15. Mac
15 MAC
“Why did I volunteer to do this again?” Kayla wiped the sweat from her brow, looking adorably disheveled after spending all morning on our float for the St. Patrick’s Day parade.
“Love of community? Small-town shenanigans?” I laughed when she rolled her eyes. “Or to spend more time with your favorite rock star?”
“If I weren’t so well-rested, I’d be a lot grumpier right now,” she muttered more to herself than to me.
“That sounds like another me thing.” I flashed a grin and took in our progress so far. “I thought it’d be bigger.”
She laughed. “This is Holiday Grove, not the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, Mac.”
Good point. “Still, I thought it would take weeks to do.” Maybe I was just hoping.
Kayla let out a snort-laugh. “Then why didn’t we start sooner?”
“Poor planning?” I licked my lips and pushed off the wall, capping my water bottle so we could get back to work. It wasn’t a big float, but it would take all day to finish, maybe some of tomorrow.
“Where are all of your people?” she asked with a teasing smile. “I thought people like you had people. Assistants and secretaries and builders?”
“So you want me to make my people build the float that you volunteered us to do?”
She pulled her lush lips into her mouth to hide a smile. “No?”
“Good answer.” Since she’d brought up my life as a famous musician, it was the perfect time to ask her a similar question. “Are you mad about the press? I mean, of course you’re mad. Hell, I’m always mad about those vultures, but are you pissed?” My biggest fear was that I was falling for the one woman on the planet who didn’t see my fame as a good thing.
Kayla thought about the question for a full minute before her gaze met mine over the sea of green and gold tissue paper. “I don’t love it, but I suppose it comes with dating someone as famous as you are.”
Her words made me feel good. Damn good. “Are we dating?” We hadn’t put a label on things between us, but it felt like dating.
Kayla smiled as if she knew I was deflecting. “Well, let’s see. If we’re dating, then I’d say the disadvantages of the press are nothing compared to the advantages of being with you. If not, I’m not going to turn my life upside down for sex. Not even great sex.” She licked her lips. “I mean, I don’t think I would.” She held my gaze for a long time, trying to suppress a laugh.
I broke first, bending over to bark out a loud laugh. I loved that honest assessment, and truthfully, it made me feel worthy of her, hearing her say that being with me was worth dealing with the shitty press. “You like me.”
“Get back to work, rock star, or we’ll be here all night.” Her words were stern, but her smile was hot and sweet all at once.
We worked together for hours, painting and gluing and setting the stage for our small part in the parade. We talked and laughed the entire time, which was unusual for me. “I’ve never been in a parade before.”
“Me neither,” she shot back. “I’ve also never been on stage before, not unless you count that one time I had to do a case for an M they’d be a year-round hit. And I’d have to buy new clothes, but it would be totally worth it.”
He grinned, mostly amused by her words. “Thanks. I’ll think about it.” His gaze flicked from me to Kayla and then back. “You two for real, or are you doing what Torey and Ryan did?”
“We’re together,” I told him, staking my claim.
He nodded. “Can I hang up a picture of you in here?”
“Make Kayla more of those pies, and I’ll not only take a photo and sign it, I’ll do a selfie with you and tag this place as my favorite spot to drink in Holiday Grove.”
Levi laughed and shook his head. “It’s the only place to drink in Holiday Grove.”
“Yeah, but out-of-towners don’t know that.”
He laughed a little louder. “You have a deal, man.”
We shook on it and took our drinks to a booth near the pool tables to have dinner. “This counts as a second date, right?”
“Is there some second date milestone you’re looking forward to?”
I shrugged. “Are there second date milestones I should be looking forward to? I haven’t had a real girlfriend in years, and it was… nothing like this.”
“More glamorous? Better food?” Her tone was light and curious, not a hint of jealousy, which amazed me.
“Shallower. Events and being seen. Social media. Boring.” I rolled my eyes, thinking about that failed experiment. “Turned me off of relationships for good. Or so I thought.” I never even considered that I’d want anything serious with a woman, especially not at the height of my fame with touring and recording constantly, but I wanted it—all of it—and I wanted it with Kayla.
She let out one of those swoony sighs and bit back a smile. “You need to come with a warning label.”
“Danger: may cause panties to moisten uncontrollably?”
She arched one brow, still biting back that smile.
I needed it. “Caution: may cause spontaneous fainting?”
Both brows shot up.
“Warning: multiple orgasms expected in bed?”
That did it; it broke the dam, and she laughed until her face was red. She laughed until she cried. And then she gave me that look before she said the words I longed to hear.
“Let’s get out of here, lover boy.”