“Hello?” His voice was groggy.
“Good morning, Sunshine.” There was laughter in her voice, and it immediately perked him up.
“Hey. Where are you?”
“Home, finally. Flew in from Milan and have just landed in my loft. What are you doing here?”
“Interviews.” The abruptness of the word let her know that it wasn’t an experience he was relishing.
“How long are you going to be in town?” She played with the hem of her shirt as she cast her eyes over the dusty furniture.
“Four more days. Can you come to the hotel?” He laid back in the bed, tucking an arm beneath his head as he talked.
“When do you need me there?” She walked back and forth to keep from falling asleep.
“Three days ago?” His voice was warm, and she shivered a bit.
“Will I have time to come home, or do I just need to pack everything I’m gonna need?” She pulled a pad of paper towards her and began to write.
“Just a change of clothes. We can pick up the rest of it tonight.” He began to get excited at the prospect of finally holding her in his arms.
“Let me grab something to wear, and I’ll be on my way. What’s the plan for today?” She opened her suitcase and pulled out some clothes, tucking them into her carry-on bag.
“Interview this afternoon. Free tonight. Today Show in the morning, and Barbara Walters tomorrow night.”
Irene zipped up her bag. “Tomorrow night? Isn’t that a little weird?”
“It’s live.” His voice got softer, and she suddenly realized why he was so nervous.
“I’ll be at the hotel in twenty minutes.”
“Your name is on the pass-through list.”
“See you in a few.”
“I can’t wait.”
They hung up, and she grabbed her bag and purse. Locking her apartment again, she was thankful that Potiphar was still at the vet. She caught a cab over to the hotel.
“Like I couldn’t find this place without him telling me where he was.” She looked at the fans cordoned off from the entrance and just shook her head.
She smiled at the concierge as he opened the door then stepped into the lobby of the Plaza. She waited for an elevator, joining several people as they all entered. She pressed the button for 14 and looked around the car as she thought about Kevin. By the time she got to the 14th floor, she was in a very good mood. The guard at the entrance to the elevator checked her driver’s license before letting her onto the floor.
She walked down the hall and found the right room. Almost before she finished knocking, the door opened, and Kevin reached out to pull her into his arms. The welcome kiss was almost enough to completely get rid of her jet lag.
She ran her hands up his arms and down his back, enjoying the sleep-warmed skin, as his mouth caressed hers.
“Wow.” She smiled up at him when they separated.
He leaned forward to press his forehead against hers. “Yeah, wow.”
Smiling, she backed him towards the bed, unbuttoning her jacket and letting it slip from her shoulders. Next off was her shirt, then her shoes, then her jeans as she walked herself out of them. By the time she finished, she was clad only in her bra and panties, and they were standing beside the bed.
Irene pressed her finger to his chest and pushed. Kevin fell back and sprawled on the bed. She crawled onto the mattress so that she was on all fours, hovering over him. He slid his hands up her thighs, over her derriere, along her spine, around her shoulders, down her arms, and to her hands so that their fingers could intertwine. She smiled at him, arching her back slightly as his fingers danced along her skin.
When he finished, she looked down at him, then leaned forward to press kisses to his forehead, his eyelids, his nose, and each cheek. Her mouth hovered over his, and he rose up to press their lips together.
She carefully lowered her body until she covered him, and he wrapped his arms around her.
“I missed you.” He whispered the words against her skin.
“Me, too.”
They rolled to their sides, his leg sliding between hers as his hand rested on her lower back. She reached up and pulled the pins out of her hair, letting the curls tumble around them.
“I think I could sleep for a week.” His voice quieted as they laid there.
“Mmm, me, too.” She pressed her cheek to his chest, listening to his heartbeat.
Within moments, they were asleep.
***BSB***BSB***BSB***BSB***BSB***BSB***BSB***BSB***BSB***BSB***BSB***
Three hours later, Irene pulled on one of Kevin’s shirts and stumbled into the living room of the suite the guys were sharing. She ignored the surprised looks of Howie and Brian, heading straight for the coffee pot. Pouring a cup, she inhaled the aroma and opened her eyes wide. Smiling at the two men, she dropped into an oversized chair and tucked her legs beneath her.
“Good morning.” She took a sip of the hot liquid.
“Morning, Irene.” Howie smiled at Brian after greeting the woman, then turned back to the paper.
“Hi.” Brian watched as she slowly woke up. “When did you get here?”
Irene looked up at him. “This morning. I flew in from Milan, got Kevin’s messages, and came over.”
He nodded. “Want some breakfast…” He looked at his watch. “Or lunch?”
She shook her head. “Not yet, thanks though.”
Nick and AJ came into the room, laughing and carrying on. Nick dropped onto the sofa, starting in surprise when he saw her sitting across from him.
“Hey, Irene. When did you get here?”
“This morning.” She took another sip of coffee, smiling at the two men who had just arrived.
Kevin’s door opened and he walked in, heading straight for the coffee pot. He had pulled on a pair of breakaway pants, but was still shirtless. He grabbed a cup of coffee, walked over to Irene’s chair, and sat down when she moved over to make room for him. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes as he rested his cup on the chair arm. His other hand rested on Irene’s thigh, his thumb rubbing her skin gently.
AJ watched them over the edge of his coffee cup, noticing the easy intimacy between the two. A desperate longing to hold Meredith in his arms rose up within him, and he closed his eyes for a moment. He reopened them when he heard laughter, watching as Nick and Brian wrestled around on the sofa.
“So, what’s on the agenda for the afternoon after the interview?” Howie laid his paper aside and watched the antics of the two men since they’d moved to the floor to have more room.
“At some point in time, I need to go to my loft and get more clothes.”
Nick looked up at her. “I don’t know. I think you look kinda cute in Kevin’s clothes.”
Kevin opened one eye and stared at the young man as Irene laughed.
“Thank you, I think.”
“I wouldn’t mind doing some shopping.” AJ put his cup down and stretched.
“Ugh, no.” Nick shook his head.
Brian agreed, and the two of them talked about finding a basketball court or an arcade. AJ and Howie made plans to hit some stores. Kevin looked at Irene.
“Anything you want to do?” He rubbed her back.
“I need to go the gallery, then to the loft. After that, I’m flexible.” She set her cup on the coffee table then leaned back against him.
“Can I go?” Nick heard the word “gallery” and perked up.
Irene shrugged. “Sure. You can all come if you want. We’re not far from there. If you’d like, we’ll head down after the interview.”
The other four wanted to see where Irene worked, maybe catch a glimpse of her loft, too, before they all split up.
When the reporter for the New York Post showed up, Kevin put on a shirt, and Irene disappeared into the bedroom. She climbed back into bed, wrapped her arms around Kevin’s pillow, and fell asleep.
Two hours later, she felt a kiss on her cheek and opened her eyes to find Kevin sitting on the bed beside her.
“Hey, darlin’.” He smiled at her.
Irene smiled back and rolled over, stretching her body. “Interview over?”
“Yeah. We’re free ‘til an *early* call in the morning.”
She sat up and ran her fingers through her hair. Getting out of bed, she grabbed her shoulder bag and walked into the bathroom to get ready. In twenty minutes, she was ready to go and walked back into the bedroom. Patting Kevin’s ass as he walked by to use the shower, she smiled at him and winked.
When she heard the shower running, Irene walked into the living room to wait for everyone. She grabbed a bottle of water and sat down on the sofa. Snagging some pretzels out of the bag laying on the coffee table, she munched as she flipped through cable channels.
She stopped on the Playboy Channel, tilting her head as she studied the couple on the bed. Irene heard bedroom doors open, but didn’t change the channel as she continued to watch.
“Is that physically possible?” Nick stared at the screen as the couple contorted their bodies into some strange position.
“Yes.” Irene, Kevin, and Howie answered the question, then looked at each other.
AJ pulled his glasses down to the end of his nose and stared at his friends. “You’ve been holding out on me, D.”
Howie shook his head and smiled, keeping his mouth shut. Nick stared at Kevin, who returned the look. Brian looked at Irene, who batted her eyelashes at the young man. Then Kevin and Irene looked at each other, each silently asking the question.
“Gymnast.” Kevin grinned.
“Yoga teacher.” Irene chuckled.
Irene stood up and made gathering motions with her hands. “Okay, people, let’s go. I need to at least check messages at the gallery before we head to the loft.”
They grabbed their hats and sunglasses, following Irene out into the hall. Security had been informed of the plan and was going to follow the limo down to Irene’s shop, then go wherever they were needed. They slipped out of the service entrance behind the hotel and quickly climbed into the limo. The driver moved through the New York streets at a rapid pace, pulling up in front of the gallery in a few minutes.
Kevin stepped out of the car, helping Irene out. The other four followed them into the shop. AJ stopped abruptly in the middle of the floor and looked around at the photographs arranged on the walls. He turned to Irene.
“Why didn’t you tell me you had an exhibit of body art?”
“Surprise.” She laughed and disappeared into the back after she introduced the five men to Claire, her assistant manager.
Claire asked if they would like something to drink, and she left to get the sodas and water they had requested. When she came back into the room, she found AJ and Nick looking intently at Maori designs, while Kevin and Howie were studying the foliage and floral designs. Brian was looking at various spiritual designs. Claire handed out the drinks then turned to wait on the customers who had just arrived.
Irene walked back into the gallery and watched as the guys moved around the room and studied the various examples of art people proudly displayed on their bodies. She smiled when she saw AJ wander past some small photographs, then double back and stare at one in particular.
“That’s me!”
Nick appeared at his elbow and studied the picture. He looked to the right and found a picture of his latest tattoos. “Hey, those are my tats!”
Irene appeared on the other side of AJ. “I had several artists submit their favorite pieces, then made a collage of the best.”
Howie, Kevin, and Brian gathered around the other three and looked at the pictures. Irene looked at the group.
“You guys finished here?”
“Yeah, I’m ready to see your place.” Kevin dropped an arm across her shoulders as they walked towards the door.
“Claire, I’ll check in tomorrow. Call me if you need anything.”
The young woman smiled. “Bye, Irene. Bye, guys.”
They waved and walked out onto the sidewalk, getting into the waiting limo. She directed the driver towards her building and sat back to relax against Kevin. In twenty minutes, they were pulling in front of the converted warehouse where she lived. Punching in her code, she opened the door when it unlocked and ushered everyone inside. They settled into the elevator, and Irene pressed the button for the third floor. When the doors opened, they stepped out into a short hallway that only had two doors on opposite ends.
“Only two apartments?” Howie watched as she walked towards her door.
“Yeah. Eight in the whole building. Some friends and I got together and decided to take over this building and convert it. Each of us contributed in some way. The two guys on the bottom floor, Dave and Joe, are in construction and design—Dave’s an architect, Joe’s a contractor. On the second floor, Anna is an interior designer and Michael designs furniture. On this floor, there’s me and Dominic, he’s a textile designer. Up on top, are Marie, who is a classical pianist, and Dane, who is one of the best florists in the city.”
When she opened the door, Nick stepped in and gasped. Sunlight filtered in through the high, arched windows, casting patterns of light and shadow on the hardwood floor. The rooms were huge, laid out simply with comfortable furniture and little clutter.
They walked around the place as Irene gave them a brief tour. Kevin spent the most time looking around her bedroom and luxury bath, smiling at her when he caught her eyes. They all met back in the living room.
“Want anything while I pack some stuff?”
“Naw, I’m cool.” Nick got up to wander around the room again, touching surfaces as he studied the layout of the loft.
“Y’all know where the kitchen is, help yourselves.” She headed back to her room to grab some more clothes, dragging the suitcase she had left by the door when she arrived that morning.
The phone rang as she was folding clothes. “Somebody grab that, please.”
Kevin picked up the cordless. “Hello?”
“Is Irene there?”
“May I ask who’s calling?”
“Who is this?”
“This is Kevin. Who is this?”
“This is Ken. Where’s Irene?”
“I’ll get her for you.” He walked into her room and handed her the phone.
“It’s Ken.”
Irene rolled her eyes as she took the phone. He made a move to walk out, but she pushed him onto the bed and climbed onto the mattress to straddle his hips. Smiling down at him, she raised the receiver to her ear.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Irene. I was just calling to see how you’re doing.”
Ken’s voice grated on her nerves, but she managed to remain pleasant. “Great. How are you?”
He paused, hoping she would sound depressed. “I’m doing okay. I was wondering if you’d be interested in getting together for dinner to talk.”
“Hang on a sec.”
Ken could hear laugher, both male and female, and he frowned. “Is everything okay, Irene?”
“Yeah, it’s fine. Kevin shifted on the bed, and I was afraid we were both going to roll off. Now, you were asking something about dinner?”
“Never mind. It’s apparent you’re occupied right now. I’ll call you in a few days. Goodbye, Irene.” Ken quickly hung up the phone.
Irene pulled the phone from her ear and stared at it.
“Problem?” Kevin stroked his hands up the outside of her thighs to sit at her waist.
She shrugged. “Guess he was expecting me to be pining away for him.”
“You’ve been apart how long?” He reluctantly let her go as she climbed off him to finish packing.
“About three months. He never took direction well.” She moved to her closet and looked through her clothes.
“Do I need anything snazzy?” She pulled out a slinky red dress, and Kevin’s eyes lit up.
“Bring that.”
“Where are we going?” She folded it, thankful it was that slick material that could be wadded up and still look good.
“I’ll find a place.” He closed his eyes and imagined her in it. When he opened them, she was leaning down, looking into his face.
She kissed him, savoring the taste of his mouth before pulling away. “I’m ready.”
He stood up and grabbed her bag, following her out of the bedroom.
The other three were gathered around Nick as he held a book open on his lap. Irene started laughing when she saw it, and Kevin peered over her shoulder.
“What is it?”
“Photo album with pictures of Meredith in her school uniform.”
“This, I’ve gotta see.” He set her bag down and went behind the others to look over their shoulders.
There, in all her high school glory, was Meredith, standing in front of a stone archway wearing a plaid skirt, blazer, white button-down, knee socks, and loafers. Irene leaned close to Brian.
“It was an interesting experience, I’ll definitely say that.” She stood up and moved away. “Want to take it with you?”
Nick looked up, a grin lighting up his face. “Can I?”
“Sure. I’ll bring it home when y’all leave.” She laced her fingers with Kevin as the other guys stood up.
They preceded her out the door, and she locked up her loft. They rode down to the first floor and crawled into the limo.
“Where’s everyone going?” Kevin looked around the car at his friends.
“Garment district.” AJ looked at Howie, who nodded back.
“Arcade.” Nick and Brian showed the others an advertisement for one of the largest arcades in the city, which was only a few blocks from the hotel.
Kevin looked at Irene. “Any place you want to go?”
She shrugged. “I’m easy. Do you need to go anywhere?”
“I do need to stop at Sak’s.” He rubbed his chin.
“Sak’s it is.” She sat back in the seat.
Nick and Brian got out first, with a couple of bodyguards following them into the crazy atmosphere of the arcade. Irene and Kevin were next, and the driver promised to pick them up in an hour. AJ and Howie waved as they drove off, followed by Marcus and Adam. Carl followed Kevin and Irene into the department store.
By seven that night, everyone was back at the hotel. AJ and Howie had purchased some new clothes, and AJ had picked up something for Meredith while Howie was in another shop. He couldn’t wait to see her in the black leather dress he had found. Kevin had picked up some perfume for his mom, and Irene purchased a pair of earrings for her mother as a birthday gift. Nick and Brian spent several hundred dollars at the arcade, coming away with nothing more than the thrill of victory. Neither man was upset that they didn’t have a thing to show for their afternoon.
Dinner was spent in the safety of their suite. Fans had swarmed the hotel, necessitating that they stay hidden. As a result, they humored themselves with lots of food, bad jokes, and equally bad porn from the cable channels.
At 11:30, Irene stood up, stretched, and smiled her “goodnights”. She walked into Kevin’s room and pulled out the UK t-shirt she’d gotten from him at Meredith’s house. Pulling it on, she went into the bathroom and brushed her teeth, then her hair. She walked back into the bedroom to see Kevin pulling off his jeans.
“Hubba, hubba.” She smiled at him as he shook his ass for her.
Turning, he looked at her and grinned. “I wondered where that shirt went.”
Irene smoothed the material over her hips. “I’ve laid claim to it. Sorry, you’re not getting it back.”
He pressed a kiss against the corner of her mouth while he made his way to the bathroom. Brushing and flossing were followed by a quick use of the toilet. He washed his hands and dried them, turning off the light and stepping into the bedroom. Irene was stretched on the bed, resting her head on her hand as she watched Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely on MTV.
“I like this song.” She looked up at him as he fell onto the bed beside her.
“Me, too. I really liked the video concept, too.” He propped his head up on his folded arms as they watched the rest of the video.
When it finished, Irene turned off the television and crawled under the blankets, holding them up for Kevin. When he settled himself beside her and took her into his arms, he sighed. She pressed a kiss to his chest, sliding her hand across his belly as she curved her body to fit his.
“Night, babe.”
“Night, darlin’.”
For the first time in a week, Kevin got a really good night of sleep.
Table of Contents
Chapter One