Love At The Bluebird Read online

  “I know I don’t have to, but I want to,” Aly says before yawning. I slide my arm down her waist, cup her hip with my hand, and pull her against me.

  “I’ll give you her phone number before I leave. Promise me you won’t be upset if she tells you no?” I ask her softly.

  “I promise.” Her voice is barely a whisper, and I know she’s on the verge of sleep.

  “Sweet dreams, baby.” I kiss her lightly on the lips and listen to her breathing, a sound I realize I want to listen to every night for the rest of my life.

  Chapter Ten

  ALY

  THIS WEEKEND WAS perfect for Gavin to be out of town, because I had to work both Friday and Saturday evenings. Fortunately, my Sunday was free, and thank the Lord it is, because I feel like I got hit by a train, and alcohol wasn’t even involved. My body is rebelling against me for the late nights of work and phone conversations with Gavin. Today has been the first day in a very long time that I slept past ten in the morning, and even then, I’m still exhausted. Normally, my Sundays are reserved for spending time with my family, but both my parents and Valerie are out of town, leaving all day to do whatever I want.

  I roll over in my bed, grab the pillow Gavin slept on, and hug it to my body. I haven’t had the heart to change my sheets since he was here, because his intoxicating scent still lingers on them. I press my nose into the pillow and smile, hoping he was serious when he said sleepovers will be a regular occurrence. It’s crazy he’s only slept over once and the bed feels empty without him.

  How can I miss him so much when I just met him?

  Despite my busy work schedule this weekend, I thought about him constantly. I didn’t have to worry about whether or not he was missing me, because he’s called and texted numerous times proving without words he’s in as deep as me. Even when he’s not around, he still knows how to melt my heart with grandiose gestures. Flowers from him were delivered to my office Friday morning, but the biggest surprise came from what he said during his interview on The Ellen Clarkson Show.

  I warned Gavin when he left my house that morning that I would have to record both of his televised performances, since they were airing during times I was working and I wouldn’t be able to watch them until right before I went to bed. So when my phone started ringing off the hook Friday afternoon, I didn’t think much of it. The first call was from Willow, but I ignored it, because I was at a music video shoot for one of my clients. But when my boss called, I stepped outside to pick up, hoping there weren’t any emergencies.

  “Holy balls, it’s world official!” Shane screamed in excitement into the phone, his voice going a mile a minute. “Are you on cloud nine? Are you happy? Scared? Knowing you, you’re probably freaking out. I’m freaking out for you! Ahhh!”

  “Whoa, slow down, Shane! Or you’ll be banned from any kind of caffeine for the rest of the day,” I told him, feeling like a mom banning candy from her toddler. “I can’t even understand you, you’re talking so fast. What in the world is going on?”

  “Are you serious right now? Do you really not know?” he questioned at first and then started to laugh hysterically. “Oh, this is classic. Where are you right now?”

  “You should know. You’re my boss!” I told him sarcastically, not understanding what in the hell was going on with him.

  “Aly, do you honestly think I can keep up with all my minions? I can’t remember what I even did yesterday, let alone know everyone’s work schedule.”

  I didn’t have a response to that, since he did have a point. “I’m at Skylar Ryan’s music video shoot.”

  “Why didn’t you take a break to go watch Gavin’s interview on The Ellen Clarkson show?”

  “Because I’m going to watch it later tonight.”

  “Does he know that?”

  I roll my eyes. “Yes, I told him I’d record it and watch it when I get home this evening.”

  “Go home right now and watch it,” he demanded, shocking me with this request. “And you’re not allowed to take phone calls from anyone else until you’ve seen it. Even if Gavin is calling you, do not pick up.”

  “Is he okay? Did something happen?” My heart started to pound at the thought of something bad happening to Gavin.

  “Oh, he’s more than okay. Leave now, Aly. Everyone will be fine without you for an hour.”

  “Shane, it’s unprofessional for me to leave in the middle of a shoot. I can just watch it later—”

  “Aly,” he cut me off. “As your boss, I’m telling you to go home. That’s an order!” he said fiercely into the phone. “I don’t care if you skip his whole performance as long as you watch the interview.” Shane giggled like a lunatic, and I was seriously wondering if he was on something other than caffeine.

  “Fine, I’ll leave now and call you when I’m done.”

  “Don’t forget to call me.” He hung up before I could, and I didn’t know what he was on, but my curiosity was peaked.

  Fortunately, my house was close to where the music video shoot was, and it took me no time at all to get back home. I ran inside the house, turned on the TV, and went through my recordings to find the show. I didn’t skip over Gavin’s performance like Shane suggested. I wanted to watch him in his element, and even through the television, I was mesmerized by those green eyes and that deep voice. I fast-forwarded through the commercials and stopped when the show was back on. Gavin looked his normal, hot self, wearing a blue-and-orange plaid button-down shirt that clung to his chest and biceps, dark denim jeans, and black leather high-tops. Ellen was congratulating him on the success of “User” and listed out all the songs he had written for other artists. She genuinely seemed impressed as she read off the titles and artists of the songs, and I can admit I was impressed too.

  “Now, Gavin, I have to ask the burning question the ladies in my audience are dying to know,” Ellen said to him, and the crowd started applauding as if they already knew what she was going to ask. “Is Gavin McNeer single? And if so, where would we find him mingling?”

  Gavin laughed, and my heart felt like it was beating out of my chest from the anticipation of his answer.

  “No, I’m not single. I’m very much taken by a beautiful woman named Alyson.”

  As soon as he said that, I paused the recording and studied his happy expression while my heart seemed to explode in my chest.

  Even two days later, I still can’t believe it. When we talked later that night, he asked if I was upset with him, and of course, I told him no. How could I be upset with him? He just told the whole world we’re dating. If that doesn’t prove he’s committed to us, then I don’t know what else would.

  A marriage proposal would.

  Don’t even go there, brain!

  I shake my head at myself and wonder why I would even think such a silly thought. We just met less than a week ago! I still need to figure out how to navigate my relationship with him. In all honesty, I don’t know how to feel about the news of us being together made public. While it makes me feel amazing to know he wants to be with me, the fact that people want to know all about me just because I’m dating him is scary. Someone even reported my last name to a news source, and my Facebook and Instagram pages blew up with likes and messages. Most have been sweet, but some have been pretty nasty, with people telling me I wasn’t good enough for Gavin, a few even threatening me to stay away from him or else.

  After the last threat I received, I shut down both my accounts, since I don’t really need to have social media anyway. Fans can be crazy, and they are easy to ignore, but the people I work with starting to look at me differently is a little harder to deal with. Before his appearance on television, my co-workers started to ask if Gavin and I were dating, and I was hesitant in answering them, wanting to keep whatever we were starting private for as long as possible. Now, I can’t do that anymore.

  Don’t worry about the unknown, Aly, I tell myself, what’s meant to be, will be. I’m just going to be grateful that such a wonderful man like Gavin is even
interested in me. He’s sneaking his way into my heart and I know I’ll be devastated if he decides I’m not worth his time anymore. Get those thoughts out of your head! Gavin has made it clear he wants to be with me and I want to be with him, so no more hesitations. Time to enjoy every minute I have with him.

  On that note, I get up out of bed and decide a little retail therapy and a movie would do me good. I fix myself some toast with peanut butter on it, brew some coffee, and give Apollo some love before feeding him. Once I’m done with breakfast, I get dressed, and just as I’m about to leave, I remember I was going to call Sosie and invite her out with me. Sosie is important to Gavin, and I really want the two of us to try to become friends. I sit down on my couch, take a deep breath, and dial her number.

  “Hello?” she answers, and even in greeting, she sounds pissed off and annoyed.

  “Hey, Sosie, it’s Aly. How are you?” I ask cheerfully, hoping that maybe if she hears my good mood, she’ll be nice.

  “How did you get my number?” she asks with irritation, not even bothering to answer my question or, out of politeness, ask how I am.

  “I asked Gavin for your number before he left. I was working all weekend but have today free and was hoping we could hang out.”

  “Hang out?” she repeats as if she doesn’t understand what that even means.

  “Yeah, hang out. Want to meet me for a movie? I haven’t been to one in a long time and thought it would be fun if we could go and get to know each other better.”

  “Why would I want to get to know you better?”

  “Well.” Her rudeness stumps me, and I’m momentarily left speechless. I pull myself together and use the skills I have when dealing with artists. “Don’t you think it would be nice to be friends for Gavin’s sake, especially since I’m dating him and we’re going to be seeing a lot more of each other?”

  “I have enough friends, Alyson, so my friendship quota is full. Not to mention, I’m not interested in being your friend. Furthermore, I would like to go on the record and say that if you hurt my cousin, I’ll blacklist you from ever working at any record label ever again.”

  I snort at her threat, knowing full well she doesn’t have that kind of power. What a bitch!

  “If anyone’s going to get hurt from this relationship, it will end up being me,” I respond with a cold voice. “I would never hurt or betray your cousin. I’m not Tori.” Bile rises in my throat at the thought of being compared to that woman. I understand Sosie is just trying to protect Gavin, but she needs to give people a chance before making judgement.

  “Gavin’s never been the type of guy to cheat on anyone. If he wasn’t interested, you’d be gone already.” She sighs in frustration. “You barely know him. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here.”

  “You’re right, Sosie. I barely know him, but from what I’ve seen so far, he’s a damn fine man and I don’t plan on letting him slip away.” I drag in a breath. “So, let’s act like adults and be cordial and respectful to one another. There’s no need to be rude to me. We both have his best interests at heart.”

  “I have his best interests at heart. The verdict is still out on you,” she snaps, and I gasp at her words, anger making me stand up from my couch. “Don’t call me again unless it’s an emergency.” And with that, she hangs up on me.

  I stare at my phone in shock, enraged that she not only spoke to me the way she did, but she also hung up on me. I throw my phone down on the couch and scream out in frustration. Never have I had someone talk to me the way she just did. I start to pace, wondering how I should handle this situation. Should I tell Gavin, so he understands why there will be tension between the two of us?

  No, I shouldn’t. I don’t want to be the cause of his relationship with Sosie to diminish. Family comes first for a lot of people, and in no way would I be the one to put him in a position where he would have to choose between me and her. Sosie seems to be the type who would pressure Gavin to make a choice between us if things got bad, and I’m not one hundred percent confident yet that he would even choose me.

  I decide it isn’t worth telling him right now. All I can do is prove to Sosie that I’m here to stay and want Gavin for the right reasons.

  Chapter Eleven

  GAVIN

  I LOOK OUT the window of the plane in eagerness, the landscape of western Tennessee twenty thousand feet below, indicating we’re almost home. Dawn is approaching, with orange, lavender, and pink starting to light the sky, the promise of a beautiful day imminent. I decided to change my flight home and was able to catch the last seat on the red eye back to Nashville. I’ve barely slept, my excitement at seeing Aly and surprising her keeping me awake.

  With so much adrenaline coursing through me, I was able to work on Patty’s song and start writing another one for myself, with Aly as my muse. I haven’t shared with her yet that she’s been my inspiration while writing my next album. I’m waiting until one of the songs is fully mastered and then I’ll surprise her with it. Hopefully, she’ll love it.

  I sit back and reflect on how amazing my trip to Los Angeles was. All our performances went without a hitch, and I made some new contacts that can only help me in the future. It was a successful trip out west, and hopefully I can bring Aly with me the next time I go. I look at my watch to see it’s 5:30 in the morning. I purposely kept my calendar open for today, and we should land with just enough time for me to take her out to breakfast.

  Our descent into Nashville goes quickly, and within thirty minutes, we land smoothly. Sitting up in first class provides me the opportunity to get off the plane within minutes of arriving at the gate. I walk hastily through the airport, down to baggage claim, where I wait for my luggage and guitar. Once those are retrieved, I grab an Uber and head to Aly’s house.

  Traffic is still relatively light at this time in the morning, so we arrive at her house much earlier than I anticipated. As soon as the Uber leaves, I question if she’s even up yet for work. In my haste to see her, I didn’t think things through. Now I wonder if I should call another Uber to come get me and take me home. I can drop off my stuff and then drive back here to get her.

  Fuck that! I want to see her, and if that means waking her up, then so be it.

  I walk up to her door and press the doorbell, making sure I’m in the camera’s line of sight so she can see it’s me. Thirty seconds go by, and I start to think she might still be sleeping, when the door is pulled open and she stands there in front of me, her eyes wide in surprise.

  “You’re here,” she whispers, but I can’t seem to form any words as my eyes drink in her wet hair plastered to her head, a long, white fluffy robe tied tightly around her body, and her cute bare feet with light-pink-painted toenails peeking out from the bottom. Aly was in the shower, meaning she’s gloriously naked underneath that robe.

  Fuck me.

  I don’t think, just react. I barge right into her house, forcing her to take a couple steps back, drop my belongings, and grab her. She reaches up for me at the same time and fuses our lips together, her hunger for me just as strong as mine is for her. We both moan out loud every time our tongues touch, relishing in the pleasure of being back in each other’s arms. Our kisses are raw and sensual but with a hint of desperation, as we’re both searching for more.

  “Goddamn, I missed you,” I growl before capturing her mouth and plunging my tongue between her lips. I kick the door shut so no one can see us and lift her up, her legs automatically going around my waist. She gasps as my hand squeezes her ass and positions her against my raging hard-on. She breaks our kiss and pulls back, staring at me while she catches her breath.

  “How are you here right now? I thought your plane wasn’t supposed to get in until this afternoon.”

  “I took the red eye home. I wanted to surprise you,” I say while my lips make a trail of wet kisses down her neck. I kiss across her sternum, tasting her rose-flavored soap, and I crave to taste more. I’ve never been so turned on by the mere touch of a woman before her.


  “This is the best surprise ever,” she whispers as she pulls my head back up for another scorching kiss.

  I hold onto her and walk us to the nearest bedroom, consumed with the need to taste her. I gently lay her down and stand back to look at her sprawled out before me. The sash to her robe is barely tied, giving me a glimpse of the valley in between her breasts. My hands shake as I reach for the knot and slowly pull on one of the strings. She watches me the whole time, her eyes hooded in desire. Once the knot is undone, I pull back the robe and suck in my breath at the beauty that is her body.

  “My God, you’re exquisite,” I marvel as I plant my knee against the bed, bend down so my right arm is supporting my weight, and reach out with my other hand to caress her left breast. Her flesh fills the palm of my hand perfectly, her nipples and areoles a beautiful shade of blush. I watch, mesmerized as her nipple perks up between my fingers, my mouth salivating to taste it.

  Unable to wait any longer, I lean down and take the delicate bud into my mouth. She arches her back and moans, her fingers threading through my hair and tugging my head closer to her. I continue to flick my tongue over her nipple, enjoying the purr of her moans and the taste of her skin. I kiss my way over to her other breast, making sure it gets equal attention.

  “Do you like me sucking on your tits, baby?” She hesitantly nods. “Are your nipples too sensitive for this?” I graze my teeth lightly against one, her body springing up from the touch.

  “No,” she mewls, her noises driving me fucking insane with desire. Her nails scratch against my scalp, sending shivers down my spine as I continue my assault on her breasts. I feel her rubbing her pussy against my cock, and it takes all my willpower not to grab it out of my jeans and plunge right into her.

  Fuck, I need to be inside her, but I want her in control of when that happens. I don’t want her ever having doubts that she’s just a fling for me. She’s made a permanent mark on my heart and has the power to completely destroy it. Her hold over me in such a short amount of time is more powerful than any other woman I’ve had in my life. I can tell she only wants me for me and not Gavin McNeer, the celebrity. Knowing how much I needed to see her again only confirmed this girl is going to be mine. But until she says she’s ready for me to take her, I’ll give her the next best thing.