by Harley Wylde
“Surprised?” he asked.
“Yes. Jace, it’s...” I blinked away tears. “It’s perfect. But don’t you need to practice with the band? Can we afford to be gone right now?”
“Don’t worry about it.”
A limo waited for us and the driver put our bags into the trunk. Jace spent most of the ride distracting me with kisses and roaming hands. When the car stopped, he opened the door and I stepped out in front of the cutest bungalow. I could see the beach and hear the waves crashing on the sand. Since California was home, the beach wasn’t all that special except that this one was in Hawaii. My dream destination.
“I love it,” I told him.
Jace carried our things inside and the front door had barely shut before he pulled me into his arms. He kissed me hard and deep, making my toes curl. Without breaking our kiss, he lifted me into his arms and carried me through the house. The bedroom was dimly lit from the setting sun, but I scarcely noticed anything else about it. Jace started removing his clothes and all I could do was stare at his body. I still didn’t know the meaning behind all his tattoos, but I enjoyed tracing them with my tongue on a regular basis.
“Aren’t you forgetting something?” I asked, as he started to tug my clothes off.
“What’s that, Mrs. Devayne?”
“Condoms?”
He froze and stared at me.
“You forgot them, didn’t you?” I asked.
“Fuck.”
“Pretty sure that’s one thing we won’t be doing until you find a store.”
He glared at me and I bit my lip so I wouldn’t laugh. “We wouldn’t need them if you were on birth control.”
“Oh, no. You’re not pinning this on me. Even if I’d seen a doctor already, it takes a month before the pill is effective. You’d still be using condoms.”
He ran a hand through his hair and stomped into the bathroom. I heard him rummaging around in there, with more cursing. I was going to take that to mean he hadn’t found any. It was slightly humorous that he planned everything so perfectly, except that one thing. As much as the man thought about sex, I’d have thought that would have been the first item he packed.
I dug through our bags and pulled out a strand of four condoms. Maybe he had thought about it and then forgot? Not that four would get us very far.
“Jace, you have some right here,” I called out.
He came back into the room and stared at the string of condoms like he’d never seen it before. He took them and ripped one off, then rolled it down his cock.
“I didn’t pack those,” he said, “but maybe Roman slipped them in there. Whoever did it, I owe them one.”
I snickered. “More like you owe them four. And then you’re going to have to find a store because those won’t even last a day.”
His lips crashed against mine as he tumbled us to the bed. “You’re so right. Can’t keep my hands off you. Please tell me you’re ready, baby. I can’t wait another moment.”
“I’m always wet and ready for you, Jace.”
He groaned and sank into me. He felt so fucking perfect. The headboard slammed into the wall as he thrust hard and deep, every jerk of his hips making pleasure zing through me. I clawed at his shoulders as I came. The man could go for hours though, and he was never satisfied with making me come once. Jace made me scream his name two more times before he found his release.
He pulled out and then went really fucking still.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“The fucking condom broke.”
I leaned up on my elbows and looked at his cock. Sure enough, the end of the condom had split open. Maybe Roman hadn’t put those in his bag and they’d been leftover from some past trip? I reached for the remaining three condoms and checked the date. As I did, something caught my attention. A pin prick straight through each one.
“Um, Jace. Don’t completely lose your shit, but... I don’t think Roman gave you these.”
“Why?” he asked, ripping off the torn condom.
“Because these have been tampered with.”
He took them from me and then started cursing again. Picking up his phone, he shot off a few texts and his face darkened after the third incoming message.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Simon fucking sabotaged them,” he said.
“Jace, it’s okay. We’ll just get more. It’s not like we haven’t had unprotected sex before. Several times in fact.”
He stormed out of the room and I pulled the bedding around me. My happy day was quickly changing into a nightmare. I knew he didn’t want kids, but it left me feeling cold the way he’d reacted. Was having a baby with me really the worst thing ever? It made me wonder if I could really do this for the long haul with him. I’d always wanted a family, and it was obvious Jace didn’t. I’d thought maybe he’d change his mind one day, but now I wasn’t so sure.
I pulled my clothes back on and found him out on the back deck smoking a cigarette. I didn’t even know he smoked, or where he’d gotten the pack. Pausing, I wasn’t sure if I should walk out there, or give him some space. Deciding to go with option two, I walked down the path that led to the beach. Sitting on the cooling sand, I watched the sun sink below the horizon and just listened to the ocean. It was peaceful, even though I felt like I was being turned inside out.
Since Jace had announced our engagement, and the wedding photos would be released in the upcoming week, I knew I had to stick it out for a while. I didn’t want to though. Part of me wanted to get on the next plane back to California, pack my stuff at Jace’s house, and go home to San Diego. Even finding my ex-fiancée fucking someone else hadn’t hurt this much. Maybe I cared about Jace more than I wanted to admit.
“I’m sorry,” he said from behind me.
I lifted my shoulder in a shrug.
“Honey...” He sank onto the sand next to me. “It’s not you, okay? I don’t want you to ever think that.”
“But you don’t want kids. Possibly never.”
“I could change my mind,” he said. “But right now, no, I don’t want them. You’ve seen how my fans act. And I didn’t exactly have the best upbringing. I don’t want to bring a child into the world when I’m not sure I can be a good dad, or protect them.”
I snorted. “Jace, no one is guaranteed that they’ll be the perfect parent, or that their kids won’t get hurt. It’s called life.”
He reached out and took my hand. “Do you want them?”
“Yeah, I want kids. I told you my ex and I were talking about working towards a family right away. I’m ready for babies, and you clearly aren’t. I’m not sure you ever will be. Where does that leave us?”
He kissed my hand. “I will give you anything you want. If you want a baby, then...” He took a deep breath and let it out. “You want a baby, then I’ll give you one. Or try anyway.”
I turned to face him. “I don’t want a baby that you’re going to hate.”
“How could I ever hate something that’s part of you and me?” he asked. “Even if we accidentally had a kid, I still wouldn’t hate him or her. It scares me shitless to think about being a dad, but if that’s what you want, I’ll man up.”
“Jace, I don’t want you to feel like you’re backed into a corner over this. Having a kid is a lifelong commitment. It’s not something you can change your mind over later.”
He cupped my cheek and kissed me softly. “Honey, I’m falling hard for you. If you want a baby, then we’ll have a baby. But there’s a condition.”
My back stiffened. “What?”
“You can’t leave. I know I said in a year we could part ways if that’s what you wanted, but if we do this, if we have a baby together, I want to really try to make this marriage work. Permanently.”
“You want to stay married?” I asked softly. “You won’t miss the groupies and late nights out at bars with the band? Having any woman you want whenever you want?”
“Nope. I already took a step back from all that.
And I happen to already have the woman I want.”
“I’m falling for you too,” I said. “Didn’t expect that to happen.”
He grinned. “I’m irresistible. It was bound to happen.”
“You’re such a dork.”
“Shh... Don’t tell anyone. It will ruin my bad boy image.”
I kissed him. “Jace... if we have a baby, I’m pretty sure wearing shirts with baby spit up on them will ruin that image. But don’t worry... the ladies will love you even more. Haven’t you heard? Awesome dads make women swoon.”
“We have a week in paradise. No commitments other than each other, no band issues, no writing deadlines. Just you and me.” He laced our fingers together. “Whatever you want, it’s yours.”
“I just want you,” I said. “And that cute bungalow. I hope it’s stocked with food because I’m going to make the most of this honeymoon.”
“Oh yeah?”
I leaned in closer. “How fast can you get us back to the house and get naked?”
Jace shot up off the sand, tossed me over his shoulder, and ran for the bungalow. I couldn’t wait to spend the next week with him, without any distractions. It sounded like heaven.
I should have known something would happen to fuck it up.
Chapter Eleven
JACE
“What the fuck?” I glared at my bandmates, the guys who were supposed to have my back. “Are you guys fucking kidding me right now?”
“Look, you know we like Honey,” Roman said. “But once your wedding photos leaked, our ratings took a big hit. We need you to hit the bars with us, flirt a little.”
“No fucking way, asshole. Do you know what my wife wants?” I asked. “A baby. How the hell can I give her a baby if you want me to flirt with other women? I’m trying to make things work with Honey and you’re fucking it up. I’m not ruining my marriage over some ratings. The fans will come around or we’ll find new ones.”
Simon smirked. “I had a feeling you’d say some stupid shit like that. So, I proposed that if you wouldn’t get on board, that we find someone who will.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I demanded.
“It means you’re out,” Simon said. “We’ll find someone else, someone who thinks about the band before themselves.”
I stared at the guys, my heart hammering. Was this really happening? They were kicking me out of the damn band? Every last one of them had been at my wedding. Romance had walked her down the fucking aisle, and now they were tossing me out like trash because our fans didn’t like that I was married? It was complete bullshit.
“Fine. You want me out? Then I’m out. I’ll stop by the studio and get my shit on my way home. Just remember something.”
“What?” Simon asked.
“Karma’s a bitch, and she now has each of your names on her list.”
I walked out and wondered how the fuck I was going to tell Honey that I was now out of the band. She’d blame herself if she knew the reason behind it, and I couldn’t allow that to happen. Things were good between us. Really damn good. I got into my car and drove straight to the studio, grabbing anything that was mine, and then I headed home.
My gorgeous wife was working on the covered back porch as usual. She seemed to love that space, even though I’d offered to help her set up an office inside. Once the weather cooled, she might change her mind. I kissed her cheek then took the seat next to hers.
“Working hard?” I asked.
“I was.” She smiled. “I thought you’d be gone longer.”
I shrugged. “Some things came up that I didn’t appreciate.”
I drummed my fingers on the table and waited for her to shut the laptop. When I had her attention, I decided to just go ahead, lay it all out and see what happened.
“So, the band thinks they’d be better off without me,” I said.
She blinked, opened and shut her mouth, then snorted.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked with some amusement.
“It means that you are the band. I’m going to assume this is because of the fans who aren’t happy we’re married and you’re off the market. Are you going to fight them on it?” she asked.
“Nope. They asked me to stay but had some conditions, like me flirting with other women and appearing available despite our marriage.”
Anger flashed in her eyes.
“Yeah, that was my reaction too,” I said. “I told them to fuck off, picked up my stuff, and came home.”
“So, what are you going to do now? I’d imagine you have enough money that if you invested, you wouldn’t really have to work ever again. Though this house might be hard to keep.”
“Babe. The house is paid in full.”
“Oh.” She looked around the yard then back at me. “Then my royalties should be enough to hold us if your money runs out.”
“I have some investments and get monthly payments off them. We’ll be fine even if I decided to never work again, but I’d like to. Singing is part of who I am and I’m not ready to give that up. Playing music is as essential as breathing.”
She smiled and reached for my hand. “Now that I can understand. You ready to go solo? Maybe sing some of the songs you’ve been writing?”
“Yeah, I think I might be. It’s going to be a rough road to rebuild myself and create a new image, but we’ll make it. With you standing next to me, anything is possible.”
“Awww. That was sweet; now what do you want.”
I laughed because she already knew me so damn well. “I’m going to need help creating my image, which means being seen with my sexy wife. No more parties and bars. I want to clean things up a bit and make sure people are aware that I’m happily married and ready to be a family man.”
“You know I’ll go wherever you’d like me to.”
I kissed her, slow and deep. When I pulled back, she was breathing heavy and her eyes were still closed.
“Was that inspiring enough to get through your word count for the day?” I asked.
“Yeah.” She sighed and opened her eyes. “Except now I don’t want to write. I just want to jump your bones.”
“Later. You get to work. I’m going to call Ben and see what kind of damage control I can do.”
I gave her another kiss then went inside. I leaned against the kitchen counter as I rang Ben, hoping the band hadn’t already asked him to leak the news of my leaving Fierce Seduction. I wanted to do this the right way and not piss off even more fans.
“Why are the guys asking me to blast social media that they’re hiring your replacement?” Ben asked when he picked up.
“Because they kicked me out of the band today. Which is why I’m calling. I’d like to go solo, play a different kind of music, with a different image. No more bad boy rocker, and I’m going to need your help to do it.”
I spent the next few hours going over different options with Ben, and we finally nailed down something that would work, at least for the time being. He submitted a short article to some prominent online newspapers, and I knew it wouldn’t take long before that shit went viral. Once the news of my leaving the band had been handled, I made a snack for Honey, setting it on the table for her, then went up to my soundproof room and decided to work on a song. The song I’d been writing for Honey. Maybe I’d release it as my first single, if I could find someone willing to record it. I’d pay for the studio time, and then sub a demo to a few places and see what happened. Hell, if I was lucky, maybe this wouldn’t be as hard as I was anticipating. Or it could be a complete nightmare. Either way, I was ready to make music I felt passionate about, instead of the rock songs Fierce Seduction was known for. Breaking out of that mold could take some time though.
I hadn’t lied to Honey. We’d be fine even if I never made money off my music ever again, but it really did keep me going. I loved feeling the music flow through me, having the words resonate in my soul. As long as I had that, and I had Honey, then I didn’t need anything else. I didn’t need the fame o
r the money that went with it. The sexy woman I’d met in a bar in Vegas had completely changed me, made me a better man. With her in my life, I didn’t need anything else.
I finished Honey’s song and started another one. I knew she’d be busy with her book for a while and would come find me when she was done working for the day. Our trip to Hawaii had been amazing, but now she was trying to catch up. Her due date had been moved up by her editor and she was scrambling to finish her book on time. I sometimes liked to watch her when she didn’t realize I was around. Her fingers flew over the keys, and the fevered look in her eyes reminded me a little myself when I was writing music.
After making some calls, I managed to secure some studio time for a few days. I’d see what I could accomplish during that time, maybe record at least two of the new songs I’d been working on for the past month. My song for Honey, and one I’d finished right before meeting her. Both were more soulful than the songs I’d written for Fierce Seduction and showed the side of me I wanted to share with my fans, in hopes they would stay with me. At least those who hadn’t bailed over my marriage.
Honey was still working when I’d wrapped up everything I could work on for the day, so I started looking through the menus to arrange dinner for the two of us. I’d skipped lunch, and I wasn’t sure Honey had ever pulled her nose out of her book long enough to eat more than the snack I’d left for her. Italian was always filling so I placed an order and waited for it to be delivered.
When dinner arrived, I set the kitchen table, got us each a bottle of water, then lured Honey inside for the night. I teased her with a garlic breadstick and her nose twitched before she focused on it.
“Come on, baby. Time to eat.”
She licked her lips and left her computer, following me into the kitchen.
“Jace, this smells amazing.”
“Figured you were starving. I know I am. I asked them to include some tiramisu for each of us, so there’s dessert if you want it.”
She arched a brow at me. “Since when do I ever not want dessert?”
“Good point.”
She twirled her pasta around her fork then set it down.
“Something wrong with your food?” I asked. “I thought you liked linguine.”