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

by Jessica Marlowe

  “Would you like a glass of wine?”

  “I’ll stick with water.”

  Jack barely nodded before Cindi stood at the ready. She addressed Jack. “What can I get you?”

  Jack motioned to Emily, and she gave Cindi her order, who wrote it down while not so casually giving Emily a once-over. With a small snort and a smirk, she turned her attention to Jack.

  “I’ll have the Luigi pizza, well done. Cheeseburger, medium, with fries and a Brooklyn Lager.” After taking Jack’s order, Cindi took their menus and turned to leave.

  This wouldn’t be a quick meal. “I’ve changed my mind, I will have wine.”

  Cindi rolled her eyes and handed Emily the menu.

  “I’ll have a glass of merlot.” Emily was sure a few more buttons on the waitress’s white blouse were undone. “So, you used to work here?”

  “I bussed tables, then graduated to sever, even helped out in the kitchen occasionally.”

  Jack paused when Cindi approached with their drinks. She beamed at Jack when she placed his beer and a glass down, but her smile faded to neutral when she put Emily’s wine on the table.

  “Thank you, Cindi,” Emily said with a sweet smile.

  Jack quirked a brow but said nothing. Ignoring the glass, he took a sip of beer. “What’s your favorite color?”

  “My favorite color?” Shit. He was trying to get to know her. “Purple. What’s yours?”

  “Green,” Jack said. “Purple and green go very well together.”

  “Jack…”

  He didn’t let her finish. “Tell me about yourself.” He sat back and grinned the cutest lopsided grin. Fuck.

  Emily’s face scrunched in irritation and frustration. She took a deep breath and smiled at him. “Well, I enjoy long walks on the beach, candlelight dinners, champagne, traveling, reading, and yoga. I love spelunking, curling, and tarot card reading. What about you?”

  Jack burst out in a deep belly laugh. He laughed so hard he coughed. Jack reached for his beer, but Emily pushed his water glass toward him, and he took a drink. His goofy smile returned, and he raised his beer in a toast. “To friendship.”

  They clinked glass to bottle.

  “Jack,” she said, heaving a sigh. “I appreciate you taking me home, but this isn’t a date, so I’m paying for my dinner.”

  Jack’s eyes narrowed. “No way I’m letting you pay. It’s my fault, and it’s the least I can do.”

  She opened her mouth to argue, but Jack covered her hand with his. “No. I’m buying dinner and taking you home.”

  Emily picked up her wine and took a big sip. Breaking off a piece of bread she took a bite, taking her frustration out on the bread. Another sip of wine. Jack was infuriating. She’d made it plain she wasn’t ready, but he wouldn’t let it go. Her head spun; lack of sleep, aggravation, and wine were a bad combination. She wasn’t fooled by his friendship toast. Spoiled rock star was used to getting his own way. Well, not this time.

  chapter

  TEN

  Silence hung heavy. Emily stopped asking questions and looked anywhere but at him. She was beautiful when she ignored him. Jack got the distinct impression any more questions would go unanswered, so he tried a different tact. “What can I tell you about myself?” He tapped his chin. “I like playing sports more than watching them on TV, although, I can get into a World Series game, and my dad, brother, and I used to watch football every Sunday. Since I moved to California, I love to hike and surf.”

  Jack had her attention, but she said nothing.

  He sipped his beer. “At my house, I have a studio, so I spend a lot of time working on songs and recording. The guys came out, and we wrote the songs for our new album there.”

  Emily hiccupped. “Is this homemade wine?”

  “Yup, Maya and Antonio make it.”

  Emily pushed the glass away

  “What’s wrong? Don’t you like it?”

  “It’s good, but homemade wine has a more potent effect on me. I’m already buzzed.”

  “Want some of my beer?” Before she could protest, he took the unused glass, poured half his beer into it and nudged the glass to her.

  “Jack…” Her voice broke. She slumped and leaned her elbows on the table.

  This is going to be bad.

  Staring at a spot on the table, she sighed. “What Nicki started to say backstage, after you got the latest chapter of her life, was that my ex cheated on me too. I’m not over it yet.”

  Her fists clenched, but then she flattened them on the table. Jack took her hand. She didn’t pull away, and her eyes shifted to their entwined hands. Jack waited.

  She raised her eyes to meet his. “He was my fiancé.”

  Oh, fuck.

  Pain and humiliation clouded her beautiful eyes. “I know her.” Emily closed her eyes, but her face showed her pain. “She works in his office. I’ve met her at company functions and last summer in the Hamptons.” Emily took a sip of beer. “Everyone in his office knew we were engaged. I don’t understand.”

  Jack squeezed her hand. Women cheated, men cheated, he shouldn’t be shocked, but he was. Emily was amazing, and he’d only known her a few hours. That fucker was stupid. How could he not know how remarkable she was? Jack had always been faithful to his girlfriends. When he found out that Erica had cheated on him, he’d been devastated. He vowed to never cause that pain to another person. At least now, Jack understood why she resisted the attraction between them.

  When Cindi arrived with their food, Emily looked away. Cindi took her time placing the plates on the table and made her interest clear. Jack wished she’d leave.

  Emily took another sip of beer. “I know I dodged a bullet here, it would’ve been so much worse to find out after we got married, but… I’m sorry to lay this on you.”

  “After all you did tonight, I should thank you. You may have just helped to save Elliot’s marriage, and the compassion you showed to Buzz…”

  “You seem like a great guy. If we’d met at a different time, maybe, but now, I just can’t.” Her voice broke.

  So did his heart.

  “I had to get tested for STDs. What if I’d been pregnant? I’ve always been so careful.”

  That fucker. “If you were careful, why did you think you could’ve been pregnant?”

  “Because that’s one way I could’ve written it, Jack. Bastard cheats, they break up, she finds herself pregnant. Rushed to the doctor the next day to be sure. Still don’t have all the STD results. For the next six months, I have to inform any partners I have that I could’ve been exposed to HIV.”

  “Did he admit to cheating, I mean before this time?”

  “I never asked him.”

  “Why the hell not?” Jack’s voice was louder than he intended. It took effort to uncurl his fist and lay it flat on the table.

  “Because, unless the answer was yes, I wouldn’t have believed a word he said.”

  “Yeah.” Jack waved Cindi over and ordered another beer. When she returned, he reached for Emily’s glass and poured.

  Jack brought the bottle to his lips and swigged. “I’m sorry about that.” He gestured toward the half-full glass of beer. “Old habit.”

  Emily tilted her head to the side and quirked a brow.

  “My ex, when we first met, we always split a beer, until she…went into rehab the first time. We broke up six months ago.” He’d never seen her drink more than a beer, but when he’d come back on a break from tour, she’d been passed out and there were empty bottles everywhere. She looked so pale that Jack had thought she was dead. He’d rushed her to the hospital. She had alcohol poisoning, and she could’ve died. Jack begged her to go into rehab, and she had, and from then on, he’d never shared another beer with her.

  Emily’s eyes softened and she touched his hand.

  Jack rubbed the back of his neck. “Christie was in rehab twice, but there was only so much I could do, I couldn’t fix this. We wen
t to counseling, that’s when I realized that I was enabling her.” His eyes closed tightly as he tried to block out her awful words.

  “By last fall, I knew she was using again. We had a huge fight, and I told her to pack her stuff and go. I couldn’t live with the deceit and the lies. But I couldn’t leave her homeless, so I got her an apartment and paid the first year’s rent. An actress friend of hers lives next door, so she won’t be alone.” Jack looked away.

  “How awful, Jack.”

  He felt her compassion. “Nothing compared to what happened to you.”

  Emily’s eyes widened. “Jack, it’s hardly comparable. It’s been horrible, but nobody was in danger of dying.” Emily paused and smiled. “Well, only for a minute. Christie could’ve died. That’s much worse than what happened to me.”

  They ate in silence for the next few minutes. Jack was humbled. He was hooked on this girl. She was sweet, beautiful, empathetic, sympathetic, and had a kind and generous heart. The list just kept growing.

  He understood her pain, and he didn’t want to add to it, but he had to pursue this. In spite of the bombshell she’d dropped, there must be a way. He’d find a way. “Emily, I get that you aren’t ready to date, but can you honestly tell me you don’t feel the connection we have?”

  Emily didn’t answer, her expression a mixture of frustration and compassion. Jack could tell she was thinking. She could use more spontaneity in her life. Bet that fucker wasn’t spontaneous.

  When she covered his hand with hers, a tightness settled in his chest. Screwed.

  “Jack, my messy pile of a breakup aside, even if we met six months from now, I don’t see that dating you would be possible.” She smiled weakly. “You don’t live here, and I’m not interested in a long-distance relationship.”

  He didn’t have to think about it. “Simple. I’m moving back to New York. You live in New Jersey, that’s not far.”

  “That’s insane.”

  “There’s nothing left for me in California. We moved there for Christie’s acting career. My family’s here and my bandmates live here.” He waited till she raised her gaze. “You’re here.”

  “Fine, you’re just going to move back here on a whim.”

  Definitely not spontaneous. Luckily, he was. Jack moved his hand out from under hers and placed it on top again.

  “I’m not done. How much longer are you going to be on tour?” Emily sat back with a satisfied grin.

  She had a point. “Almost twenty months. We’d see each other on the breaks. It’s not ideal, but we’re perfect together.” She was attracted to him, and he was positive she wouldn’t lie to boost her arguments, so he’d just keep knocking them down.

  “We just met, Jack, you don’t know me.” Emily huffed. “You could be a serial killer.”

  Trying to change the topic again. She was fantastic at that. “Really, a serial killer?”

  “Sure. They’re charming, pillars of the community, always described by stunned neighbors as a nice guy.” She smiled. “We’ve already established that you’re a nice guy, Jack.”

  “Well, thank you, I think. But I’m not a serial killer.” He raised his hand. “Yeah, yeah, if I was, I’d deny it.”

  Cindi interrupted to take their plates. “Can I get you anything else?” she asked Jack.

  Emily shook her head.

  “What kind of cake do you have?” He wasn’t hungry, but once they got to the limo, their night would soon end, and he didn’t want it to.

  “Chocolate layer, cheesecake, and tiramisu,” Cindi said, leaning forward.

  Jack averted his gaze. “Chocolate layer, with two forks.” Jack looked at Emily. “Everyone loves cake. I’m happy to share.”

  Cindi and her shocked expression walked away.

  Smiling, Jack took a sip of water. “What were we talking about? Ah, yes, whether I’m a serial killer.” He couldn’t wait to see what she said next. “Go on.”

  “Well, a musician who travels from city to city is a rather brilliant cover for a serial killer. One kill here, one kill there, it’s harder for a pattern to emerge.”

  “Do you profile as a hobby?”

  “Nope, just makes sense. A girl can’t be too careful.”

  “True. Do a search for our band’s itinerary and cross-check it with unsolved murders. I’ll wait.” Sitting back, he stretched his arms along the back of the seat.

  “Jack,” she said through gritted teeth.

  “What else you got?” He smiled and leaned in to take her hand, but she moved away.

  “This isn’t a date, Jack.”

  “Are you sure? Dinner and conversation. I know your favorite color and your diverse taste in music. We talked about our exes, even though that rarely comes up on a first date. And”—Jack leaned in—“I’m taking you home. All date-like things.”

  “Jack McBride, you’re infuriating. You don’t live here.” She twisted her hands together. “Right, you’re moving to New York. Fine. I’m not rock star girlfriend material, and if you weighed the pros and cons—”

  “That’s a great idea.” Jack raised his hand, and Maya hurried over.

  Emily stared at him with a puzzled expression.

  “What can I get you?” Maya asked.

  “Pen and paper.”

  Maya hurried off and returned in a few moments with a child’s paper place mat and a pen, handing them to Jack.

  “Thanks.”

  Cindi deposited the cake and two forks on the table with a thunk and stormed off. Jack ignored the cake. Drawing a line down the center of the paper, he wrote pro on one side and con on the other. Folding it, he pushed it across the table.

  “Pros and cons of what?”

  “Me.” He crossed his ankles under the table; they could be here awhile.

  “You?” She shook her head. “Fine.” Emily picked up the pen and started to write.

  “Be honest, I can take it.”

  “Always.” She glanced up after a minute and tilted her chin toward him. “Incoming.”

  “What?” Out of the corner of his eye, he saw two people approaching. He smiled as he turned to them.

  A mother and daughter stopped in front of him. The young girl looked to be maybe fifteen, and her smile practically reached her ears.

  “We’re sorry to interrupt,” the mother said. “Ariana and I were at your concert tonight. We had a wonderful time.”

  Jack stood. “Thank you, I’m always happy when we make our fans happy. I’m glad you had a good time. What’s your name?”

  “Oh,” she said. “Liz.”

  “Thank you, Liz.” He shook her hand. “Well, Ariana, I hope you had as good a time as your mom. What was your favorite song?”

  Ariana bounced as she spoke. “All of them.” She listed every song they’d played. “My dad is taking me Wednesday to see you again.” Her eyes glittered.

  Liz put her hand on Ariana’s shoulder. “She’s been so excited to see you guys. You’re her favorite band.”

  “Ever,” Ariana said.

  Jack smiled. “How about a picture?

  “Please, Mom?” Ariana asked, hopping from foot to foot.

  “Ariana, we talked about this. We agreed to just say hello.” Ariana stopped hopping and pouted. Liz sighed. “We don’t want to put you out.”

  “I’m happy to.”

  Ariana squealed.

  Jack crouched down next to her. Liz snapped a few pictures with her cell.

  “Now mine,” said Ariana, handing her mom her phone.

  “Liz, why don’t you get in the picture?” Emily suggested as she stood.

  Liz looked embarrassed but handed Ariana’s phone to Emily.

  “Smile.” She winked at Jack and snapped a few pictures and then handed the phone back to Ariana.

  “You’re nice. Can I take a picture of you with Jack?”

  “Oh, um,” Emily stuttered, “Jack and I, we aren’t, um what I mean is, we…”

&n
bsp; “I think that’s a wonderful idea,” Jack said as he pulled Emily close. “Smile,” he whispered.

  “Say cheese,” Ariana said and snapped away.

  “Okay, Ariana, that’s enough.”

  Jack didn’t want to let go, but Emily moved away, so he let his arm drop. She fit him perfectly. He could still feel the heat from her body. “I would love a copy of those.” Pulling out his wallet, he took out a business card and handed it to Ariana. “That’s our manager’s email. If it’s okay with your mom, would you email me the pictures? Include your mailing address, and in return, I’ll send you a poster signed by the band.”

  Ariana looked to Liz for approval.

  “That would be okay.”

  “Was there a particular T-shirt you liked?”

  Ariana was so giddy she could barely speak. “The black one with the band’s name in white, with the red hearts. It sold out in every size.”

  “Well how about I include one for you and Liz?”

  Ariana squealed and jumped.

  “Thank you so much.” Liz pulled a still bouncing Ariana out of the restaurant.

  They sat back in the booth. “Back to the list, Emily.”

  J

  The list. Emily looked at what she’d written so far.

  Amazing friend

  Intelligent

  Nice

  Charming but not in a salesman way

  Handsome

  Not too many tattoos

  Great body

  The image of Jack in just a towel warmed her everywhere. Delicious. Better stop thinking about his body before she drooled. His hair wasn’t too short, his blue eyes… Damn, still on his body. Focus on the list.

  Amazing songwriter

  Gentleman

  She added Gracious

  He’d enjoyed talking to Liz and Ariana. And Emily had been surprised that he’d known so much about the road crew. He knew everyone’s names and stopped to talk to several of them, genuinely interested. He’d assumed she was surprised that there were so many women with them, when what had shocked her were her own assumptions. She glanced at Jack. His lips curved in that confident, shit-eating grin of his; even that was adorable. Fuck.