Harley (West Coast Rock Star #1)

by Michelle Jo Quinn

  Pulling her closet doors open, she eyed the rows of ill-fitting suits hanging neatly, one more drab than the next. Her life lacked colour. Why wouldn’t her closet? She turned to spot a pair of her most beloved jeans folded on her bed. They were comfortable, but would they be professional enough? If only she had asked for the next day’s itinerary, apart from the school visit, then she would have a better idea what her day would be like. She pulled on the jeans then shrugged into a tattered college sweatshirt.

  A buzzing hit her ears as soon as she pushed her head out of the sweatshirt’s neckline. She had left her phone in one of the suit jacket pockets. Maybe Zee was calling her to give her more details. Or Mac to ask for a report on how the day had gone. She pulled it out and saw a photo of Juliette, taken from last year’s Christmas party, on her screen that she didn’t remember taking nor saving in her phone.

  “Hey, Jul—”

  “So how was it?” Juliette interrupted. “Was he hot? Was he all you thought he’d be? What’s the daughter like? Is she a brat? She’s a brat, isn’t she? Oh, I knew it!”

  “Calm down with the queries. How’d you know I’m home?” An audible sigh went through the line. Juliette worked as a PI when she wasn’t answering phones at work. “Never mind, don’t answer that. They’re nice people.”

  Cade almost felt Juliette’s eyes rolling through her phone. “Puh-lease. Don’t give me that flowers and sunshine bit. Tell me the good stuff.”

  Cade brushed a hand through her hair, untangling it from the tight elastic at the nape of her neck. She could almost feel the jolt of electricity Jax’s touch had elicited when he pulled on her ponytail as he kissed her. “I just got home, Juls, and I’m hungry.”

  “Oh good. I’ll pick you up in a minute. Wait for me outside.” That was followed by silence. Her friend hung up on her without even saying goodbye, and even worse yet, without asking if she wanted to be picked up. There wasn’t any point in arguing with Juliette. She’d always claim victory one way or another.

  After shrugging into her leather jacket and putting on low-heeled studded boots, Cade walked out of her apartment building just in time for Juliette to stop her red Mini Cooper with a loud screech.

  “I don’t want to hear anything else until we’re seated.” Juliette didn’t glance her way. Cade busied herself with the seatbelt, remaining quiet. “And fed. You look half dead. Can’t wait to find out what they did to you.” Cade noted a bit of excitement in her friend’s tone.

  Juliette turned up the volume on her stereo seconds before a pop love song started, while she peeled away from the curb. Cade half turned to her friend and raised a brow. Without looking her way, Juliette got defensive.

  “What? It’s 1D.” Cade waited for more information. “One Direction. They’re only the hottest band since, I don’t know, the Beatles?”

  Cade laughed at her friend’s statement. She could argue that there had been hundreds of great bands since the Beatles, but Juliette was a force to be reckoned with, and anything pop and current was Juliette’s expertise. She decided to let it go and just enjoy the music, reminiscent of her favourite 80’s songs. There were many other worries to think about, all of which Juliette would be dissecting one by one.

  ***

  “He what?”

  About ten other people seated around them gawked their way after Juliette’s outburst.

  If only Cade could make herself invisible. She slid her buttocks towards the edge of the vinyl-covered seat and leaned on the sticky table. “Tone it down, will you?”

  Juliette flicked her hands around, waving away unwanted attention. “Cade, you can’t be serious! We are talking about Jax Clark, rock supremo!”

  “Shush, Juls.”

  Juliette downed the last of her beer before turning her attention back to her friend. She pushed aside her excitement to spare Cade any more embarrassment and risking anyone hearing about the company’s elite client. “Do you even know who he is?” she whispered across the table.

  Cade wanted to change the subject but it was too late. There was no turning back as soon as she blurted out what had happened in Jax’s office. It had been a mistake to open that Pandora’s Box, just as much as it was to talk about it at the moment, but it had been on her mind since it had happened. For the rest of the afternoon, she had busied herself talking to Harley in her bedroom and then familiarizing herself with the condo building’s security system and protocols.

  “He’s technically my boss. And I’m there to protect his daughter.”

  “Besides that—didn’t you do any searches?”

  “I didn’t have time, Juls.”

  Juliette grinned at her, reached for the next full bottle, and tilted it toward her friend. “Say ‘thank you, Juliette.’”

  What was Juliette up to? Then it quickly dawned on Cade. Someone had to do the research on Jax and Harley. It should have been her job, but Mac had other plans for her. “Show me.” Cade straightened on her seat.

  Juliette pulled out a folio from her large bag then placed it in front of Cade, who wasted no time going through the pages.

  As she read through, Juliette said, “Jax Clark has been producing top grossing hits since he signed with Apathy Records. With those good looks and incredible voice, why wouldn’t he? He grew up here in BC but moved to LA to pursue his dreams. You know, the usual crap.” She paused to take another sip of her lager. “He met Fiona at a friend’s party. She was and always will be a B-list actress-slash-socialite. I guess at some point they got careless and boom! Baby Harley! Of course it didn’t work out because she is a grade A bitch, but he kept climbing the charts and stayed up there. You should listen to his music some time. Really good shit.”

  “Better than One Direction?” Cade asked while combing through the file.

  Juliette huffed. “Please, don’t even joke. No one is better than 1D. However, I bet he can kiss better than them.”

  Cade raised her chin. She plastered a shy smile on her face. She allowed herself a moment to think of it. His lips had been soft and warm but his kiss was all passion. The instant his lips touched hers, her whole body heated and trembled. She’d whimpered when he pulled away for a few seconds, but only so he could stare directly into her eyes. His second kiss had been fiercer and full of fire. He had pressed not only his lips on her but his entire body against hers. It had been Cade who’d pushed away from him to end it, no matter how much her body had protested. Jax’s kiss had blown away everyone else’s in her past.

  “But it can never happen again,” she told Juliette, although the message was meant more for herself.

  Chapter Four

  Cade and Harley walked briskly into the aquarium to avoid getting soaked by the ever-present Vancouver rain. It was Cade’s favourite spot in the city, reminding her of the fun she’d had as a little girl living close to another coast. After the school tour with Harley, and the mundane briefing she had received from the prestigious school’s dean, Harley had asked Cade if they could visit the aquarium since she hadn’t been to one. Cade was astonished. With all the wealth Harley’s parents possessed, neither one of them ever thought of taking their child to any family activities.

  Harley was only too happy to walk around with Cade, pausing to take photos with her iPhone every now and then. Since Cade had visited the place at least once a month from the day she had moved to the city, she had familiarized herself with it. She gave Harley a personal tour, imparting knowledge on every form of aquatic life they saw.

  “How do you know all that?” Harley asked on their way to the jellyfish tanks.

  Cade smiled while she walked beside the girl. “At one point in my life, I wanted to be a marine biologist.”

  “That’s so cool. Have you been to the ocean?”

  “Which one? My family travelled a lot when I was younger because of my dad’s job in the military. Sometimes we were near the ocean, and when we weren’t, my mother would insist we visit my grandmother, who still lives on the Atlantic coast.” Cade paused,
remembering a specific memory of her mother. “My mom was convinced I was a fish or a mermaid in a previous life.”

  Harley’s eyes brightened. “Do you believe that?”

  Cade tilted her head to the side. “Believe what? That I was once a fish?” She laughed.

  “No,” Harley began shyly. “Do you believe in life after death?”

  Cade should have been surprised at the very serious question, but not after reading the rest of the information Juliette had given her the previous night. Harley had hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a rare congenital heart defect. The girl had been in and out of surgeries, even in infancy, and would always be monitored and medicated for the rest of her life. The condition was not cured by the surgical procedures, and there were high chances that Harley could suffer fatal side effects on any given day. Could Cade give her hope that she wasn’t even sure she believed herself?

  Before she could answer, they arrived in a darkened area where the jellyfish tanks were located. Harley was immediately mesmerized. “Look at them, Cade.” Harley stepped closer to the spherical tank that enclosed hundreds of the umbrella-shaped invertebrates. She placed a hand over the glass, wanting to connect closer to one of the nearer jellyfish swimming by.

  Cade took this moment to take a photo of Harley with her own phone. She took another one when Harley turned her head, looking over her shoulder at Cade, with a warm smile on her face. Cade approached her. “There is one species of jellyfish that is believed to be somewhat immortal. Scientists and researchers have observed them to return to polyp stage, kind of like the infant stage, after the medusa, like the adult stage, which is what you see here now.”

  In the darkness, and with the help of the light emitted from the tank and perimeter of the aquarium floors, Cade witnessed a hopeful smile on Harley’s face. It lit up her eyes, made them rounder.

  Harley was about to reply when she felt the vibration of her phone in her jeans pocket. The smile that had brightened her face just moments before turned into a frown, and then to fear as Harley stared at her phone. With trembling hands, she answered the call.

  “Hello,” Harley’s voice was barely audible.

  The piercing voice on the other line was loud enough for Cade to hear. “Where is your jackass of a father? And why isn’t he answering my fucking calls?”

  “He’s in LA to meet with Bruno, Fiona,” Harley answered, her voice shaking.

  Did Cade hear it right? How could a mother speak to her own child that way? She mouthed a few words to Harley, “Are you okay?”

  Harley blinked then nodded as her mother continued the onslaught over the phone. “That ungrateful son of a bitch! I gave him what he wanted and he has the audacity to ignore me? Pack your damn bags, Harley. I’ve had enough of his bullshit!”

  “I’m sure he didn’t mean to ignore your calls. Maybe he’s just busy—” Harley tried to explain.

  “I don’t care! You will do as I say!”

  Cade watched as Harley’s breathing quickened while she clasped a hand over her chest, still listening to her mother’s screams. People stared at them with concern. “Harley, sweetie, give me the phone.” Cade knelt in front of the little girl and stretched out a hand. Harley hesitated but eventually gave her the phone. Cade wasn’t aware of any protocols for what happened, so she did what was automatic, what she thought was the right thing to do. She ended the call without saying a word, then turned off the phone and slipped it in her pocket.

  She turned her focus on Harley, who continued to hyperventilate. Cade sat on her haunches, levelling her face with Harley’s. The girl’s eyes were full of panic. “Slow your breathing down, Harley.” Cade placed a hand over Harley’s stomach. “Breathe in through your nose, then out through your mouth. Look at me, Har—yes, that’s good. In and out.” Cade pushed with tenderness on Harley’s stomach to help her exhale. “Do it again. Slowly…good. Again.” She inhaled and exhaled with her.

  Once Harley’s breathing returned to normal, the fear escaped her eyes. “Thank you. I hate it when that happens. No matter how much I try not to panic, but I can’t help it. ” She wrapped her thin arms around Cade’s neck, which took her bodyguard by surprise, but Cade returned the hug.

  “Do you want to go home now?” Cade asked as she straightened. “Or if you want, we can continue the tour. The shows should be starting soon.”

  Harley shook her head. “No, thank you. I’m a bit tired now. Let’s just go home.”

  Cade held onto Harley’s hand as they walked out of the aquarium. The rain hadn’t ceased. The large drops of water pelted the car, loud enough that they couldn’t hear the music playing on the radio inside. Harley hadn’t talked about her conversation with her mother, and Cade didn’t ask. Cade made a mental note to ask Zee of the protocols if it ever happened again. She was sure hanging up on Fiona wouldn’t be part of it. She silently hoped it wouldn’t cost her this job.

  ***

  Jax was beyond pissed off. Zee had to contain him before he paid Fiona a visit and started a war with the woman yet again. Jax ordered Tina to charter a flight back to Vancouver that night so he could be with Harley.

  “Do you think it’s absolutely necessary? Harley is safe with Cade. She would never leave Harley alone,” Zee told him.

  He was right, of course. He had a few more meetings planned for the rest of the week before heading back. With the immediate bond Harley formed with Cade, Jax knew she would be better off with the level-headed woman than an enraged father. “What did she want, anyway?” He turned his anger toward Tina, who was seated in a corner of the room.

  “She didn’t say, Jax. I told her you were in a meeting with Bruno.” Tina was visibly afraid. Her shoulders slumped forward and she clutched a tablet against her chest as a form of protection. Not that Jax would ever hit her. Tina could be snarky at times, but she’d proved herself useful over the years. “I didn’t know she would call Harley.”

  “Get Harley a new phone and tell her not to give the number to Fiona. I don’t want that bitch causing unnecessary stress to Harley,” Jax ordered. “Get me Cade on the phone.”

  He hadn’t seen or spoken to Cade since the kiss they had shared in his office. He was that much of a coward. Jax Clark was never one to turn away from a woman, especially one as beautiful as Cade, but he intended to change his life. He had a promise to keep, a daughter to raise. He knew exactly what drove him to give in to his urges. He was all too familiar with the effects of his increased testosterone. He was horny. But the moment he kissed her, it had felt like more than physical urges. It had to be more.

  His status as King of Rock and Roll made sure that a woman was available at his every beck and call. Call it growing up, but that wasn’t what he wanted anymore. He wanted to be good. A good person. A good man. A good father. No, an excellent one. He agreed to go on a national tour before Fiona got married, and before he got full custody of Harley, before Nan died. He had certain obligations that would be too much of a headache if he broke away. The band would have understood, of course. The fans would have been disappointed and sales of his new record could plummet. He owed Bruno too much; not even mountain loads of cash would ever be enough to repay the man.

  Decisions had warred in his mind for months but he knew what he needed to do and what he wanted to be: Harley’s dad. He wanted to be the type of father who went to soccer games, attended recitals, and fulfilled any regular fatherly duties, whatever that may be. It was time.

  Then Cade came along.

  The woman’s presence had put a damper on his plan, what with her luscious lips, her soft curves hidden behind that awful suit, her voice, her…Jax had to contain himself. Cade wasn’t the type of woman to get involved with someone like him, someone who had a past. It didn’t matter that when they kissed he was sure he had seen real fireworks. There was no way he could ask Zee to replace her either, not when Harley was clearly comfortable with Cade. He just had to man up and face whatever life threw at him, even if it was in the form of a sexy vixen, who
most certainly kissed like one, and moaned like…

  “Jax,” Tina’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts. “Cade.” She handed him the phone.

  “Can you guys give me a minute?” he asked his bodyguard and his assistant as he took the phone from Tina. He cleared his throat before speaking. “Cade?”

  “Yes, Mr. Clark.” Her voice was stern. He should have expected it. Did he think she would loosen up after one kiss?

  “I called to see how Harley is doing. I tried calling her phone but—”

  “I turned it off. I couldn’t take what…” There was a pause and a frustrated sigh. “I am not sorry for what I did, Mr. Clark, she was making Harley very upset. She panicked.”

  “I don’t expect an apology. I’m glad you did it. I would have done the same. Harley is getting a new phone so Fiona can’t reach her without talking to me first.” Fiona would throw a fit about his decision, but he just didn’t care. “Harley’s very…fragile. Not emotional, but I can’t even think what could have happened if you weren’t with her.” His words rang true. Fear lodged in his throat.

  “I’m glad I was there too.” Cade’s voice softened over the phone.

  Jax waited for her to continue. When she didn’t, he asked to speak to Harley.

  “She’s in her room. Just give me a second.” He listened to her steps, and couldn’t stop imagining the sway of her hips, and her hair. The thought made his body stir. He heard a door open, and Cade’s voice calling Harley. “She seems to have fallen asleep. If you don’t mind, I’d rather not wake her, Mr. Clark.”

  “No, of course. Thank you for checking.” Jax brushed his hair back with a hand. “Feel free to stay as long as you want. I’ll make sure you’re compensated for the extra time.”

  “I’ve already asked a friend to bring me a change of clothes. I’ll stay until you return. No need to pay me overtime. It’s my responsibility to watch over Harley and ensure her safety.” Cade’s voice soothed him. He believed everything she said. The rage he had felt earlier dissipated. Harley would be safe with Cade.