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Part One: Star Struck

Peyton

The shade of a large oak tree does little to cool us off as we practice Yoga beneath its massive branches on the last day in May. San Marcos, Texas gets hot in the summer months. This will be my last time to practice Yoga on the college campus of Texas State, I’m graduating tonight and ready to get my future started as a writer.

I’m in the downward dog position as the instructor tells us to go into a high lunge. I rise and move into the position as a young man with spiky, black hair, eyeliner, and lipstick walks in front of me.

He looks like that guy who’s going to play at the charity event this evening. That Australian rocker.

An entourage of similar characters follow him. His band no doubt. His bright, blue eyes look right into mine as a smile spreads over his face.

“Hey there, beautiful,” he says with a thick Australian accent.

I’m sure he’s used to girls falling all over themselves for his attention!

I give him a slight nod. He pauses in front of me and stares at me. Which is annoying.

“Can I help you?” I ask.

This guy is something else, jeeze!

His pierced eyebrow raises, and he asks, “Really?”

The instructor wraps up the practice as the other girls in the group flock around the young man.

“OMG! It’s Kip Dixon!” one girl shouts.

I pick up my yoga mat and say, “Looks like you’re about to get mobbed, Mr. Dixon.”

I’m sure he’s used to it and loves all the attention the girls who seem to go brainless with his presence give him.

One of the bigger-breasted women moves in between Kip and me, screaming, “Please sign my boob, Kip!” She holds out a Sharpie and pulls her shirt down, exposing the top of her plump breasts for him to pick from. If he did.

I roll my eyes and try to walk away but find that I’m caught up in the crowd of girls who cluster together around the pop rocker. I try to push my way out of them but find it useless to fight against the throng.

A hand grabs my shoulder, and I turn back to find the painted boy pulling me along with him.

“Come on,” he says. “I’ll get you out of here.” His hand slides along my arm and he entwines his fingers with mine.

What the hell?

For some reason warmth creeps through me, right down to my core and I find it unsettling. I’ve held hands with guys before and this never happened.

Damn! I hope I’m not coming down with something like the idiot fever I just witnessed happening to my Yoga class over this dude.

Two burley men move in between us and the crowd of screaming girls.

“Back up now, girls,” one of the men says. “Kip will sign autographs in an hour, before he does the show.”

I flow along with the spiky haired guy and his band of merry misfits as they move along to the auditorium. One of the other guys laughs and looks at Kip. “Guess your little idea of mingling with the masses went awry,” he says.

Kip looks at me and winks. “Not entirely,” he says as he gives my hand a squeeze. “Looks like I found me a girl.”

What? He hasn’t found anything!

My head snaps his way, and I say, “Afraid you got the wrong girl, Mr. Pop Rock.” I pull at my hand but he holds it tight in his.

He snickers. “Mr. Pop Rock?” he asks as he gives me a million dollar smile. “Been called lots of things, not that though. I take it you don’t care for my music?”

I shake my head.

“It’s loud and I find the lyrics obnoxious,” I say as I tug once more for my hand to be released but he still holds it tight in his. “Tell me, do you think as highly of yourself as your songs claim?”

His songs are filled with lyrics about how big his dick and balls are. I’m sure his ego is even bigger and I doubt his dick is anything so great to write songs about either.

Like most men who have small wankers, they tend to make more out of their appendage than men with normal size penises do. The way this guy sings about how huge he is and how great a fucker he is and how many lucky, lucky females have got to taste his magic juice, well, let’s just say I bet that the bulge beneath his tight leather pants is a roll of socks.

“Well, it depends on which of the songs your speaking of, Miss, uh, I don’t believe I caught your name,” he says.

“I could throw it at you, not that you’d ever remember it,” I say as I tug hard at my hand.

He lets it go and looks at the guy with purple spikes in his hair who walks beside him.

“You ever seen anyone like her, Bobby?”

Bobby shakes his head. “No boss, never.”

Kip looks back at me and says, “Toss it to me anyway, gorgeous.”

I glance at him. “It’s Peyton Reed,” I say then look away. “I’ll let you get to your business of entertaining the throngs of screaming nymphos.” Taking the chance to get away from the group, I slip past one of them and walk away.

“See ya around then, Peyton,” Kip shouts.

I lift my arm and give him the peace sign as I walk away.

Silly boy thinking he can treat me like he treats all the groupies! I’m not one to get star struck!

Kip

Tripping over a crack in the sidewalk as I watch Peyton Reed walk away, the stumble ignites laughter from the guys in my group. “Shit, Kip!” Bobby says with a fake southern drawl. “I think that little filly done stole your heart.”

I punch him in the back. “Shut it, Bobby!”

My heart can’t be stolen; it beats for me and me alone!

As we get to the door of the auditorium, I look back to see the girl. Her shoulder-length, blonde curls bob as she walks away. My eyes travel all the way down her curvy body and I take in a deep breath. “Such the girl next door.”

Bobby grabs my arm and pulls me inside the building.

“But those pretty light brown eyes were something huh?” he asks.

I sigh. “Yeah, they have little green flecks in them and those long, lush lashes, not a bit of make-up on and she glowed, mate.”

“Bet she’s a country girl, don’t you?”

I nod. “Probably going to be a veterinarian or something noble like that. No wonder she looked at me as if I was a drug dealer or something,” I say with a laugh. “I’m sure she’s a Sunday school teacher or some shit.”

Bobby pokes me in the ribs and says, “You’d most likely hate her if you got to know her. Which you won’t, not on our crazy tour, and she doesn’t seem the type to hang out in L.A.”

I shake my head. “Nah, L.A. and her most likely wouldn’t get along.”

But I don’t live exactly in Los Angeles. My mansion is a bit outside of town and there’s even empty stables at the back of the property, so she might like it.

The band’s manager, Silas, pops out of a side door and motions for us to come to him. “Wonder what Silas has up his sleeve for us tonight,” one of the other band members named, Troy, says.

Silas claps his hands as we make our way to him.

“You ready to hear tons of this sound in a little while guys?” he asks.

Simultaneous and lackluster yes’s we all give and Silas frowns. I pat Silas on the back and say, “We’ll get hyped, dude, no worries.”

“Follow me,” Silas says as he turns to go back in the door he came out of. “Let’s get you guys something to eat. They put out quite the spread for you. A lot of shrimp as usual as I assume people from Texas think Australians love the stuff, because there is a boat load of it.”

Five cities in Texas so far and every single one of them has fed us shrimp!

We all plop down on chairs around a table and wait for Silas to tell us about the show he expects us to put on. I speak up, “Get on with what you want us to do, Silas.”

Silas smiles and sits down. “I want you to pick a girl from the audience, bring her on stage, and do that slow song, ‘Ask Me to Kiss You’.”

I squint and lay my forehead in my hand, then say, “Man, I hate to do that. It’s so damn awkward.”

The last girl cried the entire time and then I had to kiss her and it was all gross!

“The audience loves it,” Silas says. “You haven’t done it in over a year, and this is for charity, remember. We can get the school to announce it and put out some flyers, it should get more people in here to listen to you guys and make more money for whatever the hell it is they’re donating the proceeds to.”

I sigh. “I get to pick her, Silas.”

“Agreed,” he says. “Now the next order of business. Dallas got pushed back so we have a three day weekend after this gig. So feel free to get out to some of the clubs in Austin or whatever you want to do, ‘cause the night and next three days are yours. Be sure stay in the area, please.”

“Isn’t tonight graduation for this place?” Bobby asks.

Silas nods and Bobby slams fists with me, and says, “College graduation parties will be everywhere. Get ready to party, dude!”

I laugh. “Once we wash this crap off our faces, we’ll be able to roam amongst them all, and no one will be the wiser. Freedom at last.”

Well, I did just have a few days of freedom, but that was different. Now I can party like the rock star I am!

Silas taps his fingers on the table and asks, “Is it really so bad, Kip?”

“The money’s fantastic. The lack of privacy and getting mobbed everywhere we go when we’re in full attire is tiresome.”

Silas stands and walks over to pat me on the back. “Let’s go eat. Tonight is yours after this little concert and you have a few days to be yourselves.”

To be myself again, but I just got back to being a rock star!

Peyton

Curling my hair a little and putting on a bit of make-up I get as glamorized as I ever get to go to the benefit concert. I’m a part of the committee who put it all together, so I need to be there for a while anyway.

I wonder what Kip Dixon really looks like. I mean he wears more make-up than any woman I know. And that hair, it could put an eye out. I wonder how many girls he’s stabbed with it over the years.

I bet he’s a real freak in the sheets!

Probably a different girl every night. None of the tabloids have ever said a thing about him having even one serious relationship and I think he’s like twenty-five or so. He’s about three years older than I am then.

His eyes are a really pretty blue!

Probably contacts though. He’s uber-fake, that’s for sure. I bet he’s unrecognizable without that make-up on. Who wants to live life like that?

He’s most likely really crazy and a huge druggie. I’ve never heard about him being like that, but I bet he is. All those singers and actors are into something bad, I bet.

I slip my feet into a pair of nude heels that I had picked out to wear with the red dress that my mother bought me to wear to graduation. It’s right after the concert so I have to be ready to go straight over there.

It’s tighter than I like and a little more revealing in the bosom, showing some cleavage which I rarely do on any other occasion. The door to my dorm room that I’ve shared with Kyla these last four years opens and in my roomie walks. Her eyes run up and down my body and she shakes her head. “Not those shoes.”

I laugh and knew if she caught me before I left she’d try to make me over. “They’re fine,” I say.

She takes a red pair from her closet. “Put these on and don’t argue with me, you know you’ll lose.”

She’s been known to wrestle me to the ground to get me to wear something she thinks I need to. As I don’t feel like getting into a match right now, I’ll do as she’s bossed. “Thank you for saving me from such an embarrassing thing as having on shoes that are so uncool.”

“Yeah, well, you’re welcome. And what is this I hear about Kip Dixon dragging you away from Yoga this morning?” she asks with a grin.

“Just that,” I say and shrug my shoulders. “The arrogant bastard couldn’t seem to believe I wasn’t completely freaking out when he talked to me.”

“Maddy was there, and she said he looked at you like you were something else and that you were a little rude. That’s not like you, Peyton.” Kyla takes me by the shoulders and has me sit back down in front of the mirror where she adds a few more curls to my hair.

“I wouldn’t exactly say I was rude. I did shoot him the peace sign as I walked away. That’s not rude now is it?”

“John said he heard Kip shout out to you and when you were walking away, the guy tripped and all his band mates laughed. I wonder if he’s smitten with you, little country mouse.” She sprays her hairspray over my hair and it makes it shine a little more.

“Smitten? Maybe with himself. The guy is just looking for a local piece of ass for the night. You know that.” I smile at my reflection and look down at the red heels that match my dress perfectly. “And you also know I’m not into giving that up to some fly-by-night pop star.”

Kyla rolls her eyes and digs in her jewelry box, pulling out a set of diamond earrings that her parents had gave her last year. Kyla comes from money and has always been very generous with sharing her things with me. She’s a sweetheart and I’m going to miss her. “Kip Dixon is anything but a fly-by-night pop star.” She places one of the earrings in my ear and smiles at how it sparkles.

“You mean because of who his father is?” I ask.

“No, I mean because he has the chops, honey.” She places the other earring in and I wiggle my head to make the light capture them both. “Those songs he sings now, they’re not anything he’s written. Did you know that?”

“Really? No, I didn’t. So whose big dick are those songs about?” I ask.

Kyla answers, “Somebody named E.P. Fleming. Kip can write his own songs. He had one before he got into this rock group thing. You remember, he was on the U.K. version of that talent show that’s still popular. He went on using another name so no one would know who he really was.”

“No, I didn’t know that and how do you know so much about him?” I ask as I stand up and turn around to see how I look from behind. I find that the heels make my ass look terrific and it makes me smile.

“I am an art major and I read about all kinds of art. By the way, how is that manuscript coming along? You haven’t let me read it in about a month. Don’t you want my help in the first editing of it?” she asks as she rummages through her closet to find herself something to wear to the concert and graduation.

“I do, and I’ll get it to you this coming week. I have an interview with an agent at the end of June and I’ll want it as polished as I can get it, with your help, Kyla.” I say as I make my way out. I need to get to the table all of our committee is sitting at to make sure no one else takes it.

One last look in the mirror and I find I’m looking pretty good, for me anyway. So away I go to listen to Mr. Pop Rock make some noise with his band.

“See you at the concert, hurry up, I don’t want to sit alone very long.”

“I will, save me a seat by you,” she says. I close the door and head out.

I hope this doesn’t take too long!

Kip

The auditorium is a smaller venue than my band is used to playing. I’m watching from a door with a two-way mirror as people file in and take seats in the stands. I have to choose a girl to sing to, and so far none have grabbed my attention.

I signed autographs a while ago and no one caught my eye. The one I want to sing to will most likely not come to my show. She didn’t show up to get my autograph, and that tells me a lot right there. The thought of her makes my heart beat harder in my chest for some damn reason. I close my eyes and try to see her face again.

A hand on my shoulder makes me open my eyes before I get a chance to conjure her image up, so I look back to see who’s messing up my day dream. Bobby stands behind me and points. “Look who’s here, mate?”

My eyes follow his finger and land on Peyton as she sits at one of the V.I.P. tables in front of the stage. “Would you look at that,” I murmur.

Her shoulder-length blonde hair is curled and shiny. Diamonds sparkle on her earlobes and she has on a tight, red dress, that hugs her curves. Her light brown eyes with little green flecks sparkle almost as much as the earrings do. No make-up this morning when I first saw her, but now she wears some and the red on her full lips makes them look even more kissable.

“Makes sense, she’s at the main table of the people who brought us here to raise money for that charity,” Bobby says. “Did Silas ever say which one it is?”

My eyes never leave her as I answer, “It’s the one where kids with terminal diseases can make a wish for something and they make it come true. And she’s right there in the big middle of it. An angel she is, don’t you think?”

Bobby smacks me on the back. “Come on, Kip!” he says. “You need to let Silas know who you want to sing to and you just found her.”

Have I found her?

I pace back and forth backstage as I’ve never experienced more nerves than I have right now. Peyton said she doesn’t like my music, yet she sits right up front where we’ll be able to look at each other. I can’t look at her as I sing about the things I know she thinks are crude.

How will I avoid looking at her?

The first three songs I have to sing are about me being a bad ass, something that she had commented on, and disliked. There’s nothing I can do about the set. The fourth song is the one I’m going to sing to her on stage. I’ve told the band to slow it down to make it more intimate. The words to the song are a bit sweet, certainly much sweeter than anything else they let me sing.

Please let her kiss me when the song ends!

She’d be the first not to ask me to kiss her and that would be horrible. Surely she won’t leave me hanging like that on stage.

God! What if she does?

My stomach does flips as the band goes on stage and starts playing the first song. I swallow hard and put on my rock star attitude then walk onto the stage.

Please let me get through this without freaking out!

Peyton

I’m at a table up front only because I’m part of the group which brought Kip Dixon to our college to raise money for my favorite charity. I’ll be graduating in a few hours with my Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Arts, then I will be off to my hometown an hour away where my parents are going to throw me a party.

This night is going to be long, and I only have to make an appearance at this concert because of my association with the charity. Only a few songs will I stay for and I hope that arrogant fucker doesn’t attempt to look down here at me and make goo-goo eyes at me or I’ll leave even sooner than that.

The band has slipped onto the stage in the complete darkness and the music begins. Everyone has shown up except Kyla, so at least I’m not alone at this table. The lights dim, and I find myself searching for the lead singer. I stop myself and shake my head to clear it.

What the hell is wrong with me?

Kyla touches my arm as she takes the chair next to mine, and says, “Who you lookin’ for, Peyton? Your boyfriend?”

I stick my tongue out at her. “Stop being a pest, Kyla. I’m just wanting to get the first few songs over so I can leave.”

She smiles at me, and watches me for my reaction as a spotlight flashes and the tall, muscled man with jet black hair, gelled into random spikes swaggers to the middle of the stage. I have to admit he’s a sight to behold, but I have to remember who and what he really is, a player, bad boy, rocker who cares for no one except himself.

He’d make me a notch on his bedpost, but that’s all he’d make me.

His voice seems pushed to the limit immediately as he belts out the first words of the song, and Kyla watches me closely. She leans in close to my ear and says, “Your eyes are twinkling, Peyton. He’s good, isn’t he?”

“His leather pants fit like a glove,” I say. “They must be very uncomfortable.”

Kyla shakes her head and smiles. “Yeah, that’s what you’re really thinking about when you look at his jeans.”

Yeah, well, so what if I was thinking something else. I’ll never admit it out loud that I’m beginning to wonder if that bulge is real or not. I know the muscles in his legs have to be real and that six pack under his tight, white, T-shirt has to be real too. His crazy hot biceps are real, that’s for sure!

By the third song I have a new respect for the band as I can see just how talented the members really are, something which doesn’t come across on the radio versions of their songs. The idea that I might be wrong about him creeps into my head. Not that it matters.

I know that I’m close enough for Kip to look down and see me, but he never bothers. It’s just as I thought, I was forgotten most likely before I even walked away. I think about something my father told me. Always trust your first instinct, it’s practically never wrong.

So what if my first thought about Kip was that he was hot? My second one was that he’s a player, and that one has to be what matters the most.

Someone tugs at my arm and I turn to find a short man with red hair. “Hi, Peyton,” he says, surprising me. “Could you come with me?”

This must be something about the charity, so I allow him to lead me back stage. “What’s this about?” I ask.

“Kip chose you,” he says.

My eyebrows lift and my heart stops. “Excuse me?”

“For the song he’s singing to a special young lady,” he says. “Surely you saw or heard about the song he’s going to sing to a girl for the charity. We decided it would help ticket sales, so added it to the set. Great idea, huh?”

I nod as a pack of butterflies on steroids fill my stomach.

“Do I have to do it?” I ask.

The man smiles at me and says, “Aren’t you one of the people who put this whole thing together?”

“Yeah, but I don’t have to be a part of the entertainment. I’m not doing it for the publicity,” I say. “Just to get money to help the kids get their wishes.”

I never thought this would happen!

“Don’t know what to say, Kip said he’d only sing to you,” he says. “You wouldn’t want to disappoint our guests would you?”

Would I? I mean, who cares if I disappoint the audience or not? Then I remember that I’m a bigger person than that and about the only female Kip can’t rattle. I wonder how he’ll act with a girl who isn’t all screamy and fainty as he sings to her. It might be kinda fun to watch him and see if he squirms a bit.

I shake my head and look back as Kip struts around the stage. Heat fills my body, and I fear that I might faint. I bite my lip, nervously as I wait for the song to end and my embarrassment to begin. A deep breath I take in to steady myself. It’s not Kip who’s making me so nervous, it’s the fact so many people are watching. Quietly I say to myself, “It’s for the kids, Peyton. Do it for them.”

At least I look good. The bastard would pick me to do this, arrogant shit-head!

After the song is over, the band plays softly as someone brings a chair on stage and Kip places a foot on it as he looks out at the audience. His leg is long and I can see his muscled inner thigh from here.

He must work out a lot.

“I haven’t done this in at least a year, but only for you, Texas State University,” he shouts then has to wait as the students scream for almost a full thirty seconds.

I wonder if he did this just to get me back to him. This wasn’t planned before. Maybe I’m the one getting a big head. I’m sure it was planned, I’m not that special!

He looks away from the crowd and towards me, seemingly searching for me as I hide behind the curtain. “As she is a big part of why we’re here this evening, I’m going to sing this next song to your very own, Peyton Reed.” The crowd goes wild as the red haired man pushes at me to go out to Kip who holds his arm out to me.

As I’m pushed from behind the curtain, our eyes meet, and I know that I’m blushing as I walk out to him. I turn and wave at the audience then Kip envelopes me in his arms from behind. I look over my shoulder to find his face next to mine.

“Hi,” he says in the microphone. “Remember me?”

“Hello, and yes I do,” I say so quietly no one can hear me, apparently.

“I need you to be a bit louder than that, gorgeous,” his words hit the microphone but fall warm on me ear, sending chills through my entire body.

“Hello!” I shout, making the sound system squeal.

Kip smiles and gives me a squeeze. “I didn’t mean to make you scream, baby.” The audience laughs and I turn a deeper shade of red. I’m sure my cheeks match my dress by now.

The music begins to get louder, yet still flows gently. Kip lets me out of his arms and takes my hand, leading me to the chair. I sit down and he looks down at me and winks. The spotlight dims to that of a candle’s light and only the two of us can be seen by the audience I bet.

His face, so full of make-up, comes close to mine, then he sings the first stance, “You know you want to.”

No, I don’t!

He looks into my eyes and I see flecks of brown in the deep blue of them. Another line he sings softly, “Girl, it’s just me and you.”

It’s so dark around us it seems as if we’re alone in the huge auditorium. “Close your eyes and I’ll make your dreams come true. Ask me to kiss you.”

Oh, this song! Great, no girl has ever not asked him to kiss her by the end. The last one I saw on television was crying the whole damn time and even she asked him. Poor guy, she was all types of gooey I bet.

A smile curls his shiny, black lips as he nods at me. I shake my head at him and smile. He moves to the other side of me as he trails his hand over my shoulders, leaving electric currents along them.

Damn this guy is good, I have to admit. It’s no wonder he thinks he’s God’s gift to women everywhere.

I turn to look at him as he leans in close, and sings, “My arms ache to hold you. Your eyes hold mine like glue. Come on girl, you know you want to.” He leans in closer to me, his lips nearly touching mine. “Ask me to kiss you.”

Wow! His breath smells so good, like cinnamon. Crap! I hope mine doesn’t stink!

Bringing my hand up between our too close faces, I place my finger on his lips, and shake my head again. He sighs and stands up then moves in front of me, as he drags his knuckles across my cheek, making my insides quiver, but I keep my emotions in check.

My eyes follow him as he sings, “So what do you want to do? To yourself be true. I see the want in you. So just do it.” He leans in close again. “Come on, do it. Ask me to kiss you.”

I think I’ll fuck with him a little bit, that sounds like fun!

With a tilt of my head, I smile at him making him move in closer as he thinks I’m about to ask him, but I place my hands on his shoulders and shake my head again.

He pulls back from me and walks away in what seems to be frustration, and sings, “Oh, baby, you don’t understand. All I want is to be your man. The rest of our lives by you I’ll stand.” He walks quickly back to me and falls on his knees in front of me. His free hand takes mine as he looks into my eyes. “Please, ask me to kiss you. I’m begging you, baby, ask me to kiss you before it’s too late. I can’t wait.”

Just to mess with his head as I’m sure he’s messed with many a poor girl’s, I lean towards him and he smiles, sure he has what he’s asked for. “Ask me to kiss you,” he sings the last words of the song as he looks into my eyes.

I wink at him and say too quietly for anyone else to hear, “No.”

He drops his head on my lap as the spot light goes out.

The crowd cheers and the applause sounds like thunder as Kip takes me by the hand and leads me off the stage in complete darkness. Instead of leading me to the door I came in, he leads me to his dressing room. Pulling me in, he turns and closes the door behind us, pushing his body up against mine as I walk backwards until the wall stops my retreat.

His breath is hot on my face as he says, “Peyton, please let me kiss you.”

Damn! I want to kiss him so bad, but I know what he wants, and that’s all he wants. I can’t do that to myself. But he seems so genuine, so real.

My eyes search his for his real feelings, and I swallow hard.

“Kip, I’m not like that,” I say in a whisper. “I’m no groupie.”

He takes my hand and places it on his chest. His heart pounds beneath my hand.

“You’ve made me feel more than I have ever felt.”

Peyton, don’t fall for this! It’s how he gets all the women. He’s had so many women, girl! Don’t fall for this!

I smile and pat his muscled chest. “I’m sorry to burst your bubble, but I don’t fall for lines,” I say. “Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll find some girl this evening to trade bodily fluids with.”

His forehead touches mine as he says, “I don’t want anyone else, Peyton.”

Sure he doesn’t, until tomorrow, then he’ll want someone else and I’ll be left in some hotel, crying my eyes out.

I stroke his cheek. “Your words won’t work on me, Mr. Pop Rock.”

“I’m more than this,” he says as he plays with one of my curls. “Let me show you who I really am.”

“Why?” I ask, genuinely confused.

There’s not a damn thing special about me. I’m not tall like a model or adorably short, just an average five foot five. I’m not perfectly built as I have a rounded ass and some big hips and don’t get me started on my boobs that are a little too big and make my waist look too small.

My hair isn’t thick and luxurious, it’s kind of short and I’ve never dyed it, so it’s a light shade of dirty blonde. My face is average, light brown eyes and they’re a little too small as well. My nose is turned up and I hate it. My lips are too plump to suit me.

“There’s something about you, Peyton.” His hand cups the back of my neck. “One kiss, just one, please.”

If I give this player one kiss, I know he’ll make me want him. I kind of already do, but I have a lot more integrity than he realizes. I’ve hung onto my V-card longer than most, and it hasn’t always been easy.

Rock star Romeo won’t be my first that’s for damn sure.

His perfectly almond shaped eyes glisten as he looks into mine, trying to read my mind I bet. His firm body holds mine to the wall and now I’m reasonably sure the bulge in his pants is quite real after all as it presses up against my hot and steadily getting wetter by the second personal pleasure area.

If I allow this to go on any longer, I’ll have a lot harder time telling him no. He leans forward and his lips brush my neck and my knees go weak.

“One kiss,” he whispers in my ear and I want to give in so damn bad. My insides are begging me to give in and I suddenly have a new awareness of why all the women gave into him, he’s too damn hot!

It takes everything I have in me, but I push him away, gently but firmly. “No, not one kiss. I’m sure you’re used to getting your way with women. I’ll not be one of those girls who make out with a pop star that she’ll never hear from again.” I pull away from him and walk to the door, grabbing the knob, then turn back and say, “I tell you what, Mr. Dixon, if you really want to get to know me, for God only knows why, you can come to my graduation party later on tonight. I’ll give your manager my address. Feel free to bring your entourage, Pop Rock.”

“I’ll be there,” he says then kisses his finger tips and waves at me. “Perhaps before the sun rises tomorrow, you will decide to let me kiss you.”

A light laugh escapes my lips. “You are tenacious, aren’t you? I cannot promise you a kiss. If that’s what you seek, stay in town, you’re sure to get plenty, and most likely you will choose to do just that. It was a pleasure to meet you, Kip.” Then I close the door behind me, leaving him alone.

Am I really walking away from a night with a billionaire rock star?

Kip

The show’s over and we think we’ve waited long enough that most of the groupies will be gone so we can get to our bus. Silas comes in and waves at us to follow him out. Bobby smiles as he sees a familiar red head who seems to have been at every Texas concert we’ve played. “There she is, Kipper,” he shouts and this time when she tries to talk to us, he stops and looks at her.

“Hi!” she shouts. “Oh my God, are you really going to talk to me?”

Bobby plays it all cool. “I’ve seen you at a few of our shows. What’s up, doll?”

She hands him a credit-card looking thing. “That’s the key to my hotel room. I have friends, enough for all of you, but I’m really interested in Kip. Come to the address on the back and we’ll make it worth your while.”

I shake my head and Bobby gives her a nod. “We’ll see, thanks for the invite.”

Walking to the bus, I have no intention of going to her hotel room. It’s not that she’s unattractive, she’s damn hot, but the idea of her following us from town to town and getting another three women to join her in her escapade to get me in bed with her is kind of disgusting.

On the bus, Bobby drops on the sofa across from the one I’ve dropped myself on. “So, what do you think?” he asks.

“No,” I answer. “I have no want to hang with her.”

“I don’t think she wants to merely hang out, Kip. She’s hot, what’s your problem?” Bobby lays out on the sofa. “I bet her friends are hot too.”

“Then you go. Take the other two with you.” The bus starts and takes us to the hotel Silas set us up in.

“And leave you all alone, never," Bobby says. He sits up. “Especially since that cold bitch shut you down on stage, crap you must hate her.”

“Don’t call her that,” I say, feeling ire build up in me for some damn reason. “I don’t hate her. She has some set of morals on her though, doesn’t she?”

“I’ll say. I mean, come on, it was just a kiss,” he says.

I wonder if just one kiss would satisfy me though. I bet not!

“She invited me to her graduation party,” I say. Which reminds me. I stand up and find Silas sitting up front near the driver. “Hey, Silas, did that girl I sang to leave you her address?”

He rummages around in his jacket pocket and pulls out a piece of paper. “Yeah, I have it here. Want me to toss it, she kind of made a fool of you?”

“No, give it to me,” I say as I make my way to him. “And for the record, she didn’t make a fool of me. She just didn’t kiss me is all. It shows I’m human and not everyone falls for my obvious charm and good looks.”

Troy laughs. “She sure didn’t. Man, I’ve never seen you try so hard.”

I kick his leg as I pass by him. “Well, I’ve seen you try plenty hard and still get rejected so shut up!”

The ever quiet drummer, James, seems to be giggling to himself as well. “You took her off stage. I’ll bet she kissed you then.”

I shake my head.

“No, not even then, and I tried so fucking hard you don’t even know. That girl! Uh! There’s something about her.” I fall back onto the little sofa and close my eyes. All I see is her perfect face and those shiny blonde curls.

Bobby slaps my leg. “Forget about her. Let’s go see the hottie and her friends and get wasted!”

I sit up and look at him. “Maybe that is what I should do. This is so stupid. She’s right not to want a one night stand with me. That’s all I can give her right now, and that’s not fair to such a good girl, is it?”

Bobby, Troy, and James all shake their heads at me, and I know that it would be the wrong thing to do to go to her graduation party. The pinnacle celebration of her school years. Her family and friends all around her, and if I show up, it will spoil it for her.

The bus turns into the hotel and we all grab our bags and get off and go into the hotel. Silas has us all in rooms next to each other. Bobby looks at me before he goes into his. “So are we getting ready to go to the red head’s?”

“Just get ready to go somewhere,” I say. “If you want to go with me, I’m not one hundred percent certain where I’m going. Maybe just out to a club on Sixth Street. Leave the make-up off and wash the crap out of your hair. Or feel free to go see the red head without me. I may show up later or I may not. I’m feeling a bit torn about things.”

The first thing I do when I get into my hotel room is take a shower and wash all this stuff off me. When I look in the hot water, fogged mirror I see me again and I’m damned glad to see the guy.

Wrapping a towel around my waist, I go and lie on the bed and grab my cell phone from the night stand where I left it. I find my new friend, Max’s, number and give him a call.

“Hey, guy, how was the concert?” my new best mate, Max asks as he answers the phone.

“Good,” I answer. “I met a girl and need some of that foster big brother advice you seem to be so good at.”

A little girl’s excited screams I hear. “Is that, Hunky Kip, Daddy?”

“Yep,” he answers her. “Do you have a second to say hi to your number one fan?”

“Always,” I say with a laugh and the little girl squeals as he hands her the phone.

“Hi, Hunky Kip, I miss you, do you miss me?”

“Of course I do, Zoey. Are you being a good girl and helping your mommy and daddy?” I ask.

“Uh, huh, I am. Are you coming back to see us soon?” she asks.

“Not really soon, sweetheart. I have to do some shows and sing my songs to the people. You’re going to come to Los Angeles and see me for Christmas, remember?” I ask.

“Oh, yeah,” she says. “’Member I want a pony but don’t tell Mommy, ‘member, kay?”

“I remember, doll. Can I talk to your daddy?” I ask.

“K, here you go Daddy.”

“So, you met a girl!” Max says as he gets back on the phone. “Tell me how you managed to do that?”

“I found her on the campus doing Yoga and I think she hates me,” I say.

“Well, that’s not too bad,” he says. “The bad thing would be if she loved you already without knowing you, right?”

“Right,” I say and brighten up a bit. “I sang her a song on stage. It’s that one, ‘Ask Me to Kiss You’, and she didn’t. It was a bit humiliating.”

He laughs. “I bet! Shit, has that ever happened before?”

“Never. It gets worse,” I say. “I drug her back to my dressing room and proceeded to press my body all up on hers and begged her to please kiss me. She still said no.”

“She has some will power, I’d say,” Max says. “I would assume you have no way to ever get in touch with her again, though. So it’s pretty much a pipe dream then, isn’t it?”

“Not really, she left her address with my manager,” I say. “She asked me to come to her graduation party if I was really interested in getting to know her.”

“Damn!” he says. “So, are you interested in getting to know her?”

“More than I care to admit,” I say and stand up and walk over to the window of the fifth floor hotel room. “Sixth Street is just outside the hotel doors and I really should just go down there and party and find some random chic to mess with. Or there’s a red head who has followed me from town to town and she gave my guitar player the key to her room, where she waits with three other chics to entertain us all.”

“But, this girl you found doing Yoga is in your head, isn’t she?” Max asks.

“How fair would that be to go see her at her party?” I ask.

“Is it really so far-fetched to think that you could have a real relationship right now. I mean, don’t other people who have to tour figure this stuff out?” he asks.

“I don’t know about in the beginning of one. Later on, yeah, but even then most crap out after a while. I’ve seen it happen again and again.” I close the curtain and move back to sit on the bed.

Max’s voice is soft as he says, “Look, I know you want me to give you the right answer, Kip, but the truth is I don’t have it. You have to look inside yourself and see what you really think. I know you don’t want to hurt some innocent young woman, and if that’s all you think will happen maybe it’s best to leave her alone, you know?”

“Yeah, I know. It’s just that I never felt anything like I felt from the first moment I touched her narrow shoulder. Like electricity ran straight through me and I ran my hand down her arm and took her hand in mine and I never wanted to let it go, even though she tried to tug hers away.” I close my eyes as I remember the exact sensation.

“Damn it, Kip!” Max says. “I feel for you, that’s just how I felt when I grabbed Lexi’s hand the first time. I know this won’t be easy for you to hear, but unless you can really be what this girl needs in her life, leave her alone. The road to where Lexi and I are is long and hard and full of potholes.”

“So your advice is to forget about her?” I ask.

“If you think you can, yes.” I hear him sigh then he says, “But who am I to tell you that, look what all I went through to get Lexi into my life and keep her here. Do whatever your heart tells you to, bro.”

“Thanks, Max. I will give it some thought before I make a decision. You’re a real mate. Tell Lexi and Zane hi from me. Bye now.”

“Bye, make good decisions, Kip.”

Make good decisions? I don’t think I’ve ever really learned how to do such a thing!

I know what the right thing to do is, but is the right thing really what I want to do?

Why can’t life be more like a silly love song that always ends with a happy lyric?

Part Two: Falling Star

Peyton

The sound of laughter fills the air as water splashes me. One of my high school friends, Chloe, jumps into the swimming pool in my family’s back yard. I wipe my face and laugh. My parents put on a huge college graduation party for me, inviting most of our relatives and nearly all the town which isn’t much. I come from a small town, a little over an hour away from where I went to college in San Marcos.

White lights fill the large oak trees in both the front and back yards. No expense had been spared as several kegs and a full bar take care of the guests. I make my way back into the house to retrieve another platter of chicken wings to take back out to the poolside. Several guests are playing pool in the game room as I enter the house. “Who’s winning?” I ask one of the guys I graduated with, Lyle.

“Me,” he says. “You wanna play me next?”

I shake my head. “Nah, I have to mingle.”

The doorbell rings and my Uncle Mike answers it as I turn around with the platter or food. A group of guys I’ve never seen before stands at the door. One of them ask if this is my graduation party. He has a slight accent, maybe British. I sit the tray down and walk over. “Hello,” I say as I extend my hand.

“Really? That’s all I get,” a familiar voice with an Australian accent comes out of a tall, muscular guy’s mouth, but I don’t recognize him. His hair is shoulder length, straight, and sandy blonde, then I look into his blue eyes and see flecks of brown in them and my hand covers my mouth as my eyes go wide.

“Is that you, Kip?”

He smiles and walks in past my uncle and scoops me up in his arms. “It is.”

I cannot believe he came!

I giggle as he twirls me around. “Put me down, silly.”

He puts me down and I look at him as I run my fingers along his jaw. “My God, you look different.” I look back at his band and shake my head in disbelief. “You all look so different. I’d never know it was you if I past you on the street.”

Kip takes my hand and pulls me close to him. “It is okay I brought my mates, right?”

“Yes, of course.”

Kip points at the first guy, a tall, dark haired guy with a slight purple tinge to his wavy hair. “This is Bobby.”

“Hi, I remember you, the purple spikes,” I say and smile.

“I remember you too,” he says. “The chic who left my mate hanging on stage.”

Heat fills my cheeks as I blush. “Yep, that was me. Sorry about that. I wasn’t trying to embarrass him.”

Kip slips his arm around my shoulders, giving them a squeeze. “You didn’t, don’t worry. The next bloke here is our drummer, James.”

He smiles and nods. “Thanks for inviting us, Peyton. It was very nice of you.”

“It’s was very nice of you to come. I never thought Mr. Pop Rock would take me up on the offer, I must confess,” I say and give him a smile and a nod too. The two men he’s already introduced come into the living room as I gesture for them to come in. “You guys make yourselves at home. There are tons of food and drinks.”

The third guy Kip introduces. “This is Troy, my lead guitar player.”

“Hey, Peyton, it’s nice to officially meet you,” he says and shakes my hand.

I giggle. “You too, Troy, please feel free to mingle and let me know if you need anything.” I turn to look at Kip in amazement as he looks so different. I find myself touching his cheek.

Kip smiles and brings his hand up to hold mine as I stroke his tanned skin. “Different, huh?”

“Very,” I answer. “You’re actually a very handsome man without all that crap on your face and in your hair.”

He raises his eyebrows and winks. “Why thank you. I do believe that’s the first compliment you’ve given me.”

“I’m really sorry if I’ve been rude. My roommate from the dorm tells me I have been and I don’t mean to be.” I lead him to a sofa in the far corner of the massive living room. “Please have a seat, Mr. Dixon. So tell me why the hair and make-up? Why would you hide such a handsome face and silky hair from the world?” I ask as I gesture to the sofa.

He sits and pulls me down with him. “The make-up and hair are the manager’s idea, not ours. Truth be told though it does make it easier for us to go out in the open than celebrities who are more easily recognized. And I don’t feel as if you’ve been rude, just overly cautious where I’m concerned.”

I think I have every reason to be cautious where he’s concerned!

“You resemble your mother. She’s gorgeous, not that your father isn’t.” My eyes move from looking in his to looking at the hand he’s placed on my exposed thigh as I’ve changed into a short skirt and tank top once I got home. My flesh is warm beneath his hand and a slight electric current seems to be running up my leg.

With his other hand, he takes a lock of my hair and twirls it between his fingers. “And I thought you had no interest in me, yet here you talk about Mum and Pop.”

He wears some form-fitting, black slacks that hug his muscled legs. Almost without realizing what I’m doing, I run my hand over the top of his thigh.

“Please, they’re on the celebrity spotlight shows practically once a week, even though his band hasn’t toured or come out with anything new in the last decade. What it must be like to be their child, their only one, right?”

My hand on his thigh doesn’t go unnoticed, and he takes my hand in his, then brings it to his lips, leaving a kiss on it. “That’s right, I am their only child. You must have done some homework on me, Peyton. As far as the reason my parents are still on the gossip shows is simple, somehow rock stars never fade from the spotlight.”

He places my hand back on the top of his thigh and I feel so comfortable with him for some reason. Perhaps it’s because he actually came to see me. I have to ask, “Do you like it there?”

His eyebrows go up and I notice he’s removed the little diamond stud he had in the left one earlier today. “In the spotlight?”

I nod and find that I have to run my hand through his hair as it looks like spun silk and I have to feel it. “This is so much better than that spiky thing you had going on.”

A short laugh he makes then answers, “At times I do like the spotlight and other times I don’t. The money keeps me interested though. I like the thought that I make some of my own money and am not simply wealthy from my inheritance alone.”

“That’s interesting. I’ve never thought about how a person who is born rich feels about it.”

Lightly, he runs his hand over my tanned arm. A gold necklace with a gold open book pendant hangs around my neck and he takes it in his hand to look at it closer.

“You weren’t wearing this earlier. What’s that inscribed on it?” he asks as he squints to read the tiny writing. “Oh, it says, ‘Once upon a Time.’ Hmm. What’s that about?”

He noticed I wasn’t wearing my necklace earlier! He looked that hard at me and paid that much attention to what I had on! Maybe he really does like me and isn’t looking to make me another notch on his bedpost.

“My parents gave it to me as a graduation present. I’m a Literary Arts degree holder now. My first book is nearly ready to go, just as soon as I find an agent.”

“A writer. Is what you want to be now you’re all grown up?” he asks with a smile.

The tips of his fingers flow over my collar bone. I have to stifle a moan from the effect it has on me. “Uh, yeah, that’s my plan. I write romance novels. Well, I’ve almost written one and plan to write many more.”

“A romance writer; didn’t get that one right,” he mutters.

“What’re you talking about?” I ask.

“I predicted a veterinarian,” he says. “I was way off.”

I shake my head, and say, “I like animals, but I’ve never got the calling to go that far. I’m being a terrible hostess.” I take his hand and stand. “Come with me, let me get you something to eat and drink.”

“I could eat,” he says.

He rises and follows me, slipping his hand out of mine to run it around my waist. We fit so perfectly together, and I’m seeing just how hard this will be to keep my head on straight. The sound of him inhaling fills my ear.

“What are you doing?” I ask as I pull away from him, but he holds me tight so I can’t get too far away from him.

“Your perfume is intoxicating. What’s it called?” he asks.

“I’m not wearing any,” I say with a laugh. “You really are wasting your lines on me, Kip.”

His brow furrows, and he leans in taking in another deep breath. “No, I smell something fantastic. Perhaps it’s your shampoo.”

I swat his arm, and say, “Come on! My shampoo is intoxicating? Really?”

He pulls me close again. “Maybe it’s you that’s making me feel intoxicated, Peyton.”

A tremble runs through my body as the warmth of his breath makes my skin flush with an excitement I’ve never known. “You’re a dangerous man.” His smile lets me know how right I am.

On our way to the bar outside, we run into my parents. My father glances at the way Kip holds me to him and looks me in the eyes. “Who do we have here, Peyton?” he asks.

“Daddy,” I say as I find myself beaming at Kip. “This is Kip. I met him at school today. Kip, this is my father, Matt Reed.”

Kip lets go of my waist and extends his hand out to my father. “Hello, sir, it’s nice to meet you.”

My father shakes Kip’s hand and asks, “Did you graduate this evening as well?”

“No sir,” he says. “I’m not a college boy. It was straight to work for me, right out of high school, I’m afraid.”

My father gives him a huge smile. “A workin’ man. Good to hear that,” he says then gestures to me. “I can’t say I’ve seen my daughter let anyone ever hold on to her the way she lets you. You must be something special.”

Kip looks at me as he runs his arm back around my waist. “Is that so?”

“Daddy, please!” I say then gesture to my mother who stands by my father’s side and gawks openly at Kip. “This is my mother, Donna. Mom, this is Kip.”

Kips takes her hand and kisses the top of it. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Donna. You have a beautiful and wonderful daughter.”

She blushes and giggles. “Thank you, it’s nice to meet you. Peyton has never let anyone hang on to her like she’s letting you. It’s kind of taking us by surprise. But you seem like a very nice, young man.”

If she only knew!

I roll my eyes at how lame my parents are making me sound. “Okay, anyway, I’m going to get us something to drink and eat. See you guys around.” I lean in to whisper as we walk away. “They don’t know anything about me and my private life. Don’t listen to them.”

Kyla pops up in front of us, making us stop. “My, my, my, aren’t you popular today, Peyton," she says as she eyes Kip. “So, aren’t you going to introduce me?”

I look up at Kip, not sure of what to say his name is. I hesitate then say, “Kyla, this is someone I met today. This is my best friend and now ex-roommate, Kyla.”

He nods then says, “Nice to meet you, Kyla.”

His accent tips her off and her mouth falls open. “No way!”

I lean in close to her. “Don’t you dare say a word or you know everyone will be all over him.”

“Holy shit!” Kyla says as she stares at Kip. “You look so different. What are you doing here? I mean this is literally the middle of nowhere, Hicksville.” Her eyes go to his arm around my waist. “I can’t believe she’s letting you do that.”

Kip’s head tilts as he looks at me. “Hmm. What do you know about that? First your parents, and now your best friend. Does no one know of your personal life, Peyton?”

I look her in the eyes and say, “Keep your mouth shut Kyla!”

Does everyone have to point out how I never let any guys touch me?

“Touchy!” she says then turns to walk away, but looks back over her shoulder. “So the other guys who showed up here with those accents are from your band then. I’m going to go introduce myself.”

Looking back at Kip, I ask, “Weren’t we going to get a drink? What would you like? Wait, let me guess, some kind of hard whiskey I bet. Isn’t that what all you pop stars drink? Or is it some fancy new thing that’s all the rage in L.A.?”

Moving along to the bar he says, “Contrary to popular opinion, all of us don’t drink like that. I’ll just have a beer, thanks. And is that bar-b-que I smell?”

“It is. You have to try my father’s brisket,” I say as I grab a couple of cups from a stack on the bar and head to one of the kegs.

His arm slides away from me as he holds out his hands. “Please, allow me,” he says as he reaches for the cups.

I hand him one and he fills it up, then hands it to me. He takes the other and fills it, then his arm goes right back around my waist. “Now show me to the food which produces this wonderful aroma.”

Everything seems so easy with him for some damn reason. I know this is so temporary and he’ll be gone before I know it, but I can’t seem to go back to the place I was in when I first met him or he sang that damn song to me.

Where is that woman who was so on guard?

Kip

Long gone is the overly wary girl I met this morning and sang to earlier today. Peyton seems to be letting me in some and while I’m loving it, I’m also more than aware of the limited amount of time I have to be with her. A few more days of normal I’ve been given, like a gift that gets taken away all too often.

Her smile is bright, and she gets a twinkle in her light brown eyes when she laughs, which is often. I’m not sure what has her treating me so nice. Maybe it’s because she didn’t think I’d really come see her. Whatever it is, I find I’m happier than I’ve ever been with any woman, and I barely know her.

Now that she’s allowing me to touch her and run my arm around her, I can feel how perfectly we fit one another. With my other conquests I’ve always been quick to get to the finish line with them, but with her I find myself wanting to take my time. Though I have damn little of it.

Most of the guests have left as she and I sit on the edge of the swimming pool, letting our legs dangle in the cool water. “Where are you guys headed next?” she asks.

I tuck a stray curl behind her ear as I look into her eyes. “Dallas,” I say. “Dallas was to be tomorrow, but it was pushed back, so we have the next three days off. I hope you don’t have any plans because I’d like to spend them with you.”

Small wrinkles form on her forehead as she frowns. “You don’t see that as a waste of your time?”

I smile at her. “No, do you?”

With a light laugh she looks away. “I’m not one to have a three day fling with a roaming rock star, no matter how sweet I think he is.”

She thinks I’m sweet!

Her eyes close as I touch her chin, bringing her face back so I can see her expression. “Why does it just have to last three days?”

Her eyes flutter open as she says, “We both know why. Your life is full. Practically every minute is scheduled for you. This time off is a fluke, isn’t it?”

I nod. “I find that interesting,” I say, stroking her cheek as I lean towards her. “The moment our eyes met something in me clicked. I’ve never experienced anything like it. I’m being completely honest with you, Peyton, so please don’t give me any of that rubbish about giving you lines. I’d like you to be honest with me about what you feel about me.”

Searching my eyes as if seeking the truth in them, she says, “You have no idea how much I want to believe you, Kip. And if you really want me to be honest with you, well, when you touched me this morning then took my hand, I felt something spread throughout my body. That’s never happened before. And to be honest, I find it terrifying. I mean, I’m no fool, I know this won’t last. I know you have to go.”

“You should believe me, it’s true,” lifting her chin to angle her face to mine I brush her cheek with my lips, settling them at the back of her ear. “Ask me, Peyton.”

Her laughter peals through the night air. A splash of water hits me as she kicks it up. “Oh, you’re good, Mr. Pop Rock. Guess I’m the first girl you sang that song to who has told you no.” She stands up and offers me her hand. I take it but instead of standing up, I pull her to sit on my lap. “Kip!”

I hold her tight to me, resting my forehead against hers. “As a matter of fact you’re right, but that’s not why I want to feel your lips on mine. I want to see what it feels like. Your presence has made me unsteady and excited like never before. To be honest, I was confused by your reaction to me. It’s something I’ve never experienced before. You’re so normal.”

“Thanks,” she says with a smile. “That’s what every girl wants to hear.”

“Normal is something I long for.” I run my hands through her curls. “I’ve never had a normal life, Peyton. I watch television and see normal families and wish I had one. My life has always been over the top. You wouldn’t believe the wacky shit I’ve went through.”

“Tell me, Kip.” Her arms slip around my neck and she leans her head against my chest. “I want to hear about what has made you who you are.”

Somehow, holding her like this seems so natural. It feels so right and comfortable. I find myself wanting to tell her things I’ve never told anyone.

“What was the thing you did to get yourself in the most trouble with your parents, when you were a child?” I ask.

“I left the barn door open, and at that time we had seven horses and one cow. They all got out, and I got a few licks from Daddy’s belt.” Her finger traces a pattern on my chest, leaving little electric currents as she does.

“See, that’s normal,” I say. “I got knocked around the formal dining room one night as my parents threw a lavish party, alcohol and drugs flowing like water. One of my father’s friends, someone you have definitely heard of, but shall remain nameless, offered me a cracker with caviar on it. I was five and not about to put that in my mouth. I was a crying mess as my mother shoved that nasty crap into my mouth, after which I threw up all over the white carpet, and was promptly sent to bed.”

Her arms go around me and she tightens them in a hug. “That’s horrible, Kip.”

I kiss the top of her head. “My days are filled with traveling and my nights with a face full of make- up and women who throw themselves at me with no regard for themselves. I swear if you heard some of the things they say, you would shit yourself in shock.” My arms go around her and tighten as she looks up at me with tears in her eyes.

“I’ve changed my mind,” she says, then licks her red lips. “If nothing else comes of this, I’ll be happy to know I was the one normal girl you’ve ever kissed. Kip, I’m asking you to kiss me.”

Finally, she’s asking me to kiss her, and I find all I want to do is do this thing with her right. She is not a one night stand or even a three night stand. She’s good and seems pure and innocent.

I smile at her and run my hands over her back. “You know what, Peyton? I’m going to do this right. Allow me to take you on a date tomorrow wherever you want to go. I don’t want our first kiss to be one out of pity for a poor, rich boy.”

She smiles back. “A date? Anywhere I want?”

I nod. “Anywhere.”

“Do you ride?” she asks.

I give her a wicked smile, she may as well know my true humor which can be a bit raunchy at times. “Ride what?”

She gently hits my chest. “Horses, silly.”

I laugh. “It’s been a while. But yeah, I can ride.”

“Bring your band of monkeys if they’d like to come and we can spend a normal day of riding horses, fishing in our pond, and maybe, if you’re really lucky, swimming in the pool. Then I’ll make us a normal dinner of spaghetti and meatballs.”

Now that does sound completely normal and completely wonderful!

“It’s a date then, but I’m not bringing them. I want it to be me and you, alone.”

She snuggles into my chest as a cool breeze blows past us. “My family will be here, Kip. We won’t be alone much. They can come if you want them to.”

“I love my mates, don’t get me wrong, but they’re Hollywood to their core. It’s safe to say they’ve disappeared with random girls from your little party here and will sneak back to our hotel in Austin once the sun rises,” I say, then kiss the top of her head.

She makes a deep sigh. “I suppose it’s very late and if we’re to have any fun at all tomorrow, we best be getting to bed.”

“Is that an invitation,” I ask with a laugh.

“No.” She giggles and pulls her head off my chest. “I should tell you something before you go wasting a lot of time on me. It might change your mind about spending your days off with me.”

Her words make me feel bad and I want her to understand how I’m starting to really feel about her. “None of my time is wasted when it concerns you.”

Darting back and forth, her eyes tell me she’s nervous about telling me what she has to say. “Promise me you won’t think I’m a freak.”

I nod. “I know a ton of freaks and trust me when I say there is nothing you can tell me to make me think that about you.”

“I’m not going to be giving in to you, Kip. Not sexually, anyway,” she says and I find myself laughing.

“Ever?”

“Not in the next three days.” She looks away. “I’m a virgin.”

“How old are you?” I ask in surprise.

Her eyes meet mine. “Twenty-two.”

Wow! This is so not right to do to her if I can’t do right by her!

“Okay, so that’s good to know.” I stroke her hair and smile like it’s not a big deal.

“So, I understand if you don’t want to spend the next few days with me. It won’t end the way that you might think it will. It’s not in me to give that part of myself to someone who isn’t going to be a real part of my life, and I know you can’t be.” Her eyes begin to glisten with what I believe may well be tears.

I kiss her cheek, then move my lips to her neck and kiss her lightly, her body shivers and I hold her close to me.

“Peyton, I have no idea where this is leading. I promise you that I’ll end it if I think you’ll be hurt by anything I do.”

“Thank you, Kip. Thank you for understanding who I am.”

I do understand and I have to ask myself if I have it in me to give her what she needs.

Peyton

I walk Kip to his car where I find a limousine waiting and promptly swat at his chest. “You didn’t tell me you had someone waiting on you. This is awful, the driver could’ve come in and ate and been comfortable instead of cooped up in this thing.”

His arms run around me and he hugs me tight. “See, a normal response! I love it!” he says. “Now give me your phone.”

I reach into the pocket of my skirt and hand it to him. He sends himself a message from my phone and hands it back. “There, now I have your number and you have mine. I’ll give you a call in the morning before I come over. Do you drink coffee?”

“That early?” I ask. “Come on, it’s late. Don’t act like you’ll be back up in a few hours and raring to see me.”

“Baby, if I could, I’d stay with you the whole time, or take you back with me to the hotel.” he says. “Tomorrow I’m renting a car, so you don’t have to feel sorrow for my driver.”

“Don’t bring me any coffee, I like tea.”

Pressing my body up against the back car door, he wraps me up in his arms and rocks with me, placing his forehead on mine. “Tea it is. Can I have a chaste kiss good night to give me sweet dreams?”

I press my lips to his cheek and have to fight myself not to move them to his lips which are plump and juicy looking. Even with this most chaste of kisses, I feel him swelling as his body is flush with mine. My body has ached for his for some time now and this closeness is making it so much worse.

My lips have lingered on his cheek for too long and he pulls back from me with a groan. His blue eyes are dark and full of desire as he moves his mouth towards me and I want it to crash down on mine, but they touch my cheek and I nearly fall apart.

My hands flow over his back as he leaves his lips on my cheek, then I feel the wetness of the tip of his tongue touch my cheek and my knees go weak.

Crap! If a damn kiss on the cheek does this to me, what will a real kiss do? I’ll be putty in the man’s hands!

My breath comes in waves as his hands move up to tangle in my hair and he pulls my head back and looks at me for the longest time. Our eyes seem to communicate how much we both are feeling. “I should go,” he finally says. “It would be best if I go now.” Somehow it seems like we can’t stop looking at each other. “I don’t want to go, Peyton.”

“I don’t want you to,” I say and find I’m licking my lips and his eyes finally leave mine as he looks at my lips and bites his bottom one.

Slowly he moves his head forward, closer and closer as he looks at my lips and I’m quivering inside and am so afraid if he kisses me I’ll let him do anything he wants to me and to hell with me worrying about when he has to leave. His lips are so close to mine I can feel the heat of his breath on them. Then his forehead touches mine and he keeps his lips that close for a little while as we both breathe ragged breaths.

“Tomorrow,” he says quietly. “Tomorrow, I will see you. Good night.”

He pulls himself away from me and I feel cold immediately and cross my arms in front of me and run my hands over my arms. “Tomorrow then, good night.” I walk back up the sidewalk to my house. “See you tomorrow then.”

“Tomorrow, baby!” he shouts.

I stop and turn around. “Get in the damn car, you sound like Austin Powers,” I say as I giggle.

He keeps looking at me as he holds the door open on the car until I go inside and close the door behind me. My body falls back on the door and I run my hands over my arms then touch the cheek he left the long kiss on.

Floating down the hallway to my bedroom, it starts to sink in, now that he’s not all over me, this will only be for a short time and then it’ll be over and I’ll be heartbroken for sure. I pull my clothes off and throw on a little nightgown and climb into bed.

Maybe, if nothing else, this little thing we have going on will help me to write better novels. It’s kind of hard to be a romance novelist if the extent of my romantic experience is making out with a couple of boys in high school, which my brothers ran off or the one guy in college which I later found out was really gay. A broken heart may be what I need to become a best-selling author.

But a broken heart caused by Kip may hurt worse than a broken heart caused by a regular guy. Not one kiss on the lips have I had that was anywhere near the kiss on the cheek Kip gave me. I’ll have to just chill and enjoy the time we have and not worry about the future.

No matter how much it will hurt me in the end.

Kip

Darkness surrounds me as I ride back to my hotel. My mind is spiraling as I have to be honest with myself about Peyton. Never has a woman had so much hold over me, and in the span of just a few hours at that.

I know I should leave her alone. I’ll only hurt her, I’m sure. Or maybe she’ll hurt me. Things run through my mind as to how we could have something, a real relationship, not just three days. She would have to agree though and I doubt she would.

But that crazy kiss she gave me on the cheek took my breath away. I cannot believe how it made me feel as her soft lips pressed against my cheek for so long.

A new tour bus I could buy, for just us. The band could ride on the bus we have now. Sure, they’d say a bunch of shit about it, but what the hell do I care?

I’m no idiot with my head in the clouds. Peyton is a virgin and not likely to agree in a matter of a couple of days to go on the road with me. Hell, she’s not likely to agree to have sex with me in this three day period, much less take off with me.

The career she’s chosen as a writer would go great with mine. She can do that anywhere. I can see it all now. She can type away on her laptop as I play my concerts, then when I come back to the bus we can make love like the people she’s written about while I was busy performing.

It’s a win, win for us both!

I have her cell phone number now so I take my phone and send her a sweet little text to show her how special she is.

‘Had a wonderful night and hope you and I can have many, many more like it.’

I lay my head back on the headrest and try hard not to think about how her eyes sparkle or her lips felt as they pressed on my cheek. My phone dings and I look down to see that she’s texted back. I want to slap myself as my tummy does a little flip at how happy it’s made me.

‘How nice that would be, but let’s not kid ourselves. We can enjoy these three days, let’s not lie to one another. I really, really like you, by the way. I think I forgot to tell you that.’

She really, really likes me!

I text back, ‘I really, really like you too and I’m thinking about ways we can make this last more than three days. Have sweet dreams, love and I’ll see you in the morning. XXOO’

My phone dings again, right away. ‘XXOO to you too, good night, you sweet man.’

Never have I been called sweet. Hot, sexy, passionate, but not sweet. Perhaps I haven’t been sweet before. Perhaps that’s why I’ve never found anyone before. Maybe only Peyton can bring this out in me. It’s like nothing I’ve ever felt, and I’ll be damned if I let something like my career get in the way of whatever this is.

We pull into the hotel and I find myself full of resolve and with purpose like never before. The driver lets me out and I make my way up to my room. As I get out of the elevator, I hear a woman’s slurred voice and see Bobby on the outside of his door, making out with a woman.

“Kip!” I hear and look across the hall from them and see the red haired woman from after the concert standing in front of my hotel room door. “You’re back, thank God! Dude, I need to crash in your room, your guitar player said it would be fine.”

The fucking wanker!

Peyton

It’s hard to fall asleep after Kip texted me that he’s thinking of ways for us to stay together for more than this three days. Can it really happen? Can he and I really be a couple?

I’m stupid, I know it, but when he touches me it’s like magic. But I bet it feels like that to all the girls he’s touched. He has touched a shit load of girls.

That thought alone sends me back to reality and I feel sad, like right away. I look at the clock on the nightstand and see it’s been about an hour since he left and I have an overwhelming urge to be sure he made it back to his hotel safely.

I text him, ‘Just want to be sure you made it to your hotel.’

The phone I lay on my chest as I wait for his answer which I hope tells me he’s made it so I can go to sleep. Is this what a relationship is, caring if someone has made it to their destination intact?

Minutes turn into a half hour and I find the butterflies have returned to my stomach and fear is pushing them around like a tornado. I toss and turn in my bed as I think about what might have happened.

Okay, Peyton, stop! He’s asleep already. That’s all!

I close my eyes and try to go to sleep. So what if he doesn’t text back tonight. A ding my phone makes and I sit up in bed and nearly knock the lamp off the nightstand as I grab my phone. ‘Sorry for taking so long to reply, love. I made it to the hotel and my wanker ex-best mate had a surprise for me. One I didn’t want and had to find a place for. Going to hit the hay, see you soon.’

What the fuck does that mean?

I don’t want to be some crazy woman from the get go, but what kind of surprise does someone get that they have to find a place for?

A prostitute, a groupie?

I bet anything I’m right on target and this is how life would be with Kip and his band of merry men. I can’t take this, I can’t take the not knowing. He could be with her right now, porkin’ it up with her as I left him all horny and stuff.

This is all my fault. I should’ve kept him here or went back with him. That’s what grown ass women do with their men is stay with them. But he isn’t my man. He’s Kip Dixon, rock star and male whore. And I’m an idiot for thinking anything different.

Kip

Something feels wrong and I think about why Peyton didn’t text back. Is she that kind of girl who lets the man have the last word because I’ve never met one of those females in my entire life?

I wait and hope she puts something back and realize she’s put two and two together with my way too much information text and she knows that a chic was waiting for me when I got here.

What do I do?

I’ve never been in a damn relationship before! I don’t even know if I’m in one now, yet I feel panicked for some damn reason. I pick up the phone and call her, so she can hear my voice and I can hear hers. With a swipe of her name I call her. “Hey,” she says in a whisper as she answers my call.

“Hey, baby,” I say, full of relief that she’s answered. My heartbeat slows back to nearly normal as I hear her sweet voice. “You didn’t text back.”

“What was your surprise?” she asks.

I take in a deep breath. “Probably exactly what you thought it was and the reason you didn’t text back.”

“A girl?” she asks.

“Yeah, Bobby thought he was doing me a favor, but he was wrong and the chic was drunk and I couldn’t exactly dump her on the street. I got James to let her into his room, so he took one for me. I owe him now.”

Silence meets my ear and I hate it. Finally, she says, “Thanks for telling me the truth, Kip.”

“So, I’ll see you in the morning then?” I ask.

“Do you really want to?” she asks.

“I do,” I whisper. “I really do, Peyton. Please don’t let this thing that happened stop you from thinking anything other than what we talked about. My life is complicated, but I can un-complicate it, if I need to.”

“Can you?” she asks. “Can you change your whole world just for me, Kip?”

I smile as she’s just put the ball in my court. “Can you change your whole world just for me, Peyton?”

“My world is easy,” she answers. “My world is open and normal.”

“And mine is complicated and scheduled.” I say. “It’s called compromise, love. Do you think we have it in us to find compromise with each other?”

“I have no idea about you,” she says and I feel the pain clear to my toes.

“I’ll show you. I don’t want to tell you because anyone can do that. Let me show you.”

A long pause is all I get from her for a while. “Show me then.”

I laugh a little. “Do you have a car?”

“I have a Jeep, why?” she asks.

“I’d like to take a ride with you tomorrow and see how well you drive,” I say as I lay back and stretch out, feeling much better about how she’s feeling.

She giggles, sweetly. “And why is that?”

I smile as I think about what I want to give her to make her see that I’m one hundred percent for real about her. “On Monday, before I have to leave, I want to give you something that will allow you to get to me.”

“And that would be?” she asks.

“A surprise, love.” I say. “It’s late and we should get at least a touch of sleep before we see each other again.” I sigh as I really don’t want to hang up, but feel like she needs to get some rest before we see each other in a few hours.

“Okay then, good night,” she says and hangs up.

I smile as I knew she’d want the last word.

Peyton

Stars twinkle outside the sheer, pink curtain which covers my bedroom window. This morning, I thought I had a life of nothing more than being a romance novelist ahead of me. Somehow Mr. Pop Rock has snuck into my heart and turned my world around.

A shooting star falls from the sky and I close my eyes and make a wish. A wish for my life to go in the direction it needs to for me to have a good life. It’s a vague wish but I find those to be the ones most likely to come true.

My future may include Kip Dixon and it may not. My heart pounds as I think of him and how sweet he was this evening. Never did I think he’d be the way he is. Never in my wildest dreams did I think a rock start would be interested in me in the least.

My best friend, mother, and father I introduced him to, but my three big, over-protective brothers I’ve yet to. They’re all here and will be in the morning too. So if Kip does come, he will have to meet them.

They’ve never been keen on any man for me for some damn reason. Do they really expect me to stay innocent forever?

Lord knows they combine their efforts to try to keep me a kid. But I just might be ready to grow up, I might just be ready to cash in my V-card. If nothing else comes of this thing with Kip, what a story I’d have about who I gave it up to.

Even as I think those words, I know I’m not that girl. I’m not one to tell my bedroom business anyway, much less spout off about how Kip Dixon, rock star, billionaire took my virginity.

I wonder what he meant about giving me something so I can get to him. He’s different than any man I’ve ever met. I don’t know if it’s the short amount of time we have together or if he is always as intense as he was tonight.

If he and I are to really start something, I don’t want it to go really fast, so I have no time to think things through. That’s how things get messed up real fast, people act before they think.

And that ain’t me!

I am a think it through kind of girl. ‘Don’t rush, it’ll still be there tomorrow,’ is my motto. But where Kip is concerned I don’t know if that’s true at all. He’s on the move constantly and I’m a slow mover. I don’t see how we’ll mesh well together.

Our bodies seem to mesh well together. Heat filled me as soon as he touched me and tonight when he grabbed me up in his strong arms I felt hot and weak at the same time.

Yeah, our bodies certainly like each other!

How would his tight abs feel against my bare stomach? How would his bare chest feel as it moves over my bare breasts? Does he keep his body completely hair free or does he leave a little? How does he move when he makes love? Fast and hard or slow and steady?

I wonder what I even like in that department. And what about his male member?

That thing is huge!

Can my body even physically handle that monster? How does one prepare to go from virgin to the lover of a man with a monster-sized dick? What will he think of me and how I have no experience when he’s been with so many woman who do have a lot of experience?

I wonder if I should watch some porn or something if I do decide to let him take me. I have no idea of how to give a blow job or how I should act if he goes down on me. Am I supposed to applaud afterwards if he does a good job?

What is a good job in that department? Are there any bad jobs? Would I do a bad job?

God! I can’t give my V-card to Kip!

He’ll probably laugh at me and how inept I am. That would be devastating. What if something totally humiliating happens, like I pass out or something even worse. Oh! I can’t go through with that.

We will only be friends!

He’ll just have to accept the fact that I’m immature in that department and must school myself on the art of making love long before we do that. If he’ll stay with me that long. Which I doubt as he’s a grown man and has the needs of one. He’ll grow tired of waiting for me to learn what it is a woman does in that particular situation. I can’t go into it with no knowledge.

Okay, so I have what I’ve seen on television or in the movies, but that can’t be all true. I’m sure one is not born simply knowing how to touch and react to touch the way they do in the movies.

But animals know what they’re supposed to do, but they’re sex acts are kind of the same all the way around and mostly seem very boring. I mean you, never hear dogs going at it and the female howling like it’s the best thing she’s ever experienced. The neighborhoods would be so much louder if that was the case.

On movies, the women scream and huff and puff and sometimes the men do too. How will I know what noises I’ll make or am supposed to make?

What if Kip doesn’t like women to be noisy or what if he prefers them to shout and scream as he pleasures them? What if he finds no pleasure with me? I don’t know how to pleasure a man.

And now I hate the word, pleasure, as it will always bring up certain images in my mind, such as howling, fornicating dogs!

This is all too much to think about right now and I need to get some sleep or I’ll look like dog crap when Kip gets here. The idea that he’s really coming back is hard to believe, so I’ll go to sleep and see if he really does.

He’d be a fool to come back, but I hope he does!

Part Three: Guarded Star

Peyton

My eyes fly open as my cell phone vibrates on the nightstand. A groan escapes as I turn over to pick it up, finding Kip’s name on the screen. “I can’t believe he’s up so early? It’s only 9:00a.m. We were on the phone until four this morning.” A slide of my finger and I say, “Hello. I cannot believe you’re up already.”

“Grumpy in the morning, love?” His smooth Australian accent flows over my ear, igniting a smile on my face.

“Good morning, Kip. You’re up early. You’ve surprised me. I thought you’d call about noon or so, if at all.”

“I am. I could barely sleep, but seems you had no problem doing so. And what do you mean by if I called?”

I lay back on my pillows. “Just wasn’t real sure you would. I slept like a baby. I never have trouble sleeping. Are you still coming over today?”

Silence is all I hear and a frown quickly forms. Kip finally speaks, “Do you still want me to?”

“Not if you don’t want to.” My chest tightens with how stupid I feel for believing he would spend the day with me after I let him know there would be no sex.

“I want to, Peyton. A car’s being brought to me already. I can’t wait to get back to you.”

A sigh slips from my mouth and I hear him laugh. “I’ll get up and take a shower. Don’t eat, I’ll make us breakfast, okay?”

Kip laughs. “Wow, breakfast and dinner, you’re going to spoil me.”

“Nah, you’re getting a ham sandwich for lunch, just to make sure you don’t get too hung up on me. I’ll see you in an hour or so.”

After a quick shower, I throw on a pair of shorts and a tank top. Bright pink flip flops I slip into just before leaving my bedroom. The house is quiet as everyone is still sleeping.

As I bustle around in the kitchen the noise I make wakes my mother who joins me and points at the coffee maker. “Get that thing going, sweetie.”

I pour water in the coffee maker. “A bit too much to drink, Mom?”

“When one’s last kid graduates college, one tends to celebrate,” she says as she props her elbows on the bar and rests her chin on her hands. “Now do tell me about that adorable man who held you all night.”

I smile at her. “His name’s Kip. Oh, yeah, you know that part. This part you don’t know, I didn’t tell anyone who he was last night because there were too many people, but he’s a rock star. His dad is that rock star from that huge English group from the eighties.”

Mom’s eyes close, and she shakes her head a little. “Are you shittin’ me?”

“His band played at the charity event yesterday.” I pour her a cup of coffee and go back to check on the bacon. “It’s odd really, he says he feels different with me. I want to blow him off so bad, because he has to be slick from all the years of women throwing themselves at him, but something won’t let me.” The oven beeps and I pop in a tray of biscuits. “He’s on his way over here now.”

“Oh, shit, really?” Mom jumps off her stool and grabs her coffee. “I can’t let him see me like this. He’s the kid of that super model too then. Shit! I look awful!”

I laugh as I watch her run from the room. Back to making breakfast I go as I pull the bacon from the pan and make gravy with the drippings. The first egg I crack coincides with the doorbell, evoking a smile from me.

The sight of my father, wearing only his underwear, coming from the hallway to answer the door makes me shout, “Daddy, no! Go get dressed, breakfast is nearly done, and that’s the guy from last night. He’s going to spend the day with me.”

Dad turns on his heel and goes back to his bedroom. I shake my head at how unsophisticated my family is. Opening the door I find Kip standing with a handful of flowers. “Hi,” I say as I step back to let him come in.

Placing the flowers in my hands, he catches me off guard with a quick kiss on my cheek just before he runs his arms around me and lifts me off the floor in a big hug.

“Good morning, Peyton, you look just as gorgeous as I thought you would.”

With a roll of my eyes as he places my feet back on the floor, I move back into the kitchen. “Thanks for the flowers. Come with me, Romeo. I’ve almost got breakfast ready and you can set the table.”

“Nice tan. Do you spray tan or go to a tanning salon?” he asks. I glance back at him to find him running his eyes down my legs.

Reaching for a vase, I stretch up to reach one off the top of the refrigerator. Kip moves in front of me, sliding his body along mine, and taking it down. “Thanks,” I say. My heart speeds up and I hope he can’t hear it thumping in my chest.

“How about you let me put these in water so you can get back to doing whatever it was you’ve been doing to create this awesome smell.” He fills the vase with water as my eyes flow over him. A white T-shirt and a pair of blue jean shorts he wears with running shoes. They fit him well and show off his large biceps and muscular legs.

“You must work out a lot.” The words escaped before I realize he’ll figure out I was checking him out.

A soft chuckle he makes. “Gotta keep the money maker in good working order.”

Another eye roll I make. “The things you say, Pop Rock. No visible tats, Bad Boy?”

He smiles. “I think they should mean something and so far nothing has meant enough to me to commemorate it on my flesh.” He picks up a stack of plates and turns to me.

“Are these the plates you want set on the table, love?”

I give him a nod and he begins placing them on the large table. “Thank you, Kip.”

“You take care of yourself pretty good too, Peyton. Keeping up that tan, and rocking body, you don’t fool me,” he says.

The whisk makes a metallic tapping sound as I stir the eggs in a large bowl. “I don’t go to a gym or a tanning salon. The sun is what has my skin this color and the things I do for fun keep me in this shape, which is a bit on the plump side if you ask me.”

One of the plates makes a loud thump as he puts it down, then looks at me with his mouth open. When I look up to see what happened he says, “Plump is not a thing I would call you. Perfect, now that word I’d use. I love the fact that you’re not skin and bones. Natural is what you are, and you’re naturally gorgeous.”

“I just about rolled my eyes for the third time in fifteen minutes, Kip.” I say as I pour the eggs into a large skillet. “These lines you use are useless on me.”

Moving near me, he reaches past me to open a drawer. “You keep your silverware here?” he asks as he sniffs my hair. “I like that shampoo.”

A short laugh I make. “Yeah, I like how you smell too. We’re made for each other.” I stir the eggs and find him slipping his arms around me from behind, nuzzling my neck.

“We just might be you know,” his words are warm on my neck and I giggle.

“Oh, Romeo, how will I ever get through this day and load of crap?”

After grabbing a handful of forks he walks away. “Tell me, Peyton, how many boyfriends have you had?”

“A lot less than you’ve had girlfriends.”

“I have never had a real girlfriend, so I bet you’re wrong,” he says as he places the last fork on the table. “You have a family of six?”

“Mom, Dad, my three older brothers and me.” The eggs I place on a platter and take to the table. “I’m the baby of the family, so don’t get your knickers in a twist when my brothers give you the business. I mean they’re serious, but still try to take it a lot better than the other two guys I dated did.”

My hand slides up to his cheek and I pull his forehead to mine and look at him. “Can I ask you to do something?”

“Anything.”

“Please don’t tell me things you think are going to get me into bed. We both know this thing can’t go further than these three days, and I don’t want to get my heart broken,” I say. “You asked me how many boyfriends I’ve had. The answer is two, both dumped me for other girls. It made me feel like men lie to get what they want then walk away once it doesn’t happen, chasing after the next conquest.”

“Will it help if I tell you they’re not lies? Because they aren’t.”

A sigh comes from my lips and I pull my forehead from his. “You’re incorrigible.”

The sound of someone clearing their throat makes me jump away from Kip. I find my parents have come into the room. Dad says, “I don’t think Peyton introduced us properly last night, Kip. My wife let me in on the secret, just to let you know.”

Kip’s eyes flash at me. “Secret?”

“I told Mom who you are, who you really are,” I answer as I go to get a bottle of juice from the fridge.

“She was afraid your guests would mob me if they knew.”

“They may well have done just that,” Mom says and takes a seat. “This smells great, Peyton. Thanks for making breakfast. I hear your brothers grumbling so they’ll be in to eat in a few minutes. They all told me they could only stay one more night before they have to get back to their own lives.”

“Thank God,” I say as I come back to the table and fill the glasses with orange juice. I pull out two chairs and gesture for Kip to sit next to me. “I hate sharing a bathroom with those slobs.”

I place bacon on both my plate and Kip’s as he watches me with a smile on his face. I spoon some eggs on both then drop a biscuit on each of them. “Gravy?”

He laughs. “You’ve done everything else. Why not?”

The gravy boat I pick up. “On your biscuit or beside it?”

“However you wish to serve it to me,” he says and watches as I pour the gravy over the top of the opened biscuit.

“This is how we eat it around here.” I look up to find my brothers staggering down the hallway. “Well, look who is up.”

My brothers sit down at the table and Levi looks at Kip. “And you’re the guy who had his hands all over my baby sister last night. Please do not tell me you stayed here last night ‘cause I’d hate to have to kick your ass with this hangover I got going on.”

“My ass is safe,” Kip says as he glances at me. “Your sister’s honor is intact as I went back to Austin to my hotel room last night.”

“Glad to hear that,” my brother says. “I’m Levi, Peyton’s oldest and obviously best-looking brother. Dad said your name’s Kip, is that right.”

Kip nods as he takes a bite of the gravy covered biscuit. “Oh my God, Peyton, this is delicious.”

I smile. “I thought you’d like it. It’s a southern tradition. Let me introduce you to the other two pains in my rear end. That guy over there scratching his beard at the table like he knows better than to do is my second oldest brother, Blake. Next to him is the third oldest, Tyler. They’re over-protective too, but not as bad as Levi is.”

Kip nods at them. “Nice to meet you all.”

“Yeah, you too,” Tyler says.

“What is it you do for a living?” Blake asks.

I pat Kip’s leg. “I got this. He’s in a band.”

Levi eyes Kip. “Have I heard of this band?”

“It’s just my name really,” Kip answers as he dabs at his mouth with a napkin. “Kip Dixon.”

Levi chuckles. “Do you really expect me to believe that? I’ve seen that guy and you ain’t him. Are you trying to pull the wool over my baby sister’s eyes? She’s pretty easy to fool and naïve as Hell.”

“He is Kip Dixon! You jackass.” I wag my finger at him. “He played a charity concert at my college yesterday and he sang to me on stage. It’s really him, he wears make-up and hair stuff when he’s performing, and that’s why you don’t recognize him.”

Levi cocks his head as he looks a lot harder at Kip. “What’d ya sing to her?”

Kip looks at me and smiles. “I sang, ‘Ask Me to Kiss You’ but she didn’t.”

Blake laughs. “She knows better than to kiss a stranger.”

“I found that out. Your sister is a very good girl, you’ve trained her well,” Kip says with a laugh.

I blush. “Can we talk about anything else?”

Blake takes a bite of bacon then narrows his eyes at Kip. “Just what are your intentions with my baby sister, rock star?”

Kip shrugs his shoulders. “I just want to hang out with her. She’s different, so natural and normal. Treats me like she’d treat anyone else. I don’t get that often, or ever really.”

Tyler nods his head. “Bet you’re spoiled rotten.”

“I’d not say rotten,” Kip says. “I’ve never wanted for anything if that’s what you mean.”

Blake laughs. “He means girl-wise. It’s a fact you’re a player.”

Kip’s brows raise, and he looks at me.

“I get why only the two boyfriends now.” He turns to look at Blake. “I’m not a player as I’ve never had a relationship. Maybe a woman here or there, but not like it’s made out to be.”

Levi rolls his eyes. “Yeah, cause everyone is on the up and up in Hollyweird.”

Blake gestures to me with a fork loaded with scrambled eggs. “She tell you what we did to the two motherfuckers who broke her heart?”

Mom drops her fork, making a loud bang. “Blake Reed, control that mouth of yours!”

“Sorry, Mom,” he apologizes then looks back at Kip. “Did she?”

Kip’s taking a drink of juice and swallows hard as he looks at me. I smile at him, “My brothers kinda whopped their asses.”

Kip chokes and my brothers all laugh. I take my napkin and wipe the juice from Kip’s chin. He looks at each one of my brothers as he says, “You have nothing to worry about. I’m not trying to hurt your sister. I’ll not do anything to warrant an ass whooping.”

I eye my brothers. “You’ll be sorry if you beat this one up. He’s famous, his family can sue you or get you arrested. Don’t be stupid, do you hear me?”

Levi looks at me and points at Kip. “He does anything, you better tell me.”

My eyes roll to my mother. “Can you help me out at all? I mean you two just sit there and let them do this all the time.”

My parents both shrug and then Mom says, “They’re a force to be reckoned with. Don’t ask us to do battle with them. We learned a long time ago that our intrusion is useless.”

Kip pats my leg. “They care about you, pet. It’s nice.”

My eyes fall on his and I smile. “You’re too nice.”

Mom gets up and takes her plate to the kitchen. “You cooked, Peyton, so I’ll clean up. You kids get out there and fish or something.”

My eyes light up as I look at Kip. “You wanna fish or ride horses?”

Lightly his finger touches the end of my nose. “You going to bait my hook?”

I shake my head. “No, you’re going to bait mine, and if I catch a fish, you’re going to take it off for me.”

Levi stands and walks towards his bedroom. “I’ll get changed and go with ya’ll. I’ll bait your hook, Sissy.”

Kip and I get up as I shout after my oldest brother, “The Hell you will, Levi. You leave us alone!” I take Kip’s hand and pull him along with me. “Mom, don’t let them bug us, please.”

Mom stacks plates in the dishwasher. “I’ll get them busy cleaning those gutters they promised me they’d do while they’re here. That’ll keep them out of your hair.”

I smile at her and tug Kip out the back door. “They’re awful, I know. You probably want to leave now.”

His arm slips around my waist and he pulls me into him. “I don’t want to do anything of the sort. Now take me fishing, I’ve never done it on my own.”

“Neither have I,” I say as my arm slides around his waist. “My brother’s always did it all for me. So you and I can learn how to do it on our own.”

Kip smiles. “Everyone should know how to fish on their own anyway.”

While I’m thankful my parents are finding so much work for my brothers to do they’ll have no time to bother Kip. I am surprised Kip would put up with their threats for a girl he has no future with.

Kip

After fishing for a while and doing fine on our own, we caught a fish each. We threw them back as neither of us wanted to clean them. Peyton took me horseback rising through their place until it got too hot, then we went for a swim.

Now we lay on a large chaise lounge by the pool where we both are dozing in the cooling evening air. Never have I been more relaxed with a woman. She’s the easiest person to get along with. Everything seems effortless.

I stroke Peyton’s back as she lies on her stomach next to me. “This has been the best day ever, Peyton.”

She turns her face to look at me. “You and I both know you’ve had way more exciting days than this one, Pop Rock.”

I can feel her breath cease as I trail my fingers over her cheeks. I say softly, “Did I say the word exciting, pet?”

With a shake of her head, she props her head up on her hand to look down at me as I lie on my back. She runs her fingers over my tightly muscled stomach. “I should admit to you I think it was a pretty fantastic day as well.”

The sun sets behind her, reds, oranges, and yellows fill the space around her. “Being with you is so easy. I’ve never felt more a part of someone,” I say.

She smiles. “You’re easy to get along with. I’m sure you’ve felt connections before. There’s nothing special about me.”

I take a curl of her hair and twist it between my fingers. “There is no end to what all is special about you.”

Stroking my abs and leaning over me, she begins to get closer. She gives my lips a quick glance. Steadily she moves down to me. My hand goes to the back of her neck as I lick my lips and anticipate her lips on mine.

“Hey!” a voice calls out. “Aren’t you making dinner? That’s what Mom said.”

Peyton jerks up and I see Tyler standing next to us.

Now how did he manage to sneak up on us like that?

“Shit!” she says. “You scared me, Tyler.”

Tyler lightly punches me on my bicep. “I bet I did. You two come on inside and be sociable.” He hands me my shirt and Peyton a towel. “Cover up now, we don’t want any of the goods on display now, do we?”

I get up and pull the shirt over my head as Peyton grabs the towel from her brother’s outstretched hand. “Thanks, Tyler,” she says then sticks her tongue out at him.

Tyler runs his arm around his baby sister’s shoulders. “Anytime, Sissy. I got your back.” Peyton sighs and allows her brother to lead her into the house, followed by me.

Don’t believe I’ve ever come up against such protective brothers before!

I change clothes and find Peyton cooking away in the kitchen. “Let me help you, pet.”

She hands me a bowl and grabs some things to make a salad from the fridge. Gesturing to the counter, she says, “The cutting board is over there along with the knives.”

He laughs as I walk over to grab a knife and the cutting board. “Salad, maybe I can get this right.”

“Ever cook before?” she asks.

I wink at her, igniting a smile. “Would you actually call what I’m about to do cooking?”

She shakes her head. “Uh-uh, but have you even made a salad before?”

I scan the area for her brothers before I grab her from behind and hold her to me as I whisper in her ear, “No, you’re my first one.”

Giggles fill the air as she wiggles in my arms. A kiss I leave on her neck before I let her go. It’s stopped her giggles and made her cheeks pink. The urge to push all this stuff off the counter top and place her on it is overwhelming.

I see her watching me out of the corner of her eye as I carefully pull the lettuce leaves off and tear them with my hands before placing them gently in the bowl. A layer of hand torn lettuce leaves, followed by cherry tomatoes I cut. A purple onion I chop into rings.

“Kip, who writes the songs you sing?”

“A lot of different people,” I answer as I continue to make the salad look as good as it can.

The noodles done, she pours them into a colander in the sink and tosses them with olive oil. “Do you write any?” she asks.

A tiny cherry tomato cut into a rose I place atop the pile of vegetables and turn to her. “I write, but they hate my stuff.”

I lean back against the bar and cross my arms as she looks me over for some reason. “Why would they hate your music, Kip?”

“I write about things like life, love, and the pursuit of happiness. They want songs about my rockin’ bod, and how I use it to get the girls.” I turn back to pick up the bowl of salad and take it to the table. “It sells though, so who am I to tell them any different.”

Following behind me with the spaghetti, she says, “You’re an artist who should get to do the type of art he likes to do.”

The platter I take from her and place it in the middle of the table. “You’re a sweet girl, but that’s not how the music industry works. You want to make money, you do what sells. My father taught me that.”

“Is it hard to sing things you don’t like?” she asks as she places plates on the table.

I pull forks from a drawer and grab a handful of napkins. “It’s not hard, it’s just a bit unfulfilling. It’s all an act.”

“All of it?” she asks.

After the last fork is placed on the table I turn to her and wrap my arms around her. “All of it.”

She lays her head on my chest and runs her arms around me. “I find that sad, Kip.”

I kiss the top of her head. “Don’t, I make lots of money to do that act. I do mean lots, pet. Sure sometimes I begin to feel a bit used then I look at my bank account and forget about it.”

“Money isn’t everything, you know,” she says as she clings to me.

“No, it isn’t, but it sure does help.” I gently push her back. “Should we call them all in to eat now?”

Letting me go she nods and goes to get her family. I watch her walk away in a pair of faded blue jean shorts and tank top. Long, tan legs, still wet curls and not an ounce of make-up and she’s taking my breath away.

What is happening to me?

Peyton

After dinner, Dad put on a movie and the whole family gathered in the living room to watch it. He’s put on a comedy and Kip seems to be finding not only the movie, but the comments my family makes about it more than hysterical. “You are the funniest people on Earth. You need your own reality show.”

Mom’s snuggled up next to Dad. “No way,” she says. “These boys ain’t movin’ back in here. And since Sissy has graduated college, I’m sure she’ll find herself a place pretty darn soon. Nope, no reality show here.” She looks at Dad and kisses his cheek. “We’re loving the place to ourselves after so many years of raisin’ kids.”

I awe while my brothers look as if they may be sick. “Gross,” Tyler says as he gets up off the sofa he and my other two brothers were sitting on. “I’m going to bed.”

Levi stands up and stretches then taps Blake on the shoulder. “Wanna go down to Huebel’s and see what’s up?”

Blake is up and grabbing his keys before he answers, “Hell yes I do.”

Kip looks at me. “What’s a Huebel’s?”

“A bar,” I answer.

A smile creeps over his face. “Let’s go.”

I raise one eyebrow. “I don’t know why you’d want to go anywhere with my brothers. They’re assholes, as if you haven’t noticed.”

A quick kiss he gives my cheek. “I adore them, Peyton. They’re part of the reason you’re the way you are, which is perfect.”

My eyes narrow as I look at him. “Levi, can we go with you?”

Both brothers stop their exit and look at each other. Levi’s head tilts to one side. “You sure, Hollyweird? I mean, we party pretty hard down here. You might not be able to keep up.”

My whole head rolls along with my eyes as I look at Levi. “Literally, you goof, do you remember who his father is? Huebel’s ain’t nothin’ and his nickname ain’t Hollyweird, it is Pop Rock.”

“Come on,” Levi says with a wave of his hand. “It’ll be interesting to see how your fan club handles you showing up with a guy anyway.”

Kip gives me an odd look. “Is he talking about your fan club, Peyton?”

I nod and follow my brother’s out the door. “I’m kinda famous for my kick ass dance moves and Karaoke singing. I’ve won most of the competitions they put on at that bar.”

“Really?” he asks with a smile. “Maybe you and I can do a duet, what do you say?”

Levi opens the back door to his four-wheel-drive truck. “You need a boost, Hollyweird?”

I smack Levi on the shoulder. “Stop calling him that. We can’t let anyone know who he really is or they’ll mob him.” Levi takes me by the waist and lifts me up into the backseat of his tall truck. I scoot over and Kip grabs the handle and gets right in with no trouble at all.

Levi laughs as he gets into the driver’s seat. “Ain’t no one gonna mob him at Huebel’s. We don’t get star struck around here. Austin is so close we’ve seen all kinds of stars in there. Hell, Harry Connick Jr. still shows up and has a beer with all of us every now and then.”

Kip takes the seat belt and straps me in, he leans in close and whispers, “Is he serious?”

I nod. “Every once in a while some actor will come in. They’ve made a few movies around here. When I worked at the convenience store before college, I waited on Lou Diamond Phillips and that was weird.”

“So, that’s why you didn’t get all crazy when I talked to you at the college, you’re used to celebrities,” he says and smiles. “I knew there had to be some reason.”

“I don’t think that’s the only reason why,” I say as Levi pulls out of the long driveway and heads towards the small town. “I also don’t see the need to get all crazy, like ever.”

“Ever?” he asks, quietly. “I think I’d like to see how crazy I could make you.”

I look at him and know he’s talking sexual and my face heats up as I know he’d make me act plenty crazy and that’s why I have to keep my wits about me. He slips his hand around mine as Levi turns up the radio and one of Kip’s songs is playing. My brothers start banging their heads as I look at Kip and he looks back at me.

Kip

The bar is small and dark with bits of neon light here-there-and-yonder. The parking lot is full as it is a Saturday night in BFE and this seems to be the only watering hole. Peyton’s brothers walk in as she and I follow them. I have my arm around her waist.

The men walk in and there are a few people who high five them and a couple trade fist bumps. Then I see the first guy whose eyes go wide when he sees Peyton.

“Damn it! They let you come with them! Shit, baby,” he says and wraps his arms around her, oblivious to me as he takes her from me.

The music is playing some country song, and the moron tries to drag her out on the dance floor, before I can protest another guy, tall with broad shoulders and long, dark hair, pulls her from the other, much smaller guy. “Uh, uh, she’s dancing with me first.”

“Guys wait,” she shouts over the music as an old man pushes past both of the young men who both have their hands on her arms, basically pulling her in two directions at the same time.

The old man, skinny and short, walks straight up to her and takes her in his old, wrinkly, and very skinny arms and dances out to the little dance-floor with her as the two men look at each other. “Bob, wins again, the old fart,” the tall, dark haired guys says. “I’m next, Doug, so don’t even think about it.”

The smaller guy who must be Doug looks up at the other guy. “Fuck you, Pete. Once the song’s over I’m getting to her first.”

My eyes go out to the dance-floor to see Peyton cutting the rug up with the old man who is smiling like he won the lottery. Her brothers come up on either side of me and Levi hands me a tall, dark bottle of beer. “You’ll play hell getting to her now, Hollyweird. Her fan club will keep her dancing all night.”

Some guy behind me says, “Hey, Peyton’s here!”

I sigh and take a long drink of the cold beer.

No wonder they let us come with them!

Peyton

Old Bob tries to hang on to me for another song, but Pete taps him on the shoulder and etiquette dictates he hand me over. I look past Pete to see Kip standing between my brothers, a frown on his handsome face. I give him a smile and wave at him as Pete takes me in his arms and starts twirling me in the direction of Kip without realizing we’re together.

I make a motion for him to tap on Pete’s shoulder, and he walks up to us and does as I showed him. Pete stops and looks at Kip. “What?” Pete asks.

“Pete, you have to share,” I say. “You know the tapping rules.”

He sighs and lets me go. “I’m getting her back, you aren’t even in the normal rotation anyway, newbie.”

Kip takes me in his arms and moves slowly with me. “Wow, girl!”

I laugh as he pulls me close to him. “You aren’t the only one that gets mobbed. I try to stay out of here most of the time.”

He laughs and makes a small circle with me. “And now we’re stuck here since we rode with your brother. You should’ve told me you were such a hot commodity.”

“Would you have believed me?” I see little Rob coming up and know that he’s about to make the tap so I look at him and wave him away. He stops, stomps his foot and turns around.

The song ends and I know if I don’t do something fast I’ll be drug away from Kip again. “Let’s go find a song to sing together.”

He nods and allows me to pull him towards the bar where Gail has the folder with all the songs in it. Pete stops us as we hightail it towards the bar.

“Come on, baby,” he says as he reaches for me.

“We’re going to sing a song,” I say as I swerve around him with Kip in tow. “After that, I promise.”

“He looks unhappy,” Kip says as he looks back at the tall guy I grew up with. “Is he one of the two old boyfriends?”

“No, neither of them are here. One moved away and the other still lives here, but he doesn’t drink so he doesn’t come out here.” I climb on a barstool and wave at Gail, who brings me a beer and the folder. Kip sits on the one next to me and smiles at me.

“She knows what you want, I see,” he says, then takes a drink of the beer he already had.

Gail places the things in front of me and leans in so I can hear her over the noise of the bar. “So, who’s your new friend, Peyton?”

I gesture to Kip. “This is Kip. Kip, this Gail. She owns this dump.”

Kip smiles and gives her a wave. “Nice to meet you. You have a nice place here.”

Gail’s eyebrows go up, and she extends her hand to shake his. “Aussie?”

He nods and puts his empty beer bottle on the bar. “How ‘bout another?”

She reaches into the cooler and grabs him another and pops the top off then places it on the bar in front of him. He reaches into his pocket and she holds up her hand. “Levi has it all, don’t worry.”

He’s pulled out a twenty and holds it in his hand, then after she turns her back, he places the bill in her tip jar. I smile at him and lean over and kiss his cheek. “You are a sweetheart.” I point to a song. “Wanna do, ‘I Got You Babe’, by Sonny and Cher?”

“Anything you want, love,” he says and gets off the stool and stands in front of me. “I’ll do anything you want to.”

His blue eyes dance as he looks into mine and what I really want to do is kiss him as he takes all this in stride. Gail walks up behind me and clears her throat. “Did you pick one, honey?”

I nod and turn around. “We’re going to do that one.”

Off to the stool I go and Kip runs his arm around my shoulders as I lead the way to the little stage. The lights go on as Gail turns them on and we go up the one step to get on the small stage. I take the microphones and hand him one. I laugh as the other music dies down and Gail announces that we are about to sing.

“No fear, huh, pet?” Kip asks as the music starts up.

I shake my head. “These people have heard me sing a million times. Get ready to hear some real applause, Pop Rock.”

The whistles and shouts start up as my fan club sees it’s me who is about to sing and Kip smiles like crazy as he runs his arm around my shoulders. “Damn, girl!”

We sway back and forth to the music and I start the song, “They say we’re young and we don’t know. We won’t find out until we grow.”

His eyes light up and he sings his part, “Well, I don’t know if all that’s true. Cause you got me, and baby I got you.”

He pulls me into his arms and dips me as we sing together, “Babe, I got you babe…” the crowd goes wild and I go weak in the knees for this man.

Kip

Never have I had more fun singing than tonight. Peyton’s brothers brought us home once the bar closed. I had to fight to keep her with me when we were at the bar. I lost her several times to men who just had to dance with her and some girl who had to do a duet with her to a Pat Benatar song. That girl can sing, the little vixen.

I hold her close as we stand by my rental car and my head feels light, but it’s not from the three beers I drank, it’s from her and her alone. “You are something else, Peyton.”

Her giggle sends chills through me as I take a step back, making her back touch the car as I push my body closer to hers. “I hate that you have to drive all the way back to Austin tonight.”

“You should come with me,” I say as I lean down and kiss her cheek.

“Should I?” she asks as she runs her hands over my back.

Slow, hot kisses I run down her neck and I can feel her body grow warm. “You really should.”

Heat fills me as she runs her fingernails lightly across my back and I decide I can’t wait any longer to do what I’ve wanted to since I saw her this morning. Slowly I kiss her neck then make my way to her jaw. Her chest stops moving as she stops breathing, anticipating what I’ll do next.

Cupping the back of her neck in my hand, I run the other over her shoulder and down her side as I move my mouth to hers, I find her lips quivering as they touch mine. She parts them and I slip my tongue inside and find hers. Our kiss deepens and I find her mouth succumbing to the pressure of mine as she moans a little.

It’s better than I imagined, and I lift her up. She wraps her legs around me and I push myself into her softness as I taste her. Lemon is what she tastes like and I can’t get enough of it. I can’t get enough of her. I reach down to open the car door and step back with her as I open it, then lay her back in the back seat and move my body over hers, never letting our lips part.

Her hands tangle in my hair as she arches up against me and I move my body in a grinding motion over her. I’m growing harder by the second and the strain in my shorts is getting uncomfortable. I reach between us and pop the button open and unzip the zipper before I bust them open.

Free of the denim material between us, I rub against her shorts and wish they were gone. My hand finds her breast and I rub it and squeeze it, making her moan. Her legs come up on either side of me and she holds me between her legs, moving her body up to mine as I grind her underneath me.

She pulls her shirt up and takes my hand, placing it on her bra. I run my hand around the back and unlatch it then bring my hand back to touch the supple, yet tight flesh of her breast. It’s perfect and fits perfectly in my hand.

I want to see how perfectly it fits in my mouth, so I take my mouth away from hers and she groans in protest, but it changes to moans as I kiss and nip at her neck then kiss my way down to her breast. Leaving little kisses all over her breast, I take it in my mouth and find that it fits there perfectly as well.

She must like it as she runs her hands over my back and pulls at the bottom of my T-shirt. I pull my mouth off her and sit up and take the T-shirt off as she obviously wants.

Her eyes light up as she looks at my chest and runs her hands over my tight abs.

“Shit! I knew you’d be beautiful,” she says.

Her shirt is still on and her bra is halfway on.

“May I take this off for you?” I ask.

She gives me a nod and I have them off before she can change her mind. I look at her as she looks at me and find her to be the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. The moonlight shining through the tinted windows lends a smoky shadow to her tight breasts.

“Kip,” she says quietly. “You are one handsome man. I can’t believe you want me like this.”

“You’re gorgeous and I can’t believe you want me.” I kiss her stomach and make my way up to pull one breast in my mouth as I take the other in my hand. Her hands flow over my bare back and I find myself aching to be inside her.

One hand I run down to unbutton her shorts and she runs hers down too and unzips them for me. My fingers move beneath her lacy panties and I find her folds hot and wet as I move my fingers around, finding her clit swollen and pulsing. She groans loudly as I touch it, then pinch it, gently. “Damn it, Kip!” she moans as she writhes under me.

It takes me a second to realize she may have never been this far with a man before. I pull my mouth from her breast. “Peyton, have you ever done this with anyone?”

“The most I’ve done is kiss, never even have I let someone get to second base and you’re at third. And it feels beyond what I imagined it would.” Her hands run over my back as she wiggles under me.

I continue to pinch and pull at her clit and watch her facial expressions as I do.

“You like it then?” I ask, but I know she does, I just want to hear her say it.

“I like it, Kip,” she says as she licks her lips.

Her tongue makes me want to feel it moving with my own and I kiss her again. Moving my tongue along with hers as I run my fingers down until I find the opening I seek and plunge one finger in, gently. Her whole body arches up and her arms go around my neck.

She’s tight as hell and so wet, but I know there’s no way she’s ready to accommodate what I have. It reminds me of her innocence and how it’s not something to be taken in the back seat of a rental car. Also, I have no protection and I’m sure she doesn’t either. Splashing my juices all over the back seat is not really how I want our first time to be.

I ease up and decide to allow her to come undone under my touch, but my need must wait until a better time. With my head clear about things I plunge my finger into her over and over as I twist my tongue with hers until I feel her vagina tighten even more around my finger. Turning my hand, I tap my thumb on her very swollen clit until she pulls me to her hard and moans into my mouth as she pulses around me.

Moving my finger slowly in and out until she stops pulsing and her body relaxes, I kiss her softly then pull my mouth from hers. Our breaths are ragged and I kiss her behind her ear then whisper, “How did you like that, love?”

“I liked that very much, but I feel bad about you,” she says.

“Don’t,” I say and pull my hand out of her panties, running it up her stomach and leaving it on her ribcage as I look down at her. “I don’t want to rush you into anything. I want you to decide to let me make love to you. Not in the backseat of a car either.”

Her light brown eyes with little green flacks dart back and forth as she searches mine.

“Never would I have believed you could be such a good man, never. You could have easily taken me.”

“I know that, but that’s not how I want things to start between us.” I run my hand over her blonde curls. “I want this to last, and I’ll not do a damn thing to make you think you mean less to me than what you do.”

“I mean something to you?” she asks.

I smile and kiss her lips softly then pull them away from hers. “You mean more and more to me with each passing moment, Peyton.” I look at her and ask, “Do I mean anything to you?”

Her eyes glisten as she says, “I am afraid so, and to be honest it’s scaring me to death. I know who you are what your life is and I know I have no real place in it when you have to go.”

I wink at her. “So, you’re saying you’ll miss me?”

“I will miss you, Kip. Don’t think for a second I won’t.” Her hand runs over my cheek.

I look down at her and wonder if she will accept my invitation if I give her one. I wonder if her family would give her hell if she did. They’re close and her brothers are crazy protective, and I don’t want to cause a rift between them. So I gaze at her and try to decide what the right thing is to do.

But I’m just not sure!

Part Four: Star Gazers

Peyton

Wind blows through our hair as we ride in my Jeep with the top off to take in a day of tubing one of the crystal clear rivers our fine state has and spend the night in my family’s tent. I’m letting Kip drive so that he can feel manly, something I really want him to feel like so he can protect me from all the night creatures that go along with tent camping.

We packed up all the camping gear my parents use once a year. That was after my brothers all left to go back to their homes or they would’ve protested that I should never go alone anywhere with Kip or any other man.

We have today and tomorrow then he has to go to Dallas, and he’s told me he has a surprise for me tomorrow when we go back to Austin. I suppose he wants to leave me with a ‘remember’ gift, not that I’ll ever forget Kip Dixon.

I shake my head to throw off the melancholy I already feel with the thought that he and I can’t be like this forever. Free and happy with no cares. His hand touches my knee.

“Penny for your thoughts, love.”

I’m not about to bring his mood down with the truth so I offer up a little white lie, which is really closer to the truth than it is a lie. “I’ve never camped without my parents and I get really afraid at night when all the creatures of the woods come out. I’m not sure about this sleeping in a tent thing.”

He takes my hand and gives it a light squeeze. “No worries, love. I’ll protect ya. I’ve taken on a croc before, I’m sure I can handle a few squirrels for you.”

“And just how big was this croc you took on, Kip?” I ask as I know there’s no way it was a big one.

“Size doesn’t matter when you’re talking about taking on a croc.” He gives me this look that says those things are dangerous in all sizes.

“It was a baby one wasn’t it?” I ask with a giggle. “Did it bite you?”

He laughs. “It nearly ripped my finger off!”

“Your finger, huh? Sounds like a real monster. There’s some type of a creature in the area around the river we’re going to. Kinda like a bigfoot, but meaner, so the legend goes.” I look at him to see if he’s buying my story at all.

“Oh, yeah?” he asks, but he seems not to be believing me.

“Yeah, I’ll tell you all about the stories my parents used to tell me, but tonight around the campfire. It’s better that way,” I say and see the turn to go to the camp ground. “There it is, turn here.”

“Finally!” he says. “We’ve been on the road for two hours. Is every blasted thing in this state so far away?”

“Afraid so,” I say as we pull up to the entrance. “Now we get to see if we can figure out how to set the tent up.”

“I’m sure we can, I’m no idiot, Peyton,” he says as he pulls his sunshades up and looks at me with those deep blue eyes.

“I know you’re not,” I say and squeeze his hand. “I trust you.”

He smiles and my heart melts a little. “I guess we go inside and get our site number, huh?” I nod and he jumps out and comes to my side and picks me up off the seat as I giggle like a little girl. “Come on, love, let’s get this camping thing going.”

I feel like Jane in a Tarzan movie!

Kip

I amazed Peyton by putting the tent up right the first time. She kept telling me to read the directions and was positive I was doing it wrong, but in the end it stayed up so I proved to her that directions are for idiots.

Floating down the river on large tubes, I pull a couple of cans of beer out of the small ice chest I brought along and hand her one. She pops the top and takes a sip.

“There’s nothing like floating in this cold water and drinking a cold beer on a hot summer afternoon,” she says, as she looks up at the sky.

Her little foot with pink polish on her toenails runs through a rope around my tube, keeping us from floating away from each other. Unable to resist it any longer, I pick it up and pull her closer as I rub her foot. “It is relaxing.”

She leans her head on the headrest and says, “Mmmhmm. It is.”

Natural springs run out from the sides of the small cliffs along the river. A doe drinks from the water just ahead of us and I whisper, “Look there, love, a dear. We’re going to go right past it.”

She lifts her head and looks. “How sweet.”

We pass the deer and it looks right at me. No fear at all. I find myself taking Peyton’s hand in mine and feel a spark run through me. Everything is so beautiful, and she fits in wonderfully with it all.

I kiss her hand and she looks at me and smiles. “So, do you like?”

I nod. “Very much, this was a great idea.”

Laying her head back, she says, “It was, thanks for coming.”

My mind goes to later on tonight in the tent and I feel a warm sensation run through me as I will finally be able to hold her all night long and see her first thing in the morning and I can’t wait. I wish I could pin point what it is about her that makes her so damn appealing to me.

She’s one-hundred percent natural. Pretty, smart, and knows how to have fun. We’ve only today and tomorrow then I have to get back on the road and the tour which will take us away from each other, unless I can get her to come with me. At this point I have no idea of what she’ll tell me.

The fact is I’m afraid to even ask, because if she tells me no, I know it’ll bring me down and I want every second with her to be great. I suppose I’ll wait until just before I have to leave.

I pray she says yes!

Her head lifts. “Do you hear that?” she asks.

“What?” I ask as I’ve been distracted by my thoughts.

“The water?” she says and sits up somewhat tensely. “It’s the first waterfall. Should we go down it or walk around?” She looks at me.

“How should I know?” I say and sit up a bit tensely myself now that she seems so damn nervous all of a sudden. “Peyton, you’re the one who’s been down this river a million times. What do you usually do?”

“I haven’t been down here in the last three years. It might be all different now. But I used to get out and walk around with Mom while Dad and my brothers went down it. They always told me I was being a baby. So what do you think we should do?”

“Hell, that’s easy. If they could do it so can we. No worries,” I say and run my foot under the rope of her tube. “I won’t let you go, love.”

She starts untying her rope and mine then ties them together. “I’m not taking the chance of your foot or mine slipping. I’m tying us together.”

“You were so relaxed a second ago. It’s just water, Peyton, if we fall off we just get back on.”

She looks as me and laughs. “Have you tubed a river before?”

“Well, no, but how hard can this be?” I ask. “No one would do it if it was truly horrible.”

With a small smile, she says, “Okay then, let us see how this goes. Don’t let me drown, please.”

The water starts to move us faster towards the now roaring sound of the water as it falls over some very large boulders. It does look ominous and we can hear other people scream as they disappear once they get to the first, large rock. Her hand has mine in a death grip and I see sweat sprout on her forehead.

We both have on sunglasses so I can’t see her eyes, but I bet they’re wide and full of fear, poor girl. “It’s going to be fun, love.”

She gives me a quick glance then she begins to back pedal with her hand. “Crap! It’s sending me down first! Shit! Kip!”

Then, BOOM, she goes over the first boulder and I’m pulled right along with her as our tubes hit the smoothed rocks and sends us down through a tunnel of the monster sized things. Some soft and some hard bumps we go through as Peyton screams I’m sure her eyes are closed tight as there really is nothing to be afraid of. It’s a fun ride.

I laugh as she screams and we’ve made it through the fall and are slowing back down. She stops screaming and starts to laugh as she looks at me. “We lived!” she shouts and lets my hand out of her death grip and holds it up for a high five.

I meet her hand in the air and wrap her hand back up in mine and give it a kiss. “Damn it, you were a wreck,” I tell her as we drift along the back to peaceful river.

“I guess I don’t do well in tense situations.” She smiles and takes a long drink of her beer.

I think if she smoked, she’d be lighting up after that little upset. “How many more falls are there?”

She shrugs. “There were five more, but like I said, it’s been years since I’ve been here, so it’s a mystery really.”

“There’s one near where we set up the tent, so we have at least one more to go through, think you can take it?” I ask as I give her a smile.

“Maybe, since you’re with me,” she says. “I’ve never went down one before, but I feel safe with you for some odd reason.”

She feels safe with me!

Peyton

We made it all the way back to our campsite and somehow I lived through five waterfalls. Me screaming through each one as Kip laughed his ass off at me. This is the first time I’ve ever been without my parents and brothers on this river and I find myself enjoying it even more than I ever did when I was a kid. Somehow Kip seems to make everything better.

Someone had put up a little rock wall, making a natural small area of semi-deep water right at the edge of the water where we put our tent up. I lie back on Kip as my legs float out in front of me and he holds me loosely in his strong arms. His lips touch the top of my head and he moves his hand to stroke my stomach. In the nearly freezing water, my stomach heats up with the movement of his hand.

I twist in his arms and he leans down, placing his lips on mine and I wrap my arms around his neck and pull myself up to sit on his lap. The cold water runs over us as I go all hot inside.

He doesn’t know it yet, as I want to be sure about it before I let him in on this, but I brought a box of condoms and I think tonight will be the night for me, for us. He has to leave soon and I’ve found myself thinking that I’ll be eternally pissed at myself if I don’t give myself to him.

Even if we never see each other again after tomorrow, I’ll have that memory to keep. His hand slides down my back and over my hip, squeezing it as he pulls me closer to him. His tongue flows over mine and mine his as I run my tongue over every bit of his mouth memorizing it. I want to keep every kiss, every touch in my memory forever.

“Look, Mommy, they’re kissing!” a kid shouts as he and his large family pass us by and I pull my mouth from Kip’s as I laugh and blush.

“This isn’t like me,” I say. “You have me acting so unlike myself.”

His hand touches my chin and he whispers, “Good.” Then his mouth is back on mine and my heart flutters as he claims me in front of the people who float past us.

With a gap in the flow of river traffic, I move my legs to straddle him and feel that even in the cold water, he’s managed to get a pretty great erection going, and it surprises me how large and hard it is and my mind goes to if I bought condoms that will fit him.

The sun is beginning to set and the smell of wood burning as other campers start their camp fires creeps into my senses. And Kip’s too I guess as he pulls his mouth from mine very reluctantly. “I suppose I should start us a fire before it gets dark.”

“I’ll help you,” I say and get off him, so he can stand up.

He starts to get up then hesitates. “Hmm. I better wait a few seconds before I go standing up. You’ve left me at attention.”

I blush and giggle as I walk up the bank to grab a towel from our campsite. After a minute, Kip gets up and comes up to me as I blot the water from my cold skin with the towel. His arms wrap around me and in an instant I’m no longer cold. “Ready to make a fire, love?”

He’s already got one going on inside of me!

Kip

Darkness fell quickly once the sun set and small fires glow here and there around us. Everyone is quiet, and the night is ultra-peaceful as Peyton and I lie on a blanket near our campfire and look up at the night sky. “There’s another one,” she says as she points to a falling star.

“There are supposed to be many more after midnight, I heard on the news this morning,” I say.

“A meteor shower, yeah I heard that too,” she says and snuggles her head down on my chest.

“The river water smells good on you,” I tell her as I breathe in the smell of her damp hair. “You smell like that and the slightest hint of sunshine. You remind me of what summer really is.”