Chapter Twenty-one

The moment Ford unexpectedly walked into Mia’s office on Wednesday morning, the buzz of excitement started humming among her employees again. He was only human, but everywhere he went it seemed crackling energy followed him. It was why hiding with Ford in public was pretty much impossible. No matter how good a disguise he put on, or how deserted a location they went to, his fans could sense his presence.

Clearly, given how giddy her employees were as he greeted each and every one of them by name, none of them had gotten used to being around him yet.

Would they ever? That is, if she and Ford actually were able to make a new relationship work? It was the very question she’d spent most of the night lying awake trying to figure out...

“Good morning, beautiful.”

He was holding out a to-go cup of coffee for her, but it was his absolutely tantalizing clean male scent that hit her first. That, and the fact that he only seemed to get better looking as the days passed. Age, she knew with perfect certainty, would only make him more desirable.

“You again? You’re here so often I’m going to have to start putting you on my payroll, aren’t I?”

She had to tease him, all the more because it was so good to see him. So much better than it should have been, considering it had barely been twelve hours since he’d left her with the hottest goodnight kiss in the entire world. One that had left her reeling almost as much as her growing feelings for him.

“I hope hazelnut lattes are still your favorite.”

Her heart was pounding and her legs felt a little shaky as she took the cup from him. “They are, thank you.” She couldn’t seem to stop her voice from coming out a little breathy, not when every inch of her craved every inch of him. Knowing she’d drop the scalding hot coffee on both of them if she didn’t put it down, she carefully placed it on her desk.

“I’ve got to head down to Oregon in a few minutes. The bus is outside blocking traffic, but I couldn’t go without seeing you first.”

“I’m glad you did.”

And she truly was. She wasn’t sure if the skies had been sunny before he arrived, but now that he was here, she felt as though she were on a Caribbean beach soaking up the strong, warm rays rather than in the cool and cloudy Pacific Northwest.

Oh, how badly she wanted to touch him, so badly that her hands were actually shaking from the urge to reach out. But she knew her employees had to be watching the two of them through the glass walls of her office...and even the slightest touch would be akin to admitting she was Ford’s.

His eyes were dark and full of the same impatient longing as hers, but, amazingly, he didn’t push her. Just as he’d promised, there were no ultimatums this time.

It would be easier, so much easier, if there were. Because if he just grabbed her and kissed her in front of her employees, how could she do anything but give in? And then she wouldn’t have to make this incredibly difficult decision about being with him or not being with him. It would just happen because she didn’t have the strength for things to be any other way.

His lips curved up slightly as though he could read her mind. “I want to kiss you so badly, Mia, it’s nearly ripping me in two.”

He swallowed hard and so did she as she marveled over how gorgeous and sexy even his throat was. God, to be able to strip him na**d so that she could relearn every inch of his incredible body...

“But I promised I’d wait,” he reminded her in a low voice. “For both of us. For our future.”

“What if I don’t want us to wait any longer? You wanted us to be friends first, and we are. You know we are, even if it’s only been a few days since you’ve been back in my life.”

“I don’t just want to be your friend, Mia, I want to be the best friend you’ve ever had. But I’m not there yet, am I?”

Yes, she’d forgiven him. And she couldn’t deny that she felt closer to him with every hour they spent together. She thought about him all the time, too. But could she trust him with her deepest fears? And could she believe that he’d always be there for her, no matter what?

When she didn’t give him the answer he was hoping for, the barely masked pain in his eyes made her chest squeeze tight.

She was wishing she could give him the answer he wanted, if only so that she could make that hurt go away, when he put his hand into his jacket pocket and pulled out a white envelope.

Disappointment at not being in his arms, at not having his mouth against hers, was so strong she could taste it as she took the envelope from him and opened it. A concert ticket fell out first, followed by a thickly laminated pass.

“I know you’ve got a lot to do today, but just in case...”

Ford had never been a tentative man, either in or out of bed. But she could feel how unsure he was as she held the concert ticket and backstage pass.

“If I could go,” she said slowly, “I would, but I have a late showing and to get all the way down to Eugene in time for the show would probably be impossible.”

“It’s okay,” he said in a way that told her it wasn’t okay at all. “I knew it was a total long shot. You can just give them to someone you think might enjoy catching the show.”

Finally, she reached for his hand, heedless of what her employees saw or thought about the two of them, because she needed him to know. “I would enjoy it, Ford. So, so much. And if I could come tonight, I would.”

She’d never been a liar about anything other than admitting her feelings for him. And now, as he looked into her eyes to see if she meant it, she made sure he knew that she did.

“It’s been way too long since I’ve seen you make a stadium rock.” They’d both loved that old Air Supply song, Making Love Out of Nothing at All. “I’d really like to come to your show this Saturday in Seattle, if you can scrounge up a ticket for me.”

“Do you still have the silver dress?”

She gave a wicked little smile with her reply. “If you’d asked me that last night, I could have put it on for you.”

He groaned. “I need to go before I lose my mind from looking at you and knowing I can’t touch.” But instead of walking away, he moved so that his broad shoulders completely blocked her from the rest of her office. His large hand was warm, the tips of his fingers calloused from his guitar strings, as he stroked her cheek with his fingertips, and her chin with his thumb. “How about pizza and a movie at my house on Thursday night?”

She’d spent practically all of her free time either with him or thinking about him since he’d come back to Seattle. She should put some space between them, give herself some time to try to think clearly. But knowing she was going to miss seeing him tonight already felt like too long a gap.

Until now, they’d been together because of a house, or the wedding, or a business meeting he’d wanted her to attend. And five years ago, there certainly hadn’t been any dates. Just endless amounts of crazy hot sex, which hadn’t made their relationship anywhere near strong enough.

“Are you finally asking me on a date?”

“I want to do every single thing with you I didn’t know how to do the first time around, Mia. So, yes, I’m asking you on a date. A real one this time, complete with pizza and a movie.”

Clearly, he wanted her to see they could have a relationship away from stadiums and tour buses and his fame. If she were really still adamant about holding him at arm’s length, she should say no.

Instead, she told him, “I know the perfect place to pick up a pizza on the way to your house.”

His answering grin was a mile wide. “I’ll come get you at seven tomorrow.”

“Okay.” The simple touch of his hand on her face had heated up every inch of her until she was all but melting into him. “Have a great show, Ford.”

They stood like that, staring at each other for several long moments, before he finally caressed her one last time. And as she watched him walk out to his tour bus, she knew it was just like the lyrics to the Air Supply song that she now couldn’t get out of her head

Ford had always known where to touch her...and her heart had been lost for five years looking for a rhythm that only he could play.

* * *

Six hours later, Mia finally gave up trying to focus on work. The concert ticket and pass Ford had given her had been burning a hole in the back pocket of her skinny jeans all day long...and she kept lifting her hand to her cheek, where his touch had rocked her so deeply this morning.

“I’m sorry,” she told her staff just as they settled into their seats for their weekly meeting to go over new listings, “I need to go take care of something really important.” Someone really important. “Orlando, can you please take over the meeting and my showing afterward?”

Her assistant gave her a look as though he knew exactly what—who—had her so distracted. “No problem, Mia.”

“Thanks. See you all tomorrow.”

She barely remembered to grab her bag from her office before dashing out to her car. The drive from downtown Seattle to Eugene, Oregon, would take four and half hours, as long as she didn’t hit any bad rush-hour traffic. Ford’s show started at eight, but if the opener took an hour, he wouldn’t come on until closer to nine. It was four o’clock, so if all went well, she’d get there right before he took the stage.

Things looked good at first as she made her way out of downtown Seattle, the road emptier than it usually was mid-week an hour before quitting time. Feeling lighter, and more hopeful than she had in a very long time, she turned on the radio and when one of Ford’s songs came on, she rolled down her windows, opened her sunroof, and blasted it for everyone to hear. Another driver gave her a thumbs-up, and she laughed out loud as the wind rushed through her hair.

Maybe, she found herself thinking, this was a sign that everything was going to work out after all.

* * *

Four hours later, Mia was this close to standing up and screaming obscenities at the cleanup crew on the freeway for how slowly they were dealing with the massive produce-truck spill just outside of Portland.

She’d been so sure she’d make his show that she’d nearly called Ford to tell him to look for her in the crowd. Especially since she could tell how much he’d wanted her to come tonight, even if he’d tried to be nonchalant about giving her the ticket and pass.

Of course, right when everything seemed like it was going to go right for them, she’d hit the seemingly endless wall of cars and trucks.

Why hadn’t she just taken a day off work and hopped onto his tour bus with him this morning? Yes, she loved what she did for a living, and her clients were important to her...but so, she was coming to accept, was Ford.

And yet, she’d made the same choice this morning that she’d made five years ago.

Worse still, as she sat in the middle of the huge traffic jam, her doubts had plenty of time to flood back in. Particularly a flashback to that last time she’d been rushing to surprise him at one of his shows.

Miami.

She had forgiven him for his mistakes, just as she knew he’d forgiven her for hers. But that didn’t mean her fears over what they were starting weren’t still hovering, telling her to be careful, warning her that she couldn’t be cautious enough.

Was this traffic jam the real sign? And should she heed it by turning around and driving back to Seattle? Or by the time she finally made it to Eugene, would she walk into another nasty surprise like the one in Miami?

At last, the traffic began to move, slowly at first, and then more and more quickly as they were finally let loose on their destinations...and Mia had a decision to make.

Only, as she pressed her foot down hard on the gas pedal and sped down the fast lane, she knew she didn’t.

Because she believed he’d meant it when he told her last night that she was the only woman he wanted...and even if she only caught Ford’s final song, this hellish drive would be worth it.

* * *

It was eleven-thirty by the time Mia got to the overstuffed stadium parking lot and people were already pouring out of the venue and heading to their cars. She’d called Ford’s cell several times in the past thirty minutes, but when he hadn’t picked up, she’d figured he was still on stage.

Damn it, she couldn’t have missed him! She drove as close to the stadium entrance as she could and left her car in a red zone as she started running, not bothering to call him again. Her best chance to find him now would be on foot.

“You can’t leave your car there, ma’am!”

But she didn’t have time to worry about her car, not when she was guessing it would be hit or miss to even catch Ford before his bus drove away from the venue.

She ran in through the front doors, which were open now as people began to stream out. Looking around wildly, she found a woman in a security outfit. “I need to get backstage right away. Please, can you help me?”

The woman took the laminated pass Mia was holding out and saw that it said ALL ACCESS VIP, but something told her it was the desperate look in Mia’s eyes that made her nod. “Sure. Follow me.”

Mia and the security guard wove their way through the exiting crowd that seemed to grow bigger with every second that passed. Though she was filled with panic that she’d miss Ford, Mia was so happy for him. He must have given a truly great show given how happy everyone looked as they headed home.

Finally, they pushed through a thick metal door and Mia nearly wept when she saw his bodyguard. “Billy,” she called out.

Though she assumed looking serious and menacing was part of the bodyguard code, Billy broke out in a huge smile when he saw her. He spoke into a transmitter in his left ear, and a moment later, Ford came busting out of a set of dark red double doors.

He was still dripping with sweat from being on stage...and looked impossibly beautiful to her as he called out her name. He looked like he couldn’t believe she was there—and as if pulled together by gravity, they moved toward each other. But just when she was close enough that he could easily have reached out and pulled her against him, he stopped.

She faltered for a few horrible moments as she looked into his dark eyes. Why wasn’t he touching her? Why hadn’t he kissed her yet?

But then, suddenly, she realized why. Because, just like in her office this morning, he wasn’t sure if she’d want everyone to know that they were together. He was waiting for her to make the decision about going public with him. Twelve hours ago, she’d made one decision.

Tonight, she made another.

The right one.

A heartbeat later, she threw herself into his arms and kissed him without holding back.