The connection we have isn’t one-sided.

  My heart kicks into high gear. “I’m falling for you.”

  “I’m falling, too.”

  “Perfect.” We can fall together.

  The thought zips through my brain, chased by a need to kiss her. I slant my lips over hers. She opens to me without barriers or hesitation. I dive deep, taking possession of her mouth, just as I’m doing to her body. She falls against me, clings to me, melts into me.

  And I’m lost to her.

  If I had a bed, I’d lay her out, scoop her in my arms, and heap pleasure on her all night. In fact, I probably will—later. Right now, I’m all in with Sophie, stroke after stroke after stroke, lifting her up my shaft, then pulling her back down onto me as I rise up to meet her.

  The holiday fireworks begin, bursting big and bright over the lake. Faint oohs and aahs murmur from people near the water. Since they’re far away, I focus on Sophie.

  I brace my hand on her hip and settle my thumb over her clit, teasing without mercy. It isn’t long before she tightens and whimpers into my kiss.

  I take her tongue, penetrate her body, and tell her without words that, before I release her, I intend to own her heart.

  Sophie puts up no resistance. Instead, she welcomes me deeper. Every inch of me she takes, I give her more of my soul. There’s no way I’m relinquishing her, even after I catch this predator hunting her.

  Behind Sophie, the fireworks burst again, vivid and dazzling, an explosion of colors. Desire surges. Above me she tenses. Her breaths stutter. Her cunt tightens.

  “You there, honey?”

  “Yes,” she pants, head bobbing. “Yes.”

  Thank freaking god. “Come for me.”

  Frantically, she nods, her breaths turning even choppier as her skin takes on a rosy tint visible under the stark white light of the latest firework. That sexy red mouth of hers widens into the shape of an O as she drags in a shuddering breath and squeezes my cock mercilessly. Then her head falls back as another colorful explosion brightens the sky, and I cover her mouth as she screams.

  Her quaking orgasm destroys the last of my self-control. I bury my face in her neck, latching on to the tender skin there, and groan through the most dazzling, destructive ecstasy I’ve ever felt in my life.

  When it’s over, I can barely breathe. I feel flattened.

  What the fuck was that?

  I don’t know…but I’m happy as hell.

  My body stops pulsing, but I still need to hold her close. “Sophie?”

  “I think I love you,” she admits between audible breaths.

  She’s not kidding—and that’s more than all right with me.

  “I think I love you, too.”

  A big smile stretches across her face. “So…are the fireworks over?”

  I don’t know about the ones celebrating the holiday. Ours? Not a chance. “Why?”

  “I want to go back to the cottage and do that again.”

  Fuck. She’s perfect for me. “Same. Let’s go.”

  I lift her off my lap and set her on wobbly feet. It takes a few moments to locate her clothes, but we finally put them on for the short trek to the cottage. I’d love to keep her naked…but we’ve already taken more risk with her safety and public image than we should. Besides, this will give me the opportunity to undress her all over again.

  Once I’ve got my zipper up and the rest of my gear in place, I take her hand and lead her toward the cottage. “Happy?”

  She grins at me. “Very. But how did you just happen to have condoms?”

  “I made a calculated guess. When I texted Hal that we’d arrived to pick up the groceries, I asked him to bring a bottle of wine and a box of them.”

  “They were in that bag?”

  “Yep.”

  “Sitting right between us?”

  She looks so adorably shocked that I have to laugh. “Yep.”

  “No wonder he wished you good luck.” She gives me a good-natured shake of her head.

  “I wanted you.”

  “I wanted you, too,” Sophie breathes. “Still, you were awfully sure of yourself.”

  “I think you proved I had a reason to be.”

  “I can’t argue with that.” She wobbles and reaches out for my hand with a hiss. “Ouch!”

  “What?” I stop, looking on with concern.

  “I just stepped on a rock.”

  A glance down tells me her feet are bare. “Where are your flip-flops?”

  “I don’t know. They fell off somewhere near the swing.”

  Damn it. The path ahead is too rocky for her to go on. “Stay here. I’ll get them. I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”

  “Thanks. I didn’t realize how rocky this path is.”

  I hate to leave her alone for even as long as it takes to fetch the flip-flops. But if I don’t, her feet won’t be thanking either of us later.

  With a quick jog, I reach the swing again, toeing the discarded condom under a bush while searching for the sandals. Finally, I find the rubbery pink soles with the black glittery straps and scoop them up, then turn back for the cottage. Behind me, more fireworks explode overhead, but I don’t mind missing out. The pyrotechnics I want are waiting for me with Sophie.

  I never imagined when I woke up this morning that I’d be Sophie Larsen’s lover and losing my heart to her by nightfall. But there’s no going back now—for either of us.

  Shelving the rest of my philosophical thoughts, I lengthen my steps up the hill to get back to her side. At the top, I spot her silhouette standing in the moonlight, but she’s not alone.

  Someone stands beside Sophie with a cruel grip on her arm and a gun pointed at her head.

  Sophie

  As Rand disappears down the hill to find my shoes, I fight a loopy grin.

  I’m in love.

  Yes, it sounds crazy, even to me—and I’m living this reality. But Rand has been everything I’ve wanted in a man and a partner since the moment we met. The instant zing was a clue. The way we naturally worked to solve problems together hinted that we share something special. And the sex… I let out a long sigh because I’ve never felt pleasure like that in my life. I never even dreamed it was possible.

  But now what? We have really different lives.

  How do we tackle that?

  I’ve been thinking for a while that I don’t want to spend the rest of my life in the spotlight. I miss having a real home, but if Rand is in the picture? I can’t drag him from concert to concert or ask him to wait at home alone. And what if we have kids? I’d like to someday.

  Oh, my gosh. You met this guy today, and you’re already thinking marriage and babies?

  Okay, I’m probably getting ahead of myself. I need to downshift and—

  Suddenly, a clicking noise sounds behind me and I feel something cold against the back of my skull. “Hello, Sophie.”

  I know that voice, just like I know what’s prodding my scalp. My heart trips into overdrive. “Why are you holding a gun to my head, Dorinda?”

  “The answer should be obvious since I tried to have you killed this morning. I made sure Rob’s food got poisoned last night, so I assumed you’d be easy for my hired gunman to pick off.” She sighs. “I didn’t count on you having another bodyguard to save you. But today proves that when you want something done right, do it yourself.”

  Panic sets in. If Dorinda says she’s going to do something, she damn well follows through.

  If I let her, I’ll be dead.

  “Wait! Why?” I demand to stall. “You’re still making money off of me.”

  “But if you die now, everyone will remember you fondly as you were when you first appeared on the charts, not like the whore you are now.” She looks me up and down with a sniff. “Those wholesome songs will be downloaded and played. But this isn’t about money. It’s about disrespect.”

  “You think I disrespected you?”

  “I don’t think; I know. Time for you to pay.”

  Shit. I have to keep her talking until Rand comes back and hope for the best. “How did you find me?”

  She tsks as if my question—and me by extension—is annoying. “I’m far more clever than you ever gave me credit for. It was your lipstick. I paid the stylist to make sure you carried the tube, with the tracking device inside, just in case the gunman proved unsuccessful.” She sighs. “I hate being right so often.”

  And I hate that she seems to have lost her damn mind. Was she always so full of malice?

  Never mind. Not important. What is? Figuring out how to deal with Dorinda. The old me—before Rand—would have asked what she wanted and done my best to comply. Of course, the me without Rand wouldn’t have escaped the parade alive. We might not have had a lot of time to talk about how I should defend myself, but I learned a lot from observing him. One thing I know? Rand would never give in.

  Neither will I.

  “Very clever,” I murmur. Let her think she’s got the upper hand.

  “I told you. You just didn’t believe in me enough.”

  Wrong. I knew her professional limitations. They cost me millions. “Then we’re even. You didn’t believe in me enough, either. You sold me short.”

  “I proceeded cautiously. After all, most child stars fail at going adult.”

  “I’m not most.” Clandestinely, I align my elbow with her stomach, situated directly behind me, then give a vicious shove.

  Instantly, she doubles over with an “Oomph!”

  I don’t dare wait for a better opportunity or for Rand to return. Heart roaring, I spin around and shove her onto her butt. She’s not any bigger than me, but I’m stronger. I have surprise on my side. And I’m absolutely determined to come out of this in one piece.

  But when I bend to swipe the gun from her, she raises it again and points it in my face. “You stupid fucking bitch. I’ve never killed anyone, but I’ll enjoy wasting you.”

  Suddenly, I’m staring down the barrel of her gun. Oh, god. It’s over. I’ve failed.

  Then I hear a gunshot. I flinch, waiting to fall, bracing for death. Instead, something warm splatters me—blood?—as Dorinda jerks. Then she flops to the grass like a ragdoll, unmoving.

  “Sophie! Are you okay?”

  Rand! I turn and find him rushing up the hill, straight toward me, his aim still pinned on Dorinda.

  “I-I’m fine.” I think. My voice trembles, but I’m in one piece.

  I’m alive—thanks to him.

  At Dorinda’s side, he kicks the weapon from her hand and bends to check her pulse. A moment later, he lets out a relieved breath. “She’s dead.”

  With a cry, I launch myself into Rand’s arms. “I wouldn’t have made it without you. Thank you.”

  He pulls me even closer. “You helped. You kept her talking and held her off until I could get a clean shot. Thank God.”

  I hear his heart hammering against the side of my face. Every muscle in his body is taut. Then he dips his head to take my lips in a hard press. “I don’t know what you think should happen between us next, but you’ll have to get a restraining order and a crowbar to pry me away from you.”

  “I don’t want that. I want you. Always.”

  “I want to spend my life with you, Sophie. Wherever that takes us, let’s do it together.”

  “We should start by getting married.” It’s unconventional as far as proposals go, but why not?

  “You took the words out of my mouth.” He smiles as he presses a kiss to my forehead, then gives me a solemn stare. “But first we need to call the police and sort through the red tape.”

  He’s right. “I’ll need to call David, too. He can do damage control with the press.”

  “You up to that?”

  If that’s what it takes to spend my life with Rand? “Yeah.”

  And while I’ve got David on the phone, I’ll also tell him that I’m downshifting my career to enjoy some life with the handsome hunk of bodyguard who turned out to be the man of my dreams. I can’t wait to get started on my forever with him.

  New Year’s Eve

  Bartonville, Texas

  “You ready, honey?” Rand cups my arm and drops a soft kiss onto my shoulder.

  I can’t believe it’s been almost six months since we met. To say we’ve been inseparable is an understatement.

  After the police descended on the cottage in Granbury that horrible night, they thankfully agreed that Rand shot Dorinda in my defense, ending one nightmare. But the press became another, printing every detail of our Fourth of July they could dig up—our escape from the parade, a photo of me wearing Rand’s shirt as we crossed the street hand-in-hand, him kissing me in the buggy. Instantly, rumors of our romance began to buzz. Poor Rand couldn’t get a moment’s peace after that.

  I turn to him solemnly. “More than ready. What about you? Are you sure? I’ve made your life hell since we met.”

  “No, the press has made my life hell. You’ve been the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

  His words melt my heart. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I’m thrilled we’ve made it work, despite the challenges.”

  “Me, too.” He kisses me softly.

  God, I love this man. We’ve learned to communicate and compromise. Rand has had to swallow his pride more than once. But he’s been supportive and understanding, no matter what.

  The first month of his employment in Bartonville was hell with press and my fans stalking him in and around the police headquarters. He had to sell the place he’d bought before he ever moved in. I know that annoyed him, just like I know it chafed to take refuge in a house behind a gate and a guard. The five million for its purchase came mostly from my bank account. Rand wanted to object…but we both agreed that safety had to come before pride.

  Our first month in the house was rough. Going from an eight-hundred-square-foot apartment to an eight-thousand-square-foot house took a lot of adjusting for Rand. He questioned what the hell we were going to do with six bedrooms and eight bathrooms…until we christened them all. We also found out that we still had a lot to learn about each other. He didn’t count on me being a neat freak. I didn’t know he likes to play video games when he suffers from insomnia. But we’ve adjusted to one another’s quirks. He showed me the joys of skinny-dipping at midnight. I tried to teach him to cook, which we both decided is a lost cause. But it’s fine since I love being in the kitchen. And he loves eating…then having me for dessert.

  For me, it’s been unusual to be in one place for weeks on end. Not bad, just different—especially after the new album dropped. I did far fewer public appearances in support, and those I did, I found myself flanked by Rand or Rob, sometimes both. The success of the album exceeded my wildest expectations, and the pressure to tour and do the late-night circuit was enormous. But I finally sat David down and told him this album would be my last for a while, maybe even forever.

  “So…” I look up at Rand, trying to tamp down my nerves. “We’re really doing this?”

  “We really are,” he assures. “Unless you’re having second thoughts?”

  “Never.”

  The doorbell rings, and he glances at his watch. “Right on time. I’ll get the door.”

  “I’ll meet you in the dining room in a few. I love you.”

  “I love you, too. I can’t wait.” He kisses me one more time, then leaves our bedroom, looking incredibly swoon-worthy in his black suit. I can’t wipe the smile off my face as I turn and shimmy into my dress.

  As I’m struggling with the fastening at the back, David walks in. “Wow. You look incredible. Do you need help with that?”

  “Please.”

  With a smile, he walks behind me. “You’re lucky I’m good with a corset.”

  This tidbit somehow escaped me until now. “Because?”

  His low laugh is familiar and warm as I feel him thread and tug on the silk ribbons at my back. “Let’s just say I led a colorful life before Allen.” He tightens the strings and ties them off. “There. Now turn.”

  I comply. “Good?”

  “Perfect.” His smile is almost fatherly. “Thank you for asking me to be with you tonight. It’s an honor.”

  “We’re in business together, but your support the last few months has shown me that we’re family, too. Thank you for being here.”

  He brings me in for a hug, then eases away. “I promised Allen I wouldn’t cry tonight. And you better not, either. You’ll ruin your makeup, and you look too stunning for tears, darling.”

  “Can’t have that...”

  “Now, come on. You have a New Year’s party to hostess.” He winks.

  I wink back. “I do.”

  He leads me into the hall, where my best friend, Kristi, is already waiting, in a gorgeous red dress that shows off her killer curves and a giant smile. “You look amazing. I’m so happy for you, girl.”

  “I’m happy for me, too. Maybe for the first time in my life.”

  She sighs wistfully. “I wish I could be half as lucky.”

  “You will be.” I squeeze her hands. “Let’s put it out into the universe. I know there’s a man out there who will love you unconditionally forever. We just have to find him.”

  “From your lips to God’s ears,” she quips. “But today is about you. Ready to make your grand entrance?”

  “Beyond.”

  She turns to a niche in the hallway and hands me a cluster of roses. “You’ll need this.”

  We share a last smile, and the music starts. Kristi walks down the hall and into the dining room in time with the music, catching the eye of more than one single guy in the room. Then the music changes, David squeezes my hand, and it’s time.

  Suddenly, the small crowd stands and I walk past a lot of familiar faces—Rob, my mother and her husband, two of Rand’s brothers, and their parents—all wearing beaming smiles.

  At the end of the room, my gorgeous hunk of a bodyguard-turned-boyfriend waits for me with his heart in his eyes. His older brother, Ransom, stands beside him, looking handsome and a bit mysterious in a charcoal suit.