Find Her

That truth was confirmed twofold when Johnny’s appeared above her, his impossibly gorgeous face outlined by the moon and stars. His lips kicked up at one end. “So much for you bringing back the silence.” He squinted an eye. “My ears are going to be ringing for a week.”

Hope waited for embarrassment to land, but it never did.

Only joy. The breathless kind.

“See…” she whispered, feeling loose limbed and glorious. “That’s kind of your fault.”

“True.” He gave her a one-sided grin, but his eyes were serious. Watchful. “I’ll happily take the blame if you spend the night with me.”

She reached up and threaded her fingers through his hair, her breath catching at the unnamable emotion that crossed his face. “I can’t imagine being anywhere else.”

Chapter Four

Johnny was tempted to believe tonight was a dream.

Once while touring in London, the members of Citizen had been invited to a party at Mick Jagger’s house and Johnny had gotten stuck in a conversation with a shit-faced Keith Richards who’d rambled for hours about the muse of rock and roll. Every once in a blue moon, he’d explained while blowing cigarette smoke into the air, one lucky son of a bitch is blessed by a visit from the muse and she fills his head with new songs.

Watching the moonbeam-haired angel-goddess circle his hotel suite shyly, Johnny had a hard time totally discounting the possibility that Hope was the mythical creature Richards had spoken about. Her name might be evidence alone. Every moment with her was an experience and she made him want to go out and experience more. See and do and breathe.

This girl. She made him want to go out and live again.

With her.

She’d reminded him tonight of what was out there. How to find inspiration in the simple or unexpected. He used to be able to do that, but his reason for loving music had gotten swallowed up by the overwhelming racket of fame.

With Hope, he could hear himself think again.

Being around her made him excited. Made his blood pump. Reminded him to be grateful. So she better not be the fucking muse of rock and roll, because the muse tended to vanish when their mission was complete. And he wasn’t letting her go.

Johnny tossed his hotel room key on the modern, mirrored bedside table and followed Hope into the living room space, the plush carpet sinking with each step. Compared to the hotels where he usually stayed, this one was a six out of ten on the luxurious scale, but Hope tiptoed through the place like it was a palace, her eyes wide as silver dollars as she looked out the floor-to-ceiling windows that showcased a snaking river, trees, the moon and stars.

I’m going to show her everything. Everywhere.

Something told him she’d never get bored. Not this girl who found renewed pleasure sitting beneath the same tree in the same field, day after day.

Johnny’s heart beat faster as he followed Hope out onto the balcony, his breath stuttering at the sight of her standing at the railing. Her white-blonde hair was being tossed around by the wind, her eyes were closed in enjoyment, the moon bathing her skin. Jesus. She looked like such an angel, he almost felt guilty for wanting to fuck her so hard, but there was nothing he could do about his body’s reaction to her. It recognized her as the final woman he ever wanted to get naked with and his cock was heavy with that knowledge.

Mine. Mine.

He ran his tongue along the inside of his lower lip and caught the faint taste of her pussy, savoring it, because he still didn’t think Hope was ready to go further. He needed to go slow. Not just physically, either. They’d met each other a matter of hours ago, and while he might be ready to promise her everything—and mean it—he didn’t want to overwhelm Hope into running away again. He didn’t think his heart or his sanity could take it.

The only problem was, Citizen left town tomorrow morning.

Not an ideal schedule when a man needed to be patient.

Johnny tipped his head back and blew a breath out in the direction of the stars. After a moment of attempting to make a game plan and failing, he dropped his chin to find Hope leaning her side against the railing, watching him with a curious tilt to her head. “What are you thinking about?” she asked.

A puff of laughter snuck out. “Not sure you want to know.”

“Of course I do.”

He closed the distance between them and cupped the soft skin of her cheek, the goodness shining from within her giving Johnny no choice but to be honest. Mostly. “I’m thinking, tomorrow is going to come way too soon.”

“I was thinking the same thing.”

“Yeah?”

She pressed her face firmly into his hand and nodded.