Meant to Be, page 21
Slater placed Alex in front of Mona. He took Mona’s arms and wrapped them around Alex from behind. “You take care of her while I’m out there, ok?”
“Of course.” Mona’s eyes glistened with happy tears. She hugged Alex from behind and rested her chin on the top of Alex’s head. “I won’t let her out of my sight,” she promised.
Alex sighed as Slater leaned down and kissed her. With her hands on Mona’s arms, she leaned into her friend and felt the love and support. If there was anyone else in her life she loved as much as she loved Slater Heart, it was Mona Davis. She was certain in the near future there would be a third person who held that honor. She watched as Ben approached Slater before he returned to stage.
Ben shook Slater’s hand. “Congratulations.”
“Thanks, Ben.” Slater hooked his arm around Ben’s neck in a casual hug and said for Ben’s ears only, “No one touches her, got it?”
“Got it.” Ben stepped away from the scene and pulled his phone out of his pocket. He knew that additional security would be needed for when Slater and Alex left tonight.
Slater walked onto the stage as the audience showered Chris with their love and appreciation after his solo. He accepted handshakes all around from the band and looked at Chris with a smile. “Now I understand what you meant when you said the night might get even better.”
Chris grinned at him. Their heads were close together as they spoke over the noise. “How do you feel, man?”
“Pretty fucking awesome!” Slater smiled, grabbed his microphone, and turned to the audience. He waited a beat for them to silence. “Well,” he said with a wide smile. “I’m the first person to tell you not to believe everything you read in the magazines or see about us on TV, but you all just heard that straight from the source. I’m going to be a father!”
The crowd went wild with screams and whistles. Chris started the intro for the next song. Slater kept time with him as he danced to the music then jumped onto Drummer’s platform. He bent at the waist with his hands on his thighs while he shook his head in wonder. “Holy shit!” he yelled into the microphone as Drummer punctuated his excitement with a good hit to the snare. “I’m going to be a father!”
Slater punched the air in victory and jumped off the platform as fireworks and flashes of light were set off. Heart & Soul rocked the house like they never rocked it before. The energy was alive and electric throughout the rest of the concert. Slater was pumped full of elation at Alex’s news, unable to hold back smiles and occasional laughter to himself when he had flashbacks of how she announced it to him.
Alex watched the rest of the concert with Mona’s arms protectively around her, beaming with pride at Slater’s performance. She smiled and laughed with him at the numerous times he caught her eye from the stage and winked at her with happiness, able to feel the love he had for her in just a look. Her heart was full of such love, emotion, and anticipation with what lie ahead for them in their new adventure.
Chapter 16
The post-concert congratulations were endless. Alex and Slater hugged, high-fived, and smiled their way through the backstage mayhem. After what felt like an eternity, they had finally made their way into Slater’s dressing room for some privacy.
Slater let Alex walk in ahead of him and closed the door quietly. “I don’t want to stick around for any celebrating right now, do you?”
“No,” Alex declined. “And for obvious reasons. It won’t be much fun to be the only one not drinking, so it wouldn’t feel like much of a party to me.”
He stepped close to her and kissed her. “Then let’s go have a private party of our own at the hotel.”
“Sounds good to me.” Alex’s skin was suddenly flushed, her breathing quickened, her body tightened with want.
“Patience, Allie,” Slater said as he read the gleam in her eye. “I’m going to take a shower, then let’s get out of here.”
She was torn between following him into the shower or waiting for him. She decided to wait. That way he would go faster. As much fun as the concert had been, fatigue was knocking hard, and she could go for a catnap. Alex took the time to tidy up the dressing room, packed up her merchandise to take with her and turned to take care of the vanity items when Slater reemerged.
“You don’t have to clean that up.” He stood behind her in nothing but jeans, his torso bare, his hair damp from his shower. “That’s all taken care of.”
“Does it all stay here overnight?” Alex asked.
“Yeah,” he replied as he slipped a t-shirt over his head. “Since we have another show here tomorrow night, that’ll stay. If not, it would be packed up and sent off to the next location.” Slater brushed his knuckles over her cheek. “It’s getting past your bedtime, huh?”
“It is.” Alex stifled a yawn and leaned into him when he pulled her in for a hug. “I’m so tired.”
“As soon as Ben tells us our limo is here, we’ll leave.” He knew it wasn’t the time to bring up the subject, but his mind was full of questions. There was a time and a place to plan out their future and waiting to leave a concert venue wasn’t it, but he couldn’t help himself. He kissed her softly and searched her eyes. “Allie,” he began, then clenched his jaw in frustration at the knock on the door.
“Slater!” Ben called from the other side as he knocked again. He stepped in when Slater called out permission. “The limo is here and ready to go.” He silently communicated to Slater with a nod, Alex was simply too tired to wonder about it. “Let’s meet over breakfast in the morning. I’ll order for all of us and meet in your suite.” Ben made a note of it when Slater confirmed the time and told him to add extra to the order with Alex’s recent appetite, then checked his watch at the next knock on the door. Before he opened it, he stepped to Alex and placed his hands on her shoulders, and pulled her to him for a quick hug. “Congratulations once again. We’ll discuss some details in the morning.” He sent her a careful smile and bent his head to speak quietly in her ear. “I’ll apologize in advance. What’s beyond that door wasn’t my idea.”
“What do you mean?” Alex asked with confusion. More questions died on her lips when the door was opened to reveal six of the largest men she had ever seen. She turned quickly to Slater with a sudden burst of energy and narrowed her eyes, her mouth pursed in frustration. “Are you kidding me?”
“Nope.” Slater slipped into his jacket, grabbed Alex’s hand, and walked her to the door.
Alex stepped back stubbornly. “Either you tell me the half dozen beefcakes standing outside this door are here to perform a sexy show to quench my hormones, or you tell me this is just a prank!” At Slater’s insistent stare, she indulged in a little childish behavior, crossed her arms over her chest, and huffed. “Slater, this isn’t necessary!”
“In my world it is. And honey...” He slipped his arm around her shoulders and led her to their wall of safety. “You’re in my world right now.”
“This is ridiculous,” Alex muttered. Two men stood directly in front of them, two men flanked their sides, the remaining two protectively took up the back of the pack and herded them out to the limo. She reluctantly looked at Slater when he squeezed her shoulder.
“I’m not taking any chances with you and our baby.” He let out a laugh at her dirty look. “And beefcakes, Allie, really? I didn’t think muscly guys like this did it for you.” He kissed her cheek at her stony silence and saw her eyes twinkle with humor. “I thought I was the only beefcake for you.”
Ignoring his comment, she looked over the group guarding them. “You always have this many bodyguards? My, don’t we think highly of ourselves,” she said sardonically.
“No, baby.” Slater let his hand roam over her shoulders and settle protectively on her back as the group moved as one. “I use two. The other four are for you.”
“Four?” Alex’s voice raised once more. “Why the hell do you think I need four bodyguards?”
“Two for you,” Slater said simply. “And two for the heir to the throne.” He winked at her as the limo door was held open for them and let her in ahead of him.
“Heir to the throne?” Alex slid over to make room for him. “That’s too cute to be irritated by the bodyguards right now.”
“Good.” Slater settled next to her and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. His grin widened.
“Why do you keep smiling at me like that?” Alex asked. Slater continued to stare at her, it made her stomach flutter with the private smiles he had been giving her since he got off stage. “What?” she asked again.
“What do you mean, what? You changed my life on that stage tonight, Allie! I can’t smile at my pregnant wife?”
“Of course you can.” Alex snuggled close to him. “But when you smile at me like that, you make me nervous.”
“I like that I can rattle you still.”
“You certainly rattled me by bringing me on stage tonight,” Alex snorted with a laugh.
“I know,” he laughed with her. “I hope I’m forgiven.”
“You’re forgiven,” she murmured. “Just don’t make a habit of it.”
He could see the fatigue on her face when she stifled another yawn. “Come here.” Slater pulled her close. Alex happily obliged, stretched her legs out on the seat, and laid her head in his lap. She sighed as he ran his fingers through her hair. “It’s about twenty minutes to the hotel. Go ahead and sleep, honey.” He stroked her hair for a few moments and glanced down to see Alex looking up at him. Her features were highlighted sporadically by the street lights. “You’re not tired?” he asked, his voice so quiet.
“I am,” Alex replied. Her hand slid under his shirt and softly grazed the skin at his waistline. “But I know private moments like this are going to be a thing of the past soon. I would rather try to stay awake and enjoy the moment.”
Slater didn’t want to take his eyes off her. His green eyes glowed into her while he lifted the hem of her shirt and placed his hand gently over her stomach. “Really?” he asked with awe.
Alex put her hand over his. “Yes, really.” She reached up to him and toyed with the ends of his hair over his shoulder. Her voice was curious. “I wonder what he or she will look like?”
“With you as their mother, they have no choice but to be stunning.”
“And with you as their father,” she yawned and snuggled further into him, “they have no choice but to be trouble.”
He leaned down to kiss her. “Go to sleep, baby,” he murmured and caressed her cheek while her eyes drifted closed. He watched her for a few minutes while she slept, leaned his head against the seat as the limo navigated through Manhattan, and savored the feelings of euphoria coursing through his veins. There was so much running through his head. How long was she going to stay with him? When would they put that addition on the house so Kathleen could move in? How would they do that while being on tour? How was Alex going to decorate the baby’s room, more importantly, when? He wanted to get all those questions out into the open, but Alex’s well-being, and that of their child, was the most important thing right now. If sleep was what she needed, then sleep was what she would get. Like he felt in most situations, he was confident they would figure it out.
They made it through city traffic in good time, all the while Alex dozed in Slater’s lap. He was reluctant to wake her up and considered having the driver kill some time so she could get more rest.
Alex stirred at his gentle shake of her shoulder, cleared her throat when she sat up, and ran tired hands through her hair. She slid to the edge of the seat when the door opened, accepted a hand for assistance to stand, and leaned into Slater when he emerged behind her. She was too exhausted to argue about the wall of men who surrounded them as they were escorted to the elevator.
Aware of the stares and whispers as they walked through the lobby of the hotel, Alex took secret comfort in their protection that they wouldn’t be rushed at by overzealous fans trying to touch either one of them. There was a part of her that wished they could have attempted an inconspicuous walk to the elevator as just the two of them. The group of large men made a spectacle of themselves as it was, and in Alex’s mind, only brought more attention to them. Her blood circulated quickly throughout her body, she became more awake and alert with each step she took. She glanced at the guard to her right and blinked quickly when she recognized him. “Marcus!” She smiled then nudged Slater. “Hey look, it’s Marcus, one of the guards who escorted us to Mona’s party. What’s he doing here?”
Slater nodded at the guard. “Elliot is here, too.” He tilted his head to his left as Alex looked around him and sent Elliot a friendly wave. “Ben uses the same people a lot. They’ve been with us on and off along the tour so far.”
“How did I not notice that when we left your dressing room?” she asked, confused.
“Probably because you were pissed off about their presence.”
“Maybe,” Alex mused. She turned to Marcus and slipped her arm through his, suddenly all smiles while Slater chuckled next to her. “Marcus, how is your wife?”
They shared a private elevator ride. Alex was thankful Slater didn’t want to squeeze the bodyguards into the car, even though she enjoyed the chit-chat with Marcus and Elliot. The two of them were quiet on the ride as they approached their floor. When they reached their suite, Slater opened the door and let Alex walk ahead of him, then pulled her into his arms. He hugged her to him while she rested her head against his chest. Still quiet, he took a step back and unzipped her jacket. Alex smiled to herself when he helped her out of the garment and laid it on a nearby chair. She knew that he would treat her with kid gloves.
“I can take my jacket off.”
“I know you can.” He took her by the hand and led her into the dining room. “I have a surprise for you.”
“Oh!” Alex gasped at the spread of food on the table and pressed a palm to her growling stomach. “Cheeseburgers, yum! French fries and chocolate cream pie for dessert.” She nodded her approval. “I’m pretty sure I can take this down. Did you have anything sent for you?”
“There’s enough for an army here. I was thinking we would share.”
“You haven’t seen me eat lately.” Alex shook her head in disbelief. “I’m starving. All the time, it’s surreal.” She sat at the table and started in on a cheeseburger with the works. “Mm...” She rolled her eyes and smiled around a mouthful of food. “So good.”
Slater sat across from her. “Our celebration meal, but no champagne for you.” He passed her a vanilla milkshake and dug into his own meal. He wanted some information. “Ok, you’ve given me a quick rundown on most of your symptoms but how do you feel? I’ve never been around a pregnant woman before, but I always hear about morning sickness and weird cravings. Are you feeling alright?”
Alex sighed over another bite of her burger and licked her fingers as she inhaled a handful of fries. “I’m craving everything, so no morning sickness yet. My doctor told me that could change at any time and out of the blue, morning or night. Or I could be very lucky and never have it. Things are heightened, like my sense of smell and areas of my body are more sensitive than usual...” She trailed off and let her words sink in as a slight blush crept up her neck.
“I think I’ve pretty much figured out those areas,” Slater replied. He reached across the table and took her hand in his, his voice serious. “Allie, how did this happen?”
She tilted her head and smiled at him. “Well, honey, when a man and a woman fall in love...” She laughed softly when he rolled his eyes at her.
Slater laughed with her, he loved her sense of humor. “You know what I mean. How did this happen? I thought we were being careful.”
“It was my fault,” Alex admitted. “I was so anxious about being without you for three months, I skipped the pill the entire week before you left. I realized it that first night you were gone.”
“We’ve spoken every day since then. Why didn’t you say something?”
“I don’t know.” She finished off her burger and focused on her fries. “I had so much going on with shooting the movie and my body kept playing tricks on me. I didn’t want to worry you if there was nothing to worry about. When the home test didn’t read strongly, I did as Mona suggested and finally went to the doctor. I’m sorry I didn’t say anything to you, I was all over the place with my emotions.”
“Don’t I know it,” he muttered.
“I found out right before I was leaving to come here and then Annette was over, and she and Kathleen found out.” They shared a laugh when Alex filled him in on how the two women uncovered her secret. She took a drink of her milkshake. “We have to talk to Kathleen about her moving in. We have to figure out creating that living space for her you mentioned a while ago. And...” She stood up to get the file Annette had given her before she left. “I have to figure out what, if any, jobs I want to accept.”
Slater opened the folder and scanned her proposed work. “So, L’Oréal and Louis Vuitton came crawling back to you? I knew they would.”
“Yeah,” Alex said softly. “What do you think?”
He flipped to the second page and read the compensation presented to her. “I think it’s your career and you should do what you want.” He closed the file and looked at her intently. “Regardless of what you decide, this gives me the opening I’ve been looking for.” His voice was serious as he set the folder aside. “Allie, I have a hard time even voicing my opinion because I’ve always supported your career and you’ve always supported mine. I’ll be honest when I tell you that minus the small jobs Annette wants you to do, I don’t want you to work now. I want you to be able to experience this pregnancy in its entirety. Then take time to focus on the baby.” He took a moment before he confided in her. “I know this sounds selfish, but I don’t want to miss anything. I want you to stay with me on the tour. I can’t stand the thought of being away from you during this time.”
“I’ve looked at the potential work and I like some of what I see. I think I’ll commit to the projects that will accommodate me and come to me, but I haven’t told Annette what I’ve been thinking yet.” She took a moment and looked Slater squarely in the eye. “Honestly, I want to take a few years off and be your wife.” Her eyes filled with happy tears. “I want to learn how to be a mother.”
