by Harley Wylde
“Hey,” he said softly. “You’re beautiful, and any man would be lucky to call you his. The guy is an asshole for letting you go, and just plain stupid for cheating on you.”
He winked, and I felt a warmth settle in my stomach. I smiled a little as I dug into my food. It seemed I had a thing for older men, but Jace was different from Andrew. Maybe it was his Rock star lifestyle, but he wasn’t stuffy, and I felt like I could be myself around him.
We finished our meal and decided to walk the strip. After our sex-a-thon, we were both avoiding the bedroom. If we went so much as one more round, there would be some serious chaffing. Without fingers entwined, Jace led me down the main thoroughfare. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d ever felt so content. Ending up married to a stranger should have scared the shit out of me, but there was something about Jace that just felt...right. My mom would have told me it was destiny.
My feet were aching, and I tugged Jace back in the direction of the Bellagio. We didn’t make it two feet before a gaggle of screaming girls descended upon us. I was knocked out of the way as they clawed at his clothes and screamed his name. He signed whatever they put in front of him, including a few chests. I noticed he barely looked at those perky breasts, just scrawled his name with a Sharpie and moved on to the next girl.
“Sorry, girls, but I need to go.” He smiled to soften the blow. “I hope you enjoy your stay in Vegas.”
One of them whispered something in his ear and gave him a sultry look. Jace shook his head and pried her hands off his body. The girl looked disappointed, and a little confused. Poor thing probably had thought Jace would be a sure thing, and if what he’d said about his reputation was true, prior to our wedding he probably would have accepted her offer.
After he had broken free, he grabbed my hand, and we made our way back to the Bellagio. We’d slept the day away, but I was still a little tired. Before we could sleep, we needed to figure out our travel arrangements. If he was intent on going home with me, maybe we could get on the same flight. Despite my comfortable checking account, my apartment was small and unassuming. I wondered what he’d think of my simple furnishings. The only extravagance I had was my office. I’d spared no expense on my desk, chair, and bookshelves. Even the artwork hadn’t been cheap.
What kind of home would a rock star have? He’d said Malibu, and as far as I knew, that meant pricey. But I’d seen homes smaller than my apartment selling for a million dollars in that area. For all I knew, my place was larger than his. It didn’t matter to me if we stayed in a one-bedroom apartment or a shack on the beach. I just wanted those multiple orgasms to keep coming. Jace was the first guy to ever figure out how to make me come. I’d faked it with the others. Poor Andrew had only ever wanted to do missionary, and he’d lasted all of ten seconds. About three thrusts and he was done. I’d only agreed to marry him because he had a stable career and professed to love me. I’d thought sub-par sex was a small price to pay for eternal devotion. Little had I realized he didn’t have any trouble making someone else come.
“You’re thinking deep thoughts,” Jace said.
“I was thinking that I dodged a bullet with Andrew, my ex-fiancé. He was lousy in the bedroom, and his dinner conversation was a little on the dull side.”
“So why did you agree to marry him?”
I shrugged. “He said he loved me. My parents died when I was eighteen, and I was tired of being alone. Like I said over dinner, he said and did all the right things. I got caught up in the moment.”
“Swept you off your feet, huh?”
I snorted. “Not hardly. Now that I look back on the year we were together, I realize he bored the hell out of me. Andrew would never have gotten a tattoo or gotten drunk and married a stranger. He sure as hell wouldn’t go around signing random boobs.”
Jace laughed.
“It’s crazy, Jace. We don’t know a damn thing about each other, but I’m already happier with you than I ever was with him, or the boyfriends before him. I’d only slept with two guys before Andrew and they were lousy too.”
He seemed pleased by my admission and curled his arm around my waist, pulling me tight against his side. I was a little surprised how tender my rock star could be. A man who slept his way across the country didn’t seem like the type for tender kisses and cuddling. By his own admission, he never had more than a one-night stand.
“Can I tell you something?” Jace asked.
“I’m your wife, Jace. You can tell me anything.”
“I’ve never met anyone like you before, Honey. You’re smart, sexy as fuck, and successful. You could do so much better than an asshole like me. Just promise if I ever offend you or cross a line, that you’ll knock the shit out of me. I know it’s fucked up, the way we met and our hasty wedding, but I seriously want this to work, and not just for my image. I like you. I’ve never met a girl I liked before.”
“Well, for what it’s worth, I like you too, Mr. Rock Star.”
He grinned.
When we reached our room, he pulled out a laptop to figure out flight arrangements. After a few phone calls, a good bit of cussing, and a ridiculous amount of money, we were booked on the same flight, first class, leaving in the morning. I wasn’t sure I was ready to go back to San Diego. My marriage seemed normal enough here in Vegas, but once I got home, would reality come crashing down? Would I think this was a huge mistake?
I’d given Jace my word that I would stick it out for a year and see where things ended up. The sex was off the charts amazing, and we seemed to get along pretty well so far but being in a hotel room in Vegas for a few nights was a far cry from living together day in and day out. Only time would tell if this was the worst mistake of my life or the best thing that ever happened to me. Until then, I was going to try to relax and enjoy the ride.
Jace pressed his lips to mine as he slowly stripped me. He quickly pulled off his own clothes, and then we tumbled into bed. I tugged the covers over us and cuddled closer to him, resting my head on his shoulder. A girl could definitely get used to this.
Chapter Five
JACE
I hadn’t known what to expect of Honey’s place, but it seemed to suit her. Even though it was a two-bedroom apartment, it was still small. Her entire place would fit inside my living room. She’d pointed out an older small SUV out front that belonged to her. I hoped we could fit her things in it, or I’d have to rent a moving truck to haul her shit to Malibu.
“What stays and what goes?” I asked.
“Well, I’ll need my clothes and shoes. I’d love to have my books and movies. I guess the knickknacks and furniture can stay until I know for sure if I’m coming back here. No sense moving everything if I don’t have to.”
Her answer didn’t exactly please me, but at least she was willing to give the marriage a try. I still hadn’t contacted my manager to decide how we were going to spin this. The public needed to know I was off the market and married to a respectable woman, but it needed to be handled just right. I didn’t doubt that my female fans would try to eat her alive and I didn’t want to damage her career in any way.
I wandered around her place, checking things out. I was surprised how little she had. Weren’t women supposed to have several closets of shoes and clothes? It seemed my wife was a minimalist, or she just hated shopping. Either way, that would have to change. She’d need a ton of new clothes for official appearances as my new bride. I wasn’t going to change her style, though. The prim and proper look suited her and made my dick hard as a rock. Who knew sweet and innocent would be such a turn on? Not that my wife was innocent by any means.
Curiosity got the better of me, and I pawed through her lingerie. If you could call it lingerie. The woman only seemed to own cotton bras and panties in a variety of pale or neutral colors and oversized tees for sleeping. The sex kitten who’d been clawing up my back deserved satin and lace. I wondered if she had an aversion to the stuff, or if she just didn’t like buying it for herself. If she’d wear it, I’d buy out
the whole damn Victoria’s Secret.
“What are you doing?” she asked with some amusement.
“Just wondering why you don’t have anything lacy in here.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Lace itches. And satin feels confining. I like the cotton because it breathes and it’s stretchy. You didn’t seem to have a problem with my underwear at the hotel.”
“Baby, you’re hot in anything you want to put on. I just wondered if you had an aversion to garments that were meant for seduction.”
There was a smile on her lips as she opened another drawer and pulled out several pairs of socks. Were those llamas printed on one pair? And frogs with tiaras on another? Apparently, my wife had a whimsical side that I knew nothing about. There was probably a lot I didn’t know about her, but I was anxious to learn as much as possible.
“Do these look like they belong to a woman who wants to wear something slinky and sexy? Besides, admit it...you thought I was sexy in my checkered panties.” She tossed the socks back into the drawer. “Now, what’s the best way to pack all this crap?”
She had me there. I’d seen countless thongs and other racy undies in the past few years, but nothing had turned me on as much as those panties. I’d already come to the conclusion it wasn’t the garment that was sexy, but the woman wearing it. Honey could wear a burlap sack, and my dick would still be hard for her.
“I don’t suppose you have a suitcase big enough for everything?”
“Um, no. The biggest one I have is full of my stuff from the conference.”
“So, boxes it is. I’ll look for a place that sells boxes and tape, and we’ll get everything packed up. I just hope like hell it fits in that toy sized car of yours.”
She arched a brow. “It’s an SUV.”
“A really small SUV.”
“Well, I’ve never tried to stuff a six -three-rock star in it before, but I’m sure we’ll manage.”
“Six-foot-four,” I smirked.
“The point,” she said with a hand on her hip, “is that I’m pretty sure you’ll fit. If you don’t, I’ll just have to strap you to the roof rack.”
“How old is that car anyway?” I asked.
She shrugged. “About fifteen years old. My parents gave it to me when I learned how to drive.”
So, it had sentimental value. Guess that meant I wasn’t trading it in for something bigger. She’d probably drive it until the wheels fell off, and then she’d try to duct tape it back together. I’d wondered why someone as successful as Honey was driving something like that. If her bank account really did have six figures, then she could more than afford a new car.
I resigned myself to fitting inside the tin can for the long ass trip to Malibu and wondered if she’d at least let me drive. I made a horrible passenger unless I was in the backseat with my guitar, working on a new song. It wasn’t common knowledge, but I wrote most of our lyrics. We all chipped in, except Simon. He just banged the hell out of the drums. If his attitude toward Honey didn’t change soon, I would confiscate his drumsticks and beat him to death with them.
I arranged to have some boxes delivered to the apartment, and we started sorting and packing. It only took about two hours to pack everything, and my house was about two and a half hours away. There was still plenty of daylight for us to make the trip today, but I wasn’t sure if Honey was ready to say goodbye to her old life yet. It wouldn’t hurt to stay the night, and we had already done quite a bit of traveling.
“Do you want to load the car while I let my apartment manager know I’ll be gone for a while?” she asked. “I want to assure them I’ll keep paying rent, even if I’m not here.”
“Go do whatever you need to. I’ll load up the car. Are you sure you want to hit the road right now? We could go tomorrow.”
“Today is fine.”
She kissed my cheek and left me with the pile of boxes and luggage.
Squeezing everything into her RAV4 was a little like playing Tetris level 200, damn near impossible. I managed to get everything crammed in there and slammed the rear door before anything could fall out. Honey locked her apartment and met me by the car. There was a bittersweet smile on her face.
“You okay, baby?”
She nodded. “It’s a little scary, taking off to Malibu with you. I’ve only known you a few nights. What if we don’t get along long-term? The sex is incredible, but without the sex, what do we have?”
“You cutting me off?”
“No. I’m just saying...what do we have in common, Jace? Relationships are built on commonality.”
I tugged her closer and kissed her. “Baby, haven’t you ever heard that opposites attract? What about those characters of yours? Do they always have a lot in common?”
She shook her head.
“Do they always know each other for years before deciding to date or get married?”
“Well, no. I mean, as a romance writer I have to believe in love at first sight, at least for my characters’ sakes. I’ve never been in love, not really. What I had with Andrew was comfortable, stable, but there were never any real sparks.”
Sparks we had plenty of. Everything else we could figure out later. I held open the passenger door for Honey, and she slid inside without complaint. By the time we were on the road, my stomach was starting to rumble. We hadn’t had a bite to eat since leaving for the airport early this morning, and my stomach was letting me know it was unhappy with the situation. I didn’t want to stop in San Diego but knew we needed to find something soon.
About a half hour outside of town, I saw a sign for a diner. It had been a while since I’d had diner food, and it sounded perfect. Honey didn’t make a peep as I pulled off the highway and found the small place. I parked right in front, where we’d be able to see her car from inside. The last thing I needed was for someone to break into it and steal all her crap. That wouldn’t endear me in the slightest.
When we stepped inside, a harried looking waitress came over and handed us two menus.
“Sit wherever you’d like,” she said. “We’re a little shorthanded, so it might be a few minutes.”
Honey picked a booth right in front of where we’d parked. I sat across from her and admired the way the setting sun cast orange and gold hues on her hair. I fucking loved her hair and couldn’t wait to wrap it around my hand and fuck her senseless again. So far, married life wasn’t so bad. If I’d known how good it was, I might have tried it sooner. Something told me the key to my contentment wasn’t the marriage itself, but the woman I’d married. She was still a mystery to me, but so far, I had no complaints.
“The pot roast sandwich sounds good,” she said as she perused the menu.
I studied the words and pictures in front of me. I was so hungry anything would taste good. Snapping the menu shut, I set it aside. Places like this always had a special. Didn’t matter what was on it, I’d eat it. Hell, I was hungry enough I might eat two. Aside from liver and onions, I hadn’t found much that I wouldn’t consume. Having a childhood that had often included missed meals, or food that had gone bad, I wasn’t too picky.
The waitress made her way to our table and took our order. I didn’t know how long we’d wait for our food because the place was pretty busy and she seemed to be the only waitress working the floor. There was another behind the counter, and that was it. I couldn’t believe they didn’t have more people working, especially for the dinner crowd.
“We didn’t pack much in your office. Was there stuff in there you need?” I asked. I couldn’t remember going in that room at all after the tour she’d given me.
“I would have ideally liked to have everything in that room, but the furniture and electronics weren’t going to fit. Not even all of my books would have fit. Not without a moving truck.”
“If you trust my judgment enough to give me the keys, I can have two of our roadies rent a truck and haul everything back to my place. They’ve been with the band since the beginning and they’re trustworthy. I know one of them could use a
little extra cash because his wife is expecting.”
Her brow furrowed as she thought about it.
“I guess if they’re used to handling delicate instruments my stuff would be a walk in the park. Would they know how to unhook my computer and printer?”
“I can ask.”
She shrugged. “If you trust them, then I don’t have a problem with it. I don’t have anything worth stealing except the stuff I want to be brought to your house.”
“Our house,” I corrected her.
“Our house.” She smiled a little. “I’m still not used to the idea of being married. It seems like I’m living someone else’s life.”
“I’m sure we’ll be too tired for extracurricular activities when we get home and get everything unloaded, but tomorrow I am definitely reminding you why it’s so awesome to be married to me.”
Her cheeks flushed. She was so damn cute sometimes and sexy as hell the rest of the time. I was one lucky bastard. Asking Honey to marry me had been my best idea so far. Even if I had been drunk off my ass at the time. Hopefully, it wouldn’t blow up in our faces later, after she saw what rabid fans were like. She probably had her fair share of readers, but I would imagine rock groupies were a different animal.
We ate our food and got back on the road. It was going to be nighttime when we arrived at the house. I’d hoped she’d get to see it in the daylight, but that would have to wait until tomorrow. The important thing right now was to get her home and get her crap unloaded. I’d just stack everything in the front entry for now.
By the time we reached the house two hours later, Honey had her head resting against my shoulder, completely passed out. We’d gotten up at the crack of dawn for our flight, so it was no wonder she was worn out. I’d been yawning the last half hour, but it would be a while before I could crash for the night.
I pulled through the gate and parked in the circular drive in front of the house. Gently, I shook her awake. She blinked at me like a sleepy owl before going right back to sleep. I got out of the car and opened her door, lifting her into my arms and carrying her up to the house. It took a bit of finesse, but I managed to open the door and shut off the alarm without dropping her. The master bedroom was upstairs at the end of the hall.