“How’s Christie?” Bobbi asked.
Fuck. Bobbi had been eyeballing Jack since they’d gotten here. From her tone, Jack knew she was a fan of Christie’s. Jack’s instincts told him to cut the interview short, but he decided it was better to not make a scene.
He looked at Elliot, Buzz, and Curt. “Honestly, I don’t know. We don’t keep in touch, but I hope she’s doing well.” Jack meant that. Unfortunately, there was nothing more he could do to help her. If she decided to get help, he’d promised to pay for it. That would be money well spent.
“Isn’t it true that you kicked her out of your house? Forced her to move into some dumpy apartment in a bad neighborhood?”
Jack swore silently. “We’re done here.” He stood, and his brothers stood with him. Jeff opened the door, and they walked out. Brick, Polson, and Miller waited outside. Brick took point with Jeff, and Polson and Miller followed behind them. Jack ignored the shocked expressions of Brandon, his producer, and the staff that watched them leave. Fuck it. Let them call him a spoiled rock star. Dex could deal with the fall out. That was what they paid him for.
He kept it together until they were safely inside the SUV. “Fuck! Brandon was cool, but what was up with that…”
“I believe the word you’re looking for is bitch,” Elliot said.
“Personally, I’d have gone with cunt. That was a fucking ambush,” Curt said.
Jack agreed with all of it.
“Last time we go there,” Buzz said.
Since Jack was the frontman, he got the most attention and the least privacy. He’d grown into acceptance of it slowly. He was happy for any attention they got as a band, but some people wanted dirt. They’d never get it from him. He’d never said, and would never say, a bad word about Christie. But that bitch Bobbi ambushed him. He knew, that like Christie, some people blamed him for her problems.
He couldn’t wait to see Em. Then he remembered her parting words and smiled.
As they rolled up to the elevators in the garage, Jeff said, “Dinner reservations at seven. Meet here at six forty.” He looked at Jack in the rearview mirror. “That’s ninety minutes for you timing impaired, not ninety-one.” Jeff almost smiled.
Jack acknowledged with a nod and jumped out as soon as the SUV stopped. Curt was right behind him. Elliot and Buzz whistled and yelled, “What’s the rush?” Juvenile laughter echoed through the garage.
At the elevators, Jack and Curt turned to them and flipped them off, and Jack used the finger to punch the up button. Curt got out on thirty-five, and Jack pushed the button for thirty-seven ten times before the doors closed. His dick hardened more with each passing floor. At this rate, by the time he opened the door to his room, his dick would be inside before he was.
J
Emily finished her surprise project for Jack, an idea sparked by something Nicki said while they were in the salon. She wrapped it up with some ribbon she’d gotten from the hotel’s boutique. She wished she could see Jack’s face when he opened it.
She heard the doorknob and turned as Jack raced in and slammed the door. He crossed the room to her, and then she was in his arms, their lips crashing together.
“I fucking missed you, baby,” he said in a strained whisper.
It had been a little mean to taunt him before he’d left, but he looked like he’d forgiven her. She ached for him, and a slow burn had started in her that only Jack could extinguish.
She tugged at Jack’s belt, popped the button, lowered the zipper, and thrust her hand in. His dick was rock hard, and a bead of fluid had formed at the tip. She stroked him as he whipped off his shirt and stripped out of his jeans. He undressed her as best he could, with her hand occupied, until she was forced to release him so he could get her shirt off.
He stepped back, his dick pulsed, and he gulped. “Oh, Em…”
This was new—white lace and satin bra with matching thong. She’d burned all her lingerie, anything she’d worn for Sully. Just having it in her closet made her sick. Nicki had supplied the fireplace and the wine. She’d gotten so drunk that night she’d had a headache for two days.
His eyes glazed over, and his lips parted slightly, but he didn’t speak or touch her. He just stared. She felt like the sexiest woman on the planet. He watched as she brought a finger up to her lips, but she didn’t take it in her mouth. Instead, she slowly turned. When he saw the back view, he grunted. When she faced him, she toyed with her nipples, plucking at them gently. Still, he made no move to touch her. Maybe she’d broken him? “Baby, you okay?”
He seemed to snap out of his daze, and his jaw clenched. “Say it,” he said through tight lips.
She could ask what, but she knew. “Jack, please fuck me now.”
He reached into the acrylic phallus—Elliot’s idea of a joke—pulled out a condom, tore it open, and rolled it on. Jack lifted her and rested her back up against the wall. Their wall. Moving the thong aside, he thrust mercilessly inside her until he filled her completely. He paused for a moment, forcing her to meet his eyes, before he pulled out and pounded back in. Over and over.
She clenched her internal muscles, increasing the pleasure for both of them. Jack eased off, taking her lips in a deep kiss. His tongue thrust into her mouth as his cock thrust into her pussy.
He rested his forehead against hers, not letting up. “You’re so fucking wet, baby. I wish I could fuck you and eat you at the same time.”
She giggled, and Jack gave her a warning look. She occupied her mouth by licking the salty skin of his jaw. Her arms tightened around his neck as he resumed his unrelenting assault. He nipped behind her ear and down her neck until he reached her shoulder, gently biting. She exploded around him, screaming out as her body convulsed.
“Fuck yeah,” he said as he came.
Jack rested for a moment before carrying her into the bedroom and laying her on the bed. He disposed of the condom and then lay next to her, pulling her halfway onto his chest with his arms closing around her.
Emily enjoyed the sound of Jack’s heartbeat: strong, steady, and solid. Just like him.
“What evil thought did that brain of yours concoct?”
She chuckled. “Not evil. Just that to fuck me and eat me at the same time would probably require a very advanced yoga posture. If you invented that, you’d be a multi-millionaire.” When he didn’t say anything, she looked up at him. “What?”
“I am.”
Oh. She stretched up so she could kiss him. “I don’t care about your money.” She rested her head back on his chest. “I guess paying for your siblings’ education won’t be a burden for you. I’m surprised your parents agreed to that.”
“They didn’t at first.”
“Jimmy and Trish don’t know?”
“When my folks finally agreed that it was silly for them to bear the burden when I could easily help out, they insisted Jimmy and Trish couldn’t know about it. They took out loans over what my parents had saved. Mom and Dad want them to appreciate their education. They’re less likely to take it for granted if they don’t know that I’ll be paying off their loans.”
“You never appreciate things that are given to you as much as the ones you’ve had to earn.”
“Their point exactly.”
Emily shifted off him and onto her back.
Jack turned on his side. “What they don’t know is that I’m going to pay off their house, and I’ve opened a retirement account for them, but they can’t touch it until their sixty-five.”
“You wouldn’t want them to blow their retirement money on fancy clothes and extravagant vacations.”
“Exactly.” He grinned at her. “I’m buying my dad a fully loaded SUV for Christmas. They only have one car that my mom uses since he has the van for work. Whenever they go out, they use her car, but I know my dad would love a truck.” Jack placed his pointer finger over his lips.
That made Emily laugh. “So sweet.” She took his finger between her lips
and sucked it.
Jack moaned.
Round two.
J
A single knock on the bathroom door startled Emily out of her reverie.
“Babe, you almost ready?” Jack asked.
They were having dinner with Curt, Nicki, Buzz, Elliot, and Siobhan. She’d taken more time than necessary changing and washing up. Emily redid her makeup and fixed her hair. “Another two minutes.” Emily would’ve rather stayed in, but Jack had been so excited when Elliot called and told him Siobhan was coming to dinner with them, she’d gone with it. She liked seeing Jack happy.
When she opened the door, her breath caught. Jack wore a black silk, fitted button-down shirt, black jeans, his favorite boots and was freshly shaven and just gorgeous. His blue eyes sparkled, and his dark brown hair was combed neatly. She wore a black beaded knit shirt with gray leggings and black patent leather flats.
“You look lovely.” Jack pulled her into his arms.
She blocked his kiss with her hand. “Don’t start. I don’t want to look well-fucked when we meet your friends for dinner.” Nicki had sex-dar, and what Nicki knew, everyone would know. Emily didn’t need to make it easy for her.
“Well-fucked?” Jack grinned. “I like that.”
“Me too.” She darted away as Jack lunged toward her. “Stop that.”
Jack caught her and just as their lips touched, Jack’s phone rang with “Welcome Home,” Elliot’s ringtone, and they groaned. Jack answered and said, “On our way.”
The elevator doors opened in the garage and they walked to a van where Jeff waited. A black SUV waited behind the van. Jeff opened the door as they approached.
Nicki, Curt, and Buzz sat in the first row and Elliot and Siobhan in the second. Emily sat next to the window, and Jack sat next to her.
Elliot turned to face her. “Emily, this is my wife, Siobhan.” His grin was epic.
Emily leaned forward and shook her hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“Elliot’s told me so much about you.” Siobhan’s smile was as wide as her husband’s.
The van moved so they were forced to sit back in their seats.
They arrived at the restaurant within twenty minutes and were immediately seated in a private room. Rock star treatment didn’t suck.
While they looked over their menus, Emily watched Elliot with his wife. His black curls were tamed, he’d shaved, and his dark eyes sparkled. When he smiled, he looked years younger than he had when they’d met. He was good-looking before, but now he was downright handsome. Siobhan was drop-dead gorgeous with long red hair, green eyes, and pale skin with a dusting of freckles. Love shone in her eyes for Elliot, and they held hands, nuzzling each other and sharing private jokes. It was the cutest damn thing Emily had ever seen.
The waiter came, and they placed their orders. Bottles of wine were delivered, but Emily passed; she wanted to support Buzz. She never drank in front of Vince even though he was okay with it, but Emily knew Vince appreciated it.
She turned her attention to Nicki and Curt. She’d never seen her so toned down. Nicki had a great body which was usually on display. Her makeup was subtle, and her long, blonde hair was pulled in a high ponytail. Nicki wore a pale yellow sweater with black leggings and a modest heel. Emily suspected it was because with her five-inch heels she’d be as tall as Curt. Men had a thing about height. She chuckled to herself. And length. And width. Jack had all three.
She hadn’t spent much time with Curt, but he looked like a man in love. His dark blond hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, and his eyes never left Nicki. He didn’t have the same air about him as the jerks Nicki usually gravitated to. He was sweet. She’d seen Nicki “in love” a least a dozen times over the years, but this was different.
Curt stood and tapped his fork on his water glass. “I have an announcement.”
Oh God, no. Her grip tightened on Jack’s hand. His tightened back.
“Nicki has agreed to come on tour with me.”
Emily and Jack shared a shocked glance. They’d both thought the same thing, and that hadn’t been it.
Elliot and Buzz clapped, and Nicki smiled.
“Nicki, nice to have you join us,” Jack said. Something in the tone of his voice struck Emily as jealousy.
Emily was relieved, but still. They just met. Emily shook her head. Well, she couldn’t use that argument anymore, could she? She was living in Jack’s hotel room. Emily smiled and raised her glass. Nicki looked happy, but then she always did right up until the romance crashed and burned. Hopefully, this time would be different.
It was still early when they got back to the hotel, but Emily was tired. Her mind ached, and she wanted some time alone to think. Nicki suggested the girls have a drink in the bar so they could get to know each other since the guys were going to work on a song.
They sat at a small table at the far end of the bar. Nicki ordered a margarita, Siobhan ordered a pinot grigio, and Emily ordered a glass of merlot. The server returned with their drinks, and Nicki paid.
“Thank you for inviting me out,” Siobhan said. “The girlfriends don’t usually include me.”
“Why not?” Nicki asked.
“We’re homebodies, and we’ve been married for six years. When Elliot’s home, we like to stay in.”
“Plus, you have a lot of sex to catch up on.” Nicki winked.
“Nic, really, you just met the girl, can’t you ease into your…youness?” Emily asked.
Siobhan laughed. “It’s okay, I have a younger sister just like Nicki.”
“Oh crap, you mean there are two of them?”
Nicki stuck her tongue out. She was behaving; if Siobhan wasn’t here, she’d have used another gesture. “You think I’m making a mistake, don’t you?”
Emily smiled. “I’m not really in a position to judge you, sweetie. I want you to be happy.”
“Being with Curt makes me happy, happier than I’ve ever been. I know we just met, but it’s different this time.” Nicki held up her hand. “I know, I say that every time, but this time, it really is different.”
“I know.”
A wicked smile curved Nicki’s lips. “You shoulda seen the look on your face when Curt made our announcement.”
Emily narrowed her eyes. “You knew what I’d think. You could’ve given me a heads-up.”
“This was more fun.” Nicki took a sip of her drink. “Come on, Emi. Do you really think I’d marry Curt after knowing him less than a week?”
That’s exactly what Emily had thought. “It’s a very you thing to do.” And since Jack had thought the same thing, apparently, it would also be a very Curt thing to do. Emily was glad she’d been wrong.
“Elliot tells me you’re both writers. What do you write?” Siobhan asked.
Emily was glad to move away from this topic before Nicki brought up her and Jack. She didn’t feel comfortable discussing it in front of Siobhan. Especially since his feelings were obvious. “He didn’t elaborate?”
Siobhan blushed. “I don’t know the terminology.”
“My stories are romantic and sweet and always have a happy ending.” Nicki’s smile turned wicked. “Emi writes porn, sometimes with a side of suspense.”
With mock effrontery, Emily said, “My stories always have happy endings, too.” She couldn’t help the wicked grin. “Sometimes in the beginning and middle as well.”
Siobhan gasped and Nicki laughed.
“I’m not the only one who needs to ease into her ‘youness,’ Emi.”
“Sorry,” Emily said to Siobhan.
“Don’t be, I’m not shocked really. Elliot told me you were funny and frank. They all appreciate honesty, especially Jack. Elliot opts out of all the bullshit, as he calls it, but it has to be done, and Jack’s great at it.”
“Yeah, he is.” Emily admired his ability to promote the band. Having a pen name to keep her privacy made all aspects of publishing more challenging.
Siob
han touched her hand. “I wanted to thank you. We”—she paused and smiled at the word—“still have things to work out, but we’re talking again, thanks to you. I loved your idea about traveling with the band. I’ve always wanted to travel, but Elliot travels so much that when he gets a break he’d rather stay home.” Siobhan looked down. “I miss him so much when he’s on tour. It’s hard being left behind.”
Emily swallowed the lump in her throat. She refused to look past Thursday when the band moved on to Hartford.
“I love traveling, and I love meeting my fans…” Nicki commandeered the bulk of the conversation, which Emily was grateful for. A melancholy settled in her chest. Not only would her new boyfriend be leaving in two days, but now her best friend would go with them. Emily remembered the young, impulsive girl she’d lost in the accident. She definitely would’ve gone along for that ride.
An uneasy feeling shuddered through her. Their relationship was so new, and Jack met beautiful women every day. Emily shook her head to clear those thoughts away; Jack wasn’t Sully. But then she’d never thought he was the cheating type either.
chapter
EIGHT
Jack wanted to spend the rest of the night with Em, but he also wanted to work on the song he’d written for her with the guys. They’d worked on it during soundcheck, but they all felt there was more magic to distill from it, so they’d keep at it.
Curt, Buzz, and Elliot got off at the thirty-fifth floor to get their instruments. Jack’s room had been on the same floor, but the room had a leak, so he’d been moved to a floor where Jeff could be close by.
As he approached his room, Jack saw the corner of a white envelope peeking out from under the door. Please, no. Jack’s body tensed, and his pulse hammered through his veins. This cannot be happening, not now, not with Em here.
“What’d you lock yourself out?” Elliot asked, as he, Buzz, and Curt walked up. Elliot’s laughter died. “Motherfucker.”
“Shit,” Buzz said.
Curt walked over to the door and squatted. “Fuck.”
“Don’t touch it.” Jack called Jeff. “I hope the girls have a good long drink.” The last thing Jack wanted was to have to explain this to Em. She’d freak out and dump him for sure.
No More Yesterdays: A Rock Star Romance (Rocked in Love Book 2) Page 7
