everywhere. “I need to pack, but I’ll get supper goin’.”
Right after he entered the kitchen, he heard the shower kick on.
Devin seasoned the steaks, dumped frozen hash browns in the fry pan and took the bag of corn from the freezer. Good thing they were leaving tomorrow since they were almost out of food. He didn’t keep staples stocked—no reason to tempt vagrants or bears.
Liberty’s cocoa and vanilla scent wafted to him a few seconds before her arms circled his waist. “Steak twice in three days? You spoil me.”
“I’m happy you’re a meat lover.”
“What can I do to help?”
“Get out the plates. The broiler is on, so we’ll eat in about ten minutes.”
They dined inside rather than fighting the bugs outdoors.
“As usual, the meal is delicious,” she said, grabbing the last slice of toasted bread.
“In two days we’re back to meals grabbed on the run and bein’ at the mercy of the catering company.”
“Don’t remind me. So what’s on the agenda tonight? You’ve been wearing that secret smirk all day.”
He sliced off a chunk of meat and ate it before he answered. “It’s a surprise.”
Her eyes lit up. “Are you taking me to see a real, live bear?”
“Sweetheart, you don’t want to purposely cross paths with a bear. Trust me on this. They’re either destructive or grumpy or fiercely protecting their cubs.”
“Have you seen one around here?”
“Yep.”
“Where?” she demanded. “And when?”
“Last fall, down by that stream we crossed. It was scary as hell. I was maybe fifty feet from it. I looked at it; it looked at me. I froze, and it lumbered off. Luckily, I’ve never had a bear come close to the cabin when I’ve been here, and that’s why we’ll take every scrap of garbage with us when we leave.”
After they finished eating, Liberty said, “I’ll clean up the kitchen and get everything ready to go for tomorrow.”
“Thanks. I’ve still gotta pack and lock up all the guns.”
“The trapdoor under the bed is a clever idea. Even if someone broke in, they probably wouldn’t find them.” She frowned. “God, I can’t believe I left my guns on the bus. I must’ve been more sleep deprived than I thought. I should’ve stuck around Houston—”
“Hey. Stop. We’ve gone over this. Reg is a responsible guy. He didn’t have a problem with guns on board while he’s drivin’ the bus across the country.”
“I should’ve left him my cell number.”
“No service up here, remember? We’ll be in Portland the day after tomorrow, and you can check them yourself.” Devin dropped a quick kiss on her lips. “I’ve got an extra jacket you can wear tonight.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Last time you sprung a surprise on me, you told me to wear flip-flops. This time you’re telling me to wear a coat?”
“Yep.” He kissed her again. “I like to keep you guessing.”
Fifteen minutes later, they’d climbed into his rag-top Jeep and were tooling down a gravel road.
“Curiosity is killing me. Where are we going?”
“To Flathead Lake. For a romantic boat ride.”
Even in the darkness, Devin felt her probing gaze.
After a bit, she said, “You sure that’s the best idea? Zipping across a glacial lake, this late at night, with no moon?”
That’s exactly why he wanted to do it. “It’ll be fine, sweetheart.” He plucked up her hand and kissed her knuckles. “I trust you to protect me. Will you believe I’d never put you in harm’s way if I wasn’t absolutely sure it was safe?”
“When you put it like that . . .”
The parking lot was empty. Only about a dozen boats were moored at this humble dock space. Devin shouldered the duffel he’d brought along and lit the ground in front of them with his big flashlight.
Liberty stuck close to his side. “Is this your boat?”
“Nope. It belongs to Moe, the guy who keeps an eye on my place throughout the year.”
“But you have driven this boat before?”
“It can’t be that hard to figure out.” He stopped at the edge of the dock. “We’ll get on board just as soon as I remember which boat it is.” He pointed. “Eeny, meeny, miny—”
“Devin!”
He laughed. “Kiddin’. Yes, I’ve driven this boat quite a few times. Bran would come up here with me and fish—before he got saddled with a wife and kids.”
“Funny.”
“Follow me.” He paused and faced her. “You have been on a floating dock before, right?”
He swore he heard her roll her eyes.
Moe’s boat wasn’t fancy. Just the basic inboard family-type watercraft, with a platform in the back with seating and a fishing chair up at the bow.
After he untied the front, he said, “Hop in.”
Devin fished the keys out of the tackle box and started the motor. Then he unhooked the side clip holding the boat to the dock and stood while he backed the boat out. He looked over at Liberty huddled behind the glass partition on the passenger’s side, noticing she’d zipped up her coat to her chin. “Ready?”
She nodded.
He eased into a decent cruising speed. In this section of the lake, they were safe from rock formations rising up out of the water. Because the lake was 197 square miles, they didn’t have to go far to reach an open area.
They skimmed along the surface, which was as smooth as black glass. Off in the distance, he saw bobbing lights, but he couldn’t tell if they were on the water or the shoreline. Once they’d cleared the cove and were in the main body of the lake, he cut the engine.
The immediate silence was unbroken for several long moments as they both adjusted to the sensory deprivation.
He held out his hand. “Let’s get comfy.”
She threaded her fingers through his and rose to her feet. “You didn’t bring me out here to scare the crap out of me with ghost stories?”
He chuckled. “So suspicious.” Scooting the duffel bag within in reach, he stretched out in the corner before he settled her between his legs with the top of her head nestled against his neck. “Now we can both look up at the sky.”
“I know it sounds stupid, but it’s really dark out here tonight.”
“The other side of the lake is more developed, so there’s some light pollution. The stars don’t stand out nearly as much over there.”
“Is that what that glow is on the horizon?”
Devin smiled. “No. But keep watching.”
The size of the glow increased. A few golden flares zipped across the inky sky. Then columns of rosy pink distorted the darkness.
“Devin? Is this why you brought me out here?”
“Mmm-hmm.”
“Is it some kind of fireworks show?”
“Nature’s fireworks. That is the aurora borealis.”
“Really? But . . . I thought you had to be in Alaska to see it.”
“Not this time of year. Tomorrow night is supposed to be the best night for viewing, but I hoped we’d get to see a little bit of it tonight.”
They watched in silence as the colors morphed from gold to pink. Every once in a while a whirling flash of purple jetted across the gold, creating a ripple effect. The movement of light was such that it appeared the sky breathed in color.
“That’s gorgeous,” she said after a particularly vivid flare-up.
“It’s something, all right.”
“I take it you’ve seen this spectacle up here before?”
“Nope. I guess March and September are the best months to witness the northern lights this far south, but I’m never around then.”
“So you must’ve always wanted to see them if you’ve kept track of the best time of year to view them.”
“I’d completely forgotten about it until I mentioned to my sister that I’d be up at the cabin for a few days and she told me to be on the lookout for it.”
Liberty turned her head and looked at him. “When did you talk to your sister?”
Devin fought the urge to squirm. “The morning I helped Bran, right before I came to the house to get cleaned up for lunch. I called her to let her know I was in the area but I was headed up to the cabin and wouldn’t have a chance to stop and see her.”
She smiled and kissed his chin. “I’m glad you called her.”
He was too. But he didn’t tell her that if she hadn’t nagged him, he wouldn’t have done it. Seeing the love and bond between Liberty and Harper had given him a pang of regret he didn’t have that kind of connection with Renee. He wasn’t sure if Renee was open to making a change to how they dealt with each other, but for the first time in a long time, he was willing to try.
“You really planned on coming to the cabin by yourself?”
“Probably sounds strange that I vacation alone.”
“It sounds lonely.”
He kissed the top of her head and whispered, “It used to be. But I almost don’t know what lonely feels like anymore.”
When she remained quiet, he wondered if she’d heard him. Then she seemed to sink more deeply into him and murmured, “Me neither.”
Mother Nature wowed them for the next hour, until even a blanket couldn’t keep the cold from seeping into their bones.
After docking the boat, they hustled to the Jeep, their mood somber, as if they’d both realized their time away from the real world would end in a few hours.
Once they were back inside the cabin, Liberty took the lead in the bedroom. Given her public role in his life, she understood and accepted Devin’s need to call the shots when her gun came off and they were alone.
So he loved these moments when she surprised him. Overwhelmed him. She undressed him slowly, taking her time to warm his chilled skin with hot kisses and the sensuous glide of her body against his. Her heated words of praise about how much she loved touching him fired him up as much as the sensation of her wet mouth sucking his cock.
She held him on the ragged edge. Dragging her hair across his sensitized skin. Playing with his nipples. Tracing the checkered pattern of his abs with her tongue. Nipping his neck. Twisting her fingers in his hair as she kissed him with the sweetness he craved and the passion he couldn’t live without.
Devin was nearly begging by the time she slipped his aching cock inside her slick center. And he nearly went comatose after she sent him soaring into bliss.
They remained entwined in the aftermath, stealing kisses and extending tender touches, the type of touches that always led to more. But exhaustion set in.
Liberty double-checked the alarm on her phone before she bestowed one last drugging kiss on him. “Morning is gonna come awful early.”
“You can sleep in the car.” He kissed the sweet spot below her ear. “I’ll drive the first leg tomorrow.”
“Not a chance you’re driving my car.”
Chapter Twenty-seven
After taking a private plane to Jacksonville, Liberty could see why celebrities traveled that way. In Denver, they were the last two passengers to board the first-class section of their commercial flight. It helped Devin keep a low profile not to have an entire planeful of people filing past him. But it seemed no matter where they went, that aura of “I’m somebody famous” clung to him, even when he tried to disguise it.
Because face it—Devin McClain is a head-turning man. He’d get attention even if he weren’t a singing sensation.
“You okay?”
She looked at him. “Yeah. Why?”
“You seem tense.” Devin took her hand and brought it to his lips, placing a soft kiss on her knuckles. “Which is a cryin’ shame. I tried my damndest to relax you last night.”
“You did.” She’d been reluctant to bring Devin to her apartment, especially after staying at his not so rustic Montana cabin. But he’d just slipped into her space like he’d always belonged there. They’d ordered in from her favorite Thai place. They’d snuggled up on the couch and watched a few episodes of season three of Sons of Anarchy—a show she’d gotten him addicted to on the road. Their evening wasn’t much different from the nights they spent on his bus. She even did two loads of laundry, so the feeling was very domestic. Which Devin didn’t seem to mind.
But when they’d gone to bed, Devin became the sweet, soulful lover. Touching her all over. Kissing her all over and asking for the same type of slow foreplay from her. He didn’t show her his aggressive side, or his kinky side, or his playful side. He revealed his loving side and expected nothing less from her. Because even though neither of them had said it, there was love between them. Whether it was long-lasting love, or a bittersweet fling, she didn’t know. Apparently, neither did he. So it was easier not to put a name on what had grown between them. During their time at the cabin, they hadn’t mentioned what would happen when the tour ended.
“Baby, what’s wrong?”
Liberty leaned across the armrest and kissed him. She rarely showed public affection, and she had the urge to prolong the connection they’d cemented in the last week. The kiss turned into a mini make-out session—not the best way to avoid drawing attention to themselves. But there was no maybe about the fact she needed the familiarity of their intimacy as reassurance as they rejoined the real world. His world.
His hand cupped the side of her face and he drew her closer, following her lead until she ended the kiss. Devin pressed his forehead to hers. “Not that I’m complaining, but what was that for?”
“Just because. I don’t think I’ve ever told you how much I like kissing you.”
He smiled. “You’ve told me in other ways how much you like me kissin’ certain parts of you.” When she didn’t respond, he said, “Liberty?”
“Sorry. It’s selfish, but I don’t want to share you. I like the way it’s been between us during this break. It’s been . . . normal.”
“I liked it too, but that’s not my life. It’s not your life either.” He kissed her temple. “It’s remembering those private, normal moments with you that will get me through the next few weeks.”
“Fair enough.”
“Now, stop them gears from spinning and get a little shut-eye. Gonna be a long-ass day once we hit the ground in Portland, and we didn’t get a whole lot of sleep last night.”
“No way am I sleeping. I never get to fly first class. I’m loading up on free snacks when the flight attendant brings the snack tray by.”
The flight was uneventful except for the woman who’d wandered up from coach and recognized Devin. When Liberty returned from using the bathroom, she found the woman in her seat, practically sitting on Devin’s lap. Rather than toss the chick on her ass, Liberty sicced the flight attendant on her.
They made it through the airport without incident. But Devin was nearly mobbed at baggage claim—evidently the overly friendly chick had blabbed to her fellow passengers about Devin McClain being aboard.
Devin dutifully signed autographs while the chauffeur stowed their luggage. Then—she didn’t care if it was rude—she separated him from his fans and herded him to the Town Car.
When they were inside and leaving the airport, Liberty asked the driver, “How far to the event center?”
“Half an hour. I’m to drop you off at the buses, correct?”
“Correct.” She looked at Devin, but he was already on his phone. She checked her own messages. Made a few notes. Stared out the window when she realized Devin had started a phone interview with a local radio station and wouldn’t be finished until they reached their destination.
Crash opened the car door as soon as they pulled up. “Hey, guys. How was your break?”
“Good. Yours?”
“Fantastic. Took the wife on a five-day cruise.”
Crash was married? How had she missed that? How could he stand to be away from his wife for so long?
Unless that’s what the people in the industry were used to. Maybe it was no different from loved ones gearing up for deplo
yment—except the people on tour weren’t worried about getting shot at.
Except Devin is.
“Liberty?”
Her focus snapped back to Crash. “Sorry. What did you say?”
“Just that there’s a surprise for Devin.” Crash whistled, and a guy using a cane came around the corner of the bus.
Devin said, “I’ll be damned.”
“Who is that?”