‘I am not really known for ever being speechlessBut now… somehowMy words roll off my tongue right onto your lips,I'm keeping cool while you keep smilingSaying all the things I'm thinkingI am like you so I want proof of what you're feeling…’ All the nerves that had frozen her melted like a popsicle in the sunshine. Her mind just went to the last dream she had about him and swallowed hard, trying not to lose it right in front of him. His voice was deep and husky, just like when he sang. And it was warm and friendly. His eyes were lit with something she might even call excitement, not dull with boredom.“Hello, Lennon,” she replied. Not brilliant, but not bad.“Is it okay for you if I called you Everly?” he asked. Before she could answer, however, the screen tilted and the picture swirled madly. When it stilled again, Everly was looking at a beautiful girl with short, dark hair and olive skin. The girl’s big brown eyes widened.“Oh… my… gosh,”
‘Waiting for a star to fallAnd carry your heart into my armsThat's where you belongIn my arms, baby…’ Lennon stood looking out over Silver Lake at the end of his dock. Usually, he couldn’t get enough of the view, but today he was too perplexed to appreciate it. Why couldn’t he stop thinking about Everly? Ever since he’d given her his number, the fact that she hadn’t called him was all he could focus on. It had been twenty-four hours and he hadn’t even gotten a text back.“Clearly she’s not interested…” And now he was talking to himself. Apparently, he was so arrogant that he thought every woman he met would be interested in him…“What’s wrong with you, dude?” As he turned and walked back to the house, Lennon scuffed his feet and kicked at small rocks in the path. No, it wasn’t pride. He didn’t care about all the women who threw themselves at him. He simply knew there was something about this woman that made him want to know her bett
‘Hello, it's meI've thought about us for a long, long timeMaybe I think too much but something's wrongThere's something here, doesn't last too longMaybe I shouldn't think of you as mine…’ The next day, Everly was trying desperately to work but once again, she kept staring at the clock, daydreaming. Hearing Lennon on the phone was becoming more addictive than cocaine. Yes, she was already Lennon-addicted… Yes, it was a bit creepy, but she loved it even though she was also a little anxious about it. Why was it so difficult to stop thinking about him? Why was she gravitating so toward him, like he was the sun? Maybe because she was so infatuated with him? Maybe because she couldn’t stop dreaming of him day and night? Maybe because her heart started beating the moment Lennon Stark and his music entered her life? So many questions… And she knew the answer but was too afraid to say it out loud. What she was feeling had a name… People were calling
‘They say that the road ain't no place to start a familyRight down the line, it's been you and meAnd loving a music man ain't always what it's supposed to beOh, girl, you stand by meI'm forever yoursFaithfully…’ Everly opened the door for Erik and gave him a little hug.“Thank you for coming.” He scowled and shut the door.“Lyv, I really think this is a very bad idea.”“No, Erik, it’s not that bad. I’m contractually obligated to do this kind of promotion. The good news is that I can choose the number of my public appearances. So, there’s no way out for me, no excuse. I have to be able to do this convention.” Erik scowled but didn’t argue.“Well, if you put it out like this, I guess not... Still, I think you’re doing a big mistake going out there…” She had deliberately skipped the part where she was going to meet Lennon Stark on this trip and that it was the main motivation for her to go, not her contract which wasn’t as strict as she descri
‘I still remember just like it was yesterdayThe time is moving fastThe love I have for youTime won't ever changeThe first time I looked into your eyes I criedDo you remember the first time we fell in loveYou looked into my eyesWiped the tears awayThe first time when we fell in love…’ Everly had agreed to come to Boston. Lennon was absolutely ecstatic but he knew Everly had some reservations about the whole thing. She said nothing, not verbally, but Lennon could hear a note of tension in her voice every time they talked about the trip. He had no idea what the problem was, but stressing about it like he was, he’d thought of a lot of possibilities. And none of them were good. Had she lied about being single? Was she not that interested but feeling pressured by who he was? Was she afraid they were moving too fast? Consumed with so many questions, Lennon worked extra hard during his workout with his personal trainer, Deaco
‘Honey, you came along and captured my heartNow my love is somewhere lost in your kissWhen I'm all alone it's you that I missGirl, a love like yours is hard to resist…’“How are you, sweetie? Are you doing okay?” Daisy asked Everly as they walked through the terminal in Boston. The airport was huge and, Everly was sure, held the entire population of the world. Before going to the airport, she took a mild sedative to calm her nerves and help her walk out of her house, the best sound-canceling headphones money could buy, dark sunglasses, and Daisy, her personal assistant and closest friend, as moral support, to get her this far. Her mission was to finally, meet Lennon in person. So, she wasn’t about to fall apart now.“Okay, Daisy… Just get me to the baggage claim area, please.” Yes, the baggage claim area… Where Lennon would be waiting for her…“Oh, dear Lord! I can’t believe that I’m here. That this is really happening…” Daisy stopped, startl
‘If this world is wearing thinAnd you're thinking of escapeI'll go anywhere with youJust wrap me up in chainsBut if you try to go aloneDon't think I'll understandStay with me…’ Everly’s agent had arranged for Lennon to get a pass to stay with Everly at the convention. When Johnny dropped them off at the door, she gripped his hand tightly as they went inside. He didn’t care… Lennon was glad they were already holding hands. But once they reached the green room where the panelists were meeting each other before going out on stage, Everly relaxed. And that had amazed him. After all, she was meeting A-list stars and a director who was notorious for being a pain in the behind. He’d thought her tension had been caused by shyness, but he was obviously wrong. She didn’t seem insecure, overwhelmed, or intimidated by what was going on as she shook hands and stood around talking. In fact, she soon had the director and Alec Palmer laughing. T
‘You said it again, my heart is in motionEvery word feels like a shooting starI'm at the edge of my emotionsWatching the shadows burning in the darkAnd I'm in love, and I'm terrifiedFor the first time and the last timeIn my only life…’ Everly woke up to Lennon gently shaking her shoulder. She needed a minute to figure out where she was… with whom she was…“Are we there?”“Yes, Everly. I didn’t want you to miss the best view of it…” Lennon had told her once that he lived on a large property an hour outside of Boston. She’d pictured a showy mansion in a gated community. The typical rock star house… But Lennon surprised her… Showy mansions were not his case… There was a gate at the front of the road across his property, but it stood wide open. Heavy, green foliage arched over their heads, and the house at the end of the road, blended perfectly into the setting around it. It was huge but simple and faintly rustic. Huge windows glinted in the f
‘There's just no rhyme or reasonOnly the sense of completionAnd in your eyesI see the missing pieces I'm searching forI think I've found my way homeI know that it might soundMore than a little crazy but I believeI loved you before I met you…’ The door to Lennon’s dressing room opened and a crew member stuck his head in.“Fifteen-minute warning, Lenno.” Lennon nodded.“Thanks, man.” He looked down at Everly, letting his eyes linger over her. He’d never get tired of just looking at her. She’d been hard at work on edits for her newest book while he went through his vocal warm-ups. This was his first performance since they’d gotten back from their honeymoon. While scrolling through some files, Everly swept her hair off the back of her neck with one hand. Holding it up, she looked so damned sultry, so feminine, Lennon held his breath and his heart almost stopped. Everly looked up as if feeling his eyes on her.“You do know what you do to me, r
‘And for so many years, I knew it would be you here with me, Take you for my wife, the center of my lifeAnd I will never ever fadeFrom this choice I've made…’ Married! She was finally Lennon’s wife! Everly opened her eyes and curled around Lennon’s long, lean body, her head pillowed by his chest. She was wrung out and exhausted, but incredibly happy. Their first night as husband and wife has been absolutely magical.“Married…” she whispered and smiled. Their wedding ceremony had been amazing. Everly sighed recalling how free and happy she felt on her wedding day, how glorious it was hearing Lennon saying ‘I Do’ while losing herself in his loving gaze. She could still recall her state of mind following the months of her brief kidnapping. Happy weeks… Terrifying weeks… They’d had to deal with the paparazzi way too much when the story of Everly’s kidnapping broke. Fortunately, Erik’s trial had been swift and decisive, so the clamor in the pres
‘There's a million different reasons why I love youAnd I'm sure that I could find a million moreThere's not a single thing that I would change about you,You're picture-perfect just the way you areSo show me every mark and every scar…’ When Everly heard Lennon’s wonderful voice through the door, she almost fainted with relief. She couldn’t answer with the gag in her mouth, so just like when Daisy had come, she kicked her legs against the wall of the shed to let him know she’d heard him. Everly heard Lennon and Daisy talking but couldn’t understand them. Focusing on breathing, she forced herself to calm down. They would get her out of here as soon as they could… Before she peed herself or got bitten by a spider. NO! She would not think about spiders again. The wispy crawling she’d felt across her legs a few times had not been spiders. From what she could tell by the dimming light through the one dust-covered window, Everly thought sh
‘You're just like an angelYour skin makes me cryYou float like a featherIn a beautiful worldI wish I was specialYou're so freakin’ specialAnd I’m a creep…’ As soon as Lennon’s plane touched down, he called Daisy.“I’m here. Have you talked to her again? Will she agree to see me?”“‘Lenno, she isn’t answering any of my calls now either,’” Daisy said. “‘When I left her, she was calm, but maybe she was faking it… Maybe she was just trying to get rid of me. Oh, God… I think I pushed her too hard. What if…’”“Let’s not jump to what-ifs, Daisy. Listen, can you text me her address?”“‘Yes…You know, I’m not supposed to do this, but… I’m worried and, well… she’s crazy about you, Lenno… Scratch that… Lyv is desperately in love with you. She never meant to hurt you. She left because she was determined not to ruin your life…’”“Yeah… She told me as much in her note. I just hope I can convince her that breaking up is what will ruin it. Because I love her too and I can’t be without
‘So, I look in your directionBut you pay me no attention, do you?I know you don't listen to mebecause you say you see straight through meDon't you?’“Honey, I’m home!” Daisy’s voice broke the deathly silence surrounding her. Everly pulled the covers over her head. She didn’t want to talk to anybody or see anybody or even remember there were other people in the world. Unfortunately, Daisy had other ideas… And Lennon, of course. He kept calling her. At some point, she was going to have to find the courage to talk to him, but not now... It was too soon and she was feeling too weak. And too ashamed. If only she’d listened to her gut on this one. Not to go to Boston. Not to go to bed with him. Not to fall in love with him. She’d known that getting involved with someone would be a stupid idea, as broken and flawed as she was. But she did it anyway. Daisy got into Everly’s bedroom. “There you are! I needed to make sure you were okay,” she said,
‘If we're only here for a whileI wanna spend all of it holding you, Take me higher than I've beenMake me question everything I knew, Because nothing comes close to this, My heaven is on your lips…’ His fingers slipped between her legs and pushed inward as if testing her readiness. She was wet. She was definitely ready. She squirmed impatiently as his hand left her. Firm hands gripped her legs, spread her and then he thrust into her from behind. Everly moaned hard at the instant fullness. The pleasure of having him buried inside her body was indescribable. The tightness… The sensitivity… Her heart raced. Her blood pounded through her veins. Her sex pulsed and clenched around him. Every nerve ending was on fire, sizzling like the shortest of fuses. “Are you okay, angel?” Lennon murmured close to her ear. “Am I being too rough?” He’d gone completely still as he awaited her response. Her chest lurched and she closed her eyes, touched by the depth of
‘Well, you showed me how it feelsTo feel the sky within my reachAnd I always will remember all the strength you gave to meYour love made me make it throughOh, I owe so much to youYou were right there for me…’ Rosalee, Jared, and Shane were waiting in his dressing room. The rest of their crew had finished packing up the equipment, and they were gone. Really, the only ones likely to have many problems were himself and Everly. He’d been trying to decide for the last ten minutes, ever since he’d learned about the problem, how to get her out in the least stressful way. Part of him thought that if they split up, it might help, but Lennon wanted to make sure that if Everly had problems, he was there to help her.“So, have you got a plan yet?” Shane asked as he came in. Lennon leaned against the counter, pulling Everly against him with her back to his chest, maintaining contact between them to help both of them keep calm. He could feel her heart beating fas
‘We'll build, we will build a homeAnd we'll watch all the flowers growUntil our bones, until our bones can't holdAnd take my heart if yours don't beatTake my lungs if yours can't breatheAnd if you need, you can take my body…’ The narrow space smelled like paint and wood polish, and the steps creaked under her feet. The sound of the pounding rock music grew louder and louder as she climbed. At the top, it was almost deafening until she entered the private box where Daisy waited.“Hey there, sweetie!” Daisy almost yelled. Her legs were kicked up on the low wall of the box and she was looking at her phone as if she had little interest in the show below. It was ‘The Forbidden Magic’, Mick’s band. Their rock was harder than what ‘Infinite Euphoria’ played, and Everly didn’t like it at all.“Hey, Daisy. Have you got those headphones for me?”“Of course, Lyv.” Daisy handed them over, and Everly put them on. Not because she was feeling anxious but because sh
‘When you touch my weary headAnd you tell me everything will be all rightYou say, "Use my body for your bedAnd my love will keep you warm throughout the night"Well, I'll never be a stranger and I'll never be aloneWherever we're together, that's my home…’ Everly loved the way Lennon took care of her after the exceptionally passionate night they spent together, a night that brought them a lot closer. She rode with him to the venue and watched while he, Rosalee, Shane, and Jared went up on stage to do the sound check three hours before the show. She hadn’t realized he had such a big crew, working for the band. They had people running wires, checking mics, tuning guitars, and a whole lot more she didn’t even begin to understand. That day, during a couple of little breaks from the rehearsals, Everly caught Lennon staring straight at her a few times, with a serious look in his eyes, like he wanted to say something very important to her. But, other than th