Unforgivable

world.”

“She definitely did that because last night was the first time I’ve made love,” he breathed out the words with a sound of pure amazement in his voice.

Whoa-that hit me square in the chest. “But-but-it couldn’t have been.” I must have really missed something in what he’d just said because I knew last night wasn’t his first time.

His smile grew broader, “We’ve been having sex, Leese, but last night she was on a whole different playing field. She wasn’t like ‘do me now, I want it.’ She was vulnerable and timid. She let me hold her instead of crawling all over me. I don’t even know if I can describe it.” He sounded like he was struggling. “I finally got to really make love to her and it was beautiful and peaceful and sexy and… You’re going to have to forgive me for saying it this way, but it was how I’ve assumed all along it would be like to have you.”

I couldn’t stop the tears, although I was grabbing a tissue and trying to catch them before they ruined my makeup.

He looked over at me with an alarmed expression, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have.”

“No, no, it’s not that. You don’t have any idea how happy I am for you-both of you. This is all I’ve wanted for so long was for you to be really, really happy. This is what you’ve deserved all along.”

“So you’re not like freaked out about me telling you this?”

“You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for us to have this conversation,” I said as I kept catching the downpour.

We pulled up to the hanger and he leaned over and wrapped me in his strong arms and kissed me gently on the temple, “I love you, Leese-someday you’re going to be happy again because God knows you deserve to feel this way, too.”

The rest of the trip to L.A. was pure fun. The best part was that I told him, since we were both familiar with L.A. now, I had rented a car. His eyes lit up as he asked what I had rented. I wasn’t going to tell him that I’d called the exotic car rental and had a Lamborghini sitting on the tarmac, so I said there wasn’t much available and we would have to be happy with a Ford Taurus. He deflated. I knew what he was thinking. ‘We’re going to pull up to the red carpet in a Taurus?’

We spent the rest of the time laughing and discussing the tabloid tales, and then he got serious and asked if there was anything I needed to tell him about Sadarius.

I got a little Candace in me when I slugged him, although not too hard because I wanted the airplane to remain on a level course, “No, you idiot. He and I have gone out twice, once for lunch and once for dinner, but I’ve already told him the only thing I’m in the market for is a friend.”

“I’m a friend and I get to crawl in bed with you,” he said giving me a sharp look.

“Ryan Faultz, I do believe I hear a little jealousy in your voice,” I smirked.

“But-I-”

“You are a very special friend and there isn’t anyone else like you in my world. Superman can crawl under my covers,” I teased, “but other than that, everyone else can forget it.”

“I’m just making sure. Just want to know if I’ve got to be prepared for a fight when we get there.”

I laughed, “No, no fights unless Micah should decide to track me down.”

We were walking off the plane when I saw the beautiful, blue-as-his-eyes, Lamborghini. What was hilarious was that two cars away sat a plain white Taurus. Ryan sighed as he headed for the economy car. I pressed the key into his hand as we approached. They had over-nighted it to me, so that I could leave as soon as I was ready.

He didn’t look down until he got to the door, “Hey, this isn’t a key for a…” His eyes grew brighter when he saw the symbol.

“Yeah, I know it sucks, but they were out of Taurus’ so I had to get a Lamborghini.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

The party was in full swing when we pulled up to the red carpet. Ryan was reluctant to relinquish the keys to the valet, but he finally turned them loose and took my arm as the cameras flashed and reporters shouted out questions to us wanting to know if he and I were ‘back together,’ and how was Sadarius handling it. He was good at this whole fame business, comfortable even. But I hated it. He flashed his dazzling smile as he walked with me, looking more like the star than the starlet’s date, and showing no discomfort with the attention.

He couldn’t get the grin off his face as we walked into the roomful of people dancing, laughing, and enjoying the party. Remake had become the smash hit of the year and sponsors were lining up to spend millions of dollars promoting it. Whoever had been the brains behind this show would reap in substantial financial benefits.

Sadarius was one of the first to greet us and ready to steal me away from Ryan, but Ryan politely refused, “Hey man, we just got here. Let me wear her out a little bit, before I have to turn her loose.”

They played many of the hits that made the show popular, some were our versions and some were the originals. Akon was making a guest appearance as well as several other artists that had coached our crew of fledgling singers. Ryan only left my side long enough to make a special request which was for the DJ to play Kryptonite. When we began our dance, the floor opened up as the majority of the people made space for the two of us to take over. I was having the time of my life.

We stopped long enough to grab a drink, Ryan was grabbing for champagne, but I reminded him he was flying us home tonight and I might be able to keep us in the air, but I needed a sober pilot for take-offs and landings. Besides, I didn’t want to see what the effects of a drink or two could do to one’s reflexes behind a Lamborghini.

The lights lowered as the DJ’s voice came over the microphone, “And now we have a special request for Miss Annalisa.”

I arched an eyebrow at Ryan, “What did you request?”

“I didn’t request anything, I swear. I’ve been with you the whole time except for asking them to play Kryptonite.”

Akon came on stage and the music began. He was singing ‘Right Now.’

“We can’t waste a special request,” he said taking my hand and leading me back onto the dance floor. He was smiling as he lip-sank to the song. That was one thing superman couldn’t do-he couldn’t hold a tune.

“You had to have requested this song,” I stated. “I wish you could fly with me? I miss how you lie with me? I wish you could dine with me? Ah, the grind part though…”

“I didn’t request the song, but I do recall the grind,” he smiled, pulling me close.

“I never-”

“No, no, no, Annalisa, think before you say never. Remember the night you were kissing my neck? You had those hips working against me pretty hard and I’ll never forget that.”

I know my face turned deep red as I recalled I had done exactly that the night I went a little too far over the line, “So you’re saying you did request this song.”

He laughed, again, “I’m sorry. I don’t know who is sending out this dedication, but baby girl, it wasn’t me.”

I was puzzled, but the mystery faded from my mind as the next song began. The twins, Melissa and Melanie, approached and said they wanted a turn with the hottest guy on the floor. He was blushing as I watched them dance him away from me.

“My turn,” came a male voice. Cedric was standing there pulling my hand toward the opposite side of the floor.

I hadn’t spoken to him very much, it seemed he spent most of his time running interference between ownership and the producers, but I knew him well enough to dance with him. The only problem was he kept pulling me farther and farther away from the crowd and I was starting to get nervous. I finally had to refuse. “Cedric if we go much farther we’ll be down the hallway-I’m not going down the hall to dance.”

“Well, Leese, I have to admit I’m setting you up.”

The next song changed as they said it was an anonymous request to a special lady. ‘Far Away’ by Nickelback began to play.

My heart began to increase in speed, “What do you mean?”