Letting go of her ponytail, I pull her shirt off. She reaches back and unhooks her bra. Gripping me again, the moonlight shines all over her half-naked body, and before I can tell her how insanely beautiful she looks, she takes me in her mouth again with renewed enthusiasm.
This time she’s less gentle, swallowing my cock and grabbing my ass. Reaching down, I caress her breasts, causing her to let out a throaty moan that’s muted by her full mouth.
I match her moan with my own as she pushes me over the edge. Knees quaking, toes curling, she does something with her tongue on the underside of my cock that nearly drives me insane.
“I’m gonna come. Holy shit—where should I come?”
“Come here,” she moans, gripping my hard, slick length with both hands. As I rock my hips back, I realize I’m not in control anymore.
She is.
Breathless, I shoot onto her breasts, my eyes fluttering and my world going white, the only thing real in my world Harmony’s touch and her cherry-fresh scent.
We’re both panting as she looks up at me with her mouth open in surprise, and then she looks at her chest.
“That was like . . . a lot,” she says, blinking a few times.
“Sorry,” I mutter.
“Sorry?” She laughs. “Please, Jax. The way you were talking, you had me worried. ‘Looks like your equipment is up and running again.’ I mean . . . Dear God!”
I grin as I regain my senses, my mind clearer than it’s been in a long time.
“Let me get you a towel,” I say. “I hope the salmon didn’t get cold.”
Standing up, she shrugs. “We could always throw it back on the grill.”
I snap my fingers. “You know, Vanderbilt, you’re pretty smart. Anyone ever tell you that?”
She rolls her eyes.
I lean in to kiss her forehead. “And clearly you have a special talent too.”
She bites her lip. “Yeah? I think I might have beat your record of breath-holding right there.”
Laughing, I go inside to get the towel, and then I throw the fish back on the grill while Harmony refills our wine glasses.
I step into shorts, and Harmony puts her tank top back on.
We chat into the wee hours of the night, and I’m surprised my grandparents aren’t home when we go to bed.
Hot and tired, we turn on the A/C and cuddle.
“So what do you want to do tomorrow?” Harmony asks.
I take a deep breath, watching her head rise and fall on my chest.
“We can do whatever we want. What do you want to do?”
Harmony twists her mouth. “I don’t know.”
“Yes, you do,” I scoff. “What’s the first thing that comes to your mind? No cheating. The first thing. Go!”
“Write a new hit song!” she blurts out and then covers her mouth.
“Aha!” I say, running my hand down her bare leg. “Let’s do it then.”
She shakes her head. “No, that’s a silly idea. I can’t just do that on any old Sunday. I’m buzzed now. I’m not good enough to write a top-forty song anyway.”
I shake my head. “You are, though. You know you are. You’re one of a handful of people who already did it.”
She sits up and crosses her arms. “Okay, Jax, but it doesn’t matter! What am I gonna do, just show up in Nashville and start playing? Look around for a producer?”
“Why not?” I shrug.
“Why not?! Why not?!”
Still lying on my back, I nod, resolute. “Yeah. Why not?”
She threads a hand through her hair. “It’ll probably just get stolen again, anyway.”
“No, it won’t,” I zip back.
She scoffs. “How can you be sure?”
I lead her into me for a kiss, and then I pull back.
“I’m so sure, because if they do, I’ll kill them.”
Her eyes go wide, and she slaps my chest. “Jax! No!”
“I’m joking!” I retort. “But I am serious. This time will be different.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I know.”
She pushes her tongue against her cheek and sighs. “The man who is scared of blow jobs somehow knows I’m going to be a huge success in the Nashville music scene this time. I don’t even know what to make of that.”
“I have a buddy in Nashville,” I say. “And you should know I’m serious about this conversation. I’ll leave tomorrow. And by tomorrow, I mean today, since it’s already Sunday.”
“Is that a bit . . . soon?” she argues. “I need some time to prepare! I can, like, tie off my loose ends and stuff.”
“Do you have a job?”
“No, but there’s . . . stuff!” I can feel her heart thundering hard against me.
“I have money saved. We’ll figure something out. Fuck it. Honestly, what do we have here? Both of us. Other than my shitty friends and your family who doesn’t believe in you?”
“How about we wait one more day? We could leave tomorrow.”
“But Harm,” I say, wrapping my arm around her and pulling her in closer. “Don’t you know that tomorrow never comes?”
17
Harmony
Fluttering my eyes open, I lift my head off Jax’s chest. The smell of warm food penetrates my nostrils, and I squint through tired eyes at him, confused on where the smell is coming from.
I’m about to shake him awake when I feel him twitch. An incoherent utterance escapes his mouth while he sleeps.
“Jax,” I whisper, shaking his shoulder. “Hey.”
He flips up violently, grabbing my shoulder and letting out a noise close to a growl, his eyes bulging as he struggles for breath.
Gripping me tightly, he stares me in the eye for a full five seconds. I swallow, my heart hammering.
It’s Jax, but it’s not.
He doesn’t seem to recognize me.
“It’s me,” I gasp. “It’s Harmony.”
“Fuck,” he says softly, his soul creeping back into his eyes as he lets go. Catching his breath, he shuts his eyes. “I’m so sorry. Did I hurt you?”
I look at the spot on my arm where he was grabbing it. The marks are white from the tightness of his grip.
“I’ll be fine,” I say. “But what was that?”
“Night terrors. Fuck. That’s why I wanted to take you home last night.”
“We were drinking. And it’s okay.”
“No, it’s not,” he growls. “I could have hurt you. Fuck.” Raking a hand through his hair, he brings his eyes back to me.
“You won’t hurt me,” I say. “I’m tough. You said so yourself. Remember?”
He smirks. “I do remember you saying you can be rough if you want.”
“That’s also true.” I grin, my voice sultry. “Want me to be rough?”
“Try me.”
I straddle him and press his hands down behind his back. He fake-struggles for position, knowing he could easily overpower me.
But it’s fun to play.
“Now I’ve got you right where I want you,” I joke.
“Oh? And what are you going to do with me?”
He presses his hands into mine, and I have to push harder, with my whole body, to keep leverage.
“Whatever I want.” I smile.
“And what do you want, Harmony?”
“I want to sit on your face,” I whisper, and his eyes widen.
“Is that your third wish?” he asks, baiting me and biting his lip.
“No. This doesn’t count. I’m holding you hostage this time.”
“Right. And that’s my wish too, anyway.”
“It is?”
Before he can respond, we hear the low mumbling of voices in the mobile home.
He slips his hands out of mine, and I collapse on his chest.
“My grandparents are awake,” he whispers. “And by the smell of it, they’re cooking bacon and eggs. As much as I want to do this right now . . . it’s probably not a good idea.”
; “Uh, duh!” I say as I scramble to grab my shirt and slip it on.
“Give me one of these, though,” Jax says, cupping my cheek for a soft, hot kiss.
“You still taste like wine.” I smile and then furrow my brow. “Wait. Did we make plans to go to . . . Nashville yesterday?”
“We did.”
Nerves coil inside me. “Was that like a drunk thing? Or were we joking?”
His thumb caresses my cheek, and his expression turns serious. “I don’t joke about those things. I’m dead serious.”
“But my stepmom . . .”
“Fuck your stepmom,” Jax growls. “She left your guitar out in the rain. Either she’s purposely sabotaging you, or she’s so forgetful she’s screwing you over. Either way, we have to get out of here. I’m your genie. I’m going to get you where you need to be. Got it?”
I feel my eyes welling. “It just seems like a big change.”
“It is a big change. And we need it. Let’s get some breakfast, Vanderbilt.”
Jax opens the “door” and the smell of fresh bacon and eggs wafts into our sleeping compartment. His grandparents come into view too.
“Morning, Grandma, Grandpa,” Jax says in a low voice. “Morning, sweetie,” his grandmother replies.
“Grandma, you should know I brought a girl home last night.”
Her jaw drops, and I poke my head out. Then I follow Jax by dropping to the floor.
“Hi! I’m Harmony.”
“Hi,” she breathes, and my heart starts to pound, given her wide eyes. “It’s great to have you. Having breakfast with us?”
“Yes,” Jax interjects. “She’s here for breakfast. Looks delicious. Can we eat outside?”
“I suppose. It’s not too hot yet.”
Jax’s grandfather comes out of the bedroom, and the look on his face is pure wonder as he sees me.
“Um, my boy. Who on earth is this great American treasure?”
“I’m Harmony.” I smile. “I’m sorry . . . we just fell asleep. I wasn’t intending on staying the night.”
“I’m Joel,” he says, sticking out a hand for me to shake. He looks at me, then looks at the ceiling. “Oh, you can stay whenever you want. Praise be to the Lord almighty.”
“Grandpa, cut it out,” Jax interjects as he grabs orange juice from the refrigerator. “Harmony doesn’t need the third degree. She’s barely awake.”
“Right,” he says.
I can’t help but wonder what he means, and why he’s so happy I’m here.
“I have to use the bathroom,” I say, sneaking past the crew.
Jax’s grandparents talk about a friend’s daughter’s graduation party that got a little out of hand last night, hence them being so late. It’s a full breakfast of coffee, OJ, eggs, bacon, and toast. By the end, my belly is full of food, caffeine, and laughter. If I have a hangover coming on from last night, it’s not here yet.
Jax gives them a loose rundown of how we met and what we’ve been up to—sparing some key details, of course.
My heart pounds with worry when Jax informs them that we’re heading to Nashville.
To my surprise, their faces light up.
My jaw falls open.
“So you’re okay with Jax just leaving and going to Nashville?” I exclaim.
Grandma Jax, or Gail, puts her hand on my mine.
“Honey, Jax has been living with us working his behind off at two jobs for over a year now. We’ve been waiting for the day his journey takes him to the next step. It’s here. You’re here.”
The way she says “you’re here” sounds a little new age.
“Relax, Grandma,” Jax interjects. “It’s just a little trip. Who knows how long we’ll be gone.”
Jax’s grandfather erupts in laughter. “You know, we’ve been saying the same thing for years. “That we were going to move tomorrow. Next week. A month from now. But the thing is—”
“Tomorrow never comes,” I say, cutting him off.
He gives me a strange look, scrunching up his face. “How’d you know that’s what I was gonna say?”
I shrug, shooting Jax a knowing glance. “Just a lucky guess.”
“What do your folks think about you taking the trip, Harmony?”
My insides curdle, and I take the last big bite of my eggs while the image of my parents screaming at me not to go creeps into my mind.
“Haven’t told them yet.” I smile. A chill runs through me.
“Well, you better take care of that soon,” Gail adds.
Jax glances up at the sky and then back at me. “I’m going to pack a bag and then let’s go. Be out in a few minutes.”
Jax’s grandpa heads inside too. I’m sipping my coffee, amazed that Jax will be able to pack everything he needs in just a few minutes, when Gail turns to me.
“You know why my husband said what he did, right?”
“Said what?”
“Praise the Lord.”
“Why?”
“We were starting to lose hope for our young man.” She giggles. “A young man like him ought to have romance. And adventures. You’re a fine young lady. Go and have fun. Be young and a little reckless. We’ll always be here if you need us.”
I tilt my head, wondering where the stark differences in parenting philosophies came from in our two houses.
She glances at the door before going in her purse and pulling something out.
“Here’s a few hundred dollars,” she says, winking. “Always good to have cash on you, just in case.”
She slaps the bills in my hand and before I can argue, I hear the door swing open and see Jax appear with a small duffel bag and two motorcycle helmets.
“We ride in style,” he says.
“Is that all you’re bringing?” I ask, and the question comes out accusatorially. But his bag is so tiny.
“We’ll go on a shopping spree once we’re there. My treat.”
Gail shoots me a sly look.
Well, I know where I’m going to use those few hundred dollars.
“It’ll be more fun the less stuff we bring,” Jax adds. “That way, when we reincarnate ourselves, maybe we’ll be new people.”
A warm feeling spills through my body as I consider the thought.
“Good point.”
As we hug his grandparents goodbye and get on the bike to drive the eight or so hours to Nashville, I think, That wasn’t so bad.
And then I remember that I haven’t even told my parents where I’m going yet.
When we pull up in front of our house, there’s a cop car parked outside, which sets my heart burning.
As soon as Jax kills the motor in my driveway, my stepmom, dad, and a cop all come out onto the porch.
“That’s him, right there, Officer!” my stepmom says, pointing at Jax.
My heart wrenches, and I grip Jax’s bicep as we walk toward them.
“Dear God, honey!” my dad shouts, running toward me. “We were worried sick! Where have you been all night?!”
“My phone died. And I stayed at Jax’s place. We had dinner and then I was too tired to come back.”
My dad shoots a look of death at Jax, and we stop in our tracks on the pathway to the house. The late morning sun heats us up, and my skin tingles with a combination of guilt and anger. We stand like that for what seems like minutes—but is probably just seconds—none of us saying anything.
“Jax is under arrest,” my stepmom barks as she comes down the steps.
I laugh. “Is this a joke? Please tell me this is a practical joke and Ashton Kutcher’s about to show up.”
My stepmom puts her hand on my dad’s shoulder and shakes her head vigorously.
“We told you not to hang out with him,” she screeches. “And you disobeyed our orders.”
“You can talk to me,” Jax growls. “I’m right here, you know.”
My stepmom purses her lips and then jerks her head around. “Officer Hanks! Arrest this man!”
Walking slowly toward us down the s
tairs, he assesses the situation.
“Who I date is none of your business, Lisa. Dad, please. Why are you acting so unreasonable?”
Over his shoulder, I see my little sister’s head pop into the corner of the window as she watches the drama unfold.
“I’d be reasonable if you were dating a suitable man, Harmony. This guy is garbage.”
I feel Jax’s muscles clench, and my stomach turns.
“Dad, you can’t just say that! You know what? This doesn’t matter anyway. Excuse me.”
Slicing my way through my parents, I head inside.
“That’s right, Harmony,” my stepmom says. “You’re done with him. Done with this scumbag!”
My heart pounds, but I don’t turn around yet.
Trying to stop the tears, I run up to my room and grab my phone charger, headphones, music notebook, and a few spare changes of clothes to last me until our shopping spree.
“Where are you packing for?” my little sister asks, appearing in my door. I can’t stop the waterworks when I see her, standing there with her little teddy bear. She’s too old for it, and she only grabs him when things are tense in the house.
Throwing my bag over my shoulder, I lean down and hug her.
“I love you. But I have to go, for now. If you ever need anything, just text me. Okay?”
Pulling back, my heart hurts when I see how sad her face is.
“Where are you going?” she asks.
“I just have to go to Nashville for a little while,” I say.
“Why?”
“Because sometimes you have to follow your dreams,” I say, taking a big breath. “And sometimes, tomorrow is today.”
I hug her one more time, and then I kiss her on the cheek before I bound down the stairs. I glance through the window. Outside, I see that Jax is standing with his arms folded, seeming oddly relaxed as my dad talks sternly to him.
Heading through the main hallway, I close my eyes for a moment.
Am I seriously doing this? Leaving Blackwell and going to Nashville—for what? For a teenager’s dream?
I listen to my heart beat.
Yes, that’s right. I have a silly dream and a silly genie who says he can grant my wishes.
Let’s do this.
Biker with Benefits Page 10