Innocence Uncaged
Page 8
I wasn’t stupid. I knew if I tried to steal a kiss, I’d be wearing the imprint of her hand across my face for weeks.
Sofia was, without a doubt, the most beautiful, arousing, and complex woman I’d ever met. She was also the most stubborn and icily unapproachable, locking her true feelings behind a self-imposed wall of indifference. God, how I ached to annihilate those damn walls, but I couldn’t.
Unfortunately, Sofia Jackson was completely off-limits because she was fucking engaged to someone else. Since I wasn’t a poaching douchebag, all I could give her were compassion, understanding, and a shit ton of apologies.
“Look, I’m sorry you saw what was going on in there. I had no idea you were watching me until—”
“Oh, climb down off your pedestal, Burk. I’m sure this will be hard for you to comprehend, but the entire world doesn’t actually revolve around you.”
A crooked smile tugged the corner of my mouth, but I somehow managed not to laugh. She was fucking adorable when she was pissed, all hissing and spitting like an angry kitten. “So why are you sitting here in the dark?”
“I’m reflecting on all the ways I hate my job. There. Satisfied?”
Not even close. “Why do you hate your job?”
“Oh, gee, I don’t know,” she drawled cynically. “Maybe because I’m sick of playing mommy to a bunch of self-centered, overindulgent juvenile delinquents who love to make my life a living hell. Especially you! Christ, I’ve never met a man who needed his ego stroked as much as you do. If you’re not gorging off the undying devotion of a million screaming fans, you’re basking in the limelight as strangers watch some chick nom your junk. Seriously? Do you ever stop and think about others? Some of us would like to check into our hotel and get some sleep. And what do you suppose would happen if the bus, emblazoned with the Licks Of Leather logo all over it, was spotted outside a kink club? You of all people should know the ramifications of a tabloid or social media troll snapping a photo of you strolling out of a dungeon all sated and smiling after getting your freak on.”
Getting my freak on? Who the fuck…? Oh, someone—probably Syd—is going to die!
“But you don’t think of things like that because you’re too self-absorbed and focused on your own narcissistic ass. And the fact that I had to waltz into a kink club to find you, to see things no amount of bleach can ever scrub from my brain, is just one more stellar reason why I hate this job.”
When she was done handing my ass to me, I flashed her a contrite grimace. “I’m sorry, Sofia. I truly didn’t want—”
“Save your apologies, Burk. I don’t care about your kinky sexploits.”
While I’d been blessed with an ear for music, my true gift was detecting minute changes in vocal tones. I never touted myself as a human lie detector, but I was pretty damn close. And the barely perceptible quiver in Sofia’s voice told me she did care…a lot.
Either that or the delusion that Sofia might feel more toward me than disdain had warped my hearing. Studying her intently, I narrowed my eyes. The confusion and tinges of jealousy I spied sent my heart sputtering and my pulse racing. Sofia was no more immune to this crazy primal pull between us than I was. Hope started to soar, but I quickly wrangled it back down. It didn’t matter that we shared the same attraction; some lucky-as-fuck bastard out there had already claimed her.
That bitter reminder stung like a bitch.
I’d tried ignoring my fascination with her, but it wasn’t working. Neither did my attempts to fuck her out of my system with willing groupies after each concert. Sadly, no amount of humping, sweating, or empty orgasms could put a dent in my hunger for Sofia. I’d even tried to make her hate me by relentlessly pushing her buttons, just to keep her pissed off, but that wasn’t working either. At the end of the day, I was still aching for the one woman I couldn’t have…the one I didn’t want to live without.
Not only was Sofia feisty and erotic as hell, she was tenacious, competent, and business savvy beyond her years. Quick to laugh at Syd’s stupid jokes, Sofia lobbed one-liners back at the man without batting an eye. But what made me fall so hard and fast for the sexy spitfire was the compassion and love she shared with the kids we visited at local hospitals. My mom was the only woman I knew who radiated that much love and tenderness.
Being forced to look but not touch our alluring road manager only added to my frustrations. Since the start of this tour, I’d been struggling and finding it harder and harder to slap on my happy rock star mask or muster the spark needed for each show. Night after night, I lay in my bunk, weighing the pros and cons of walking away from the bright lights, pyrotechnics, and screaming fans…when I wasn’t fantasizing about Sofia. I tried to imagine what it would be like to have zero demands on my personal time. The temptation to chuck it all rode me hard then. I’d get real with myself, and each time I realized that I’d achieved the dreams I had when I was nineteen and hungry for stardom. In the end, there wasn’t a damn thing left for me to prove. Well, with the exception of finding a woman like Sofia. But the chances that her un-engaged clone was out there waiting for me to find her were slim to none. Besides, I wanted her, not a facsimile.
“If you want to plow through every woman on the planet, knock yourself out. I’m here to do a job…one you’re determined to make exponentially harder,” Sofia railed.
The glare she pinned on me suddenly faltered. And like a gift from the gods, her walls dropped. I could see the whirlwind of fear, pain, and anger she’d tried so hard to hide. Before she dropped her chin and shut me out again, I saw the truth glimmering in those expressive pools of hers, and it felt like a punch in the gut. Sofia wasn’t upset about the damn club. She was hurting because of my stupid, reckless behavior. A knife of guilt and shame for shoving all those groupies in her face and feeding her insecurities stabbed deep.
Dammit. How could I have been so fucking stupid?
Every cell in my body wanted to wrap her in my arms and kiss away her jealousy, but I couldn’t. She’d only knee me in the nuts—with good reason. All I could do was start changing my ways. Stop pushing Sofia’s buttons and plucking up eager groupies like M&Ms. Of course, the damage could very well be done. She might never view me as anything but a man-whoring prick. That wasn’t acceptable. I’d find a way to prove I was a better man. Even if friendship was all we could have, I’d force her to see me in a new light, because Sofia was important to me. She was the first woman to ever matter.
“I’m sorry. I never meant to make your job harder. Can we call a truce?”
Unable to help myself, I stroked a knuckle down her so-soft cheek. Tingling arcs of electricity skipped up my arm and down my spine and gathered in a fiery bundle behind my zipper.
Sofia’s eyes dilated. She sucked in a startled gasp and jerked away, breaking the high-voltage charge.
“We’re not a-at…war,” she stammered.
The shock on her face told me she’d felt it as well. I wanted to touch her again, to see if that crazy energy was actually real. Instead, I leaned in close to her ear.
“Good. Then why don’t we strip off our battle gear and—”
“You’re a real piece of work, Jennings,” Sofia spat, disgust written all over her face. She shoved me away with an angry glare. “That chick’s lipstick is still staining your cock and you want me to drop to my knees and add mine to it? Not in this lifetime, asshole. This conversation is over!”
She didn’t even give me the chance to explain that I wasn’t hitting on her, that I was merely suggesting we shuck off armor and be friends, before she was off the bench, face pinched in rage, and storming away.
When I stood, my throbbing cock scraped my zipper. And as I bit back a curse, my stare gravitated to the sensual sway of her lush hips.
You’re wrong, sweetheart. This conversation is just beginning.
Making sure she boarded the coach safely, I mentally cursed the prick who’d be waiting for Sofia dressed in white in a church full of people hearing her say I do.
; My stomach twisted.
Scrubbing a hand through my hair, I turned my contempt on Quinn MacKinnon. Aside from being the band’s agent and promoter, he was my longtime friend and mentor in the lifestyle. The man wasn’t a choirboy by any stretch of the imagination. Quinn was cunning and intuitive and a manipulative motherfucker. He knew the kind of women I was most drawn to. I was confident that he’d placed Sofia on our bus to deliberately flip every Dominant switch in my system. But why? Why fuck with my head and tell me to keep my dick in my pants, then drop that fiery, very engaged temptress in my lap? It made no sense. Whatever his reasons, I had no doubt that Quinn was getting the last laugh…fucking bastard.
With a heavy sigh, I strode down the sidewalk and onto the bus. As the coach eased from the curb, I clutched the soft leather seats, swaying like a drunken sailor. Dragging a stare over my subversive bandmates stretched out on the thick leather couches and chairs along the aisle, I dared one of them to grant me a guilty glance. But no one even bothered to look my way.
Cowards!
As expected, Sofia wasn’t in sight. She’d already tucked herself into her bunk, the way she always did after one of our verbal clashes. Though tonight’s skirmish had been wholly enlightening and I’d discovered her icy demeanor was nothing but a smokescreen, I was still on the outside of those fucking walls. Still aching, wishing, and praying I’d find a way in.
There’s no such thing as miracles, fucker.
“What’d you do to piss her off this time?” Ozzy asked, pulling me from my thoughts.
I shrugged. “Breathing her air again, as usual.”
“I swear, you two are like oil and water. Sooo, did you have fun at the club?”
“It was okay,” I said, sliding into the seat beside the keyboard player. “Which one of you cock-bags sent Sofia in to find me?”
Ozzy smirked as he sent a pointed stare across the aisle at Ross. The big drummer had fallen asleep in one of the chairs, empty beer bottle securely wedged between his thighs.
“Figures,” I grumbled. “He’s always been a jealous bastard.”
ROCK ME LONGER – Available now
About the Author
USA Today Bestselling author Jenna Jacob paints a canvas of passion, romance, and humor as her alpha men and the feisty women who love them unravel their souls, heal their scars, and find a happy-ever-after kind of love. Heart-tugging, captivating, and steamy, her words will leave you breathless and craving more.
A mom of four grown children, Jenna, her husband Sean and their furry babies reside in Kansas. Though she spent over thirty years in accounting, Jenna isn’t your typical bean counter. She’s brassy, sassy, and loves to laugh, but is humbly thrilled to be living her dream as a full-time author. When she’s not slamming coffee while pounding out emotional stories, you can find her reading, listening to music, cooking, camping, or enjoying the open road on the back of a Harley.
Also by Jenna Jacob
Licks of Leather
Rock Me Longer
Rock Me Harder
Rock Me Slower
The Doms of Genesis Series
Embracing My Submission
Masters of My Desire
Master of My Mind
Saving My Submission
Seduced By My Doms
Lured By My Master
Sin City Submission
Bound To My Surrender
Resisting My Submission
Craving His Command
Seeking My Destiny
Hotties of Haven Series
Sin On A Stick
Wet Dream
Beefcake
Revenge On The Rocks
The Passionate Hearts Series
Sky Of Dreams
Winds Of Desire
The Doms of Her Life – Raine Falling Series
(Co-authored with Shayla Black and Isabella LaPearl)
One Dom To Love
The Young and The Submissive
The Bold and The Dominant
The Edge Of Dominance
The Doms of Her Life – Heavenly Rising
(Co-authored with Shayla Black and Isabella LaPearl)
The Choice
The Chase
The Commitment