Gateway to Heaven by Beth Kery

Catherine’s Parish. Surely she knew about the nationally renowned annual festival, even if she didn’t regularly attend. A rowdy, beer-drenched rock concert and Megan just didn’t seem to go together in his mind.
    He didn’t want to admit to himself that part of his hesitation about talking to her about his career with Lasher Down or asking her to attend the festival was his own dissatisfaction with the band. Or maybe it went even deeper than that. Part of him felt vulnerable at the thought of Megan experiencing what had creatively driven him at such a different stage of his life than the one he was in now.
    The rest of the evening at Emilio’s had been fun, listening to good music and chatting with Emilio, Megan, Seth, and Sarah. Christian had broken into laughter later when Emilio had come to the table and set a bottle of premium brandy down along with five glasses as the band wound up their final set. He suspected it was the brandy that was responsible for that small, wistful grin curving Megan’s lips as she rested her head on the backseat of the cab—so seductive without ever intending to be. He studied her, feeling the impact of that little smile like a kick to the gut…like a caress where it counted.
    “ I think I’m drunk,” she murmured.
    “ Good, because I’m planning on taking advantage of you,” Christian growled playfully as he kissed her exposed neck. He’d started jokingly, but he quickly became serious when her scent flooded his brain. Her sigh tickled the skin on his ear, making him shiver with excitement. Who knew that such a soft-spoken, innocent girl could get to him so deeply? But she did. He’d never seen a soul so exposed as Megan’s when he looked in her eyes.
    All he saw was beauty, and it stretched farther than he could see.
    “ Seth and Sarah seem crazy about each other,” Megan said. “But they live in different cities. Isn’t their relationship serious?”
    His lips lingered on her throbbing pulse before he lifted his head reluctantly to speak. “It’s serious, all right, and completely nonexistent at the same time. There’s a pretty significant age difference. Seth has been wrestling with that for over a year now. Sarah is just finishing college and Emilio is as protective as a mother bear. Until tonight, Emilio wouldn’t let Seth come within fifty feet of her. Not that he needs to worry overly much. Seth thinks she’s too young, too. He’s hooked himself up to a heavy-duty restraining leash.”
    “ That’s so sad.” Megan sat up. “How old is she?”
    “ Twenty-two.”
    “ That’s not too young, is it? I’m only a few years older than that.”
    Christian sighed and rested his head back when he realized Megan wanted to talk, and that he wasn’t going to successfully coax her into making out in the back of the cab. “I don’t think he’s as concerned as much about the actual number of years as he is about her emotional readiness. He cares about her a lot.”
    “ How long have you known him?” she asked as she sat up and leaned partially over him.
    He went very still when she lifted her finger and gently traced along his goatee. Kissing Megan was a delight, but having her come to him was…magic.
    “ Fifteen years. I met him while we were in college, at DePaul,” he mumbled almost incoherently, not wanting to interrupt her ministrations on his mouth. He wondered if she knew how dreamy she looked.
    “ What did you study in college?” Her fingers brushed across his chin and tentatively touched his lower lip. She outlined it softly.
    After a pause in which he tried to quiet the electric excitement buzzing in his body created from Megan’s touch, Christian answered gruffly. “Officially? English Literature. In reality, it was the unofficial study of music in every bar, theatre and club in the city.” The movement of his lips caused her finger to touch the inner heat of his mouth.
    Her eyes flickered up to meet his, as if to see if he’d noticed her