With You: A Rock Star Romance (Rocked in Love Book 1)

by Jessica Marlowe

  Buzz grunted in frustration and shoved his phone into his pocket.

  Jack walked over and Emily followed.

  “What’s wrong?” Jack asked.

  “Voicemail. Fuck!”

  Emily checked her watch. Vince might be done for the day. She hated to interrupt when he was in the studio, but this was important. Taking out her phone, she dialed his number.

  Vince picked up on the second ring. “Hey, Emi, I’m so glad you finally called. After what happened—”

  “I’m not calling to talk about that.”

  “Okay, what’s up?”

  “I’m with a friend. He’s famous, so I won’t tell you his name.” Emily looked pointedly at Buzz. “He’s in the program, and he can’t reach his sponsor. I was hoping you could talk to him?”

  Without the slightest hesitation, Vince said, “Sure, put him on.”

  She handed the phone to Buzz, and she and Jack stepped away.

  Several emotions passed over Jack’s face. “Thank you.” He looked like he wanted to kiss her. Instead he smiled.

  She had no idea what else to say to convince him she wasn’t interested, so Emily said nothing.

  “I’d really like to kiss you.”

  Emily stepped back. “Jack…”

  The moment was so awkward neither of them realized that Buzz stood next to them. He handed Emily the phone.

  “Thanks, Vince,” she said.

  “Emi, don’t isolate yourself over that asshole. Eddie said you haven’t talked to him either. We’re worried about you.”

  Emily looked at Jack and Buzz, who were listening, so she took a few steps away. “Vince, not now, okay?”

  “When?”

  “I’ll call you over the weekend.”

  “If you don’t, I’m getting on a plane. Understood?”

  Emily couldn’t help but smile. “Yes. Thanks. This weekend, I promise.”

  “Later, beautiful.”

  She disconnected the call and put the phone away.

  Buzz smiled for the first time. “Thanks, that helped.”

  “I’m glad.”

  Buzz winked at Jack. “You two make a great team. I’m outta here. Emily, may I give you a hug?”

  “Of course.”

  “Jack’s a good guy,” he whispered before stepping back. “See you at the gym tomorrow, Jack?”

  “Absolutely.”

  They watched Buzz leave. Emily was happy she’d been able to help.

  “Ready?” Jeff asked.

  “I gotta get my bag. Give me five minutes.” Jack took Emily’s hand, and they walked back to the dressing room.

  chapter

  NINE

  Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Okay, bad breakup, must be unbelievably bad. When Emily talked with Vince, the hollow look in her eyes broke Jack’s heart. That fucker had crushed her. Jack wasn’t sure why, but he felt like the rest of his life was at stake, which was crazy because he just met her. He’d met thousands of girls and felt immediate sexual attraction many times, but this was different. When he saw her, he’d experienced that instant attraction, but there was something else—something deeper. She was beautiful on the outside but even more so on the inside. The compassion she’d showed to his friends tugged at his soul.

  Since his breakup, he’d hooked up with girls, but once the fun ended, he felt empty, and for the past three months, he’d felt nothing more than a slight interest in any woman. He’d been hurting, not ready to embark on a new relationship. Until Emily. Jack glanced at her. She looked tired but not beaten. He needed to ease up; if he kept pressing, she’d tell him to fuck off, and he’d never see her again. When they reached the dressing room, he held the door for her. “I’ll just be a minute.” Walking into the bathroom, he gathered his stuff.

  Emily was beautiful, smart, sexy, honest, sincere, brave, and she had a good heart. Just thinking about her had his heart rate accelerating. When he walked into the dressing room, she waited by the door. “Ready?”

  “Yeah.” Emily smiled. “I want to thank you. This is very nice of you. It’s not necessary, but I appreciate it.”

  “My pleasure.” Her smile was so genuine, so beautiful, that his breath caught. As they walked toward the exit, he tightened his fingers into a fist to keep from touching her.

  Backstage was always a bustle of activity, and tonight was no exception. Jack peered at Emily. She was taking it all in. “Hey, Denise, how’s Bree?”

  “Much better, Jack.” Denise smiled. “She’s making a full recovery.” She gave him a playful punch on the arm as he walked past.

  “Her sister got caught in a storm while hiking. She slipped on the wet rocks and sprained her ankle and was missing for two days.”

  “Thank goodness she’s okay.”

  Jack high-fived Matt, their sound engineer. “Hey, man, sounded great tonight.”

  “I wish we could take credit for it, Jack. It’s the Garden’s acoustics.”

  “Hey, Jack.” Jay, one of the sound crew stopped Jack. “Is Curt still here?”

  Shit. The last thing he wanted was Emily focusing on Curt and Nicki. “No, man. He left a while ago.”

  Jay looked dejected. “Oh, okay,” he mumbled and shuffled away.

  Jack spotted their newest crew member, Bernie, short for Bernadette. She was tiny with a pixie haircut but was incredibly strong. And she didn’t take any shit from the rest of the crew. “Hey, Bernie, how ya doing?”

  “Running circles around these guys, as usual,” she replied with a roll of her eyes.

  Jack patted her head because he knew she hated it. She tried to swat his hand away, but he was too quick. He jumped to avoid Bernie’s leg sweep. “Too slow.”

  Bernie gave him the finger. Jack smiled. She’d insisted on being treated like one of the guys. They all did what Bernie wanted because Jack was sure she could kick all their asses without breaking a sweat.

  Emily stopped short. Jack turned to her. “What?”

  “Nothing, I… Nothing.”

  “We’re an equal opportunity band.” Jack looked for Beth and Valerie but didn’t see them. “Elliot and Buzz hired two sisters, Beth and Valerie Pearlow. Beth is Elliot’s bass tech and Val is Buzz’s drum tech. They’re amazing musicians in their own right. When the tour’s over, we’re going to help them get a recording deal.”

  Outside, Jeff waited with the limo, opening the door as they approached.

  “Where to?” Jeff asked.

  “New Jersey. Take the Lincoln Tunnel,” she said.

  Emily sat on the rear-facing seat by the door, so Jack sat opposite her. “What kind of music do you like?” From her surprised expression, Jack could tell he’d caught her off guard and gave her a sincere smile.

  Emily relaxed back into the seat, tilting her head to the side, and smiled. “I like a lot of different music. I grew up listening to the Beatles. My dad was a huge fan. He had their movies, and we’d watch them together. He’d get up and sing along to the songs, holding me in his arms and dancing.” Her smile widened. “When they thought my brother and I were asleep, he’d sing “I Want to Hold Your Hand” to my mom, and they’d dance around the kitchen. In fact”—she leaned in—“Paul was my first crush.” Smiling, she sat back, her eyes dancing at the memories.

  “Well, as it happens, I love the Beatles too.” Jack raised his hand. “It’s true, I’m not sucking up.” At her incredulous expression, Jack said, “When I was eight, my piano teacher introduced me to their music. When I got older, I admired Paul’s songwriting and musicianship.” He leaned closer and winked. “But I never had a crush on him.” Emily’s laughter was melodic. Jack needed to hear more of it; he’d seen far too many tears from her tonight. “Go on.”

  She adjusted in her seat, bringing her left leg under her. “When I’m writing, I listen to classical music, anything instrumental. I love Harry Connick, Jr., Sarah McLachlan, Alchemy Riot, Breaking Benjamin, Dave Matthews Band, Three Doors Down, and Theory o
f a Deadman.”

  “That’s quite an eclectic taste in music.”

  “Oh, and you guys,” she said, grinning.

  “Flattery will get you, well, everywhere,” he joked. He didn’t understand why that pleased him so much. He heard it all the time, but he knew she was sincere. “You don’t have to say that.”

  Emily scrunched her face up. “I’m sorry, I know how that sounds, but I’ve heard your songs a lot more than I realized.” She flushed and looked away.

  She seemed to shake herself. When she looked back at him and their eyes met, he’d swear her breath caught. An expression he didn’t understand skittered across her face.

  “What about you? What do you listen to?”

  Jack never got asked that question except during an interview. Not since he was a teenager had a girl asked him that. “Growing up, my dad played a lot of seventies and eighties music: The Police, Rush, Dire Straits. There is Nothing Left to Lose from the Foo Fighters had me begging my folks for a guitar. Foo Fighters led me to Nirvana and nineties grunge and alt rock. Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains. I still remember the day my dad agreed to loan me the money to buy my first guitar.”

  “Did you pay him back?”

  “Absolutely. Elliot and I used to make money by shoveling driveways in winter and cutting grass in the summer.” Jack leaned in close again. “We used to sneak into the city to see The Strokes.” Winking, he added, “Don’t tell my folks, they still think we were hanging out at Elliot’s.”

  Melodic laughter again rang in Jack’s ears.

  “You said you were happy to be back home. Where were you sneaking into the city from?”

  “Pine Hill, in Westchester County, about forty miles away.”

  The limo hadn’t moved for a few minutes, so Jack hit the intercom button. “What’s going on?”

  Jeff’s voice boomed over the intercom. “Traffic, everywhere. Must be an accident or maybe construction.”

  “Thanks.” Jack’s stomach rumbled loudly.

  Emily raised her brows. “I guess that granola bar wore off.”

  “It’s late, and you’re probably exhausted, and you’ve had a really long day, but would you mind…” Jack hesitated. “Do you think we could stop and grab a quick bite? I’m starving.” To emphasize the point, he put his hand on his stomach, and it growled loudly again. The weary look in her eyes returned, and he knew she wanted to say no, but that good heart of hers wouldn’t let him down.

  With a resigned sigh, Emily nodded. “Nothing fancy, okay?”

  “I know the perfect place.” Jack hit the intercom and told Jeff their change of plans.

  “Do you travel with the same crew or use locals?” Emily asked.

  “Both. The sound engineer, guitar and drum techs, and the lighting and sound crews have been with us for years. It’s a good bunch. And this is the second tour we’ve done with Brian, our tour manager. He and Viv, his assistant, are the best. We have twenty-eight guys and girls that travel with us.”

  “That’s a lot of pieces to move. How do you keep track of it all?”

  “That’s why having a great tour manager is important. Brian handles all the logistics, makes sure we’re on schedule, keeps track of who does what, and gets any replacements if someone gets sick or has a family issue. They handle everything. We just show up.”

  A look Jack understood well crossed Emily’s face. Raising her finger, she grabbed her cell from her purse and typed furiously into the phone for a minute. When she finished, she put the phone away and smiled. “Thanks.”

  He enjoyed watching her work. It was only a few notes, but he understood. When an idea struck, getting it down before it was lost was essential. Jack inhaled. Her perfume filled the interior of the limo. The warm scent, with just the faintest hint of apple, reminded him of a sunny late summer afternoon. “I like your perfume. What is it?”

  “I’m not wearing any.”

  “Body lotion?”

  “Yes, but it’s unscented. I don’t like strong scents. Most of the body washes and lotions are too smelly for me, but my conditioner is apple scented.”

  Even better. Just her natural scent. Intoxicating.

  J

  I throw my keys and slam the door. What the fuck? Jack has been a good boy lately, not fucking any of those groupie whores. I gave him time to heal and let him have his fun. I thought he was finally ready to settle down. We’re perfect for each other, and once he sees the real me, he’ll realize all he’s ever needed was right in front of him.

  J

  As the limo pulled to a stop, Jack opened the door and hopped out. Emily took the hand he extended. It was unseasonably warm, but Emily shivered as a breeze blew her hair across her face. She’d left her jacket in Nicki’s car.

  The trees were budding. Tall brick buildings had architectural detail that ranged from simple to ornate. The upper floors were apartments, and even the fire escapes were works of art. Their beauty reminded her of the French Quarter in New Orleans where she and Sully had—Damn. Shaking away those memories, she looked at Jack, and he smiled. “So beautiful,” she said.

  “I’ve been thinking that all night.” His smile didn’t waver.

  Emily looked away. Oh, boy. He’s still thinking…shit. She’d done a good job of controlling the conversation in the limo, but he wasn’t discouraged.

  He’d released her hand after helping her out of the limo, but now he took it again and led her to the Italian restaurant, Casa Amici. He held the door open for her. She sighed with relief as she looked around.

  “What?” Jack asked.

  “I’m glad you picked a casual place. I didn’t want to be underdressed again.”

  His gaze washed over her, his blue eyes sparkling. “I think you look amazing.”

  “Thanks.” T-shirt and jeans were her standard concert wear. She wasn’t surprised Nicki had dressed like she was going to a party, but a lot of other women were dressed similarly. “We could’ve had different ideas of what a casual restaurant is.” She needed to stop rambling.

  “I enjoy good food and a comfortable atmosphere, and this place has both. I worked here when we moved to the city. Maya and Antonio are great.”

  The restaurant was small but inviting with half a dozen tables and four booths along the wall to the right. Nicely lit, not too bright or too dark, so it couldn’t be considered romantic. White tablecloths covered the tables, and red cloth napkins were wrapped around the cutlery. Three of the tables were occupied: a couple, a mother and daughter, and one person sitting alone.

  A gentleman wearing black pants and a white button-down shirt ambled from the kitchen. When he saw them, he barreled over and grabbed Jack in a bear hug.

  “Jack, my boy,” he said. “So good to see you. Maya!” the man yelled.

  Jack clasped hands with the gentleman. “Antonio, this is Emily,” Jack said, as if presenting her.

  Frustrating man.

  Antonio pulled her into a hug and then lifted and twirled her before setting her down. “Such a lovely girl, Jack, but then you always had an eye for the pretty ones. He’s just like me,” Antonio said with a wink.

  The kitchen door swung open, and a petite, black-haired woman with an angelic face walked out. “What is it, Tonio?” the woman asked, wiping her hands on her apron. “Jack, it’s been too long.” She strode toward Jack and opened her arms.

  Jack leaned down and hugged her, lifting and swaying her. Antonio playfully swatted his arm. Jack returned Maya to her feet and kissed her on the cheek.

  Antonio swatted his arm again. “You hitting on my girl, Jack? You have good taste, but she’s taken.”

  “You started it.” Jack turned to Maya. “Maya, this is Emily.”

  Emily smiled and extended her hand but found herself in Maya’s arms.

  “Oh.” When Emily pulled back, Jack, Antonio, and Maya grinned. “It’s nice to meet you both.”

  Antonio clapped Jac
k on the back. “Don’t forget, if this music thing doesn’t pan out, you’re always welcome to come back here and work for us.” He and Maya laughed.

  “Can we get a booth?”

  Maya took two menus and led the way to the third booth, placing the menus on the table. “Is this okay?”

  “Perfect.” He kissed the top of Maya’s head.

  From across the restaurant, Antonio yelled, “I saw that.”

  Emily sat facing the back of the restaurant, so Jack sat across from her. Maya waved, and a good-looking, blonde and busty server walked over.

  A crash from the kitchen had Maya rolling her eyes. “Antonio, what have you done now?” She smiled at them and left to see what havoc her husband had wreaked.

  “Hi, I’m Cindi. I’ll be your server.” She set two glasses of water on the table. She gaped at Jack, who didn’t notice because he was looking at the menu. “Do you need a few minutes?”

  Emily rolled her eyes and picked up her menu.

  “Hello, Cindi,” Jack said glancing up. “Yes, please.”

  Cindi walked away.

  “So, what’s good here?”

  “When I worked here, I tried everything on the menu. Maya and Antonio let the staff eat free, and for a twenty-year-old starving musician, that was a luxury, so I tried everything at least once. It’s all good.”

  The menu had everything from pizza, lasagna, and salads to burgers and fries. Emily’s brows shot up. “Even the escargot?”

  Jack’s face scrunched and he nodded.

  “Did you know what it was before you ate it?”

  “Yes. I lost a bet with another server.” A look of mock horror crossed Jack’s face. His stomach growled again.

  “We’d better order soon before an alien bursts out.”

  Jack’s laugh caught the attention of the other patrons. “I’m getting a personal pizza, cheeseburger, and a beer.”

  “You’re gonna eat a pizza and a burger?” Where does he put it?

  Jack shrugged. “I’m starving. Last real meal I had was breakfast. I’m still a growing boy.”

  Her mom always said Riley would eat them out of house and home. “I’m getting a burger and fries.”