Behind Closed Doors (20 page)

“It’s not that I wanted them to move. It’s just when the band first became famous my parents had a lot of issues with girls rocking up at the house.”

“Are you joking?”

“No, I wish I was. It was well known in San Diego that I grew up in that house, word got out and it became a big problem. Girls used to leave their panties in my parents mailbox with their phone numbers written on them with black marker. The worst was before my wedding-” he paused and shook his head.

“What happened?” I urged him to continue.

“No, it doesn’t matter.”

“Tell me,” I persisted.

“No, it’s not important.”

“Before your wedding…” I prompted, waiting for him to finish the rest of the story.

He sighed, but chose to continue. “A girl chained herself to a tree in their front yard and refused to leave unless I called off the wedding.”

“You’re kidding?”

“Nope. I drove down there and tried to talk some sense into her, but she was totally irrational. We ended up calling the police and they forcibly removed her,” he paused for a moment. “Anyway, the wedding still went ahead.”

“You don’t say,” I added dryly.

Jayce met my gaze, but didn’t say anything further. It was amazing how much he could say with just his eyes. In that instant, I saw hope, amidst regret.

“So you ready to fly out to Miami tomorrow?” Jayce asked, his arm resting on the back of my chair.

“You really want me there?”

He dipped his head and kissed my lips. “I’ve never wanted anything more in my life.”

Chapter 19

The descent into Miami was bumpy and once we’d broken through the clouds, I could see nothing but gray sky and rain. Lots and lots of rain. So much for Florida being the Sunshine State. The whole city had an eerie feeling cast over it and it wasn’t what I expected on my arrival.

As Jayce promised, there was a driver waiting for me once I reached the arrivals hall. A middle-aged man dressed in a black suit was holding a sign with
QUINN
printed on it. I smiled at him as I approached and he returned my smile as he held his hand out to me.

“Welcome to Miami, Miss Quinn,” he shook my hand politely. “My name is Louis. Do you have any other luggage to pick up?”

“No, just the one bag,” I answered as I followed Louis toward the terminal exit. I’d never had the luxury of a good old-fashioned chauffeur greeting me at the airport. Usually it was Bec waiting for me with a cup of coffee and a ton of gossip to unload on me.

As the airport doors parted, I felt the humid air hit my face and I had the sudden urge to remove my jacket. Louis showed me to a black Mercedes, which was waiting in front of the terminal. He opened the back door for me as he proceeded to put my luggage in the trunk. I settled myself in the back of the car as he sat in the drivers seat and swiftly pulled onto the road.

“I’m sorry Miami didn’t put on better weather for your arrival. The rain should clear by tomorrow.” Louis said as he kept his eyes on the road.

“I don’t mind the rain,” I said. “I’m from Seattle, after all.”

Louis nodded politely and then we fell into a comfortable silence for the forty-five minute drive to the city.

I was tense as the Mercedes pulled up at the hotel entrance. The hotel looked expensive and ultra modern. I was nervous to be arriving alone and I secretly hoped Jayce would be waiting for me in the foyer, ready to whisk me away to the refuge of our hotel room. I bid Louis farewell and was ushered into the hotel by a bellboy who already had my overnight bag by his side.

The lobby was decked out with an expensive looking décor, including a large chandelier that took pride of place in the center of the vast space. I glanced around hopefully, but there was no sign of Jayce. I knew he had to keep a low profile, but I was still disappointed not to be greeted by his smiling face. I made my way to reception and quietly told the clerk my surname and handed over my driver’s license. Jayce told the front desk that he was expecting me, so I knew the check-in would be quick.

The clerk handed me my license and smiled at me knowingly.

“The bellboy will show you to your room,” she grinned. “Have a nice stay.”

I thanked her and followed the bellboy to the elevators. He cordially waited for me to enter before following me and pressing level 3 on the panel. This surprised me. I assumed Jayce would be staying on one of the higher floors. I was going to ask if we were going to right room when the lift chimed, indicating that we’d arrived at our floor. I followed the bellboy’s lead and we made our way down a long vacant hallway. We didn’t pass any other doors, which struck me as odd, but I kept quiet as I struggled to keep up with the bellboys pace. We arrived at a door, which I assumed was Jayce’s. The bellboy knocked twice before placing my bag at my feet.

“I’ll leave you here if that’s okay?” the bellboy looked at me, blinking nervously.

“Thank you,” I said as I dug around in my purse and pulled out a ten-dollar bill.

“I can’t accept that. You have a good day now.” And with that, he made his way back down the silent hallway. I heard the door open and turned in time to see Jayce with a wide grin spread across his face.

He nuzzled my neck as he grabbed me around my waist pulling snug against his body.

“About time you arrived,” he said as his hands made their way underneath my shirt.

I threaded my fingers through his hair as I pressed my body into his, my curves fusing perfectly against his body. It was the kind of welcome that I could get used to. Jayce’s hands exploring my body, showing me how much he wanted me, how much he’d missed me.

“Sorry,” he breathed against my skin. “Feels like forever since I last saw you.”

He took a step back, letting me enter the room as he grabbed my bag from the hallway. Jayce’s room was more of an apartment than a hotel room. Well, certainly not the kind of hotel room I was accustomed to staying in.

“Come on, I’ll show you around,” he took my hand and steered me toward the living area. I now realized why Jayce had booked a suite on level 3. There was a massive outside deck area, complete with a large sparkling infinity pool. It was one of those pools they use on the front page of a resort brochure. The picture usually showing a skinny, bikini-clad woman lying on the edge of the pool, her skin bronze and her hair slicked away from her face. I couldn’t believe that Jayce had his own private infinity pool, minus the flawless bikini-clad woman, of course.

“Wow,” I murmured. “Just – wow!”

Jayce chuckled at my reaction.

“You like it?” he cocked his eyebrow.

“It’s stunning,” I answered.

“I’m sorry the weather sucks today, but hopefully we can make use of the pool before you leave.”

“I heard the rain should clear up by tomorrow.” I repeated Louis” weather report from earlier.

“Is that so?” Jayce seemed amused by my weather update.

“Come check out the bedroom,” he said as we walked into a room that had more square footage than my entire townhouse back in Seattle. The bed was a king, facing the large floor to ceiling windows that also had a great view of the deck and pool area. There was an adjoining bathroom, which was far too big for two people. The white marble floors made the room look lavish and expensive. There was a large shower stall complete with a bench seat and rainfall shower, but the freestanding bathtub was what caught my attention. It sat pride of place in the center of the room.

Jayce followed my eyes to the bath. “You can have a soak later, I noticed you don’t have a tub at your house in Seattle.”

“You’re right, I don’t. And every girl loves a good bath.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t go to the airport to pick you up,” Jayce said, as he tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. “I would have loved to have been there to greet you.”

“It’s okay, Louis was more than friendly.”

Jayce’s face dropped. “He didn’t crack on to you, did he?”

“No, that’s not what I meant.” Jayce let out a sigh of relief as he walked back into the bedroom.

I scanned the room and found Jayce’s eyes, watching me intently.

“Do you always stay in places so grand?” I asked, tracing my fingers along the crisp bed covers.

He ran his fingers through his tousled black hair.

“This isn’t normal for me,” he spread his arms, indicating the room around us. “When I’m with the band we usually stay in the same suite, but not in a place as extravagant as this.”

I studied Jayce’s face. If I didn’t know better I would have thought he was nervous.

“So, all of this…” I gestured to the stunning room we were standing in.

“Is a ploy to try and impress you,” he offered shyly.

I laughed casually as Jayce sat on the edge of the bed. I stopped laughing when I realized he wasn’t joking. I sat next to him, placing a hand on his knee.

“I’m very impressed.”

I ran my finger along his jawline and found the bottom of his chin, lifting his face to meet mine.

“But you don’t have to spend lots of money to impress me. You officially have my attention.” I brought my lips to his and kissed him. It was a light, feather soft kiss. His plump lips soft against mine. I licked a line across his bottom lip causing his whole body to shudder. I broke away from his lips and tried to gauge his mood. His foot bounced up and down on the carpet as he averted his gaze.

“Are you okay?” I asked, studying his gorgeous profile.

“I’m just so glad you’re here,” he said, his sparkling eyes now glued to mine. “I just keep waiting to fuck this up.”

I grabbed his arm and moved his hand to my lap, lacing our fingers together. “I’m not going anywhere.”

He kissed my temple before he stood up and pulled back the bed covers.

“Lie with me,” he said as he took his shoes off and got under the covers, fully clothed. I followed suit, taking off my shoes and jacket before getting under the covers and lying next to him.

“There’s something about the rain that is so calming,” he whispered.

It rained in Seattle frequently. The last time it rained when I was there was the day I found Brody cheating on me. The thought still caused goose bumps to rise on my skin. Jayce rubbed his hand up and down my arm instinctively. He had a way of making me feel better without knowing something was wrong in the first place. I threw my head back to look at him.

He smiled at me, but didn’t say anything. I fused my body against his and he wrapped his arms around me tightly, resting his hands against my stomach. We remained there, watching the rain fall violently over the Miami day from the sanctuary of the big comfy bed. I never knew so much could be said without uttering a single word.

I opened my eyes a few hours later. Looking out the window, I could see it was still raining and the sky had turned a deep purple, gray
color as the sunset behind the clouds. I looked behind me. Jayce was still asleep and I smiled at how peaceful he looked. His arm was still wrapped around my middle and I tried to wriggle out from his grasp without waking him. I failed miserably. He stirred immediately, his heavy eyes opening as his mouth twisted up into a smile.

“Hey you,” he said, his voice hoarse.

He kissed my shoulder, which sent a tingling sensation surging down my arm.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t invite you here to sleep, but I guess I was really tired.”

I looked at the clock that sat on the bedside table. It had just hit six o’clock.

“Why don’t I get us a drink?” I stood and straightened my clothes.

“There are a few bottles in the fridge, take your pick.”

I chastely kissed his lips before making my way to the kitchen. I hadn’t truly appreciated the magnificent set-up earlier. I was too mesmerized by the view outside. The kitchen was equally as impressive. Unlike most hotel rooms, I was standing in a full-scale kitchen, one I could only dream of having in my own home. The bench tops were a light shade of gray with the backsplash a shiny silver color, to match the modern appliances.

I searched the cupboards and found two stemless wine glasses. I poured Jayce and myself generous portions of wine before heading back to the bedroom. The bed was now empty and the light was on in the bathroom. The door was ajar and I peeked through the gap, not wanting to walk in on Jayce in an awkward position. He was sitting on the edge of the tub. It was full and almost overflowing with bubbles.

“Come on,” he said, taking the glasses from my hands. “Strip off and get in.”

“Are you going to join me?” I asked hopefully.

“I could be persuaded,” he bit the corner of his lip as he watched me remove my shirt.

I could feel his eyes staring at me as I stood in only my bra and skirt. “Do you mind?” I asked, turning my back.

“You think I haven’t seen every inch of you?”

“Jayce, get out!” I hit his shoulder and he chuckled before leaving the room.

I removed the rest of my clothes, leaving them in a pile on the floor and tested the water with my toes. It was hot, but delightfully so. I sunk my body into the tub and submerged myself beneath the bubbles. I inhaled deeply and the tantalizing scent of vanilla overwhelmed my senses. The scent reminded me of Jayce.

“Can I come in now?” I heard him call from the bedroom.

“Yes,” I called back.

He walked in, minus his shirt and I took in every ripped inch of him. He sat on the edge of the tub and took a sip of my wine. He dipped his hand into the water as if to check the temperature. Slowly he submerged his whole forearm in the water. He found my leg and gently caressed the inside of my thigh.

“Come in,” I begged. I didn’t mean to beg, the words just tumbled out of my mouth in that way.

“Okay,” he laughed, before standing and unbuckling his belt. I watched the hard muscles of his biceps tighten as he undid the buttons of his jeans. Just when he was about to lose the pants, I heard a familiar tune fill the room. Jayce’s phone was ringing.

He looked at me apologetically before pulling his cell out of his pocket.

“Fuck,” he muttered as he glanced at the screen. “I have to take this. Sorry, babe.”

And with that, he walked out of the room. One word came to my mind. 
Samantha
. I sighed heavily as I tried to summon the serenity I had felt moments before.