Trouble in Disguise

by Sonia Stanizzo

  Jade stood for a beat, a scathing response nowhere to be found, then she followed him out.

  * * * *

  Nate walked through the corridor, laughing on the inside. He had a feeling if he laughed out loud, Jade would yell at him. And he would keep to himself that he was totally checking out her breasts. The soft fabric with a button popped open showed the edges of a white, sensible-looking bra. A stab of lust had hit him hard, and he’d had to resist the urge to kiss her.

  He scrubbed a hand over his face. What the hell was he thinking? He had women at concerts flashing him with impressive-sized breasts all the time, and not one of them had left an impression or even made him want to look twice. So why did this tiny woman, with her big temper, turn him on so much?

  “The school hall is this way,” she said with a clipped tone as she brushed past him.

  He watched her hips sway has she stormed into what he assumed would be the music room. Now he couldn’t take his eyes off her slim hips and imagined what it would be like to hold them in his hands while she rocked on top—

  Dammit, what was going on? How long had it been since he’d last had sex?

  If he needed to ask himself that question, it had been way too long. Being on tour didn’t give him the opportunity, regardless of all the phone numbers slipped to him. With his disguise, it couldn’t happen. Nor did he want some groupie who’d do about anyone with a guitar in their hand. And on his downtime, when he’d packed away the disguise, which wasn’t often, he’d be in his hotel room playing music completely different to what his band played. He played music he loved, music that flowed through his veins and made his heart pump with excitement.

  He just needed to get laid, and this blazing hot redhead was a huge temptation. But if they would be working together, it probably wasn’t the best idea. Was it even allowed? But their working arrangement was only temporary; surely that wouldn’t be breaking any school rules? Hell, Jade didn’t even like him, so why the hell did he think she’d want to sleep with him?

  “So, this is where we’ll be conducting the lessons,” she said, interrupting his thoughts. “We’ve had instruments donated. They’re not in the greatest condition, but we’ll just have to make do.”

  Nate decided he needed to get his mind out of the gutter and concentrate on why he was there. He inspected the instruments. “You’re not wrong about them not being in the greatest condition.” He picked up an acoustic guitar with two strings missing and a small hole in the timber. “No one can play on this.”

  “I’ll need to get a few things repaired and tuned—”

  “It’s not worth spending the money. This is all garbage. Whoever donated these was probably going to throw them out anyway. You’ve saved them the tip fees.” He turned to find a stricken expression on Jade’s face. “Sorry,” he added to soften the blow. He didn’t mean to upset her.

  Then the wounded expression changed, a splash of red colored her cheeks, and her mouth slammed into a thin line. “When I see Brian, I will rip his head off! He promised me these were easily fixed. I should never have trusted him. He has shifty, little beady insect eyes.” She dropped onto a nearby stool, slumping her shoulders in defeat like she wasn’t only seconds ago about to decapitate someone. “So, I guess we won’t be needing your help. The school can’t buy the instruments I need.”

  It bothered him seeing her so upset. Nor did he want to deprive a child of free lessons. “I’ll buy them.”

  She sat up straight on the seat. “What?”

  “I was going to give you the stuff from my grandmother’s garage, but why not just buy new stuff?” It wasn’t like he couldn’t afford it. “Give me a list of whatever you need.”

  “Are you serious?” Standing up, she raced over to him.

  He nodded.

  “Oh my God. That’s so generous. Thank you.” And she threw her arms around him.

  It wasn’t anything other than appreciation, but the contact blasted through his body, making him hot and extremely turned on. To keep her from pulling away too soon, he wrapped his arms around her too.

  The top of her head barely reached his chin, but they seemed to fit perfectly together. And as he pulled her in a little tighter, she didn’t complain. But after a beat, like she realized the embrace was taking longer than necessary, she stepped back.

  Clearing her throat, she said, “Thanks again.”

  “I’m happy to do it.”

  A few strands of red curls broke away from her ponytail and framed her round face. God, she was cute and sexy and passionate. He wanted to get his hands on her, touch her, and taste her smooth, creamy skin. Wanted to watch her face flush red and her freckles pop when he touched her in all her sensitive places.

  Unable to stop himself, he tucked a wayward strand behind her ear, his finger caressing the side of her face. She drew in a quick breath, and her gaze dropped to his lips before she stepped further away. It was probably a good idea she put distance between them. A primary school music hall wasn’t the best place to make out.

  “Get my number from Toby and text me your list.”

  Jade just nodded, her eyes looking a little wild, as if the attraction sparking between them surprised her.

  He walked toward the door. When he reached it, he turned back. “I look forward to the kiss you promised me, Freckles.” And he left as her jaw hit the floor.

  Chapter 5

  “I’ve fallen truly, madly, crazily in lust,” Jade announced with a long sigh to her friends Lauren and Ava while they sat in a booth at Jovi’s Pub.

  It was the third margarita she consumed that helped the words spring free. It wasn’t like Jade to drink more than one glass on a school night, but after the day she’d had, all because of a very sexy rock star slash music teacher, she deserved it.

  Lauren and Ava both paused with their glasses at their lips, then put them down on the table. Ava was the first to speak. “I’m loving the sound of this. Please continue.”

  “You know how I want to provide music lessons for the students at my school?” When they both nodded, she said, “Well, Toby has found someone who will teach the classes for a few weeks.”

  “That’s wonderful, Jade. You’ve wanted to do this for your kids for so long,” Lauren said, smiling.

  “Yeah, yeah. Music, kids… It’s great, I’m happy for you, but get to the good part,” Ava insisted.

  “Getting lessons for them is the good part.” When Ava rolled her eyes, Jade added, “I thought that would interest you considering you’re about to give birth to one.”

  Ava took a quick sip of her sparkling water, then lovingly rubbed her swollen belly and smiled. “I’d still prefer talking about lust than kids. If I turn out like Lauren after I have this baby, my kid will be what I’ll always be talking about. So, I want to gossip about the good stuff before that happens.”

  “Hey!” Lauren protested.

  “It’s true, but I love my godson, so it’s allowed.”

  “Well, thanks for your permission.” Sarcasm dripped from Lauren’s tone as she sipped her drink.

  Ava squirmed in the seat and placed a hand on her lower back. “God, this kid better come out soon. I’m the size of a whale.”

  Jade and Lauren rolled their eyes at the whale reference. Only a couple of weeks away from giving birth and she could still step onto a catwalk like a high-fashion runway model and turn heads. No swollen ankles, no puffy face, beautiful shiny hair, and a compact belly. It didn’t surprise Jade that Ava looked so good; she always looked amazing.

  “I should go home and give Nick a bit of lust, it might bring on labor.”

  More like love, Jade thought. Ava had always avoided relationships with a passion and she’d never believed in marriage, but now she was happily married to her old teenage boyfriend, Nick Williams. And she had never looked happier.

  “But before I do that, tell us who you’ve fallen truly, madly, crazily in lust with.”

  “As I was saying, Toby found someone to teach, and…h
e’s freaking gorgeous.” She couldn’t tell them he was more than a music teacher, even though she was dying to. She’d made a promise. It wasn’t her secret to tell. “And not only is he gorgeous, he’s buying new instruments because the ones we have are crap.”

  “Wow, Jade, that’s so generous. What does he do for a living that he can afford that?” Lauren asked.

  “Umm…something in the music industry.” She shrugged like she wasn’t sure. God, she hated lying to her friends. A sickly feeling spread through her stomach.

  “Can we get back to the lust part of the conversation and what you’re going to do about it?” Ava tapped an impatient hand on the table.

  “There’s nothing more to say. I’m not going to do anything about it. We’ll be working together.”

  “So? Office hook-ups happen all the time,” Ava said.

  “It’s not an office. It’s a primary school,” Jade corrected.

  “You won’t be getting it on in the classroom. What you do after hours is no one’s business. And you said he was only teaching for a few weeks, he’s not a permanent staff member. So, unleash your lust-crazed body on him.”

  Jade laughed. “I’ve only just met the guy.”

  Ava shrugged like that meant nothing.

  “Does he feel the same way?” Lauren, always the more sensible one, asked.

  Does he? When he touched the side of her face, she could have sworn heat shot from his hazel-brown eyes. “I think he was checking out my boobs.” She frowned. “Well, I thought he was, but it was the sauce I spilled on my top.”

  Her friends burst out laughing. “What boobs? Must have been the sauce,” Ava joked.

  Jade crossed her arms over her chest like she needed to protect her assets, no matter how small. “I’m deeply offended you said that,” she said stiffly.

  “I’m sorry.” Ava wiped the tears at the edges of her eyes. “We know how sensitive you are.” But Ava didn’t look sorry.

  “Ava, stop teasing her,” Lauren said, not able to hide her own grin. “It’s not every day Jade falls in lust. Maybe this music teacher will be the love of her life.”

  Jade made a small choking sound and shook her head. Her hair was down, and the curls bounced around her shoulders. “Love of my life? Nah-uh. No way. You know I can’t let that happen.”

  Ava blew out a long breath. “Yes, the family curse. We hear about it every time you’re with someone new. You end it before it gets serious, because you think they’ll leave—”

  “I know they’ll leave.”

  “Jade—”

  “You both think it’s crazy, but this curse placed on my family over a hundred years ago is true. The women will never be happy in love, because when they fall for someone, the men leave. I have proof.” It sounded crazy to Jade too. Normally she wouldn’t believe in hocus-pocus stuff, but her family’s doomed relationships were real.

  “What? A couple of failed marriages and broken engagements—nothing I don’t see in my law firm every day. But you know this already. I can’t keep repeating myself.” Ava threw a look at Lauren. “What have you got to add?”

  “If Ava can fall in love and be happily married, then you can too,” Lauren offered.

  Instead of taking offense, Ava lifted her glass in a toast. “So very true.”

  “I know I can fall in love.” She’d come close a couple of times but ended it before she got her heart broken. “It’s them sticking around that’s the problem.”

  Ava threw up her hands in surrender. “I give up. Nothing we say will ever convince you. But wouldn’t you like to see if a guy will believe you’re worth sticking around for?”

  She would love that more than anything. But if her own father didn’t love her mother and their family enough to stay when they’d all been so happy, how did she expect anyone else to? The curse was too strong.

  But before Jade answered, the sound of a guitar being strummed caught her attention. Turning in the seat to look at the small stage anyone rarely performed on, she saw the man she’d fallen truly, madly, crazily in lust with.

  Nate sat on a timber stool, his feet propped up on the footrests with a shiny, black guitar perched on his thigh. His nimble fingers worked their way over the strings like he was warming them up. Then, as if he felt her gaze, he lifted his head and searched through the small Tuesday night crowd until he spotted her. Giving her a wink and a crooked smile, he began playing a tune.

  Jade’s chest squeezed tight. God, why did she always have such a reaction to a mere smile from him? She had to remind herself he could also be a big jerk. He’d threatened, no promised her a lawsuit if she spilled his secret.

  And then he sang. Words so deep, slow, and melodious came pouring out of him, stealing the attention of the crowd. They paused in their drinking and chatter to watch and listen, entranced by his performance. And Jade couldn’t pull her gaze away either.

  He sang about love, loss, and dreams in such a raw and heartfelt way. The emotions in the lyrics poured through her like he was telling her story.

  When he finished his set, the crowd got to their feet and applauded. He waved his thanks and made his way to the bar.

  “Wow,” Lauren said as they sat back down. “He’s amazing.”

  “He sure was, and hot too,” Ava said. “I wonder who he is.”

  “He’s my new music teacher,” Jade explained, not taking her eyes off Nate as he pulled back on a beer.

  Ava chuckled. “Oh boy…you’re in big trouble.”

  Jade turned to look at Ava. “Why do you say that?” But deep down she already believed the same thing.

  “You’ll be working with that sexy man? How are you going to do so without wanting to put your hands all over him?” Ava asked.

  God, she was in big trouble. But all she had to do was remember he could be a jerk, right? A big one who’s buying her kids new musical equipment and sings like a freaking angel. Yeah, she was in big trouble.

  “A class filled with children should help to control your urges,” Lauren supplied.

  Thank goodness Lauren always made her see clearly. Of course, she couldn’t get kinky in a music class. But after class… No. She needed to be strong. Why exactly? It wasn’t professional, that was why. The school would most likely frown upon it. Her internal debate was giving her a headache.

  She knocked back the remains of her drink and pushed herself from the chair. “I’m going to go talk to him.”

  “That’s my girl,” Ava cheered. “I hope you’re wearing cute underwear.”

  Jade rolled her eyes. “I’m going to talk to him. That’s all.”

  “Sounds boring.” Ava huffed.

  Shaking her head, Jade left her friends and weaved through the tables to get to Nate.

  * * * *

  Nate had never felt more alive and in tune with music as he did playing in front of this crowd of roughly fifty people with only his guitar and a microphone, performing the music he loved. No amount of screaming fans or sold-out stadiums could fill him with the same joy.

  Sure, he had fun playing the stuff he wrote for the band. Even got a kick out of the crowds they pulled in, but keeping the music alive was for his father’s memory. But the mellow, more chilled, laid-back tunes were what got his blood pounding, the adrenalin flowing through his veins. And while he took a break from the band for a few weeks, playing at Jovi’s Pub was something he intended to keep doing.

  Jade slid onto a barstool next to him and said, “You’re great, you’ll do.”

  Turning toward her, he raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

  Tonight she wore her hair down, and it tumbled in a mass of curls past shoulders exposed in a pale yellow, strapless top. When she sat, she’d crossed her legs, and the split of her white skirt fell open, showing slender legs. His hands itched to trail along her smooth skin.

  “I said…you’re great, you’ll do.” She frowned like it hurt to repeat it.

  “For what? Because I can take that to mean many different things I’m gre
at at. Should I show you?” He grinned slowly.

  For a moment Jade’s gaze landed on his mouth. Oh yeah, she knew exactly where he was going with this.

  “I meant…” Her voice cracked, and she cleared her throat. “I meant you’ll do as a music teacher. I was teasing you.”

  “And I was teasing you.” He smiled.

  “Oh.” When pink flushed her cheeks, she looked adorable. No, it was more than that. She was sexy as hell. “You’re so talented. You sounded amazing.”

  “Thank you.” He pulled back on his beer and flicked his gaze at the sport on the TV for a second in an effort to drag his thoughts away from wanting to mentally strip naked a primary school teacher.

  “It’s so different from what I heard the other night.” She screwed up her nose.

  “You didn’t like the concert?”

  She fidgeted with a lock of her hair. “Well…if you like that sort of music, it was great.”

  “But you don’t like it.” He made himself sound disappointed and loved watching her squirm. She didn’t like Harvey’s Territory, and he didn’t care.

  “Oh no, I did… It’s just…different from what I’m used to,” she fumbled.

  Nate chuckled. “It’s okay, you don’t have to like it, I won’t take offense.”

  Her shoulders slumped with relief. “It’s so loud and rough. I much prefer the music you played tonight.”

  “Yeah, me too,” he admitted.

  She frowned. “So why don’t you play more of it on stage?”

  “It doesn’t exactly fit in with the band’s brand.”

  Someone called Jade’s name. The friends she’d been sitting with signaled they were leaving. She mouthed give me a minute. But they gestured for her to stay, and the pregnant one gave her a salacious wink before they walked out.

  Jade groaned and shook her head. “Sorry about that. She’s not exactly subtle.” And like she wanted to change the subject, she quickly said, “They loved your music too. And don’t worry, I promise I didn’t say anything,” she whispered.

  He leaned closer, and he could see her pulse pounding in her neck. Thoughts of trailing his tongue along it filled his mind, but he pushed them aside. “About me being Hannah Montana?”