Chapter 3
CHAPTER THREE
jake
“Hmmm. Where are we?” she asks without opening an eye.
She nuzzles her head into my lap, sending a jolt of excitement straight to my cock. If she keeps this up, we’re not going to be getting off this bus, and I’d much rather do all the incredibly dirty things I have planned in a much larger space.
“The beach,” I whisper, dragging a finger down her neck and stroking her collarbone.
Fuck. I need to control myself. If that’s even possible with this woman. I’d do anything for her. Give her the entire goddamn world.
She’s my endgame. I’ve known it from the moment my lips first touched hers at the lake.
I’d marry her today if I thought she’d say yes.
I shake my head and look at the ceiling.
This is exactly what I need to not do—freak her out.
The next few months are going to be a major adjustment as we navigate integrating our lives and she gets her first experience of what nonstop travel looks like for me.
It doesn’t help that I’m also in the midst of writing and recording a new album, requiring even more of my time.
My schedule is jam-packed almost every single day, except for the next two.
“Did you say beach?” Kate’s eyes pop open, a smile growing on her face. “Don’t you dare tease me with saltwater and sand if you’re not serious.”
“I know better than to joke about that,” I say playfully, staring into her mesmerizing hazel eyes and trailing my fingertips down her bare arm. “Do you want to see the beach house?”
She jolts up. “You’re serious? We’re at the beach?”
I nod, grinning at her.
“Eek! Oh my God. Let’s go. Why are we still on the bus?” She jumps off the couch and runs to the bedroom to grab a pair of shoes. I’m barely standing before she’s already back in the living area, ready to head out the door. “Come on, Jake! It’s beach time!”
Before she can open the door, I snag an arm around her waist, pull her into me, and crash my lips against hers.
Fuck. I could kiss this woman every minute of every day for the rest of my life, and it wouldn’t be enough.
Her lips part for me as I slide my tongue in, tangling with hers and quickly leaving both of us panting and wanting more.
I rest my forehead on hers, tracing the back of my hand down her cheek. “I love you, Kate.”
She exhales deeply, placing her palm on my chest, directly over my pounding heart. “I love you, Jake. Forever and always.”
“Forever and always.” I drop a chaste kiss on her forehead, then take her hand in mine. “Let’s take a quick look around before we grab our things. We probably have an hour before the bus needs to head out.”
The warm, salty air hits me the moment we step off the bus, and waves crash faintly in the distance. Immediately, the tension I’ve been carrying from the tour dissipates as I thread my fingers with Kate’s and walk toward the three-story beachfront home.
There’s always been something magical about how the beach makes me feel.
I distinctly remember the trip Kate and I took with our moms to Destin when we turned thirteen.
It was one of the very few vacations we ever went on because money was always tight, so it holds a special place in my heart.
It’s also where Kate experienced the ocean for the first time, and I got to watch her fall in love with having her toes in the sand.
One of the many reasons why I thought a couple of nights here might be a good change of pace for us after a long weekend.
It’s also why I’m hoping to invest in a beach house in the future.
Kate’s mouth is agape as we stand in front of the massive coastal-style home with expansive balconies on all three levels. She stares at the house and then glances over at me and back again.
Did I go overboard when booking this house? One thousand percent.
Do I regret it? Absolutely not. Seeing her overcome with joy is worth every penny.
“How many people does this place sleep?” Kate asks as I enter the code into the front-door keypad.
“Twenty-something.” I step into the crisp air-conditioned home and immediately see the ocean, thanks to the wall of floor-to-ceiling windows.
“Oh. Who’s joining us?”
“Huh? No one. Just you and me.” I press a kiss to her temple and lead her into the spacious open floor-plan living room and kitchen.
“You did not rent this huge house just for the two of us! Jake!” Her mouth hangs open, and her eyes widen like she can’t believe I would dare do such a thing.
She’d better get used to it. I’m going to spoil her beyond her wildest dreams. Show her every day how much she means to me, with words and actions. How I would move heaven and earth for her. For our future. For us.
I chuckle, shrug, and throw her a wink.
“I…I can’t believe you did all this. It’s too much, Jake.” She shakes her head in disbelief, then wraps her arms around my neck and gazes into my eyes.
“It’s nothing. I wanted to make sure we had time to decompress before going into another busy week. I remembered how much—”
“The beach trip? That’s why you… Oh my God, Jake,” she murmurs, tears brimming in the corner of her eyes.
Her face is soft and full of love. I’m not sure if she’s ever looked more beautiful than she does right now.
Standing in the middle of this cream-and-beige coastal home, wearing a pair of cotton shorts and one of my T-shirts, her hair in a messy bun.
Not a stitch of makeup on. Fucking gorgeous. And so fucking mine.
“Don’t cry, sweetheart.” I wipe away a falling tear from the corner of her eye.
She shakes her head, biting her lower lip. My own fucking kryptonite. Anything touching her lips turns me into a possessive man, desperately needing to claim them. Heaven forbid if she licks them; then all bets are off, and I can’t be stopped from kissing her.
“You’re incredibly sweet, Jake. I don’t know what I did to deserve you,” she says softly, burying her head in my chest as I wrap my arms tighter around her.
I lift her chin, forcing her to look me in the eyes. “You are more than worthy of everything, Kate. I plan to spend every day of my life proving it to you.”
I lightly press my lips to hers, nipping at her lower one until I groan and force myself to stop. I’ll have her naked on this white marble countertop in minutes if I keep this up, and while that does sound extremely enticing, I imagine she’d like to see the beach first.
“Let’s get your toes in the sand before I have your clothes on the floor,” I whisper, my mouth brushing her ear.
Heat flashes in her eyes, and my self-control is about to go out the window as my cock hardens in my athletic shorts.
“Sand first, sex later,” she replies, batting her eyelashes at me with the most innocent smile. She arches her eyebrows. “To be clear, I fully expect you to bend me over multiple items of furniture in this room later.” She winks at me and takes off running toward the beach, giggling.
Fuck. I love this woman.
The wind whips through my tousled hair as Kate and I enjoy dinner on the rooftop patio after a lazy day on the beach.
We’ve barely been here twelve hours, and I’m already contemplating when we can come back.
This has been the perfect place to detox from the nonstop madness that comes from being on tour. And it’s only getting started.
This weekend was laid-back compared to how the rest of the summer will go. Each one will become more jam-packed than the last as Jason and Anna cram a ton of shit into my schedule. Heaven forbid I have any downtime.
“This might be the best spaghetti carbonara I’ve ever had,” Kate murmurs, twisting her fork around another mound of noodles and taking a bite.
A combination of soft moans and groans comes out of her mouth, instantly reminding me of how we christened the kitchen counter earlier.
“Thanks for taking us here. It’s been a great trip.
” Kate looks at me lovingly as the setting sun casts a warm glow around her.
She’s still wearing her sexy one-piece swimsuit with a sheer cover-up on and her hair in a bun.
The tip of her nose is sun-kissed, and her cheeks have a slight pinkness from the hours we spent at the beach.
She couldn’t look more angelic if she tried.
“Glad you’re enjoying it.” I take another swig of my ice-cold beer. “What did you think about your first weekend on tour? I know it’s a lot to get used to.”
She pauses for a minute, grazing her teeth over her bottom lip.
It’s one of her tells. She’s trying hard to find the perfect words to convey her thoughts.
She’s been methodical with her word choices since we were kids.
Overanalyzing everything she says and does due to how her mom treated her.
Although Kate’s mom, Deborah, is like a second mom to me, there are times I want to wring that woman’s neck for the insecurities she caused Kate to develop.
The ones Kate has worked so hard to overcome in the past few months.
“It was definitely different,” Katie answers, arching her eyebrows.
I chuckle, scooting my chair closer and placing my hand on her bare upper thigh. “You’re gonna have to give me more than that.”
She sighs and takes another sip of her Sauvignon Blanc. “I’m not sure where to begin. I have so many thoughts about it all.”
“Why don’t you tell me about what you enjoyed first? Then we can talk about the things that were hard. Does that sound like a plan?”
She nods and takes a deep breath. “I loved being able to see you on stage. I’ve seen you perform in the past, but it’s always been on video. Never in person.”
My smile grows wider, knowing I felt the same way. There was something magical about having her watch me from the side of the stage. It amped up my performance in a way I haven’t experienced in years.
“It was also great to meet so many of the people you talk about every day. Nice to finally put faces with names and see how much they respect you.” She leans forward, pushing her boobs into my arm.
“Plus, I thoroughly enjoyed helping you work off the adrenaline afterward,” she whispers, sending a fucking jolt of lust straight to my cock.
I’m going to be rock hard in less than a minute if she keeps this up. And my boardshorts don’t leave anything to the imagination. Need to change the subject. Can’t fuck her on the rooftop deck. There’s absolutely no privacy up here, and I’m not about to risk a fan getting a photo of us having sex.
I swallow hard as her tongue slowly traces the outline of her lips. Damn it. She knows exactly what she’s doing.
Focus, Jake. Change the subject. Ask her another question.
“Um… What was the hardest part of the weekend?” That’s it. Talking about things that were difficult for her will definitely reduce my need to bend her over this patio table.
Who am I kidding? Nothing can temper my insatiable need for this woman.
She leans back in her chair, and I immediately miss the warmth of her skin. “I didn’t anticipate having so little privacy—Max almost walking in on us. People stopping by all the time. No one seems to knock before coming into your bus or the green room.”
Fucking Max. He’s an incredible assistant, but I would’ve fired his ass if he’d seen Kate naked. I’ve made it clear that my bedroom is completely off-limits moving forward.
“Yeah. That needs to change. I’ll talk to the team. What else?”
“I guess… I thought we’d have more time together.
You were pulled in so many directions that I only got to see you in small chunks and when we went to bed.
” She glances at the ground. “Anna says it’s gonna get even busier as the tour goes on.
What’s the point of being on the road with you if we can’t spend any quality time together? ”
Fuck. She’s got a point. I hate we’re only one weekend in and she’s already feeling this way. I drag a hand down my face, wishing I had more control over my schedule—over my life.
“Anna’s not wrong. It was fairly tame compared to what my schedule will be like later this summer.
” I reach for her hand, intertwining our fingers and kissing the top of it.
“I can’t control everything about my schedule, but I can promise you I’ll work hard to find ways for us to spend more time together.
I want you to be comfortable on the road with me.
To be a part of this aspect of my life. And to know, without a doubt, that you’re my top priority.
” I tuck a stray piece of her hair behind her ear and gaze into her incredible hazel eyes.
“I will move mountains to ensure your happiness.”
“I know, Jake. I don’t want you to think I’m complaining—”
“Stop right there. Telling me how you feel is never complaining. I want to know the good and the bad. Everything. Don’t ever doubt sharing your emotions with me. I want it all. All of you.”
She nods and leans her head against my shoulder.
“I’ll talk to Max, Alex, Jason, and Anna about my schedule when we get back to Nashville.
See what they can do to rearrange my commitments, so we have more blocks of time together.
” I close my eyes briefly, anticipating the shitstorm that will occur when I tell them this news.
Trying to make major changes to my schedule is worse than level twenty-nine of Tetris, where the pieces fall faster than they can be moved.
Jason is going to lose his fucking mind.
Max will moan about it for ten minutes before getting his act together and figuring it out.
Alex is going to give me the death stare, a silent game of chicken where I usually give in.
Not gonna happen this time. Kate’s too important to me.
And Anna will wear a smile and have a positive attitude about whatever I request. She’s always up for tackling any challenge, as long as the request doesn’t come from or involve Jason.
“Okay,” she whispers, snuggling close to me as the sun fades into the horizon. “Do you want to head inside? It’s starting to get a little chilly up here.”
I kiss her forehead, inhaling the combination of her lavender shampoo mixed with saltwater. “That sounds great. Rumor has it, the primary bathroom shower is heavenly. Any chance you’re up for conserving some water?”
“With you, Jake, always.”