“Did you like it?” he asked when he finished.
She forced a smile. “I think you’ve got another hit on your hands.”
He slapped his leg and grinned. “I’m telling you, you’re my muse, babe. I haven’t written a new song in a year, and now they’re just coming to me faster than I can get them down. Every morning I wake up with a new one in my head.”
“I think it’s time you found a new muse,” she said gently.
He glanced at her. “No, babe. It’s you. You’re my good luck charm.”
“So you’re just going to hang around Clover Park writing new songs?”
“I have to go back to L.A. on Saturday. I mean, really have to. We’ve got a sold-out concert. I can’t disappoint the fans.”
“No, you certainly can’t.”
“But then I’ll come back.”
“No, Griff, don’t. I don’t know how to explain it any more clearly to you. I love Dave.”
He heaved a sigh and drummed his fingers on the seat. Finally, he said, “I hope we can still be friends.”
Relief surged through her. He got the message. “Okay, friends.”
“Good.”
After Griff dropped her off at home, Steph drove straight to Dave’s place. As soon as he answered the door, she threw herself in his arms. He was stiff and not exactly hugging her back.
She pulled back. “I tried calling you, but it went to voicemail.”
His jaw clenched. “I know.”
“What happened? How come you didn’t call me back?”
“Because I saw your picture with Griffin”—his voice rose to a roar—“and you looked pretty damn comfortable! Smiling! Touching! What am I supposed to think? What am I to you?”
“What picture?”
He pulled out his cell and showed her.
“Oh. I didn’t know someone took a picture.” It was probably the limo driver. Griff had said she was part of the machine. Now that she thought about it, Griff had seemed to be posing when he just stood there smiling at her. She put her hand on Dave’s tense arm. “It was nothing. He said something funny about Yoo-hoo.”
“There’s nothing funny about Yoo-hoo,” Dave spit out. “It’s a delicious drink.”
She bit back a smile. “I think the limo driver was trying to get a picture of us. Griff’s using me for publicity. You know, the secret wife. I saw the limo driver at Horizon Village, hiding behind a tree. I bet she got some pictures of us with Joey.”
He crushed her to him and kissed her. “I don’t like this crazy business. Not one part of it.”
“Me either.”
He kissed her again. “Stay here until Griffin leaves.” He kissed her for a very long time, and Steph finally felt like all was right in her world again.
She blinked slowly. “I have to go home for Loki.”
“We’ll stay at your place, then.” He kissed her quick. “Let me pack a bag.”
And, just like that, Dave moved in with her.
Chapter Nine
Dave spent the week acting like a total beast. The first night he was fine. Sure, he made love to Steph in an overbearing, possessive-freak way, but if her satisfied smile afterward was any indication, she was okay with that. But the second night, he saw a black sedan with tinted windows sitting outside her place, which triggered every protective instinct he had. There was no way he was letting Steph become a victim, stalked by the press, rumors and gossip ruining her good name.
He approached the car, intent on exercising Steph’s right to privacy to Mandy, the celebrity gossip reporter Steph had told him about, but it wasn’t a woman. It was Griffin. That man brought out the worst in Dave.
“What are you doing here?” Dave demanded.
“Nothing, man. Get lost.”
“I will not get lost! You get out of here. Steph doesn’t want to see you.”
“Calm the fuck down. I’m not bothering anybody. I’m just writing music.” He held up a small recorder and notepad.
“You’re bothering me. Go write music somewhere else.”
“Fuck you.”
“Fuck you! I’m calling the cops. We’re getting a restraining order.”