Harley (West Coast Rock Star #1)

by Michelle Jo Quinn

  “Yes, I did, but not when you’re angry. Come into the shower and I’ll help you relax.” Again, he quirked a corner of his mouth, and cocked his head to one side. When she didn’t move or respond, he stepped into the stall.

  Cade fumed. “Jax, c’mon. This is serious.” She walked back into the bathroom, and faced the shower stall. She gulped at the sight before her. Jax in the shower, slicked with hot water, lathering soap all over his toned abs, and thighs, and…

  Next thing she knew, Jax pulled her in, getting her soaked with her clothes on under the spray. Before she could scream or protest, he planted a kiss on her lips. Right after, he chuckled.

  “See, isn’t this much better?”

  Cade’s shoulders sagged. There was no winning with him. If she wanted to have this talk, it would be in the shower. She removed her clothes again and left it piled in the corner of the stall.

  Jax looked at her, really looked, from head to toe and back up again, and didn’t bother hiding his affected parts, either. He pushed her hair off her face and gave her a soft, chaste kiss. “I want to be with you, Cade. Do you want to be with me?”

  Cade closed her eyes for a moment, gathering her thoughts. When she opened them again, she answered, “Yes, I do, but I don’t want to get married. Not yet.”

  “You made that very clear. I understand, but one day, I hope you will.”

  “I want to have fun. I want to get to know you more. I want to spend time with you and Harley, but there are clear issues here.” She waved her hand between them.

  “There are no issues. I’ll make the calls, but I want your decision. I would also like you to know that I will fight for us every step of the way. The press will come right at us. They will be knocking on our doors every time. I’ll try and stave them off, but you need to be strong. You will hear things. You will see things that no person should witness. This is part of my life as a celebrity. I want you to be aware of that.” Jax reached for her and embraced her under the warm water.

  “You paint such a delightful picture.”

  “It is what it is, baby.” He reached behind her and turned off the water. “We don’t have to confirm any reports, but it doesn’t mean they’ll stop hounding us.”

  “What about Harley?”

  “Believe it or not, babe, Harley’s been through this circus before. Her mother wasn’t exactly shy. She could probably give you pointers.” Jax chuckled as he accepted the towel Cade handed him.

  With towels wrapped around their bodies, they stood in front of each other. “I will be leaving tonight for San Diego. If you can, I want you and Harley to stay here.”

  “I have my apartment to clear,” Cade protested.

  “I’ll have Tina make the necessary calls. Is there anything else you want there?”

  Cade shook her head. “No. I don’t have a lot of personal stuff there. I have all my clothes here.”

  Jax kissed the top of her head. “Okay. Then you stay here and consider that taken care of. I’ll give Bruno a call and I’ll see how much he’s done so far.” With an urge from his hand, Cade tilted her chin and watched him through her lashes. “Now can I tell you how happy I am?”

  Her lips spread into a smile, as wide as the one he sported.

  In Jax’s arms, everything seemed fine, calm, quiet, even though she had zero doubts that right outside, havoc was waiting for her to surface.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Whoever said dating was easy was a complete fool, Cade mused as their car stopped in an alleyway. Exhausted from the late flight, she carefully pushed open the door and stretched her aching legs. Cade inhaled the scent of the city that never sleeps. She bent over and reached a hand to wrap Harley in her arms. It wasn’t good for the child to travel in the shroud of darkness. Cade felt the guilt in her gut. If she didn’t agree to continue a relationship with Jax, Harley wouldn’t have to leave Vancouver and arrive in New York City this late at night, or early that morning.

  Did she and Jax make the right decision?

  They were met at the metallic door by Zee, who seemed just as beat as Cade looked. He’d had to fly back and forth with Jax to Vancouver every second night, only to fly again the next afternoon to the next venue in Jax’s itinerary. Jax was a stubborn man, Cade had found out the hard way. Instead of waiting several days until Harley’s doctor gave them approval to travel, Jax had insisted on coming back to “his girls” whenever he could.

  There were times when Jax had come home smelling like he’d doused himself with women’s perfume. The first time this happened, Cade had refused to touch him, much less sleep in his bed.

  “I’m sorry, babe, the VIPs came at me like hungry tigers,” he’d reasoned.

  In reply, Cade had pursed her lips and wrinkled her nose. “You mean your groupies?”

  Jax had thrown her a pleading look, cocking his head to one side with a pout meant to afford him pity. “C’mon, baby, I missed you.” He’d stretched out his arms for an embrace, one that he hadn’t received until he’d showered.

  Would it always be like that dating a rock god? Cade could only wonder. She and Jax had an intense connection which was hard to ignore.

  She had been stuck inside the penthouse with Harley until they had to drive to the airport. Cade had felt like a prisoner, unable to breathe the fresh air unless she stepped out into the large balcony or risked running into photographers outside the building. Under Bruno’s advisement, Cade and Jax had chosen not to comment on the photos or gossips about them.

  “They will eventually get tired, and move on,” Bruno told them.

  But the paparazzi hadn’t left them alone. The small bush fire had spread to the entire forest when Fiona came into the picture, slandering Cade for seducing Jax and influencing Harley’s decisions. Fiona claimed that she worried about how the whole thing would affect her daughter. Cade was grateful Fiona hadn’t thought of paying her and Harley a visit in Vancouver, although she had a sneaking suspicion that Jax had threatened Fiona if she tried anything of the sort.

  “How was the flight?” Zee asked as they walked through the commercial kitchen of the five-star hotel they were staying in.

  “Long. Where is he?” She fully expected Jax to greet them at the door, even at the airport.

  Zee cleared his throat before replying. “He had a meeting after rehearsal.”

  “A meeting? It’s what? Three in the morning?”

  They passed by clean, stainless steel worktops, and one chef too busy to take notice of them. Through the kitchen doors, Cade followed Zee through stark hallways until they reached a service elevator where hotel security personnel waited.

  It didn’t escape Cade that Zee didn’t reply to her previous question. Not one to leave anything unanswered, Cade asked again, “Who was he meeting?”

  The elevator doors opened and they all stepped in. Harley was dead to the world. Cade adjusted her arms around the little girl. She benched weights heavier than Harley, but not having proper sleep made Cade weak.

  Zee threw her a cautionary glance, and then looked at the hotel staff. She understood. Being involved with a celebrity meant she was constantly watched, and people often eavesdropped.

  How magnanimous. It wasn’t what she signed up for but deep down there was no denying that she had fallen in love with Jax. The only question was would they survive the constant scrutiny? The doors opened when they reached their floor. Inside the hotel was quiet and tranquility. Outside was chaotic, even at that time, but Cade loved that about big cities. Could that have been a sign that she craved the chaos her relationship with Jax had caused?

  Zee stopped in front of a wooden door with a brass plate and knocked on it once, waited two seconds, then knocked again. Cade surveyed the room, still no sign of Jax. Was he still at this suspicious meeting? Zee showed her where Harley’s bedroom was. She laid the girl on the bed, taking off the red boots Harley had on before pressing a kiss on the girl’s forehead. Then she turned to Zee.

  Anger and anxiety built in her
as soon as her hands were empty. Had Harley been keeping her composed the entire time? Harley had that effect on Cade. She was a calming incense personified.

  Zee nodded his head towards the other bedroom door, then left Cade standing in the hallway. Cade stepped towards the bedroom and knocked before entering.

  “Jax?”

  His silhouette in front of the large windows made her heart leap. He leaned a hand on the window frame, as he looked out onto the lit buildings. As he turned to her, he buckled over and released a sharp exhale.

  Cade ran to him, holding his arms to guide him to the bed. He was clearly hurt.

  “What happened?” She reached over the side table to turn on the lamp. When she could see him better, she gasped. “Jax, your face!” He had a cut on his swollen lip, and a large goose egg on his forehead, which was turning as purple as an eggplant.

  “I ran into something,” Jax said, wincing as he spoke.

  “You’re not that stupid…unless you were drunk?” Cade leaned forward and sniffed his neck.

  “Oh don’t do that, babe, that’s turning me on and I’m afraid my performance will be subpar tonight.” He tried to smile, and grimaced instead when he stretched his lips.

  Cade poked and prodded the rest of his head and face. She couldn’t stop the loud beating of her heart. She couldn’t help but chew on the inside of her mouth. Jax was evading, which meant whatever happened was more than bad.

  “Lift your arms,” she ordered as she pulled the hem of his shirt over his abs. Jax hesitated, but obeyed. He took shallow breaths when he moved. And when Cade was able to take off his shirt, she was concerned why Jax was not in a hospital. “Has a doctor seen you?”

  “Yes,” Jax rasped. He wiped the tear that rolled over her cheek.

  Cade traced the edges of bruises on Jax’s ribs and chest, and some on his arms and shoulders. “Who did this to you?”

  “It doesn’t hurt anymore. I’ve gone through an x-ray and CAT scan. No fractures. No internal bleeding. Just some nasty bruises and maybe some hurt pride.” He chuckled, hoping Cade would find his statement funny, but instead, she cried harder. “Baby, please don’t cry. I’m okay. I promise.”

  “Why won’t you tell me what happened? And where was Zee? What good is he if he could let this happen to you?”

  Jax cupped her face in his hands and tilted her chin up. He kissed the edge of her bottom lip and inhaled her scent. “It’s nothing you should worry about. It’s all taken care of now. The important thing is that you and Harley are here with me.” He pressed his lips harder on hers. “And you should know, the entire time it was happening, all I could think of was that I’ve never been able to tell you that I love you.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  It was possibly the dumbest thing he had ever done.

  Cade was a smart woman. She would find out soon what had happened. He still couldn’t believe he had let his guard down. The press had been all over him and Cade for the past week and he could use a break. All he’d wanted was to get to Red Ink Studio and get a damned tattoo.

  Sometime that week, Jax successfully contacted Red, his favourite tattoo artist and positively the most talented woman in the field, for an appointment. She had done ninety percent of the images on his body, which acted as her own canvas. Red had agreed on a time and off he went to see her.

  Jax wanted to give Zee a break for the day; the man had been overworked since the paparazzi circus had begun. What could go wrong with a secret rendezvous with his tattoo artist? No one else knew about it, except for him, Red, and Zee. But Zee insisted he would feel more secure if he could at least drive Jax around the city. When he arrived at the studio, it had been just him and Red.

  Red had also been under a lot of stress. He could tell by the way she bit on one corner of her bottom lip. Normally, only her brows would draw closer while she was working and there was serenity on her entire face, but their conversation about the man she had been seeing had caused her tension. At the end, she had still done a great job with what he’d asked from her.

  Two names: Cadence and Harley, written forever on his arm. He couldn’t wait to show it to both of them, hoping it would symbolize his utmost devotion.

  Before he left the studio, he spoke to Red, hoping to get her to relax and give her a different viewpoint than the one she’d been receiving. “Do not be afraid to love,” he began. “Dig deep and you will learn the truth yourself. And don’t worry, if you fall, I know he will be there to catch you.”

  He had met the man who’d turned Red restless, Wolfe Wainwright, one powerful man. So powerful that when Wolfe had called Jax to change Jax’s appointment with Red a while ago, Jax couldn’t do anything but agree. Wolfe was the type of person people didn’t say no to. He was the kind who could make or break his career, among other things if he wasn’t careful. But Jax had heard a lot of rumours regarding Wolfe. Jax tended not to put his nose in other people’s business, but from his own experience, sometimes giving love a chance was what needed to be done.

  As soon as he was out of the studio, having left through the backdoor in Red’s office, the sun blinded him. When he moved to block the light with his sunglasses, his arm ached. He should have been used to this kind of soreness. Zee, who had been waiting inside the car, stepped out and handed him his cellphone.

  Jax didn’t like Zee’s expression. Something didn’t feel right. He hoped it wasn’t anything to do with Harley or Cade. He reached to grab his phone.

  “Fiona’s been calling every five minutes or so. I answered a couple of times and she screamed at me,” Zee informed him while they both got back into the car.

  “Did she say what she wants?” Jax stared at the buzzing phone on his hand.

  “Nope. Just a lot of senseless screeching.”

  Before he answered the call, Jax took in a deep breath. “Fiona.”

  “Jax! Jax!”

  “Yes, Fi, I can hear you.” Jax pinched the bridge of his nose. He could almost feel a headache starting. “What do you want?” He didn’t waste any pleasantness on his ex. It never mattered.

  “Can we talk?” Fiona’s voice faltered, and although it should have calmed Jax, the opposite happened. She was up to something.

  “Talk now.”

  “No, not over the phone. Please. I’m in my apartment. Can you come?”

  Jax stiffened in his seat. Fiona wasn’t supposed to be in New York City. Was it a coincidence that she was in the city at the same time his concerts were on? His mind ran rampant. What could she have possibly found out? Would it be the time Harley had left LA on her own to find Cade in New Jersey? Would this be about his relationship with Cade again? Fiona had been too vocal about her dislike regarding his involvement with Cade. Perhaps, if he sat and reasoned with her, she would stop telling the press her opinions. Yeah, and pigs fly. Fiona would never stop harassing them until she got what she wanted.

  Jax drew in a sharp breath. “Fine. I’ll be there in a few minutes.” He ignored the curiosity on Zee’s face. He turned to Zee. “I guess we’re talking. She’s at her apartment.”

  “You sure that’s wise?”

  “When it comes to Fiona, you can never be sure, but what choice do I have? You know what she’s like,” he reasoned. Zee had been working with Jax for many years. He had been witness to Fiona’s antics far too many times. Jax trusted the man implicitly. Zee had the patience of a saint when it came to dealing with Fiona. Jax wasn’t a praying man, but he looked to the skies and silently hoped he would receive such patience while he talked to Fiona.

  Something was off. Jax could sense it in the air. It prickled on the back of his neck, but he shrugged it off, convinced that he was being paranoid. As much as Fiona was a pain in his ass, she wasn’t dangerous to others, only to herself. And if he didn’t get back to the car in ten minutes, Zee would check on him, as they’d agreed.

  Even before he could raise a hand to knock on the door, it swung open.

  “Thanks for coming,” she said, letting him
through.

  Fiona saying thanks was either a miracle or a bad omen. Jax looked past Fiona to see if there were other people present, a hidden cameraman, maybe? It wouldn’t be the first time. Jax didn’t step forward. He shoved his hands in his pockets and peered at Fiona through his sunglasses. Fiona had hers on too. She’d lost an incredible amount of weight since getting hitched. If she admitted to using again, it wouldn’t be a surprise to Jax. Underneath those glasses was the truth.

  “Don’t you want to come in?” Her voice was sweet. Too sweet. It didn’t suit her. She was definitely up to something.

  Jax shook his head. “This is fine. We can talk here. What do you want?”

  Fiona bit down on her bottom lip, then turned to sit on the cream sofa, leaving the door open. “We can sit, you know. I’m a little tired from my flight.”

  “You have two seconds to tell me what’s up or I’m out,” Jax warned, keeping his spot outside the threshold. When she didn’t say anything, Jax pulled the doorknob. “I’m outta here!”

  “No, Jax, please!” Fiona leaned over the back of the sofa, and almost tripped as she ran back toward Jax. “I’m sorry.”

  The words halted Jax from going forward. He looked over to where Fiona stood, hanging onto the doorframe. “Sorry?”

  Fiona switched to sullen, but Jax wasn’t buying it. She’d had acting lessons since she was a kid. Although she’d never had any huge parts in movies or TV, Fiona was a real drama queen. She stretched out a hand to him and that was when Jax saw the large contusion on her forearm. Fiona tried to pull her arm back but Jax held onto it.

  “What the hell is this?” Concern filled Jax. Many years ago, he had cared for Fiona, and as much as she became a pain in his ass, she didn’t deserve to get hurt. Jax removed his glasses, moved closer, and studied her face. She had more foundation caked on her skin. Jax pulled off the sunglasses and saw the purple mark around Fiona’s left eye. “Did Antonio do this?”