Chapter 30
DAWSON
Regan stopped by my room a half hour later.
Iain and I had showered, changed, and were eating breakfast when she arrived.
She took one look at the room—Iain’s clothes mixed up with mine, his guitar case on the chair, the rumpled bed—and shook her head.
“I need to be taken off Iain’s detail effective immediately,” I said before she could even sit down.
“No shit.”
Iain laughed at Regan’s reply, but I gave him the side-eye. Of course, it had no effect on him. He reached out and squeezed my thigh, leaving his hand there. The gesture was intimate and possessive, and I felt my body heat begin to rise again despite our audience.
“We’re keeping our relationship private for now,” I continued. “Brodie knows, and Iain’s going to tell Faise and Ronin. I’m also going to tell Lennie and Zoe. We don’t want Harlow to know yet, given everything that’s happened with him on this trip.”
“That makes sense,” Regan murmured as she reached for the pot of coffee on the table and poured herself a cup. “But I don’t know how comfortable I am that you’re on the band’s security at all at this point. Are you going to be able to focus on your new primary, or will you be concerned about Iain?”
“I trust all my team members to look after Iain. Without reservation.”
Regan sat back and nodded.
“Okay, you’re on Faise from here on out, along with Valen. I’ll put Lennie and Quinn on Iain. But if I see any hint that you’re not one hundred percent focused, you’re on the first plane back home.”
I nodded.
“And I agree with you about Harlow,” Regan continued. “Talk to Zoe first and see what she says. She’ll want to get a plan prepared for if and when you guys go public. And when that happens, I will have to re-assign you.”
“I understand.”
“I don’t,” Iain interrupted. “Does that mean he’s off the team entirely?”
“If you go public, yes,” Regan replied.
“But—”
“It’s okay,” I reassured him. “And probably for the best. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately, and these long trips are difficult. Being away from my son, given his age. I’ll need to find another job with more regular hours.”
Regan nodded. “Now’s the time to start planning.”
“I will. Also, I told Iain about the stalker calling me.”
“What are you going to do to protect Dawson?” Iain demanded. “And don’t tell me nothing.”
Regan smiled. “He’s got Valen with him. He’ll be fine. Besides, there’s no threat to him.”
“The stalker called him, so I disagree. And I’m also talking about when we go home. You guys think this person is local. What then? Dawson has Jaxon to think about.”
Regan took another sip of coffee and nodded. “He does. We’ll ensure his home security is updated and provide a detail should it be deemed necessary.”
“I say it’s necessary,” Iain bit out.
While I appreciated my lover’s concern, he was making this a bigger deal than necessary.
I placed my hand over his.
“I have an idea,” Regan murmured and put her coffee cup down. “But you might not like it.”
Iain and I both looked at each other and then back at her.
“What is it?” I asked.
“If you decide to go public when you get home, maybe you could all stay at Iain’s place? He has the new cameras, motion sensors, and the electronic fence. No one is getting in there. It’s probably the safest place in the entire city.”
“Uh, I don’t know. I mean, look, Jaxon hasn’t even met Iain yet, and if that—”
“What Dawson is trying to say is this is brand new,” Iain replied and looked at me.
“But I’d be willing—that is, if you want to.
I mean, for you and your family’s safety.
Not because of us. It’s a big house, with plenty of room.
And it’s not far from your place, probably in the same school district, right? ”
My mouth was hanging open, but no words were coming out.
Move in with Iain? Even if it was temporary, my heart was saying, “Hell yes.”
But what happened to his earlier reticence and our plan to take things slow?
“Daws, are you okay?” Iain asked me.
No. No, I was not.
Regan’s chuckle broke me out of my head space. “I think you’ve shocked him. Fuck, you’ve shocked me too, Iain. I was kinda joking.”
“Oh.” Iain tried to pull his hand back, but I wouldn’t let him.
“I’d have to talk it over with my family first.” I looked at him. “But I’ll take the idea into consideration.”
Iain’s face flushed, and I smiled at him. Before I knew it, I was leaning forward to kiss him.
Right in front of my boss…
“Okay, then, I’m off,” I heard Regan exclaim. “I’ll see you guys at the venue. Last day in Paris, and then it’s on to the UK. I’ll send Lennie and Quinn up here shortly. Remember, no touching, no flirting, no shenanigans of any kind while you’re on duty.”
“Yes, boss,” I replied when I finally tore myself away from Iain.
I got up and walked Regan to the door.
She turned quickly. “I’m happy for you, Dawson. You two make a great pair.”
“Really? I thought you’d be telling me I’m nuts.”
She laughed. “That too. I mean, he is a rockstar. And with a hit-it and quit-it reputation. But the way he looks at you? I’ve never seen Iain look at any man that way. He trusts you. And I know Iain doesn’t trust easily.”
“Thanks.”
“See you shortly.”
I breathed out a huge sigh of relief. One difficult conversation down.
Three more to go.
Iain
Prior to showtime
After hair and makeup, it was just me and the guys shooting the shit before showtime. And Lennie, of course, stood guard near the dressing room door.
I’d quietly told Ronin and Faise about Dawson and me, and after their expected razzing, I reminded them to keep their yaps shut.
Lennie smiled at me, and I knew he knew. I guess Dawson had talked to him this afternoon.
“Okay, so, I think I’m in trouble—” I started.
“How many times do I have to tell you to use condoms? STDs aren’t fun,” Brodie quipped.
I flipped off my best friend. “Seriously, I think I may have put my foot in my mouth.”
“That’s too kinky, even for me,” Ronin offered.
“Will you be serious for a sec?” I hissed. “So, before we told Regan about, you know—”
“You and Dawson boning,” Faise replied as he mimed jerking off.
I sighed. “As I was saying, before we told her about our relationship, Dawson mentioned that he’s getting calls from my stalker.”
“Shit, for real?” Brodie murmured and leaned forward. “Since when?”
“Since our charity concert. So, Regan suggested that, when we get back home, Dawson and his family could, you know, move in with me. Temporarily. Because my security is next level after the break-in. Just for their safety. If it should become an issue. I mean, if he and I are still, you know, together by then and if we go public. Or even if we don’t and—”
Fuck, was I rambling. And all three of my band brothers stared at me for a moment and then burst out laughing.
Full-on, bent over, hysterical, uncontrolled laughter.
Faise doubled over, fell off his chair, and onto the floor. Brodie and Ronin had freaking tears rolling down their faces.
“You and Dawson… moving in together… and his son?” Faise hiccuped as he picked himself up off the floor.
“And Dawson’s mom,” I mumbled.
“Oh my God,” Brodie shook his head, laughing so hard he was barely able to speak. “You go from the proudest manwhore of our group… to a… to a… family of four, just like that. Only you, Iain. Only you. All or nothing, baby, all or nothing.”
“I’m so glad that you guys find this fucking amusing. I’m freaking out over here! First of all, this thing with him is, like, a few days old, and now this! Plus, I’m worried about him. And I haven’t even met Jaxon yet; what if he hates me?”
Brodie wiped his eyes and smeared his eyeliner. “It’s only natural that you’re concerned. And he’s not going to hate you. From what you told me, the kid already wants to meet you.”
“His name is Jaxon. And he wants to meet his musical idol, not me, the person.”
“Holls! What the fuck, man?” Brodie smacked me on the back. “You’re a great person. Don’t talk shit like that.”
“You just said it, Dee. I’m a manwhore. A fuckboy.”
“A typical rockstar,” Ronin added. “So?”
“And I should be the person Dawson wants to introduce to his son? As his boyfriend? Goddamn it, I don’t know what the hell I’ve just walked into!”
Faise shook his head. “First off, just because you enjoy an active and varied sex life doesn’t make you unfit in any way.”
We all stared at Faise.
“What?” Faise grumbled. “It’s true.”
“You guys are doing the exclusive thing, right?” Ronin asked and looked around. “I can’t even believe the words coming out of my mouth right now.”
“Yes,” I muttered, my face heating.
“He’s blushing again. Shit, this is too freaking adorable,” Brodie teased.
I gave my best friend my two best fingers in response.
Ronin tapped my hip. “Are you happy?”
“With Dawson? Yeah. But we’re, like, a minute old, for Christ’s sake.”
Ronin rolled his eyes. “Please, you two have been bickering and flirting for years. Everyone witnessed your foreplay. You were already a couple; you just didn’t know it.”
“Ronin’s right,” Faise added. “Just go for it. See where it takes you.”
“But I’m not a family guy, I—”
“Yes, you are. We’re a family,” Brodie stated.
“Dee—”
“Are we not?”
His sharp tone dared me to question him.
I finally nodded.
“Well, then? Go enjoy your man,” Brodie gripped my neck and gave me a kiss on the cheek. “Now, are we done with all the emotional revelations for the night? Are we ready to rock our last night in Paris?”
“Fuck yes!” Ronin shouted.
I still didn’t know what the hell I was doing, but I felt a lot better after talking with my boys.
Dawson was right. I needed to have a little faith.
Not just in him but also in me.