“About what?”
Em rolled her eyes. “That they questioned you like that.”
“What makes you think they asked me questions?” Jack sat back, he’d missed talking to her in person. Over the phone she was more distant, uncomfortable even.
“Because, I know those two curmudgeons.”
“I thought they were codgers?”
Emily smiled. “They are, but they can take a little getting used to.”
Jack leaned in and took her hand, bringing it to his lips. “I think it’s nice. You told me they think of their employees like family. That’s what we try to do. The band, I mean.”
“I think you succeed quite nicely.” Em sipped her water. “They’ve been so good to me. When I first started, my aunt and uncle had moved to California, so I had nowhere to go for Thanksgiving. They asked everyone what their plans were, and I didn’t have any.” She smiled. “It was Ben’s turn to host that year, so he invited me on the spot.”
Jack’s chest tightened, the way it did every time she spoke of being alone. “What about Nicki?”
“Her family’s idea of the holidays is a trip somewhere. I think they went to Scotland that year.”
He hadn’t meant to look or be obvious about it, but when she leaned forward, her blouse dipped, and he got a peek of burgundy lace. Damn. He wanted her, maybe she’d—
Emily waved her hand in front of his face. “Earth to Jack.” His head snapped up, and she smirked at him. “Really, Jack, you’ve seen me naked.”
Why did she have to say naked? His mind instantly conjured her naked and riding him. He tried to casually adjust himself. He leaned forward, trying not to crush his dick. “Baby, it’s been nine days.”
She tilted her head and counted on her fingers. “So it has.”
He knew she was busting his balls, that she wanted him as badly as he wanted her. “If you lived closer, we’d have satisfied a different hunger.”
He could tell she was picturing exactly how they’d satisfy themselves. When the waiter arrived with their salads, she was startled. She licked her lips. “Mmm, I’m starving.” Then she leaned forward and whispered, “For you.”
“Mean, you’re mean.” He picked up his fork and took his frustration out on the salad, stabbing repeatedly, unable to get the damn lettuce to stay on the fork.
“Sorry.”
He knew she wasn’t. “I want to rip that blouse off you and—” he whispered. He glanced at the table next to them, but the mother was busy cleaning up a spill. He struggled to find a word other than fuck. “Have you.”
Emily sipped her water. “I like this blouse.” She tapped her forefinger on her chin. “But I do have a gray one that gaps. Next time I wear it, you can rip that one off.”
Shit, now his dick was hard. He hoped she was serious. He’d jerk it to ripping her blouse off as soon as he got home. Home. Her home. She’d insisted he stay with her and that getting a hotel was nice of him but a waste of money. He was so fucking happy he thought his head might explode. Hopefully, she’d wear the gray blouse to work tomorrow.
“Did you ask your parents about the sleeping arrangements?”
“You were right. They’d prefer if we slept in different rooms.” His dad had seemed shocked that he’d asked, probably because he never had before. “I’ll be sleeping with my brother. You’ll be in my room. I hope you appreciate my sacrifice because Jimmy farts. A lot.”
“I’m sure I can find a way to make it up to you.”
He pictured her smirking lips taking his dick in her mouth. Shit. He forced that thought out of his head and concentrated on his salad.
After their leisurely lunch, he drove them slowly back to the office. He managed to get stopped at every red light.
“What time will you be home?”
“Not sure. I have copy that has to be finished tonight. I’d planned on working through lunch.”
Damn, if he’d known that, he would’ve taken her to the diner across the street. “Why didn’t you say something?”
“I meant to, but then the gruesome twosome insisted we take our time. You don’t decline when they tell you to take a long lunch.”
Jack parked and cut the engine. “Key?”
Emily chuckled. “Oops. Here.” She pulled the key out of her pocket and handed it to him. He knew it was only temporary, but it was the best gift he’d ever gotten.
“Let me know when you have a better idea when you’ll be home. I’ll make dinner.”
“You’re a good boyfriend.” She kissed him and got out.
He’d have a surprise for her when she got home. Jack had done quite a bit of shopping: silk lingerie, bras, panties, and cute pajamas. Not that she’d be wearing them anytime soon. He planned to do more shopping tomorrow while she was at work. Maybe they could have lunch together again.
She called at four thirty to say that she’d hopefully be home around seven. At six thirty, she called to say that she’d be at least another hour. At seven forty-five, she called and told him to eat without her. Her computer had crashed and she’d spent the last hour waiting for IT to call her. At eight forty-five, she was on her way home.
When he heard her key in the door, his pulse raced. He needed her so badly, but that would have to wait because she sounded exhausted when she called.
“Hi.” He opened his arms and hugged her. Her lips devoured his. Forcing himself to break the kiss, he slid her purse strap off her shoulder. “How does a hot bath sound? Or would you like to eat first?”
A funny smile crossed her face. “Jack, I…haven’t cleaned the tub in weeks.”
“I took care of it.”
“You scrubbed my tub?”
He shrugged. “My arms aren’t broken. Dinner or bath?
“What’s for dinner?”
“Beef and vegetable stir fry with brown rice.”
Emily whistled. “Wow, you do like to cook, don’t you? Dinner wins.”
Jack smiled. “Go get undressed. There’s a present for you on the bed. Put it on.” He busied himself with opening and pouring wine so he wouldn’t picture her getting naked.
“Jack, it’s beautiful.”
He turned to see her standing in the doorway to the kitchen, the silk burgundy robe covering her naked body. “You’re beautiful.” He handed her a glass of wine. “To time spent together.”
She smiled, raised her glass to his, and clinked. “To us.”
Us. His heart fluttered in his chest. Us.
“I have a surprise for you, too,” Emily said between bites of stir fry.
Jack’s mind went dirty. Sitting at her dining room table, he pictured himself sweeping the dishes off the table, bending her over, and—
“Don’t you want to know the surprise?”
“Yes, please.”
“Well, I’ve been putting in extra hours for the last week, and the reason I had to finish the copy I was working on today is because I was able to get a comp day off tomorrow.”
“Comp day?” That didn’t sound the least bit sexual.
Emily smirked at him. “Yes, Jack, in the working world that means I got tomorrow off for working longer other days.”
His heart leapt in his chest. “You’re off tomorrow?” An extra full day together?
“Yup.”
He pulled her onto his lap and kissed her. “I love you.”
“I don’t know what you planned for tomorrow, but I thought we could make chili. I know your parents didn’t want us to bring anything, but I’m a guest, so I’d feel better if we contributed something.” She kissed him. “It’s my dad’s recipe.”
“Em, I’d love that.” She wanted to make her dad’s chili recipe with him; he loved her more every damn day.
“We have to go to the grocery store first thing. We always simmered it all day.”
A very normal thing to do. But first, she needed to finish eating and relax. “Finish eating and then into the bath.”
“Of course.” Her head rested on a bath pillow, eyes closed, bubbles up to her neck, looking stunningly beautiful as always. “I can’t believe you scrubbed my tub.”
He sat on the side of the tub. “I grew up doing chores. When I was six, my dad started McBride Plumbing, so he worked all the time. Trish was two and my mom was pregnant with Jimmy.” He laughed at the memory. “Although that’s not what I called him.”
“What did you call him?”
“Jack Jr.” He refilled Emily’s glass. “I went through a phase where I thought all babies should be named Jack, and since they were younger than me, I added junior. It started when my mom was pregnant with Trish.” Jack shook his head. “She was supposed to be a boy ’cause I wanted a baby brother.” He sipped his wine. “But after she was born, I was glad to have a sister.”
Emily’s laugh echoed through the bathroom. “How cute.” Her eyes fluttered closed.
“Okay, out of the tub before you fall asleep.”
“Mmm, I think I did.” She stood and Jack wrapped a bath sheet around her.
Twenty minutes later, she was fast asleep nestled into his side. He was so excited that he had a hard time falling asleep. An extra day together making chili, and then four days with his family. Jack was sure their rocky start was behind them.
chapter
TWENTY-EIGHT
Emily woke early the next morning in the most pleasant way possible—with Jack between her thighs. Jack went out for bagels while Emily put on the coffee. After breakfast, they went to the grocery store to get the ingredients for her dad’s chili recipe.
It amazed her that Jack was comfortable in every situation. He looked as natural shopping for groceries as he did on stage singing to tens of thousands of fans. He took everything in stride. Emily wished she could be like that. “So how many people will be at this barbecue?”
“I’d guess around a hundred.”
Emily stopped short and Jack bumped into her. “Please tell me that’s a joke.”
Jack shook his head. “I told you I had a big family.”
“Yeah, but you didn’t say they’d all be there. I thought it was your immediate family.”
“It will be. Most everyone lives in a four-town radius. A few might not come, but my folks do this every year, either on Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, depending on my tour schedule. It’s the only time I get to see all my cousins.”
“Oh.”
“Em, if you’d rather not go, we can—”
She smiled and touched his cheek. “No. It’s fine. I was just surprised at the sheer number of McBrides is all.”
“Not just McBrides, my mom’s side of the family, the Donoghues, and both sets of grandparents. Last I heard, all my aunts and uncles were coming and all but a few cousins. Many of the married cousins have kids or one on the way, so it’ll be quite a shindig.”
“Wow.” Suck it up, Prescott, you said you’d go. Smile. Bigger.
“Em you okay? You’re smiling weird.”
Too big, too big. Emily relaxed her facial muscles. “Sounds like fun.”
They started the chili as soon as they got home. Emily went to her office to dig out her dad’s recipe. She’d had it laminated because it was in her dad’s handwriting. Jack chopped the peppers and celery while she handled the garlic and onions. Emily sautéed the vegetables while Jack browned and drained the meat. Once all the ingredients were in the stock pot to simmer, Jack washed the dishes, and Emily made them sandwiches for lunch.
“We forgot the chili peppers,” Jack said.
“No, we’ll cook them separately, then they can be added to taste.”
“Did you make this often?”
Emily stopped spreading the mayo. “All the time. My dad was an only child, and his parents were both over forty when they had him. His dad passed when he was seventeen and his mom a year later. He found a second family in the Corps, more brothers and sisters than he could’ve ever hoped for. We were like one big family.”
Tears pricked her eyes, but these were happy memories. “We always had the first barbecue, and the chili was always the first thing to go. I always helped my dad make it. It was kind of our special thing.” Jack’s arms encircled her, and she leaned back against him. “This is the first time I’ve made it since…”
Jack turned her and tilted her chin up so she had to look at him. “I’m honored that you let me be a part of this.”
Emily could only nod. If she spoke, she’d lose it. When she stepped back, Jack’s shirt was wet where her face had rested against his chest. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to use you as a tissue.”
Jack looked down at the wet dots and shrugged. “I’d go through ten shirts if I needed to. Let’s eat, I’m starving.”
After lunch, Emily packed for their weekend. Jack walked in with two duffel bags. “Here, pack these.” He opened one bag and pulled out a dozen sets of bras and panties. “I washed them all, so you’re good to go.” Jack wagged his brows up and down.
Emily sorted through the pile of bras in satin, lace, and mesh. The matching panties were in various cuts from thongs to boyfriend panties. All expensive. Jack pulled more and more out of the bag. By the time she’d matched up the bras and panties, her bed was covered in lingerie from black to white and all the colors in between.
Her eyes widened at the mass of silk and satin. “Are you insane?”
“What? I like you in nice things.”
“I’m not bringing any of this to your parents’ house.”
“Of course not, bring these.” He took out several sets of pajamas, all long pants and tank tops.
“I have plenty of pajamas, Jack.”
“Yeah, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that. They’re ugly.”
Emily huffed. “My pajamas aren’t ugly.” She knew they weren’t pretty, but they were pajamas, so who cared?
“You’re too beautiful to wear ugly pajamas.”
“What difference does it make? Whenever we sleep together, I’m naked or wearing your T-shirt.”
“I do like you in my T-shirt, but humor me.”
Emily shrugged. “Okay.” If it made him happy to see her in non-ugly pajamas, then so be it. But now that Jack had emptied one bag that contained all stuff for her, that didn’t leave him with a lot of clothes. “Why do you have so little with you?”
He smiled. “This is plenty for here. I keep clothes at my parents’ house, still have my old room.”
She went back to packing. “It must be nice to have a home to go back to.”
Jack nodded.
Emily shook off the melancholy that dogged her the last few days for the hundredth time. Jack was here, and they’d be together for the next week. She wouldn’t waste another minute on feeling sorry for herself.
While Jack dried the pots, she slipped into an emerald green baby doll with matching thong. Barefoot, she padded into the kitchen and put her arms around him. She rubbed her breasts against his back.
He stood still. “You’re not wearing a bra.”
“Nope, but I am wearing something new.” Jack tried to turn but she stopped him. “Guess?”
“What do I get if I’m right?”
“Me.”
“What if I’m wrong?”
“Don’t be wrong.”
Jack moaned. His breath stuttered in and out, and his skin warmed. She loved that he was as affected by her as she was by him.
“Is it made of silk, lace, or mesh?”
“Yes.”
“Is it a solid color?”
“Yes.”
“Is it a color between black and white?”
“Yes. You’re good at this.”
“I really want to win. Okay, last question. Are you naked underneath it?”
Being thi
s close and teasing him teased her too. Her nipples were painfully hard, and she’d already soaked through the skimpy thong. Everywhere her skin touched his burned. “Yes.”
Jack turned, and she stepped back so he could get the full effect. The emerald silk brought out the green in her eyes. She’d put her hair up in a clip, with tendrils falling loosely around her face and shoulders. His eyes darkened, and a slow, wicked smiled curled his lips.
“I saw that color and knew it’d be stunning on you.” His throat worked with the effort to swallow. “Stunning doesn’t even come close to describing how beautiful you are.” He lunged forward and swept her off her feet, carrying her into the bedroom.
He lay her on the bed. Grabbing his duffel bag, he pulled out a pair of stockings. “Tie me up.”
Shock rushed through her system. She wasn’t into bondage, and there had never been any indication that Jack was either. “I’m not into that.” She wanted to please him more than anything, but they’d never discussed this.
Jack laid the stockings on the pillow next to her. “Not even a ‘little b’?” His eyes sparkled with mischief.
Her brain rushed back to the conversations they’d had the night they met, when she described one of the scenes she’d written. A poor fellow who couldn’t keep his hands to himself while his girlfriend stripped for him. “Are you saying you won’t be able to keep your hands to yourself while I strip for you?” Nerves didn’t have time to rise because Jack hauled her into his arms, his erection digging into her belly as his lips crashed down on hers.
His hands cupped her ass, and she was so tightly pressed against him she could barely breathe. She could do delicious things to him if he was tied up. She placed her palms on his chest and used all her strength to push him away. He didn’t budge.
She bit his lip. His hands roamed over her back and around to cup her breasts. He rolled her nipples between his thumb and forefinger. She gasped with pleasure. Oh fuck. “Enough.”
Jack released her instantly, his face shrouded in doubt. “I’m sorry, I—”
“Oh, you’re going to be sorry.” She kissed his puzzled lips gently. She rubbed his dick through the thick jeans, but she needed to feel his skin. She undid the button and thrust her hand down, her fingers curling around his hardened flesh. She gave him an aggressive squeeze. His sharp intake of breath pleased her. “Now, you stand still while I undress you. If you move. I’ll punish you.”
No More Yesterdays: A Rock Star Romance (Rocked in Love Book 2) Page 29