Home Is Where You Are

by Melissa Grace

  The second Brady pulled the SUV to a stop, I lurched from the car with her hand in mine and sprinted through the side entrance of the hotel. I barely even nodded to the doorman that let us in. I pulled her onto the passcode-protected elevator reserved for VIP guests, and it began its excruciatingly slow ascent to the top floor. I stood behind her, brushing her hair to the side so I could kiss her neck, my hands trailing down her shoulders. Finally, the elevator doors opened, and we barrelled down the hall, hand in hand. Once we reached the room, I fumbled for the room key with shaky hands.

  The door clicked open, and once we were safely inside, the flame was ignited. I tossed the card to the ground and took her in my arms, pressing her gently against the back of the door. She kicked off her heels as she took my face in her hands and kissed me.

  “I missed you so much,” I whispered between kisses as she yanked her jacket off, tossing it to the ground.

  She tugged my shirt over my head, running her hands over my bare chest.

  “I missed you too,” she murmured. She took my hands into hers and slid them beneath her camisole before ripping the silky garment over her head.

  “Holy shit.” She was breathtaking. Her hair spilled over her shoulders and down her breasts that peeked out from her lacy black bra.

  “What?” She looked up at me with concern.

  “You’re stunning, Liv.” I tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, my breathing ragged. I pressed a kiss onto her forehead, trying to quell the desire that threatened to take over me. With trembling hands, she fumbled with the buckle on my belt, and I felt my self-control begin to unravel.

  “I want you, Jax.” Her voice was low and sultry as she slid her arms around me.

  “Yeah?” I whispered, leaning into her.

  “Yeah.” With her answer, I scooped her in my arms and carried her to the bed. I kicked off my jeans and moved over her, trailing feather light kisses from her jawline to her collarbone and all the way down her belly. My hands shook slightly as I unfastened the button on her jeans, helping her out of them.

  “You’re perfect,” I said softly. Her creamy skin was wrapped in lace, and she was breathtaking. As I gazed into her emerald eyes, I knew I could search the world over and never find a woman more perfect for me than her.

  Chapter 19

  Liv

  The next morning, I woke to the sound of my phone chirping. The morning light was beginning to cause a soft glow around the window. Bleary-eyed, I plucked the phone off the nightstand, and a text from Ella appeared on the screen, complete with an onslaught of suggestive emojis.

  Ella: So… how did he like your new lingerie?

  I laughed softly so as not to wake up Jax as I typed out my response.

  Liv: He loved it!

  I added a winking smiley face for good measure. Before I could even put the phone down, I saw the little bubbles appear that signaled she was typing.

  Ella: OMG!!! You did it! Girl, go get you some of that morning delight. You’ve earned it.

  I chuckled as I gently returned the phone back to the nightstand. I rolled over, nestling myself into Jax’s chest.

  Jax didn’t seem the least bit phased by the fact that I didn’t have the body of a twenty-five-year-old supermodel. He didn’t care about my cellulite or that my stomach wasn’t flat. Instead, he’d been completely turned on by every dip and curve. He took his time, savoring me as though I were a decadent dessert he may never get to have again, only to turn around and devour me once more. I’d never felt sexier than I did under his ravishing gaze.

  I knew one thing for damn sure. Sex with Benton Wyatt had never been anything like this.

  He stirred, pulling me tighter against him. “Good morning, beautiful.”

  I pressed a kiss into his shoulder blade. “Did you sleep okay?”

  “Mmm, did I ever.” He moved so that he hovered over me and kissed the tip of my nose. “I love waking up beside you.”

  “Really?” I asked, already breathless as his eyes found mine. He started a trail of kisses along my jawline before he landed one right on my mouth. He gently nipped at my bottom lip before kissing me slowly, deeply. Like he was trying to stir my soul from the inside.

  “I can’t get enough of you.” His voice was a low, raspy growl as he began to leave kisses along my collarbone. “As it happens, we have this hotel room for a couple more hours before we have to get on that cramped bus with the rest of the guys.”

  “What exactly do you suggest we do with that time?” I purred, my body responding to his touch as his hands gingerly explored my body.

  “I could think of a thing or two…” His seductive eyes flickered over me.

  He brought his mouth back to mine, and I gently shoved him over, rolling with him so that I straddled him. “Yeah?” I leaned down and grazed his mouth with mine.

  “Yeah,” he whispered. He stared into my eyes so intensely, I wasn’t sure whether I was going to melt into a puddle or burst into flames. His eyes were filled with longing as he cupped my face in his hands. “You wreck me, Olivia Sinclair.” He crashed his lips into mine. “You absolutely wreck me.”

  The truth was, he wrecked me too.

  The next few days passed in a blur. We were in San Diego for a night before heading back up to San Francisco and Sacramento. We didn’t get to do much in the way of sightseeing, but I did get to see the Golden Gate Bridge for the first time from the window of the bus.

  While the band was busy doing press and soundcheck, I hung out a lot with Antoni and Cash. I learned that Antoni traveled with the guys as an assistant, taking care of their every need and helping Cash with any additional tasks he didn’t have time for. Basically, Antoni worked his ass off twenty-four/seven.

  On the bus after their shows, we’d either watch movies together, or Jax and I would work on some new music before retreating to his bunk, falling asleep in each other’s arms. It was a tight fit, but we didn’t mind the extra excuse to be close to one another. I found I didn’t mind bus life at all if it meant I got to be next to Jax, though I missed Ella and Grace fiercely.

  We traveled through the night to Las Vegas where we would be staying in a suite for two whole days before heading back on the road. It was Halloween, and though it was only a little after lunchtime, the casino floor was already filled with a wild array of ghouls, goblins, and women wearing lingerie with some sort of mask or animal ears. When we walked through the door to our suite, Jax had barely tipped the bellman before I collapsed on the sofa.

  “Comfy?” Jax asked with a laugh. He plopped down beside me, pulling my legs onto his lap.

  “This is glorious,” I replied, sinking deeper into the cushions. Though I didn’t mind snuggling up with him in his bunk every night, it had been murder on my thirty-seven-year-old back. “I am one with this couch. I live here now.”

  “I wish we didn’t have to go to that party tonight.” Jax flopped his head against the back of the couch. Midnight in Dallas had been invited to a Halloween party being thrown by some big wig in the industry at the Omnia Nightclub inside Caesars Palace where we were staying. The hotel was going to be packed to the brim with Hollywood A-listers and the music industry’s finest. Admittedly, I’d never been one to get star-struck, but I did get a bit of a thrill when I found out we were going to be at the same party as Steven Tyler. It was still impossible for me to believe I could ever fit in this world as anything but a bystander.

  “Why not? It’s going to be fun. Besides, I get to wear a pretty dress.” I smiled up at him flirtatiously. I was excited about the prospect of getting all dressed up together and going out. Due to the genius that was Antoni, I still got to maintain my anonymity. He was in charge of the costume selection and had decided on a masquerade theme for our entire group.

  Jax and I had talked my first day on the road about how we’d handle my privacy. I still wasn’t ready to have my life
on display. That was one of the reasons I wanted to take things slow with our music. Traipsing around Nashville together had been one thing. With the exception of the girls recognizing him at the fall festival, Jax had flown under the radar with ease. I knew things would be different on the road, though. There would be lots of press, paparazzi, and overzealous fans waiting to catch a glimpse of the band and anyone who may be associated with them. Jax agreed it was best to keep my identity a secret until I was ready to put our music, and our relationship, out into the world.

  The guys knew how we felt, and they’d been equally as protective of my privacy. To anyone not in our little group, I was an assistant like Antoni, and so far, no one had even batted an eye.

  “I can’t wait to see you in that dress,” he assured me. “We’ve barely had a moment alone since we left LA. All I want is to stay in this room and make good use of that king-size bed and the jacuzzi.”

  “We still have a little while before we have to get ready to go.” I bit my lip suggestively. “I was thinking a bubble bath would be nice.” I rose to my feet and reached my hands out to him, pulling him up with me.

  His lips curled into a seductive smile as I ran my hands up his chiseled chest. “Yeah? And then what?”

  “And then you could carry me to the bed,” I purred as he leaned down, trailing soft kisses along my neck.

  “And then?”

  “And then…” I continued, putting on the breathiest, sexiest voice I could muster. “And then you could lay me down… and then we could…”

  His lips traveled up to my jawline. “Yeah?”

  “Take a nap,” I whispered directly in his ear, unable to contain my giggles. He pulled back to look at me, his head cocked to the side.

  “You think you’re funny, don’t you?” He tried unsuccessfully to keep a straight face, a sly smile playing across his lips.

  “I know I’m funny.” I grinned. He regained his composure, and the smolder in his eyes returned. He leaned in so close, I could feel the warmth of his breath on my lips.

  “I think you left out one minor detail of this plan of yours.” His voice was a soft murmur in my ear.

  “What’s that?” I asked, my body leaning into his involuntarily.

  “This.” His fingers found my sides like heat-seeking missiles, and he ambushed me with tickles. I shrieked and laughed, attempting to wriggle my way out of his grasp. “Oh no, you don’t.” In one swift motion, he scooped me up and threw me over his shoulder. He didn’t release me until he pushed his way into the bedroom, gently tossing me down on the bed. He climbed in with me, hovering over my body. “Still tired?”

  I pulled him into me and kissed him tenderly. “Not even a little bit.”

  “I’ve got to say, I’m usually more of a change from my daytime pajamas into my nighttime pajamas type of girl, but I could get used to this.” I twirled my way down the hall. Jax turned toward me, his mouth falling open. “What do you think?”

  “Wow,” Jax whispered, closing the distance between us. “You’re breathtaking.”

  “And you look so handsome in your tux.” I smiled, smoothing my hands over the jacket of his navy satin tuxedo. The paisley detailing inscribed in the tux stood out against his black dress shirt. His blue-grey eyes were framed by a simple matte-black mask.

  “I’m sorry. I can’t get over how stunning you look.” He took my hand in his and twirled me around, admiring the dress. I had to admit, Antoni had knocked it out of the park. The strapless sweetheart gown hugged my body as if it had been made for me. It fanned out into a train that could only be described as a work of art. The merlot-colored satin was adorned with beautiful black lace detailing that got more intricate toward the bottom fan. The mask I wore matched the dress exactly, the burgundy color popping against my fair skin. Antoni had wanted to bring in a hairstylist and makeup artist for me. He said that was something I’d have to get used to eventually, but I really wanted to do it myself. There was something oddly comforting about going through the ritual of styling my hair and meticulously applying some makeup after a long, luxurious soak in the jacuzzi. I felt completely out of my element, but I had to admit, the dress was gorgeous. I felt like a movie star standing next to Jax.

  There was a knock at the door and Jax groaned, reluctantly releasing me from his grasp so I could answer it.

  “Holy shit, Liv,” Dallas said, pulling me into a hug. “You look gorgeous.”

  “Look at you guys!” I let my gaze travel to each of them in their masks and tuxedos, identical to the one Jax wore. The only difference was that Dallas wore classic black, Derek a gunmetal grey, Luca was in deep emerald green, while Cash had donned the same ensemble in white. Brady wore his signature all-black, only this time it was a suit instead of his usual pants and T-shirts. Antoni kept with the theme, but his tux was made entirely of purple sequins with a matching purple satin mask. “You all look so debonair. Antoni, you look fantastic.”

  “You are a vision, Liv.” Antoni kissed me on the cheek. “I don’t know about you fools, but I’m ready to shake and quake what my mama gave me on that dance floor.”

  Together, we made our way to the Omnia Nightclub. By the time we reached the front doors, a few more bodyguards in suits had joined us. Flashbulbs popped as the paparazzi took an endless amount of photos of the costume-clad guests entering the club.

  One particularly aggressive photographer continued to yell Jax’s name until he zeroed in on me. “Hey, pretty girl! Let me get your picture! Look at me, gorgeous!” He pushed forward, shoving his camera closer to my face. Before he could get a good shot, Luca stepped in front of me, taunting him.

  “Are you saying I don’t look pretty? I’m offended.” I heard him say as Cash and Antoni swooped their arms around me, guiding me inside. Jax and the rest of the guys were still stuck in the throngs of photographers while Brady played defense, fending off the crowd.

  “Are you okay?” Derek asked after he’d broken free of the mob of photographers. “Those guys can be assholes sometimes.”

  “I am.” I smiled gratefully at Luca as he approached. “Thanks to this guy.”

  “Those guys piss me off. You good?” He put an arm around me. “You’re shaking, babe.”

  I hadn’t even realized my hands were trembling. It’s not like I didn’t know this type of thing happened, but I’d never experienced it before now. If that’s what happens when I’m just a nobody on the arm of a rockstar, what would it be like if I actually became a rockstar?

  “I’m okay.” I forced a smile as Jax and Dallas filed inside with Brady and the rest of security rounding up the rear. Jax squeezed through the crowd until he was by my side, lacing his fingers with mine.

  We stopped by the bar before Antoni led us onto the dance floor, the sequins on his tux a sparkling beacon for us to follow. The occasional flashbulb went off as a couple of chosen photographers, who likely paid an obscene amount to be there, took pictures of guests.

  Jax took me by the hand and spun me around, pulling me back to him. Scantily clad waitstaff expertly wove their way through the crowd, passing out champagne. We danced together for a while until everyone started going their own way. Luca disappeared into the crowd while Derek and Dallas joined the guy I recognized to be Sam Corbyn, their opening act on the tour, at his table. Cash had migrated to the bar, no doubt talking business with someone. I glanced around the dance floor and spotted Antoni shaking his hips with a nice-looking guy dressed as a firefighter, who wore his jacket open to reveal a set of washboard abs. Go, Antoni!

  Even though the song playing was upbeat, Jax pulled me into his arms, slowly moving me around the dance floor. He leaned in, pressing a kiss to my cheek as a flashbulb went off beside us. I flinched, startled by the streak of light in my face. Before we could see who the flash belonged to, they’d already disappeared into the crowd. I could feel Jax’s body stiffen as he glared out into the sea of people
.

  “It’s okay,” I reassured him, feeling that same unease from earlier set in. “I’ve got a mask on anyway. It’s alright.”

  “I know.” He sighed. “I just want to make sure you’re protected. I don’t want your identity getting out there before you’re ready.” He wrapped his arms around my waist, leaning in so his mouth hovered at my ear. “I know we haven’t been here long, but all I want is to be alone with you. We could go back to the suite. I bet there are some pajamas there with your name on them, or you don’t have to wear anything at all.” He flashed me a seductive grin, and my knees went weak.

  “Yeah, let’s get out of here.” I beamed up at him. “But we should probably let the guys know we’re leaving, and I really need to find a restroom.”

  “I’ll ask Brady to escort us back to be safe, and I’ll find Cash and tell him we’re leaving. You go find the bathroom. I’ll meet you at the entrance where we came in.” I pecked him on the cheek and set off into the club.

  I was winding my way through the throngs of people, picking up my dress as I went, when I felt a gentle hand grab my wrist. “I love your dress,” a dainty voice said.

  I turned to see who the voice belonged to, and I blinked hard, certain my eyes were playing tricks on me. The girl looked exactly like Jessica Rabbit, aka Shelby Kirkland, dressed as a flapper or a shimmery chandelier. I wasn’t sure which.

  Wait… could that really be her? Shit.

  “Uh, thank you so much.” I looked up to see Benton Wyatt walking straight toward me, carrying two martini glasses. What the hell is he doing here? We’re not in Nashville anymore. Of course, he wasn’t wearing a costume. He took himself far too seriously for things like that. I withdrew my wrist from Jessica Rabbit’s grasp and pressed forward. If she knew who I was, she didn’t let on.

  Shit. Shit. Shit. I kept my face neutral as Ben’s eyes connected with mine. A flicker of something passed across his face as he looked at me. Recognition? Approval? Dare I say, attraction? I wasn’t sure what it was, but he walked right past me without incident. I kept walking and never looked back.