She smiled and extricated herself from his lap. “Let’s go home, rock star.”
Home.
Emily stopped at her neighbors and picked up her mail, which included a small box.
Home. The word rang over and over in his head. He loved the sound of that. He’d be leaving Friday morning for over a month without her, but right now, he didn’t care. She’d called their time together normal, agreed to live with him someday, and called her place home. It was her home; maybe that was what she’d meant.
“Give me a minute.” Em walked into her office and closed the door. Jack paced and waited. She had a funny smile when she saw the package. He hadn’t gotten a look at the sender’s address; he hoped it wasn’t from the fucker.
He went to the kitchen, pulled out some cans of tomatoes, and started a red sauce for dinner. He chopped the garlic and onions and threw them in a sauté pan. He was so busy trying not to cut off a finger that when she touched his arm he jumped.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.” She smiled. “Come into the living room. I have a present for you.”
He washed and dried his hands. A small box, wrapped in purple paper sat on the coffee table. She patted the seat next to her. “Come on sit, I won’t bite. Yet,” she said with a suggestive waggle of her brows.
Jack sat and the only thing that kept his heart in his chest was the fact that she smiled at him. “It’s not my birthday. You didn’t have to get me anything.”
She leaned in and touched her lips to his. “Do you want to set the standard that gifts can only be given on birthdays?” Her fingers traced the heart he’d given her.
A smile crept along his lips. “No.”
She sat back and tucked her legs under her. “Go on, open it.”
He picked up the package and shook it. It made a slight jingling sound. He tore the paper off, and a plain white box revealed itself. He lifted the lid, and a wide grin broke across his face. Nestled on a bed of cotton was a jack-in-the-box keychain with a single key. Blood rushed through his veins. Em smiled wickedly. “This is to ho—here.”
“Yeah, I figured that way you don’t have come to my office to pick up a key.”
She doesn’t want me at her office?
She touched his thigh. “We can still have lunch. I just thought since you’d be staying with me when you’re home, it’d be easier.”
He held the key chain from two fingers. “Is this what you got in the mail?”
She smiled shyly. “I ordered it two weeks ago, but it took forever to get here. I’d hoped to give it to you last week.”
She almost looked embarrassed. He leaned in and kissed her. “Best present ever. Thank you.”
“There’s more.”
The box was small, but he doubted it contained anything else. He lifted the cotton.
“Not in the box.” She stood and took his hand, entwining her fingers with his. She led him to the spot where the fucker’s recliner had been. “I thought this would be a good spot for a guitar, and maybe a small amp, but you’d have to keep it down.”
He felt like he was inside a dream. A wonderful, comforting dream. He never wanted to leave her. Before he could form words, she led him down the hallway to the bedroom. She tugged her hand free and opened two of the dresser drawers nearest him. They were empty. Then she walked to the closet and slid open the left side.
“I figured it might be easier if you wanted to leave some stuff here. I don’t know if you need any closet space, but it’s here if you want to use it.”
He was still in the dream and hadn’t responded. He closed the space between them and lifted her into his arms, kissing her. “I’d love that.” He swallowed the lump that rose. “Are you sure?”
Her only answer was to cock a brow at him, which made him laugh.
“I mean, you don’t need the space for yourself?” What the fuck’s wrong with me? He hadn’t even dreamt of her offering him space.
She smiled, her eyes alight. “Well, I’m a girl, so if you don’t want the space—”
He kissed her. “I want it.” He tumbled them onto the bed. “I want you.”
Em undid the button on his jeans, sliding the zipper down slowly. He reciprocated, and then lifting her shirt, he kissed her belly as he cupped her warmth. “Shit.” Removing his hand, he licked his fingers. “I left a pot of sauce simmering on the stove.” That lovely flush that started below the neckline of her shirt turned him on.
He shut off the stove and returned to her, removing his T-shirt as he strode into the bedroom. She lay on the bed wearing the satin and lace emerald bra and panties he’d bought her. His heart fluttered in his chest. For the fifth time in as many days, he fell deeper in love with her.
J
Emily woke Jack early for sleepy morning sex. When she finally dragged herself out of bed, she forced herself to do yoga. She usually looked forward to it, but since their time was winding down, she’d rather have stayed in bed with him. He made breakfast while she showered.
She was slammed with catching up when she got to work, and before she knew it, Jack texted her that he was there for their lunch date. She met him outside, and they went to the same Italian restaurant.
Jack stared at her.
“Do I have something on my face?” she asked, trying to hide her smile.
His throat worked as he swallowed. “Is that the blouse?” He seemed to have trouble forming words.
“Blouse?”
Swallowing hard, he leaned in. “The one you said I could rip off you?”
She looked down, inspecting the blouse. “Why, yes, it is.” She sucked her lips in to avoid smiling.
Jack groaned and shifted in his seat.
Her smile wouldn’t be held back, so she picked up her water and took a sip.
“What do you have on under that?”
“It’s new.”
Another more pained groan escaped his lips. This time, his hand disappeared under the table as he shifted.
Emily shook her head. “Lewd thoughts in public have consequences, Jack.”
His eyes finally met hers. “Tell me about it.” They glittered with lust. “What time will you be home tonight?”
Home. The very idea of a home with Jack warmed her. Not the heated sensations when panic gripped or that trapped feeling where it was hard to breathe. This warmth came with a sense of contentment she’d never before experienced.
J
Even though she had a ton of work to catch up on, her bosses insisted she leave at five. She’d protested, but they’d done everything to convince her to leave but wink and smile at her.
By the time she put the key in the door, she was so turned on she hoped Jack was ready. She’d teased him earlier in the restaurant, but she’d teased herself as well.
As soon as she was inside, she yelled, “I’m home.”
Silence.
She’d parked next to Jack’s SUV, so she knew he was home. Unless he’d gone out for a run. Her heart plummeted to her feet. “Hello?”
A lump formed in her throat. The apartment was too quiet. She swallowed hard as she trudged up the stairs, the soles of her flats echoing in the silence.
She exhaled when she reached the top of the stairs and saw Jack’s open guitar case next to the couch. Relief washed over her, and her breathing returned to normal.
He’d told her how he’d sensed she was gone the day she’d snuck out of his hotel room. Her wedding day. If she hadn’t been in so much pain at the time, she would’ve laughed. It no longer hurt; it was a lifetime ago.
Emily hung her purse on the railing, and as she rounded the corner to go to the bedroom, she stopped short. Jack stood naked, except for his guitar, at the threshold of their bedroom. He strummed a few chords and sang.
Welcome home, so glad you’re here
Take my hand, the time draws near
I’ll hold you close and love you ’til dawn
Time flies and I’ll b
e gone
but I’ll be back soon and
I can’t wait ’til you take my hand and welcome me home.
Jack lifted the guitar over his head and leaned it inside the bedroom. His eyes glittered with love as he strode toward her. With every breath she took, her body pulsed with need. Desire pooled low in her belly, and her clothes felt heavy and oppressive.
When he reached her, Jack pulled her into his arms and kissed her. Heat exploded inside her as their tongues danced. Her hands roamed over the muscles in his back and down to his butt. She pinched him.
Jack pulled back and raised a brow. “So that’s how it’s gonna be?” A satisfied grin settled over his lips. He backed her up against the wall and palmed her breasts, and his thumb and forefinger plucked her painfully hard nipples. He took her mouth in a primal kiss, and then his lips trailed to her ear, nipping along the way. “I want to rip this blouse off you.”
Emily’s body went liquid, but she didn’t fall. Jack had her. He’d never let her fall.
She nodded and twined her arms around his neck, pulling him in for a hot, wet kiss. His hands roamed around her sides, pulling her blouse out of the waist of her pants. She nipped his tongue and bottom lip; his erection pressed against her belly.
When he pulled back, his eyes were deep blue and sparkled with lust. His hands stroked up her sides. He undid two more buttons on her blouse and cupped her breasts in his hands, gently kneading them. His pupils dilated when her nipples knotted. He leaned in for a kiss and then quickly pulled back and grabbed the plackets of her blouse and tore it open.
Buttons flew and dropped with a light clicking sound as they hit the hardwood floor.
Jack moaned as he stared at her black lace push-up bra. “Oh fuck, Em…” His Adam’s apple bobbed wildly as he swallowed, and the muscles in his jaw twitched. “Say it.”
“Jack…” His gaze met hers. She’d planned on dragging it out, but she just couldn’t wait any longer to feel him inside her. “Please fuck me now.”
He yanked the blouse off her, and she undid the button and zipper on her pants. Jack tugged them down, taking her panties with them. As she stepped out of them, Jack grabbed a condom off the dining room table, rolled it on, and crushed her against the wall as he assaulted her lips with his.
Jack lifted her, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. His cock slid into her slowly as he kissed her tenderly. The calm before the storm. He pulled out and thrust back in. The sensations spread out from where their bodies were joined to the top of her head and the tips of her toes. She felt weightless in his arms. Over and over, Jack fucked her hard. And she loved it.
Her body gripped him as she came, taking him with her. Jack growled, “I fucking love you.” He turned them and sank to the floor, still inside her.
Emily had never felt more connected to another person in her entire life; she felt as if they were one. She couldn’t clearly see where she ended and he began. And it had nothing to do with sex.
For the first time, she couldn’t imagine her life without him.
J
The next day flew by. Jack met her for lunch again and had dinner waiting when she got home. They made love, and she fell asleep in his arms. She hadn’t had a nightmare since Saturday.
He’d wasted no time filling the empty space with acoustic and electric guitars and a small amp. He’d also filled the dresser drawers, and a pair of tan slacks and a blue button-down shirt hung in the closet.
They’d made plans with Eddie and Sheryl to have dinner on August sixth. She’d vowed to tell them who Jack was before that. She wanted to be with him and realized that when they were together none of the rock star stuff mattered. He loved her. And she was falling in love with him.
Jeff was going to pick Jack up at seven fifteen for their nine forty-five a.m. flight to Cleveland. He had an interview at a local rock station, and he’d make it just in time as long as the flight wasn’t delayed.
Emily woke Friday morning at five. Jack sat on the edge of the bed, his head dipped low. “You okay?” She stroked his back.
He flipped on the bedside lamp. She lay on her side, and he stretched out next to her, their heads sharing a pillow. “Em…”
The sadness in his eyes caused a fluttering in her belly. “What?”
“I’m trying not to put more pressure on you. I know I promised to be patient, but I haven’t lived up to that, and I’m sorry.”
She kissed his lips. “You’ve been patient, for you. But nothing worked out how we thought it would. I’d expected to spend months torturing myself, going over what went wrong with Sully.” Emily caressed his chest. “I just know that if I do something you don’t like you’ll let me know. If I’d devoted myself to what went wrong, like I’d planned on doing, I’d have driven myself crazy. This is better.” A sudden tear slid out and dropped on the pillow. “I’m going to miss you.”
“This is going to fucking suck.” Tears formed in Jack’s eyes. “Em…”
His voice was pained. Her heart leaped to her throat. She was barely able to croak out, “What?”
“Promise me, if you ever want to end things…” Jack closed his eyes, and tears ran down his cheeks. He turned onto his back. “You’ll do it in person, not over the phone.”
“Baby,” Emily cupped his face in her hand and kissed him softly on the lips. “I’m not going to break up with you.” How could he still think that? Hadn’t she proved to him she was all in?
Jack heaved a sigh. “It’s happened before.”
Emily nodded. She took his hand and placed it over her heart. “I promise to never break up with you over the phone, in a text, email”—she looked away and then back—“or a letter.”
“Hey, we agreed that was my fault.” He smiled at her, but she looked away. “What?”
She swallowed hard, and her eyes stung with tears. “Did you know it takes four days to get to California by train?” A sad laugh escaped her lips. “I thought about maybe meeting you there since you’re going to be in California for five days. But it would take me eight days just to get there and back…”
“Em, it’s okay.”
She sat up. “No, it isn’t. If I could fly, then at least we’d be able to see each other on weekends. And what about when you go to Europe for six weeks?”
“Em, it won’t be easy, baby, but we’ll get through it.”
“If I wasn’t such a wuss, we wouldn’t have to get through it.”
“Hey, you were on a plane that could’ve crashed. That would screw with anyone.” He stroked her arm. “You’ve been through enough.”
She nodded. Jack understood, but she still felt guilty.
Jack kissed her deeply. “We still have a little time left.”
Emily straddled his hips. She handed him a condom, and when he was ready, Emily took him in her body. Leaning forward, she gently scraped her teeth over his nipple. Jack’s groan sent shivers down to her toes. She loved touching him, and he never rushed her, no matter how uncomfortable he got. She kissed up his neck, finally melding their lips. He tasted savory and warm, like home.
When he broke the kiss and urged her onto her back, she didn’t resist. How could she? She was helpless to resist him. He’d been shocked she’d given him a key to her place. Finally, she caught him off guard; he’d been doing that to her since the day they met.
He settled between her thighs and, smiling down at her, slid deep. He slowly withdrew and took her again. He kissed her deeply, his tongue gently exploring her mouth. She tingled from head to toe. The first waves of pleasure lapped at her. Tensing around him, she panted for air. The slow build drove her crazy, and her hips lifted to meet his thrusts. He nibbled her earlobe, sending jolts of pleasure down her neck. This time, the tension broke, and Jack swallowed her cries of pleasure, adding his own.
Time slipped past them until they could no longer put off leaving the warm pleasure of their bed. They showered together, and Emily hoped the spray of water wa
shed away the tears she couldn’t stop. The last thing she wanted was to make Jack feel bad about leaving. How the fuck had Siobhan done it all these years?
At ten after seven, Jeff called. Traffic was heavy, and he’d be at least fifteen minutes late. Emily hadn’t been this grateful for fifteen minutes since she was a kid.
Jack shoved his phone in his pocket. “What’s that smile for?”
“Whenever my dad would come home from a deployment and it was time for bed, Riley and I would beg him for five more minutes, and we’d all cuddle. After five minutes, we’d beg again. He always gave us three five more minutes. When I was really little, it felt like an eternity.” Melancholy stole her breath. “We’re running out of five more minutes.”
“Come here.” Jack’s arms closed around her and the sense of contentment returned. She rested her head on his shoulder, loving the scent of him. Inhaling deeply, she wanted to stock up for their month apart.
A single knock told her their time was up. She forced a smile and stepped back. Jack grabbed his bag, and they held hands as they went down the stairs. Jack opened the door.
Jeff stood at the ready.
Emily wished traffic had been worse.
Jack dropped the bag and hauled her up close. “I love you.” His lips crushed hers.
“We’re already running late.”
Emily tore her lips away from Jack’s. Turning her head to Jeff, she said, “Five more minutes?”
A warm smile broke across his serious face. “Three.” He took Jack’s bag and walked to the SUV.
Three minutes later, she watched Jack trudge down the walkway. As he reached the SUV, he turned and waved. She wanted to run to him but didn’t. He disappeared behind the truck, and a few seconds later, the truck rolled to the end of the driveway, and Jeff turned left on Plum Avenue. Emily waved as the truck passed, but Jack didn’t see her because his head was down.
They’d gotten off to a rocky start, ironically, not because Jack was a rock star but because of her past. She wouldn’t let the past dictate her future anymore.
No More Yesterdays: A Rock Star Romance (Rocked in Love Book 2) Page 37