Harley (West Coast Rock Star #1) (14 page)

Chapter Twenty-Two

Her place was a disaster, but Cade thought she was on cloud nine.

When Jax carried her to the bedroom, he tripped four times, but it made the experience of being with him for the first time even more special.

It took Cade three times to climb the stairs up and down, chucking out bags and bags of soiled and soaked items from her apartment. She had managed to save a few of her clothes from the damage. Sleeping in the sad, soggy apartment wasn’t ideal, but she’d conked out from fatigue. Whatever else she needed to do could wait until the next day.

Then the knock came on her door.

Was she ever surprised to see Jax standing there in all his rock god sexiness! Cade had no idea what she looked like, but she knew she wasn’t the prettiest at that moment. Jax did not care, not by the way he lunged at her even before the door closed shut.

What came after was beyond amazing.

After the third go, her energy had depleted and she had to wave a white flag. Not a moment later, she was asleep with him as the big spoon.

The light from the sun’s rays played between the blinds. Staccato kisses spread goose bumps on her back and shoulders and sent electricity along her spine.

Jax was ready for round four.

“Good morning,” his gravelly voice melted her inside and heat pooled between her thighs.

His hands wandered but his touches were delicate, like his fingers wanted to explore and remember every inch of her body. Jax gathered her hair in one hand and twisted it at the nape of her neck. This gave his lips and teeth and tongue more freedom to taste and nibble.

Cadence reached up and behind her, bringing his head closer to the curve of her neck, close to the pulse beating wildly, then she moved her hand down, grazing her fingers over his tattooed sides, and stopping to grip his buttocks. She squeezed harder, and it made Jax push his hips forward.

“I want you,” he rasped. Explosions of hot, searing lust spread all over her body, from the tips of her naked breasts to her toes curling in delight.

She couldn’t wait. She wanted him too.

“Have me,” she offered.

***

As far as she was concerned, mornings should always be spent that way.

The clouds had sent gloom over the city. The humidity in the room spiked, and Cade panted beside Jax, both their bodies slicked with sweat. She looked over at him, staring at the ceiling, and like her, trying to regulate his breathing.

When her stomach grumbled, she was reminded of her promise to Harley. Cade flipped over on her back, then to sitting.

“We have to go,” Cade said, pulling on her shirt that had been thrown down on the floor. “I promised Harley that I’d be back before breakfast.” She reached for her cellphone and cursed at the time. “We’re late.”

“We don’t have to rush.”

Cade ruffled through her clean clothes for a bra and underwear. She wished she could shower, but the bathroom had suffered the most damage. After a quick brush through her hair, she piled it on top of her head into a knot. Jax had seen her at her worst. If he was going to flee because of her looks, he would have done it hours before. She picked a pair of tattered, yet comfortable jeans to wear before heading to her kitchen where she could brush her teeth over the sink.

When she returned to the bedroom, Jax hadn’t moved.

“Are you going to stay here?” she asked, standing by the door, arms crossed over her chest.

Jax yawned and stretched on the bed, before turning to her. “I called Harley and asked her to start breakfast without us.”

“You did what?” Cade’s voice rose.

“She said she didn’t mind.”

Was she hearing him right?

“You told Harley that you’re with me?” Cade stepped forward, feeling incredulous. Harley had been through quite an ordeal the past few days. She didn’t want the little girl to have to worry about the situation between her and Jax.

Jax cocked his head to one side, a smirk appeared on his lips, entertained at her outburst. “Harley told me where you were last night. She practically asked me to come and see you here.”

Cade’s mouth popped open. “She did not!”

Jax waved her over, bending an arm to prop his head on. “Come here. This bed is too cold without you.”

“Jax, be serious now,” she implored.

“Cade, I am serious.” He pushed up to sitting then proceeded to walk over to where Cade was fuming.

It was the first time she was able to inspect all his naked glory in the light. Her imagination before had done him injustice. The tattoos, the rippling abs, the muscular thighs, and what was in between those thighs. It had been inside her, had brought her to orgasm more than she’d ever had since that first time with Bailey Connor in the back of his dad’s Buick. Suddenly, Cade didn’t know what to do with herself. Her cheeks heated. Her stomach knotted. The temperature in the room went up, as it did in her center.

Jax rested his hands along the base of her skull, threading his fingers through her hair, which made her head tilt up. He hovered kisses over one ear, across one cheek, on the corners and center of her lips, across the other cheek, and ending with a sigh on her other ear. His hooded eyes pierced through hers, locking her in a trance.

“Jax,” was all but a whisper through her quivering lips.

“Yes, Cadence?”

Cade blinked. “Get dressed so we can have breakfast with your daughter.” The trance was over, but Cade didn’t move. She didn’t trust that her jelly legs would carry her forward.

With a deep rumble in his chest, Jax laughed, and planted another kiss on her lips. “You are so bossy.” Then he followed Cade’s request.

“I’ll call a cab.”

“No need,” he said, pulling his jeans over his boxers. “Zee will be here soon to pick us up.”

“You called Zee too?”

Plucking his shirt off the floor to put it on, Jax smiled at her question. “I didn’t. He was there with Harley and Juliette. Who do you think drove me here?”

“I…” Cade hadn’t even thought of it. All she could think of was Jax appearing at her doorstep and taking over every clear sense she had in her head. “Oh, and Juliette. Now I have to make sure he doesn’t tell her about us.”

“He won’t. If their secret is safe with me, then our secret will remain safe with them.”

“Who’s them?”

“Zee and Juliette.” When clearly Cade had no idea what he was talking about, Jax continued, “They’re together.” He bent down to put on his shoes.

“They’re what? Juliette isn’t with Zee, are you tripping?” Cade laughed. What ridiculous nonsense. She couldn’t think of a more mismatched pair. Juliette was exuberant and lively, and Zee was a robot of some sort.

Jax peered at her through his lashes, working on the laces of his other shoe. “Ah, yeah, babe, they are. Juliette didn’t tell you?”

It struck Cade that Jax was serious, but how could that be? No, Juliette had never mentioned she was with Zee. She had never mentioned being with anyone other than a sweet, loving softie. She couldn’t have meant Zee, did she?

A cellphone bleeped. Jax pulled his out of his back pocket, and then jumped to standing. “He’s here. Are we taking all of your bags now or do you want to come back for the rest later?”

“I’m not taking anything.”

“Babe, you can’t stay here.” Jax waved his hands around. “It’s not habitable.”

“Well I’m not taking my stuff to your place.”

“Why not?”

“Are you crazy?” It wasn’t the best retort, but it was all she could come up with.

It was Jax’s turn to cross his arms over his chest. “Call me crazy one more time and I’ll give you a spanking.” The corner of his lips turned up, and a smile danced in his eyes.

Cade shook her head. “I’m not moving my stuff to your—”

“Cade,” Jax cleared the distance between them in two wide steps and scooped her up into his arms. “There’s enough space in the penthouse for all of us. Harley would love for you to be there. I would love for you to be there. And besides, I’ll be travelling with the band for a few months, it would be easier if you stayed at home with Harley.”

When he put it that way, it was hard to argue. “Fine, but this doesn’t mean I’m moving in. I’ll find a more suitable apartment when you return. I’ll need a new address anyway to find a new job.”

“A new job?”

“Yes, Jax. I need a job. I can’t stay in this country without work.”

“You don’t need work. I’ll take care of you.”

“No, you won’t.” She jabbed a finger on his chest.

Jax caught it and lifted her hand to his lips. “Yes, I will, whether you want me to or not.”

“That’s not going to happen, Jax. I’ll watch over Harley. I might even talk to Mac about taking me back for a while until I find something else. I’m here on a work visa and I need to work so I can stay. You aren’t paying me if we’re going to keep sleeping together. Or don’t sleep with me and make me your employee.”

“I don’t want you to be my employee, Cade. I want you to be mine.”

There was pure honesty in his eyes. She relaxed in his arms and leaned her head on his chest. “Jax, I don’t know what to say.” She was aware of how it could look in other people’s eyes. She cared not what the tabloid would say about her, but she didn’t want Jax and especially Harley implicated. She could take a guess what the paparazzi would make of it if it surfaced.

They stood there for several quiet beats. Jax kissed her hair, and then leaned down to kiss her lips. She was dizzy once he released her.

“There is another way you can stay here with us. I have dual citizenship, as you probably know.”

“Yeah, and?”

“Marry me, Cade.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

“This doesn’t mean anything.” Cade repeated the words like it was a mantra while she unpacked her bags.

Jax had insisted she bring all of her belongings to his penthouse but Cade refused. To avoid having their first argument as a…what the hell were they? No, putting a label on it wouldn’t help her at all. It wouldn’t help the situation. Neither did his suggestion.

“Marry me, Cade,” he had said. Not asked. Said! Told!

She’d responded by pushing him off and calling him ridiculous, calling the whole idea preposterous and beyond insane. If Jax’s phone hadn’t rang to remind Jax Zee was waiting, they would have gotten into a full-blown argument.

Jax had helped drag a couple of her bags to the car, where Zee had stood by that morning, seemingly wary of the surroundings. Cade had waited to see which side Jax would sit in so she could stay away from him. A little distance would do them good. When they reached the apartment, she refused help from either of the men and brought her bags into the elevator by herself.

“You’re talking to yourself again, Cade,” Juliette spoke, snapping her friend out of whatever state she was in.

Cade glared at Juliette, seated on the edge of the bed in the guest room. In a way, Cade was thankful her friend was around when they got there. She didn’t want Harley thinking anything was off. But who was she kidding? Nothing got past Harley. The kid was smart.

Juliette and Harley stayed in their pyjamas the entire morning after breakfast. Jax didn’t seem to care that Juliette had taken over his kitchen, and made no moves to leave his place, even after she had clearly overstayed her welcome. Zee was uncomfortable. It was almost comical how often Juliette had ignored Zee’s signs to take a hint and leave. It should have been enough to make Cade laugh or at least calm her down, but it wasn’t.

Jax and his marriage idea nagged in the back of her head, even as Cade excused herself and went into the guest bathroom to take a much-needed shower. But when she was done, her mind was still reeling from what Jax had said.

“What’s up, Cade? You only talk to yourself when you’re irritated at something you don’t want to talk about.” Juliette plopped back down on the bed, still in her pyjamas, stretching over the fluffy pillows.

Could Cade tell her? Should she?

Cade eyed the open bedroom door, then her relaxed friend. It was escape or talk. Cade walked over to the door and quietly closed it before joining her friend on the bed.

***

“Do you think she’ll say yes?” The voice was clear over the phone.

Jax pulled at his hair. It might be a bit too long now. He would need a haircut soon. He wondered how Cade would want it to look. Did she like his hair this length or should he go shorter? She certainly enjoyed tugging at it last night.

Ah, Cadence. He wished she would just give in.

Her silence in the car and as they reached the penthouse jarred him. It was stupid of him to expect her to jump into his arms and shower him with kisses while she said “yes, a thousand times yes!” That only happened in the movies. And so, Jax couldn’t help but call his very close friends.

“I don’t know,” he breathed into the phone.

Luke laughed first. “You could have thought of a more romantic way of asking.”

Marco added, “Yeah, take her out of her flooded apartment and throw her in the jet and bring her to Paris or Rome, then propose.”

“You guys are morons. I don’t know why I called you.” His friends and the rest of the band members were en route to their next concert destination. In less than a day, Jax would have to join them.

Would that be enough time to convince Cade to say yes to his question?

Surely, she could see the merit. If she didn’t take his money as payment for watching over Harley while she was gone, she could lose her permit to stay in Canada. It had already been proven that his and Harley’s life turned into shambles when she wasn’t around. They needed Cadence. He and Harley did.

Harley. She would be crushed if Cade had to leave again. They’d just gotten her back.

“Jax, you still there?” another voice came through the other line. Jax recognized it as JP’s. Out of all of them, he was the only one who found true love, gotten married, and had kids with Beth. Even after and years together and three children, JP’s love for his wife never waned. Jax should have directly called him if he needed sound advice.

Jax coughed once. “Yeah. Can you take me off speakerphone? I need to talk to JP.”

Grumbles filled the line, followed by JP’s relaxed tone. “Calm down, guys. This is serious talk.” Then JP addressed Jax, “Are you serious about this?”

“Yes, I’m serious about Cade. It will work. If we get married she’ll be able to stay in Vancouver with us—”

JP interjected, “She will never agree to it. You’re stupid to think she will. Jax, why do you think I married Beth?”

Jax grumbled under his breath. “I don’t know. Because she was pregnant?”

“Are you—” JP inhaled deeply. “No! That’s not the reason. I love her, Jax, I loved her then and I love her now. That’s why I married her. You have to think things through. Marriage is no joke, and it isn’t a means to getting a green card or whatever Canada’s version of it is. You have to ask yourself, Jax. Do you love Cadence?”

***

Harley was beyond the moon. Everything was shaping up to what she had hoped. She hadn’t caused the flooding in Cade’s apartment, nor did she expect her father to come home earlier, but it all worked out smoothly.

They were just following their hearts’ desires, and Harley was thrilled to be a witness.

But when Cade and her father arrived later that morning, Harley noticed right away the tension between them. Or rather, the cold shoulder Cade had given Jax. What had happened? She thought they would return announcing that they were a solid item and would soon marry. That was what people in love did.

Cade checked on how Harley got on during the night with Juliette, then proceeded to disappear in her bedroom, taking her bags with her.

Harley sent her father a look, wondering if he could shed any light on the situation, but he just kissed the top of Harley’s head and told her he was going to shower and change. Harley would have asked Zee for information, but the man’s lips were sealed. So she turned to Juliette.

“Did I miss anything?” Har muttered.

Juliette shrugged. “Trouble in paradise or maybe they’re just pretending.” During breakfast, Harley and Juliette had bonded over their love for 1D music. Harley even made Juliette promise to go with her to their next concert, whenever that may be as her Uncle Bruno told her that he could pull some strings.

“Pretending? I don’t know. I think it’s the other one, which isn’t good. How are they going to fall hopelessly in love if they’re fighting after one night?”

Juliette pursed her lips, and then ruffled Harley’s already messy hair. “Oh, kiddo. You watch too many Disney movies. It’s not always happily ever after, you know.”

“But they’re perfect for each other!”

With a finger pressed on her lips, Juliette shushed Harley. “Don’t worry. I’ll go check on Cade and you go see your Dad. Between the two of us, we will get these two together.”

Zee clearing his throat caught both their attention, but Juliette was having none of it. She sent him a challenging look, a brow lifted, and her hands flew to her hips. Zee only shook his head in response then sagged back onto the couch where he’d been watching, and obviously listening to the girls at the dining table.

Harley watched as Juliette walked over to Zee, squeezing his cheeks between her hands before planting a kiss on his lips. It made Harley giggle. Zee was besotted by this woman. Then Juliette climbed the stairs to have a chat with Cade. Harley followed after, passing by the closed guest bedroom where Cade would be staying, went farther down the hall, and then knocked on her father’s door.

He had just gotten off the phone. His face was in his hands and he seemed bent out of shape.

“Hey, sweetheart.” Her father waved her in and Harley joined him on the small settee in his bedroom. “I was just coming to see you.”

“You were?”

“Yup. I need your help.”

“You do?” Harley adjusted her position so she could look into her father’s eyes.

“I need you to help me ask Cade to marry me.”

Harley’s heart jumped. She wrapped her arms around her father and kissed him on the cheek. “Of course! Of course! When? Today? This week? When?”

“Hold on,” Jax held his hand up to give her pause as his phone rang. When he looked at the screen, the smile on his face fell. “It’s your mother,” he told Harley before answering.

Fiona’s voice was loud enough for Harley to hear. She was in hysterics, shouting and crying over the phone. It would be just like her mother to ruin the best day of her life.