How was I to going to keep Justin at arm’s length when he did things like this that made him seem so thoughtful, so sweet, and so unpretentious?
Justin continued on through the living room and entered the bedroom.
“No Justin.” I refused to go further and stopped in the doorway. “Let’s go back and talk in the foyer.”
When he turned toward me, his eyes were hard and his expression unrelenting. “Uh-uh. We did things your way once. That didn’t work out so well.” His eyes searched mine. “For either of us, I think if you’re being honest. So now we’re gonna do things my way, and that means we’re gonna talk here in my room with the door shut because what I’ve got to say is private. And I don’t want you to go running away again. So I suggest you come in, unless you’d rather I throw you over my shoulder like I just did with Carter.”
Eyes rounding I stepped inside the room, the cotton of his sleeve brushing against my skin as he passed by me to close the door. The highly appealing woodsy and leathery scent of his cologne chipped away at my carefully laid defenses.
He turned back around and without warning reached out and trailed a fingertip down my arm, the silver beads on his bracelet cold against my bare skin.
Self-preservation finally kicking in, I took a step back.
His gaze hardened again. “What’s it gonna take for me to convince you that I’m not a threat?”
I shook my head. I didn’t know, and I really wasn’t sure if it was possible. Mostly because deep down I didn’t think it was him I was afraid of. It was me. The way I responded to him and how much he made me feel without even seeming to try.
He let out an exasperated breath. “Let’s start with Carter and then move from there.” He ran a hand through his hair. “We had a good chat this afternoon. I found out Carter’s having a little bullying trouble at school. But we have a plan, and we’re going to take care of that together. The bigger issue, the way I see it, is you. Carter worries about you, much more than a boy his age should worry about his mom. He tells me you’ve been crying at night.”
I covered my face with my hands, humiliation making my cheeks flame beneath my fingers.
“Babe.” I felt strong arms wrap around me, warmth seeping inside as his hands settled in the small of my back.
I braced myself, trying to resist melting into him, but then he breathed my name into my hair and I felt him press his lips there. I gave into the urge and relaxed, resting my head on his chest, and threading my arms around his middle.
As I held on tight, I realized several things. His shoulders were wide. His heartbeat was a steady sound in my ear, and his waist was flat and rock hard. It would be so easy for me to let go and let him be my anchor.
Justin Jones, more than anyone else I’d ever known, had this uncanny ability to make me feel safe and secure and protected.
Maybe I had been wrong to shut him out.
He exhaled just then. The breath leaving his body stirred the hair on the top of my head making my scalp tingle. “I’m not letting you push me away anymore.” His voice was resolute and so deep it vibrated inside my ear like the bass line to an enchanting melody.
He eased back and looked at me. To my dismay I found that my hands were actually clinging to the fabric of his shirt. He glanced at them and then lifted his gaze to give me a lazy smile, a new and potent addition to his repertoire. Then his hands came up to gently frame my face. “I can’t change the past but I can make you a promise that between you and me things will be different. And I’m willing to commit to some additional promises that I hope will help make you feel more secure and might help you consider letting down that shield of yours… just a bit.”
“Justin, I…”
He put a finger over my lips and stared deeply into my eyes. “Give me an opening, Bridget. Let me in. Take a chance with me. I promise you won’t regret it. I promise we’ll take it slow. And I promise I will always tell you the truth. Even when I think it’s not something you want to hear. Even if I think it might make you mad. I know you need to be able to trust me and I want you to.”
I nodded my acceptance. What else could I do? No one had ever talked to me the way he did. His words, just like the gorgeous emerald eyed man who had spoken them, held the promise of something true and beautiful. Both were impossible to resist.
I went to bed with a grin on my face that remained there until the next morning when I knocked on the door to pick up Carter for school.
“Hey, Romeo,” Lace greeted in a teasing tone as she opened the door. “Come on in. He’s just finishing his cereal.”
I followed her into the dining area, and Carter glanced up at me with a humungous spoonful of chocolate puffs suspended near his mouth.
“Hey, Champ.” I held up my palm for a slap. “You sleep ok?”
He nodded.
“JJ.” Lace tugged on my arm. “Can I have a word, please?’
“Sure.” I glanced at my watch and held up my hand, fingers spread wide to show Carter. “Five minutes, bud. It’s really cool your mom’s letting me take you to school this morning, but with rush hour traffic we’ll need to leave soon.”
“So you’re a couple now?” Lace asked as soon as I stepped inside her room.
“What’d she tell you?”
“Uh-uh.” She shook her head. “I may be new to this girlfriend gig, but I know better than to break the code of confidentiality.” She tilted her head to the side, eyes narrowing as she studied me. “With your artistic temperament I had a feeling that when you fell, you’d fall hard. I heard about the promises you made her. That’s pretty heavy stuff. You don’t do anything half-ass, do you?”
I laughed. “Apparently not, but don’t expect me to kiss and tell either,” I threw back some of her trademark sass.
“Fair enough, JJ.” She chuckled, exiting the bedroom and grabbing a backpack off a side chair. “I’m off to do a little homework before going into the studio. Gigi said you can pick her up at seven.” She crossed back to the table and kissed Carter on the top of his head. “Have a great day…Champ.” She smiled at me as she straightened. “I will give you a little something. You might be a pain in my ass sometimes, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen Bridget look happier than she did this morning. You just might be exactly what she needs.”
My grin transformed into an eye crinkling smile as I went and sat in the chair beside Carter. He had a chocolatey milk trail dribbling down his chin. I handed him a napkin. The kid loved his food and ate it with gusto. “You ready?”
He dragged the napkin across his face, and said with a distinct lack of enthusiasm, “I guess so.”
“Listen, Champ.” I leaned an elbow on the table. “Don’t worry about it. You play it my way and I guarantee this will all work itself out.”
When we arrived at the school, I purposefully kept the engine running, idling the bike in the front circle as parents, children, and staff piled out of cars and into the building. Responses varied from pretending we didn’t exist to double and even some triple takes. The bike with its chrome and growling attitude, me beside it in my black leather jacket and Carter on the seat in his Green Hornet hoodie, kid sized helmet and school uniform made for an interesting tableau.
A crowd soon gathered and I let Carter do the talking just as we’d rehearsed. The Triumph was a great conversation starter and Carter kept them entertained with his personality and the specs he’d memorized.
Suddenly, his little hands tensed on the handles. Following the direction of his gaze, I saw a skinny sullen faced kid with longish hair who looked to be a year or two older than Carter just about to hit the front steps. “That him?” I asked.
Carter gave a quick nod.
“You can do this, Champ.”
“Pierce,” Carter called and the flat line of the boy’s mouth turned down into a quizzical frown. “Come look at this.”
Tucking his hands into his khakis and scuffing his tennis shoes on the pavement, the boy made his way over to us, squeezing through
the crowd. Carter introduced us, and the kid’s eyes rounded. “You’re Avery Jones’ twin, aren’t you?”
“Yeah.” I hadn’t been expecting to be recognized. “You a big BS fan?”
Pierce nodded. “Uh-huh. They’re my favorite.” His gaze went to Carter. “My Dad told me to tell you I’m sorry or he’ll take away my iPod.”
“I’m sorry, too.” Carter threw his legs over the side and slid off. “Would you like to sit on it? It’s a Triumph, a Rocket III Roadster.”
Pierce nodded. As the Champ rambled on, my chest puffed up with pride. Carter was a super kid with a heart as big as his mom’s. My lips spread into a wide grin. I thought this particular problem would’ve taken a lot longer to fix, and maybe there would still be a few more bumps along the way, but for the moment it appeared as though my little buddy was off to a good start.
I phoned Bridget’s cell as soon as I got to the studio. The call rolled directly to her voicemail. I left a long message, losing my focus as I imagined her face. “It went really well this morning, babe. I was so proud of him. You would’ve been, too. I don’t think we’ll have any more trouble at school. Anyway, have a good day, and I’m looking forward to seeing you tonight.”
“See who tonight?” Dizzy asked as he set his case down and shrugged out of a black leather jacket that was almost identical to mine, except his had memento patches from the different cities Tempest had been through on their tours sewn into the inner lining.
“Bridget Dubois.”
Dizzy’s brows shot up. “Really?” His tone was slightly incredulous. “Nice. I wouldn’t mind tapping into a little bit of that action myself. Only she’s my sister’s friend. How’d you…”
“She’s off limits,” I growled. It pissed me off to hear him talking about her that way.
“Whoa, man. Chill. I didn’t mean any offense. I see by the look on your face how it is. I just don’t get it, though. Chicks are only good for one thing, after that…” He shrugged and started working on the latches to his case.
“Yo Rojo.” King glided in, Sager in tow, and slapped me hard between the shoulder blades. “Ready to rock it? I hear you finally got something for us to work on.”
I winced, gaze sliding to the door as Bryan sauntered in, lifting his chin to acknowledge everyone else. The room quickly filled with the mix of congenial conversation and warm up guitar licks. But I sensed the slight tension that remained and knew it was time to speak up about it.
“Hey, guys listen up.” I cleared my throat. “I know War kinda took a leadership role, but that’s not me, so don’t expect that. But what I will do is guarantee that I’ll be the best front man that I can be. I just need you all to at least meet me half way.”
There were immediate nods from around the room. Even a grudging one from Bryan,
“I listened to the file Diz sent over last night.” His eyes hit mine. “It’s good. I’d like to play up the ballad aspect of it. Go acoustic with all three of us in the beginning. Then I think we can Tempest it up the rest of the way. Here,” he clipped on a Martin with worn facing, “Let me show you what I mean.”
Carter had fallen asleep with his head resting against my shoulder. His Batman pj’s were cute as hell and brought back memories of my own childhood when Mom would make a princess cake for Avery and a superhero one for me on our birthday. Mature beyond his age, I sometimes forgot that he was only five. His white blond bangs were so long his exhalations lifted the strands off his closed eyelids. I wasn’t going to mention the length to Bridget. She’d inevitably add haircuts to the long ass list of things she wanted us to do this Saturday. Although I really didn’t mind running errands as long as I was included, I had something different planned for this particular weekend.
I heard the rustle of her clothing before she spoke. Standing at the mouth to the hallway, Bridget’s aquamarine eyes glittered beautifully in the low lamp light. I held her gaze for a long moment before allowing myself the privilege of taking in the rest of her. She had put the last thirty minutes getting ready to good use. Her long hair was arranged into an elegant up do, soft loose tendrils framing her pretty face. Her jeans and a light blue tee played down that knockout figure of hers, but that was ok by me. I didn’t need the competition from other guys at this point.
I knew her secret.
“You look beautiful,” I said meaning it, my chest tightening. I dropped my head to the sleeping form leaning against me. “Do you want me to put Carter in bed?”
“Would you mind? I’ll just let Lace know that we’re leaving.”
Carter was so light it was easy to carry him to their room. Their bedroom decor was neat and tidy, clothes hanging up in the closet and a couple of chapter books in an organized stack on the nightstand. Finding the covers already turned back, I gently laid him down. He murmured something I couldn’t make out and immediately tunneled under the covers.
“Night, Champ,” I whispered as I smoothed his hair back from his face. On the way out, I paused and looked at a framed picture on the dresser. Beside Bridget in the photograph was an elderly woman with a long grey braid and eyes the same striking blue. She was smiling with her arms draped around Carter’s shoulders. They stood on a dock with a lake and moss draped trees in the background. All three looked incredibly happy, and I was reminded just how much Bridget had lost recently. Yet, I’d never heard her complain. Quite the opposite, she’d jumped right in and gotten involved to help her friends from the moment she arrived to start her new life in Vancouver.
Lost in those thoughts, I wasn’t paying attention and ran right into her as she came barreling down the hall from the opposite direction.
“Oh,” she said and I steadied her with my hands on her bare arms. “I was just on my way to kiss Carter goodnight.” Her cheeks flushed, and I felt pretty confident that the close proximity to me had something to do with it.
“He was out like a light when I put him down.” I touched her face, running a thumb softly along her jaw. “Do whatever you need to, babe, but grab a jacket while you’re back there. It’s pretty chilly tonight.”
“Ok. I’ll only be a moment. I just want to make sure he’s ok before I leave,” she explained looking more than a little bit flustered. “I mean I haven’t gone out on a date since before I had him.” Her eyes widened, and she covered her mouth as if it just occurred to her that she hadn’t meant to say that out loud.
Holy hell, I thought, feeling my own eyes widen as she ducked her head and skirted past me. No one in that long? It was understandable, I guess, given the way she’d been hurt. Knowing made me even more determined to make this date special and to do right by her.
When she returned, I was waiting in the living room talking to Lace and Bryan. The picture of domestic bliss, Lace rested her back against Bryan’s chest, one of his arms draped over her and a bag of potato chips lay tucked between them.
When Bridget began to ramble through a litany of improbable scenarios with Carter and what Lace and Bryan should do in the unlikely event one or all of them should occur, I cut her short.
“Baby, it’s gonna be ok. He’s asleep. Lace and Bryan can handle this. This is the modern age. We have cell phones, and we’re just going to be out for a couple of hours. It’s not like we’re going to be making a trip overseas.”
“I’m being ridiculous, right?” Her lips lifted into a cute self-deprecating grin.
“Yeah,” I readily agreed and received a playful swat on my arm that made me smile. I liked that she could laugh at herself and didn’t get defensive about my gentle teasing. As I helped her on with her jacket, an insubstantial red hoodie that had probably been adequate for a Florida winter but was way too thin for Vancouver’s, I made a mental note to prioritize getting her a better one as soon as possible.
Once we were inside the elevator and on our way to the garage, finally alone, I moved closer, grabbed her hand, and entwined my fingers with hers. Gaze steady on her beautiful eyes. I brought our joined hands to my mouth, softly touching my lip
s to her knuckles. “This ok?” I verified while squeezing her fingers.
She nodded.
“Good. I’ve wanted to touch you for the past hour.” My eyes skimmed over her form. “You look gorgeous by the way. But you should probably know that those oversize clothes you wear are a waste of effort. You have an undeniable beauty that flows out of that lovely heart of yours, Bridget. Anyone who looks at you can see it. It’s in your eyes, in your smile, and in the graceful way you move your body. I can’t tell you how much I’m really looking forward to having you all to myself tonight.”
Justin’s words made my breath lodge in my throat. He had this effortless way of saying profound stuff that instantly melted away my resistance. He seemed to see right through to the real me, or to the me that I really wanted to be, so much so that I felt totally exposed and more than a little nervous about it.
When the elevator door opened, he let go of my hand and started to pull on gloves. I took in a deep breath of exhaust laced air and managed to regain my equilibrium, somewhat. I tucked my hands into my hoodie pockets hoping the break from skin to skin contact with Justin would help, but he seemed unwilling to comply. His strong hand went to the center of my back, and it was a warm scintillating presence, even through the gloves, that I couldn’t ignore as he led me through the garage directly to a black motorcycle.
Imposing with tons of chrome detailing, it was, even to the unpracticed eye of a novice like me, totally badass. I could certainly understand why Carter was so enamored with it, though it had gone against my better judgment to let him ride on it. But then somehow with Justin I seemed to repeatedly find myself in situations where I allowed and did a lot of things that I knew I probably shouldn’t.
Enticing Interlude (Tempest #2) Page 10