Page 103 of Perfect Composition

Shyly, she captures my hand and pulls it to her mouth. “Maybe our changes complement each other.”

“I’d say they do.” I trail my other fingers across the top of the blanket. “There is one thing we need to discuss though.”

“What’s that?” Paige asks. The blanket slips lower, barely catching on her turgid nipples to hold it up.

“Later,” I say thickly. I can warn her later about how intrusive the press is in my life.

Right now I have better things to do. Like make up for lost time buried deep inside the woman I love.

All too soon, the morning comes when Austyn and I fly back to New York. There’s a pall over the entire house. At least there is until I drag Paige into the pantry and show her once more that she’s mine, not giving a damn there are likely people who can hear us on the other side of the door.

But all too soon, my mood darkens again. I want to tell the Recording Academy, Carys, my band, and everyone else they can shove this appearance up their ass, and just stay here. I can’t. I won’t. That’s because I won’t let Paige down.

She’s already moving heaven and earth to get her license transferred from Texas to Connecticut, where she found a job. She’s put her house on the market. “I have to go through years of memories. I’m going to ugly cry, Beckett. It isn’t going to be pretty. Go do the Grammys, and I’ll see you faster than you can imagine.”

“We’ll talk every day,” I promise her as I hold her by the front door. Austyn’s already said bye to her mother and is seated in the back seat of the SUV. Kane is giving us a few moments of privacy before most of the team flies back to New York. Paige was both amused and dismayed when she realized that my leaving didn’t mean security wasn’t being called off. Hell no. She and Austyn are the most precious people in my life.

I’m not doing anything stupid to ruin my chances at my forever with them.

“Every day,” she vows in return.

“FaceTime,” I correct myself.

She rolls her eyes. “Beckett, if I’m out to dinner with my brothers, do you really want me answering a call on FaceTime, thereby telling the whole world who is calling me?”

I don’t even hesitate. “Paige, you’ve become my whole world, so why would I care?”

Her lips part on a delicate sigh. I don’t waste the opportunity. I pull her in and seize her lips in a kiss meant to remind her of everything: the past, the present, and our future.

Together.

Eventually, I do pull back. Her lips are puffy, and she’s glassy-eyed. In other words, perfect. “I’ll call you the minute we land.”

That’s when she does something so profound I know I’ll remember it until my dying breath. She leans forward and kisses my chest. “Take care of my heart since you’re taking it with you.” Then she whispers, “I love you, Beckett.”

I whisper, “God, Paige, I love you too. I don’t know how I’m going to live without you.”

Her smile is crooked. “Pray we won’t have to find out. Now go before Kane storms up here to drag you away and realizes I’m not wearing any underwear because I couldn’t find them behind the paper towels.”

I wink at her, fucking ecstatic I have a lifetime to look forward to of mornings just like this.

And her to come back to.

BECKETT

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

Celebrity stylist Dee, whose credentials include stints at Gucci and Stella McCartney, was spotted leaving Beckett Miller’s estate in Beverly Hills. The exclusive women’s designer was mum when contacted about what she delivered. But it leaves us all to ask, who could he be escorting to this year’s Grammys?

—Eva Henn, Fashion Blogger

“Beckett?” Austyn shouts. The sound reverberates off the walls in my marble tomb of a home in LA.

I fucking love it.

I bought the place because I was out here enough recording that I wanted a home base. Plus, Bristol said it was a great way to invest some of the money I had at my disposal. I’ve thrown parties here for hundreds—participating in some in my younger days, watching more often from the balcony from my master suite on the third floor. But never until my daughter stayed beneath the roof last night did this monstrosity of rock feel like a home.

Until now.