Click (A Night Fire Novel Book 2) Read online

  I put the present from Frankie and Curtis onto the table with the others, feeling the warmth of a wonderful man wrapping his arms around my waist.

  “You keep a pretty good secret.” I hummed as his lips pressed against my ear.

  I turned in his arms, resting my hands on his chest. He pressed his forehead to mine, staring into my eyes.

  “Thank you, it's so thoughtful.”

  “Anytime Abigail. My life is yours now, all that I want is you. To see you happy, to make you smile, to give you love both emotionally and physically, it's what I live for.”

  “Not your music?”

  He shook his head with a smile.

  “I'd give it away in a heartbeat should you ask.”

  “I would never do that.”

  “Why?” he asked with a deep frown.

  “Because it's what you love, deep down in here.” I moved my hand to his heart. “Your life is your music and Abigail. I am happy when you are happy and so long as you are making your music I know that you will be happy. If you gave it away you would be miserable, wouldn't you?”

  Austin nodded with a lopsided smile, leaning in for a soft kiss that was completely guest friendly.

  “Hey lovebirds.” Jaxon yelled out. “I'm hungry, stop smooching and get over here so they can start serving dinner.”

  We looked at each other and giggled.

  “Do you know why I love you Abigail Marshall?”

  I shook my head, unable to stop smiling.

  “Because of this.” His hand pressed to my sternum. “You love me with this and you love unconditionally. You accept that my life isn't perfect, it isn't easy. You accept that my music will always be a part of my life and will be a dominant part of it for many years to come.”

  Slowly his soft touch worked its way to my neck, stopping under my ear.

  “You have an amazing talent, this mind is an exceptional one.”

  I grinned as he pressed a soft kiss onto my forehead.

  “Eyes that can see beauty everywhere and you capture it for everyone to see.”

  The smile faded from his face, his eyes darkened as a haunted expression crossed his face.

  “I was lost. What you see in the others, that was me. Not so long ago I was like that and I didn't think that there would ever be a time where I would be content. That one person could fill my days with happiness. Not so long ago a crazy woman fell over me on the beach, she had no clue who I was.”

  I giggled, tears that had been welling in my eyes fell onto my cheeks. Austin wiped them away with his thumb as a soft smile played across his face.

  “I wasn't lost anymore. Reason for life was found, I couldn't escape my thoughts about her, I couldn't wait to see her again. And when I did see her again, I knew that I was in trouble. I knew that if I didn't wake every morning to see her in my bed then I'd never be happy again.”

  With a restrained sob I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him hard.

  “Do you have to be so sweet?”

  “Yeah, I do. Love is sweet.”

  Epilogue

  I watched as my things were loaded onto the plane, my brand new camera in my hands. That was the contents of the white box with the black ribbon. Like some conspiracy each and everyone one of my presents was something to do with my new job. Of course once we got back to the apartment and everyone had gone to bed, I got more presents. Ones that were secret presents. Where Austin had got the time to shop for lingerie I didn't know but he had. I guess he probably did it online, I doubt he would have asked Eden to do it.

  Today we were flying to the first destination for the start of the tour. A year on the road with these crazy guys. I couldn't wait, I was so excited. I'd already spent the morning taking photos of the roadies loading the equipment into the trucks. I couldn't get over how much effort it took to get one little band around America.

  Our first stop was LA, tonight was the kick off promotional performance that was mostly Hollywood A listers and the record label management. There would also be some die hard fans that had won a competition, they had won access all areas and photos with the band. Which according to Eden was my main concern for tonight, taking their photos. I hitched my bag of tricks onto my shoulder as another car pulled up, Curtis and Frankie getting out. Frankie looked a little green, the poor thing was clearly suffering morning sickness already.

  “Morning.” I said brightly.

  Frankie groaned as she leaned on the car.

  “Tell me they have a belt in the bathroom. Not sure if I'm going to be able to handle the take off.”

  “Why didn't you drive it?”

  Her eyes darted to Curtis with a frown who shrugged as he hauled the bags out of the boot.

  “Gotta get used to it sometime.” she muttered.

  I nodded and took a photo.

  “Hate me yet?”

  Frankie chuckled with a smile. “No, you are mild in comparison to some of the photographers getting in our faces.”

  “The day isn't over yet.”

  Another car pulled up, this one had Jaxon and Evan in it. Frankie and I looked at each other when the sound of glass bottles tinkling against each other emanated from their car. Thankfully they had the sense to be driven here though I didn't think drinking at this hour was ideal. They got out of the car and it looked like they hadn't slept in several days.

  “Christ.” Frankie breathed the word quietly. “One day real soon one of them is going to end up in hospital.”

  “Or dead.” Curtis muttered.

  Frankie nodded grimly as she looked at me, gently taking my elbow and leading me to the plane.

  “Something needs to be done about those two.”

  “Yeah.”

  I looked up at the top of the stairs, Fraser was already on the plane and looking like he was about to have a meltdown about something.

  “Eden!”

  I turned and searched for her, she was by one of the cars. Evan had wandered over to her and was showing Eden his moonwalk. As I took photos of Evan I thought of the pictures, I was going to have to do some serious cataloging on the computer. Otherwise things were going to end up a mess. I wouldn't know one city from the next.

  This was a serious job, if they were going to pay me a ridiculously over the top wage then I was going to earn every cent. Every time they turned around I was going to stick this expensive birthday present in their face and take their picture. Make them sick of me. Austin had already said that he was regretting buying it for me, sick of turning around and seeing a camera pointed at him. Day one and I had achieved my first goal.

  I could hear Eden offering her pleasantries to Evan and his moonwalk. She had to go, she had to deal with the frantic Fraser and Evan's dancing could wait until we were in the air.

  With a lot of curiosity I watched Evan as Eden walked away. As she drew closer I turned to the man at the door to the plane, his eyes narrowed at Evan.

  “Good morning ladies.”

  Eden moved past us and climbed the stairs.

  “Morning Eden.” I offered, though I doubted that she heard.

  A shadow loomed over us, I turned to the grinning Evan.

  “You are the devil incarnate, you know that?” Frankie said, smiling cheekily.

  “Yeah, I like to do my part.”

  He sighed happily as he put his hands on his hips.

  “Gonna start a bet, you girls gonna be in on it?”

  “Sure. A month for a hundred.”

  Evan shook his head with a devilish grin. “Lame. What about you Ab?”

  “I'll go with a mixed bet I think. In secret for at least a month. I think it's going to burst out in one horrific mess at around six weeks. I'll go a hundred as well.”

  “You two need to learn how to bet with the high rollers now.” Evan scoffed.

  “So what are you offering smart ass?”

  We all turned to Austin who had quietly moved closer. His overnight bag was hitched over one shoulder, the free arm wrapped itself around my
waist.

  “Ten g's says they'll be pounding the bed in three weeks.”

  “What if it's the lounge or a wall?” Frankie cheekily retorted.

  “Same thing.” he nodded his head at Austin. “Well then, gonna match it?”

  Austin grinned at him. “Sure. Only I'm going for three weeks and one day.”

  Evan scoffed and turned to Jaxon and Curtis who had just walked over.

  “What about you two, gonna bet on the two lovebirds?”

  “Four weeks.” Curtis offered and Frankie gasped with love in her eyes.

  “I said that too. It must be a sign that we're going to win.”

  He chuckled and picked her up, carrying her up the metal stairs and ignoring her protests. She was freaking out that he'd drop her and she wasn't being quiet about it. I snapped a few pictures, it was mostly of the back of Curtis and a mass of brown wavy hair on one side and long legs on the other side.

  “Five weeks, three days. We starting the bet right now?”

  “Sure, gonna count the minutes and seconds?”

  “Nah, just the day is fine.”

  As the cars pulled away, another arrived. Jerry climbed out of the car and started unloading his bags, with a big hug from El she was on her way again.

  “Morning all.”

  He nodded to the camera with a big smile.

  “How's the picture taking going Abbey?”

  “Great. Getting in their faces and being completely annoying.”

  “Excellent. Maybe we should do a few on the stairs, like a beginning of the tour thing.”

  Jerry nodded to his own suggestion, walking up the stairs to search out Fraser and Curtis. Once he had found them he quickly thumped his way down the stairs and started organizing them into position. Eden found her way to my side, Frankie on the other side of me as we watched and waited.

  “You know you hired me without even seeing any of my work. I could be absolute shit for all you know.”

  Eden smiled at me as she shrugged, caring little about my statement.

  “Point and click Abigail, it's not that hard.”

  I wanted to say that it wasn't just a case of point and click, that there was so much more to photography than what she thought.

  Jerry stepped back, grinning like a mad man. I took a dozen or so pictures and let him look over them.

  “See, point and click.” Eden hummed happily from behind us.

  “Yeah, sure Eden.” I said softly.

  “I'm teasing.” she chuckled.

  I stared blankly at her for a few seconds and then grinned. Eden was so hard to read, she could have a stoic look on her face and you would never know what she was thinking.

  “Did you know they were talking about putting them into a book?”

  “No.” I whispered. “Austin never mentioned it.”

  Eden raised her eyebrows suggestively with a smile and wandered to the stairs.

  “That is so cool.” Frankie gushed. “Tell me you are going to do it, make a book of the pictures. Come on Abbey.”

  “Uh yeah sure, why not?”

  “Yay.” she grinned as she clapped excitedly.

  With another grin she was off, chasing after Curtis. Everyone slowly trudged their way up the stairs, I took a few photos as I thought about the concept of a book.

  It made sense the more I thought about it. What was the point of all these photos if they sat on a computer and did nothing? A book could be sold to the fans, given away in competitions. Promotional pictures and posters, so many things could be done with these images.

  Austin stood by the bottom of the stairs, a feint trace of a smile on his face. I took a photo, one that I would probably hold back from publication. It was far too hot to release to the world.

  “Are you ready for the holiday of a lifetime Abigail?”

  I grinned madly as I walked over to him, taking his hand.

  “Absolutely.”

  ###

  Coming soon:

  Sahara

  A Night Fire Novel

  Eden Hurley is the personal assistant to the hottest rock band America has ever produced. Night Fire consists of five talented young men who live their lives in the fast lane, causing all sorts of grief for Eden. They constantly give her a headache and to escape the craziness, Eden dreams of her ideal paradise - the Sahara desert. The only problem for Eden is that one of them is more than just a headache for her. One of them is slowly creeping his way into her heart.

  Fraser Newton has a problem. Well, he has a few of them. One of them is that his attempts to attract the attention of Eden is failing. No amount of flirting with her has worked, he thinks that he's been friend zoned from the start and stands little chance of her ever thinking of him as anything more than her boss. He knows that his past is part of the problem, Eden sees him as a ladies man and all attempts to make her jealous by bedding groupies fails. But all issues regarding his attempts with Eden slip away when a package arrives for him.

  One box will turn Fraser's life upside down and bring him closer to Eden than he had ever anticipated.

  About the author:

  TM Watkins lives in Brisbane, Australia with her family. When she's not working or running around after her family, she spends her days contemplating the next adventure for her characters and her nights writing about them. Under the pen name of xMishx on Wattpad, she has written many books that are still available to read for free.

  Acknowledgments:

  Click:

  Image purchased from iStock

  Artist: LesByerley

  Sahara:

  Image purchased from iStock

  Artist: Tawes13