Page 26

Twenty-Six

Willow

I’ve seen a lot of green rooms in my life, but Lily Maxwell’s is something special.

Or maybe that’s the woman herself, tall and beautiful, joy in what she’s doing shining out of every single pore. Just being in her presence makes me want to do a pop star biopic in an attempt to capture some of that… verve.

“You okay?” Hudson asks, his arm sliding around my waist, drawing me into his side.

“I’m great,” I say, smiling up at him, my heart thudding in my chest at the soft way he stares down at me.

He strokes the backs of his knuckles of his free hand over my cheek. “Good, princess.”

“Are you okay?”

“I’m here with you. How can I be anything but?”

My lips curve and I lift on tiptoe, press my lips to his. “Thank you for coming with me.”

“Any—”

“Willow!” I drop back to my heels, head whipping toward Lily, who’s waving at me enthusiastically. I only met her before the show and she’s already befriended me. Kind of like the rest of Hudson’s family.

I want to stay right where I am, standing in Hudson’s arms, enjoying the upbeat mood of the room, safe and secure and not worried about whatever the hell it is that Dylan’s pulling today.

I want to just be a girl at a concert.

But Lily has been awesome, arranging for the backstage passes, welcoming me even though she’s hard at work putting on a show.

My politeness rears its not-so-ugly head. “I should go over and thank her.”

His expression is gentle. “Go,” he encourages, jerking his head toward Lily. The girls are gathering around her, and she’s pulling out her phone for a selfie.

I hurry over and Briar lifts an arm, tugging me into her side as we all huddle up for the picture.

“You all are freaking gorgeous!” Lily exclaims, snapping a few more shots and then holding her phone up so we can scroll through the pictures.

“She’s not wrong. We’re hot,” Briar agrees.

Jade’s cheeks go pink, but she bumps her shoulder against mine. “Yeah,” she says. “I don’t think we’re doing too bad at all.”

“Not sure this bump can be considered hot,” Aspen quips. “But you guys are killing it.”

“We’re all beautiful,” Lily says more firmly, glancing at Aspen for permission before gently settling her hand on Aspen’s belly. “But most especially this little bump.”

“Yup, puking my guts up, stressing out my fiancé, and wanting to sleep for eighteen hours a day”—Aspen’s voice is dry—“totally beautiful.”

Jade takes her hand. “You’re growing a life, honey, that’s beautiful.”

“Did I forget to mention the puking?”

My lips turn up as Briar chuckles.

“Rude,” Aspen says, jabbing a finger in her direction.

“If we can’t laugh at our misery then what hope do we have?”

“The hope to not puke?” Her expression is so intent that I can’t help but giggle.

Then blush when four female gazes turn my way. “Sorry,” I say, my cheeks heating further. “It’s just that you guys are really funny.”

Briar blows on her knuckles and buffs them on her shoulder. “Damn right we are.”

“And beautiful,” Lily says, reaching for my hand and squeezing it. “And really, really strong.”

The backs of my eyes burn, and I inhale shakily. “Lily… You don’t have to say?—”

“Anything I don’t mean?” Her fingers wrap tightly around mine. “I do. Because I mean it. I’ve wanted to meet you for ages, even more so since Jade mentioned how wonderful you are.”

My lungs spasm again.

How are these women so nice?

Women aren’t nice. Or at least the women I know in Hollywood aren’t nice. If they can’t get something from me—a story to share with the tabloids, a shopping trip for me to pay for, a dinner for them to be seen at—then they don’t want to spend time with me.

I’m just a vessel to be used.

But not by these women.

They’ve already done so much for me and they don’t really know me.

“Why are you guys so awesome?”

“Ah,” Briar bumps my shoulder again and she’s grinning, her tone deliberately light. Something I’m thankful for when she says, “We’ve got you fooled. Sooner or later, the shine will wear off.”

Aspen gasps. “Rude.”

Lily scowls. “Seriously. Rude. ”

Even Jade glowers. “No more backstage passes for you.”

We all fall silent for a beat.

Then we start laughing.

And it’s…perfect. So perfect I feel my eyes welling up again. I wave a hand in front of my face and deliberately blink them back.

Something Hudson notices—because of course he does—and he takes a step toward me, concern written into the lines of his face.

I slap on a smile, wave him away. “I’m good,” I mouth.

But that doesn’t make the concern disappear.

He starts striding over.

Briar, as intuitive as her brother, steps to my side and wraps an arm around my shoulders. “Shoo!” she calls. “Your girlfriend” —she draws the word out with all sorts of sisterly teasing—“is fine. I promise.”

His eyes come to mine.

“I am fine.” This time my smile is real. “It’s a girl thing.”

“We pinky promise,” Aspen says.

“No boys allowed!” Lily calls.

Hudson holds my stare for a long moment. Then half of his mouth turns up and he nods, turning back to the huddle of men on the far side of the room.

“Speaking of boys,” Lily says. “Or, I guess, I should say, speaking of men” —she jerks her chin toward Atlas, wearing a form-fitting pair of trousers and a crisp white button down with the sleeves rolled up to reveal a set of strong, tanned forearms—“will someone clue me in to who that tall drink of hot broody male is?”

I can’t deny that Atlas is hot, especially having shucked his jacket and tie.

The man can pull off a suit.

But the slightly disheveled businessman is even hotter.

Still, I’m partial to tight tees and jeans myself. Especially when they’re filled out by a sweet and sexy bodyguard with soulful hazel eyes.

“ That grumpy, broody billionaire is Atlas Delarosa,” Briar says, her eyes sparkling with humor. “My boss.”

Lily sighs. “Your boss?”

Briar nods.

“Damn,” she says. “All the hot ones are off-limits.”

Mischief slides across Briar’s face. “Not at all.” She leans in, stage whispers, “He looks grumpy but he’s really a softy beneath that ill-tempered exterior.”

I can attest to that.

But before I can say that, Briar’s mischief takes hold.

“Boys!” she calls. “Time for a group photo!” And when they don’t move, she adds, “Chop! Chop!”

As they are often wont to do, they follow Briar’s orders. Moments later we’re gathered up for a group photo, Lily and Atlas conveniently positioned next to each other.

“Atlas,” Briar says after the snap is complete, “this is Lily. Lily. Atlas.”

“She’s devious,” Hudson murmurs in my ear (after having done some convenient positioning of his own—to end up by my side).

“She’s your sister.”

He grins down at me. “Ask me how I know.”

I giggle and he gently touches my cheek. I lean into him, loving the soft caress, wanting more, wanting everything he’ll give me.

But before I can get lost in that…Atlas has my mouth falling open in shock.

Because the confident businessman seems to be starstruck.

“Atlas”—he lifts his hand for her to shake—“I’m Lily—” She giggles and he jerks his head, as though shaking himself, trying to save the introduction gone wrong. “Lily,” he corrects. “I’m Atlas.”

She places her hand in Atlas’s, lifts up on tiptoe to press her lips to one of his cheeks then the other.

“Lovely to meet you, Atlas.” She drops back to her heels, winking playfully at him.

But when she opens her mouth to say something else, her assistant comes over with a question, and the moment is broken.

Yet I can’t help but notice that when she excuses herself and slips away, Atlas’s gaze is locked onto her.

I glance at Briar, my eyebrows lifted in question.

Is she seeing what I’m seeing? Confident, albeit slightly distant Atlas with the heart of gold, is stammering over a woman, unable to tear his eyes from her?

Hmm.

Briar’s expression tells me she’s cottoned on too. She’s calculating. Plotting.

And when I glance at Jade and Aspen, I see they’re wearing similar looks.

Atlas better watch out.

The Gamebreaker ladies are on the matchmaking case.

And I have the feeling he’s not going to know what hit him.