by Salsbury, JB
He kept his mouth shut. Shocking.
We head toward Helen who has her nose buried in her phone. She takes Jade’s suitcase, smiles, then guides us through the lobby. We’re rushed by fans, but Alec and Dillon form a barrier between, pushing us closer together until our shoulders touch.
“Ryder, who’s the girl?”
“Are you two dating?”
“Is this Rosie?”
I keep my head down and squeeze Jade’s hand. We’re ushered into the elevator, and she releases me to wipe her palms on her thighs.
“That was fun.” I say, and she smiles a little.
“You will be staying in a corner-view suite that gives you one-hundred-and-eighty-degree views of the bay,” Helen says as we exit the elevator and are greeted by Ty.
Jade’s eyes widen and she smiles again, those dimples sending a straight shot of lust between my legs. How much time did Brent say I have? Not enough for a proper make out. When I finally get my hands on Jade again, it’ll take ten men and a miracle to get me to walk away.
I count the swirls on the carpet in an attempt to cool my blood when we arrive at our room.
Helen uses our key to open the door, and she pushes it wide before handing the key to me. She doesn’t come inside, thank God. “You have forty-two minutes before you leave for press.” Always the professional, she says good-bye and swivels away.
I close the door and turn to see Jade pressed to the floor-to-ceiling window. A typical overcast Seattle day blankets the city, but one ray of light spears through the clouds and shines onto the water, making the distant waves flicker and wink.
I place her suitcase by the closet and then cross to her, coming up behind her, and place my hands on her stomach, nose in her hair. I’m stupid to allow myself to get this close to her with no time to follow through. I’m practically begging her to give me a boner I’ll have to leave the room with.
“It’s beautiful.” She rests her palms on my forearms and even her innocent touch makes me hot. “I’ve never been to Seattle. I wasn’t expecting so much water. Or a Ferris wheel.”
I push my below-the-belt thoughts far from my mind. “After I finish up with some press, I’ll take you out to dinner and to the Ferris wheel. How does that sound?”
She peers up at me, the happiness on her face contagious. “That sounds like a date.”
I press a kiss to her forehead, fearing if I kiss her lips I’ll never be able to stop. “Good. Because it is a date. I should be back around five, six at the latest.”
Her gaze swings back to scanning the view. “Where will we eat?”
“Wherever you want. What kind of food do you like?”
“I like everything. I just…” Her teeth run along her lower lip. “I don’t want to go anywhere expensive. I already feel horrible accepting all the free meals, the clothes, the place to stay.”
I squeeze her tighter to me. “Don’t worry about that. You’re with me now, and as your man, I want to take you out to dinner.” Her body stiffens in my arms, and I don’t like that shit one bit. “What is it?”
“What are we doing? I mean, there’s only ten days left of the tour, right? Then we go our separate ways.”
I spin her around to face me, but she stares at my chin, refusing to meet my eyes. “Jade.”
Her gaze snaps upward.
“We’ll both be in Los Angeles. I have a house in Malibu, and you’ll be… where does your mom live?”
She swallows and drops her gaze to her feet. “She’s, uh… she’s in Boyle Heights.”
“Okay, that’s only an hour or so from me, and I’m in the city a lot doing music shit. We can make that work—hey, look at me.”
When she does, I watch unease flicker in her expression before she pushes it back.
“I don’t do casual relationships,” I say. “I like you. A lot. I have no intention of letting you go over something as trivial as geographical distance.”
“I like you too, which surprises me.” She quietly laughs. “But I don’t know if I have anything more to give other than a casual relationship right now.”
I feel my expression darken. It’s on the tip of my tongue to say that’s not fucking good enough. I want all of her, to possess not only her body but her thoughts and eventually her heart. I open my mouth to say so when a knock on the door interrupts me. “Hang on!”
Jade pushes onto her tiptoes and presses a soft kiss to my lips. “You should go.”
“What are you going to do while I’m gone?”
“I’ve been cramped up in the bus for so long, I think I’ll go for a run. Explore the city—what? Why are you looking at me like that?”
I do a quick inventory of my expression. Pinched brows. Frown. “No reason. Just, uh… take Security with you just in case.”
Another knock.
“I’m coming!” Fuck.
She drops onto the king-size bed, toes off her Converses, and curls to her side watching me pat my pockets to make sure I have everything I need. “I don’t need Security. I’ll be fine.”
With my hand on the door, I whirl back and fix her with a stare. “Take Security, Jade. I insist. This is a new town. There are fans everywhere, not to mention the typical garden-variety assholes you could run into alone. Bring your phone too. And a jacket.” I swing open the door to Ethan and Chris with Roger.
“Whatever, Dad!” Jade yells as I close the door behind me.
I’m grinning wide. She’s such a stubborn pain in my ass, and I can’t wait to use my palm to create some pain on hers.
“Kinky.” Ethan’s eyebrows wiggle under his overgrown hair.
“Roger, I need a guy on Jade for the next few hours.”
Ethan stumbles, his eyes growing wide. “Holy fuck, you two are into some fucked-up shit—ow!” He rubs his shoulder where I punched him.
“You’d think you’d learn your lesson by now,” Chris says to Ethan.
“She’s planning on going for a jog, and I want to make sure she’s not alone.”
Roger is already punching the request into his phone. “Sure thing. Looks like Max will be around to help out. You want him to maintain his distance?”
I think of Jade’s quick temper and her fierce independence, and I nod. “If Max values his balls, that’s probably best.”
Jade
What the hell am I doing?
I assumed when Ryder and I finally got together, we’d be a fling, a temporary salve to help me forget the life I left behind and the one I’m barreling into. He’s a fucking rock star for crying out loud. He’s not supposed to be so committed.
He’s only committed because he doesn’t really know you.
Right, he thinks I’m just a normal twenty-seven-year-old girl who found herself on hard times and that he managed to save. A modern-day Cinderella.
He has no clue.
And how unfair is it of me to lead him into any kind of relationship without knowing exactly what he’s getting himself into? Even if I did choose to tell him all about myself, where would I start? Steven? My mom? Do I tell him I have no plans to remain in Los Angeles for longer than I need to?
With my head spinning and my muscles lethargic, I pop open my suitcase and pull out the workout gear Helen got me from Lululemon. Geared up, I slip on ankle socks and my new black-on-black Nikes, slip the key card into my sports bra, and with my hair in a high pony, I make my way to the streets of Seattle.
“Hey, Alec.” I greet him as he stands guard at the elevators.
“Jade.” He presses the down arrow without me having to tell him, probably assuming from my clothes that I’m headed out. The doors open and I head inside. “Have fun.”
“Thanks.” The elevator stops only once, picking up an elderly couple draped in expensive clothes and doused in expensive perfume. They don’t spare me more than a stuck-up glance. When the elevator doors open at the lobby level, I shove my hands in my jacket pockets to keep from giving them the bird as I pass.
The lobby is busy with people a
nd quiet chatter, and I pick up the occasional trill of female voices and whispers of Jesse and his band. For the first time since I’ve been with the band, I can somewhat relate to fans.
I too want to lick Ryder’s face.
An evil grin tips my lips when I realize I get to.
As soon as my feet hit the concrete, I head toward the waterfront. There’s a chill in the air aided by the lack of sun, so rather than walk to warm up, I go right into a jog. What I wouldn’t do for some music, but the sounds of the city will have to do.
I follow the waterfront, enjoying the briny scent of the bay combined with rich cooked seafood. I wonder if Ryder likes seafood. The wind off the water burns my cheeks, but the chill in the air falls away with each step. Curious about the city, I hang a left and dart through the streets lined with tall buildings. I pass an Irish pub, a coffee house, and a quaint café and bar, falling more in love with the scenery and landscape around me.
Up ahead there’s a huddle of people, and curious to know why they’re all congregated on the same sidewalk, I slow as I approach.
My feet stumble a bit when I realize they’re all homeless and lined up outside an old brick building that reads Downtown Emergency Service Center. The local homeless shelter. They’re draped in oversized coats, most wearing dirty pants and some wearing mismatched shoes. Each of them cradles a small Styrofoam cup of steaming coffee. I pass a woman sitting with her back to the wall and a child who can’t be older than ten pressed to her side. The little girl has her cup full of crackers, and she smiles at me. I wave and look at the mom who won’t lift her downcast eyes to mine.
A wash of sickness comes over me.
Here I am living a luxurious life I haven’t earned, contemplating one of a million places I could eat tonight, while forgetting what it felt like to be overjoyed with whatever meager meal was put in front of me. How easily I assimilated into this new life without a single thought to all the people who go to sleep cold with a hole in their stomachs.
A young girl of about eighteen shivers in a T-shirt and jeans while her hands are wrapped around a warm cup. Her face is dirty, and when she looks up at me, there’s little life left in her brown eyes.
Without a word I unzip my fleece jacket, slip it off, and slide it around her shoulders. It’s not much, but it’s better than nothing. The cool air hits my arms and shoulders, but the discomfort is nothing compared to the agony of seeing so much need and being helpless against it.
I hold her cup while she eagerly pushes her arms through the sleeves, already warmed from my body heat.
“Thank you. My coat was stolen two nights ago while I was asleep,” she says, her voice soft with a slight quiver. Whether it’s from the cold or overwhelming gratitude, I’m not sure.
I hand her cup back and slip the knit beanie from my head. “Take this. It’ll help.” I lift my brows, asking silent permission, and she nods. I tug the warmed cotton down over her forehead to her ear lobes, and she closes her eyes as if to absorb the feeling of being warmed, maybe even touched and cared for. “Where are you from?”
“Oregon.”
“What are you doing in Seattle?”
“My stepdad’s a drunk, and once I turned eighteen, he kicked me out. I thought I could make it, but…” Her bottom lip quivers.
“I’m so sorry. Have you eaten?”
She jerks her chin toward the front door. “They start serving at five. I got here early to make sure I get something before they run out.”
“Good idea.” I remember how disheartening it was to be so hungry and only be left with the scraps from the chafing dishes. I’d take whatever I could get, even if I ended up leaving as hungry as I was when I came. “I know this might be hard to believe, but I was in your position not too long ago.”
She does a quick once-over along my body, taking in my expensive clothes and shoes. “But… how?”
“This?” I point to myself. “It’s all just an illusion. Strip it away, and I’m still you.”
“I just want to go home.” A sob rips from her throat.
Not knowing what else to do, I wrap my arms around the girl. Her slight frame shakes in my arms, and the wet heat of her tears soak my shoulder. “I know, I wish there was something—”
“Jade?”
I whip around toward the sound of my name and see one of the band’s security guys, Max. He’s dressed in Adidas running pants and a black long-sleeved shirt he has pushed up to his elbows. His hairline is wet with perspiration. “Have you been following me?”
He holds up his big hands. “I’m just doing my job.”
“Did Ryder put you up to this?”
He ignores me and steps closer, eyeing the young girl in a way that makes her take a scurried step back. “I’m sorry,” he whispers to me. “I need to get you back to the hotel now.”
I cross my arms at my chest and plant my feet in such a way that communicates they’re growing roots. “Says who?”
He props his fists on his hips and draws in a long breath while looking heavenward. “Look, don’t make this harder than it has to be.”
“Oh, I’m not making it hard. I’m not leaving until I’m ready. So unless you plan on picking me up and dragging me back to the hotel kicking and screaming, then…” I push forward my palm. “Give me all your money. Let’s do some good before we crawl back up into our ivory tower.”
He runs his hands through his short dark hair and groans. “He warned me you’d be stubborn.” He pulls out his phone and hits the screen a few times before pressing the device to his ear.
I continue glaring at him and get a little thrill when he doesn’t seem to hold eye contact with me for long.
I win.
18
Ryder
I excused myself quietly into the hallway after finishing our fourth and final interview at the KISS FM radio station. When I saw Max’s name on the screen, my fucking stomach dropped to my toes. He’d texted me earlier to let me know she’d left and he was trailing her. That was almost an hour ago, and I’ve been imagining all the reasons he’d call.
Was Jade hurt? Did he lose her?
I answered the phone with an impatient growl, demanding he get to the point. Then I started laughing.
“So how much money do you have on you?” I’m leaning against the wall with my head down, listening to Max and grinning wide.
“I don’t know, a few hundred bucks.”
“Give it to her. I’ll pay you back.”
“Y-you can’t be serious.”
“Let me ask you, do you think she’ll take no for an answer?”
He sighs. “Probably not.”
“No, probably not. Do you want a five-foot-eight-inch woman tackling you from behind on the streets of Seattle?”
“You want the truth?” He chuckles.
I frown. “Give her the money. We’re on our way.”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea—wait, Jade, where are your shoes?” There’s the sound of shuffling and then a long sigh from him. “Fuck, you got your hands full with this one, bro.”
“No shit. I’m on my way.”
“Where are we going?” Jesse asks, his arm slung over Bethany.
Ethan and Chris come up behind them.
“Seems our little stowaway got herself into a do-gooder situation down at the local homeless shelter.”
Bethany’s eyes light up and she grins. “What is she doing? And why aren’t we there helping?”
“I told Max we were on our way.”
Bethany claps excitedly, and Jesse seems happy to do whatever makes her happy, so he shrugs and calls out to Ty who’s hovering a few feet away, looking like the Terminator. “You might want to call in a few extra guys. We’re making a stop on our way home.”
* * *
Thirty minutes later, our blacked-out SUV pulls up to the front of an old brick building with a line of homeless people streaming out the front. After doing a quick scan and seeing no sign of Jade, I pop the door and hop out. Ethan, Chr
is, Bethany, and Jesse pour out behind me, and Jonny, Ty, and Roger seem to appear out of nowhere behind us.
“Look at all these people,” Bethany says, her voice heavy with concern. “Each one probably has a story that would break our hearts.” She floats past me, and her movement kicks us into gear to follow her inside.
The space is the size of a gymnasium with long tables lined from wall to wall. It’s warm inside, and the scent of warm tomato sauce, garlic, and meatballs mixes with the scent of body odor.
“Look for Max or Jade,” I say to our group as we move through the crowd and weave through the tables.
“Over there!” Jonny points to the far end of the room where Max is plating spaghetti, complete with hairnet and disposable cafeteria gloves.
I jump into action, and my movement catches his eye. He shakes his head as if to tell me to fuck off for getting him into this. “Where’s Jade?”
“She’s in the back.” He tongs a load of noodles onto a plate and passes it down the line to the woman putting meatballs on top.
“Isn’t this wonderful, Max?” Bethany’s never sounded so overjoyed. “Doesn’t it feel good to give back?”
Max bites his tongue, probably to avoid saying something that could get him fired.
“That’s a yes,” Bethany says. “I can tell.”
“I’m going to go find Jade.”
Bethany jumps. “I’m going to go talk to people and take some prayer requests.” She hooks her hand into Jesse’s. “Come on, you can help.”
Two of the security guys follow Jesse, and the other stays with Ethan and Chris as I dart to the back area that looks like a school cafeteria kitchen. My eyes seek her out immediately. Her warm caramel skin against blue and black crisscrossed straps of her exercise top, her hair pulled back and shoved into a net, and her smile directed at the older woman next to her who’s singing gospel music at the top of her lungs.
When Jade’s eyes meet mine, her smile disappears and a flicker of worry crosses her features. She pulls her hands from a vat of ground beef, and when I turn the corner, I see she’s wearing plastic shower caps on her feet.