Chapter 8
“Isure hope I don’t come to regret putting my trust in you, Lewis Davies.”
I flashed her a semi-nervous smile and she laughed.
“But seriously, why the alley? What happened to the good old front door drop off?”
“It’s a safety precaution,” I said, as my bodyguard Anderson opened my door and I slid out.
“Parking in an alley is a safety precaution?” she called after me, surprise colouring her tone. “Right, do I want to know what would happen if we walked in the front door?”
I held my hand out for her and grimaced. “I’m sure your imagination could easily fill in those gaps, Carolina girl.”
Her feet hit the concrete, and I knew the second the smell of rubbish hit her.
“Yes, it’s feeding me something, alright.” She wrinkled her nose, glancing around, her grip tightening in my hand. “I’m not sure this is better than crazed fans trying to take the restaurant door down.”
I laughed. “Tell me that again when they’re your crazed fans.”
Her green eyes glazed over at the suggestion and a blindingly happy smile claimed her lips.
“Shall we?” I gestured to the security door a waitress held open.
A warm glow spilled out into the warm Los Angeles night, breaking up the dreary atmosphere of the alley.
“We shall,” she squeezed my hand and took a tentative step towards the door, watching her heeled feet at all times.
With a hand at the small of her back, fingers splayed across the silky fabric of her dress, I guided her to safety. My nerve endings practically buzzed with the thrill of having her all to myself for the evening.
When we reached the door, she glanced over her shoulder, flashing me a smile that stole my breath.
Anderson, my ever-present shadow, trailed after us, watching my back. His shrewd, army-trained eyes scanned every corner. If it moved, he had eyes on it.
Warmth and the aroma of garlic and herbs enveloped us as we stepped right into the kitchen.
“Lewis, caro mio! Welcome back,” Toni, the owner, said, his voice booming above the ruckus of the kitchen. He was a stout, silver-haired man who had always treated me like an old friend and today was no different. He clasped my hand firmly, grinning like he hadn’t seen me a week ago. “I was starting to wonder if we’d see you again before you left.”
“You could never get rid of me, Toni, you know that.”
“So you say.” His eyes creased, displaying laugh lines so deep they resembled canyons. “But it’s always a delightful surprise all the same.”
A surprise he received ample warning for, but I never corrected him.
His twinkling eyes landed on Liv. “And who is this beautiful signorina?”
“Toni, this is Olivia.” I couldn’t keep the note of pride from my voice. “Olivia, meet Toni, the man responsible for the best carbonara in LA.”
Liv laughed, the sound bright and melodic. “With an introduction like that, I can’t wait to try it.”
Toni winked at her. “For you, bella, I’ll make it extra special.” He turned, waving for us to follow. “Come, your usual table is waiting.”
As he led us through the cosy dining room, she leaned into me, her lips brushing my ear. “Your usual table, huh? Bring all your dates here, Davies?
I chuckled, my hand finding hers and tangling our fingers together. “Only the really special ones.”
She arched a brow, a playful smirk tugging at her mouth. “Oh, so I’m special now?”
“More than you know,” I murmured, squeezing her hand.
But of course she did know. Or she should. I’d laid all of my fledgling hopes out for her earlier today. It went against every rule in the guy code book. Even knowing that, I couldn’t find it in myself to regret it.
Toni led us to a secluded alcove in the back, separated from the main space by a thick red curtain. The table was already set with flickering candles, gleaming silverware, and a bottle of red wine breathing on the white linen. Strains of soft violin music drifted in, setting the perfect atmosphere.
“Your waiter will be right with you. Buon appetito!” He bowed slightly before leaving us.
I helped Liv out of her light jacket, relishing the softness of her skin as my fingers grazed her shoulders. Her sage green dress was even more enticing in the low light, hugging her curves in all the right places. I had to force myself to look away as I pulled out her chair.
We settled into our seats and she glanced around, taking in the intimate setting, the secluded alcove that offered us a measure of privacy. “Fancy digs for a first date. You really know how to make a girl feel special, rock star.”
If she thought this was fancy, my other date plans would blow her out of the water. I planned to make the most of every single night I had with her before the tour kicked off and made it harder for me to hoard her for myself.
I chuckled, reaching for the wine. “Only the best for you, cariad.”
I seriously needed to stop calling her that. If I thought there was even a small chance that she understood the Welsh word, I’d try. Couldn’t have her realising that I’d been almost telling her I loved her from day one.
Anderson scowled at me as he circled the small room, checking for hidden cameras, recording devices and people. My Rhymes visit was a touchy subject where he was concerned. He hadn’t quite forgiven me for sneaking out without him yet.
But we’d done this dance for years at this point. It didn’t matter how long we’d been playing the fame game, none of us could get used to someone shadowing our every step. So instead of worrying about it, I focused on Liv.
I grinned, picking up the wine bottle. “Well, I figured our first official date deserved something a little more exclusive feeling.”
She tilted her head, studying me in that way she had, like she could see right through to the heart of me. “Is this what dating Lewis Davies is usually like? Lowkey restaurants with VIP treatment?”
I stalled while I poured us both a glass, something Toni would grumble at me for later. My mind raced as I tried to decide how to answer. The truth was, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been on a proper date. My life had been consumed by the band, by the constant touring and recording. Romance had taken a back seat to the relentless pursuit of success.
“Honestly? I wouldn’t know. It’s been a long time since I’ve done this.” At her questioning look, I shrugged and elaborated. “The whole dating thing, it’s not easy with the life I lead. The constant travelling, the scrutiny, the lack of privacy…” I trailed off, my gaze flicking to where Anderson lifted a mirror to check behind it.
Understanding dawned in Liv’s eyes. She nodded towards Anderson. “That’s why he’s here.”
“Yeah.” I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. “It’s a necessary evil, especially after some close calls with overzealous fans. But it makes it hard to just be normal, you know?”
She reached across the table, laying her hand over mine. “I can only imagine. Why wasn’t he with you last night at the open mic?”
I groaned, casting a sheepish look at Anderson. His back stiffened but he didn’t turn around. “I may have given him the slip for a few hours.” I’d never been hassled at Rhymes. It was one of the many reasons I always went back. I felt like a normal guy there. I might get a double take but no one ever made a fuss. “He’s still a bit pissed at me. Doesn’t like it when I go rogue.”
He grunted in agreement and shot me a glare that could have withered an oak tree.
Liv glanced at Anderson, taking in his stony expression. “I bet. Must be a challenge, trying to keep tabs on a troublesome rock star.”
“It’s a thankless job but someone’s gotta do it,” Anderson grumbled, just loud enough for us to hear. He nodded curtly to Liv. “You have my deepest sympathy, miss. This one’s a handful.”
“Alright, alright, point taken. Go hover menacingly elsewhere, will ya?” I tried to look authoritative but couldn’t keep the smile off my face. “I promise no more ditching security.” For now.
Anderson rolled his eyes. I had no doubt he’d forgive me eventually. He always did.
“I know it’s a lot sometimes, the whole entourage thing,” I said, playing with the stem of my glass. “Fame is a fickle bitch. You give up so much privacy, so much freedom. But moments like this…” I reached across the table and took her hand, my thumb brushing over her knuckles. “Make it all worthwhile.”
Her fingers laced with mine, warm and sure. “I can only imagine. I mean, I’m just getting my first real taste of it and it’s thrilling and terrifying all at once. Like this wild ride that you’re excited to be on but half-afraid you’ll fly right off the rails.”
I nodded, intimately familiar with that sensation. “And it only gets more intense.” I squeezed her hand gently.
She laughed, the sound easing the tension. “Thank you. And I do feel very safe and very special to have warranted the Lewis Davies VIP experience, security detail and all.”
Her tone was light, teasing, but I couldn’t miss the sincerity beneath it. “You are special. And I want tonight to be about us, not the rock star bullshit.”
She smiled, candlelight dancing in her eyes. “Then let’s make it about us.”
The waiter appeared, deftly pouring water and taking our order. We never even looked at the menus, too caught up in each other to bother.
Liv ended up deferring to me. The waiter vanished as quietly as he appeared, leaving us to our seclusion again.
I turned back to Liv, unable to stop drinking in the sight of her in the candlelight. She was breathtaking, a vision, her chestnut hair cascading in waves over her shoulders. I couldn’t quite believe she’d said yes, that this magnetic, talented woman had agreed to a date.
Especially after this morning’s uncertain beginnings.
She caught me staring and lifted a brow, a playful smile tugging at her lips.
“That’s one interesting look. Care to share what caused it?”
I chuckled, leaning back in my seat. “Some of my thoughts aren’t appropriate for public consumption.”
She raised a brow, intrigued. “Oh? Do tell. You can’t leave a girl hanging like that.”
I shook my head, grinning. “Now where’s the fun in that? I can’t give away all my secrets on the first date.”
“Ah, so you’re a man of mystery.” She propped her chin on her hand, studying me with those keen green eyes. “I do love a good puzzle.”
“Well then, you’re in luck. I’ve been told I’m quite the enigma.” I winked, enjoying our playful back-and-forth.
“Is that so?” She leaned forward, a lock of hair slipping over her shoulder. “Challenge accepted. I’ll have you figured out quicker than a hound dog on a coon trail.”
My heart skipped a beat at the idea of her wanting to unravel me, to know me deeper. “I look forward to it. But I should warn you, I’m not an easy nut to crack.”
“Good thing I’m stubborn then.” Her smile turned sly. “And I reckon I’m pretty darn skilled with my hands, too.”
I nearly choked on my wine at the innuendo, blood rushing south at the thought of her hands on me. “Is that a promise or a threat, Songbird?”
She tilted her head at that nickname, curiosity shining in her eyes. I expected her to question it, but instead, a coy smile claimed her lips.
“Guess you’ll just have to stick around and find out, won’t you?” She traced the rim of her glass with a fingertip, her eyes never leaving mine.
Fuck was I in trouble with this one. The best kind of trouble.
We slipped into easy conversation, the banter flowing as smoothly as the wine. Liv regaled me with tales of her Nashville days, painting a vivid picture of honkytonks and dive bars, of late nights spent scribbling lyrics on napkins and hustling for gigs.
“I once played a set at this hole-in-the-wall joint,” she said, swirling her wine. “Stage was about the size of a postage stamp and I’m pretty sure the mic was held together with duct tape and a prayer.”
I chuckled, leaning forward. “Sounds like a classy place.”
“Oh, the classiest.” She grinned. “But you know, those are the gigs that really test you. When you’re playing to a crowd of half-drunk, disinterested barflies and you still gotta pour your heart out like it’s a sold-out stadium.”
I nodded, intimately familiar with that feeling. “Those early days, they shape you. Toughen you up for the road ahead.”
“Amen to that.” She gently knocked her glass against mine in a toast.
Our food arrived, a mouth-watering array of Italian delicacies. Her eyes widened as the waiter set a plate of gnocchi in front of her, the delicate dumplings nestled in a creamy pesto sauce.
“Oh my lord, this smells divine,” she breathed, inhaling deeply.
I grinned, picking up my fork. “Wait until you taste it. Toni’s gnocchi is legendary.”
She took a bite and let out a moan that sent liquid fire rushing through my veins. Her eyes fluttered closed in bliss. “Sweet Jesus, you weren’t kidding. This is sinful.”
The candlelight danced over her features, casting her in a golden glow. She was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.
“You keep looking at me like that, you’re gonna make me blush,” she murmured, her eyes opening to meet mine.
“Can’t help it,” I whispered. “You’re stunning, Liv. Inside and out.”
Her breath hitched and she ducked her head again, a smile playing about her lips. “You sure do have a way with words, Lewis Davies.”
“Only speaking the truth, cariad.”
We tucked into our meals, the conversation flowing easily between bites.
“Oh, I’ve got a good one,” Liv said, setting down her fork. “So, when I was about eight, my cousin Cooper convinced me it would be a brilliant idea to sneak into Farmer Johnson’s watermelon patch and liberate a few of his prized melons.”
I leaned forward, already grinning. “I sense this didn’t end well.”
“Understatement of the century.” She laughed, shaking her head. “We were two scrawny kids.”
“No. I could never imagine you scrawny.”
“I was ten, Lewis, and short, without an ounce of muscle on me. Of course I was scrawny.” She waved her hand, brushing my disbelief away. “Anyway, we were struggling to haul these massive watermelons back over the fence. Cooper boosts me up and I’m halfway over, one leg on either side, watermelon clutched to my chest, when who should come stomping out of the barn but Farmer Johnson himself, shotgun in hand.”
I barked out a laugh. “Oh no!”
“Oh yes! I was so startled, I lost my grip on that damn watermelon. Dropped it right on Cooper’s head.” She mimed the motion, her eyes wide. “Knocked him out cold. Meanwhile, I’m stuck straddling this fence, certain I’m about to meet my maker at the hands of a watermelon-crazed farmer.”
I was laughing in earnest now.
“Farmer Johnson hauled Cooper up by his overalls, tossed him over the fence, then plucked me off like a misbehaving kitten and set me on my feet.” She grinned ruefully. “Made us spend the next week mucking out his stables as penance.”
“I bet that cured you of any future watermelon heists.”
“Oh, absolutely. To this day, I can’t look at a watermelon without getting a phantom twinge in my thighs.”
We laughed. The sound echoed in the small space, blending seamlessly with the soft strains of violin music. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d laughed this much, or felt this light. I wanted to bottle this moment.
“Alright, rock star, your turn,” she said, pointing her fork at me. “Spill. What kind of mischief did young Lewis get up to in Wales?”
I thought for a moment, casting my mind back to my childhood in the South Wales Valleys. “I was thirteen, obsessed with music, and desperate to see my favourite band live. Problem was, the venue has a strict fourteen and up policy.”
Liv’s eyes sparkled with interest. “What did you do?”
I grinned, the memory playing out vividly in my mind. “It honestly wasn’t that brilliant or original an idea, but the lot of us, Alex, Tom, Andy, and Lily hatched this plan.” I shook my head, smiling ruefully. “We’d sneak in through the back, blend in with the crowd, and pray no one asked for ID.”
“How’d you manage to get past security?”
“Well, that’s the thing. We didn’t.” I chuckled, shaking my head. “We made it as far as the backstage door before this burly bouncer stopped us.”
“Oh no! What happened?”
“Alex happened.” Even at thirteen the fucker knew how to lie through his teeth and make it believable. “He tried to convince the bouncer that we were on some backstage VIP list.”
Liv bit her lip, her eyes shining with amusement. “Did he buy it?”
I shook my head. “He crossed his arms and stared us down, waiting for the truth.”
She leaned in, fully engrossed. “And then?”
“And then,” I said, drawing out the suspense, “Lily started belting out the band’s hit song, right there in the alley without a care in the world.”
She clapped a hand over her mouth, stifling a giggle. “She didn’t!”
“If I’d done it, I would have sounded like a drunken karaoke champion, but Lily…” I shook my head.
“Please tell me this story has a happy ending.”
“’Course it does.” I picked up my wine glass and took a drink, delaying the suspense.
“Stop stalling and put me out of my misery.”
“Alright, alright.” I chuckled and put the glass down. “Lucky for us, the lead guitarist was having a pre-show fag break in the alley and heard the whole thing. In the end we weren’t lying at all.” I bit my lip as her mouth dropped open. “He put us on the VIP list and shepherded us into the green room with a look of absolute shock still on his face.”
“Then what?” she asked, her voice hushed.
“They landed us our first support tour.”
Liv’s eyes widened, her mouth forming a perfect ‘O’ of surprise. “No way! That’s incredible, Lewis. What a stroke of luck.”
I chuckled, running my thumb over her knuckles. “Luck, fate, whatever you want to call it. That night changed everything for us. Set us on the path to where we are now.”
She smiled, squeezing my hand. “It’s amazing how one moment can alter the course of your whole life. Make your wildest dreams come true.”
“Tell me about it.” I shook my head, marvelling at the twists and turns that had led me here, to this table, to her. “Though I have a feeling my wildest dreams are just getting started.”
A pretty blush stained her cheeks and she ducked her head, a smile playing about her lips. “Smooth talker.”
We fell into a comfortable silence, savouring the last bites of our meal. As I watched her, a thought occurred to me.
“Did you mean what you said last night?”
She glanced up, her fork poised halfway to her mouth. “Which part?”
“That this tour is going to be your first time playing outside the US?”
She nodded, setting her fork down. “Yeah, it’s kind of surreal. I mean, I’ve barely been out of the South, let alone the country.” A nervous laugh escaped her. “I had to get my first passport for this gig.”
I grinned, excitement bubbling up inside me. “Well you’re doing it with the right guy. I’ll show you all the best spots.”
Her eyes softened, warmth radiating from their green depths. “I’d like that.”
I held her gaze, a frisson of excitement and possibility thrumming between us. This woman was something special.
I was already falling for Liv Monroe.
And I was pretty damn sure there’d be no coming back from it.