by Desiree Holt
“Ready when you are,” she sang out, determined to be cheerful. She wasn’t going to let Caleb’s attitude diminish her big day.
“Fine.” He turned to face her, his expression a careful mask. “Give me the address, and I’ll plug it into my GPS app.”
They accomplished the trip to Austin mostly in silence. Jasmine and Caleb did their coffee routine in a silence she had a hard time figuring out. They had driven for about half an hour when she decided this was never going to work.
“Maybe I should call Aron and tell him we need someone else. Or Carson might know someone.”
The tightening of his grip on the steering wheel was the only indication she had poked the bear.
“You won’t get anyone better than me, and that’s not just ego talking.”
“Maybe, but they might know someone who is a little more pleasant.” She slid a glance at him. “Of course, they wouldn’t have to go far for that.”
“I didn’t think I was being hired for my personality,” he growled.
Jasmine couldn’t help herself. She burst out laughing. “And isn’t that a good thing because you’d never have gotten the job.”
She waited for him to say something, but he just gripped the wheel tighter.
“So, are you going to be the strong, silent type all the way to Austin? All day? All night?” She gave an exaggerated sigh. “I always did like the strong, silent type.”
“Damn it!” The words exploded from his mouth.
“Oh, good,” she teased. “He can still talk.”
“That kiss was a big fucking mistake.”
“Hmmm.” She allowed herself a tiny smile. “Didn’t feel like a mistake to me.”
“Damn it, Jasmine.” He pounded the steering wheel. “We can’t do this.”
“This?” She touched his arm. “This what? Pretend there’s nothing brewing between us?”
“Right. Because there isn’t. And there can’t be, either.”
“Oh? Why not?”
“You know why, and I’m not discussing it. This is business.”
She might have thought so if she hadn’t dropped her gaze to his lap and seen the bulge pressing against the fly of his jeans. He wasn’t as unaffected as he’d like her to believe. Maybe one kiss opened the door to something special.
Okay. She could bide her time. They’d be spending a couple of nights in Austin when it got too late to return to the house. Maybe in a different environment she could dig further beneath that invisible suit of armor he wore. Make him understand he couldn’t carry the burden of blame for the rest of his life.
She leaned back in the seat and tilted her ball cap down over her eyes. She’d have plenty of time to work on this.
*****
When they reached their destination, Caleb made her stay locked in the car while he scoped the outside of the building. Then he walked right next to her when they went inside. He didn’t know what he expected, but certainly not a real studio. He thought that wouldn’t happen until they were ready to do the actual recording. He thought— Well, it didn’t matter what he thought because here they were, in a studio Carson had rented for two weeks for them to learn and rehearse the new tunes. No sound engineer or anything.
“We don’t need one until we get into the studio where we’ll record,” he explained to Caleb. “I’ve tried so-called rehearsal halls, other empty spaces, but they don’t have the acoustics places like this does.”
“This has to cost a pretty penny, though,” Caleb commented.
Carson just grinned. “Got to spend a penny to make a penny. Besides, I listened to her tape of the new stuff, and she’s got chart toppers there. The best she’s done yet.”
“I heard bits and pieces,” he told the other man, “and I’m no expert, but, yeah, I agree with you.”
“You keep her safe, and we’ll be knocking it out of the park. Listen, you’d probably be better off watching from the sound booth. Comfortable chairs and you’re out of the field of action, so to speak. But let me introduce you to the band, first.”
Caleb watched Jasmine greet three of the band members like old friends, hugging each of them as if they hadn’t seen each other in forever. An unexpected spear of jealousy stabbed him as he watched their affectionate greeting, and he had to keep reminding himself it was just business. Just friends.
He had their names memorized—Hondo Carr on rhythm guitar, Tony Baez on lead guitar, and Jack Duval on drums. The one new member of the group was the replacement for Cobra Mattice, a bass player, Hayes Vaughn. Carson had texted him the info as soon as he had the man in place so Caleb could get Omega to run it through their computers. Grey Holden had been more than happy to do it for him.
“You getting back in the game, buddy? We can sure use you.”
“Maybe.” He made his tone as noncommittal as possible.
“Whenever you’re ready. Meanwhile, I’ll get you this info.”
Thank the lord the guy came up clean. Just to be on the safe side, though, as he watched Jasmine greet the other guys like old friends and shake hands with Hayes, he snapped pictures of them. You just never knew when a photo would come in handy.
He walked through the facility, making sure all the exterior doors were locked and no one hid inside. He took no chances. Then he settled in to watch the rehearsal. He had no idea what to expect.
He had to admit, the music scene was so far out of his wheelhouse he might as well be on a different planet, but he knew he’d better learn fast. After an hour, he began to think rehearsals were the most boring things in the world. Learning the material, starting and stopping, trying different versions of things they called “riff,” all of that would drive him nuts if he had to do it for a living.
“Ready to start counting tiles on the ceiling?” Carson joked. “I usually hang out a bit the first day rehearsing new material. That’s when you know whether it’s going to come together or not.”
“You couldn’t prove it by me,” Caleb told him. They hadn’t even played one song all the way through yet.
“It gets better,” the manager promised. He handed Caleb an envelope. “I’ve reserved rooms for all of you. Sometimes this will stop early and sometimes it can go until three in the morning. Driving home then can be a bitch. If anyone wants to stay over, they have a place. Hondo has the stuff for the guys. This is for you and Jas.”
“Okay, great. Thanks.”
“I plan on taking off shortly. You’ve got my cell number if you need me.”
“I’ll be fine.”
He focused on Jasmine. She’d taken her guitar out of its case and was playing part of one tune for the band. She happened to be facing him, and he saw her face come alive from the music, her body swaying to the rhythm. Something inside him uncoiled, like a spring wound too tight exploding in the freedom of release.
What the fuck was that all about? Even before what he referred to in his mind as the disaster, he’d never had more than a sexual pull toward any woman. But, watching Jasmine, listening to her, seeing the joy in her face, he wanted to sweep her into his arms, hold her tight, and make all the bad memories go away. He knew he saw something special here.
She was born to this.
“She sure was,” Carson agreed.
Caleb startled, not realizing he’d spoken his thoughts aloud.
“Sorry, I, uh….”
“No problem. Glad to see you appreciate what we’ve got here. Okay, I’m moving along. Call me if you need anything.”
Hours later, even with his butt sore from sitting and his stomach protesting the excess consumption of coffee, he was stunned to realize how much time had passed. How his attention had been captured by the electric quality of the music. Of Jasmine’s songs. Before he left, Carson had flipped the switches so he could hear everything in the booth. Even with all the stops and starts, with the arguments over which riff or bridge—whatever the hell they were—went where, he was fascinated in a way he’d never thought possible. The first time they’d played a
tune all the way through, excitement coursed through him, and he realized he watched magic being made.
At one point, they took a break and ordered in pizza. Caleb answered the rap on the door and paid the guy. He figured it was the least he could do. The band thanked him, but Jasmine gave him a weird look, which he mentally shrugged off.
It was obvious to him the entire band, even the new guy, were into Jasmine and her music. When they quit for the night, he was startled to realize they’d been there for ten hours. He hauled his ass out of the booth and waited while Jasmine packed up her guitar and tote.
“I can’t believe you haven’t died of boredom,” she teased.
“As a matter of fact, I’m enjoying it. Can I carry anything for you?”
“Oh, no, thanks. I always carry my guitar myself. Hondo’s got everything else. Come on. Carson gave you the hotel stuff, right?”
“Got it in my pocket.”
“Let’s boogie, then.”
Carson had chosen a hotel about fifteen minutes from the studio. It was a little off the beaten path and smaller than most of the others, but Jasmine explained why.
“We try to keep a low profile when we’re rehearsing and then recording. We’re less likely to run into people we know in this place.”
“Makes sense.”
He opened the door and stood aside to let Jasmine enter first. Carson had mentioned he’d gotten them a suite. The best way, he told Caleb, to make sure he could be protecting her at all times. Like living in a little apartment. Whatever. It was all good with him. He had trouble keeping the words Jasmine and hotel room from colliding in his brain.
“You care which room you take?” Jasmine asked.
“Nope. Have at it.”
She carried her guitar and tote into the room she chose. Caleb followed her to the doorway. He was about to ask her if she needed anything when she turned and he found himself practically nose to nose with her. He stared at her, trying to read the expression in her eyes, holding his breath, afraid to move as he waited to see what she would do. His dick sure sent him strong messages.
Jasmine took one tiny step toward him, and he was done. Lost. Captivated. He cradled her face in his hands, her skin so soft and warm. Gold flecks sparkled in her dark-green eyes, and those thick lashes fluttered against her cheeks as she lowered her lids then raised them again. His heart beat so fast he was afraid it would jump out of his chest. What the hell was he doing? Then Jasmine swept the tip of her tongue across her bottom lip and any thought he had of backing off disappeared.
He touched his mouth to hers, gently at first, the contact just as sharp and electric as it had been the night before. Doing his best to go slowly, he exerted enough pressure so she parted her lips. When she did, he swept his tongue into her mouth. The contact nearly incinerated him. His blood heated and his breath quickened at the sweet, sweet taste of her. He left no inch of her mouth untouched, sampling and touching until he was drunk on her taste.
Jasmine wrapped her slim fingers around his wrists, and, for one awful moment, he was afraid she was going to shove his hands away. But then her tongue dueled with his and slid into his mouth and holy shit! Rockets went off. For a moment, he felt sixteen again with his first hot girlfriend. But then he changed his mind because at sixteen he had no idea what the fuck he was doing.
He slid his fingers along her cheeks and into the fine silk of her hair, releasing it from the ponytail holder and running his fingers through it. So smooth, so fine, he wanted to bury his face in it. Only he had other things he wanted to do. When he slipped his hands down her arms and up along her rib cage, he stopped and looked hard into her eyes.
“If you want to call a halt to this, now is the time. Because one more minute and I don’t think I’ll be able to.”
“Don’t stop,” she whispered. “I’ve wanted this since the day we met.”
She brushed his hands away, and, for a second, he thought he hadn’t heard her right, that, in fact, she was done here. Then she grabbed the hem of her T-shirt and yanked it over her head. Caleb looked at the lace-and-satin bra cradling two perfect, plump breasts, and his eyes nearly bugged out of his head. What the hell was the matter with him? He’d seen enough women in lingerie in his life. Except that was like calling a Jaguar just a car.
“Touch me,” she whispered.
He lifted his hands and cupped her breasts, rubbing his thumbs over her nipples, which turned into stiff peaks beneath his touch. A soft moan floated from her mouth as she leaned into him and his cock pressed hard against his fly. He lowered his head and ran his tongue across the upper swell of each breast, tasting the faint flavor of the peach-scented soap she used. He drew one pebbled tip into his mouth and reached his hands behind her to release the clasp. When he lifted his head, he brushed the straps down her arms and tossed the bra to one side. Then he treated himself to a long taste of each diamond-hard point.
Jasmine threaded her hands into his hair, holding his head in place, her soft little moans like music to his ears. When he had taken his fill, he locked his gaze with hers, reading in her eyes the same intense desire and need gripping every bit of his body.
“If I try to stand up any longer,” he told her in a shaky voice, “I’m afraid I’ll fall to the floor. I need to take this someplace more conducive to what I have in mind.”
“And what is that?” Her lips curved in a sensuous smile.
He put his mouth to her ear. “I’m going to lick and taste every inch of this gorgeous body, and then I’m going to fuck you until neither of us has breath left.”
He yanked back the covers on her bed and placed her on the sheets. His hands trembled a bit as he got rid of her sandals and jeans, drawing the denim slowly down her legs so his knuckles could caress the satiny skin. And that left only a tiny scrap of lace that passed for her panties. He thought for sure his heart would stop beating. It took every bit of his willpower not to just rip them in two, but he eased them down her legs, eyes fixed on the nest of curls covering her pussy, neat curls a shade darker than the rich auburn of her hair. Saliva pooled in his mouth.
“Are you going to stand there all night looking, or are you going to take off your clothes, too?” Jasmine’s voice sounded as shaky as his.
“Off.” He could just get out the one word. He undressed faster than he ever had in his life, tossing his clothes to the side. He remembered to reach in his wallet for the two condoms he’d had in there for so long he wasn’t sure they were any good any more. He prayed hard they were.
When he climbed onto the bed, he had one moment of tension when he realized his burns were now exposed for her to see. Would they disgust her? Frighten her? She totally rocked his world when she pulled him down to her and placed rows of light kisses over every scarred area.”
“If I could, I’d kiss them away,” she told him in a soft voice. “They don’t bother me, Caleb. They show me what a brave man you are.”
“Don’t make me a hero. I fucked up—”
She shook her head. “Carson called Grey Holden at Omega and got all the details. He wanted to make sure hiring you was a good idea. Grey told him it was only because of you that any of you got out of there alive, especially the hostage.”
“I told you—”
“So shut up and get back to what you were doing.”
How could he resist? What had he ever done to deserve her? He’d just show her how special she was to him.
He knelt over her, bracketing her with his thighs, seeing the heat still blazing in her eyes and the rapid beat of her pulse at the hollow of her throat. Where to start? With her mouth, he told himself, and took her lips in another soul-searing kiss. If anything. this one tasted even better. He explored every inner inch of her mouth, drinking in her unique and tantalizing taste. Then, taking his time, he traced a line of kisses along her jaw, nipped the tender spot where her neck and shoulders joined, and swirled his tongue at the hollow of her throat. Her nipples, if possible, were even harder than before. He nipped and s
ucked until he wasn’t sure who he was making crazier, himself or Jasmine.
At last, when she pushed on his head, he moved down her body, drawing circles at her navel and taking long swipes with his tongue across her tummy. When he reached the curls nesting between her thighs, he swirled his tongue over them, but he wanted more. He shifted his position to give himself better access, stretched out between her thighs and with his thumbs peeled back her labia exposing the most tempting pussy he had ever seen in his life. Pink and glistening with her juices, it was a tempting feast he had no intention of denying himself.
He drew lines along her slit and back again, her mons making him so hard he was afraid his cock would break off, and stirring an ache in his balls. He took her clit between his teeth, tugging on it, nipping it, her little cries and the movement of her body beneath his hands driving him wild. When he opened her wider to him and slipped his tongue into her hot, waiting channel, he hoped like hell no one outside their suite heard her cries.
She tasted so fucking good. If he thought her mouth was ambrosia, it paled in comparison to the slick juices of her sex. He slid his tongue in and out, rubbing her clit with the tip of one finger while she bucked beneath him until her orgasm burst loose and she poured into his mouth. He lapped it all up, drinking her essence, still rubbing her clit until he’d wrung every last bit from her. When she lay limp in his arms, he crawled back up her body and kissed her, sharing her taste with her and licking her lips.
He sprinkled kisses on her neck and beneath her chin before grabbing one of the condoms he’d left on the nightstand. He just hoped to fucking hell they were still good. As he started to roll one on, Jasmine grasped his wrist.
“I want to taste you now.” Her voice was husky with desire. “Please.”
He bent until his face was scant inches from hers. “Jas, one more minute and I’m going to embarrass myself. I have to be inside you now.”
She bent her knees and planted her feet on the bed, widening her thighs to give him room. While she watched him, she cupped her breasts and brushed her thumbs over her nipples. God, she was incredible in every way.