Page 2 of Rising Star

“Sometimes.”

“Can I try it?”

That’s when I realized Mikaella never got the chance to do just that, wear her mother’s perfume. Or try her heels and jewelry. Tiny needles pierced my heart as I watched her.

I neared her and tucked her hair behind her ear.

“Absolutely. Let me find it first. I think it might be—”

Sam’s voice reached us. “Girls, ready for breakfast?”

Justine jumped to her feet. “Maddie, come, come,” she singsonged. She curled her fingers around my digit and pulled me after her, the sound of her laughter contagious.

I choked on a gulp of air when we stepped into the kitchen and I came face to face with Sam.

“Hey,” he whispered, his eyes locked on mine, an unreadable expression crossing his features.

“Hey.” I coughed out the single word.

“Sleep well?” he asked with one tipped brow, a hint of a smile curving his lips.

“Mm-hmm.”

Could he guess, just by staring at me, I gave myself an orgasm while my mind overflowed with images of him? While he sang to me? Oh. My. God. Was my face turning crimson? Were my eyes betraying me?

I swallowed, pretending to be immersed in something Mikaella said as I replied, “You?”

His throat worked, and he said nothing for a beat. “Yep.” He pinched his brows together, shook his head, his smile still anchored to his mouth, and turned around, humming. A new buoyancy, I never noticed before, trailed behind him.

Something had happened. Sam Stevens wasn’t the chirpiest guy on the planet. And now he looked rejuvenated. And in the best of moods I’d ever seen him.

I cleared my throat, wiped my moist palms on my jeans skirt, took a cleansing breath in, and offered, “Want me to make my special chocolate and strawberry waffle recipe?”

“Yes,” the girls screamed at the same time.

Sam and I burst into a chuckle, and it filled the room with a lightness I couldn’t resist.

And just like that, I became a full-time presence in their household, and for some reason, it felt strangely comfortable as if we’d all been living together forever.

2

SAM

Breakfast, the first one we shared with Madison, turned out to be much more of an enlivened experience than usual. The girls, in a cheery mood, couldn’t stop chatting and laughing. At their request, as if she was a new shiny toy they had to carry around everywhere, Madison helped them get dressed before Riley and Devon picked them up and drove them to the zoo. I loved the idea of giving Madison some much-needed time and space to unpack and make herself at home. Without my mini monsters asking hundreds of questions and creating additional cacophony to the task. We had almost two months left before leaving for the tour. All of us living together was this final test to prove to me we could do this. All together.

“I’ll be in my studio if you need help with anything,” I told Madison after I carried the rest of her boxes from the garage to her room.

“Thanks. I should be fine.” She offered me a warm smile. As she tied her hair up in a high ponytail, her shirt lifted from the front, giving me a peek of her toned midriff when she raised her arms.

I swallowed hard and forced myself to look away.

After last night, I wasn’t allowed to look at her in any way other than my daughters’ nanny or the hired help. My dick and I had reached an agreement. And I was adamant about it. Even though my body rang with bliss after I relieved some of the tension that had been crippling it. Now I felt like a new man. One who’d broken through some of the chains holding him in place.

I retreated to my music studio before Madison could notice how I ogled her and locked myself for hours, not risking a foot out, even to get lunch. Sure, last night had helped to get rid of the edginess, but I was a weak bastard when it came down to Madison Prescott. Truth be told, now that no children could walk in and break whatever moment we shared, I feared I couldn’t be trusted to contain myself. Or my willpower would snap if presented with an opportunity to kiss her sweet mouth without any lingering distractions.

When the doorbell rang around five, I put my guitar on its stand and rubbed my fists over my eyes, wiping out the exhaustion that weighed there.

The front door opened before I had time to get to it. Two small tornados rushed in with blue cotton candy and sugary smiles.