None of it mattered. The other people, the past, the media, the fights, the ways they’d hurt each other. Those were meaningless details in the grand scheme of life. The fact of the matter was that he loved her. He still loved her and he was pretty damn certain he would always love her.
She was still guarded though, and he’d yet to really see that ‘feel first, think second’ girl he fell in love with, but he knew she was in there. If he could just get her to come out, then he’d know for sure if she still loved him back. And he had a plan.
Because the Kylie Ryans he knew and loved—the real her—couldn’t really contain her true feelings. They tended to shoot straight from her heart right out of her mouth.
That was what he loved most about her.
Or so he thought.
When he was finished getting dressed for the show, he stepped out of his room and nearly ran right into her.
Her tight little body was sheathed in a short silver dress that sparkled when she moved. Her long blond hair was swept to one side, and the smooth strip of her neck that was visible to him practically screamed for his mouth to explore it inch by inch.
She looked up at him from under thick, dark lashes. Smiled at him with pouty red lips. His crotch tightened in response.
Jesus.
Okay, so there were some less virtuous things that he loved about her as well. But that was the point. It was everything. She was everything.
“I was going to tell you that you looked beautiful, but you took my breath away.”
Her eyes went wide and he winked at her. Her friend slash stylist made a small “aw” noise.
“Um, thanks,” Kylie said, averting her eyes as her cheeks turned a sweetly sexy shade of pink.
“After you, ladies.” He moved aside so they could get through.
His heartbeat sped both at the exquisite view of her perfectly toned backside and the knowledge that his plan was either going to send her running into his arms or running in the other direction.
There was only one way to find out.
TRACE WAS surrounded backstage by Rae and a few of her friends. When she hugged him, he caught the faintest scent of alcohol and cigarette smoke. He sincerely hoped it was coming from her friends and not from her. Though he knew good and well that was probably wishful thinking.
Looked like he would be pulling the dad card with her after all. Once her friends were busy with Kylie, Mia, and the Taite girl, he took her aside.
“Hey, baby girl, can we talk a minute?”
She looked up at him with pleading eyes. “Can it wait? I haven’t gotten to talk to Kylie in forever. And she promised to introduce me to Lily Taite!”
He knew the feeling. He was on tour with her, living on the same bus even, and he felt like he couldn’t manage to get a word in. Between Steven, the friend from home, the assistant, and the two newest members of her entourage who had just arrived, he was starting to wonder if he ever would.
He sighed. He’d never really been able to say no to her. “I guess so, Rae. But after the show, I’m coming to the house. Be there, okay?”
“Yes sir,” she said with a mock salute before she practically skipped over to Kylie.
He watched as Kylie and Rae hugged and complimented one another’s outfits and whatever else women did. Kylie was all smiles as she made introductions until her assistant came over and whispered something in her ear.
He waited until Hannah was walking away to catch up with her. “Everything okay?”
The woman looked slightly affronted by his accosting her. Understandably. “Everything’s fine, Mr. Corbin. Can I help you with something?”
“You could tell me why Kylie looks like you just told her you ran over her dog, which I know you didn’t because I know she doesn’t have one.” He flashed his most charming smile. But the woman remained unfazed.
“No dogs have been harmed that I know of. I’ll pass your concern on to Miss Ryans.”
“Hannah,” he called out as she tried to walk around him. “I care about her, okay? Whatever she’s said about me, or whatever you think my intentions are, I can assure you, I’m not fishing for information. Just concerned. As a friend.”
Thankfully she stopped and sighed. “Actually she hasn’t said much of anything about you to me, friendly or otherwise. But you were present when she asked me to make a trip to the bookstore for her. And I do my job. So you can guess what her reading for the evening will be.”
Son of a bitch. He’d been so caught up in his own personal revelations about his feelings for her that he’d almost forgotten about her crazy stepmom. Before he could calculate whether or not he had time to jog back to the bus and light that damn book on fire before she saw it, he caught a glimpse of Pauly and Claire Ann out of the corner of his eye.