Dirty Mind (Nashville Outlaws #2)

by Cheryl Douglas

  I blushed. God, was I that obvious? “He’s a friend. And my boss now, I guess.”

  “Which doesn’t answer my question.”

  I hadn’t known Max long enough to be certain I could trust him with the truth. Which was ironic, since I hadn’t known Dade long either and I already trusted him. “I’m not sure how to answer it, to be honest.”

  I sat down on the leather sofa in the corner and started tuning the guitar I’d picked up from my parents’ place. Thankfully, no one had been home and there were no cars parked on the street so I’d been able to slip out undetected.

  “It’s okay to admit it, Charli.” He curled his hands around the back of the chair facing me. “Any woman would feel the way you do.”

  “But we all know about Dade’s history with relationships.” I bit my lip as I tuned my guitar and tried to ignore the tightening in my chest every time I thought of the women who’d ruined him for… me. “He says he’s done, and I tend to believe him.”

  “Done?” he repeated. “Done with marriage? Commitment? Women?”

  I smirked. “Uh, I don’t think a guy like that will ever be done with women, but in terms of marriage and commitment, yeah, he’s done.”

  “He told you that?”

  “Yeah.”

  “And you’re not interested in casual?”

  This was an odd conversation, given Max’s prior interest in me, but maybe it meant he’d finally accepted being relegated to the friend zone. I hoped so, because I really did like him, as a friend.

  “I don’t know.” I shrugged. “Right now, I just want to have some stability in my life, ya know? A place of my own, good job, maybe a few gigs to round things out.”

  He sat down on the chair across from me. “You ever see yourself up on the big stage, like Dade?”

  I thought about it half a second before I shook my head. “No, not really. I love music. But crowds this size, that’s probably my limit. I don’t need to be rich or famous to be happy.” My sister had a pretty sweet gig with Knox, but even that didn’t appeal to me. I was a free-spirit and I loved to travel, but I enjoyed putting down roots and being close to home most of the time too.

  “I know what you mean.” He leaned back, lacing his hands behind his head. “Still, it would be nice not to have to worry about paying the bills.”

  I wasn’t even sure Max had to worry about that, since he was living in a rental house owned by his parents. Not that I was one to talk, since I’d been staying with my parents until Dade rescued me from the madness.

  “Yeah, I guess.” I gestured to the closed doors. “Guys setting up?”

  “Yeah, we’ll be going on in about fifteen.”

  I nodded, subtly drawing a deep breath to calm my nerves.

  “If things were different, and Dade didn’t have all that shitty history with women, you think you’d go for it?”

  “It, meaning him?” I shrugged when he nodded. “I don’t know. Maybe.” Given our chemistry, I suspected it would be hard to pry us apart, if not for Dade’s past.

  A tap on the door interrupted us and Max jumped up to answer it. “Oh wow,” he said, taking a step back to let our visitor in. “Skylar.”

  I looked up, relaxing when I saw her genuine smile. She was a beautiful blonde with icy gray eyes that drew you in, but I knew her looks were only a small part of the reason for her success. She was crazy talented with a unique sound that new country fans seemed to like.

  “Hi.” I returned her smile before standing to offer my hand. “Charli—”

  “I know, your sister and brother-in-law are friends of mine. Knox has opened a few festivals I’ve played. They’re great.”

  “Uh, I think I’ll head out there, Max said. “See if the guys need any help.”

  “Good luck tonight,” Sky called after him. “I’m sure you guys will be great.”

  “Thanks,” Max raised his hand before walking out and closing the door behind him.

  “So, you and Dade?” Sky laughed when I groaned and palmed my forehead.

  “Don’t believe everything you hear.” Although I couldn’t deny there was some truth to the rumours. We had slept together… twice. “It was one kiss at my sister’s wedding and everyone’s making it out to be way more than it is.”

  She claimed the seat Max vacated before she said, “I know people like to give Dade a hard time about his relationship status, but I got to know him pretty well while we were on the road and…” She crossed her arms, leaning forward. “He’s not a player, Charli. He doesn’t bed hop.”

  “Oh.” I didn’t know why she was telling me this, but it was making me uncomfortable. “Good to know, I guess.”

  “I talked to Dade earlier,” she said. “And I got the feeling there was something between you two, beyond that kiss?”

  “It’s complicated.” I didn’t know how much Dade had told her and I certainly didn’t want to be the one to out us.

  “I’m sure it is.” Her lips twisted into a wry smile. “But I’ve been doing this awhile now and I’ve gotten to know quite a few musicians. Dade is one of the good guys. He treats women with respect and as single girls,” she said, smirking, “I think we can agree, not all men do.”

  “That’s for sure.” I had no doubt Dade treated women with respect, in spite of the rumours that he used beautiful women for sex and to fill some void before moving on to the next one. “The way I see it, we, as women have to accept responsibility, right? We get involved with someone like Dade and we’re going into it with eyes wide-open. He’s not a regular guy and it’s not fair to expect him to be.”

  Sky slapped her denim clad thigh. “Exactly! He doesn’t work 9-5. Temptation is all around him. Women are gonna throw themselves at him. That’s just the way it is and any woman who’s with him has to be secure enough to understand that.”

  “Right.” I set my guitar down before asking, “You think that was the problem with his exes? They just weren’t secure enough to deal with that?”

  She shrugged. “I didn’t know them personally, but Dade and I got to know each other pretty well on the tour. Talked a lot. It sounds like jealousy and insecurity were big problems in his relationships.”

  “Hmm.” I’d never considered myself jealous or insecure, but I could understand how someone like Dade could bring out the best, or worst, in a girl, depending on the circumstances.

  “At least you can sit down and have a conversation with Dade,” Sky said, resting her elbow on her knee and her chin in her upturned palm. “Some guys just shut down, won’t even give you a hint as to what they’re thinking. Be grateful he’s not like that.”

  I smiled. “Sounds like you’re talking about someone specific.”

  Sky sighed, wrinkling her nose. “Dade’s here with a buddy tonight. I don’t know if you’ve met him. Archer?”

  I nodded. “Yeah, I met him at my sister’s wedding. She said he’s a songwriter.”

  “Only one of the best in the business.” She laced her hands, stretching her arms. “Truth be told, I’m dying to work with him on my debut album, but he won’t give me the time of day. Just shuts me down every time I try to talk to him.”

  “Why?” I’d only known Sky a few minutes, but she seemed really sweet and easy to talk to. It was hard to imagine she’d said or done anything to offend Dade’s friend.

  She blushed, dipping her head. “We, uh, kind of hooked up a couple of years ago.”

  “Oh.” I wasn’t sure how much she wanted to share, but I was happy to listen if she wanted to unload.

  “Yeah.” She sank back in the chair, tipping her head back. “And I had to bail the next morning. Playing a few fairs with my band. Looking back, I didn’t handle it well. Just hit the road without explaining to him where I was going or when I’d be back.”

  “And now he’s bitter?” I could see why, especially if they’d hit it off.

  “You could say that.” She kicked her boots up on the scarred wood table between us. “But we both knew the deal. One night.
That’s it. I was coming off a bad break-up and he was… a distraction. The best kind.”

  I knew there was more, and she obviously wanted to share. “But?”

  “I couldn’t stop thinking about him.” She shook her head, looking a little disgusted with herself. “It was crazy. By the time I got back, which was like a month later, I went back to the bar where we met, talked to a couple of people, and they told me he’d been in. With another girl.”

  I winced. “Ouch.”

  “Yeah. Didn’t take him long to move on, not that we were ever a thing.” She stared straight ahead. “For all I know, she was his girlfriend, and I was just a little somethin’ on the side.”

  “You really believe that?” I’d only talked to Archer for a bit at the wedding, but he seemed like a straight-shooter.

  “No.” She bit her lip. “But it helps to tear him down sometimes, ya know?” She laughed. “That sounds really stupid when I say it out loud.”

  “Not at all. I get it.” I’d been there too, trying to get over a guy was easier when you remembered everything you hated about him.

  We shared a smile before she said, “Well, I just came in to wish you luck tonight. And tell you that if you’re really interested in Dade, don’t listen to crap you hear about him. Those people don’t know him. His real friends know the deal.”

  “Thanks.” Before she got to the door, I said, “Hey, Sky.”

  She paused with her hand on the doorknob, looking at me over her shoulder. “Yeah?”

  “I wouldn’t be so quick to write Archer off either. Could be you bruised his ego, and we all know that takes a hell of a long time to heal.”

  She laughed. “Maybe you’re right. I guess we’ll see.”

  I got a text from Max letting me know there’d be a slight delay while they worked out a technical issue, so I took a chance and called my sister. I figured if she and Knox were getting busy it would go to voicemail, but since it was late afternoon there, I was probably safe.

  “Hey you!” Cece said, picking up after the first ring. “How’d you know I was thinking about you?”

  “Uh, you’re on your honeymoon. You’re supposed to be too distracted with your new husband to think about me.”

  “Don’t worry about us, kid. We’ve had plenty of time to… connect.”

  “Yeah, okay. I don’t need a blow-by-blow though, if that’s where you’re going with this.” There was a pause while we both processed what I said, then burst out laughing. “Poor choice of words.”

  “Not really,” Cece said, still sounding amused.

  “Gross! I don’t wanna hear about your sexcapades.”

  “Okay, then tell me about yours.”

  Shit. I shouldn’t have been so quick to call. “What are you talking about?”

  “I know, sis.”

  “You know… what?” I was just buying time now, trying to figure out how much she knew and who I was going to have to kill for letting her in on my little secret.

  “About you and Dade. Sounds like you had almost as much fun on our wedding night as we did.”

  Maybe more. “Who told you about that?”

  “Dade was talking to Knox this morning.” Before I could go off, she said, “Don’t be pissed at him. Knox kind of pressed him about it and Dade’s a shitty liar.”

  Good to know. But that still didn’t give him the right to talk to my brother-in-law about us before asking me if I was okay with it. “Let’s just keep it between us, okay? Dade and I aren’t a thing, and after that kiss, people kinda think we are.”

  “But you’re working for him now, right?”

  Not a damn thing wrong with the grapevine in our family. “Yeah, but it’s just a trial run. We’ll see how it goes.”

  “How is it?” Cece asked. “Working for your crush? Sleeping with him?”

  I was still trying to process it. Sometimes it didn’t seem real. Me and Dade Jarvis. How the hell had that happened? “It’s weird, if you wanna know the truth. But it’s getting easier. Sometimes I can forget who he is and just treat him like a normal guy.”

  “Yeah, right. A normal hot, rich, guy who’s made the lists of country music’s sexiest and richest men. Oh and let’s not forget the awards. Hall of Fame. Grand Ol—”

  “Stop!” I didn’t need to be reminded of Dade’s accomplishments to know that we were worlds apart. When I dwelled on them too long, I could almost understand why Dade’s exes were plagued with jealousy and insecurity. “It’s not like Knox isn’t in the same league as Dade. How can you not feel… intimidated, being with him?”

  “It’s different with us,” Cece said. “I knew him when he was just starting out and I was along for his ride.”

  “I guess.” Meeting Dade when he was already on top of the world made me wonder how our lives could ever mesh. “But enough about me. You’re the one on your honeymoon. How’s Maui? Incredible, I bet.”

  “A-mazing. I’ll send you some pics later.” Cece giggled and made a kissing sound before she said, “Hey, I saw your post about performing at Jimmy’s tonight. That’s cool! How’d that happen?”

  “A friend needed me to sit in with his band when their singer had to bail. It should be fun.” Though the butterflies were still darting around in my stomach.

  “You’re gonna be awesome, hon. Wish I could be there to see it.”

  “I do too.” I missed my sister and loved that we were going to be living in the same city again. That hadn’t happened in almost twelve years, since before she left for Nashville. “Well, I better let you go. Give Knox a hug for me and send lots of pics, okay?”

  “You know I will.” She paused. “And tell Dade he better treat you right or he’ll be answering to me when I get back.”

  “I told you there’s nothing between us.”

  “I heard what you said, and I don’t believe you. Oh, and before I forget…” She lowered her voice. “I’m having a surprise party for Knox’s birthday the Saturday after we get back. I have the best gift lined up for him and I want all of our friends and family to be there when I give it to him, so make sure you’re available, okay? Dade too.”

  “Sure, I’ll let him know.” Not that I expected us to be there together. We had to keep our distance publicly or risk another amateur photographer with a stupid hashtag making our worlds blow up again.

  “Ok, love you, Charli. Be good.”

  “You too.”

  I smiled as I disconnected the call. I was so happy for my sister. She was getting the life she hadn’t even known she wanted until she fell in love with Knox. She always thought marriage and babies were for other girls, until the love of her life made her believe she could have it all. With him.

  I stood, grabbing my guitar as I made my way to the door. As soon as I opened it, Dade was on the other side.

  “Hey.”

  I licked my lips, taking a step back as he closed the door behind him. “Uh, hey. Anything wrong?”

  He pressed a bottle of water into my free hand. “Thought you could use this.” He was looking down at me, his eyes fixed on my lips. “Lubricate the… vocal chords.”

  “Uh, thanks.” I curled my hand around the bottle, knowing there was a hell of a lot more on his mind than concern for my voice.

  “I didn’t get to do this earlier because Max was here.” He lowered his head, sweeping his mouth over mine. “Good luck, gorgeous.”

  I swallowed, feeling my nerves about the performance give way to confusion. I thought we were trying to keep things professional, friendly. “What was that about? You kiss all your employees?”

  “You’re only my employee when we’re working.” He backed me into the desk. “We’re not working now.”

  “Yeah, but I’m pissed at you.” Before he could question me, I said, “You had no right to tell Knox about us.”

  He dropped his head, looking contrite. “Baby, I’m sorry about that. I didn’t mean to. It just kind of—”

  “Slipped out?” I wasn’t buying it.

  �
��Something like that.” He took my guitar out of my hand and set it down on the desk behind me before curling my arms around his neck. “Are you really pissed at me?”

  “I know we can trust them, it’s not like they’re going to tell anyone, but still, you should have talked to me first.”

  “You’re right.” He kissed my cheek, making me tremble. “Forgive me?”

  Like I had a choice. Staying angry with this sexy beast didn’t seem like an option. “Maybe. I’ll think about it.”

  His lips trailed down my neck before he said, “I’ll have to work on convincing you. Maybe later. At home?”

  At home? We didn’t share a home. We shared common grounds, but I was supposed to have a place of my own. Hundreds of feet from his. “Home?” I echoed, flattening my palm against his chest. “Uh, we don’t share a house. Or a bed, Dade.” I tipped my head back to look him in the eye. “And this afternoon you made it sound like you had no interest in sharing a bed ever again, so what’s this about?”

  “I—”

  “I don’t appreciate being jerked around.” I’d had enough of that to last a lifetime. Deadbeats who couldn’t make up their minds giving me whiplash with their on-again-off-again bullshit. I was over it.

  “I’m sorry.” He sighed. “I know it must seem like I’m running hot and cold, Charli.”

  “Because you are!” I took a deep breath and stepped around him. “And I’m done, Dade. You listed all the reasons why you can’t get into another relationship right now and I understand.” I held my hand up before he could interject. “Sort your shit out and come talk to me when you’ve got it figured out. Until then…” I glared at him, speaking through the tremble in my voice, ‘cause damn it, this was hard. “I’m not your plaything. You don’t get to take me off the shelf when you’re horny or bored. I’m sure you have plenty of willing groupies to fill that role.”

  Chapter 10

  Dade

  Having Charli tell me off in her dressing room was… unexpected. And hot as hell. It had been years since a woman shut me down like that. And I respected her even more for standing up for herself. She was right. I was in one minute, out the next, wavering between wanting her and trying to save face. I couldn’t have it both ways. And if I didn’t figure things out soon, I had no doubt she’d slam the door in my face. For good.