Chapter 21 #2
Jay returned, with his wallet in hand. “Guys, I’m sorry to have to do this, but I just called Victoria and it seems little Ava has come down with a fever, so I have to swing by the drugstore on the way home and pick up some meds for her.”
“Oh no,” I said. “I hope she’ll be okay.”
“Yeah, I’m sure she will be.” He tossed a few bills on the table, even after Taz tried to wave him off. “I’ll touch base with you in a few days and we can re-schedule, Grace?”
“I’d love to.”
“Maybe we can invite Taz and Victoria,” he said, winking at me, when Taz stood to shake his hand.
Taz chuckled. “Don’t think so, buddy. We’re not a package deal anymore.”
After that comment, I edged my ex out of the way, so I could stand to give Jay a hug and kiss on the cheek, making him promise to give his beautiful wife and little girl a hug from me.
“You gonna stick around?” Taz asked, as Jay made his way to the door.
“I haven’t finished my salad, or my drink,” I said, looking for any excuse to stay a little longer. I should be high-tailing it out of here, but the promise of hearing him sing again, made me want to stay.
“You driving?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
“No, I took an Uber.” I sighed. “Just thought I might want to have a few drinks.”
He claimed the spot Jay vacated, before pushing his plate and glass aside. “I can drive you home, if you don’t mind waiting for a while? I’m not drinking tonight.”
I knew I should respond with a big Hell, no!, but I couldn’t. “Maybe. We’ll see.”
“Maybe when you finish eating, you’ll dance with me,” he said, hooking his thumb over his shoulder. “Any excuse to hold you again.”
He was doing me in with his gut-twisting honesty. I’d never known a man so ruthlessly honest about his feelings. “I shouldn’t.” But I wanted to.
“It’s okay, I get it.” He leaned back, glancing around the crowded bar. “I have to admit, when we first met up here, I had no idea you’d tear through my world.”
“Ditto.” I pushed my salad aside, having lost my appetite. “That song you sang,” I said, gesturing to the stage, “Was pretty incredible.”
“Thanks.” He held up a hand to the waitress, gesturing to my empty glass. “You’ve become my muse, so I guess I owe you for that. But I don’t want to become the king of sad break-up songs, so you think you might want to inspire some new material?”
“Like what?”
“I’ve always liked those songs about settling down, buying a little house on a piece of land, raising a few babies…”
My breath hitched as I tried to process what he was saying. “Um, thanks,” I said, barely glancing at the waitress as she set my drink down.
“Can I get you anything?” she asked Taz.
He was focused on me when he said, “No thanks, I’m good.”
“Okay, I’ll just get these out of your way then,” she said, reaching between us to grab Jay’s plate and glass. “Are you finished with that?” She gestured to my plate. “Or still working on it?”
“You can take it, thanks.”
“Okay, let me know if y’all need anything else.”
The house band starting playing Luke Comb’s song, Hurricane, and he smirked at me. “You gotta dance with me now. I could be singing this song to you tonight.”
God help me, I just might let him. The song about a couple who’d broken up, but couldn’t stay away from each other.
Ended up back in bed after meeting up at a bar.
But broke each other’s hearts all over again before the song ended.
I didn’t want that to be us, but I didn’t know how the hell to resist him.
I didn’t say a word, just eased out of the booth and offered him my hand.
He grinned before taking it and kissing it, making my tummy quiver.
Crowds parted for him as he held my hand and led me towards the dance floor, hauling me into his arms and holding me close. Like we’d never been apart.
“I missed you so damn much,” he whispered in my ear, letting his hand drift down my back. “I’ve missed holding you like this, feeling every inch of you.”
His voice was so sexy, so raspy, I didn’t even try to stop him when his hand drifted to my ass and he held me tight, so I could feel his obvious arousal.
“Nobody,” he rasped in my ear. “Nobody else can do it for me, baby. Only you.”
I was losing my breath and my mind as his lips drifted down my neck. “Taz…” I didn’t know if I was protesting or pleading and it didn’t seem to matter anymore. I knew how the night had to end. With him in my bed.
“I want to get out of here,” he said, sounding as desperate as I felt. “I need to take you home, make love to you—”
“You have another set,” I said, bracing my hands on his chest. “You can’t leave yet.”
“I don’t give a shit about pleasing these people. I only care about pleasing you.”
I closed my eyes, remembering all the ways he’d pleased me, night after night. “Your career—”
“Means nothing to me if I don’t have you, Grace.” His hands framed my face when he whispered, “You hear me? None of it means anything without you.”
I wanted to believe him, but he’d broken my heart once before. Could I really risk it again?
“I need you tonight.” He rested his forehead against mine, his lips hovering just out of reach. “I need you every night. Say you’ll come home with me. Tell me you’ll give me this one last shot.”