Sadness tugs at my soul because I miss him too. “Thanks, Griff. I feel more like myself now. Jag and I... well, we’re seeing what happens.”
“You never know until you put yourself out there. He looked rough the last time I saw him. It was right before Christmas. All he... we talked about was you. Glad you are back. See you next Saturday.” We disconnect shortly after.
Thoughts of Christmas overtake me. I remember how happy I was to see Jagger. I remember how much I missed him on a daily basis, but I couldn’t figure out where I fit in any of their lives since I left rock-’n’-roll. I didn’t realize exactly how much I missed him, though, until I laid my eyes on him that day. I think we both stayed up all night because neither of us could bear to say good night.
I make my second call. It picks up on the second ring.
“Woman! I miss yo’ face!” Rhys says.
I can hear music blaring in the background.
“Hey, hold on, Hen. Let me step out.” I hear the sounds change as he walks through a room, a door opens and closes, and then it is quiet. “All right, I can hear now. Fucking strippers. They know white trash with cash when they see it. Jagger fucking Carlyle! The man finally grew a pair, yeah? You looked happy, Hen. When am I going to see your amazing face again?”
“I was hoping we could meet in Memphis on the ninth,” I say.
“Fucking A, I can! We gotta tie one on, girl. Been way too damn long. Wait, you and Carlyle aren’t going to force me to watch you get all hot and heavy are you? I mean, you have always been quiet with your shit, so I have never had to watch a motherfucker maul you. I woulda caught a charge fo’ sho’.”
“Always quiet with my shit?”
“Look, I’ve been known to play the field, and it takes a player to know when a girl is discreetly getting her lady parts serviced. Feel me?”
I burst out laughing. “Yeah, I get it, kid.”
He makes goat sounds.... I call everyone kid, but Rhys always makes goat sounds when I do.
“Seriously, Hen... miss yo’ face.”
“I miss yo’ face too,” I say getting all teary-eyed again.
“See you in Memphis. If I don’t make it, make sure the authorities know a stripper who goes by the very exotic name Indigo, is responsible for my disappearance. I can feel her trying to swallow my soul through that dark hole also referred to as her snatch.”
“Will do.”
We disconnect. I have a band meeting scheduled, Noah and his family are taken care of, and Jagger and I are doing really well. I’m falling in love. Life is good.
Chapter 13
I WAKE AGAIN IN typical Broken Access style.
“What the fuck is on your back, Carlyle?” I hear Kip ask sternly from the front of the bus.
“Dude, really? You have to ask? Has it been that long?” Jag asks.
“I’m sitting right here, fuckers,” Koi says.
“Oh, this is going to be fun,” Cam says.
“Do you see this shit, Koi? These are defensive wounds. Something very horrible was forced onto Henley, and she had to defend herself from that behemoth over there. I can’t believe you’re just sitting there. We are talking about your sister, jackleg,” Kip yells.
“I’m not talking about this,” Koi says.
“Defending herself?” Jagger asks.
He is egging Kip on. We enjoy his entertainment.
“Dude, your corruption of sweet Henley is so not cool. When a girl says, ‘No, don’t touch me there, that’s my no-no square,’ she means no,” Kip says.
I’m already laughing. I emerge from the bunks, and Kip immediately sets his sights on me.
“Darling, why didn’t you tell me how this asshole traumatized you? I would have beaten the shit out of him for you.”
I hold my hand up, and Kip shuts up. Good, he understands my sign language. I relieve myself, exit the restroom, and Jagger hands me a cup of coffee. Didn’t I say I’m falling in love with him? Kip attempts to speak again, and I put my hand up once more. He pipes down. I slide down the cabinets again, and Jag joins me, placing the ashtray between us and a cigarette between my lips. It’s the first hit I enjoy most. He lights my cigarette, and I inhale a menthol cloud. Ah... much better. I look up at Kip and motion for him to continue, and he wastes no time. Everyone chuckles.
“I was just saying to you, my little sweet roll, that you are the victim here. This shit is bad,” he says.
“Ya’ think?” I mumble and take another sip of coffee.
“Look at her, Koi. She is so traumatized she can barely speak. Why aren’t you kicking his ass yet?” Kip stands with his hands on his hips.
Koi sighs. “Because, as much as it pains me to say this, I don’t believe she was sexually assaulted.”
Kip immediately throws his hand to his chest as though he is having a heart attack. His voice reaches a very feminine, shrill level. “Say what?”
Cam jumps in. “What Koi is trying to say without having to think very much about it is, Henley did not have to defend herself against Jagger. Those are the marks of passion, my friend.”
Kip repeats himself. “Say what?”
“Kip, Jagger found my G-spot for the first time in my life. He made me squirt. I second what Cam says,” I say.
Kip feigns outrage. “You cheated on me, pumpkin?” He tries to sound sad.
“No. It isn’t sex, so it isn’t cheating,” I say.
“Then how did he.... Never mind, I most certainly do not want to know. I forgot I was talking about my sister. Got it, loud and fucking clear,” Koi says and retreats to the back of the bus, which makes us all laugh.
“Oh, so he hasn’t stuck the beaver basher in yet?” Kip asks.
Beaver basher?
“Well, not in my beaver,” I say, and wink at Jagger who almost pisses himself.
Kip pretends to have a panic attack and loads himself onto the bench seat at the table, breathing loudly and jaggedly. He stands suddenly and points to Jagger. In his best antebellum Southern voice, he yells at Jag, “You, sir, have defiled my innocent sweetheart. How dare you. This is war!”
“Kip, we agreed that you would sleep with brunettes while I sowed my wild oats,” I say.
“So, this Jagger thing is just a wild oat?” he asks.
“No, you asshole, I’m not a wild oat. But you can tell yourself that if it helps you sleep at night,” Jagger adds.
He stands and helps me to my feet. He bends down and plants a kiss on my lips, then dives in with the tongue. Good morning to you too, Sparky.
I feel Kip and Cam walk past us to the back. That finally ends Kip’s morning outburst.
Jagger pulls away and smacks my ass before he turns back to breakfast on the stove. It looks like he is attempting pancakes this morning. A domesticated rock star.
“Where are we, sexy?” I ask him.
“Sexy, huh?” Oh, the smile on his face makes me want to devour every last inch of him. “We are in the Big Easy. One of your favorite places on earth, if I remember correctly. We have five days off here. We are playing a smaller venue, so we play a Friday and Saturday night show.”
WE HIT THE French Quarter to find lunch a few hours later. I love this city. Anything goes here, the food is to die for, and the music makes me feel so nostalgic. We hit my favorite bar, Fritzel’s, after lunch, and drink beer for several hours. We tour the art district after Fritzel’s, and we all buy some amazing art and have it shipped to our homes. I find a shop that specializes in antiques, and try to talk the owner down on his price for a gorgeous sapphire necklace, earring, and bracelet set. He even has two hairpins to match. The sapphires are set in old silver and made in the 1920s. I thank the man when we can’t agree on a price, and we march on through the rest of the shops.
Kip wants to go to the voodoo te
mple on the outskirts of the quarter, so we join him. Jagger holds my hand everywhere we go and kisses the top of my head often. I enjoy his affections so much. Once we are in the temple, Kip tries to talk the high priestess into letting him hold the snake. Even though she attempts to tell him voodoo is not what Hollywood has made it out to be, he is very persistent in attempting to procure a hex spell. I have no idea who Kip would put a hex on, but the idea that he would probably do it for shits and giggles is frightening.
We head back to the bus to unpack and check in at The W. When Randy hands us our room keys, he nervously glances between Jagger and me.
“I wasn’t really sure if you two were sharing a room, so I tentatively gave Henley the second room in Koi’s suite.”
“She is staying in my room,” Koi quickly says.
“Yes, she is,” Jagger says, and I frown. “Baby, I’m only human. I can sleep with you on a bus full of men who include your brother and hold it together, but I won’t have any willpower if we share a room.”
He kisses me on my forehead. When he puts it like that, I guess I’m okay with it.
Jag helps me with my luggage, and I settle into my room while he finds his own room and does the same. I lay down to read a book, and doze off.
I wake to Jagger talking on the phone. “Yeah, Mom, we’re good. We’re really happy.” He pauses. “I know. Me too. I’ve wanted that woman since I was a kid.” He pauses again and then laughs. “I think that is rushing things a bit, don’t you?” Pause. “Tell Dad he has to keep his paws to himself. He is a dirty old man. Henley looks at him as such. Make sure you tell him that.” Pause. “Yeah, Mom, I do. I’ve loved her since the first day of sixth grade. It’s different now that we are older, and now we’ve been through Caleb’s death together. I like this love. I’m so comfortable with her, and she makes me laugh. She sang and played my guitar the other night for this little boy. He has cancer, and he knew we were in the restaurant. Noah asked her to sing, and she didn’t hesitate to make his dreams come true. It’s probably the first time she’s sung in four years.”
He loves me? The first grade? God, he just told his mother he loves me. He didn’t tell me. My stomach does a somersault as my heart tries to restart.
Another pause. “Hearing Henley sing and play is always like hearing her for the first time. I have never been so mesmerized with another musician’s ability like I am with hers.” Pause. “Yeah, yeah, we are indeed a little partial.” Pause. “Look, Mom, I’m going to wake Hen from her nap so I can take her to dinner. Can I call you in a few days?” Pause. “I love you too.”
I pretend to be asleep since the conversation was not meant for me to hear. I’m still stuck on “He loves me?” I can’t hear his footsteps on the carpet, but I feel the bed dip when he sits on the edge. He tucks my hair behind my ear like he always does, and then he softly speaks my name. I let him speak it a few more times before I slowly open my eyes. He smiles when I do.
“There you are, sleepyhead. You want to grab a bite to eat?” he asks.
I smile back at him. “How long have I been asleep?”
“A couple of hours. You looked tired most of the afternoon. Touring wears a body out quick.”
“Let me throw some jeans on, and we’ll go.”
He takes me to The House of Blues for dinner. We walk the entire way hand in hand, and to onlookers, we look like a seasoned couple. The comfort that surrounds us would give almost anyone that impression. A few people notice us, but no one bothers our date. Dinner is great, and we actually have dessert this time. He insists on taking a carriage ride after dinner where we snuggle into each other. The ride is peaceful, and very little conversation passes between us. We just enjoy being in each other’s company. We steal several kisses, and every time that man sticks his tongue in my mouth, I think of many creative ways to bend his willpower.
We ride around the entire French Quarter in the carriage. It takes us close to an hour and a half to see all of it. We avoid the less romantic places like Bourbon Street, and when the driver is close to our hotel, Jag asks him to drop us there. As the carriage pulls up to the curb, Kip is standing outside and catches sight of us.
“Thanks for bringing pumpkin back, jackleg.”
He jumps into the carriage and scares the shit out of the old man driving it. He pushes himself between Jagger and me and hugs me tight.
“Kip, I can’t breathe,” I squeak.
He loosens his grip on me and runs the palm of his hand down the side of my face in a really awkward fashion. He smooths my hair down. “Shh. It’s okay, Daddy has you now.”
“Jesus Christ,” Jagger mutters.
“Get off me, and out of the carriage, Kip,” I order.
He smiles but lets me go. “I love it when you’re bossy. It makes me want to be your submissive. It can be like Fifty Shades, except I’m the bitch.”
Koi and Cam join us in front of the hotel.
“What’s up?” Jag asks.
“Strip club,” Koi says. “You lovebirds down?”
“Fuck, yeah!” I say excitedly.
“I’m not going to survive this,” Jag growls.
We visit several strip clubs before we find a decent Sunday night lineup. I’m more entertained by Kip’s interaction with the dancers than I am with the naked women. The funny thing about strippers is that they can smell cash a mile away. They know who they’re dealing with when these rock stars walk through the door, and they are extra attentive to them. Each time a dancer attempts to dance with Jagger, he politely pushes her away. He doesn’t seem to be having fun.
I ask him to walk outside with me for a smoke. He leads us out of the club, and we lean against the wall to smoke for a beat.
“You can enjoy the women, Jagger. I went to a strip club with you. I expect you to behave like a man.”
“Say again?” he asks with his eyebrows raised.
“You looked miserable in there. At least try to enjoy yourself. I’m not saying I want you to fuck or really even touch any of them, but you can watch and allow the girls to dance for you. Somebody has to put them through college.”
He turns from my right side to face me. He cradles my face in his hands and tilts my head up to him.
“You are the most amazing woman I know. I didn’t know how you felt about the girls. If you want them to dance with me, you will have to buy the lap dance, baby. I have no desire to touch or fuck anyone else, Hen. I have already told you that I have compared every woman I’ve ever laid eyes on to you my entire life. They don’t even come close.” He kisses me.
I pull his hand and tow him toward the door.
“Come on. I have lap dances to buy.”
I walk Jagger over to the VIP section, and I find a girl sitting on a couch. She is a beautiful brunette. She has long brown hair, tan skin, and a curvy body. I’m almost jealous. I leave Jagger at the VIP bar and approach the girl. When she sees me, she spits her drink out.
“You are gorgeous!” she says.
“Thank you. You are also very beautiful. My boyfriend and I are wondering if you would join us in a VIP room.” She tells me how much she charges, and I assure her it won’t be a problem. I retrieve Jagger from the bar, and we follow the girl into the room. She begins to dance for us as soon as we are seated. It is really erotic to have a naked woman dance for you when you are with your man. Jagger doesn’t seem the least bit interested, so I ask her to dance with me. Now that catches his attention. I watch her dance and appreciate her body. I don’t know that I could ever do it. She has a beautiful body, and I’m comfortable enough with my sexuality to watch a naked woman dance. If Jag’s hold on my waist is any indication, he enjoys me watching.
When our three songs are over, we exit the room and find the guys in the main room. We stay another hour, and I’m ready to go. The boys aren’t ready to call it a night
yet, so I decide to walk back to the hotel. I try to get Jag to stay and hang out with the guys, but he isn’t letting me walk through New Orleans by myself, and he swears he doesn’t want to stay.
We walk back hand-in-hand and talk, the conversation moving freely. We decide to lie down and watch a movie in my room, but he wants to grab some shorts and his cell charger from his room. I walk with him, and he goes directly into the bedroom and takes his shirt off. Oh, Dear Lord Baby Jesus. Don’t look, Henley. Look away, and back out of his room quickly.
“You see something you like?” he asks.
Self-control, do not fail me now. “Put your clothes on.”
“What’s wrong, baby? Where’s your willpower?” he asks.
“Jagger Nicholas Carlyle, if you do not put your clothes back on, my head is going to spin around like the fucking exorcist, and I assure you it won’t be pretty. I’d projectile-vomit bugs, just to ensure it’s not pretty,” I warn.
He grabs a shirt and throws it on. He takes my warning seriously. Good boy. He approaches me, and as he gets closer, I step back. He looks like a fucking predator on the hunt, and it does things to my girly bits. They are on fucking fire! I finally run out of room in my retreat when my back hits the wall. He reaches to my right and closes the bedroom door and quickly looks back down at me. He tenderly touches his lips to mine and kisses me so sweetly. My heart skips a fucking beat. I have fallen so hard for him.
He picks up the pace of the kiss, and his hands run down my body. I run my hands under his shirt across his abs and chest and feel all that delicious tight muscle. He growls in my mouth, then picks me up by my ass and jacks me up against the wall. He kisses my neck and leads a trail down to my chest. Jagger grabs the left side of my bra and pulls my breast out. He slowly licks and sucks on my nipple. Where is baby Jesus when I need him? Jagger’s dick is pulsing through his jeans, and he grinds it into me. He finds my mouth again, and between kisses, he begs me. “Tell me to stop. Tell me to wait.” He kisses me again.
Broken (The Guitar Face Series Book 1) Page 14