A Face in the Crowd (20 page)

“I thought we would be more comfortable in here.”

“This is perfect.” They chatted easily and enjoyed each other’s company as the sun set and the hour grew late. Lexie needed to leave to keep things platonic, but she couldn’t muster the willpower to go.

“Lexie,” Oliver reached over and touched her hand. “Stay with me.”

She finished swallowing the sip of wine in her mouth and stood. “That’s not a good idea.”

Oliver got to his feet, but didn’t touch her. Instead, he pinned her in place with intense eyes. “Please stop fighting this. I want you. I want my hands on you and I want you to admit that you want me, too.”

Her resolve wavered.

“Don’t you get it, Lexie? For me, everything has changed.”

She opened her mouth to argue, but he held up a hand to stop her. “Don’t say it’s because I’m here instead of at home. If it were up to me, I would take you right here on this couch and I wouldn’t let you leave.”

“Oliver, you know I want you, but that doesn’t last. You’re asking me for too much.” Lexie began walking toward the door to leave. “Thank you for dinner and for the flowers, but friendship is all I have to offer you.”

“I have friends, Lexie. I don’t need more.”

“Why are you doing this? Why are you ruining what has been a perfect evening by pushing me into a corner?”

“Life is short, Lexie. You, of all people, understand that and after going through all of this with Bailey . . . I don’t want to waste any more time.” In two strides, he caught up to her and grabbed her arm.

“Let go of me,” her lack of strength where Oliver was concerned was evident by the lack of conviction in her tone.

Unwilling to hear any more of her feeble protests he pulled her toward him and kissed her, hard. He crushed her body between his own and the door where she resisted, but only for an instant. Before she knew what was happening, her mind was fuzzy and she was leaning into him. Her arms seeming to wrap around his neck of their own free will. What her mind stood in the way of, her body ignored.

“Stay with me, Alexis.” He let his fingers slide down her arm until he could lace his through hers. “Not because I love you, but you know I do. Stay with me because you love me, too.”

When her resistance lessened, Oliver turned for the stairs, pulling her along behind him. Unlike the night they’d spent on her couch, or rather her floor, this would be different. He intended to worship her body with everything he had. Not only to please her, but also to prove how much he cared.

They turned right at the top of the staircase and made their way to the guest room where he’d been staying.

“Wow, Oliver,” he turned when he felt her reluctance upon entering. “Are you sure Tyler won’t mind?”

“This is one of his many guest rooms. I assure you, he won’t.” He used their joined hands to pull her closer and slipped a hand under the strap of her bag to slide it to the floor, keeping his movements slow, as to not spook her. Her breathing was already unsteady and he didn’t miss the light tremor in her hand as he raised it to his lips and proceeded to kiss the end of each of her fingers. He let his tongue brush the tip of the last one as a promise of what was to come.

As he moved his hand to the side of her face and brushed a thumb across the soft skin of her cheek, he leaned in and kissed her. Their mouths melded together with ease the way lovers’ mouths did, familiar and hungry. He deepened the kiss and released the hand he’d been holding to slip it around the back of her neck.

A moan sounded from her throat and his desire for her escalated, but he kept the pace slow. One brush of his tongue over hers, two—as he savored every taste.

“Oliver,” Lexie smiled at him in the darkness, “I need just a minute.”

“Sure. Take your time.” He pointed to the far wall. “The bathroom is over there.” His eyes followed her until the door closed between them.

He moved to the gas log fireplace and flipped the switch. Firelight was the only illumination they needed. He returned to the bed and batted the decorative pillows aside, then turned down the covers. Surveying the room, he gave a silent nod of approval. It wasn’t exactly rose petals and candles, but it wasn’t half-bad.

The bathroom door opened, and there, with light shining around her, was Lexie. His chest swelled at the sight of her. She flipped off the light and sauntered toward him. The sight of her, only wearing a bra and panties, was enough for blood to surge to one central location, but he didn’t cross the room to meet her. Instead, he waited. Each step she took added to the game of seduction they were about to play.

“You’re beautiful.”

“So are you.” She slid her hands under his shirt and let her fingertips drag slowly across his skin, sending a shiver through him, then she pulled his shirt up and over his head, leaving his chest bare. She ran her hands up over his pectoral muscles and then shoved him back toward the bed. He didn’t resist.

She climbed on top of him and moved her hips against him. He bit back the curse on the tip of his tongue and flipped over, forcing her onto her back.

“Tonight is about you.” He lowered his face to her shoulders, then her chest where he sampled each of her perfect breasts. When he traced a finger just under the edge of her bra and brushed her nipple with a feathery touch, she bucked beneath him.

He smiled and continued on. There was so much more of her to discover, so much more to know about his Alexis. The woman he’d been waiting for without realizing he’d been waiting at all. He kissed each of her hipbones in turn and then cupped her sex in his hand. She gasped and rocked against him. Determined to bring her to the peak of pleasure, he glided his fingers under the lacy edge of her panties and found her ready for him.

“Christ, Lexie.” He dropped his head to her stomach and stroked her once, and then again.

“Oliver, I need you. Please.”

“Not yet.” He raised his head and used her hips to flip her over onto her stomach and proceeded to run his hands over her perfect ass. He unhooked her bra and with her back exposed, he trailed his lips across her spine. As he massaged his thumbs deep into her muscles starting with her shoulders and moving down to her lower back, she melted beneath him, completely trusting and open.

He’d never needed a woman more. This woman. His match.

He unsnapped the top of his jeans, kicked them off, and leaned his body over hers. Now free, he pressed himself against her back.

“Oliver,” she breathed, “I don’t think I can wait anymore.”

Her hands gripped the fluffy white down comforter and she bent her leg, allowing him full access to her body.

He pressed against her one last time and then he was inside her. She gasped with his name on her lips as they each gave over to the sensation of moving as one. No longer able to think, only feel, he rocked with her, slow and then steady as they made their own rhythm.

As a tremor of pleasure raked through her, he slowed his hips and whispered into her ear, “I want to see you. I want to see you when you surrender to me.”

She twisted and he maneuvered until she was on her back and he was between her legs. He didn’t waste time, he drove into her with reckless abandon, the passion so fierce they groaned in unison.

“Look at me, Lexie.”

She dropped her chin from where her head was tilted back into the pillows and met his eyes. Though clouded with desire, she kept her gaze on his until he drove them both over the edge. As she called out his name and he hers into the dimly lit room, he knew no love song ever sounded sweeter.

Chapter 20

The following morning as the sun’s first light slanted across the sky, Lexie crept out of the bedroom and made her way downstairs. Her lips were still slightly swollen from the previous evening and her skin was sensitive where he’d taken his time exploring every inch of her body. She was completely insane. She was sure of it, but she couldn’t help how she felt. And, maybe Oliver was right. Maybe she did need to trust that he knew his own mind. Maybe they could make this work like normal people.

If she could leave a note, he’d know everything was fine and forgive her for taking off on him. She just needed some space to think and make some big life decisions. She’d take the time at home to allow her mind to catch up with her heart. Everything would be fine. Better than fine. Everything would be right.

She stepped into the kitchen to find some paper to leave him a note, but nearly screamed when she found a man there.

“Oh,” Andy’s surprise matched hers, but he recovered quickly with one of his condescending smiles. “I take it our golden boy is still sleeping?”

“Yes, I was just heading out.”

“That’s probably best on account of us having to catch a plane and all.”

Her hand tightened on the strap of her bag.

“Didn’t he tell you? He has to be back in L.A. later today for a big meeting with the label, and then he and the guys are supposed to be in the studio in the morning.” Andy snickered. “I guess you didn’t talk much though, did you?”

A wave of nausea threatened to overwhelm her as she stepped back into the hallway.
No
. There had to be more to it. Oliver wouldn’t just leave. She made for the stairs. She’d just have to ask him about it. He’d clear things up.

Before she reached the landing, Andy was beside her. He covered her hand where it was resting on the railing with his.

“Don’t embarrass yourself by begging. I mean, surely you understand that this is how it is with these guys.” Andy chuckled and set her teeth on edge. “There was Teresa in Seattle, Naomi in New Jersey, and I think Mimi in Ontario. What you’ve got to understand is that it’s always the same. They have their fun and then they call me in when they’re finished to deal with the aftermath. Why do you think I’m here? Oliver called me.” He leaned in close enough for her to smell his coffee breath. “You aren’t special.”

The doorbell rang and as doubt clouded her determination, her gaze shifted to the door.

“There’s our ride now.”

Lexie yanked her hand out from under his clammy one.

“Let me walk you out,” Andy pushed past her and led her to the door.

She wanted to say no or that she could go out a door on her own, but she was having trouble speaking. Why hadn’t Oliver told her he was leaving today? She’d always known there’d been other women. She wasn’t delusional, but . . .

“Lexie, it is Lexie, right?”

She nodded when he glanced at her over his shoulder, as she continued to try to make sense of what Andy had said about aftermath. About
her
.

“Good. Good. So, I’m sure Oliver has expressed his thanks for the good work you did for Bailey while he was in the hospital, but let me add my own personal thanks. This was a hard time for the guys and you really took care of them, Oliver especially. The distraction was good for him.” He opened the door and gestured for her to walk through. “I’ll let him know you said goodbye,” he reached out a hand and took her arm as she passed. “And, don’t worry, I’ll be sure to tell him before Michelle is around to hear it. With the two of them this close to becoming engaged, we wouldn’t want to do anything to cause a rift there, would we?”

“You’re lying.” He had to be.

Andy raised an eyebrow and then pulled a small velvet box from his jacket pocket. “Then why did he ask me to pick this up for him?”

With fire in her face and the sting of betrayal spreading through her soul, Lexie turned to tell him where he could go, but he shut the door in her face, silencing her for good. Of all the assholes . . . argh! She stomped down the steps where, the man she assumed was the limo’s driver stood leaning against the hood. As he eyed her with mild interest, she ignored him and climbed into her car where she threw her purse across the width of the front seat. She sped out of the driveway without so much as a second glance in her rearview mirror. How could she have been so stupid? A guy tells her he loves her and she falls into bed with him? Twice. Of all the clichéd things to do. And what? He tells her he and Michelle are over and she just believes him?

But, he’d looked so sure when he’d said he loved her, so real. She huffed out a breath. Well, wasn’t he a good actor among his many other talents?

Still fuming, she took the stairs up to her place two at a time, but when she found a woman with brown hair the same shade as her own standing at the door, she stopped.

“Mom, what are you doing here?”

Her mother turned toward her with red eyes. Eyes which were filling again, on cue, it would seem.

“Oh, baby,” Donna flew at her and caught her in a hard hug. The smell of her perfume overwhelming her senses. “I tried to tell you on the phone. It’s over between me and your stepfather.”

“Okay, Mom,” Lexie sighed. “Let’s go inside and you can tell me what happened.”

“He cheated on me is what happened,” she shrieked. “With the beverage cart girl!”

Lexie’s heart went out to her mom, it did, but she wasn’t sure she had the energy to deal with her. This wasn’t the first time her mom had shown up at her door in tears, and unless Donna was taken over by some sort alien, she doubted it would be the last.

They moved inside where mother proceeded to throw her jacket over the back of the couch and fall into the cushions with the dramatics of the most talented actress.

“You’ll let me stay here for a while, won’t you?” her mother’s famous pout working for her as she waited for Lexie’s reply.

She wanted to say no, wanted to scream at Donna to get out, but she was her mother and she needed her. She couldn’t toss her out on the streets.

She blew out a breath. “Sure, Mom. Stay as long as you need to.”

“Oh, thank you, baby. I won’t be a bother, I swear.” The tears vanished as fast as they’d appeared as Donna made her way to the kitchen. “Who were you with last night?”

Lexie turned to the cabinet and pulled down two coffee mugs in an attempt to avoid her mom’s questioning eyes.

“Oh, don’t bother denying it. I know the look of a woman who’s been with a man. Yesterday’s clothes, no makeup, extra glow in your skin.”

The last thing she wanted was to tell her about Oliver. She’d have their wedding planned or worse yet, she’d throw herself at him herself in a desperate attempt to snag her another stepfather. One with real money.

Lexie shuddered at the thought. “It was just a guy I’ve been seeing. No one special.”

“Well, that’s good, sweet girl, because believe me when I say none of them can be trusted.” Donna accepted the offered coffee. “There isn’t a man on the planet who doesn’t want someone new after they’ve gotten what they wanted from the woman in front of them. There’s always someone else out there who is younger, prettier, more daring in the bedroom.”

The coffee threatened to burn her mouth, but Lexie took a sip of the bitter liquid in spite of the threat. She needed something to calm the churning starting in her stomach. Oliver had gotten what he wanted, hadn’t he? She was such a fool. She slammed her mug down and cursed when the hot coffee sloshed over her hand. Donna hadn’t been there five minutes and she was already adding to her pounding headache.

“Honey, are you okay? You look tired.” Donna set her mug on the counter and reached out a hand to run a finger over the skin beside her eyes. “Maybe we should have a spa day or go visit that doctor guy from TV. You have a couple of crow’s feet right over here. Don’t want to let that guy in your life see you looking drawn.”

She swatted her mom’s hand away. “Yeah, okay. I’m going to go grab a shower.”

“I’ll be here when you get out.”

Don’t remind me.

When Oliver woke, he blinked against the late morning sun as his mind replayed the previous evening’s events. It had not been a dream. Lexie had been there. A satisfied smile tugged at his lips. He rolled over to pull her into his arms and maybe wake her by making love to her again, but the bed was empty. The sheets were cold.

He sat up with a start and tugged on his jeans as he headed to the kitchen in search of her. He found Andy instead, perched at the bar with a mug of coffee and a newspaper.

“What are you doing here so early?”

Andy smiled, dug into his jacket pocket, and set a small velvet box on the counter. “I brought your mom’s birthday gift.”

“Thanks. Did you happen to see Lexie this morning?” He kicked the base of the wall with his bare toe, annoyed he’d forgotten to ask her if she had to work. He’d been looking forward to waking up beside her.

“Yeah, but only for a minute,” he turned and met Oliver’s eyes with a pleased smile. “She was in quite the hurry.”

Oliver studied his manager’s face for an extra beat. There was something underneath his smile, some sort of malicious satisfaction. He’d seen the look before when Andy had gotten his way after going a few rounds with whoever was standing in his way. Be it another manager, a club owner, a lawyer. He loved the kill.

“What did you say to her?” Oliver took a step toward Andy as a weight settled in the pit of his stomach.

“Nothing. I merely mentioned we had to catch a flight out to L.A. later today.” Andy waved a dismissive hand in the air, “She didn’t seem . . . concerned.”

Oliver slammed his hand against the doorway. “Damnit.”

He rushed back upstairs to grab a shirt and some shoes. This was not good. Trust didn’t come easily to Lexie and right as she’d begun to open up to him . . . And, there was something about the way Andy was acting. Something off which made it seem like he wasn’t telling him the whole story. Oliver could feel it. His phone pinged as his calendar reminded him it was time to head to the hospital.

“Where are you going?” Andy stood, the crease between his Botoxed eyes struggling to show through. “What about L.A.?”

“We’ll get there when we get there. I have to go to the hospital and then to see Lexie.” Oliver grabbed his wallet and keys from the counter and headed for the garage. He needed to see her before she shut him out.

Andy appeared in the doorway as he slid into his rented car. “Oliver, let her go.”

“No,” he turned the engine over and kicked it into reverse, “and Andy? If I find out you said something to her to screw this up, you’re going to be looking for a new job.”

“I’m trying to take care of your career.”

“Bullshit. You’re trying to take care of yours.”

Andy’s face contorted into a mask of rage, but Oliver was done talking.

The night before confirmed his feelings and instead of quenching his thirst for her, his desire had turned from a want into a need. He knew there was no one else who would satisfy him, not now that he’d had Lexie. And, it was more than physical, though she did have a body men wrote songs about, she was his soulmate. Unsure if Lexie had to work that morning or not, he headed for the hospital where he was set to sit with his brother during his chemo.

His phone continued to vibrate in the cup holder as he drove. He should’ve told her about his trip, but he hadn’t been thinking. A common problem he had when he was touching her. The trip to L.A. was supposed to be his chance to tie up a few business things so he could focus on Lexie and their relationship. While paused at a stop light he glanced at his phone, according to the red message light he had twenty-seven new messages.

No doubt, Andy made up more than half of them. Oliver wasn’t the kind of employer who threw his employees job security in their face, but more and more lately, Andy seemed to be more concerned with himself than with the band. Survival of the Fittest was Oliver’s life, but now Lexie was, too.

The phone buzzed again as he parked the car and shortly after another voice message appeared. It was his mother. He pressed the elevator button with one hand as he listened to his mother’s voice on the other end of the phone. With each word she became more and more desperate. It was the label causing trouble. What was Andy up to?

Oliver called his mother back as he walked down the all too familiar hallway. After hearing the details, he realized he had to go out to L.A. to sort things out. It was now or never, and was going to take all of them to make the move away from the label. He wasn’t willing to spend any more of his time or talent being a slave to a company they’d more than paid back.

His mind continued to whirl as he sat trapped in the outpatient section of the building. His cell phone was still resting in his hand from his latest attempt to call Lexie. She had yet to answer his calls or his texts. He hoped like hell she was working and not regretting their night together. He cursed under his breath. He should’ve asked.

“You okay?” Bailey tilted his head to the side and eyed him the way only family can. “You seem distracted and downright tense, if I’m being honest.”

Oliver blew out a frustrated breath. “I’m sorry, man. It’s just all this stuff with the label and with Lexie. This trip out to L.A. isn’t exactly hitting at a good time.”

“No kidding, but you won’t have to stay long. I’ll get settled easily enough and screw the lawsuit. That’s what we pay all those asshole lawyers for.” Bailey, the stronger of the two of them, as Oliver had come to believe, sat forward as much as the medical equipment would allow. “I can handle this.”

“I’ll stay as long as you need me to.”

“I know, but I’m telling you not to. I’ll be fine.” Bailey smiled. “You need to come back for her.”

Oliver looked at his brother, really looked at him. His face was thinner and his head still bald, but that wasn’t what was different. He seemed wiser, older all of a sudden. Where had his kid brother gone?