Broken (The Guitar Face Series Book 1)

by Sasha Marshall

  Jagger and I continue walking, and he finally reaches down and grabs my hand. I smile, but don’t look at him. I can’t. We walk in silence for a bit before he finally breaks the ice.

  “So, Koi and Jessica?” he asks.

  “Yeah. I kinda knew something was going on in New Orleans.”

  “They would be good together. She wouldn’t put up with his shit. She also knew him long before he hit it big. Her intentions wouldn’t be questioned.”

  “They would be great together. I would be lucky if I ever managed to get her as a sister-in-law. Sister-in-law and best friend in one package is every sister’s dream,” I say.

  “You think Koi will ever get married?”

  “When he meets the right one and is ready to settle down, I think he will.”

  “He hasn’t ever talked about it.”

  “He’s been too busy playing rock star. He’s had the world at his fingertips for ten years. He wouldn’t pursue Jessica if he didn’t want anything serious from it. Too many people get hurt if it ends badly.” I repeat his words from months back. “That tells me he is ready to settle down.”

  Jag agrees, and we continue our walk toward a little rock cave that separates this private beach from the public beach. From the time I bought the house, a cave had been shaped and maintained in the rock wall. The last time I was here, Caleb made me swim in it. The tide was up, and he dragged me along. He wrote our names and a bunch of vulgar things on the rocks. That was a month before he died, and I wonder if it is still there.

  “There is a cave in the rock wall. When the tide is up, you have to swim in it,” I say.

  “Let’s check it out.”

  “Uh-uh. I’m not going in that thing at night.”

  “You scared?”

  “Of what critters could be in there? Definitely.”

  “Come on, I will protect you. Stop being such a girl.”

  “I am a girl.”

  “You have never acted like one before. Too damn tough.”

  “Fine, but if I’m eaten by a sea monster, my death is in your hands.” I march ahead of him and reach the entrance of the cave before he does. I stop at the entrance, my resolve giving way.

  “You have to go in.”

  “You can’t see anything in there.”

  “I have my cell; I’ll use the light on it.” He pulls his cell out of his pocket and illuminates the cave. “Come on, sissy.”

  “Sissy, my ass.” I push myself forward, but he grabs my hand.

  I walk over to the wall Caleb vandalized, and wouldn’t you know, it’s still visible.

  Jagger laughs. “No he didn’t!”

  “He did.”

  Call for a good time is still on the cave wall along with a previous cell number of mine.

  “Henley, look at me.”

  I turned my head to him, and he hit something on my shoulder.

  “I don’t want to know, do I?”

  “Nope.”

  “I told you I was going to get eaten by a sea monster!” I ran for my life, and out of the cave.

  Jagger runs after me. “Come back, you sissy.”

  “I’m not a sissy; I just don’t want to die,” I yell over my shoulder. He catches up with me and scoops me up from the sand, throwing me over his shoulder. I’m only wearing a bikini, so my ass is literally in his face.

  “You just want to look at my ass,” I say.

  He leans over to my ass and bites me on the cheek.

  “I’m so kicking your ass. Where are you taking me?”

  “Back to the cave we shall go. You have to face your fears and all that good shit,” he says.

  I kick and squeal trying to get loose and then give up. Jagger is a big man; there is no use.

  “I’m being a good friend here and making you face your fears. You cannot let the sea monsters win.”

  “If you put me back in that damn cave, this is war!”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “Did you see what I did to Kip this morning? I will plaster pictures of you in very compromising photographs all over the Internet.”

  He sets me down in the cave. “Good point, but you’re already here.”

  I close my eyes. I have no idea what was crawling on me, but I don’t want to see it again. Then it hits me.

  “Was there really something on my shoulder?”

  Jagger smiles a mischievous little grin, and I know I’ve been had. I push him, and he laughs. So I step forward and push him again, but he grabs my wrists.

  “You really are a sissy.” He pulls my wrists to him. “You are really cute when you throw a temper tantrum.”

  “I’m not throwing a temper tantrum. I’m not a toddler. When you are a grown woman, it’s called a bitch fit.”

  “Thank you for the clarification.”

  He is smiling down at me with that bad-boy rocker smile. Those smiles that can make your panties drop on the spot. “You’re very welcome,” I say all breathy.

  It’s not fair. All he has to do is smile, and I get overheated. He hears it too. His smile slowly fades, and he brings my body closer.

  He is inches from my lips. “Henley...”

  “Shut up, Jagger.”

  He leans down and touches his lips to mine. His tongue eventually finds mine, and he slowly laps his tongue against it. His hands are on my lower back, and it doesn’t help the whole panty-dropping situation. I’m so screwed. I want him so bad, so I pick up the pace, and he follows my lead. He inches us to the cave wall and leans his tall body down to mine and kisses my neck. When he continues across my shoulder, I arch my back because that is what I do when Jagger is kissing my body. I can’t help it. It’s an involuntary response. He pulls my face to him again and kisses my lips. I gently bite his bottom lip, and he growls in response. Have I ever told you his growl makes me lose my sanity temporarily? I moan into his mouth, and he growls again as he picks my petite body up by my ass. Saying the cave wall isn’t comfortable is an understatement. Who really cares when the hottest man alive is pressing you against it with his dick pushing into your thigh? Not me, that’s for damn sure.

  “Henley...”

  “I need it. Please,” I beg. Don’t say no.

  “I can’t.”

  You what?

  “You can’t what?” I ask between kisses.

  “I can’t just fuck you like it doesn’t mean anything,” he says.

  “Do you see me sleeping with anyone else?” I ask through gritted teeth and sexual frustration.

  “What are you saying?”

  “I’m saying I can’t sleep with anyone else when my heart still belongs to you.”

  He thinks on that for a bit, then charges back in quickly, bruising my lips and pushing my bottoms to the side. I feel him reach below and dip a little to pull himself out. He doesn’t enter me immediately, but continues kissing me, slowing down the pace.

  “I love you, Henley. I always have.”

  “I love you too.”

  He looks me in the eyes as he enters my body and slowly pushes his pelvis into me. It has been way too long. He takes his time and balances me off the wall. I wish I could see this from the outside looking in. He is standing straight up, balancing the entire weight of my body, and thrusting slowly in and out of me while also kissing me. Now that takes skill. I feel his muscles begin to shake after several minutes.

  “Kneel down,” I say.

  He brings himself to the sand and leans back on his calves while holding me in place. Once I get my footing, I grind on him. He watches every move I make. I look straight into the eyes of the man I love, and I know I’ve made a big mistake. He finally starts kissing me again, and I have that overwhelming feeling of love and adoration.

  �
��Koi! Stop,” I hear Jessica say.

  I look to my left and see her standing there, a little shocked she found us. “We don’t need to go in there. Just take me back to the house.”

  And just like that, they are gone. Thank you, Jessica!

  I look down and smile at Jagger, and I start moving again. Not long after, I feel my orgasm building. When the full body tingles start, I let my head fall back and hold on to his neck. I have no idea what I cry out, but good God, Buddha, Allah, and everything that is holy thank you for this man... and his penis. I hear Jagger growl; he grabs my hips and thrusts into me as hard as he can. He thrusts again and again until he finds it. He reaches around to my back and pulls me flush to his chest, where I put his head on my shoulder. He thrusts some more, and I feel him empty his load inside me.

  We stay like that for quite a while, all tangled up in each other in the sand. People who bitch about sex being difficult in sand have never had sex with Jagger Carlyle. Sand is the last thing you think about being in your bathing suit. He runs his hand up and down my back as we both catch our breath. His head remains on my shoulder. When he catches his breath, he showers kisses along my collarbone.

  “Let me come home, Henley.”

  “Home?”

  “You are my home.”

  “Okay, baby.”

  Chapter 25

  AFTER THE NIGHT in the cave, Jagger and I reconcile. He apologizes repeatedly for the things he said that horrible night. Our friends and family are more than elated we make peace. Jagger has to leave a couple of days later for two gigs. Broken Access only has two more gigs before they will be home for a while. There is already some talk about recording a new album.

  Light streams through my window. I love sunshine. I attempt to move, but a solid muscular arm draped across my body pulls me back.

  “I have something for you.”

  “You do? I really like presents. What is it?”

  “I will give you a few hints. You suck on it, but it can’t stay hard forever. Sometimes it evens stains your lips.”

  “Oh, I love popsicles!” I attempt to jump out of his hold and out of the bed, but he grabs me by the hips and pulls me under the covers as I squeal. I find myself under him, and he pulls the covers over our heads.

  He presses himself into me. “Does that feel cold to you, baby?”

  “No. Why don’t you just say ‘dick’? I always like that surprise.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Yeah.”

  While he removes my panties, he kisses a trail down to them. He removes his own boxers, and thrusts into me, pulling in and out of me at a moderate pace. He runs his hands down my inner thighs and pushes my knees toward my chest. He can’t be any deeper in me.

  “I have to go without this for five days, baby. You sure you can’t go on tour with us?”

  “Shut up, Jagger.”

  “I love it when you get so bossy. I like it when you order me around in the bedroom.”

  “What about in caves?”

  “Just one cave in particular.”

  “Okay, shut up, Jagger. I’m almost there.”

  He leans down to my ear and whispers, “I want to feel you quiver on me. Your pussy is so wet. Is my head hitting that spot, baby?”

  “Yes,” I yell, gripping onto the sheets for dear life... or an orgasm.

  “That’s it. Come for me. Come on my cock. God, I love it when you scream.”

  He picks up speed and the friction increases, and tingles start at my toes and slowly rise to my center.

  “Come, baby. Stop holding out on me. I need to feel you come. I need you to give it to me.”

  I arch my back and scream out his name along with motherfucker, shit, ass, bitch, fuck yes, and Jesus Christ. Sorry, baby Jesus. I’m a limp mess when it is all over with, and that piece of visible knowledge strokes his ego if the smile on his face is any indication. Smug ass. He finds his release and says fuck about twenty times.

  A few hours later, I drop him at the lot where the bus is parked. I hug all of their necks.

  Cam approaches me for a hug. “I need your help.”

  “Of course.”

  “I need you to find me a ring.”

  My mouth drops, “Like the ring?”

  “Yes. The ring.”

  “You’re proposing to Kathrine?”

  “Yes. Please tell me she will say yes.”

  “I’m sure she will. You guys are so great together. Want me to put out a feeler?”

  “Yeah. That would calm my nerves a bit.”

  “Did you ask her dad?”

  “He’s excited. He gave me shit at first, and it scared the crap out of me. He is talking about a freaking dowry for his first child.”

  “That sounds like Big Daddy.”

  “So, I will text you a price range. See if you can find several pieces for me to look at. I would like to do it on Thanksgiving. I’m trying to think of a really memorable way to propose.”

  “I will think about that too.”

  I’M OVER THE MOON for Cam and Kathrine. They are both amazing people who deserve each other. I pick up Jessica on the way from dropping Jag off so I can hit up a jeweler I’ve used in the past. I don’t tell Jessica where we’re going because I want to see the look on her face when she figures it out. I have Cam’s price range, and he isn’t holding back, which makes my job really easy. I want to do a little dance and sing “Kathrine and Cam sitting in a tree.”

  “What are you buying?” Jessica asks.

  “I’m not buying anything.”

  I ask the jeweler for engagement rings in the price range Cam specified, and he disappears into the back. Jessica is trying to figure out why I’m here. I instantly see the one when the jeweler returns with a case. It’s a vintage-inspired five-carat emerald-cut platinum ring. The diamond is surrounded by encrusted diamonds, and the band is also encrusted.

  “What do you think? It looks really vintage, and vintage would be really cool since they fell in love in New Orleans. It also looks really artsy, like her.” I give her all the hints I possibly can.

  “Shut the fuck up, bitch! Is he really asking her?”

  “Yup. He just told me. We have to think of the best way for him to drop down on one knee. He wants to do it in a couple of weeks on Thanksgiving.”

  “Aw, that is so freaking romantic. He is giving thanks for their love.” She can be a hopeless romantic too, but don’t tell her I told you so.

  I ask the jeweler to hold the ring after I text Cam several pictures. He agrees it is definitely the one. I put a hefty deposit on it since Cam can’t be here. I don’t want him to lose out on the ring. Jessica and I instantly put our heads together to plan the perfect proposal.

  My mom calls later that evening.

  “Hey, sweetheart. How are things?”

  “Great, Mom, really great.”

  “Good. Well, look, I have an idea for Thanksgiving. All the parents had dinner last night for our monthly get-together. We thought it would be a great idea for us to fly out since so many of you kids are out there. It’s really cold here in Georgia, so we would rather have a warm California Thanksgiving.”

  “That sounds great, Mom. Who all is coming out?”

  “Everyone!” She is so excited.

  “Donny and Maria?”

  “No, baby. I don’t think they can deal with that just yet. They don’t come to many of our dinners either. It reminds them too much of Caleb.”

  “Yeah, I get it.”

  “So why don’t I call you with some ideas for dinner and let’s put it together?”

  “Sounds good.”

  We prepare for the holidays while the guys are out on tour and decide dinner will be at my house. I organize where everyone will stay during Th
anksgiving. We all have enough houses and rooms to accommodate our families.

  Cam and I speak back and forth all week about the proposal. Kathrine loves the beach. He really wants to do something to incorporate Thanksgiving into it so that it’s a really memorable moment. Kathrine is really close with her dad, so I figure it would be really neat to tie him into the proposal.

  The bell rings from my front door late Friday night. I’m not expecting anyone. When I open it, the love of my life stands with his guitar in hand and a bouquet in the other. I jump on him and throw my legs around his waist. I really missed him.

  “What are you doing here?” I ask.

  “Water main busted in the venue this morning. As soon as they found it, the show was cancelled. I caught the first flight home.”

  “I missed you.”

  “I missed you too, baby.”

  We go to bed and tangle into each other and then just lay in bed and talk for several hours after. I tell him all about Cam and Kathrine. He thinks my idea is genius and is sure Cam will be on board. I show him the pictures of the ring, and he agrees it suits Kathrine.

  “You really are excited about this,” he says with sleepy eyes.

  “Yeah. Go to sleep, baby.”

  “K.”

  He is out soon after. I watch him sleep for a while. His buzzed hair is a little longer than it normally is. He hasn’t shaved in days and has bags under his eyes. He is clearly exhausted. As I watch him sleep, I realize how connected I am to him. I can’t imagine my life without him. We spent a few weeks broken up, and my heart never stopped aching. I love this man so much.

  Chapter 26

  OUR PARENTS ARRIVE on Monday morning, and they help me set my house up for Thanksgiving. Decorations are everywhere. It turns out beautifully. The men lounge on the beach and drink beer each day. Several try their hand at surfing, and it’s truly a comic relief. Jagger, Koi, and Kip grill for us each night, and Griffin and Rhys cook the sides. Dinner time is reserved for the women to relax. Each night, we gather around the firepit, and snuggle into our blankets and partners. I set up horseshoes and corn hole for whoever wants to play, but mostly we just play our guitars and sing.