“I'm listening.”
Sean dropped down to one knee. If it had made my heart flutter the first time, this time I thought my heart would straight up fly out of my ribcage and disappear forever.
“How about a lifetime of kisses like that?” Sean asked. He pulled out the ring box and opened it again. And, once again, I was blown away by how beautiful the ring was. “This is me proposing, baby, not the Rock Star. And it's me who has loved you longer than either of us knew. So please, say yes. Say you'll be mine forever and I promise to make you the happiest woman on earth.”
I paused, but it wasn't a hesitant pause. I wanted to remember this moment more than any other in my life. Part of me wished I still had my camera, though even I would never be able to fully capture the emotion-laden scene in all its intricacy. Nonetheless, I took a picture in my mind. Right away, I tucked that picture into my heart.
“I can't believe you did all this,” I said, gesturing to the crowd, to the band.
Happy tears formed in the corners of my eyes. When they wouldn't blink away, I wiped at them with the back of my hand.
“I got some good advice,” Sean replied. “And for once in my life, I took this good advice. You're worth it, Hazel. You're worth everything to me. You're even worth the pain in my knee from kneeling here so long.”
He shot me one of those devilish, panty-melting grins that had been my undoing back when we were on tour.
The crowd was quiet now. I glanced over at them, focusing on a few of the faces. So many of the people assembled were crying as well. I turned back to Sean, letting my lips curve into a loving smile.
“Yes, Sean Morris,” I said. “I would love to marry you.”
Suddenly, someone near the stage screamed, “SHE SAID YES!”
The crowd took up the chant, roaring with pleasure and applauding wildly. My alarm at the sudden onslaught of noise was superseded by the alarm I experienced when Sean launched himself up from the floor and lifted me into his arms.
He spun me in a circle as I shrieked with terror and glee. “I love you, Hazel Hunter. And I cannot wait to spend the rest of my life driving you crazy.”
“I love you too, Sean Morris. And I can't wait to spend the rest of my life being driven crazy.”
He put my feet back on the ground and took my left hand gently in his, sliding the ring onto my finger.
It was a perfect fit.
The moment the ring was properly in place, music struck up from behind us. Startled, I flung my gaze back to see Jasmine and her band had reassembled on stage and were now playing one of Vixen Vendetta's most popular love songs.
The music was deafening. I went up on my tiptoes to reach Sean's ear. “Aren't you going to miss this?”
“Miss what?” He splayed his hand over my lower back and drew me closer. “Miss having to hunt you down like a bail fugitive?”
I pulled back so he could see me scowl at him. Sean was smiling mischievously. Of course. I nipped on his ear when I went back in this time, and he shuddered.
“Being a rock star,” I elaborated. “The hordes of fans ready to tear your clothes off the first chance they get. The partying and debauchery. The whole thing. Don't you think you'll miss that?”
Sean turned his face enough to kiss me just below my ear. “I'll always be a rock star,” he told me. “But from now on, I'm your rock star. And yours alone.”
Fifty-Eight
Sean
Three months later...
Being back in a green room was an odd sensation. I felt like a different person now, and the last time I'd been in a place like this was a lifetime ago. Or at least it felt like it.
The only other occupant of the room was my guitar, which leaned on the other side of the couch like an old friend. I'd never spent so much time getting in touch with my music as I had over the past few months, and I could honestly say that my guitar and I were better friends now than we ever had been. I pulled it onto my lap and ran my calloused fingers over the strings, playing a few notes just because I liked the sound.
The door creaked open, and Hazel's head popped in. “Mind if I join you?”
I smiled and set the guitar aside. “Come here, baby.”
A joyous expression crossed her face, and she quickly entered the room, shutting the door behind her. “I didn't know if you'd rather have some space or not before the show.”
“Not from you.” I reached for her hips and pulled her down to my lap, cradling her. “Never from you.”
“Are you sure you're ready for this?” she asked, her voice strained with concern. “It's a new world out there.”
“My world hasn't been the same since you first strutted into my life, you damn tease.” I leaned down and captured her bottom lip between my teeth, nibbling gently.
“Sean...” Hazel put a hand on my chest, pushing me back. “I'm serious.”
She stared at me pleadingly, those eyes like warm, sun-baked granite.
“Yes,” I assured. “I'm ready. Are you?”
“Of course!”
“Then can I get back to what I was doing now?” I asked.
“Oh, of course! Sure!” She started to pull herself from my lap. “I didn't mean to interrupt. I just–”
Before Hazel could swing her feet to the floor, I wrenched her hard against my chest and slammed my mouth down on hers. She moaned at the unexpected contact, melting against me like butter.
“I didn't mean what I was doing before you came in,” I murmured, peppering kisses down her jaw.
“I understand now.” She arched her head back. “Please, proceed.”
I chuckled, covering a breast with one palm and squeezing. Her nipple puckered, and I could feel it through her shirt.
“Are you not wearing a bra, Mrs. Morris?” I asked, feigning shock.
“I'm not Mrs. Morris yet.” She swatted my hand away playfully. “And I figured that going au natural was kinda rock and roll. Don't you think?”
“I don't know about rock and roll, but I like it...” I peeled down her tank top until one tight pink nipple was exposed. I rolled it between my thumb and forefinger thoughtfully, drinking in her expression of pure bliss. “And to think that you used to be such a prude. Now you're forgoing undergarments and teasing the daylights out of me.”
Hazel's eyes snapped open. “Hey! I was not a prude.”
My laugh rumbled through my chest. I turned her on my lap until she was straddling me, then wound one arm around her back to support her while I sucked her nipple into my mouth.
“Sean...” she moaned. “I don't think...I don't think we have time.”
“We've got all the time in the world.” I eased down the right side of her shirt and pulled out her other breast. My cock was rock hard, and even though I told her we had time, I knew that we didn't have enough time for even the quickest of fucks. Still, I couldn't resist having a taste of her when and where I could.
I held the back of Hazel's head in one hand and her breasts in the other, massaging her mouth with my lips and her tits with my skillful fingers. She groaned and tried to rub against me, desperate for some sort of release.
Knock knock knock.
“Sean? They're ready for you.”
“Shit!” Hazel hissed, pulling up her top.
I laughed and relaxed back against the couch. “It's my brother, baby. He knows better than to come in.”
Nonetheless, Hazel scrambled off my lap and to her feet, scrubbing a hand through her hair.
I, on the other hand, rose casually and languidly, stretching my arms above my head before readjusting my dick so that nobody else would know I had a huge boner. I couldn't wait until after the show when Hazel and I could pick up right where we left off.
“Let's get out there,” I said, grabbing Hazel's hand.
“Let's.”
Dave was waiting just outside the door. He took one look at us and grinned. “You haven't changed all that much.”
I elbowed him in the side as I passed. “You know that??
?s not true.”
“Hey, I gave up my drug entirely,” he shot back. “You've still got yours. You're just only going to one dealer for it.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Dave, I resent being referred to as a drug.” Hazel reached over and gave him a shove. I liked that they got along, especially since Dave and I spent a lot of time together these days.
“No, not you,” Dave corrected. “Sex. Sex is his drug.”
“Oh, so I'm the drug dealer?” Hazel reached out and smacked him again. “Keep talking like that, and I won't give you the recipe for my lemon tarts.”
Dave gasped. “You wouldn't.”
“Damn right I would.”
We reached the staging area, where two other familiar faces were waiting. Cora trotted up to me the moment she realized I was there, grinning from ear to ear.
“This is going to be great. I'm so happy for you.”
I raised my eyebrows playfully. “That's it? You're happy for me? No death threats?”
She'd given a fair few of those following my engagement to her best friend. Apparently, she took the phrase “'til death do us part” seriously.
“Death threats? What do you think I am, a monster?” She let out a sharp exhale. “Break a leg though. I say that with love.”
I reached a hand out and mussed up her crown of auburn hair. Cora glowered at me and retreated.
Jasmine approached next. “The best thing that ever happened to me was you,” Jasmine said. “I'm glad I could be here to support you like this. I'll never be able to repay you for everything you've done for me.”
I pulled Jasmine into a tight hug, patting her heartily on the back. “Don't get all sentimental on me now, Jaz. I'm not dying.”
“No, but the birth of the new you means the official death of the old you.” She pulled away from me and smiled. “Which isn't such a bad thing, since you were kind of a dick.”
We all laughed, even as the stage manager looked impatiently from his watch to the curtain.
“Time to go.” I grabbed Hazel's hand. “The crowd is waiting.”
She looked up at me and smiled, and together we walked out of the darkened staging area and into the full beam of the stage lights.
The crowd went wild.
Fifty-Nine
Hazel
“Hey, shhh...” I patted Cora's back and hugged her against me. “It's okay. It wouldn't be a wedding if nobody cried.”
This sent her into another fit of hysterics. “But you haven't even exchanged vows yet!” she groaned.
I laughed. “That's okay. I'm just grateful to have someone who cares about me enough to be a complete mess on my wedding day.”
She pulled back and grabbed a tissue from the box the makeup artist, Grace, had left out for us when she saw that Cora was having a hard time. Blowing her nose noisily, Cora chanced a look in the mirror.
“Oh, ack. I'm never going to get some hot wedding sex looking like this.”
“Glad your priorities are in the right place,” I muttered dryly.
Cora turned to me and gave me the full force of her blackened stare. I flinched. She laughed.
“Hey, Jasmine?” I called.
Jasmine's head poked into the bedroom. We'd asked for a little maid of honor/bride privacy a few minutes ago, but it looked like she hadn't gone far.
“Yeah?” she asked.
“Can you get Grace back here? I think she said she was just going to grab a drink. She's probably at the bar.”
“Sure thing.”
Jasmine disappeared, and Cora and I were alone again. She was trying to wipe off some of the smudged ink under her eyes but ended up just smearing it all over her cheeks. I knew that Grace would have her sorted out in a heartbeat though, and then she'd be walking up the aisle looking as fresh as daisies.
And then I'd be walking up the aisle, looking...well, looking fabulous. At first, I'd resisted Sean when he told me the sky was the limit as far as the dress budget went, but then I found a gorgeous Pnina Tornai gown that seemed like it had been made especially for me. The tight bodice had a sweetheart neckline that highlighted the sloping curve of my breasts and stayed tight down to just below the bell of my hips, where it fell away into a subtle mermaid bottom. It was accented with tiny pearls and rhinestones, which were sewn in such a way that they caught the light differently at every angle so that I always seemed to be effervescent and sparkling.
I loved the dress. It was the perfect dress to wear on the most perfect day of my life.
Grace bustled into the room a second later, leading me to think she'd been waiting in the wings somewhere for a situation like this to happen. Jasmine followed close behind.
“Holy hell, woman.” Grace frowned. “You look like you've been hit by a bus.”
Jasmine snickered. I bet they would become fast friends after this.
While Grace fixed Cora's makeup, I took Jasmine aside. I still hadn't thanked her for everything she'd done for Sean and me. Not properly.
We stood in front of a full-length window that overlooked the evergreen trees huddled on the side slope of Sean’s property. Sunlight streamed down from its position high in the sky, illuminating the tiny dust motes that twirled in the air before us.
“I wanted to thank you, Jasmine,” I said. “You've been an incredible friend to me.”
She shrugged. “She was at the bar, just like you said she would be. It was no problem.”
I scowled at her. “That's not what I meant, and you know it.” A second later, I continued. “You didn't have to be as nice to me as you were when we first met. You could have been cold as ice, and I still wouldn't have blamed you. So the fact that you took me under your wing...” I put my hand on her shoulder, even though I knew she didn't like being touched. She put her hand on top of mine and curled her fingers around it warmly. “Not to mention, how could I ever repay you for helping Sean win me back like that?”
She grinned, slowly sliding our hands down from her shoulder and releasing mine. “You've already repaid me by being a good friend. And by not ever telling anyone those words came out of my mouth because it's the least rock and roll thing I've ever said.”
I laughed. “I won't tell a soul.”
“Good.”
“I've got her all fixed up over here,” Grace called.
Jasmine and I both turned from the window. Cora was smiling at us, her face perfectly pristine once more.
“It's a miracle,” Jasmine observed.
“I'll show you a miracle,” Cora growled.
“So, should we get you out there and get you married?” Jasmine clapped me on the back. “If you back out of it now I'm sure I could convince Sean to do something utterly embarrassing to win your favor again. Could be entertaining.”
Cora let out a bark of laughter. “Yes! Let's do that.”
“You both love teasing him way too much,” I chastised.
“We love teasing you.” Cora came over and poked me in the chest. “But the time for teasing is done. Now is the time for toasting!” She grabbed the bottle of champagne from the ice bucket and poured out four glasses, handing them around the circle.
“To Hazel and Sean,” Cora said. “I won't say much now because I've got a killer maid of honor speech for later, but I will say this – I've never seen two people more in love, and you both deserve it.” She sniffed at the end, and Grace shot her a glare that could melt bones.
“To Hazel and Sean,” Jasmine picked up.
“To me and Sean!” I grinned, and we all clinked glasses.
I was grateful for the caress of bubbles down my throat and the stabilizing edge of the alcohol. I was nervous as hell. Though tonight's stage was a different kind entirely from the ones I was used to, it was just as nerve-wracking to get up on.
Someone knocked on the door. “Ladies. The music is starting.”
“Shit!” Cora exclaimed, rushing to the door. She turned her head to flash me one last grin before opening it. “See you out there!”
> Grace slipped out behind her, and Jasmine followed, winking at me before she left.
I was alone. I took stock of this moment, the last one I’d have by myself as Hazel Hunter. Just outside those doors was the rest of my life. I had no regrets, no worries, and no fears. I stepped over to the mirror, saying a silent goodbye to the woman reflected back at me.
Then I walked out, navigating the empty hallway to the set of French doors at the far end of the house. They were flung open, as if embracing the gorgeous spring afternoon. Leading out into the garden, between aisles of chairs, was a long white walkway.
People whispered and gasped as I walked by them, commenting in hushed voices about my dress and how beautiful I looked. But as far as I was concerned, the only person present in this backyard other than me was my husband-to-be, who was staring down at me from the white stage like I was his whole world. Hell, I was. And he was mine.
I reached him, and he clasped my hand in his warm, strong fingers. He'd actually combed and parted his hair properly, which made him look refined and handsome to be sure, but just not quite right.
“Ladies and gen–”
“Wait!” I called.
A collective gasp from the attendees. The priest looked positively scandalized. And Sean, poor Sean, looked like he was about to pass out.
Before anybody had a heart attack, I reached up and ran my hand through his hair, messing it up a little. Sean laughed, a twinkle in the depths of his blue eyes.
“Sorry,” I whispered to the priest. “Go ahead.”
He smiled gently and continued his speech, asking everyone to take their seats before beginning the wedding spiel.
I all but zoned out for the ceremony. It wasn't because I was bored – far from it. I was engrossed in the man standing across from me, in the feeling of the warm, perfumed air gliding across my skin with each rustle of a breeze, in the most perfect moment I'd ever known. We exchanged vows and rings, and it was all I could do not to jump into Sean's arms the moment he leaned down to kiss me and seal our union.