Love Notes (Rocked by Love #1)

by Susan Scott Shelley

  His brows rose and one hand came up to rub the back of his neck. His lips formed a line. The flare of anger faded, but she glimpsed the bewildered hurt seconds before a mask devoid of feelings slipped in place. "I didn't realize I was causing you so many problems. I won't bother you anymore unless it's about the shows."

  He stepped back into his room, then eased his door closed. The doorknob dug into her palm. Jayne released her grip. Anger and frustration coursed through her. She'd hurt him, and that hadn't been her intention.

  Something slammed in his room. She strained to listen. Rustling, and then the sound of another door closing. She hurried to the door leading to the hall and looked through the peephole. Zander strode past, dressed in workout gear.

  What the hell was he doing? Was this because of her? She had to fix it. She scrambled to tug on her shoes, then grabbed her keycard and phone and left the room. At the end of the hall, the elevator doors closed. He hadn't seen her, but she needed to find him.

  She needed to apologize.

  He hadn't meant to push her. Furious with himself, Zander strode through the lobby. She'd looked too damn good, standing framed in the doorway, with the bed behind her, begging to be rumpled. All day long, he'd waited to talk to her. For days, he'd ached to touch her. He'd thought they were on the same page after that kiss.

  Apparently not.

  Her actions of the past few days had confused him—mixed signals and awkward conversations. Tonight, her words had cut more than he wanted to let on. He'd never forced a woman, and had never, to the best of his knowledge, made one want to hide.

  Going for a run at night in an unfamiliar city wasn't the smartest thing he could do, but no way could he stay in that room, not with her only a few feet away, and not with the disappointment and frustration swirling in his blood.

  The night clerk smiled at him from behind the desk. "Sir, can I help you?"

  He shook his head. "Can't sleep. Going for a run."

  "Our exercise room is equipped with everything you might need."

  Not everything… Still, it would be safer. "Thanks."

  The elevator pinged and he turned at the sound of heels clicking over the floor.

  Jayne paused a few feet away. She gripped her necklace in her hand. "Where are you going?"

  "I could ask you the same thing." He moved toward her, away from the clerk's prying ears. "Go back upstairs. Get some sleep."

  "I can't sleep. I've hurt you and I didn't mean to and I'm sorry. This whole thing turned out wrong."

  What had—their upstairs conversation? The avoidance? He needed clarification but she looked like she was about to cry. She walked past him, toward the hotel's entrance.

  "Jayne."

  But she didn't stop. The doors glided open and she disappeared through them. Muttering a curse, he moved toward the door.

  "Sir, is everything all right?"

  He ignored the clerk's question and strode onto the street. Jayne's hair swayed in the breeze. He took off after her. "Hold up."

  Spotlighted under a street lamp, she turned, still worrying the delicate gold chain with her fingers.

  "Where are you going?" He shoved his hands into his pockets.

  "I don't know. I need to walk."

  "Fine." He fell in step beside her.

  She stopped. "What are you doing?"

  "This isn't pushing myself on you. It's late. You're crazy if you think I'm letting you walk by yourself at night."

  "I thought you were upset with me."

  "Doesn't mean I'm going to let you run around out here alone."

  "So you are upset, then." She pressed her lips together for a moment. "I think you misunderstood what I said upstairs."

  He shrugged as though it didn't matter. "You want me to leave you alone, I'll leave you alone."

  She made a strangled noise and turned away, then faced him again. "Zander. I don't want to fight or give you mixed signals, but I'm really struggling with this thing between us."

  A small shard of hope shed light onto his heart. "Talk to me."

  "I never get involved with a client. But then we kissed and I keep thinking about that kiss and how much I want to do it again. But I wasn't hired to kiss you."

  "I'll have to talk to my sister about adding that into the job description."

  She granted him a brief smile. "It's more than that. I admire what you're doing for Dalton, and how you are with your dog, and your sister, and your fans."

  "So what's the problem?"

  "I don't do casual hook-ups."

  He suppressed a grin. Good news to know. "Look, I don't do casual hook-ups either. I know rock stars have a reputation, but I've been at this job for over ten years. What's fun when you're twenty is stale when you're thirty."

  Her head tilted and she studied him for a long moment. "So, then you're saying…what? You want a relationship?"

  As long as he was touring, he didn't think he had a chance at a strong, long-term relationship. He'd spend years wanting what his parents had, a long-lasting marriage, but felt like that wasn't in the cards for him because of his chosen career. "I want to explore this thing between us."

  "Mixing business with pleasure is a bad idea." But she didn't sound nearly as certain about that as she had before. Her body leaned into his space. She didn't touch him, but damn it, he could smell her perfume and see her darkened gaze.

  That kiss—that chemistry—he couldn't deny the way Jayne made him feel. "I agree with you. So business and relationships can't work, but I can't help that I'm so attracted to you. We'll see each other nearly every day for the next two months. That's a damn long time to be fighting our attraction. Fighting it will turn it into a bigger distraction. Giving into it would be a good release. Would you be willing to be in an exclusive relationship for the duration of the tour?"

  She bit her lip. "When it's over, we go our separate ways. No one gets hurt."

  "Absolutely. I never want to hurt you. I think we could both make each other feel really good."

  With a shaky breath, she nodded. "No one would know, right? Not even Irisa."

  He banked his annoyance. Hiding things wasn't his style, but her comfort meant more than anything. "Of course not. I don't want to ruin your friendship with her."

  Her hand closed over her pendant again. She let it slip through her fingers. "Okay, then. I agree."

  Thank God she'd agreed to give them a chance. "You said you kept thinking about kissing me again. Are you still thinking about it?"

  "Maybe." A shy smile graced her lips.

  "Good." Desire thudded a low beat in his blood. He cupped her shoulders and backed her against a palm tree, away from the direct light of the lamp post. Her hands rested on his waist. He trailed his fingertips over her collarbone and up the sides of her neck, and cupped her face in his hands. She strained toward him. Achingly slow, he lowered his head, degree by degree, taking in how her eyes darkened and fluttered closed, how her breathing slowed, and how her lips parted in anticipation.

  When his lips closed over hers, the feel of her was even better than he'd remembered. So soft and so sweet. He brushed his thumbs over her cheeks and dived in for another taste. Jayne's hands glided up his torso and slipped to his back. She pressed him closer. Soft curves molded to his body. Groaning, he clamped a hand to her hip and slid his other hand to the back of her head. His fingers itched to shove away the barriers separating them and discover every inch of her, but he enjoyed the sweet torture they created.

  A car drove past, its headlights illuminating them for a moment before their surroundings fell back to semi-darkness.

  Jayne eased her mouth away from his. "We shouldn't be doing this on the sidewalk."

  "We can move it to one of our rooms."

  Her hand came up to rest on his chest. "I'm not ready to rush into sex."

  Locked together, he couldn't hide his body's reaction to her, and from her words, she'd noticed. "Who said anything about sex? I was talking about playing Scrabble."


  "Zander." His name came out part laugh, part groan.

  Laughing, he nipped her lip. "I want to get to know you. There's no pressure for anything else." He released his hold. Leaving her curves and her heat was hard. Not ready to lose contact, he reached for her hand. It curled into his, hesitant, and then more secure in its grip.

  "Let's walk on the beach. We should have it to ourselves." He guided her around the large building. The back of the hotel faced the beach. Floodlights kept the area bright. They could walk in safety and he could hold her close while warm winds danced, waves crashed, and stars winked across the darkened sky.

  "Zander, Jayne. Wait up." Brendan jogged out of the hotel with Landry close behind. Damn it, so much for being alone with her.

  Jayne stiffened and let go of his hand. "Is Luke with you?"

  Landry tossed a football toward Zander. "He's in his room, being a grumpy ass. Want to play?"

  He made the easy catch, then lobbed it back. "Nah. We'll sit here and watch."

  Jayne smiled at him and lowered herself to the sand. He claimed the spot next to her, fingers resting against hers, hidden from view by the cover of sand. The feel of her fingers against his was as erotic as her lips and tongue had been. He traced patterns across the back of her fingers, rubbing soft skin amid rough grains.

  She sighed and flexed her hand under his, then turned hers so palm met palm and her fingers could tease him too.

  Brendan and Landry splashed through ankle-deep water. Diving catches, balls deliberately overthrown, they reminded him of the old days, when everything was simpler with the band.

  Movement at the corner of his vision caught his attention. His sister walked toward them. She looked happy but Dom wasn't with her.

  Jayne tried to untangle her hand from his, but he held tight and burrowed them further in the sand. "How's Dom?"

  A smile bloomed on his sister's face. "Fine. Where's Luke?"

  "In his room. He didn't want to come."

  She chatted with them for a few more minutes about her date and then left, saying she'd check on Luke.

  Soon, she rejoined them with Luke in tow. "I want some shots for your fan page. Come on, play two-on-two and make sure to stay close enough for the floodlights to catch you. And Jayne, you can take some pictures too, so we're not posting the exact same ones."

  Stifling a sigh, Zander rose and brushed the sand from his hands. Usually he paired with Luke when they played. "Same teams?"

  Luke shrugged. "Sure."

  Irisa held up her phone. "Remember, you're supposed to be having fun in these pictures. It wouldn't kill you all to smile."

  Zander covered Brendan while Luke tried to block Landry's throw. The spiral arced toward the drummer. He spun, then leapt for the ball and Zander ended up wrestling him for it as waves crashed around them. They reset. He had the ball. Rather than throwing, he ducked around Brendan. Landry barreled down on him. Bracing for the hit, he threw a lateral pass to Luke but the bassist caught him with a shoulder to his ribs anyway. They ended up on the ground. Zander flung wet sand at him in retaliation.

  Landry smiled. "Always follow through with the tackle."

  "Not when I don't have the ball anymore." He stood, and waved Luke over. "We need to take him down."

  Luke didn't smile like he normally would have, but he nodded. "One more play, then I'm heading in."

  Brendan threw the ball. Instead of trying to block, Zander went after Landry and Luke attacked from the opposite side. The three of them fell into the waves.

  "These are great." Irisa's voice carried over the breeze. "I think I have enough."

  "I think I've had enough too." Landry splashed water at him. "Wait for payback."

  "Game over." He grinned. Cold seeped into his skin. Wet clothes clung to his body. Zander caught Jayne's smile and something in him warmed.

  When the group reached their floor, the logistics of staying so close to the band, and wanting to be with Jayne, and her insistence to keep things a secret, hit him. Thank God they had adjoining rooms.

  He went into his room, and rapped his knuckles against the interior door. Her door opened immediately, as though she'd been expecting him.

  A fine coating of sand and his soaked clothes kept him from wrapping her in his arms. He traced his finger from her temple to her chin, and then tilted her chin up as he bent his head, his mouth seeking her lips.

  Jayne's soft hands grasped his forearm, holding her to him. Their kiss continued, deepened to hot, and then eased back to sweet.

  His heart beat quickened. The song lyrics he'd been struggling to compose suddenly filled his head. Every single word.

  She laid her hand against his cheek. "It's late, and I'm sure that sand isn't comfortable. I'll let you go so you can shower."

  "Good night." After one more taste, he eased back and they closed the doors between them.

  Energy sparked with the need to write. The guys weren't stupid, once they heard the lyrics, they might put two and two together and figure out Jayne was his muse. But he couldn't not share the song.

  He'd just have to take his chances.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  The pub pulsed with music and laughter. The after-concert crowd had thickened once word spread that The Fury had arrived. Jayne stood by the bar, sipping her drink and chatting with Irisa. After a week on the road, she was happy to be home and back in her own bed for a few days. Her friend had invited Dom to the band's first L.A. show. The ballplayer and Zander traded stories while signing autographs and posing for pictures. Fans wandered between them and to the opposite side of the room where Brendan, Landry, and Luke hung out by the pool tables.

  She swallowed her whiskey and her frustration. No matter what she did, Luke still treated her with a coolness impossible to mistake for friendliness. After five shows and countless hours with the band, she'd hoped something would have changed.

  Beside her, Irisa hissed a breath. "It's good to be home, but I'd thought tonight would have gone differently."

  "Dom's pretty popular." There seemed to be as many baseball fans as Fury fans.

  "I'm glad he came and is getting time to talk to Zander, but it's like the flow of fans never stops. I'd like to spend time with him too."

  "I'm sure things will calm down soon." Jayne patted her shoulder. As she spoke, Dom turned toward them and took a step in their direction. "See?"

  To give her friend some privacy, she moved to the other end of the bar and signaled for another drink. People-watching for a while relaxed her.

  Warm hands settled on her waist. She stiffened, ready to throw an elbow into whoever held her. Then Zander's scent surrounded her and she relaxed into his hands and twisted toward him. "I'm glad it's you. I was about to break into self-defense mode."

  "I wondered where you went." He smiled and leaned in and brushed a kiss over her lips.

  "I thought I'd give your sister and Dom some space. And I didn't want to crowd you while you were with your fans." The band's strict "no groupies" policy backstage during the tour meant every bar, restaurant, airport, and venue parking lot turned into fan events.

  "I think I've spoken to every person in this place. Except you." He slid his hands across her stomach and drew her body against his solid wall of muscles.

  She sipped her drink, enjoying the burn of the cinnamon flavor. His hand covered hers and he raised the glass to his lips. Less than a week had passed since their conversation by the beach. Keeping their blossoming relationship under wraps was harder than she'd expected. She liked touching him and kissing him too much.

  He passed the glass back to her and she finished it off. The burn of the alcohol was nothing compared to the fiery desire in Zander's gaze.

  "Dance with me."

  "But someone could see us and—"

  He pressed the warm pad of his finger against her lips. "The dance floor's crowded and believe me, my guys won't be out there. But they could come up here any time for a drink. We'll keep it friendly but I want to hold you. It's been
a damn long day."

  She couldn't argue with that.

  He stopped in a shadowed space and drew her into his arms. Not as tight as some of the couples around them, but close enough for her to breathe him in and enjoy the warmth of his arms.

  A thunderous crash drowned out the music. Angry male voices rang out from the direction of the pool tables.

  Zander's hand tightened on her shoulder. "Goddamn it. Luke's involved."

  The singer stood toe to toe with a giant biker. And then the biker's fist flew and the crowd swallowed them from view.

  "Shit. Find my sister and get outside." He nudged her in the direction of the exit and then ran toward the fight.

  Glass shattered and more people yelled. She dodged people and tables, searching for Irisa. No luck.

  Chaos broke out around her as the fight spilled out into the rest of the pub. The biker's friends and Luke's supporters, including Zander, Brendan and Landry, jumped in.

  She couldn't leave—not with them involved and not without Irisa.

  To her left, Zander threw punches with two different men. Her stomach lurched. If she couldn't find Irisa, she'd try to help him. She rushed by the bar. Someone huge barreled into her side, knocking her off her feet. She flung out her arms and grasped at air. Sickening fear shot through her. Her head smacked into the bar top. Pain exploded and the floor rushed up to meet her.

  The fall knocked her breath out of her. Gasping, she clung to a bar stool. Around her, things calmed down as bouncers tossed out patrons.

  Zander knelt beside her. He had a gash on his cheek and blood on his shirt. With gentle fingers, he turned her head toward him. "Are you okay? Damn it, you're bleeding and you already have an egg forming on your forehead. Can you stand?"

  "I think so." She held onto his arms and allowed him to lift her. The room spun.

  He dumped ice from a glass onto a bar towel and held the bundle to her head.

  A black-clad bouncer came up to them. "You were in the fight. You're getting tossed. Let's go."

  Her head throbbed. She leaned into Zander. He kept his arm around her and they followed Landry and Brendan. Irisa and Dom followed. The bouncer shut the door behind them.