“You’re not taking up Miss Blondie’s offer to join the mile-high club on today’s flight? Don’t let little ole me stop you.”
“Not interested.” That was the God’s honest truth. He was growing tired of meaningless sex.
“Hmmm, okay then.”
They were in mid-air when she started shifting on her seat, trying to find a comfortable position, so she could take a nap before they got to LA. Jarrod took hold of her legs and rested them on his lap. “What are you doing?”
“Helping you find a comfortable position so you’ll stop fidgeting and we can both get some sleep. Now shut up, lean back, and relax.” He let her shoes fall to the ground and started rubbing circles on the top of her foot. When he heard her sigh and saw her body fall comfortably into a deep sleep, he smiled and joined her, thinking this was better than anything Blondie could ever offer him.
Present Day
Patricia
When they boarded their private jet at 5 a.m., Patricia decided she hated mornings, she hated travelling, and she hated people who made her get up one hour after she had fallen asleep. Jarrod had kept her up until 3 a.m., and if she didn’t get her hands on caffeine right then, she might resort to causing physical harm to the men surrounding her in the cabin.
“Someone looks like they didn’t get much sleep last night. Do we need to install a curfew for you two?” Sam handed her a cup of coffee, and she took it from him so fast that he couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Yeah, I think we need to have a talk with our lead signer about keeping our publicist up all night. Or at least, have him feed her caffeine before she’s out in the world.”
“Sam, I swear to God, if I didn’t need this caffeine more than air, I would put it down and hit you, but I just can’t let go of it right now. Is there more of this? Because I’m going to need an IV to keep me going today.” She took a few long sips of coffee and moaned loudly as the caffeine made its way through her body.
“Man, Jarrod, I think you’ve got serious competition with that cup of coffee. Your woman is looking at it like it’s the best she’s ever had. I didn’t know you lacked so much in that department.” She laughed when Jarrod threw a towel at Mike.
She leaned back in her seat, desperately needing a nap. Jarrod sat down in front of her, raising her legs so they rested on him. He started rubbing circles on her soles as Austin covered her with a blanket, and she was hit with the memory of their first private flight to Los Angeles as she dozed off.
She woke up a little disoriented, taking a few minutes to remember where she was. Her eyes found Jarrod, who was wide awake in front of her, staring at her, but looking lost in thought. “Hey,” she whispered.
“Hey, you sleep okay?” Her legs were still on Jarrod’s lap, his fingers digging into the soles of her feet, rubbing circles on the side around her ankles.
“Yeah, how long have I been out?” she asked him.
He lifted his arms to her, giving her a come-here look. “About an hour or so.”
She moved from her seat to his lap, loving how he tucked her body against his. She glanced around the plane, finding the guys were all busy either on their phones or watching a movie. After five years, it was still hard to believe this lifestyle was a part of their reality.
“What are you thinking about?” She turned her head to the side as he spoke. She loved the way he always had his hands in her hair. There was something sexy about him doing that.
“I’m just thinking about how far we’ve come since we first met. We went from a beat-up van to private planes and two tour buses. Sometimes, it just hits me how crazy our lives really are now.” She didn’t think someone could ever get completely comfortable with this type of life, and if any of them ever started taking their life for granted, she knew the others would be right there to bring them back to reality.
“We worked damn hard to get here. We deserve it. Sure, sometimes the luxury still makes me go, ‘how the hell did we get here?’ but then I remember all the crappy motels we stayed in, playing shows for ten people, and I tell myself, ‘fuck, we earned all of this.’” His voice was thick with pride as he spoke.
“Those were the days though, no pressure about album sales or ticket revenue, just the music.” That was the one thing she missed about the days when they were starting out. It was all about the music back then, and sure, it still was today, but there was so much more at play now. Sometimes, the pressure made everything less pleasant.
“All the other bullshit, it’s just extra, baby. It’s part of the job. Yeah, sometimes it sucks, but we worked hard to get to where we are, so we deal with it.”
“You’re right.”
“Now that we’re talking about this, I’ve been thinking about maybe getting us our own bus,” he told her, drawing circles on her back.
That took her thoughts for a ride; she hadn’t thought about the possibility of them getting their own bus. As much as she loved the idea of them having their own space, she didn’t like the idea of them spending that much money. “A new bus is expensive, Jar.”
“I know, but think about it. We would have our own space and you could have the inside custom-made to anything you like. Our own bus would mean no more bunks. We could have a real bed. You could even have a little space to draw and work.”
She remained quiet for a little while, letting his words sink in. The more she analyzed what he said, the more she liked the idea. “How about we get a quote first?”
“I’ll set up a meeting for when we’re back in Nashville.” He kissed her lips softly, but possessively. When she heard the guys whistling in the background, her lips turned up into a smile against his. As they pulled away from each other, she tucked her head into the crook of his neck, and the sound of laughter filled the plane.
When the pilot announced that they were making their final descent, she sat back in her seat just in time to hear Sam say, “L.A., home of the paparazzi.”
The idea of someone taking pictures of them made her a little nervous, and as if Jarrod read her mind, he said, “We knew we’d have to deal with them. I have your back always, baby.” Out of all the uncertainties in their life, that was the one thing she had no doubt about.
As they made their way through the airport toward their bus parked upfront, she smiled at herself for having putting on some makeup because, as predicted, they were swamped by media as soon as they stepped outside. Flashes were going off, reporters were screaming their questions and comments, and for the first time in a long time, Patricia didn’t want to handle all of this; she didn’t want to have to deal with reporters and interview requests. Jarrod must have noticed the change in her body language because he pulled her close and whispered it would all be okay.
The minute their bodies collided, the reporters went crazy.
Jarrod, are you dating your publicist?
Jarrod, are you finally off the market?
One second was all it took for their relationship to become international headlines.
Jarrod
As much as he loved his job and everything that came along with it, the one thing he would change if he could, were the paparazzi. The damn people were vultures, always waiting around for that one picture, that one shot that would make them rich. Walking out of the airport, he felt Patricia’s body tense, and he couldn’t control himself. He had to pull her close, to make her feel safe. And in that moment, he gave the cameras their money shot.
When they were on the bus safely out of the media frenzy, Sam went straight for the coffee maker, making everyone a cup as the bus drove away from LAX and the craziness that came with the city. Moments like the ones they had just experienced were the reasons why he loved living in Nashville so much.
“What happened out there, Trish?” Mike asked, leaning against the kitchen counter, concern rolling off him, which was something Jarrod could relate to. In all the years he’d known her, he had never seen her tense up like she had in front of the cameras. She was always the cool and collected o
ne—it was her job. But today, she’d reacted differently, and just like Mike, he wanted to know what was going on with her.
“What do you mean, Mike?” she asked, but she knew exactly what he was talking about, and Jarrod knew it just by the way she was biting her bottom lip. It was her tell when she was trying to hide something.
“You tell me. Something shifted in you out there, and we all saw it. You looked like a newbie publicist entering their first rodeo. What happened?” Mike asked her, making sure she knew she wasn’t getting out of this conversation, not this time.
“Baby, what’s going on?” Jarrod linked their hands together, letting her know he was there for her no matter what she had to say. He needed her to understand that he wanted her to be happy and fulfilled, and that no matter what was going on with her, he would support her; they all would.
She took a deep breath, and he pulled her close to him as she spoke. “I’ve been thinking about leaving the PR industry. I’ve been doing this for so long, and you guys don’t need me like you used to. I’m tired of dealing with the reporters, the label, and management. I just don’t love it like I used to. I’m sorry, guys. I didn’t know how to tell you. All of this chaos, and handling reporters, it’s exhausting.” Tears rolled down her cheeks. Jarrod hated seeing her distraught. He felt her pain in his gut.
“Why the hell are you apologizing for telling us the truth, Trish? Shit, how long have you been thinking about this?” Austin sat in front of them as he asked the same question that was weighing down on Jarrod's mind.
“A while. I just didn’t know how to tell you guys.” She pulled her legs under her body on the leather sofa, letting go of Jarrod’s hand, and wrapping her arms around herself.
“Baby, look at me. You’ve given up everything for us to get to where we are today, and we love you for that. But if this doesn’t make you happy anymore, then it's way past time you did something that does. We’ll support you in anything you want to do, baby. I love you, Trish. You deserve to be happy.” Jarrod wasn’t shocked by Trish’s confession, but as he let her words sink in, they made more sense.
She hadn’t been her overly excited self lately, and he should have seen that without knowing the reason why. He locked eyes with Sam and nodded in acknowledgement. This was a curveball, and he had no idea how this would affect their relationship.
“What do you want to do, Trish?” Mike asked from the kitchen table.
“I want to design. Design clothes, I mean. I’ve been sketching forever, and I’ve been thinking about creating my own line for a while now.”
“Baby, that’s great. I’ve seen your designs, and they’re really good. I think that’s a perfect fit for you.” He held her close as they let the news sink in. It would be a change to have a different publicist working with them for the first time in five years, but if it meant his woman was happy, he would do just about anything. And he wasn’t buttering her up with the compliments; she had a real talent for design, and he knew she would be successful. Hell, he wouldn’t stop helping her until she was.
He felt the tension that had been building in her for the past couple of months vanish into thin air, and he kicked himself for not seeing the need for change in her until that moment. With everything out now on the table, there was no denying that their future was bright and filled with possibilities he couldn’t wait to explore.
They checked into their hotel relatively incognito without too much fanfare, with the guys only having to stop a few times for photos and autographs. Since this was their only day off during this string of shows, they all decided to go spend the afternoon on the beach and enjoy the California sunshine, plus it meant seeing Trish in a swimsuit. So really, he was the real winner here.
When the elevator doors opened on the 23rd floor, Patricia and Jarrod looked at each other, the air around them buzzing with sexual chemistry. “We’ll meet you guys downstairs in an hour,” was all Jarrod managed to say before hauling her across the hallway, with the guys’ laughter in the background. He flipped them the finger as he opened their door.
Jarrod barely looked at the room before pulling Patricia close to him. “Hmmm, I want you.” His lips nipped her neck, teasing her with feather-like kisses and licks, making her need for him grow stronger.
She gripped his shirt with her fingers. “You just had me six hours ago.” She tilted her head to the side, giving him more room to torture her with his mouth.
Pushing her against the wall, he admitted, “It’s never enough…. Never—” Kiss “—enough.”
“I have an idea. How about we play some water games? Let’s check out the shower, babe,” she told him. Liking the idea of a naked and soapy Trish, he grabbed her hand and pulled her in the bathroom, lifting her onto the bathroom counter as he started the shower.
She kept surprising him. Who would have thought his little angel was a hellcat in the bedroom? She was just as insatiable as he was, and damn if he didn’t love that. He watched her grab the hem of her dress and pull it over her head, leaving her completely naked sitting on the counter. “Fuck, baby, you are so beautiful.”
He took off his jeans and shirt in record time, feeling her eyes on him. “See anything you like?”
“I love your tattoos…so sexy, so essentially you.” He helped her down from the counter and they walked into the shower together, letting the water fall over their bodies. Jarrod’s hands were everywhere, rubbing her arms and kneading the sore muscles around her shoulders. She moaned and leaned back into his chest, her warm and wet skin feeling so good against him.
He had his hands in her hair when someone knocked at their door. “Fuck, come on.”
“Maybe if we’re quiet, they’ll go away?” She giggled as the knocking persisted. She climbed out of the shower, wrapped herself in one of the hotel robes, and ran to the door, leaving him alone and frustrated in the shower.
Patricia
With the persistent knocking on at the door, all she could think about was that their hotel room shenanigans were cursed with interruptions. She was laughing as she opened the door to find a young woman holding a beautiful little girl’s hand.
“Can I help you?” she asked them, confused and scared about what a woman and a child were doing knocking on Jarrod Banks’ hotel room. Anxiety thrummed threw her in time with the countless scenarios running around in her head, until the beautiful woman in front of her spoke up.
“Yes, I’m Makayla from Time Magazine. Derek told me I could find you here to schedule the first interview with Saints and Sinners for the book.” Patricia let out the breath she had been holding when Makayla introduced herself, making her fears about a love child disappear. She smiled at the little girl who was hiding behind her mother’s legs; she was a cutie.
“Baby, who is it?” Jarrod came out of the bathroom fully dressed. He smiled at them and kneeled in front of the little girl, reminding her of how good he was with children. “Well, hello there, beautiful. What's your name?”
“Riley,” she spoke shyly. Jarrod smiled at her, and just like that, Riley was under his spell, something she could relate to.
“Well, it’s very nice to meet you, Riley. I’m Jarrod.”
Patricia laid her hand on his shoulder, grinning down at him. “Jarrod, this is Makayla from Time. She’s here to make an introduction and schedule the first interview for the special edition book they are developing around the band.”
Jarrod offered Makayla his hand and stepped aside to let the woman and child into the room. “Nice to meet you, Makayla. Why don’t you two lovely ladies come in and we can set something up.”
Patricia excused herself to get dressed before she sat down with them at the table in their suite and was surprised when Riley handed her a flower. “For me?” she asked as she extended her hand to take the flower from the beautiful little girl who had a big smile on her face.
“Um-hmm, my mama says we should always have a gift when we meet new people in their home.” This little girl was the most adorable little t
hing she had ever seen.
“Well, thank you very much, sweetie. It’s beautiful.” Patricia hugged her and lifted her up onto her lap.
Patricia saw a flash of panic in Makayla’s eyes when Riley had approached her. “I’m so sorry. She’s not usually so friendly. My babysitter called in sick, so she’s been spending the day with me.” Patricia watched as the woman apologized for the precious child sitting on her lap and she felt her heartstrings being pulled in a million different ways.
It was obvious that Makayla wasn’t used to people being friendly with her or her daughter. She smiled at the thought of how unsettling it was going to be for her to spend time with the band once she realized how overbearing the guys could be. “Not a problem at all. She’s beautiful,” Patricia assured her softly.
“Thank you.” Makayla’s voice was as low as a whisper and Patricia watched her reaction to Jarrod, and where most women exuded lust toward him, Makayla’s eyes reflected only a certain level of admiration for the artist, which reassured her. The last thing she wanted was for a reporter to be hanging all over her man, hoping to get the front page story.
Jarrod sat down beside Patricia and took Riley onto his lap. “So, Makayla and Riley, let’s see when we can set this interview for. When did you have in mind?”
“I’m here to work with your schedule. We understand that this extended profile of the band is a long-time commitment for you and the rest of the band, so my job is to accommodate you in any way I can. This is a unique project for the magazine, and we’re thrilled to be working on this with you.” Jarrod looked at Patricia, giving her the silent go-ahead to handle this as she saw best. Having the guys agree to this book project had been a challenge, but after long negotiations with the publisher, she had assured them this wouldn’t be a gossip-type book. This was about the band’s history, their lives on and off the stage, but they had creative control at the end of the day, and that was what had sold the guys on the idea.
Heart of the Music (Saints & Sinners #1) Page 13
