Page 64 of Forever Yours

Chapter 18

Trenton

WakingupwithAliin my bed was amazing. I wanted to start every day that way. The thought should have shocked me—I’d never wanted anyone in my personal space before, but it felt right.Wefelt right. When the headaches ofSing Battleweren’t tripping us up, we were perfectly in tune with one another.

The sheet had been pushed down near Ali’s stomach, and one breast was covered by her hair while the other was on full display.The best of both worlds.I wanted to take her pretty pink nipple in my mouth, but I didn’t want to wake her. She’d slept soundly, and I knew all too well how difficult it could be to sleep when stress was gnawing at your bones.

I couldn’t wait for the show to be over. I had no doubt that Ali would win, and then maybe we could really start being together with nothing between us. I appreciatedSing Battlebecause it brought us together, but it was like a third wheel.

Her eyelids fluttered.

“Good morning,” I said quietly.

Her eyes opened, and she put her arms above her head, stretching. A contented smile spread across her face. “Good morning, handsome.”

The flush that spread over my cheeks shocked the hell out of me. I ducked my head. The girl brought out a new side of me, and if that wasn’t a sign, I didn’t know what was. I loved her and wanted to be with her. We just had to get through this godforsaken show.

“Do you want breakfast?” I asked. “I can make pancakes, or I could serve you up another orgasm.”

She blinked. “What was that?”

I grinned. “I think you heard me.”

“Mmm…” She nearly purred, and my dick hardened. I definitely knew what I wanted for breakfast. “As tempting as that is, we need to get to work. We’re a day behind, remember?”

Sighing, I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling. “I remember.” I shouldn’t have been frustrated with her for wanting to rehearse while I would have preferred to stay naked in bed with her all day. She’d come out to LA with a mission, and I admired her drive. Starting this week,Sing Battlewould start doing double eliminations, which meant we were in the home stretch. I rolled out of bed and slipped in to my boxers. “I’ll make coffee.”

“Decaf for me, remember?” she called after me as I padded to the kitchen. She’d started drinking it in the hopes that it would have a placebo effect. I didn’t think it was working, but she swore it helped.

While I poured water into the Keurig, I heard the shower start. I poked my head into the bathroom. “Do you want breakfast?”

“No,” she called over the sound of the water. “Just toast or something quick. We need to get going.”

“Yes, ma’am.” The steam had clouded up the glass shower door, so I couldn’t even get one final look. I sighed.Back to the grind.

Ali

We decided to perform Trenton’s song “Forever Yours.” At first, I had mixed feelings because it was his biggest hit. The audience might not appreciate changes to a beloved song. I wondered if they might be more forgiving of a lesser-known track. But when Trenton learned that it was my favorite song of his, he’d become adamant that he wanted me to sing it. It was the first time he’d insisted on something, so I let him have his way. Besides that, I couldn’t deny him when his eyes had lit up upon learning it was my favorite because it was his too.

He worked tirelessly to make sure the new arrangement highlighted my voice perfectly. We decided that instead of singing with a backup track, we would go acoustic, with him on guitar. I’d never seen one of his solo concerts, but apparently, that was one of his encores.

I let him take the lead on everything for the performance. I figured since it was his song, he had that right. It wasn’t a hardship, either, because Trenton was much more talented than he got credit for. Liam Oliver was the most successful solo artist to come out of Misdirection, but I would argue that Trenton was just as talented.

“Any costume ideas for this week?” I asked. We were in Trenton’s sort-of studio, taking a breather.

He shook his head. “Nothing can top last week’s costume.”

I smiled at the memory of Trenton wearing the Phantom mask. It was definitely a highlight of the season. “I just wondered if you had anything specific in mind for me to wear. You know, since it’s your song and all.”

“It might be my song, but it’s our performance. Besides, you know I don’t give a rat’s ass what you wear.” That was partially true—he preferred me wearing nothing at all.

I shot Trenton the side-eye. “Maybe I’ll call Gabe and ask to borrow one of his T-shirts.”

“Like hell you will,” he replied. “Besides, you don’t have his phone number.” Sadly, Gabe didn’t get around to giving me his number in case I needed that second opinion he’d offered.

I plucked Trenton’s phone from where it was resting on the table. “No, but you do.”

Before I could even try to access the information on the device, Trenton picked me up and tossed me over his shoulder. “Now, you’re asking for it.”

---