🎶Like a leaf blowing in the air, could you carry me ~ Kygo feat. Julia Michaels

●Tara Afua Henrie●

In the first five seconds of waking up, I forgot where I was.

I tried moving and found a muscular hand drape across my waist, and then everything came flooding back, bringing heat to my cheeks.

Turning to my left, his arm unconsciously pulled me closer. Shaun was still lost in the world of sleep, breathing steadily with his lips slightly parted. His dark ebony hair was tousled, and I couldn't tell whether it was from sleep or from me running my fingers through it several times last night.

Last night.

Last night turned out to be one of the most intimate moments of my life. I watched his face, remembering what his mouth did to my peaked nipples. We basked in each other's warmth and connected in a way that had me unhealthily craving more of him even after we were both spent.

My eyes drifted lower, taking in his chest, stomach, and the tiny trail of hairs that led to his... God, he's big. I can't believe that whole thing entered me last night.

"That's right. Just keep admiring it," a groggy voice said, and my eyes moved back to his face.

Shaun's eyes were closed, but the corners of his lips crawled up into a knowing smile. Oh crap, he's awake. Feeling embarrassed, I twisted his left nipple.

"Oww!" He jolted up.

I laughed, "Morning Sunshine."

"You murdered my baby," he pouted, rubbing the sore spot. "Apologise to it."

I quirked up a questioning eyebrow. "You want me to apologise to your nipple? No way."

"Ok. Then I guess I have to exact my revenge." His eyes dropped to my chest.

"No, no." Shielding my breasts, I moved away, and then his arm clamped around my waist, bringing me back to him. I did my best to wrestle out of his hold, but he reinforced his attacks with tickles. "Shaun!"

He just laughed, continuing to tickle me and turning me into a squealing mess. The blankets underneath and around us became rumpled as I struggled to get away from the tickle master, but my efforts were useless. Shaun flipped me over, trapping me in place with his body.

"This is not how we do the pillow talk," I giggled.

"Sssh. We're creating our own pillow talk."

"What?" I sputtered out a laugh. "That's the corniest line I've ever heard."

"Mm, less talking, more kissing." His lips descended on mine, tongues dancing together in a searing kiss. My fingers found their way into his silky strands of hair, and that was when I knew that sleep didn't create the mess on his head.

All of a sudden, the wooden floorboards buzzed, startling us apart. "What is that?" I asked, breathing heavily.

Shaun moved off me to grab my hoodie and pulled out my phone. "Pam." He glanced at the caller ID before handing it over.

I sat up, bringing the phone to my ear. "Hey Pam."

"Hey, I just got to the label and ran into Carlos in the lobby. He said you hadn't arrived yet."

"Yeah, I'm...still on my way," I lied, glancing at Shaun, who was pulling on his shirt. "Got a bit sidetracked this morning."

"Mhm," Pam hummed knowingly, and I could practically hear the smirk in her voice. "Sidetracked, huh? Did you get lost on the way to your own bed, or did a certain someone make you forget where it was?"

My cheeks heated up instantly. "Pam!"

She laughed so hard that I was pretty sure someone standing a mile away could hear her. "I can't believe you thought you could lie to me when I was literally the one who helped Shaun plan your Valentine dinner."

I opened my mouth to deny it, but decided to change the subject instead. "You know what? Forget it. What are you doing at the label this early, anyway?"

"I came to see your manager. I've got some interesting news to share with you guys."

That caught my attention. "What kind of news?"

She made a playful tsk sound. "Nice try, but you'll have to come to the label to find out."

"Seriously?" I groaned. "Can't you just tell me now?"

"Nope! Get your butt over here, and you'll find out," Pam insisted. "I'll see you soon, Tara."

"Fine, I'm on my way," I sighed, shaking my head. "See you soon."

"Can't wait," she chirped before hanging up.

I put the phone down and turned to Shaun, who had just finished packing up the rest of last night's chocolate. "Pam's got some kind of surprise for us at the label. She won't say what it is, just that it's interesting."

He smiled, picking up my clothes and handing them to me. "Then you better get dressed so we can head back to the penthouse. I'll drive you there so you can freshen up."

I nodded and took the clothes, but before he could let go, I grabbed his hand. "Wait."

There was a curious look in his eyes as he dropped next to me on the blanket. "What's up?"

Without a word, I leaned in and pressed a soft, lingering kiss to his lips. He returned it instantly, his hand gently cupping my cheek as our mouths moved together.

When we finally pulled apart, Shaun looked at me, a pleased smile tugging at his lips. "Not that I'm complaining, but what was that for?"

I smiled, feeling the warmth spread through my chest. "It was a thank you. For last night... it was the best."

His smirk widened, a playful glint in his eyes. "Does this mean we can do it again sometime?"

I pretended to think about it for a second before grinning up at him. "Gladly."

Shaun's grin widened, and he leaned in to steal one more kiss before pulling back. As I got up to get dressed, my heart felt lighter than it had been in a long time. Today was going to be a good day.

¤¤¤¤¤

"Ok, I'm here," I announced, letting myself into Refugio's office after knocking.

"Well, it's about time," Eden remarked, turning in her seat to face Refugio, who stood behind her desk, filing some papers. Carlos, Jax, Luca, and Pam were also present.

"Look at you glowing like an Egyptian princess." My sister received me with a hug. "Any deets on your post-valentine morning?" She asked in a teasing tone.

And I rolled my eyes, trying to suppress the heat creeping up my neck. "Let's just say it's been an interesting start to the day."

"Interesting, huh?" Carlos grinned, his face brimming with inquisitivity. "You're not going to leave us hanging, are you?"

Jax's eyes immediately veered to me, like he was equally expecting to hear the details.

"I'm afraid I am," I retorted, crossing my arms with a smirk. "Pam's the one with the news, so spill it, sis. What's this all about?"

"Yeah, now that Tara is here, we're all ears." Refugio prompted as she took a seat.

"Ok!" Pam clasped her hands, eyes sparkling with excitement. "So here's the deal. Originally Afro-Mex is celebrating its fifth anniversary next month."

The room buzzed with murmurs of interest.

"Wow, congratulations, Pam," Luca spoke up.

"Thank you, but that's not all." She continued, "To mark the occasion, we're planning to have a huge concert, and since GuiTara and the Stars of the Future had their big break at the restaurant, we want you to headline the event."

My jaw dropped, and I could feel the energy in the room shift to one of excitement. Originally Afro-Mex had been instrumental in our rise, and to headline their anniversary concert was both an honour and a full-circle moment.

"Wow, Pam, this is incredible," I said, finally finding my voice.

"I know right," Carlos cheered.

"Yes, for an upcoming band to headline two major events within two months, this will be huge for publicity," Refugio added before turning to Pam. "Thank you for choosing to involve us."

"Oh, don't mention it. It was a no-brainer, really. Besides, we needed a band that could match our energy since we're pulling out all the stops with a new venue and everything."

My eyebrows shot up. "New venue?"

"Oh yeah. We're relocating to a much bigger and more spacious venue about three blocks away from where we are right now."

"And you didn't think to tell?" I quizzed and Pam just shrugged.

"We were both so busy with the fair and everything that it slipped my mind. But no harm done. I'm heading there right now to check on the renovations. If you're interested, you guys can tag along to get a feel of the place."

Refugio immediately chimed in. "That's a great idea, Pam. It would be great for you guys to familiarize yourselves with the new venue. It'll help you get comfortable with the space, and who knows, it might even spark some creative ideas for the performance."

Luca nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it would be good to see the layout, get a sense of where everything will be for soundchecks and rehearsals."

Carlos grinned, getting up from his chair. "Ok, then what are we waiting for? Let's head out."

Shaking my head with a laugh, I sidled up to Pam as we both took a step out of the office with the band and Luca behind us.

******