Oh, against the fireplace sounds great, thanks,” I said.

“You heard her, boys. Get moving.”

Tyler grumbled but put down his can and lumbered toward a box, dragging his feet like the walking dead.

“Hold up.” Mal smacked his lips at Pam and me. “I haven’t gotten my hello kisses yet.” He caught Pam up in a bear hug, lifting her off her feet and twirling her around until she laughed. Arms wide, he stepped toward me next. “Come to daddy, bed-head girl.”

I put a hand out to halt him, laughing. “That’s actually really disturbing, Mal.”

“Leave her be,” said David from the top of the stairs, yawning and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Still wearing just the jeans. He was my kryptonite. All the strength of my convictions to be careful disappeared. My legs actually wobbled. I hated that.

Were we married or not today? He’d had a hell of a lot to drink last night. Drunk people and promises did not go well together—we’d both learned that the hard way. I could only hope he remembered our conversation and still felt the same way.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” growled my husband.

“I want to hear the new stuff, asswipe. Deal with it.” Mal stared up at him, his jaw set in a hard line. “I should beat the living crap out of you. Fuck, man. That was my favorite kit!”

Body rigid, David started down the stairs. “I said I’m sorry. I meant it.”

“Maybe. But it’s still time to pay, you dickwad.”

For a moment David didn’t reply. Tension lined his face but there was a look of inevitability in his weary eyes. “Alright. What?”

“It’s gotta hurt. Bad.”

“Worse than you turning up when Ev and me are having time alone?”

Mal actually looked a little shamefaced.

David stopped at the foot of the steps, waiting. “You wanna take this outside?”

Pam and Tyler said nothing, just watched the byplay. I got the feeling this wasn’t the first time these two had faced off. Boys will be boys and all that. But I stood beside Mal, every muscle tensed. If he took one step toward David I’d jump him. Pull his hair or something. I didn’t know how, but I’d stop him.

Mal gave him a measuring look. “I’m not hitting you. I don’t want to mess up my hands when we’ve got work to do.”

“What then?”

“You already trashed your favorite guitar. So it’s going to have to be something else.” Mal rubbed his hands together. “Something money can’t buy.”

“What?” asked David, his eyes suddenly wary.

“Hi, Evvie.” Mal grinned and slung an arm around my shoulder, pulling me in against him.

“Hey,” I protested.

In the next moment his mouth covered mine, entirely unwelcome. David shouted a protest. An arm wrapped around my back and Mal dipped me, kissing me hard, bruising my lips. I grabbed at his shoulders, afraid I’d hit the floor. When he tried to put his tongue in my mouth, however, I didn’t hesitate to bite him.

The idiot howled.

Take that.

Just as fast as he’d dipped me he set me to rights. My head spun. I put a hand to the wall to stop from stumbling. I rubbed at my mouth, trying to get rid of the taste of him, while Mal gave me a wounded look.

“Damn it. That hurt.” He carefully touched his tongue, searching for damage. “I’m bleeding!”

“Good.”

Pam and Tyler chuckled, highly amused.

Arms wrapped around me from behind and David whispered in my ear. “Nice work.”

“Did you know he was going to do that?” I asked, sounding distinctly pissy.

“Fuck no.” He rubbed his face against the side of my head, mussing my bed hair. “I don’t want anyone else touching you.”

It was the right answer. My anger melted away. I put my hands on top of his and the grip on me tightened.

“You want me to beat the shit out of him?” asked David. “Just say the word.”

I pretended to consider it for a moment while Mal watched us with interest. We obviously looked a lot friendlier than we had in LA. But it was nobody’s business. Not his friend’s, not the press’, nobody’s.

“No,” I whispered back, my belly doing backflips. I was falling so fast for him it scared me. “I guess you’d better not.”

David turned me in his arms and I fit myself against him, wrapping my arms around his waist. It felt natural and right. The scent of his skin made me high. I could have stood there breathing him in for hours. It felt like maybe we were together, but I no longer trusted my own judgment, if I ever had to begin with.

“Malcolm is joining you on your honeymoon?” Pam’s voice was heavy with disbelief.

David chuckled. “No, this isn’t our honeymoon. If we have a honeymoon it’ll be somewhere far away from everyone. Sure as hell, he won’t be there.”

“If?” she asked.

I really did love Pam.

“When,” he corrected, holding me tight.

“This is all real cute, but I came to make music,” Mal announced.

“Then you’re just going to have to fucking wait,” said David. “Ev and I have plans this morning.”

“We’ve been waiting two years to come up with something new.”

“Tough shit. You can wait a few more hours.” David took my hand and led me back toward the stairs. Excitement ran rife through me. He’d chosen me and it felt wonderful.

“Evvie, sorry about the mouth mauling,” Mal said, sitting himself down on the nearest box.

“You’re forgiven,” I said with a queenly wave, feeling magnanimous as we headed up the stairs.

“You going to apologize for biting me?” Mal asked.

“Nope.”

“Well, that’s not very nice,” he called out after us.

David sniggered.

“Okay, people, we need to move boxes.” I heard Pam say.

David rushed us down the hallway then closed and locked the bedroom door behind us.

“You put your clothes back on,” he said. “Get them off.”

He didn’t wait for me to do it, grabbing the hem of my shirt and lifting it up over my head and raised arms.

“I didn’t think answering the door mostly naked was a good idea.”

“Fair enough,” he murmured, pulling me in against him and backing me up against the door. “You looked worried about something downstairs. What was it?”

“It was nothing.”

“Evelyn.” There was something about the way he said my name. It made me a quivering mess. Also the way he cornered me, pressing his body against mine. I put my hands flat on his hard chest. Not pushing him away, just needing to touch him.

“I was wondering,” I said. “After our talk this morning, when we, um, discussed signing the papers on Monday.”

“What about it?” he asked, staring straight at me. I couldn’t have looked away if I’d tried.

“Well, I wasn’t sure if you still felt the same way. About not signing them, I mean. You’d had a lot to drink.”

“I haven’t changed my mind.” His pelvis aligned with mine and his hands swept up my sides. “You changed yours?”

“No.”

“Good.” His warm hands cupped my breasts and I lost all ability to think straight.

“You okay with this?” He gave his hands a pointed a look.

I nodded. Talking had gone with thinking, apparently.

“Then here’s the plan. Because I know how you like your plans. We’re going to stay in this room until we’re both satisfied we’re on the same page when it comes to us. Agreed?”

I nodded again. Without a doubt, the plan had my full support.

“Good.” He placed the palm of one hand between my breasts, flat against my chest. “Your heart’s beating real fast.”

“David.”

“Hmm?”

Nope, I still had no words. So instead, I covered his hand with my own, holding it against my heart. He smiled.

“This is a dramatic re-enactment of the night we got married,” he announced, looking at me from beneath dark brows. “Hang on. We were sitting on the bed in your motel room. You were straddling me.”

“I was?”

“Yeah.” He led me to the bed and sat at the edge. “Come on.”

I climbed onto his lap, my legs wrapped around him. “Like this?”

“That’s it.” His hands gripped my waist. “You refused to go back to my suite at the Bellagio. Said I was out of touch with real life and needed to see how the little people lived.”

I groaned with embarrassment. “That doesn’t sound the least bit arrogant of me.”

His mouth curved into a small smile. “It was fun. But also, you were right.”

“Better not tell me that too often or it’ll go to my head.”

His chin rose. “Stop making jokes, baby. I’m being serious. I needed a dose of reality. Someone who’d actually say no to me occasionally and call bullshit on that scene. That’s what we do. We push each other out of our comfort zones.”

It made sense. “I think you’re right … Is it enough?”

He held his hand to my heart again and bumped the tip of his nose against mine. “Can you feel what we’re doing here? We’re building something.”

“Yes.” I could feel it, the connection between us, the overwhelming need to be with him. Nothing else mattered. There was the physical, the way he went to my head faster than anything I’d ever experienced. How wonderful he smelled all sleep-warm first thing in the morning. But I wanted more from him than just that. I wanted to hear his voice, hear him talk about everything and anything.

I felt all lit up inside. Like a potent mix of hormones was racing through me at light speed. His other hand curled around the back of my neck, bringing my mouth to his. Kissing David threw kerosene on the mix within me. He slid his tongue into my mouth to stroke against my own, before teasing over my teeth and lips. I’d never felt anything so fine. Fingers caressed my breast, doing wonderful things and making me gasp. God, the heat of his bare skin. I shuffled forward, seeking more, needing it. His hand left my breast to splay across my back, pressing me against him. He was hard. I could feel him through both layers of denim. The pressure that provided between my legs was heavenly. Amazing.

“That’s it,” he murmured as I rocked against him, seeking more.

Our kisses were fierce, hungry. His hot mouth moved over my jaw and chin, my neck. Where my neck met my chest he stopped and sucked. Everything in me drew tight.

“David—”

He pulled back and looked at me, his eyes dilated. Every bit as affected as I was. Thank God I wasn’t alone with the panting. A finger traced a slow path between my breasts down to the waistband of my jeans.

“You know what happened next,” he said. His hand slipped beneath. “Say it, Ev.” When I hesitated he leaned forward and nipped at my neck. “Go on. Tell me.”

Biting had never appealed to me before, neither in thought nor in action. Not that there’d been much action. But the sensation of David’s teeth pressing into my skin turned me inside out. I shut my eyes tight. A bit from the bite and a lot from having to say the words he wanted.

“I’ve only done this once before.”

“You’re nervous. Don’t be nervous.” He kissed me where he’d just bitten. “So, anyway, let’s get married.”

My eyelids opened and a startled laugh flew out of me. “I bet that’s not what you said that night.”

“I might have been a little concerned by your inexperience. And we might have had words about it.” He gave me a faint smile and kissed the side of my mouth. “But everything worked out fine.”

“What words? Tell me what happened.”

“We decided to get married. Lie back on the bed for me.”

He grasped my hips, helping me climb off him and onto the mattress. My hands slid over the smooth, cool cotton sheet. I lay on my back and he swiftly undid my jeans and disposed of them. The bed shifted beneath me as he knelt above me. I felt ready to implode, my heart hammering, but he seemed perfectly calm and in control. Nice that one of us was. Of course, he’d done this dozens of times.

Probably more, what with groupies and all that. Hundreds? Thousands, even?

I really didn’t want to think about it.

His gaze rose to meet mine as he hooked fingers into my panties. In no rush at all, he dragged the last of my clothing down my legs. The urge to cover myself was overwhelming. But I fisted the sheet instead, rubbing the fabric between my fingers.

He undid his jeans. The rustles of his clothing were the only sounds. We didn’t break eye contact. Not until he turned to the bedside table and retrieved a condom, discreetly tucking it underneath the pillow next to me.

David naked defied description. Beautiful didn’t begin to cover it, all the hard lines of his body and the tattoos covering his skin, but he didn’t give me much time to look.

He climbed back onto the bed, lying at my side, raised up on one elbow. His hand curled over my hip. Dark hair fell forward, blocking his face from view. I wanted to see him. He leaned down, kissing me gently this time on my lips, my face. His hair brushed against my skin.

“Where were we?” he asked, his voice a low rumble in my ear.

“We decided to get married.”

“Mm, because I’d just had the best night of my life. First time I hadn’t felt alone in so fucking long. The thought of not having you with me every other night … I couldn’t do it.” His mouth travelled up my neck. “I couldn’t let you go. Especially once I knew you’d only been with one other guy.”

“I thought that bothered you?”

“It bothered me alright,” he said, and kissed my chin. “You were obviously ready to give sex another try. If I was stupid enough to let you go you might have met someone else. I couldn’t stand the thought of you fucking anyone but me.”

“Oh.”

“Oh,” he agreed. “Speaking of which, any second thoughts about what we’re doing here?”

“No.” Lots of nerves, but no second thoughts.

The hand on my hip traced over my stomach. It circled my belly button before dipping lower, making me shiver.

“You are so damn pretty,” he breathed. “Every piece of you. And when I dared you to put aside your plan and run away with me, you said yes.”

“I did?”

“You did.”

“Thank God for that.”

Fingers stroked over the top of my sex before moving on to my thigh muscles clenched tight together. If I wanted this to go any further I was going to need to open my legs. I knew this. Of course I did. Memories of the pain from last time made me hesitate. My toes were curled and a cramp was threatening to start up in my calf muscle from all of the tensing. Ridiculous. Tommy Byrnes had been a thoughtless prick. David wasn’t like that.

“We can go as slow as you want,” he said, reading me just fine. “Trust me, Ev.”

His warm hand smoothed over my thigh as his tongue travelled the length of my neck. It felt wonderful, but it wasn’t enough.

“I need …” I turned my face to him, searching for his mouth. He fit his lips to mine, making everything right. Kissing David healed every ill. The knot of tension inside me turned into something sweet at the taste of him, the feel of his body against mine. One arm was trapped underneath me but the other I made full use of, touching all of him within reach. Kneading his shoulder and feeling the hard, smooth planes of his back.

When I sucked on his tongue he moaned in the back of his throat and my confidence soared. His hand slipped between my legs. Just the pressure of his palm had me seeing stars. I broke off the kiss, unable to breathe. He touched me gently at first, letting me get used to him. The things his fingers could do.

“Elvis couldn’t be with us today,” he said.

“What?” I asked, mystified.

He stopped and put two fingers into his mouth, wetting them or tasting me I didn’t know. Didn’t matter. What was important was him putting his hand back on me, fast.

“I didn’t want to share this with anyone.” The tip of his finger pushed into me, easing inside just a little. Pulling back before pressing in again. It didn’t have the same thrill attached to it that came with him stroking me but it didn’t hurt. Not yet.

“So, no Elvis. I’ll have to ask the questions,” he said.

I frowned at him, finding it hard to focus on what he was saying. It couldn’t be as important as him touching me. The pursuit of pleasure ruled my mind. Maybe he babbled during foreplay. I didn’t know. If he wanted, I was more than willing to listen to him later.

His gaze lingered on my breasts until finally he dipped his head, taking one into his mouth. My back bowed, pushing his finger further inside. The way his mouth drew on me erased any discomfort. He stroked me between my legs and the pleasure grew. I tingled in the best way possible. When I did this, it was nice. When David did it, it reached the heights of spectacular, stellar. I knew he was crazy good at guitar, but this had to be where his true talent lay. Honestly.

“God, David.” I arched against him when he moved to my other breast. Two fingers worked inside me, a little uncomfortable but nothing I couldn’t handle. Not so long as he kept his mouth on me, lavishing my breasts with attention. His thumb rubbed around a sweet spot and my eyes rolled back into my head. So close. The strength of what was building was staggering. Mind blowing. My body was going to be blown to dust, atoms, when this hit.

If he stopped I’d cry. Cry, and beg. And maybe kill.

Happily, he didn’t stop.

I came groaning, every muscle drawn taut. It was almost too much. Almost. I floated, my body limp, satiated for all time. Or at least until the next time.

When I opened my eyes again, he was there waiting. He ripped open the condom with his teeth and then put it on. I’d barely caught my breath when he rose over me, moved between my legs.

“Good?” he asked, with a smile of satisfaction.

A nod was the best I could do.

He took the bulk of his weight onto his elbows, his body pressing me into the bed. I’d noticed he enjoyed using his size to the advantage of both of us. It worked. Certainly, there was nothing boring or claustrophobic about the position. I don’t know why I’d thought there would be. In the back of Tommy Byrnes parents’ car I’d been cramped and uncomfortable, but this was nothing like that. Lying underneath him, feeling the heat of his skin against mine, was perfect. And there could be no doubting how much he wanted this. I lay there, waiting for him to push into me.

Still waiting.

He brushed his lips against mine. “Do you, Evelyn Jennifer Thomas, agree to stay married to me, David Vincent Ferris?”

Oh, that was the Elvis he’d been talking about. The one who’d married us. Huh. I held back his hair, needing to see his eyes. I should have asked him to tie it back. It made it hard to try and gauge his seriousness.

“You really want to do this now?” I asked, a little thrown. I’d been so busy worrying about the sex I hadn’t seen this coming.

“Absolutely. We’re doing our vows again right now.”

“Yes?” I said.

He cocked his head, narrowing his eyes at me. The look on his face was distinctly pained. “Yes? You’re not sure?”

“No. I mean, yes,” I repeated, more definitely. “Yes. I’m sure. I am.”

“Thank fuck for that.” His hand rifled under the pillow next to me, returning with the ring of stupendousness sparkling between his fingers. “Hand.”

I held my hand between us and he slid the ring on. My cheeks hurt, I was smiling so hard. “Did you say ‘yes’ too?”

“Yes.” He took my mouth in a hard kiss. His hand slid down my side, over my stomach to cup me between my legs. Everything there was still sensitive and no doubt wet. The hunger in his kisses and the way he touched me assured me he certainly didn’t mind.

He fit himself to me and pushed in. This was it. And suddenly, shit, I couldn’t relax. The memory of pain from the last time I’d attempted this messed with my mind. Wet didn’t matter when my muscles wouldn’t give. I gasped, my thighs squeezing his hips. David was hard and thick and it hurt.

“Look at me,” he said. The blue of his eyes had darkened and his jaw was set. His damp skin gleamed in the low lighting. “Hey.”

“Hey.” My voice sounded shaky even to my own ears.

“Kiss me.” He lowered his face and I did so, pressing my tongue into his mouth, needing him. Carefully, he rocked against me, moving deeper inside me. The pad of his thumb played around my clit, counteracting the hurt. The pain eased, coming closer to being plain old discomfort with an edge of pleasure. No problem. This I could handle.

Fingers wrapped around my leg before sliding down to cup a butt cheek. He pulled me in against him and moved deeper inside me. Rocking against me until I’d taken him all. Which was a problem, because there wasn’t enough damn room in me for him.

“It’s okay,” he groaned.

Easy for him to say.

Shit.

Bodies flush against each another we lay there, unmoving. My arms were around his head so tight, clinging to him, that I’m not certain how he breathed. Somehow he managed to turn his face enough to kiss my neck, lick the sweat from my skin. Up, over my jaw to my mouth. The death grip I had on him eased when he kissed me.

“That’s it,” he said. “Try and relax for me.”

I nodded jerkily, willing my body to unwind.

“You are so damn beautiful and, God, you feel fucking amazing.” His big hand petted my breast, calloused fingers stroking down my side, easing me. My muscles began to relax incrementally, adjusting to his presence. The hurt faded more every time he touched me, whispering words of praise.

“This is good,” I said at last, my hands resting on his biceps. “I’m okay.”

“No, you’re better than okay. You’re amazing.”

I gave him a giddy smile. He said the best things.

“You mean I can move?” he asked.

“Yes.”

He started rocking against me again, moving a little more each time. Gradually gaining momentum as our bodies moved slickly together. We fit, mostly. And we were actually doing it, the deed. Talk about feeling close to someone. You couldn’t get physically closer. I was so profoundly glad it was him. It meant everything.

Tommy had lasted two seconds. Long enough to break my hymen and hurt me. David touched me and kissed me and took his time. Slowly, the sweet heat, that sensation of pressure building, came again. He tended to it with care, feeding me long, wet kisses. Stroking himself into me in a way that brought only pleasure. He was incredible, watching me so closely, gauging my reactions to everything he did.

Eventually, I clung onto him and came hard. It felt like the New Year’s fireworks display inside me, hot and bright and perfect. So much more with inside and over me, his skin plastered to mine. I stuttered out his name and he pressed hard against me. When he groaned his whole body shuddered. He buried his face in my neck, his breath heating my skin.

We’d done it.

Huh.

Wow.

Things did ache a little. People were right about that. But nothing like last time.

Carefully, he moved off me, collapsing on the bed at my side.

“We did it,” I whispered.

His eyes opened. His chest was still heaving, working to get more air into him. After a moment, he rolled onto his side to face me. There’d never been a better man. Of this I was certain.

“Yeah. You okay?” he asked.

“Yes.” I shuffled closer, seeking out the heat of his body. He slid an arm over my waist, drawing me in. Letting me know I was wanted. Our faces were a bare hand’s width apart. “It was so much better than last time. I think I like sex after all.”

“You have no idea how relieved I am to hear that.”

“Were you nervous?”

He chuckled shuffling closer. “Not as nervous as you were. I’m glad you liked it.”

“I loved it. You’re a man of many talents.”

His smile took on a certain glow.

“You’re not going to get all cocky on me now, are you? All puns intended.”

“I wouldn’t dare. I trust you to keep me grounded, Mrs Ferris.”

“Mrs Ferris,” I said, with no small amount of wonder. “How about that?”

“Hmm.” His fingers stroked my face.

I caught his bare hand, inspecting it. “You don’t have a ring.”

“No, I don’t. We’ll have to fix that.”

“Yes, we will.”

He smiled. “Hey, Mrs Ferris.”

“Hey, Mr Ferris.”

There wasn’t enough room in me for all the feelings he inspired.

Not even close.