Beauty from Surrender (Beauty 2)

I can't resist. "There's definitely been some hard riding and I must say that you were pretty wet each time."

"Not funny. The guys are going to take one look at me and know exactly what I've been up to."

I'm perfectly fine with them knowing. "I sure hope so. At least that Charlie bloke will back off."

"Charlie knows how much I love you and he's glad to see me happy—even if that means there can never be anything between us. He's that kind of guy, so please, don't give him a hard time. He's not like Ben at all."

"Don't worry. I'm not going to embarrass you by going all Neanderthal." Maybe. It might not involve me beating on my chest or dragging Laurelyn around by her hair, but I will stake my claim on my girl so there's no misunderstanding.

"Thank you."

She takes another look at herself in the mirror and attempts to smooth her hair. "Oh, hell. It's a good thing we're here earlier than expected because I'm going to have to start from scratch."

"Baby, you look beautiful."

"This makes you happy, doesn't it? You like having me look a mess with all of my makeup rubbed off by your scruff and my hair looking like I've been rolling around in the back seat."

I playfully push her down onto the seat and lie on top of her. We're eye to eye when I tell her, "You're damn right. I want them to know I f**ked you all the way here and that my spunk is still inside you so they won't even think about trying to sniff around you." I reach under her skirt to rub my hand between her legs. I feel the wet spot where my load has leaked out onto her undies. "Do you remember what I told you about this part of your body?"

"Yes."

"Say it." I want to hear the proof that she hasn't forgotten.

"No one else touches me there."

I love hearing her say that. "And why can no one else touch you like this?"

"Because I'm yours and no one else's." I covet those words from her.

I push her knickers to the side and slip my finger inside her. "Which makes this mine."

She rolls her eyes, smiling, and that tells me that she likes the possessive nature I feel for her. "You can be downright crude sometimes."

"But you love every dirty thing I do or say."

She huffs dramatically. "Yeah, I do. So there…I admit it. Happy now?"

She has no idea. "Yes. Very."

"Good. Now, let me up because I have to go get ready for the show."

I give her a peck on the mouth. "Yes, ma'am."

This venue is different from the auditorium Laurelyn and her band played last night. It looks like an old theatre, the seating a horseshoe shape and an open floor for standing room only directly in front of the stage. The crowd on the floor is growing fast, so I choose a seat on the first riser closest to the stage so I'll be able to see the show without fighting the crowd.

It's time for the show to begin and I'm amazed by the congestion of people who've gathered to hear Southern Ophelia. These people are waiting to hear my girl sing, and it dawns on me just how fast she's risen to the top. She isn't becoming a star; she already is one.

I'm not sure where that leaves me in her life. I'm certain it must've been much easier to love me and toy with the idea of staying in Australia when she had nothing waiting on her at home, but that's not the case now. She has all of this—a band with people depending on her and a career with fans.

I watch the floor crowd as Laurelyn and her band members perform, and something becomes very clear to me: this is still only a small portion of the stardom in her future, and it scares the hell out of me. I'm terrified she'll love the glitz and glamour of this life and ultimately choose it over me. I want Laurelyn to have every bit of success she deserves because I love her, but not at the expense of our life together. That's why I must use the next month to show her why she should choose us over this life. If that makes me a selfish bastard, then it just does. I can live with that as long as she's with me and not nine thousand miles away.

It looks like Charlie has backed off Laurelyn tonight. He isn't eye-fucking her as they sing, so I guess he got the message. I can't knock the guy for trying, though. She is one hell of a catch.

When they finish playing what I think is the last song, the blokes leave the stage and Laurelyn takes a seat on a stool under the spotlight. She winks in my direction as she strums some chords on her Martin and leans toward the microphone. "I wrote this next song during an extremely dark time in my life. I had just parted ways with the man I loved and thought we'd never see each other again. It's about the things I'd say to him if he ever came back to me. Well, he finally did, and this song is for him. It's called 'Loved by You.'"

We were complete strangers

Brought together by fate's hand.

You were a powerful tide

Rushing over me in the sand.

You pulled me into you

From the safety of the shore

And what I thought I wanted

Became so much more.

Now I just want to be wanted by you.

And I just want to be needed by you.

My heart just pleads to be loved by you.

In the roughest of waters

I happily drowned in you

And in the calm of the storm

My love for you grew.

But now you're choosing

To let me go

And it grows harder every day

To not let the pain show.

'Cause I just want to be wanted by you.

And I just want to be needed by you.

My heart just pleads to be loved by you.

My heart is slowly

Counting down the days

Each one bringing us closer

To our parting ways.

And I worry about

How I'll move on

When you're the reason

Behind my every song.

'Cause I just want to be wanted by you.

And I just want to be needed by you.

My heart just pleads to be loved by you.

Laurelyn finishes and mouths, "I love you," before she kisses her fingers and holds her hand out in my direction. It's completely juvenile but it doesn't stop me from reaching out as if to catch her kiss and bring it to my lips. I look like a pu**y, but what can I say? Love makes you do silly things and catching an air kiss would definitely fall under that category.

"Dude, did she just blow that kiss to you?"

I've sat by this guy the entire show without even looking at him until now. "Yeah, she did. And now I'm going to go get a real one."

I see the surprise in his eyes and it reinforces for me the huge star they see when they look at Laurelyn. "Wow. The singer for Southern Ophelia is your girlfriend? That must rock."

Girlfriend doesn't feel like the right word for what she is to me. "She's much more than my girlfriend."