“Seriously. I’m worried that I didn’t dress okay.”
He allowed his eyes to take in her body. The weather was finally beginning to get warm and what she wore was a reflection of that. A t-shirt covered her torso, a skirt stopped just about halfway between her knees and her upper thighs, and cute little sandals sat on her feet. The pink color of her toenails shined back at him, providing him with a glimpse of summer.
“You look fine, baby,” he assured her.
“I’d still like to know where we’re going.”
As he took the exit onto I-65, she saw that they were going south. “Can you figure it out?” he asked, as he reached over to take her hand in his.
“Are we going to Nashville again?”
It had been months since they’d had that first date in the city directly south of Bowling Green, but it almost felt like years. So much had changed in their lives and between them.
“We are,” he affirmed as he let go of her hand.
It was déjà vu and she grinned. He let his knees do the steering as he reached into his pocket and grabbed out a new pack of cigarettes. She watched as he beat the pack into submission and then got one out, lit it, and let out a breath that told her he was finally relaxed.
“What?” he said when he noticed the little grin on her face.
She shifted as much as the seat belt would allow her to do. “We’ve been here before—in this exact same instance—and it just reminds me of how far we’ve come.”
“I guess you’re right. I do remember doing this on our first trip to Nashville,” he laughed. “To tell you the truth, I didn’t think it would take us this long to get back down there.”
“Life just kinda got in the way,” she shrugged.
Life had a way of doing that, he realized. More than anything, the past few months had taught him how important it was to make time for the people that you care about. Make time to tell people that you love them. Things could change so quickly. You might not get a chance to tell that special person exactly how you felt about them. “It did,” he agreed. “But it’s not going to anymore. We’re gonna make time to do stuff like this. Especially after you graduate and start your full time job.”
She liked the sound of that. “You plan on making me a priority, huh?”
“You’ve always been a priority. Like you said, life just kinda got in the way. We have to work at this. A relationship isn’t always easy, and I think ours has been a little bit more intense than most people’s, but I’m so glad you’re here with me right now.”
Putting her hand up to her neck, she realized that it could have been a much different story. It had been over a month since the attack and hostage situation with Money Bags. As Dino had promised, he was gone without a trace. She truly didn’t have to worry about him any longer. It helped her breathe easier, but there were still some nights that she woke up in a cold sweat, chest heaving. That wasn’t to say that she didn’t keep mace always at hand now. She had also gone to the shooting range with Meredith, Tyler, and Jagger. With a concealed carry permit, she now had every right to protect herself. In reality, she had never felt safer, but it was nice to remember what had brought her to that feeling. She didn’t ever want to forget it. If she did, she was afraid she would get complacent.
“I’m glad I’m with you too. Now where are we going once we get to Nashville?”
“No way! I’m not ruining all the surprises. You already figured out what city we’re going to.”
“Well I figured you weren’t going to drive straight through to Daytona,” she grinned.
He shook his head. “Such a smart-ass sometimes.”
“You love that I’m a smart-ass,” she teased.
“Yeah, yeah.” He reached forward to mess with the radio station.
“You could sing for me,” she suggested as he played musical chairs with the stations. He didn’t seem to be happy with anything that was on the radio anyway.
“I don’t know, it’s been an awful long time. I’m a little rusty,” he made the excuse, causing her to giggle.
“You are such a damn bad liar. You sang to Meredith last night when she asked you to.” Bianca reached over and hit him on the arm.
“What did you expect me to do? Tyler was sitting there staring at me with that expectant look that told me I better do it or answer to him. I was singing for my life.”
Bianca loved this—the ease of their conversations and the easy way they teased one another. It was weird, but it had gotten easier after that day at the doctor’s office when they had talked things out with the older woman. Since that day, they had been making an effort to remain connected and not to take each other for granted. “Fine, I can sing.”
They both knew she couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket. “Good thing there are no dogs around to howl,” he stage whispered.
“Then sing.”
He landed on a pop station where a singer crooned about living a lonely life. Jagger picked up the melody easily and sang along. She was surprised he knew it, but he was so gifted when it came to anything having to do with musical talent that she knew she shouldn’t be surprised.
“There,” he said when the song was done.
“You really do have a beautiful voice,” she complimented him.
“Now you’re just trying to get lucky,” he accused with a grin on his face and a twinkle in his eye.
“Is it working?” she asked him dryly.
This time, instead of going to the BBQ restaurant, they went to a rooftop sushi restaurant. Bianca watched as Jagger took his cut off when they got out of the car and tucked in the white shirt he wore underneath it. “Give me just a minute,” he told her. She was surprised when he pulled a button down long-sleeve shirt out of the back of the car and put it on over the t-shirt.
“They have rules,” he explained.
She had never been to a place that had rules about getting served dinner, so this was already turning out to be an interesting night for her. “Will they have something I like?” she asked, grabbing his hand as they crossed the street.
“Yeah, they have more than just sushi. I made sure,” he smiled.
The rooftop was like nothing Bianca had ever seen before. It also offered an amazing view of Nashville at night. A view that was beautiful.
“You want some wine?” he asked as the waiter left them with a menu.
“Are you serious? I’ve never seen you drink anything other than beer or the hard stuff.”
“I do know a thing or two about how to appear like a true gentleman.” He put his hand over his heart. “I’m really tryin’ to show you a good time here, B.”
It all felt weird to her. She wasn’t used to any of this. “I’m sorry,” she apologized. “It’s just weird that you and I are here.”
“I know, but let me do this for you.” He reached across the table and grabbed her hand. “Come over here.”
Getting up from the opposite side, she went over to the side he sat on and took the seat next to him. Being close to him grounded her. She could smell him and feel the heat from his body. Wrapping her arm around his, she rested her head on his shoulder. He always seemed to know what she needed. “Thanks,” she whispered in his ear.
“No problem, babe.” He leaned over and kissed the top of her head. “Let’s see what they got on this menu.”
Together, they perused the list before deciding on what they wanted. Jagger even talked her into trying a wine that she was interested in. “This is actually pretty good,” she told him as she swirled it in her glass. “Not something I could drink all the time because it’s so sweet, but it’s nice for a change of pace.”
A change of pace was the perfect way to describe this evening, he realized. He just wanted to show her something different, show her that for just one night he could be someone that she wasn’t used to. It was important for him to show her that although they were committing to be in a long-term relationship, he would never let that relationship get stale.
“I
’m glad. That’s what I wanted when I decided that we should come here. Sometimes it’s just nice to get out of Bowling Green, ya know?”
She did know. “It’s big and small at the same time,” she mused. “It’s so big that we don’t know everybody, but it’s so small that everybody knows about us.”
He chuckled. That was the perfect way to describe the town they lived in. “Well, next time the gossipmongers have something to talk about when it comes to us, let’s hope it’s something really mundane. Like I don’t know, having sex in public or getting into a huge fight in front of everybody.”
“Mundane? Having sex in public? Jagger.” She raised her eyebrow and trained her gaze on him. “You do know that I signed a morality clause to teach, right?”
Under the table, he ran his hand along her thigh. “You are so easy to rile up.”
Her response was on the tip of her tongue, but the arrival of their food cut her off. “You’re a mess.” She shook her head, not able to wipe the smile that tilted the corners of her mouth.
“And you love it!”
Chapter Forty
“So where are we going now?” Bianca asked as they walked from the rooftop sushi bar back to her car. “Are we heading on home? It’s getting late,” she said as she checked her watch.
“Not just yet,” Jagger told her as he put his arm around her waist. “I have a plan for us. We’re not actually going back tonight.”
“We’re not?”
“Nope,” he grinned as her mouth formed a little ‘o’ as what he was saying finally dawned on her.
“Well, where are we staying then?”
He loved the fact that he could surprise her—even though she fought him at every turn. “I got us a room.”
Bianca grinned. “A room where?”
“At a nice hotel.”
The smile fell a little on her face, and she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. “You shouldn’t have spent a bunch of money on this,” she fretted, twisting her hands together.
“Hey.” He reached to her with his hands and his fingers caressed her neck. “You let me worry about the kind of money I wanna spend on you.”
It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him that she wasn’t worth it, but she was working on just accepting the things that happened in life. So instead of giving him a big long dissertation about why he shouldn’t have wasted money on it, she graciously grinned. “Then I say thank you, and I can’t wait to spend some alone time with you.”
That surprised him, but in a good way. “I’m glad. Let’s go.”
The hotel was a lot nicer than she had anticipated. It was located directly in the downtown area, and she was pretty sure that one night there probably cost what her rent for the month did. It was hard, but she enjoyed it as much as she told herself she would.
“Do you like it?” he asked as they closed the door. In his hands, he carried two overnight bags. Apparently the girls had known what was going on and had packed a bag for her.
“I love it,” she told him. “I’ve never in my life stayed somewhere like this.”
She twirled around, her arms out at her sides as she took in the room. A large, king-size bed was the focal point, and a couch sat in the corner along with a chair, a flat screen TV, and a mini bar. Walking over to where a door stood, she opened it and whistled as she turned on the light and took in the bathroom. It was tiled, and had a glass shower in one corner, an ultra-modern sleek tub in another.
“Wow,” Jagger breathed close to her ear.
She hadn’t even heard him come up behind her. “I know. You might not get me to go home. I love tubs like this.”
“Maybe I should get one in the dorm?”
“You do and I’ll marry you on the spot,” she grinned back at him as he laughed.
Walking back out to the main room, she held onto his hand. “This view is magnificent too.”
“I know. Sometimes, I kinda wish the clubhouse was in the middle of town. I love views like this,” he admitted as they stood in front of the window taking in the scenery. It was dark and all the lights shined, beckoning party-goers. At one time in his life, he would have been one of those party-goers, but right now, he wanted to be with the woman who stood in the circle of his arms.
Bending his head down, he ran his lips along her neck, nudging the neckline of her shirt down a little further. Getting intimate had been something that they hadn’t been able to approach since everything that had happened with Money Bags. That was one of the reasons he had decided to bring her to Nashville, to this nice hotel room. He hoped it gave her a new memory to replace the old ones that she had of the other man.
“Jagger,” she whispered as his large hands swept under the hem of her t-shirt and ran up her sides, stopping to cup her silk covered breasts.
“If I do something you don’t want me too, you let me know,” he instructed her.
Her heart beat a mile a minute, and truthfully, she was a little scared, but at the same time, she wanted to be with this man that she loved. “I will,” she assured him.
She didn’t turn around in his arms, but she relaxed, indicating that he should continue. Widening his stance so that he was closer to her level, he resumed running his lips along her neck and shoulder. Bianca shivered as he scraped his teeth along the indention where neck met shoulder and he growled. “Have you missed me?” he asked, not even able to recognize the sound of his own voice.
“I have,” she admitted, finally turning his arms so that they could face one another.
“I’ve missed you too.” He buried his hands in her hair and tipped her head back, exposing the smooth column of her neck. There, he could see the rapid beat of her pulse. “You sure you’re okay?”
Her head moved in an up and down motion. “I am. I’m just nervous, I promise.”
He hated that. There should be no reason she was nervous with him, they were a couple who loved each other. Nothing about this should have ever been made dirty. Not for the first time, he wished he had killed Raymond Tucker with his bare hands. It took everything in him, but he shoved all those feelings into a box and put a lock on them. Deliberately softening his voice, he moved his mouth to her ear. “No reason to be nervous. Just me and you here, B. We’ve done this before and we don’t have to do it again until you’re ready. It’s alright,” he assured her.
The soothing tone of his voice lulled her, reminded her who she really was with. Jagger would never demand something of her she didn’t want to give. Still, it was a mind game and she realized that. She had to push further than her mind wanted her to go. His mouth and tongue were at her neck kissing, licking softly, helping to lull her. With her hands at his waist, she made a conscious decision to unbutton the shirt he wore.
Yes Bianca, Jagger thought. Push past what that bastard made you think of yourself. “You feel so good,” he assured her as her shaking fingers went to the last button and then shoved the shirt off his body. Even feeling her touch through the thin material of another shirt caused him to shake himself.
She moved her head so that they could see each other’s eyes. He could see the tears there and it tore him apart. He wondered if this was really a good idea, and he opened his mouth to tell her that it was fine, he could just lie holding her all night and that would be enough for him right now. Those words died in his mouth as her finger shot out and covered his lips. She shook her head slightly and then removed her hands from his body.
“Don’t say anything,” she told him as she slipped her sandals off, then her skirt, then her shirt. “I want this, I want you. I’ve just gotta get passed this in my head.”
He soaked in the sight of her body like a dying man. He loved the soft curve of her waist. He circled his hands there and pulled her off the floor. Carrying her over to the bed, he gently set her down. “Will this be easier for you if I take my own clothes off?”
“Yeah, I’m afraid I’ll chicken out,” she admitted.
“If you do, it’s not going to make a difference.�
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She watched, much the way he had, as he took his clothes off. He really was a beautiful man. The tattoos on his body stood out in dark contrast to the flushed tone of his skin and she had to remind herself that this man was hers. He would never do anything to hurt her, and she could do whatever she wanted to him within reason and he wouldn’t leave. As he turned around, she noticed a gold cross hanging from his neck.
“What’s this?” she asked, grasping her fingers around it. She knew how he felt about religion and this confused her.
“There’s only two reasons you came back to me,” he told her, his voice thin with emotion. “One, because you’re an amazing woman who thinks quickly in situations that require you to do so. You’re brave and you don’t cower in the face of things that would make others curl up in a ball and die. You fight for what you want and you refuse to take no for an answer. But the second reason is, God answered my prayers. For the first time in a long time, I had my faith back. I’m ready to accept it back in my life again and it’s because of you,” he whispered.
A small grin broke out on her face. “I’m so happy, because I know how much that means to you.”
“It doesn’t mean more to me than you. You mean everything to me,” he assured her. “But, this is something I needed too.”
Her heart warmed as he told her that she meant everything to him. “You mean everything to me too.” She ran her hands down his chest and to his hips. His eyes dropped as she dug her fingers into his hips and pulled him over her body. “And because you mean everything to me and I mean everything to you,” she grinned, “I think maybe we should stop talking and get to what you really brought me here for.”
He laughed, a deep, hearty laugh, the warm puffs of his breath tickling her as he buried his face in her neck.
Just like that, things were exactly the way they were supposed to be, and Bianca knew they would be just fine.
Epilogue
Heaven Hill Series - Complete Series Page 58