“There is nothing to be sorry for. Nothing. Got it?” He passed me the box of tissues again but now he was smiling. His smile was pure joy and I was drawn to himlike a moth to a flame. I just hoped I didn’t burn up.
A fingertip under my chin lifted my face and his soft warm lips gently touched mine. It was a kiss of promises not passion. Or at least it started that way. He pulled me closer and my arms wrapped around his shoulders. My lips parted and he accepted the invite, sweeping in and conquering my mouth, like he’d conquered my heart. I loved him, my Flame, the heart of my heart. I prayed to God nothing could take him away from me.
Chapter Thirteen
Michelle…
Our phones vibrated on the coffee table at the same time. Saved by the bell? It’s probably good or we would have ended up back in bed. I peeled myself off Flame and grabbed the phone.
Cyn: “We’re waiting did you forget again?”
“Cyn says their waiting downstairs.”
“Chaos is saying the same thing but probably not as nicely.”
“Are we okay?”
“Yes, babe. I told you, I’m not going anywhere and I mean it. If I have to tell you every day I will until you believe me.” He dropped a kiss on the tip of my nose and then sent a text to Chaos. I answered Cyn.
Me: “We’re on our way.”
With a quick kiss, Flame grabbed my hand and we were out the door.
The elevator doors opened to a mob scene. No wonder Cyn was pissed we were late. Apparently news got out the band was staying at the Waldorf and a crowd formed. There were definitely somethings about being a bestselling band that sucked, at least as far as I was concerned. The guys didn’t look like they minded so much, except for Fury and Rage, but then the two of them always looked pissed off.
It also looked like Candy and Sweets had their own fans now. Men who wanted to a piece of “their” action. Candy didn’t look all that comfortable with it, but Sweets was eating it up—figures. I didn’t totally forgive her yet for the trouble she’d caused and how Cyn and Chaos almost never happened because of her. Cyn was a much more forgiving person than me.
Flame held my hand in a firm grip as we pushed through the crowd, at least until they recognized him too. It was like a swarm of bees, I swear. There was no getting around or even through them, the crowd moved you along whether you liked it or not. I was over by one of the seating areas and trying to find Flame, and as I scanned the crowd I thought I saw Bob Williams. But a blink laternothing. Were my eyes playing tricks on me? A chill slid down my spine, raising goosebumps on my arms and making the hairs on the back of my head tingle. My spidey senses were on full alert. If it was him, why was he here?
Hotel security and Terrance were finally getting control of the fans and media too. I didn’t even see them at first, at least not until the cameras were turned on, then there was no missing the bright lights. I was thankful I wasn’t near Flame when he was on camera, and I hoped there weren’t any pictures of ‘us’ or I’d be paying another visit to the principal’s office on Monday morning. Who says you only get called the principal’s office when you’re a kid. I can blow that right out of the water.
Once the fans were gone and only the TV crews were left, Teresa found me. I tell you it really sucks being short. Even in my four inch heels I could barely see over the crowd when the lobby was packed.
“Are you okay?”
“Besides not expecting this crap, yeah. Why?”
Teresa met my eyes and shrugged. “You look a little spooked.”
A quick scan of the room told me we were alone for now. “I think I saw the Bob Williams here.”
“What? Are you shitting me?”
Of course even stressed the first thing that came to mind was one of Flame’s favorite sayings, ‘I’m not shitting you, you’re my favorite turd’. “I wish I was, but I’m not sure. Really. I think I saw him. But when I looked again he wasn’t there.”
“Have you told Flame or anyone else about him yet?”
“What’s to tell? A creepy guy who teaches at my school might have been here?”
“True. What if he’s a stalker?”
God I wished she didn’t say those words. I had been avoiding them like the plague, forcibly pushing them out of my brain each time they tried to sneak in. I didn’t want to have a stalker. It made no sense for me to have one. I was a freakin’ kindergarten teacher, and nothing all that special—not some gorgeous model orHollywood star. I was totally average. So why?
“I’m going to go with coincidence.”
Teresa turned from surveying the crowd and gave me a skeptical look. “Riiighht. And I’m the Queen of Sheba.”
“What?”
