13

by Rhonda James

  “Did you guys have someone come in and cook for you?” Caroline asked.

  “They didn’t come to the house and cook, but we did have meals prepared, and the stage crew kept our fridge stocked. Those times you saw us in the kitchen making breakfast… totally staged. I actually lost weight during taping.”

  “You lost weight? But you’re already so tiny,” Hawk declared while hugging me from behind.

  Their questions made me uncomfortable. Each time one of them opened their mouth, I feared what would come out of it. Inevitably, I knew what question was coming next, and by the look on her face, I knew exactly who would be the one to ask it.

  “So, Sophie, what’s it like knowing five million people have seen your O face?”

  Hawk’s arms tensed around me before he growled, “Don’t answer that. Jesus, Shelby, what the fuck is wrong with you? Why would you ask a question like that?”

  “Jared, language,” his Mama scolded before turning to Shelby. “Seriously, what the hell is wrong with you, girl?”

  “What?” Shelby asked with feigned innocence. “I was just curious. I can’t imagine how embarrassing that would be, yet our Sophie seems very blasé about all of it. Personally, I give her mad props for being such a badass.”

  I stood taller, feeding off the strength I felt coursing through Hawk’s muscles, and addressed her inappropriate, though all too familiar, question.

  “If you want the truth, it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever gone through. It wasn’t as if I’d signed up to star on some dating show, and I certainly never planned on falling in love. But that’s exactly what happened. Getting caught on camera was an unfortunate mistake on both our parts. Believe me, that act cost me a lot more than my pride.”

  “I’m so proud of you, baby,” Hawk whispered in my ear.

  Rachel was on her way out of the room when she announced, “I read online that Gavin Rexroth is a bit of an asshole.”

  “Aren’t most rock stars assholes?” Shelby quipped.

  “Hey, I take offense to that statement,” Hawk grumbled.

  “You know, Gavin really wasn’t that big of a jerk. He was just really bad at ending things. As for this guy,”—I hooked a thumb over my shoulder—“he doesn’t have a single assholey bone in his body. In fact, I think he’s pretty incredible.”

  That comment earned me a nod of approval from his mama.

  “You only say that because you haven’t been the one locked out of the bathroom while you were trying to get ready for a date, or worse, had him tell your date about the time you were laughing so hard you peed yourself,” Shelby challenged.

  I turned to face him, still wrapped in his hold. “You really did those things?”

  “Hey, I’m just the brother. I never claimed to be perfect,” he retorted, following it up with a wink.

  “No man is perfect,” Rachel hollered from the kitchen.

  “In all fairness, Jared’s pretty great for a big brother,” Caroline chimed in.

  He grinned broadly. “Aww, thanks, Caro.”

  “I hope you know I’m just giving you a hard time, Wooby.”

  I marveled at the way they interacted. The secret looks they shared. The inside jokes. Being an only child, I’d never experienced the kinship of having a sibling. Someone who would always be there for you, no matter how ugly the fight. I knew I had Tori, but that was different. Tori was my best friend, not a blood relative. From where I was standing, I could see this family embodied both of those attributes.

  After a dinner of fried chicken with all the trimmings and the fluffiest biscuits I’d ever eaten, Caroline’s contribution, I followed Hawk outside and up a flight of stairs to a room above the garage where we would be staying.

  He placed our suitcases next to the closet and took a seat on the edge of the bed, where he watched quietly from his position across the room as I studied his space. There were photos of Hawk and his sisters from when they were younger, some when they were really little, and in others they looked as if they were all teenagers. In one photo, he wore a tux and was standing next to a very pretty girl with long, dark hair. On the other side of the room, I found more recent photos. Photos of him with the band and a few that were of Hawk and Sin when they were younger. Damn, they were gorgeous even back then.

  “See anything you like?”

  I eyed him over my shoulder. “As a matter of fact, I do.” I slow walked over to the bed and filled the empty space between his thighs. He dropped his forehead to my stomach and ran his hands up and down the backs of my thighs, coming to rest on my ass. I allowed my fingers to run through his hair until he tipped his head and peered up at me through those insanely long lashes he’d been blessed with. “Hey, you.”

  His smile was wild and flirty as the hand on my ass slid down and forward, dipping between my legs but not staying long. Teasing me ever so slowly.

  “Hey.”

  “Shelby said she’d be back here by nine,” I reminded him.

  “So?” He kissed a trail from my belly button to my zipper, and for a moment I forgot what it was that I’d been saying.

  “Umm.” He picked me up, drew me into his lap, and then pulled me forward until our naughty bits were perfectly lined up. He popped his hips, and I felt the impact of his firm erection clear down to my toes. “Jared.” His name fell from lips on a hiss as he continued grinding against me until I became dizzy with want. “Yesss.” I closed my eyes as every muscle in my body tightened and pleasure tingled in my veins.

  He kept a firm grip on my ass, holding me in place as he rocked against me. The darkness of the room and the fact we weren’t actually having sex made what we were doing seem more erotic. My senses were definitely heightened, and I quietly wondered if he heard everything as clearly as I did. The press of his lips on my skin. Our quiet moans. The frantic beating of our hearts.

  I was dizzy with want when the muscles in his thighs tensed and a low groan bubbled in his throat, signaling his orgasm. The knowledge that I’d made him lose control and come in his pants gave me a heady feeling, and for the first time since we’d met, I felt powerful. Our mouths crashed together in a kiss so desperate I feared I might start crying if he let go. I didn’t think either of us expected a simple touch to turn into something so heated that quickly, and the look in his eyes told me he wasn’t finished with me.

  “Fuck, that was hot,” he panted and then lowered us back on the bed. “I can’t remember the last time I blew my load in my pants. You are a wicked, wicked woman.” He rolled me over onto my back and tickled my sides until I pleaded with him to stop. He eyed my mouth, and I waited with baited breath for him to say more. “God, I—”

  Shelby’s arrival prevented him from finishing his thought.

  “You two better not be naked when I reach the top of these stairs.”

  Our gazes locked, and he kissed each corner of my mouth before patting me on the ass.

  “We’ll finish this later.”

  “Don’t make promises you don’t intend to keep.”

  ____________________________

  “Have you been to this bar before?” I asked Hawk as he led me inside the darkened space. Shelby had already gone inside to find her boyfriend and snag us a table.

  “Once, about a year ago. Shelby dragged me here to meet some guy she was dating. I ended up getting in a fight and haven’t been back since.”

  I quickened my pace and held his arm a little tighter as I glanced around at the faces staring when we walked past. “Don’t you dare leave me,” I whisper hissed.

  He just laughed and tucked me safely under his arm. “Don’t worry, Tiny. I’ve got you.”

  We found Shelby already at a table, and when we walked up, she introduced us to the guy seated next to her.

  “Guys, this is Justin Hart, the guy I’ve been seeing. Justin, this is my brother, Jared, and his wife, Sophie.” She offered me a smile, and I returned it, grateful for the olive branch she’d just extended.

  Hawk reached between
us to shake his hand. “Justin, it’s great to meet you.”

  “Same here, man. Shelby’s told me quite a bit about your band. We listened to your EP a few times in the car, and I have to say I love your sound.” He turned to me next. “Nice to meet you, too, Sophie. I saw you on that Almost Famous reunion show. Those flashbacks of you fighting with that other blonde chick were brutal. Nice job putting that bitch in her place.”

  For a second, my heart was in my throat because I thought for sure he was going to bring up something else entirely.

  “Thanks, she was definitely a piece of work.” I laughed and took a seat next to Hawk.

  “Hart? You’re not Jackson Hart’s kid brother, are you?”

  “Afraid so,” Justin laughed. “Why, you know him?”

  “Know him? Hell, the two of us used to stir up a lot of shit back in high school. When graduation finally rolled around, those teachers were happy to see us go.”

  That remark sparked a whole other conversation, and before long, an hour had passed. We drank and continued talking, and in the process, I discovered that Shelby wasn’t so bad after all. With a man by her side and a little alcohol in her, she was actually a lot of fun to be around. The band was good, though not as good as Chaos, but we had fun dancing our asses off to a few country songs while the guys watched. I did manage to get Hawk out on the dance floor for one or two slow songs before I collapsed in my chair and waited for him to come back with our drinks. Apparently, he knew one of the guys from the band and ran into him while waiting for the bartender to finish up. While I waited, I had a visitor of my own.

  A woman around Hawk’s age took the seat next to mine and eyed me skeptically. “How’d you do it?”

  I tensed, taken aback by her bluntness. “Excuse me? Who are you, and what the hell are you talking about?”

  “Name’s Melody,” she answered with a roll of her eyes. “Jared and I go way back.”

  Ah, yes, Melody. Hawk had told me about them agreeing to be fuck buddies until one of them fell in love and decided to move on. None of that had made sense to me. How could a woman have a man like Hawk come into her life and not fall in love with him? What I did know was I felt instantly threatened by her presence. Hearing about your competition was one thing, but meeting her put me in an awkward position. My marriage was fake, and we hadn’t slept together yet. What he and Melody shared was real and had apparently lasted a lot longer than what we’d have the chance to experience.

  She was pretty and wore a look of innocence I’d never possessed. Her expressive eyes took me in, and I knew what she was thinking because I’d be thinking it, too, if the tables were turned. No one likes to lose, especially when a man like Hawk was the prize.

  I angled my head toward the bar and found Hawk watching, a wary look in his eyes. “I consider myself a very lucky girl.”

  “I messed up.” Melody gazed after him with longing in her eyes, regret evident on her face. “Jared and I may have history, but he’s never looked at me the way he’s been starin’ at you all night.”

  I didn’t know how to respond, so I said nothing and waited for her to finish saying what she needed to say and get the hell out of my face. I wanted to hate her. Wanted to scratch out her eyes and knock her on her ass for treating him so casually. Needless to say, I did none of those things. Instead, I realized that until I’d met Hawk, I had been just like Melody. In order to protect our hearts, men had to become nameless, faceless fucks until someone truly meaningful came along and swept you off your feet.

  Someone like Hawk.

  “Do yourself a favor and don’t take him for granted. He’s one of the good guys.” With that said, she got up and disappeared in the crowd, leaving me to stare after her.

  Hawk joined me at the table and placed a drink in front of me, looking back over his shoulder. “Mind telling me what that was about?”

  I gave him a smile and shook my head. “Just girl talk. Nothing you need to worry about. Everything’s fine.”

  “Okay, I’ll take your word for it. So,”—he leaned close enough to whisper in my ear—“you ’bout ready to get out of here?”

  Before I could answer, the lead singer made an announcement that captured our full attention.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, I have a real treat for you tonight. Sitting in the audience is someone I’ve known for many years, and he just happens to be one of the best, if not ‘the’ best, guitar players around. Now, he has no idea I’m about to do this, so I’m gonna need y’all’s help persuading him to come up and perform. Please help me welcome Chaos Rising’s very own Jared Hawkins to the stage.”

  Bar patrons chanted loudly and beat their hands on the tabletop. The sound was thunderous in the small space, and pretty soon, Shelby and I joined in.

  “Get up there, Sparky, and show me what ya got.”

  “Aw shit, I can’t resist that face.” He stood and took one last swig of beer. “Got any requests?”

  “What about Hangin’ On by Chris Young?”

  His face blanched, and I thought for sure he was going to laugh at my request. “You want me to sing country?”

  “Well, it is my favorite song.” I batted my lashes for good measure.

  He turned his ball cap around backwards and flashed me a wicked smile, pointing a finger as he backed away. “You’re on, Tiny, but you better be ready because after this, I’m making good on that promise.”

  He leapt on stage and selected a guitar before stepping up to the microphone. I was on pins and needles, eager to hear him sing solo. I’m sure it had nothing to do with the promise of sex afterwards.

  Yeah, right.

  “How’s everybody doin’ tonight?” He strummed a few chords, tuning the guitar while he laughed at the answers the crowd was throwing out. “I’m gonna need y’all to do me a solid. See that pretty little angel sittin’ right over there?” He raised a hand and pointed directly at me. “That’s Sophie, and she loves country music. Nothing would please her more than hearing me sing her favorite song. As for me, I’m a rocker through and through, but nothing makes me happier than putting a smile on that gorgeous face of hers, so of course I had to say yes. So, I’m gonna play this song, and while I know most of the words, I may need your help on a few, so feel free to jump in whenever you see me floundering.”

  Heart. Melting.

  I wasn’t sure what to expect. We’d listened to this song a few times in his car, but I was fairly certain he wouldn’t remember all the words. Still, the idea of him doing it just to please me was something I’d never experienced. But that was the kind of guy Hawk was, always putting others’ happiness before his own.

  “You guys know Hangin’ On?” he asked the band. “Starting in E, right?” They did a run-through of the first few chords before Hawk gave them a thumbs-up. “This one’s for you, baby.”

  I was blown away when he started singing and actually knew the lyrics. He not only knew them, he nailed the guitar playing and the singing. He caught me watching and flashed a little wink that stirred up a flurry of butterflies in my belly. I was on the edge of my seat, fighting off the urge to run and jump in his arms. From the moment I’d heard it, I’d been in love with this song. But it wasn’t until I heard Hawk singing it to me that I actually listened to the meaning behind it. The song was basically the story of our relationship, and by the time he finished, I was in tears.

  Shelby came back to the table and took a seat behind me. “I hope you see that he is head over heels for you. I suspected it when I saw the two of you together this afternoon, but this confirms it. I’ve never heard that boy sing country in his life. Whatever you’re doing to make him this happy, just keep doing it, but I swear on everything holy, if you break his heart, I will beat the ever-loving shit out of you.”

  I turned in my chair, fully intent on making a snarky comment, but when I saw her face, it wasn’t anger I was met with—it was a heartfelt plea.

  “That’s the last thing I want to do,” I admitted.

  “The
n don’t,” she countered.

  More tears fell as the song ended, and he exited the stage to thunderous applause. When he reached our table, he crouched in front of me and tipped his head to the right, frowning.

  “Oh, come on, I wasn’t that bad, was I?” He laughed, and I sniffed so loudly he reached up and brushed away my tears. “What is it, baby?”

  I wailed like a blubbering idiot. “You sang country for me.”

  “You bet your sweet ass I did.” He laughed. “I’d do anything for you.”

  I thought about the night we’d met and what I’d asked him before I’d blacked out.

  “Anything?”

  He tapped the end of nose. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “I’m ready for you to take me home and make love to me.”

  “I thought you’d never ask.”

  Now it was my turn to laugh. “What are you talking about, Sparky? I’ve spent the last three weeks begging for it.”

  “Hey, I told you, I was wooing.” He smiled and pulled me to my feet.

  “You ’bout done?”

  His answer was to pick me up and throw me over his shoulder, the same way he’d done after the bonfire. It was barbaric and possessive, and I loved every minute of it.

  Almost as much as I loved him.

  Wait. What was that I just thought?

  Surely, I didn’t…

  I mean, I couldn’t…

  Could I?

  CHAPTER 22

  HAWK

  Twenty-two days.

  That was how long I’d been thinking about this moment. The moment I finally claimed Sophie as mine.

  I’d shown restraint—more restraint than I’d ever shown with a woman. Normally, when I saw something I wanted, I went after it full throttle. From the very beginning, I’d sensed something special about Sophie. I’d known she wasn’t one of those girls I could just take to bed and move on the next day as if nothing had happened. I’d never met a girl like Sophie. She was sexually aggressive, yet she also had this soft vulnerability about her that told me the aggressiveness was merely a cover for something deeper going on within her. I believed she used that attribute as a means to protect herself from getting hurt, and I couldn’t blame her; she’d been hurt before.