Without You: A Friends-to-Lovers Small Town Romance

by Jennifer Van Wyk

  “Well, I realize that.”

  “Right.”

  “I’m still lost. Tour and band? Is that what you do?”

  His eyes crinkle again and he shakes his head, chuckling. “You really have no clue, do you?”

  “Clue about what? Elijah, I’m getting really tired of these games.”

  “First of all, you can call me Chase.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Brody

  I was already at the shop, getting started on the next custom build, when Johnny called to let me know that the guy who helped Katie stopped and picked up his spare tire. I really wanted to be there to thank him personally, but Johnny did it for me.

  Said his name was Elijah and he seemed like a decent guy and considering that he helped my girl out, I’m inclined to believe that. Still wish I could have met him, but it’s over with now and it’s time for me to get to work.

  This next build I’m working on is going to be even more fun than Chase’s truck. A total re-paint of the exterior with a custom color. The deep blue will have flecks of shimmer but also a hint of gray. It’s a unique color that I can’t wait to mix and see finished. Especially out in the sun.

  Even though painting the vehicle isn’t my first priority, making sure I have the right color set is, because it can take some time to get right. Add to the fact that I have to send samples to Eric for approval, I need to work on it now so I can focus on other parts of the build while waiting to see if the color is right.

  I’m in the curtained off paint booth in the shop when I hear Katie’s voice call out my name. I have a mask on my face to help with the fumes, I’m wearing a white paint suit and gloves and I have a feeling Katie will get a kick out of seeing me like this. I quickly finish what I’m working on, set it aside, and emerge from the booth.

  Her laughter greets my ears and I advance toward her.

  “You look like you should be in a Star Wars movie or something.”

  Removing my face mask, I lean over and kiss her. “Hi.”

  “I totally thought you’d say ‘Luke, I am your father’.”

  “Nah. I’m not totally cheesy.”

  I finish taking off the gear and hang it on the hooks I have set up by the paint booth.

  “Not that I’m complaining, but what brings you by?”

  “I need to talk to you about something.”

  “Uh oh.”

  “Not uh oh. It’s… strange, but not bad. I don’t think, anyway.”

  “Let’s go to the office.”

  I open the door for her to the office and then grab us both a drink out of the fridge and settle at the little table. She blushes faintly when she looks at the table, and I know she’s thinking about two nights ago when she brought supper to me here at the shop and we made love right here on the table. Well, making love might not be entirely accurate. What we did together was dirty and erotic. It was our carnal desires demanding they be met and we didn’t have the power to stop whatever came over us.

  “That was fun, right?” I ask her.

  “So much fun. We’ve had some great sex in the last week, you know? But that night might be my top favorite.”

  “Yeah?”

  She widens her eyes and smiles brightly, kissing me then moving to the fridge to grab a piece of string cheese out of the drawer. “Obviously. You were there. But, you do realize we need to destroy all the evidence, right?”

  “No way. It’s safe and sound, not in the cloud that I don’t really understand anyway, and won’t see anyone’s eyes, but you and I? We’re definitely going to watch it and relive it. Often.”

  She bites into the cheese. Bites. Into. It. Was she born in a barn? Who bites into string cheese rather than pulls it down into… strings? It’s actually called string cheese for a reason. “Often, huh?”

  “Oh, yeah,” I mumble, kissing her hard. Just thinking about that night makes me hard and ready to have a repeat performance. “And I’ll forgive you for not pulling apart your string cheese and instead eating it like a heathen. Who the heck raised you, anyway?”

  “My parents.” She takes another large bite and speaks with her mouth full. “And they did a damn fine job of it, too.”

  “I can’t even with you. You’re a swine,” I tease. I get my own cheese and pull off a piece, tossing it into my mouth like a normal person. “See? This is how you eat string cheese.”

  She grins, shrugs, and continues eating. “Good thing you like me, then.”

  “Who says I like you?”

  She rubs up and down my hardening dick. “Hmm, maybe it’s just this that likes me?”

  “What was your favorite part of that night?” she asks, coyly, her hand grazing over my dick through my jeans.

  “Just one part? There’s no way I can narrow it down.”

  “Have you watched the tape yet?”

  I still can’t believe she wanted to make a video of us having sex.

  “Yes. It’s fifteen minutes of the best distraction I’ve ever had. You walked into the office carrying that pizza so that we could have a bit of time together. You know, since you missed me so terribly not having seen me since that morning. I have no idea what came over me but all I could think was that I needed to eat you first before we dove into the pizza.”

  “Oh my gosh,” she whispers, rubbing herself on me. “Keep going.”

  “I grabbed that pizza from your hands and it’s a miracle it didn’t get ruined because I just tossed it right onto the counter without a care.” I pull her close and kiss her neck. “Then I did a little of this. You remember?”

  “Mm hmm.” She nods, placing her hands on my shoulders to steady herself.

  “I pulled your shirt down over your shoulder and I wanted to die right there. I’ve never thought shoulders are sexy until I became intimately acquainted with yours. I ran my tongue over your shoulder,” I demonstrate every move I describe, “like this.”

  I have never wanted someone as often as I want Katie.

  It’s a constant need, to be inside her, with her, around her, touching her. Luckily, she doesn’t seem to mind.

  “Remind me what came next?”

  “My pleasure.”

  She giggles and corrects me, “Pretty sure it was my pleasure that came next.”

  “Oh, that’s right. Kind of like this, right?” I lay her back on the table, untie and remove her shoes, and slowly glide her leggings down her legs, bringing her underwear with them. And I dive in and do exactly what I did two nights ago when I had her laid out before me and I let my tongue flick her clit and lap her up. She places her legs over my shoulders, her thighs pressed against my ears. Nuzzling my nose into her, I inhale deeply then lick her top to bottom, groaning and loving her taste.

  “Is it starting to come back to you?”

  She moans as my tongue returns to her center, tasting, licking, loving every second. “Hmm. I think I need a few more reminders.”

  Her fingertips dig into my scalp, sending tingles down my spine.

  “B… B… Brody!” Her shout echoes in the small office space, exactly like what happened two nights ago.

  Her orgasm is powerful, her legs quaking and goose bumps popping up on her body.

  Before she can even come down from her high, I’m standing up, gripping the hem of her shirt and lifting it. She gets the point, sits up, pulls it off, reaches behind her to unhook her bra as I push down my pants and boxers and thrust inside of her with her legs once again on my shoulders.

  “I’m st… st… starting to remember a little bit.”

  “Need more reminders?” I ask, panting, looking down at her, pinching one of her nipples and pumping faster.

  “Oh, yeah,” she moans, reaching her hands up and gripping my forearms.

  “Yeah.”

  Katie lifts her hips and I wrap my arms under her ass, my fingers biting into the soft flesh.

  “So good,” I moan. “Every damn time. Paradise.”

  “Paradise,” she repeats.

  How is
it that every time I’m inside her it’s better than the time before? It seems impossible but yet…

  She cries out my name and her eyes squeeze shut.

  I follow right behind her, coming hard and groaning her name.

  Breathing heavily, I release her legs and lean over, pressing my forehead into her chest.

  “Okay. What is it you wanted to talk about?” I ask and she bursts out laughing.

  “I was offered a job today.”

  “A job? You already have a job.”

  “I know. And I love it, but this one is kind of once-in-a-lifetime and, I don’t know. I want to talk to you about it because I need your opinion and I have a feeling you know the person who offered me the job.”

  “Once-in-a-lifetime, huh? That sounds exciting. Let’s get cleaned up then talk, sound good?”

  “Yeah.”

  We take turns using the restroom and cleaning up, then we take a seat at the table.

  “Not that I’m not thrilled with the detour we took there, I do want to hear about this new job thing.”

  She wiggles her eyebrows. “It was definitely a great detour.”

  “Always is.”

  “Okay, honestly? I don’t even know that I want it. Sure, it’d be fun, but it’s also not really anything I had ever seen myself doing.”

  “It isn’t for a massage therapist?” I ask, taking a drink of my Coke that’s now a little warmer than it was when I first opened it. Definitely worth drinking warm pop, though.

  She fidgets with the can in front of her, twisting it side to side before popping the top and taking a long swig. “It actually is. But it would be more of an exclusive job. Only working for one person in particular, including his crew, I suppose.”

  “For who?”

  “You’ve actually met him. It’s Chase Stanton.”

  My eyebrows furrow together. “Chase Stanton? Chase as in, the guy who I custom built a truck for?”

  “The one and only.”

  “How do you know that’s who the build was for?”

  She taps her temple. “Because I’m brilliant and have the powers of deduction.”

  She notices the look on my face so she pulls out her phone, swiping a few times before turning the screen to face me. A picture of Chase on one of his social media accounts greets me. “This your Chase?”

  “Well, he’s far from mine, but yes, that’s the Chase I did a custom build for.”

  “Thought so. When he told me he had been here in Benton to pick something up, told me to call him Chase, and then asked if I’d basically go on tour with him, I figured it out.”

  “Definitely brilliant.” I chuckle. “Still, I think I need a little more backstory here.”

  “Chase is the guy who changed my tire.”

  “What? I thought his name was Elijah.”

  She chuckles. “So did I. Shows you how much I pay attention to celebrities, huh? He told me his name was Elijah and I didn’t question it. I thought he looked vaguely familiar but yeah, I had no idea.”

  “So Chase and Elijah are one and the same?”

  “Appears so. I didn’t believe him today when he told me, so after he got dressed, I made him show me his ID.”

  “You lost me at get dressed.”

  She rolls her eyes. “It wasn’t like that. I was giving him a massage.”

  “You lost me again.”

  “Sorry. I’m not explaining this well. The person who helped me change my flat tire was actually Chase Elijah Stanton, country music star, same guy who you hung out with the other night and you customized his truck for an upcoming video shoot. Elijah, or Chase, I guess, somehow got an appointment with me for a massage today. I was completely booked so I’m still not sure how he managed, but my guess is he paid some mega bucks to bump someone out of their appointment spot. Anyway, he showed up today for a massage, and by the end of it, he had offered me a job as his and his band’s personal massage therapist.”

  “This is a lot of information to digest.”

  “I know. Trust me, I know.”

  “So he wants you to… what… hold appointments for them or go to Nashville a couple times a month?”

  “Not exactly.” She winces. “He wants me to travel with the band.”

  “Travel with the band,” I repeat, my stomach tightening in knots.

  “Yeah.”

  “As in, you’d be gone?”

  She visibly swallows and nods.

  I want to immediately demand she turn down his offer but that’s not fair to her. I don’t make decisions for her.

  Clearing my throat, I sit up straighter in my seat. “Which way you leaning?”

  She looks nervous when she says, “I don’t know. The money is incredible.”

  I get that. I also wouldn’t blame her if that helped make her decision. I just hope that I’m also a factor in that decision. Even though what we have is new, I see it lasting. Possibly, likely, hopefully, forever. But maybe she’s not thinking the same way. Or maybe having this type of job would be life changing for her in a way that would bring her back to me, but gives her an experience that’s, her words, once-in-a-lifetime.

  My silence is telling. “Do you think it’s a bad idea?”

  Shaking my head, I reach over and hold her hand. “I’d just like to hear more about Chase’s offer, is all, and maybe also how it came about.”

  “After he fixed my tire, we sat in the café and had breakfast, like I told you. I mentioned to him that I was a massage therapist and I guess he must have called around Benton, found where I worked, and made an appointment. He said he wanted to test it out.”

  “He wanted to see if you were good at your job.”

  “Yes.”

  “Then what?”

  “Well…” She hesitates and I can see she doesn’t necessarily want to tell me the rest of the story. “It was a little awkward because, what I didn’t tell you was that after he changed my tire he kind of asked me out.”

  “What?” I ask lowly, not wanting to explode. Though, I can’t blame him, I still hate him a little right now. “Did he know you have a boyfriend?”

  “Not until I turned him down and told him I was seeing someone. I never mentioned your name because at the time I wasn’t aware that he was who he was, you know?”

  Okay. That’s good.

  “So he asked you out, you turned him down, and then he figured out where you worked, showed up for a massage and offered you a job?” I ask, skeptically.

  “Well, when you put it like that, it sounds even creepier than I was first imagining.”

  That puts me on alert. “Creepy? Did he make you feel uncomfortable?”

  “At first, yeah.” She stands up, slowly extracting her hand from mine. “But he explained everything and I could see he was being truthful and not as weird as he was coming off. Apparently he’s really shy.”

  Mm hmm. I’ll just bet he is. Super country music star Chase Stanton is shy. That’s why he gets in front of crowds of thousands on a weekly basis. “Shy, huh? I didn’t get that from when I met him at all.”

  She’s pacing around the small office. “I know. I know. It sounds like a bunch of bullcrap, but I’m not sure that it is.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “I think… I don’t know what I think. I’ve heard how people have a stage persona and I think that’s what happens with him. But one on one, or small groups of people, they’re shy and nervous.”

  “Maybe. So what are you thinking about the job, then?”

  “I really have no idea,” she admits.

  “It sounds like a good opportunity.”

  “Is it, though? Being on a bus with a bunch of guys I’ve never met, traveling from city to city? The money he is offering is crazy but I don’t know if I even want to do something like this. Is that weird of me? Wouldn’t most people be chomping at the bit to basically spend months with a celebrity?”

  I want to smile at her indecision but resist the urge.

  “I don’t know abou
t most people, but a fair amount would, yes. That doesn’t make you weird for not being sure you want to do it, though. It’s your preference. What I’m confused about is if hiring a massage therapist to travel with him is normal. That seems… extreme, right?”

  “That’s what I asked him.”

  “And?”

  She wrinkles her nose. “He didn’t really give me a straight answer.”

  Awesome. That’s super reassuring.

  Which is my sarcastic way of thinking that this feels all kinds of fucked up. He’s absolutely into her. I can hardly blame him, but how am I supposed to compete with a country music star?

  I don’t want to come off like a jealous asshole, but that’s exactly what I am. However, I’ve never shied away from a challenge before and don’t plan on starting now. Not when it means the difference of having Katie in my life or not. She’s too important to me. And, fuck it, I’m worthy of her. Sure, I’m not Chase Stanton, but I’m Brody Redding, dammit. “I would assume this would be normal for professional athletes.”

  “Right. I said that, too. He said he has an old injury from a bad car accident and has found he feels physically better if he gets massages and it would just be easier if I came along.”

  “Yeah, that’s not a straight answer,” I agree. “Maybe he wants someone who can learn his body?” I ask, feeling sick to my stomach for even saying it. Of course I’m okay with her job as a massage therapist, but that’s when she’s working for clients. Not some guy who sings on stage for a living and wants to get in her pants. “I wish I could give you a stronger opinion on this, but I’m afraid it’s not really my place, and I know I won’t be able to stay partial. When does he want an answer?”

  She chews on her bottom lip and looks nervous when she answers, “Monday.”

  Shit. He isn’t messing around. He’s actually going for her. Something in me says it has nothing to do with her massaging capabilities and everything to do with him wanting her with him. Why? He’s known her for what… a day?

  I open my mouth to respond when my phone rings. I look at it, see it’s Johnny, and hit ignore.

  He immediately calls again.

  “What is it?” I answer, irritated by his interruption.