Total pages in book: 113
Estimated words: 104820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
Damien laughed. “Life on the road is not nearly as rock-and-roll as you might think, Dad. It’s not the eighties anymore,” he teased.
“Ouch!” Howie exclaimed. “I might be silver-haired, but I’m still pretty with it for an old guy,” he replied in the same teasing tone.
Tessa thought Howie and Betsy were the most youthful set of parents she’d ever met, but she didn’t want to interrupt Damien’s story. He was telling them about the night one of their amps had an electrical issue onstage during the concert.
“That was in Madrid. Or maybe Paris. Rob, our guitarist, just went with it,” Damien said. “Like it was part of the stage show. There were sparks flying in every direction from the amp, and he just went over to it, dropped to his knees, and started riffing and rocking out.”
“Was it dangerous?” Betsy asked, a frown forming on her forehead. Clearly, Tessa noted, it didn’t matter how old your kids were. You still worried about them.
Damien shrugged and speared some melon with his fork. “It was just a minute or so, and then the roadies took the faulty amp away and replaced it with a new one.”
“Well, I love you all too much to enjoy stories like that,” Betsy replied. “I worry about you now just as much as I did when you were newborns.” It was almost exactly word for word what Tessa had been thinking.
“She’s not kidding,” Howie added, reaching for more bacon. “Sometimes she sits bolt upright in bed at night because she’s forgotten to remind one of you kids to renew your car insurance.”
Betsy laughed good-naturedly, and again Tessa saw that this kind of teasing was an expression of love and affection among the Davenports.
Then Betsy said, “That was just once, Howie. And you promised not to tell.”
Howie shot his wife a loving look and a wink.
Tessa bit into her omelet thoughtfully. There was so much love here in the Davenport family home, so much care. Little wonder Arch had been so considerate with her on their date. And why, even when he was doing wickedly sexy things with her in bed, she had still felt so safe with him.
This was the real world he’d grown up in—not Hollywood. She could see that now. So why was it that he’d never been in a relationship for more than a year?
Before she’d even met him, because he was her super secret star crush, she’d followed his relationship status in the press like every other woman who had a crush on him. He’d had a string of beautiful girlfriends, of course. And been linked to countless models and actresses he’d probably never even met in real life, but who were the perfect clickbait to get you to a Web page full of ads for washing machines or tennis shoes.
But as far as Tessa knew, no woman had been around for more than a year. Having spent so much time with him, she couldn’t understand why. Arch was absolutely everything a woman could desire in a man—hot, thoughtful, hardworking, sensitive, and fun. Not to mention absolutely sensational in bed. So what gave?
All she could think was that it was Arch who didn’t want to commit, that he was the one who left those relationships with women who were a million times hotter and more successful than Tessa.
So what chance did that give her?
The silent answer to that question—zero—made her tremble inside. She was already so attached to him, so caught up in passionate and tender feelings that she couldn’t deny any longer.
Tessa had never given herself to a man lightly. If she slept with a man, it meant something.
What’s more, she loved being here with his family. Listening to their easy chatter and feeling so welcome made her heart feel full to bursting. But once he tired of her, she wouldn’t only lose Arch, she’d lose his family too.
Arch turned to whisper in her ear. “You okay?”
She must have gone quiet—and her smile must have faded without her realizing it. His face was full of genuine concern, and despite her doubts, it made her melt.
“Of course,” she whispered back and gave him a smile. But it was a slightly careful smile, because even the thought of not being with Arch and his family made the whole situation feel even bigger than it already was.
When she looked around, she saw that Betsy had caught the moment between the two of them, and she mentally kicked herself. So much for keeping up professional appearances. She wouldn’t believe for a second that Betsy couldn’t see the deep connection she and Arch had formed. Heck, for all Tessa knew, his mother was already feeling sorry for her, simply because Arch didn’t do long term with anyone. No matter how beautiful and successful that woman was. And especially if that woman was just a caregiver who dabbled in painting.