Jaded (Music City Moguls Book 5)

by Cheryl Douglas

  “Besides, it’s out-patient treatment, much like chemo.”

  “So, will you be taking time off work to take care of him?” he asked, trying, without success to un-clench his jaw.

  “He doesn’t want me to, but I might take a few days, at least when he starts the treatment. You know, just in case he doesn’t react well.”

  “I’ll tell you what,” he said, formulating a plan he hoped they could all live with. “Why don’t I hire a private nurse to stay with him? That way, you won’t have to take time off work or worry about him being alone.”

  “Why would you do that?” she asked, sounding surprised by the offer. “You don’t even know Connor.”

  “No, but it’s obvious he’s important to you.” He shrugged. “Besides, I do a lot of charity work. I believe it’s important to give back when you’ve been as blessed as I have. This is just another way for me to do that.” He wished he could claim his motives were as altruistic as he pretended, but he honestly couldn’t stomach the thought of Josie taking care of a man who was clearly still in love with her.

  “That’s so sweet,” she said, stroking his bristled cheek as she touched her lips to his. Their eyes met and held before she finally said, “But I couldn’t ask you to do that. Connor is my friend and I want to take care of him.”

  “Jos,” he said, brushing her long hair over her shoulders, “I don’t want to sound like a total ass here, but are you really ready to put your life on hold to take care of a terminally ill man?”

  “I know he would do the same for me if our situations were reversed.”

  “Yeah, but he’s still in love with you.”

  She shifted, obviously uncomfortable as she dragged her eyes from his.

  “Do you still have feelings for him?”

  “I love him as a friend, nothing more. But I can’t let him go through this alone. I’d never be able to forgive myself if something happened to him and—”

  He pulled her into his arms when a sob slipped past her lips. “It’s okay, baby,” he said, stroking her hair. “I understand how you feel. You’re a warm, compassionate woman. I admire you for wantin’ to help him.” He just hoped he could find the same compassion toward the man who would be living under the same roof with the woman who was quickly becoming his obsession.

  ***

  “What’s your problem?” Drake asked. “Your head hasn’t been in the game since you came back from lunch.”

  “I saw Josie.”

  Drake smirked. “It looked like she was into you at the wedding. What did you do to mess things up this time?”

  Looking up at him, D.J. asked, “What do you know about her ex, Connor?”

  “Not a lot,” Drake said, shrugging. “They dated back in Chicago. We’ve gone out a couple of times as a group and had him over to the house once or twice for dinner when he was in town. He seems like a decent guy. Why? Are you afraid he’s still got a thing for her?”

  “I know he does, but that’s the least of my problems.” D.J. leaned back on his stool, covering his face with his hands. “I must be the most selfish son of a bitch alive.”

  “No argument from me.” Drake grinned. “You wanna tell me why?”

  “Connor’s sick, man. Really sick.” Josie hadn’t asked him to keep it to himself and he was sure she would be telling Cassidy, who would undoubtedly tell her husband, so he didn’t think he was breaking her confidence by talking to his friend about it. “He has a brain tumor. Apparently terminal and inoperable.”

  “No shit,” Drake whispered, the color draining from his face. “But he seemed fine at the wedding.”

  “Yeah, I thought so too. I guess he’s gotten pretty good at maskin’ the symptoms. Anyways, there’s an experimental treatment he’s going to be takin’, right here in Nashville. At Vanderbilt.”

  “That’s good, right?” Drake said, frowning. “It means they haven’t given up hope.”

  “Yeah, it’s good.” D.J. nodded. “It’s just that…” He didn’t even know if he could voice his concerns to his friend without fearing lightning would strike him down. “He’ll be stayin’ with Josie.”

  “Ah, I see. And you’re not okay with that?”

  “Would you be okay with your girlfriend livin’ with her ex-boyfriend?” he asked, scowling.

  “So Josie’s your girlfriend now?” he asked, smirking. “When did that happen?”

  “Well, no…” D.J. didn’t know how to define his relationship with Josie. He just knew he didn’t want her spending all of her free time with another man. “But we’ve, uh—”

  “Just spit it out, man,” Drake said, tapping the face of his watch. “I haven’t got all day.”

  “Slept together.” He normally wasn’t the type to kiss and tell, especially since most of the women he slept with didn’t rate honorable mention, but he really needed advice from someone he trusted.

  “Really?” Drake raised an eyebrow. “I can’t deny I’m surprised. I know it’s been a while for her. I thought it would take a lot longer for y’all to get to that point.”

  “Yeah, well, she had some reservations after it happened. Honestly, so did I. It was intense. It kind of caught me off guard, but when I had time to think about it, I realized I wanted more.”

  Drake chuckled. “Can’t say I blame you. Josie’s a gorgeous girl.”

  D.J. rolled his eyes. “I didn’t mean more sex.” Though he wanted that too. “I meant more than sex. I want a real relationship.”

  “Hmm, how does she feel about that?”

  “I don’t know. We haven’t really had a chance to talk about it. I went to her office earlier hopin’ we could talk, then she springs this on me. I don’t know how the hell to process what I’m feelin’. I mean, I really feel for the guy, Drake. He’s too damn young to be dealin’ with this shit, but I can’t help but feel…”

  “Like what you and Josie were building might be in jeopardy with Connor staying with her?”

  “Well yeah. Obviously all of her free time will be devoted to caring for him, and where the hell does that leave me?” He took his cowboy hat off, setting it on his knee as he swiped his hand over his hair. “I know how bad that sounds, but women like Josie don’t come along every day. I can’t help but feel she’s slippin’ away before I even had a chance to figure out whether we could have something special, ya know?”

  “Oh, I think you’ve already come to the realization she’s special, otherwise you wouldn’t be looking so miserable about the prospect of her shacking up with her ex.”

  “You’re right. So what the hell am I supposed to do? I even offered to hire a private nurse for the guy, thinkin’ that might enable him to get his own place while he’s here, but she wouldn’t hear of it. She’s determined to be there for him, and while I admire her for that, I can’t help but feel… jealous.” He swore softly. “I know that makes me sound like the most selfish S.O.B. on the planet, but—”

  “D.J., you’re human, man. No guy in his right mind would want his woman’s ex moving in with her, regardless of the circumstances.”

  “So what would you do if you were me?”

  Drake thought about it for a minute before he said, “You’ll just have to create your own opportunities to spend time with her, to make sure y’all are still building a connection.”

  “How do you suggest I do that?” D.J. asked, feeling his frustration mounting. “She’ll want to spend her evenings at home with him and she has to work during the day.”

  “Bingo,” Drake said, pointing at him. “She has to work during the day.”

  “I don’t follow.”

  “You could hire her to train you, buy a membership to her gym. That way you’d have an excuse to see her, spend time with her.” He gave D.J. a quick once-over. “To tell ya the truth, I think it would be in your interest to have her train you every day. I think the beer and wings are starting to catch up to you, man.”

  “You’re such an ass,” D.J. said, smiling. He felt better. At least he had a plan
.

  Chapter Nine

  D.J. went into Transformations the next morning with his gym bag in hand, ready to put his plan into action. He listened to the sales spiel about how he would save money if he prepaid for a whole year in advance before whipping out his Amex platinum and sliding it across the desk.

  Glancing at the pretty brunette’s name tag, he said, “A year sounds good, Gina. And I want some personal training sessions too. With Josie.”

  She frowned as she finished inputting his information into the computer. “I’m afraid Josie doesn’t have a lot of time to train clients anymore. She still works with a few or her original clients, but most of the new ones get set up with either Glen or Denise. Hold on one sec and I’ll pull up their schedules, see if they have any time to fit you in this week.”

  “No, it has to be Josie,” he said, thinking his plan was already on the verge of falling apart.

  “My ears are burning,” Josie said, wandering up to the desk. “What’s up?”

  He’d asked for her when he came in, but Gina said she’d gone to the printer. She must have slipped in the back door. “Hey, pretty lady,” he said, winking at her. “Just the lady I wanted to see.”

  Gina glanced up at him, clearly interested in their exchange, but trying to pretend she was too engrossed in her task to notice. “D.J. was just asking if you could squeeze him into your schedule, but I told him I didn’t think so.”

  Josie smiled before she said, “You’re trying to make a date with me through the front desk now? That’s original.”

  He laughed while shaking his head. “Not exactly. I just bought a membership and I was hopin’ you could train me. I mentioned I’m headin’ out on tour again soon and I need to make sure I’ll have the physical stamina to keep up with the demands.”

  She turned her back on Gina, facing the crowded gym as she said quietly, “I don’t seem to recall you having a problem with stamina, cowboy.”

  He thought it was cute that she blushed while referencing their night together. At least she was still thinking about it. She hadn’t relegated it to the back of her mind. “I know you’re busy and it’s a lot to ask, but—”

  “No problem,” she said, waving him off as she turned back to Gina. “Tell Gina which days and times you’re available and I’ll do my best to make it work. How many days a week would you like to train?”

  The more, the better. “Um, I don’t know. Three, maybe?”

  “Three, huh? I usually suggest two in the beginning.” Her eyes raked over his body slowly. “But I’m guessing you’re no stranger to weights?”

  He had a gym at home, but she didn’t need to know that. “No, I’m not.”

  “Then you shouldn’t have too much muscle fatigue after our sessions.”

  “I don’t know about that,” he said, turning his body the same way she had as he whispered, “I had some muscle fatigue after the other night. You damn near wore me out.”

  She tried keeping a straight face, but eventually wound up breaking as she pretended the smile was for Gina. “Put D.J. in for three sessions a week, Gina. I can start tonight at about 7:00, if that works for you?”

  “Sure.” He held up his gym bag. “I was going to try and squeeze a work-out in now, but I can wait ’til later.”

  Cassidy walked in, grinning when she spotted them. She headed over, kissing both of them on the cheek before she said to D.J., “This is a nice surprise. What are you doing here?”

  “I was just asking your friend here if she’d consider training me.”

  “She’s the best,” Cassidy said, gripping Josie’s arm. “She’s tough, but you’ll get great results.”

  “That’s what I’m aimin’ for,” he said, sliding a glance in Josie’s direction. “Progress.”

  “Well, I guess I’ll see you tonight then,” Josie said, suddenly looking uncomfortable.

  D.J. scowled when some guy circled around Josie and dropped a kiss on her cheek before slipping his arm around her waist. “There you are. I was hoping I’d see you today.”

  “Uh, Steve.” She tipped her head back as she forced a smile. “It’s nice to see you again. How’ve you been?”

  “Better now that you’re here,” he said, grinning. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you’ve been hiding from me.”

  She laughed lightly, shaking her head. “Why would you think that?”

  “I haven’t seen you since we went out to dinner. Not even a phone call. You got the roses, didn’t you?”

  “Yes, I’m sorry about that,” she said, blushing as her gaze fell to her brightly colored running shoes. “I meant to call and thank you, but I’ve been a little…” Her eyes connected with D.J.’s as she said, “Busy.”

  D.J. glared at the hand resting possessively on her hip before he gave the guy a pointed look. “Yeah, I’m afraid I’m to blame for that. I’ve been monopolizin’ all her free time.”

  “Hey, you’re-—”

  “Yeah, D.J. Stevens.” D.J. forced himself to extend his hand only because it meant Steve would have to take his arm from around Josie. “And you are?”

  “Steve McGee. It’s nice to meet you, man. I’m a huge fan.”

  “Nice.” He grit his teeth before turning his attention back to Josie. “So listen, sweetheart. I was hoping we could grab some dinner after our session tonight. What do you think?”

  “Um, yeah. I think that would work.” It was obvious she was as anxious as he was to send Steve the message she wasn’t interested.

  “Oh, uh, I’m sorry,” Steve said, taking a step back as he looked from Josie to D.J. “I didn’t realize y’all were a couple.”

  “Now you know,” D.J. said, giving him a tight smile.

  “Oh man, this is awkward,” Steve said, raking a hand through his cropped blonde hair. “When I asked her out, she didn’t mention anything about you. I had no idea, I swear,”

  “No harm done,” D.J. said, feeling smug he’d been able to eliminate at least one threat today.

  “Well, I guess I should get that workout in,” he said, hooking his thumb over his shoulder. “I’ve got to get to work in a bit.”

  “Don’t let us keep you,” D.J. said, ignoring Josie’s exasperated expression.

  Cassidy waited until Steve walked away before she said, “Well that was awkward.”

  “Wasn’t it though?” Josie said, her eyes never leaving D.J.

  “I was going to ask whether you wanted to grab a smoothie with me, Josie,” Cassidy said. “But if this is a bad time—”

  “No, your timing’s perfect. Why don’t you go on ahead and order for us. I’ll be right there.”

  “You got it.” Cassidy brushed her lips across D.J.’s cheek and whispered in his ear, “Good luck, my friend. You’re gonna need it.”

  D.J. was sure Josie would thank him for getting rid of her unwanted suitor, but she seemed mad as hell and he had no idea why. She’d made it clear she wasn’t interested in the guy, but he was still a client, she wouldn’t want to hurt his feelings. He’d given her the perfect out, so why was she looking at him like she was seriously considering strangling him?

  “Can I see you in my office before you head out, D.J.?” Josie asked, keeping her voice low and carefully neutral.

  “Sure.” He figured if they were going to have it out again, they might as well get it over with.

  She led him into the office before closing the door and frowning at him. “Do you want to tell me what the hell that was about?”

  “I was doin’ you a favor,” he said, leaning against her desk with his hands planted on either side of his thighs. “You weren’t interested in him. So what’s the problem?”

  “I can speak for myself,” she said, between clenched teeth. “I don’t need you riding in to rescue me like some goddamn white knight.”

  “Okay, okay,” he said, raising his hands. “I didn’t mean to get you all riled up again. I was just tryin’ to help out.”

  “No, you were just trying to stake your claim
and I don’t appreciate it.”

  He raised an eyebrow as he lifted a finger, beckoning her closer. “Come here, gorgeous.”

  “Why?” she asked, folding her arms beneath her breasts.

  “Just humor me.”

  She looked wary, but crossed the room to stand in front of him, nonetheless. “What do you want?”

  “You.” He grabbed her waist, pulling her closer before indulging in the kind of kiss that crept into his dreams last night. “And this.” He kissed her again until, finally, a slight sigh escaped her lips before she wrapped her arms around him. “I won’t apologize for wantin’ to tell the world about us, Jos. Especially the guys who still think they stand a chance with you.”

  “You’re making a lot of assumptions,” she said, angling her head when his mouth began skimming her neck.

  “You can deny it all you want, baby,” he said, gliding his hands up her ribcage. “But I can tell you want me as much as I want you.”

  “Just because my traitorous body—”

  “This isn’t about what your body wants,” he said, cutting her off with another kiss. “This is about what your heart wants, and whether you like it or not, your heart wants me just as much as mine wants you.”

  She rested her forehead against his, her breath coming in minty puffs of air between them. “This scares me, D.J. You scare me.”

  “Yeah, well you wanna know what scares me?” He knew it was time for full disclosure if they were going to take their relationship to the next level, which he suddenly wanted, desperately. “The thought of you livin’ with a man who’s obviously in love with you.”

  She gripped his shoulders. “You can’t tell me you’re jealous of Connor. The last thing on his mind is hooking up with me. He’s fighting for his life.”

  “Logically, I know that,” he whispered. “But I’m still a guy. I can’t get the thought of y’all together out of my head. This is a man who’s made love to you, Jos. You’re gonna be sleepin’ under the same roof. He has nothin’ to lose and everything to gain by trying to make you fall in love with him again.”