Page 59 of Rockstar's Accidental Marriage

“You say that now, but wait until we’re living in a jungle.”

She laughs lightly, the sound chasing away some of the tension that’s been building between us.

After breakfast, we head out for one of our usual walks along the beach. The sand feels warm beneath our feet, and the waves roll in gently, the rhythm soothing.

“Sam, what about you?” she asks after a while, her voice quiet. “Have you thought about what it’ll be like when the tour starts again?”

“And you’re back to being Boss Lady?” I shrug, keeping my gaze on the horizon. “Yeah, a little. I’ve mostly been trying to just enjoy the break. But I guess it’s time we start thinking about the details.”

“It’s going to be different now,” she says, her tone careful.

“Because of the baby?”

She nods, her hand drifting to her stomach. “Not only that. We’re married now.”

My lips twist. “We were married before,” I point out dryly.

A faint blush covers her cheeks. “Not like we are now,” she says as she rests her hand on my arm.

“Ah, you mean different in that we’re having sex regularly,” I say just to get a rise out of her.

“Regularly?” She arches an eyebrow at me as she crosses her arms in front of her.

“Well, we had sex before, too,” I point out, waving toward her belly. “Just not that… regularly,” I finish with a shrug.

Emily’s lips tighten, and her eyes narrow, but suddenly she laughs. It’s clear and light-hearted, surprising me.

“I’m on to you now, Samuel Ryder… you’re trying to distract me by deliberately pushing my buttons.” She nods wisely. “So, yes. I should have said because we’re now more intimate… “

I raise my eyebrows at her as I wait with a smug smile.

“Regularly,” she finally grits out, rolling her eyes.

With an approving smirk, I say, “Good girl.” Leaning down, I give her a swift kiss and then pull her against my side, wrapping an arm around her. “Just like everything else, we’ll figure it out as we go,” I say, giving her a reassuring glance. “Why don’t we book private hotel rooms during the tour?”

She gives me a considering look. “We may be able to, but what about the nights we’re traveling?”

Grimacing, I turn serious. “Hopefully, there won’t be that many ‘irregular’ nights, but we’ll just have to deal with them.” Giving her a chaste kiss on the nose, I murmur, “Whatever it takes, Em. We’ll make it work.”

Her eyes meet mine, and I can see the doubt lingering there, but she doesn’t voice it. Instead, she nods, her lips curving into a soft smile.

“Whatever it takes,” she says.

And as we continue down the beach, I can’t help but hope we’re right. Being here with her in our home vastly differs from being on a smelly, crowded bus that offers zero privacy and no chance of sleeping together. The sexual tension alone could make things feel like before. And we could revert back to our previous behaviors. I wince because neither of us wants that again.

It’s the night before we have to return to work. Emily insisted we plan our itinerary so we can share a room when we can. She also ensured we would both be able to make it to her next ultrasound. We tried to cover all the bases, but I’m sure we forgot something.

Emily needs to feel like she has everything under control, while I’m more laid-back and a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants sort of guy. Together, we tend to balance each other out. After spending this time together, I can hear what she's not saying—how we'vechanged, grown closer, and become more than just a marriage of convenience.

The way she looks at me now speaks volumes about the trust we've built. But I don’t like the worried look in her eyes as the furrow between her brows gets deeper. She’s also started getting sick in the mornings. I hope it’s more nerves because of the pending tour than morning sickness. But regardless, Emily is handling it like a pro.

“Did you remember to pack lots of crackers and your chamomile and mint tea?” I question.

“Yes, I made a checklist so I wouldn’t forget anything important.” She says with a pointed glance at her neatly stacked luggage on wheels. Beside it is my worn but familiar duffel bag and guitar case.

“I’ve been doing this for so long. I don’t typically forget anything,” I say in self-defense. “But if I do, we can always stop at a store.”

Emily’s yawn has me glancing at the clock. “We better turn in now if you want to get up early tomorrow,” I tell her as I hold out my hand.

---