She kissed him. “I have closetsful of clothes. I’ll dress up for you again. Especially if you wear a suit more often.”

They headed out to the deck outside the bedroom.

“This looks better than I remembered.” Vaughan settled next to her on the outdoor couch.

“About five years ago I had a garden architect over for dinner.” His brow arched and she rolled her eyes. “My agent’s husband, who attended with his wife and about eight other people.”

“I’m trying not to be a dick. I can’t control my face sometimes. I know it’s my fault I wasn’t around. I just see how men look at you and react to you everywhere we go. It makes me all weird.”

“You were born weird, Vaughan. Anyway, this garden design was his idea. I just told him how I wanted it to feel and went back to Oregon. Three months later I returned and fell in love instantly. This is one of my favorite places to be at the end of a long day.”

“Plenty of privacy out here, too. I remember that’s why we loved it out here so much.”

“It really is spectacular how you can associate just about anything to a sexual memory.”

“What can I say?” He grinned. “You’re memorable.” He sobered. “I’m going to call Jeremy tomorrow to arrange for security when we travel.”

“At least you know he takes this sort of thing seriously.” Kelly frowned as she recalled the murder of Jeremy’s young daughter and the kidnapping and assault of his wife, who’d been a very high-profile musician at the time.

The price of fame was something people liked to joke about, or to say celebrities somehow deserved to have their lives torn apart simply because they made music or films.

Fame had been one of the temptations in her own marriage’s demise. Vaughan’s oldest brother had lost years of his life and success because of addiction.

Kelly’s kind of fame had been relatively faceless. A silly thing when you thought about her job. But most people didn’t recognize her on the street, especially if she was dressed like a normal person.

“I already had the security updated at the house. It’s as safe as we can be without living behind walls with guards in towers.”

“I don’t want that.” There were things she’d given in to, like the private school with good security. The extra precautions she’d taken when the house had been built, including a panic room Vaughan had insisted on.

Kelly continued, “I’ve given Maddie and Kensey as much of a normal life as I can. As normal as you can get with a rock star for a father, rock stars for uncles and a mom who was a model. They have privilege. But they have friends and dance classes and they don’t have to live in a house with a moat.”

“What if we found a house in Gresham that’s on more acreage? We could have a gate, but it would be less like a house with a moat? We could build it to our specifications.”

“I live in a house that was built to my specifications. It’s on three quarters of an acre as it is. It’s not like the house is unsafe. Acreage isn’t why those women sidled up to you tonight after tipping off the paps that we were there.”

“You’re very stubborn.”

“I refuse to do useless things to pretend away the real problem. I’ve given up enough of my life and freedom to your goddamn fame. I don’t want your daughters’ lives to be upended. I worked nonstop to give them an existence where they’re not responsible for paying my bills or making me relevant. They don’t have to perform for a roof over their heads and they won’t be doing lines in the bathroom at fifteen because that’s what everyone else in their lives does.”

His mouth had been open, getting ready to argue with her, but then he stopped abruptly. Instead he reached out, pulling her into his lap to face him. Between his thin sleep pants and hers, all that hardness and heat reacted immediately.

His hands were in her hair, tugging to expose her neck and breasts to his mouth. He tormented her, licking, biting and sucking her nipples through the material of her tank top.

Her nails dug into his back after she’d yanked his shirt off.

He let out a string of curses as he shoved his pants down to free his cock and then yanked her shorts and panties to the side, sliding into her hard and fast.

And naked. She gasped at the feel of him and then at the expression he wore as he held her still, his hands at her hips squeezing just shy of pain.

“We good?” He managed to speak, though his gaze had gone blurry and sex-glazed.

They’d been tested and then tested again but she hadn’t been able to go in and get an IUD yet.

“I’m not on any birth control other than condoms. As good as this feels...” She had to pause to writhe when he moved slightly and it sent a ripple of sensation outward from her pussy. “I’m not going to play with fire. I had a baby to save a relationship before. It doesn’t work.” Two kids was enough. Maybe forever. But certainly until they were much further along in their relationship.

He ground his teeth but pulled out. She dashed inside, grabbed a condom and they were back in business within the space of a minute.

“Love it when you’re on top,” he said as he rained kisses over her cheeks and eyelids. “I can touch all my favorite parts.”

He underlined that by dancing the tip of his finger over her clit until she went all warm and boneless.

Vaughan did that. Touched her and made her forget everything. This was different. He still touched her in all the right ways, but now there was no forgetting. But a knowing that had changed.