Love You The Most
by Julie Capulet
Sneak Peek
~ Lexi ~
“How does it feel to have stormed on to the scene so suddenly, like you have?” I’m interviewing Travis Tucker, the front man of a hot new country-rock band whose fourth album, like their other three, has hit number one on the Billboard charts. This is my role now at Downtown and has been for almost a year. I run my own features department, where I interview musicians, writers, movie stars and other movers and shakers. It’s the job I chose and created, and I absolutely love it. And my best friend Tess works alongside me, as one of three fashion executive editors, which makes it even more fun.
“It feels fucking good,” Travis drawls. He leans back in his chair, knees apart. His worn jeans and faded shirt show off his gracefully muscular physique. He’s hot and he knows it. We’re in my swanky, modern office and he looks out of place, with his windblown hair, his double denim, cowboy boots and his full-on Nashville vibe. He’s so suntanned and outdoorsy-looking, he might as well have just stepped straight out of a corn field. His look is sort of wholesome meets bad boy. “But it doesn’t feel all that sudden. My brothers and I have been writing songs and playing together since we were kids. Our overnight success has taken years of work, but we’re glad the fans are enjoying the music. That’s who we do it for.”
The Tucker Brothers Band consists of Travis and his two brothers, Vaughn and Kade. All three of them are ridiculously good-looking. That, combined with their cool, artsy style and their obvious über-talent have skyrocketed them to the heights of fame and fortune over the course of a few short years. They also seem to be constantly surrounded by scandal after scandal, only upping their street appeal.
I check my list of questions. “Your first three albums sat more squarely in the country scene. How would you describe your new album?”
“Country, bluegrass, rockabilly, gospel, rock. It’s all in there. Our inspiration isn’t limited to one style of music. We like to mix it up. But, yeah, our new album is heavier. It’s more rock ‘n roll, I guess you could say.”
“How are you handling the fame? Has it changed your life?”
“Completely. The crowds can get pretty rabid, but it’s cool. We love our fans. I do miss peace and privacy occasionally. I'm thinking about buying a house out in the country. I'll starting looking around soon to see what I can find. I thought it might be nice to have a private, peaceful getaway. Our life on the road can get pretty hectic.”
“I suppose you can’t tell us where you're looking for your new getaway house?”
He grins. I’m sure it’s a smile that’s left a trail of broken hearts across America and beyond. “That would sort of defeat the purpose, now, wouldn’t it? But maybe for you, I could make an exception.”
I smile back at him, but I glide right past his comment. “Your latest national tour sold out within ten minutes. Will you add more shows?”
“We already have.” Travis winks at me, then his gaze lands on my wedding ring. It’s the only ring I usually wear. My engagement ring is too big and ostentatious to wear every day. People tend to stare, not surprisingly. All the other rings Rafe bought me are sitting with my Tiffany engagement ring, in a special drawer, still in their jewelry store boxes. They’re all so incredibly over-the-top, they loudly announce to everyone I meet that I have a very rich husband. Which isn’t always the first detail about myself I want to advertise. This frustrates him to no end, but he knows I like to do things my own way. He’s still adjusting and learning to live with that. “We’re playing a few smaller venues as we tour,” Travis continues, “which we actually prefer to the stadiums. It’s more intimate.” At the word intimate, he looks right at me. He’s got one of those proverbial twinkles in his very-green eyes. “You should come to the one in L.A. tomorrow night. It’s at an undisclosed location.”
I didn’t hear the door open, but I suddenly sense his unmistakable squally, brooding presence.
Rafe.
His hand rests possessively on my shoulder and he leans down to kiss my neck. “Hey, baby,” he murmurs and I can smell his scent. Spiced man-scent, so purely Rafe.
Travis stands to shake Rafe’s hand. “Travis Tucker.” He’s grinning, like he’s amused by the fact that he was on the verge of propositioning me. He obviously doesn’t know Rafe—or what he’s capable of.
“Rafe Black.”
They shake hands briefly and Rafe stays close to me, half-sitting against my desk. It’s not unusual for him to drop in unexpectedly. He does it all the time. He wanted to share an office at first, but I refused. Then he insisted I take the office next to his, an arrangement we tried for a month before I decided it wasn’t working out very well. We distract each other. We ended up having sex…a lot, to the point where people were starting to get suspicious about why our doors were locked all the time. And why we weren’t actually getting any work done.
So I moved to the corner office that’s on the other side of the building. It’s the only way I can work.
That doesn’t stop him from checking up on me many times a day. Or, as he puts it, needing to get his fix. I don’t mind, of course. I need my fix as much as he does. Our relationship started out as something close to an addiction to each other, a lust that overwhelmed us both. Now, it’s mellowed somewhat, but it’s still…intense. He’s my husband, my lover, my best friend and my favorite person. I love him with a deep, complicated passion I didn’t even know I was capable of. He’s the love of my life. To say he feels the same way would be an understatement.
And now that Rafe has seen Travis, there’s no way in hell he’s leaving ...
