I circled his wrists with my hands. “I don’t think I’d want to keep leaving you one weekend a month for another four years. To watch you go on tour, while I sat home missing the hell out of you, waiting for those next weekends to come.”
He leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine. “So, no more army after this?”
I breathed in the scent of him, his cologne surrounding me, making me dizzy. “Last weekend was one of the longest weekends of my life. I used to enjoy heading to base for the weekend. This time I felt like I’d left a part of me behind.”
He moved his hand from my face to his chest, covering his heart. “You did, but I sent a part of me with you.”
I leaned forward until our foreheads rested together.
“I know.”
The only person who mattered in the moment was Jackson. And me.
“Jen—”
The muffled curse reminded me we were surrounded by a room full of Jackson’s friends. I sat up, noticing all eyes on us. Except Sawyer and Monty. Jackson chuckled. “Thanks, man.”
“Anytime,” Sawyer replied.
I glanced over my shoulder to see Sawyer with his hand wrapped firmly around Monty’s mouth. Monty struggled to get free and I couldn’t stop the giggle that bubbled up my throat.
Sawyer looked between us. “Ready?”
I bit back the rest of my laugh. “Always.”
Sawyer let go of Monty’s mouth.
“You guys are no fun,” Monty said, glaring at Sawyer.
Allana’s brow lifted. “Or we just enjoy a romantic moment every once in a while.”
Mari clapped her hands together. “How about dinner?”
“Sounds good. What can I do to help?” Jackson offered.
“Nothing,” everyone in the room said at the same time. I slapped a hand over my mouth as my eyes practically bugged out of my skull.
Jackson quirked a brow at me. “What’s so funny?”
I shook my head, as Mari tapped Jackson on the shoulder. “You’re on table setting duty.” She pointed to the plates stacked on the counter.
“I’m not that bad of a cook.”
Heath and Monty froze, wide-eyed.
“I know you’re as bad as me in the kitchen.” Reagan slid out of the booth and walked over to the stack of plates. “I’ll help you get the table set so we can eat.”
Jackson turned his gaze to me. “I’m really not—”
I held a hand up to him. “Don’t even try that with me. I’ve tasted your attempt at cooking.”
“That a girl,” Monty called across the room.
Ignoring him, I turned to Mari. “What can I do to help? I promise I know my way around the kitchen.”
“Then come with me.” She smiled.
I followed Mari through the kitchen and a sense of belonging filled me. No longer was I some random ex tagging along to hang out with his friends. There was a place for me here. A place by Jackson’s side.
Someday I hoped Jackson and I could get back to where we left off. To the point where I’d make my place by his side permanent.
26
Jackson
My palms began to sweat the closer I got to Megan’s apartment building. We’d been doing things as a couple with our friends, but this would be the first time we were out in public together just the two of us. At least the first time since I’d finally admitted how much Megan meant to me. How we couldn’t just be friends. That didn’t mean I was ready to deal with the reaction of the paparazzi.
Having articles written about you was nothing compared to being the center of attention. After months of speculation, I had no doubt shit would blow up as soon as someone posted a picture of us together. Not that I would hide our relationship to appease some random gossip blogger, but I didn’t know how Megan would react to it all.
She hadn’t been shy about her dislike for the cameras the first time we stepped out together with no story to tell. Now it would be different. And since Monty got married, the man they thought would be the perpetual bachelor, sleeping with every woman who crossed his path, they’d been waiting for me to throw my hat into the dating ring. Something I thought would never happen. Until Megan came back into my life anyway.
I pulled into the visitor space and put the car in park without turning it off. How would I talk to her about this without her refusing to go out and wanting to stay home? I gave my head a quick shake. It was ridiculous to hide in my car over a few cameras. The only thing that would change it would be if people stopped listening to us.
I’d take the cameras any day of the week.
Climbing out of the car, I brushed the palms of my hands down my pants as I headed for the staircase that led to Megan’s door. I knocked once and waited.
“Come in.” Her voice echoed through the door. I stepped inside and shut the door behind me. “I’ll be ready in a minute.”
I moved through her apartment, heading directly for the long couch that took up the entire far wall. Across from it sat a flat screen TV on a small stand. The walls around it were covered with pictures. Many of them were the ones she sent me in the very beginning. They definitely looked better on the wall than in an envelope sprawled all over my coffee table.
Megan emerged from the bedroom a few moments later. “Hey, you’re early. I figured I had at least another ten minutes.”
For all the attention I paid to what she said, she might have been one of the adults in a cartoon where you can’t understand a word they’re saying. My entire being was drawn to Megan in form-fitting jeans and light blue top. The fabric molded to the curve of her hips. It took every ounce of willpower I possessed to not walk her backward and strip her out of her outfit, running my hands all over the creamy skin I knew hid beneath.
The wrap front of her top dipped into a plunging V, giving me a glimpse of smooth skin peeking out above, begging for me to bend over and run my tongue along the top, tasting her curves. Except the appeal of the outfit didn’t stop there. The bottom half showed off her hips and ass nicely. My pants grew a bit too tight, but I didn’t dare look away.
It wasn’t until Megan snapped her fingers in front of my face that I diverted my attention from the soft skin at the V at her neck. “But before things go any further, I think we need to talk.”
Megan tilted my head to the side. “Talk about what?”
“The media. Things aren’t as easy as they were before.”
She shrugged her shoulders. “They already think we’re dating. What’s the difference?”
I took her hand and led her back over to the couch. “The difference is we’ve never given them any indication we were dating besides being together at places. Only the few tenacious ones have kept up the stories. But things are different now and I have no doubt they’ll realize it pretty quickly. I know how much you hate all the cameras.”
She sighed and squeezed my hand. “You’re right, I don’t like the cameras taking shots of everything I do when I’m with you, but…if it means being with you then I’ll put up with whatever I need to.”
I breathed a sigh of relief and stood. “Then I’d love to take you to dinner.”
She smiled and let me help her to her feet. “Then take me to dinner.”
Linking our fingers together, I led her through the apartment and out the front door.
Since this was our first official date, at least since college, I thought about taking her to my favorite restaurant, until I realized how boring the idea sounded. If this was our second chance, I wanted to do something different. Something she wouldn’t expect. Maybe even something the media wouldn’t expect, giving us more time until they appeared. Not that they wouldn’t get tipped off eventually by the other people there, but maybe it would take a bit longer.
Hopefully, she wouldn’t be too upset that we weren’t having dinner in a restaurant.
“Where are we headed?” she asked as we climbed into the car.
“Somewhere I think you’ll like.”
She gestured down
at her jeans. “Hopefully, this isn’t too causal.”
“It’s not. It’s perfect.” I took her hand in mine, linking our fingers together and bringing them up to press my lips to the back of her hand.
“Aren’t you charming tonight.”
“Aren’t I charming every night?”
She pursed her lips as though she was thinking on it, then finally shook her head, a smile curving her lips. “No. I can’t say that you are. Especially when you’re being super cryptic at the moment.”
As I slowed to a stop at a red light, I glanced over at her and winked. “Trust me, you’re going to love it.”
“I take your word for it.” She laughed when the light turned green and the car shot forward.
I drove through the streets, doing my best to avoid the traffic as much as possible. The blocked off streets weren’t helping. I maneuvered around to an area where there should be designated parking. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Megan staring out the window, likely trying to find some indication about where we might be headed.
“There’s not really many restaurants down here,” she said.
I turned down the last street on the way to the parking area. “Yeah, but there’s food trucks.” I shrugged, making it sound like the most simple answer.
Her head whipped around, mouth opened wide. “Our first date in years and we’re having dinner at a food truck on the side of the road?”
Signs for the makeshift parking lot littered the side of the road. Megan seemed to be oblivious to everything around her as she tried to digest the fact we were going to dinner at a food truck. If only she knew there would be a street fair along with a variety of food truck and fair foods to choose from.
I made the last turn into the lot and brought the car to a stop in the closest space. She leaned forward in the seat, her eyes darting around the area, confusion written all over her face. Her brows pulled together as she turned to me.
“Jackson, where are we?”
I leaned back in my seat and crossed my arms over my chest. “Done being mad at me about dinner from food trucks?”
Megan narrowed her eyes at me. “I’m still deciding. Where are we?”
To mess with her a little bit more, I didn’t answer the question and opened the car door, stepping out into the tiny gravel lot they borrowed for the festival. Megan jumped out after me.
“You’re not going to answer me?”
I turned to face her and held my hand out. “If you want to stop being stubborn and come with me, I’ll show you.”
She paused for only a moment before walking around the back of the car and taking my hand, linking our fingers together. “Then show me and we’ll see if I’m still mad.”
Knowing she wouldn’t be, I led her through the cars already in the lot to the sidewalk that would lead us up to the main drag where all the vendors and food trucks would be set up. People were everywhere, but none of them seemed to notice us, or simply weren’t paying attention as we got closer to the fair.
Megan leaned into my side as we walked. No matter what she said, I knew as long as we were together, she didn’t care what we did. The sound of the crowd grew when we hit the last block before we’d step onto the main drag. We came to the end of the block and stepped into the edge of the crowd.
Megan’s eyes grew wide. “A street fair? Aren’t you worried about dealing with fans?”
“Nope. We’re going to enjoy our day. Are people going to take our picture? Probably. But I have no desire to hide in my condo or your apartment every night. That’s not a way to live.”
“No, it’s not.” A smirk lifted the corner of her lips.
“Are you still mad?” I quirked a brow, knowing exactly what her answer would be.
“You know I’m not.” She pushed up on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to my lips. I didn’t bother to tell her that people were already starting to stare and I had no doubt someone snapped a shot of that, but being with me, she’d have to get used to it. “Now take me to dinner.”
We walked down through the fair, stopping at a different vendor along the way. Megan found a stand with gyro and fries. Both sounded delicious, but not exactly what I wanted. We kept making our way through the crowds. A little farther down, I found a pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw that had my stomach growling its approval. The scent of BBQ filled my nose as I took the first bite.
“Mm…that’s so freaking good,” I mumbled around a mouthful of food.
“That good?” She popped a fry into her mouth, the gyro long gone.
I held the sandwich out to her. “Try it.”
She side-eyed the dripping, messy sandwich. “I don’t think I want to wear my food.”
“You won’t. I promise, I’ll hold it.”
I held the sandwich out again. This time she leaned forward and took a bite. Her eyes widened as she chewed. After grabbing a napkin out of my hands, she wiped her lips and smiled.
“That is really good.”
“Told ya and you’re not wearing any of it.” I gestured down at her shirt.
“Good thing. I like this shirt.”
We wandered down a little farther, stopping to look at a few pieces of art at one stand and handbags at another. Near the end of the row Megan spotted a stand with funnel cake.
“Yes. A fair is not a fair without funnel cake.”
I laughed. “I’m glad you approve of the food choices for the evening.”
I handed the guy behind the stand the cash while another guy held out the powdered sugar covered concoction. I watched as Megan tore off the first piece, dropping it into her mouth.
“Perfect.” She ripped another piece off and handed it to me. “Want a piece?”
“Sure. I guess?”
“You guess? Have you never had funnel cake before?”
“Not that I can remember.”
Megan’s eyes widened. “You are missing out. Now open up.”
I complied and let her drop the piece of dough into my mouth. The sweet flavor hit my taste buds and I hated to admit, Megan had a point.
“Shit, that’s good. I can’t believe I’ve never had that before.”
“You learn something new every day.” She reached up and brushed her finger across my lips. “Extra powder.”
“I know a better way to take care of that.” A small bit of sugar lingered on her lips from her second piece. I leaned down and pressed my mouth to hers, swiping my tongue over the seam of her lips. A moment later, I lifted my head. “See, there, that’s better.”
“I think that’s perfect.”
The few hours flew by with only a few fans stopping to ask for an autograph. The funnel cake disappeared long ago. With full bellies, we looked at the items being sold at the different tents. At one point we stopped to listen to a saxophone player, dropping a few dollars into his open case.
Overall, the evening was perfect. As we walked back to the car hand in hand, Megan wrapped her other hand around my bicep.
“Thank you for bringing me tonight. It was a lot of fun.”
She laid her head on my shoulder and I dropped a kiss on her forehead. “I’m glad you liked it.”
“I imagine we’re going to see our picture in a few places tomorrow.”
“I’m sure we will. It was inevitable at some point.”
“I know, but it’s worth it as long as it means I’m with you.”
Words that made my heart thunder in my chest. “Stay at my place tonight?”
She lifted eyes full of heat to mine. “Yes,” she whispered.
When we reached the car, I opened her door. “Then let’s stop at your place for your stuff.”
She sank down into the seat and winked. “Let’s make it quick and have a perfect ending to a pretty perfect night.”
27
Jackson
A piercing sound echoed through the room, snapping me out of a deep sleep. Megan bolted upright in bed, as I slapped around on top of the nightstand, trying to stop the offending noise.
The bed dipped next to me and a phone was placed in my hand. I cracked an eye open.
“You beating it isn’t going to help. Answer it so I can go back to sleep.” Megan slid down beneath the covers.
I hit answer and closed my eyes. “’Ello?”
“Jackson Michael Hadden.” My mom’s shrill voice echoed through the phone.
My eyes snapped open. Her voice only took that tone when she was really pissed off.
“Mom, what the hell happened?” I pulled the phone back and glanced at the time. Eight in the morning. Megan had only crawled into bed about an hour ago after getting home from her shift. No wonder she’d been alert enough to grab the phone. “It’s only eight in the morning.”
“I don’t care what time it is. Why is it that your brother is calling me to tell me he’s seeing pictures of you and Megan everywhere?”
Shit.
I scrubbed a hand over my face and turned my head on the pillow to look at the woman in question. “I was—”
“Don’t even say you were going to call me. You know I ignore all of the media. I expect you to tell me these things and this time I had to wait for your brother to spill that you’re back together with a woman who left without a word, breaking your heart, and you want me to be calm?” Her voice rose a few more octaves through her little tirade.
“You didn’t tell her?” Megan’s eyes were wide as she stared at me. She moved to sit with her back against the headboard.
“Mom, breathe for a moment.”
“That woman broke your heart. You were a mess for almost a year before the band started to really take off and distract you.”
Megan winced and I pushed up to sit next to her. She moved to get out of bed, when I wrapped my arm around hers. ‘Don’t go,’ I mouthed.
“Mom, would you listen and stop ranting long enough for me to explain?”
“I’m not sure you can explain this insanity.”
Megan tugged her arm from my grip and stood, walking to the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.
Fuck.
I needed to get my mom off the phone and grovel at Megan’s feet. I wasn’t hiding anything from my mom, but there hadn’t been a chance to really talk to her about any of this. Megan wouldn’t see it that way, though. She’d see it as me hiding our relationship, forgetting that our pictures were posted all over the gossip blogs.
Play Me (Jaded Ivory Book 5) Page 18
