Blurring the Lines (17 page)

She sighed. “I have no idea—”

“What’s up?” Chris asked as he turned. “My room, really Max?”

“Lita’s downstairs. Has
been
downstairs. She’s driving me insane, Chris. I think she was a good move on our part. But me? Insane.” His eyes widened. “I need you now. Donovan arrives today.”

Chris waved his phone. “I just got off the phone with Lita.”

“Good then!” Max slapped his hands together with a smile.

“Beach?” Jonah asked and Max paused, watching him for a moment.

Corinne grabbed her jeans and quickly pulled them on under the covers.

“I’m Max.” Max stepped forward watching Jonah almost like he was his own.

Jonah stuck his hand out. “I’m Jonah. Pleased to meet you Max.”

Chris grinned and Corinne warmed with how proud she was.

Max took his hand and stared back at Corinne mouthing, “
Just
like him.”

A pang of worry rocketed through her
, just like every time Jonah’s dad was mentioned. Something she didn’t even want to admit to herself was that part of her being on edge was the always present fear that Jonah’s dad would at some point gain an interest in his son. His parental rights had been stripped, but still…

It was something she’d never shake.

“You going to continue to add to the awkwardness Max?” Chris chuckled.

Max just laughed sliding his hands into his pressed pockets. “If you’d followed my rules from the beginning, there would be no awkwardness.”

“Just as much my fault, Max.” Corinne swatted at him before standing up, vowing to take a shower and figure out what in her pack was wearable while Chris worked.

“Jonah,” Chris said. “Why don’t you show Max your room?”

Corinne snorted and Max’s eyes widened again.

Jonah leapt toward Max, clasped his hand, and pulled him from the room. Max tossed a
n unreadable look over his shoulder at Chris before they disappeared.

“Max okay?” Corinne asked.

Chris grabbed her from the side, lifting her from the ground.

Her scream echoed in the room as Chris hauled her into his bathroom. “Shower?” He pressed his lips to her cheek and walked toward a large walk-in shower.

Corinne pushed him away. “You have to work. I have to feed a five-year old and rescue Max.”

His smile fell a little as she backed up. Chris nodded and stepped around her, pushing
open a door into a massive walk-in closet. “I had...crap...the girl who picked the clothes for the tour...Becca…? Ann…? Anyway. She picked up a few things you might like.”

“Like for what?” Corinne stared at the massive space. She’d have never pegged Chris as a big closet guy, but the space was immaculate and filled with stacks of folded, color-coded t-shirts and hanging jeans…

“To wear, Corinne.” He stepped into the room and gestured to a few small neatly folded
piles
on an ottoman. “I had no idea… I mean, I see you in yoga clothes and sometimes jeans…” He jerked his head, flipping his hair back again. “Shit. I’m always afraid you’re going to read in things that I don’t mean. I have no idea how to spoil you because you don’t want anything that I have any power to give you. These clothes make zero statement about how you dress, or how I want you to look. I didn’t pick most of them out. I just wanted to do
something
and I can’t imagine that you’re a jewelry girl.”

“You…” She wanted to protest, wanted to wonder so many things, but she made a decision to trust that he was trying to be nice. She touched the top of a stack of jeans not wanting to even think about how much he’d spent. “This is too much.”

“It’s not too much. I had no idea on sizes, so Becca, or  Ann or whoever, got to go to the store with the idea that you’re smoking hot with gorgeous skin and handful-sized breasts,” he teased. “Keep everything. Keep only some. Whatever. I just… You dropped everything to come here, and you let me in when I showed up there, I had to—”

“Stop rambling.” She slipped her fingers around the waist of his boxers and tugged him closer. “I’m going to ignore everything crazy that’s screaming inside me and say thank you.”

His arm came around her lower back, clutching her to him. “Shower?”

“Corinne!” Jonah yelled. “Come down and see! They’re playing soccer on the beach!”

Chris managed to pout while smiling and kissed her nose and then her lips. Her legs weakened and he held her to him. “This has been the almost-perfect way to start my day.”

She smiled, sucked in her bottom lip and agreed. “See you in a bit.”

The upstairs of Chris’ house was silent. Jonah sat on the porch watching the beach, and Corinne lounged in a new pair of insanely soft jeans and tank that was made out of some kind of magical cotton. She was overwhelmed by the gift, but at least he hadn’t gone out and filled his closet with mini-dresses and heels. And she didn’t have jeans to wear that she hadn’t hauled firewood in at some point.

“Can we go to the beach?” Jonah asked.

Corinne swallowed. She knew he’d want to go down. She knew that she’d almost definitely just blend. Almost. One person knowing who she was, or one photographer, or anything tying Corinne to this place or Jaxen or Jonah… Now she understood why Chris spent so much time inside.

“For a few minutes.”

TWENTY-ONE

“Do you know why she moved to that tiny town in Washington?” Max asked as he drove Chris. Away from his home. Away from Corinne and Jonah…

Max twitched in his seat, adjusting the volume on the music, changing the temperature settings…

“Because she’s
from
there?” Chris wasn’t in the mood. He’d missed their morning. Was missing their lunch for a meeting in downtown, and he was pissed because Donovan was coming in later that day, so he was probably going to miss something else. On top of all that, Max had dropped that there was a charity concert with Maroon 5, Kings of Leon, The Neon Trees and a few others that night where Chris was supposed to be for one song. All that work for one damn song.

“She’s not from there,” Max countered, still twitching even more than normal. “She’s from Seattle. She moved there to get away from all of this because even Seattle felt too big for her after leaving this shithole. She does not want this life, Chris.” Max pointed at him. “You do.”

“She’s here.” He kicked his foot into the floorboards of Max’s Porsche, knowing he was acting like a petulant kid.

“Because she’s falling for you.”

Even though he was sorta pissed at Max, he felt a smile form on his face. He loved that Max said Corinne was falling for him. Loved the idea of it. Loved hearing about it.

“She wants a small town life with a nice family and PTA meetings and quiet and peace and none of the shit that follows you around whether you want it to or not.” Max’s voice was more parental scolding than friend and manager.

“So, you want me to just walk away?” Chris asked.

Max sighed as he tapped on the rolled sleeves of his shirt. “No. And it’s not like you’d listen to me anyway. I just want you to really think about why you like her. Is it for the totally selfish reason I think it is, in that you’re writing again, which keeps your mind off all the things you’d rather have running through your system than words?”

“I wouldn’t rather be high than write, Max, or I’d have caved in to that months ago.”

“Fair enough. But you need to really think about whether or not you’re willing to give up your life for hers, because asking her to give up what she’s so carefully built just to step back into the chaos she barely escaped from, isn’t fair. At all.” His voice was low and harsh and maybe more serious than Chris had ever heard him.

His stomach twisted and turned. Max...had a point. He hated that Max had a point, but he did. Was Chris just being selfish?

“We both know you’re not going to give up your music for her. And no one should give up what they love for someone else. But with that comes everything she escaped.”

“I
get
it, Max.” Max was right. Chris wouldn’t be the same guy without his music. Without moving forward with his music. He was smart enough to know he wouldn’t be happy. He couldn’t even think about Corinne having that same unhappiness he’d have without his music, without her quiet safety.

“The clothes, Jonah’s room. Was that for you or for them?” Max asked.

Both. To be honest. Both. “Can we be done now?” Chris asked.

“I love that girl. She’s difficult at times, but—”

“You helped put her in a shit situation before, and you don’t want to do it again.” Chris was guessing, but he knew he had it right.

It was Max’s turn to be annoyed. Chris watched his knuckles turn white on the steering wheel. “No. I never want to be any part of her getting hurt again.”

“I think I’m in love.”

“Well, hell.” Max sighed. “That really complicates things, doesn’t it?”

Or makes it all much simpler. Wasn’t love supposed to conquer everything?

The second they stopped in Chris’ driveway, he jogged into the house, wanting to spend some time with J
onah and Corinne before Donovan arrived.

“Welcome home,” Donovan said with a small smile as soon as he stepped inside. “Sorry, I’m here, and this is your house, and…”

Chris waved him off. “It’s fine. Trust me. You should have seen the number of people in my bedroom this morning.”

Donovan cocked a brow, his messy, red hair a shade longer than it had been in Oregon.

“I’m looking for Corinne.” He walked toward the porch, knowing he was being a shitty host to Donovan, but even worse for Corinne. “Have you met Lita?”

“Terrified to,” he admitted. “I just got dropped off a second ago by…Miranda? And she said to wait in this room for you or Max.”

“There ya are kid!” Max boomed as he stepped in the door.

“Corinne and Jonah are outside on the beach,” Donovan said to Chris and then turned his attention to Max. “Great to be here.”

“Good, good.” Max slapped him on the back. “Because if Christian Meyer continues to be an idiot about a certain
someone
, you might be able to take his place.”

Donovan glanced between the two men a few times. “Uh…”

“He’s messing with us,” Chris said even though he wasn’t totally sure that Max was just messing around. “I’ll be back in a sec. Griffin’s downstairs with Lita. He’s a cool guy. Lita is...a perfectionist. I’ll be back in to smooth things over once I find Corinne and Jonah.”

“Smooth things over?” he heard Donovan say as he took off down the stairs for the door to the beach. Maybe they were still out there.

The beach was public, so every once in a while there were problems with photographers, but when he popped his head out, there were just a few people. Too windy for the California population, he guessed.

He heard Corinne’s laughter first and start
ed her direction.

Jonah was grinning from ear to ear running in the edges of the cold water. They were like a moving postcard of happy normal. Why did Max think they wouldn’t work here?

“Christian Meyer?”

He turned just in time to hear a camera click.
Shit
.

Chris smiled a little and nodded. He should get Corinne and maybe sneak a few minutes with her and Jonah before sitting down to play a bit with Lita and Donovan.

And Corinne could sit in the studio with them all, but Lita would probably have a fit if there were a kid in the room. Jonah was good, but there’s no way he’d be still and quiet for the couple hours Lita would probably want. Chris would push back at some point, but on Donovan’s first day, it wasn’t a good idea.

Without Jonah it would be…

But he stopped, his chest aching. Without Jonah it would only be half of what he wanted. Only… everything about his life was more complicated with him. Corinne had taken him out of school on Friday, and wanted to make sure he was back in school on Monday. One weekend was all he was getting.

And there was a concert that night, which he did not want to go to without Corinne, but with Jonah here and her not wanting to be seen... All of Max’s words and warnings slammed into him again, but they were so much to think about. He took a step closer and froze when he realized the man with the camera was still there.

“You out here with anyone?” he asked glancing up the beach.

A lump formed in Chris’ throat. She was right there, but far enough that she wouldn’t see him. Wouldn’t know he’d come down. He was afraid to do something as simple as play with them on the edges of the waves because it would mean that Jonah’s picture might show up somewhere. “No.” He turned toward the house with all of Max’s warning ringing in his head. “Just needed air.”

TWENTY-TWO

She shuffled her feet over and over on the doormat, trying to get off the sand. Jonah was stripped and running for the bathtub.

As she moved down the hall to the studio, Chris sang a song she hadn’t heard before. She froze to hear more, but his voice stopped abruptly.

“So, that’ll be my first song after the crossover that me and Donovan do.”

Lita laughed a little. “So, you guys aren’t even going to give the audience a breather between, huh?”

“That was the point, right?” Chris asked. “That we each get some time onstage, and overlap and that the show’s not about just one person.”

“I still can’t believe you guys invited me in on this.” Corinne knew Donovan’s voice right away.

“You
are
still the warm-up,” Lita teased.

Corinne cracked the door and Chris was on his feet immediately, smiling wide and moving across the room.

“Can’t stay,” she said. “Jonah’s in the tub.”

He didn’t pause before his arms came around her and again, the frustrations of trying to fill a day without him, when she’d come to see him were melting away.

“I thought me and Jonah would hit the store. There are a few things—”

Chris tensed and she stopped.

“Let’s send someone out.” His voice was stilted, and Corinne pushed away to see his face.

“What’s going on?”

“If you don’t want to be photographed, you’ll want to send someone. Apparently the numbers outside the front gate have doubled. So, you could take a limo to the store, or—”

“No.” Corinne leaned back against the wall. “This is suffocating, you know?”

Chris’ eyes closed briefly. “I’m so sorry. It’s just timing. I swear I’m never this interesting.”

“I thought you might join us on the beach.”

“I…” But he stopped. “Why don’t you come in and sit? We’re just talking about the show and how we want it to run.”

“Auntie Corinne!” Jonah called.

She was stretched in too many directions. Maybe she shouldn’t have come.

“You go sit,” Chris said. “
Pick up a guitar. I can help him.”

“But—”

“You know I wanted to see you, but also him.” He laughed, pushing her into the studio. “I will be back when he has clothes and a snack or whatever else he’s after.”

Corinne paused but Chris was already laughing with Jonah over the massive size of the towels.

She stepped into the studio and four sets of eyes were on her.

“Corinne!” Max grinned. “How are things?”

“Strange.” She shrugged and he frowned.

“You know everyone?” he asked.

She nodded and sat, but Donovan’s eyes were still on her. Curious. “Corinne
Bailey
. You… You were part of Moon Rising, right? Or… with Jaxen? Or…” He clapped his hands together. “I
knew
I knew you from somewhere! I don’t remember the connection, but that’s right, yeah?”

Cold ran through her from head to foot. If he knew who she was, how many other people would recognize her?

Max cleared his throat, and Donovan froze.

“Never
mind,” Donovan back-pedaled. “I’m sure that’s intrusive.”

Max rubbed his forehead, and Donovan’s gaze went from Corinne to Max and then to the floor.

“I’m gonna see if Chris needs help.” She jumped up, heart pounding and ran up the stairs, through the living room and onto the porch.

Air. She needed air. Her breathing sounded ragged, even in the breeze.

It had taken Donovan only a few brief meetings to figure it out. There were too many pasts she was trying to escape. Too much.

Her breaths finally started to slow when Chris stood next to her, his arms coming around her from the side.

“I shouldn’t have come.”

He pulled her closer. “Don’t say that. We both know it’s just timing. After the tour, it’ll be so much more relaxed. This is the worst of it, remember?”

After the tour. And then what happens when he was gearing up for the next? Or… And part of her loved that frenetic energy. Or used to. That part of her had died when that time in her life came to a disastrous close. Her names were stripped from the songs with no recourse, and she hadn’t fought for anything—it all felt too exhausting. At least it had at the time.

“It would get worse again if they knew you were involved with someone.”

Chris didn’t speak. Of course it would. She was right and there was nothing he could say.

“I don’t mean to interrupt,” Max said.

Chris sighed. “Of course you did.”

Corinne wondered if something had happened between the two of them with the way they watched each other too carefully.

“Maroon 5 tonight.” Max smiled at Corinne. “I know you love them.”

She did. “But I can’t go. I have Jonah here.”

“Please come.” Chris pulled her more fully against him. “Please.”

Max took a step forward. “I personally talked to the best nannying/childcare development center here, and it’s—”

“No. No way.” Corinne shook her head. “I don’t care how many qualifications someone has. No stranger is staying here with Jonah. No way.”

“But—” Max started. “We have confidentiality agreements, and it’s all set up.”

“First off, you don’t set anything up with my son without talking to me.” The world faded as frustration and panic swept through her. “I’m paranoid, okay? That happens when three of the four people you’re closest to are in an airplane that kills them. On top of that level of paranoia is that I know what it’s like to have my name trashed and talked about as if I weren’t a person. That panicky, over-cautious feeling bleeds into all the parts of my life whether I want it to or not. I’m sorry, but no.”

Max’s stare drifted to Chris. “You have to be there, Chris. Have to. I mean, really, really have to.”

“I’m not going without Corinne.” Chris sat, still holding Corinne’s hand.

Max mumbled under his breath. “I got them to slide you in for one song. Barely. Come on, Chris.”

“Look Max, if it’s such a big deal, you can hang with Jonah while me and Corinne go.” Chris’ eyes found hers. “If that’s okay with her.”

Corinne paused. The thought was...comical, but… but she did trust Max… “Max?” Corinne asked.

“I’m so not qualified for this.” Max shook his head. “I don’t have any idea what to do with a kid.”

“I trust you,” Corinne said. I
t may have been stupid, but she knew Max. She knew he would be careful with Jonah in a way that someone who didn’t know Corinne wouldn’t be.

“I’m seriously being demoted to baby-sitter tonight?” Max asked.

Chris laughed. “Only if you want me to go.”

“Un-believable.” Max shrugged. “Yeah. Fine. I’ll hang with the kid. We’ll watch...something…”

“He’s a good kid, Max. I promise.” And Maroon 5. The music loving side of her was dancing.

“So,” Chris pulled her onto his lap. “Worth coming down now?”

“We’ll see…” she teased, but yes, a concert like this had definitely softened the blow of how paranoid she felt being near LA.

Nerves danced in his stomach as he paced the living room.

“You shouldn’t be nervous.” Max took a bite out of an apple. “I get to be nervous.”

“What for?” Jonah asked and Chris laughed.

“Nothing! Max is afraid of being home alone, but he forgot he’ll have you to keep him company,” Chris teased.

Max glared.

“When we leave, you two should go watch a movie in the movie room.” Chris pointed. “There are puzzles in there. Jonah’s great at puzzles.”

“So that takes care of two hours…” Max leaned against the counter and Chris wished he could watch how Max dealt with Jonah while they were gone.

“Sorry!” Corinne called as she jogged down the stairs. “My hair wasn’t cooperating, and…”

But Chris didn’t hear the rest.

Her dark curls were a messy pile on her head, leaving a few strands down and her neck exposed. No way she had on a bra under her tight shirt that dipped scandalously low.

Her skirt came maybe to mid-thigh, and she’d topped it off with a pair of crazy wedge-like sandals with thick straps around her ankles, just accentuating her muscular legs.

“You okay?” She blinked, her face as lightly touched with makeup as always, and glowing.

“You look…” He felt himself smile. “I mean… It’s very good.”

“There’s not much to the shirt.” She glanced down.

“There’s sleeves,” he teased, pinching at the dark fabric that stopped near her elbows.

“No, the back.” She turned to show a scoop that stopped just an inch or two above the top of her waist.

He slid a finger down her spine. “I don’t think I’m having a single thought that’s not X-rated right now.”

Her eyes cast down and she stepped away from Chris to put her arm around Jonah. “So, be nice to Max, okay? He’s afraid of you.”

Max’s jaw dropped and Jonah laughed. “He’s not afraid of
me
, Mom. He’s afraid of being home alone!”

At least the kid remembered.

Corinne planted a kiss on his head. “I love you. So much.”

His tiny arms wrapped around her and he planted a kiss on her cheek. “Love you, too.”

Chris also gave Jonah a small hug. “Have a good night, J. Let’s do a monster breakfast tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay.” Jonah grinned again.

Chris took Corinne’s hand and led her to the garage.

“He called me Mom,” she breathed. “I love that. It slips once in a while.”

He ran his hands down her sides, just needing to touch her and then planted a kiss on her bare back. “My guess is that it’ll happen more and more.”

Skin. So much
skin
.

“You’re giving me goose bumps.” She turned to face him, sliding her hands up his chest and around his neck.

“You...wearing that…” His brain fuzzed out at the thought of it.

He reached down, resting a hand on the outside of either thigh. “I wanna push this up.” He shoved his hands up just enough to move up her skirt and she let out a shaky breath.

“And then I want to pull your panties down.” He ran his lips up her neck, sucking her earlobe into his mouth before letting her go. “And I want to hold you up against this car.” He lifted on her thighs and her strong legs wrapped around his waist instantly turning him on.

Their breathing echoed in the open space. His fingers moved up her soft skin until he could the feel the thin edges of her panties.

“Keep talking,” she panted. “I like it.”

“I want you to push down my jeans. I want to feel myself inside you as I hold you against the car, your legs wrapped around me.”

Corinne moaned into his ear.

“I’m going a little insane,” he whispered.

“Me, too.”

“Maybe when we get back then.”

She flexed her legs, jerking him against her, making him dizzy with want. “Maybe then.”

“And for now.” He pulled a long breath in and she let her legs fall down to stand. “For now we pretend that we’d rather go see Maroon 5 and Kings of Leon more than we want to rip each other’s clothes off.”

He bit her neck quickly before pulling open the car door. “Yes. That.”