Big time.
I had one shot to get him back. And, if I was going to put the few remaining pieces of my heart on the line for this man, I wanted to do it right. I figured calming my nerves so I didn’t throw up on him approximately ten minutes before he entertained thousands wasn’t a bad idea. So I tucked tail, headed to a bar in the VIP section, and tried to get my head together.
Carter retrieved me just before Henry went on. I hid in the shadows at the side of the stage to watch, and just like the first time I’d seen him perform, he captivated me completely. I feared at one point that he’d seen me, but when he breezed past me as he exited, I knew my secret was safe. I also knew that I didn’t want to waste another minute without him as a permanent fixture in my life.
Pride be damned, Henry was mine.
I knew it.
He knew it.
And, as he pushed to his feet with surprise covering every plane of his handsome face, the entire world would learn it too.
“What are you doing here?” he gasped, slinging his eyes from me to Carter, who was furiously striding toward us. “And what the fucking hell are you doing?” he snapped in his direction.
I glanced around the large venue at the numerous cameramen lining the gating to the VIP area—all cameras poised and aimed directly at us.
Clutching his hand, I gave him a tug. “Let’s take this somewhere else.”
His eyes bulged and he snatched his hand away. “Don’t touch me.”
My head snapped back at the rejection. I’d expected surprise, but the anxiety growing in his eyes pained me. I shifted in front of him in order to get a better read on the situation—and to prevent him from running again.
“Stop,” I urged.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” he barked, but it was aimed over my shoulder.
“Not here,” Carter growled under his breath as he marched past us like a man on a mission.
Robin’s tiny body sidled between us. “Cookie, stop. Everyone’s watching.”
And, upon further review, she wasn’t wrong. Our little reunion was currently being projected on the huge screens at either side of the stage.
Well, that is until Carter reached the man with the video camera and snatched it from his hands—along with the press credentials hanging around his neck. Levee’s head of security, Linc, joined him just in time to escort the guy from the building.
Okay. So. Not the best start to getting my man back.
Let’s try this again.
Stepping around Robin, I looped an arm around his hips and pulled his side to my front. “Let’s go somewhere and talk,” I ordered, touching my lips to his temple.
His face turned red, and I feared his head would explode as he scrambled away.
“Have you lost your mind?” he hissed, straightening his shirt and glancing around the arena. “Do you want the entire fucking world to see you kissing me? Christ, Evan.” He jutted his chin toward the row of cameras.
My dejection quickly morphed into what could only be described as elation as he scanned the crowd to see if anyone was watching.
They were.
But he was protecting me.
And, if that didn’t heal the scars covering my heart, nothing ever would.
Staring at that gorgeous man, I felt myself become whole again.
I dropped my voice and said, “I see your point.” And then, without a single second of hesitation, I palmed each side of his face and planted a deep, life-altering kiss to his lips.
Keeping my eyes open, I watched his flare wide before he lost the battle with my mouth and they fluttered shut. A second later, his body melted into mine and his lips parted in an invitation I eagerly accepted. Our tongues tangled indecently, and I slid a hand up the back of his neck and into his hair, using it to hold him to my mouth.
His hands traveled up my lats, sliding under my arms until he was gripping the back of my shoulders impossibly tight.
I was vaguely aware of the wolf whistles and cheers in the backgrounds, but I couldn’t have cared less. It was Henry. Nothing else mattered.
“Ehm…” Levee cleared her throat. “You two should probably take this back to—”
I peeked open an eye to see why she’d stopped so abruptly when I saw Henry’s hand palming her face and gently pushing her away, all the while drawing me closer.
Chuckling, I broke the kiss. “She’s right.”
“No. She’d definitely wrong.” He groaned, reluctantly releasing me to scowl at her.
She smiled smugly and tossed me a wink.
My chuckle transformed into a full-blown belly laugh, which earned me a scowl as well.