Bad Boy Series: Soul Songs (Bad Boy Romance Book 2)

by Simone Carter

  "Marty, I'd like you to meet my niece and nephew, Bonnie and Brody Hammond. Kids, this is Ms. Donahue. She's going to paint your rooms for you."

  Neither child said a word, just blinked those big blue eyes at her.

  "And my friend and housekeeper, Nora Billings. Her husband Joe is the caretaker. You'll see him around."

  A plump woman in her late 40s with dark hair and a big smile greeted her. Marty smiled back and could tell instinctively she and Nora were going to get along.

  "Please, everyone, call me Marty. Hey, kids, are those chocolate chip cookies?"

  Two heads nodded solemnly.

  "They're my favorite," Marty confided.

  "Well, just set right down at the table and enjoy. I took them out of the oven a few minutes ago." Nora wiped her hands on her apron. "I'll get you a glass of milk. Or would you prefer coffee?"

  "Oh, it's got to be milk with chocolate chip cookies. I like to dunk my cookies in it. Don't you?" Marty asked conspiratorially as she took a chair next to Brody.

  The little boy still didn't speak but grinned slightly as he took another cookie and proudly dunked it in his milk.

  "Me, too," Bonnie said, following her brother's actions.

  Marty smiled and thanked Nora for the milk then took a cookie and splashed it into her glass before taking a big bite. "Mmm, that's the best."

  "I think I'd like to get in on this action," Jake said, taking a seat at the table. "One more milk, please, Nora."

  In a moment all of them, including Nora, were sitting around the table munching cookies contentedly.

  "You know, I'm not just going to paint your rooms. I'm going to paint a picture on one or two walls in each of your rooms. Anything you want."

  "Anything?" Brody asked, his eyes growing even wider.

  "Anything."

  "Even like dragons or pirates?"

  "Yep."

  "Princesses or fairies?" Bonnie piped up.

  "Yep. Anything you want. Maybe you'll show me your rooms here in a bit and we can talk over ideas."

  "Sure. Can we go now?" Brody hurried to scramble off his chair. "I'm ready."

  "Me, too." Bonnie climbed down, too. "Mine first."

  "No. Mine," Brody declared, giving his sister a glare and planting his fists on his hips.

  "Which room do we come to first?" Marty decided to be practical in this argument.

  "Mine." Brody said.

  "Then that's the one we'll look at first. But we'll spend lots of time in your room, too, Bonnie, okay?"

  Bonnie and Brody each took one of her hands and led her to a wide staircase in the living room. She cast a glance behind her at a grinning Jake and noted that he followed them up the stairs.

  "If you turn that way, you go to Uncle Jake's room," Bonnie informed her, pointing to the left.

  "But if you turn this way you get to our rooms," Brody said, finishing the thought.

  They led her down a long hallway, past a spacious loft, making a turn to the right and ending up in front of the door to the first room.

  "This is mine," he declared, throwing open the door for Marty to enter.

  The room was spacious and sunny, but the walls were a stark white. If there hadn't been bunk beds and a log toy box in the room, no one would have been able to tell a child lived in it. She walked over to the wide window and sat down on the window seat, gazing out at the rolling hills spread before her. Wow. This view made up for a lot.

  "This is awesome, Brody."

  "Yeah. My old room wasn't near this big. Back at home, I mean." A frown tugged at the corner of his eyes. She could tell the 4-year-old was remembering old times—times when his parents were still both with him.

  "Well, we're going to turn this room into someplace very, very special. I need you to think about what kind of picture you want and tell me tomorrow morning, okay?"

  "Okay." He sounded a bit hesitant. "You said anything I want, right?"

  "Anything. It can be a circus, a jungle, anything at all. Okay, now let's go see Bonnie's room."

  They crossed through a Jack-and-Jill bath into the little girl's space. Again, it was spacious, sunny, and very white. Her little white bed was lined with dolls of all kinds with a few stuffed animals thrown in.

  "Wow. This is amazing, Bonnie. Look at all your beautiful dolls."

  The little girl didn't say anything but her cheeks grew pink with pleasure.

  "Okay, now that I've seen your rooms I'm going to take some measurements." She pulled a laser measuring tape and a small tablet and pen from her pocket. "Who wants to help me?"

  Both kids leaped at the chance, and for the next few minutes she kept them busy holding the tape measure and basically playing with the tool. Every once in a while, Marty stepped in and took a turn, jotting down the numbers as they went. Both rooms were good sized and she could do a fantastic mural for each child.

  The next moment, Marty turned around and realized Bonnie was curled on her bed fast asleep. Brody had wandered into his room and was quietly playing with a set of wooden trucks.

  "I think you wore them out." Jake's voice held a chuckle in it.

  She whirled, having nearly forgotten he was there. He'd been so quiet, just watching and standing back, that she'd gotten caught up with the kids. Now her nerves tensed again and she eyed the man warily.

  "Yes, I guess so. Well, I'm going to go back to the RV and do some sample sketches of things I think they might like." She began sidestepping towards the door, eager to escape his company. She didn't need the distraction right now.

  "I'll walk you out," he offered.

  Darn. She'd been trying to get away from him but it wasn't working.

  Together they walked back downstairs and then he led her toward a back door.

  "This way's closer. You're welcome to use it anytime. Just come on in." He shoved open the large glass door and led the way onto the wide porch that looked out onto a view so stunning is practically knocked the wind out of Marty. Acres and acres of wooded hills rolled away, a sparkling blue lake centered in the middle of it all. An infinity pool was just below them. Off to the right she could see a half-dozen horses grazing in a fenced-in meadow. A symphony of bird calls floated over the air, and Marty watched a rabbit bound across the lawn. It felt like a slice of paradise.

  "It's magnificent." Her voice held a reverence in it, stunned by the abundance of natural beauty spread before her.

  "When I first came to look at this house I stood on this deck and just drank in the beauty of this place. I knew this was home. I fell in love with it."

  "I can see why." Marty didn't take her gaze off the view. It was hypnotic. There was something that drew her in, something that grabbed at her heart.

  She felt him standing just behind her and was tempted to lean back against him, sharing the intimacy of the moment with him. Instead, she straightened her shoulders and drew in a deep breath. Time to get away from this handsome hunk before she started ripping his clothes off.

  "Thanks again for walking me out. I'll be in the RV if you need me."

  His gaze locked with hers for a moment. Was that regret she saw in his eyes?

  Jake didn't know what to say. He didn't want her to leave him but had no excuse for keeping her here. He felt like a tongue-tied schoolboy instead of the celebrity he was. What was it about this woman that made him turn to mush and just want to hold her, kiss her, make love to her?

  Whoa. Stop right there. She was here as his employee, not his play toy. Hitting on her was morally wrong. He knew it. It could open him up for a lawsuit from hell. Time to put a stop to this shit.

  "Okay. I'll see you later." He turned to walk away then hesitated before turning back. "We'll have dinner at seven. Would you like to join us?"

  Marty hesitated. "Okay. I'll see you then." She gave him a smile and turned and headed towards the RV.

  As Jake watched her walk away across the lawn, her slender hips swinging gently, he reproached himself--what had he gone and done that for? Didn't he
just say he needed to stay away from this woman?

  Well, hell. There's no fool like an old fool. He kicked himself in the ass all the way back into the house.

  Chapter 7

  Marty didn't know what to wear. She fluttered around the RV like a teenager getting ready for her first date. And this wasn't even a date. Just dinner with the family.

  She'd agreed to the dinner event thought she thought she really shouldn't. Being around Jake Stryker was hazardous to her mental health. Yet she had often shared a meal while staying at the home of other clients. It was practical and beat making do with a frozen dinner done in Big Red's microwave oven. Besides, she couldn't think of a good excuse not to accept his invitation.

  She changed outfits a couple times, finally settling on a simple floral sundress with a scoop neck. She pulled her hair into a high ponytail, a few ringlets escaping to frame her face. A flick of mascara and a touch of lip gloss and she was done. She studied herself in the full-length mirror on the closet door and decided she would do.

  She walked into a house filled with the smell of Italian food. Nora was in the kitchen taking lasagna from the oven, her cheeks flushed from the heat.

  "Hi, Nora. What can I do to help?"

  "How about gathering up the kids and the guys? My husband and Jake are in the den watching the news and the kids are watching a movie in the family room. Tell them all to get washed up and come and eat."

  Marty nodded and turned to leave the room. Great. She was hoping she'd be asked to set the table or given some other task that would keep her away from Jake for a few more minutes, but so much for that.

  She followed the sound of male voices to the den and stuck her head in.

  "Nora says time to get washed up and come to supper."

  "Marty." Jake rose to his feet, a smile lighting his face. "Meet Joe, Nora's husband."

  Joe was a stocky man in his early 50s. His hair was gray, his skin suntanned. He rose to his feet and offered her his hand, quickly engulfing her own in its grip.

  "Good to meet you, Marty." He had laugh lines that crinkled around his hazel eyes.

  "You, too, Joe. Now my next mission is to fetch the kids."

  Jake glanced at the watch on his wrist. "You're in luck. The movie should just be finishing up."

  "Perfect. Well, I'll see you in a few minutes."

  "By the way, since it's just us, we'll be having dinner in the kitchen. I hope you don't mind."

  "Not at all. That sounds nice." And it did. She was glad they'd be in a casual atmosphere, even more glad to see that they would be sharing dinner with Nora and Joe. She was impressed that Jake was down to earth enough to share a meal with his employees—his friends.

  Marty moved on down the hall and stuck her head in the family room where Finding Dory was just finishing.

  "Hey, you two. Anybody hungry?"

  "Me! Me!" two eager voices called out, and the twins jumped to their feet. Bonnie clapped her hands and chortled, "Nora made ‘sagna. I love ‘sagna."

  "Well, then let's hurry and wash our paddies and go eat." Marty herded the two kids into a powder room and they both scrubbed their hands then happily headed towards the kitchen.

  Soon the six of them were seated at the table and enjoying their meal. First came salads, then lasagna and garlic bread. Marty was surprised at the easy companionship she felt. Talk flowed easily from world news to neighborhood gossip.

  She loved the fact that Jake was so at home with his employees. They seemed more like a family than boss and staff. It was so comfortable sitting at the kitchen table eating together—a familial feeling Marty wasn't used to.

  She was listening to Joe tell a cute little joke when there was a sudden clunk of something hitting the table. All eyes turned to Brody, whose milk glass had spilled, milk running across the table.

  The little boy's face paled, his eyes rounding like saucers. He let loose a horrified moan, his little arms raising up to protect his face.

  "I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Tears beaded on his cheeks. He scrambled out of his chair and hid under the table. Bonnie joined the crying, hiding her eyes behind her hands.

  The adults were shocked into silence for a moment, taken aback by the child's terrified reaction to the accident. Jake's face was grim as he stood and kneeled down to crawl under the table with his nephew. Marty leaned over and wrapped her arms around Bonnie's shaking shoulders, stroking the little girl's hair back from her forehead.

  "Shh, honey, everything's okay. It's fine. It was just an accident."

  "Brody's going to get a beating," she cried.

  "No, of course he's not. Uncle Jake wouldn't do that."

  "Daddy always did."

  "Well, Uncle Jake's not your daddy."

  Jake listened to Marty's voice soothing Bonnie as he crawled under the table and sat next to Brody. The little boy was shaking, trembling, his face soaking wet with tears. It broke Jake's heart to see how upset the little boy was. A fury at Bobby Hammond boiled up in Jake, making it hard to talk. Instead, he reached out and gathered his nephew onto his lap, resting his head on top of the little boy's silky hair.

  "Hey, buddy," he said, finally managing to speak. "It was an accident. Accidents happen. Nobody's mad at you."

  The little boy hiccupped, pushing his face into Jake's chest. He refused to look at his uncle, clutching his shirt in a death grip.

  "It's okay, Brody. I love you. I would never hurt you, and I will never let anyone else hurt you." He rocked the child gently, dropping a kiss on his forehead. "Please don't ever be afraid of me. I love you."

  Brody slowly stopped trembling and eventually got brave enough to turn his gaze to his uncle's. They were still tinged with a wary look but there was something else there as well. Hope? Jake wasn't sure but he thought it was.

  "You love me?" His voice was tiny but wishful.

  "You bet I do. You're my nephew, my sister's child. How could I not love you?"

  Brody thought about that, his thumb slipping into his mouth. They sat cuddled together for a couple minutes. Jake felt something stirring within him. This child and Bonnie. They were his now. He hadn't had them, hadn't asked for them. But a connection was there and he wanted nothing more than to wipe away the bad memories and replace them with happy ones.

  "Hey, I'm hungry. Want to go back up and finish our supper?" Jake tipped Brody's chin up and winked at him. "That lasagna's getting cold."

  "Okay." Jake was rewarded with a tiny flick of a smile. Together they crawled out from under the table and Jake lifted Brody into his booster seat. Nora had cleaned up the spilled milk and Bonnie had calmed enough to take another bite of lasagna. The rest of the meal passed calmly, conversation resuming and the children digging into the food.

  "Okay, dessert time," Nora announced. "Who wants ice cream?"

  Every hand at the table went up. Marty offered to help Nora dish up the spumoni ice cream, passing bowls around the table. Ten minutes later they all were stuffed and groaning with satisfaction. Both children smiled happily, proudly sporting ice cream mustaches.

  "Let's get those hands and faces washed." Nora rose from the table and moved to get a cloth Marty grabbed another one, wetting it at the sink. Before long both kids were clean and blinking sleepy eyes.

  "Time for bed, little ones," Nora announced. "Tell everyone good night."

  The kids got up and hugged Jake and Joe then turned to Marty. She felt a catch in her heart as she hugged the little bodies to her. No one deserved to go through what those two babies had been through.

  She closed her eyes and whispered a prayer. God, help them forget the bad times and only remember the good. These kids were going to need all the prayers in the world to get past the horror they had experienced.

  Chapter 8

  Jake awoke slowly, his mind still half-dreaming. His thoughts were filled with visions of Marty. Marty comforting his niece, Marty smiling as she handed him his bowl of ice cream. She looked like a young Ann-Margret, her skin flawless, her hair shining. T
he little-flowered sundress she'd had on last night accented the color of her eyes, making them even more turquoise, and it skimmed perfectly over her slender curves.

  He could still smell the subtle hint of sandalwood that seemed to surround her, soft yet tantalizing, provocative. He felt his dick throb at the pictures his mind conjured up. He could imagine her sprawled on his bed, hair tumbling freely, shimmering around her naked shoulders. He could almost feel her hands stroking his skin.

  And he could feel his lips on her flesh, tasting its sweetness, exploring every nook and cranny of her body.

  Stop—he had to stop. Today was Lane's wedding day and he didn't have time to lay around dreaming about Marty Donahue. The wedding was being held in Nashville, a good hour's drive away. Time to get up and get on the move. He rose reluctantly and headed to the shower, still enchanted by the dreams he'd been experiencing before he fully woke.

  Jake was gone by the time Marty went up to the house. The kids were there with Nora and Joe, and the little ones were who Marty wanted to see, anyway, she reminded herself.

  "Hi, guys," she greeted the twins, who were busy playing Candyland in the upstairs loft. "I thought we could talk more about your rooms. Have you thought about what kind of paintings you want?"

  Both children had ideas. Marty ended up taking each one into their rooms and having a long talk about exactly what she should do. Bonnie wanted a fairy garden, complete with fairies and flowers. They talked about colors and Marty did a couple of quick sketches, both which met with Bonnie's approval.

  Brody, however, didn't have such cheerful thoughts.

  "I want cops. Cops coming to arrest my daddy for killing my mommy." His words startled Marty. Really? This was his fantasy come true?

  He looked at her solemnly, his face pulled into a frown. "Because it reminds me that Daddy won't ever be able to hurt us again. He's in jail."

  Marty's heart strings were tugged by his dark tone. Little boys shouldn't have to have such depressing thoughts.