Heart of the Music (Saints & Sinners #1) (11 page)

“Yeah, well, it’s about time she sees I’m not going anywhere.” He was going to do whatever it took to make that clear to her.

“Good luck with that, you’re going to need it.” Sam took one more sip of his coffee as he walked toward the front door. “I just wanted to drop by to see if Trish wanted to come to the gym, but I see she has other plans. Just be on time for bus call.” Sam laughed as he walked outside.

When Trish came out of the bathroom, Sam was gone and Jarrod was sitting at the kitchen table drinking his coffee. When he looked up and saw her standing in the doorway wearing her silk robe and a towel on her head, he told himself that whatever he had done to be lucky enough to have her in his life, he was forever in God’s debt for bringing them together.

“Sam left?” She walked toward him. When she was mere inches away from him, she lowered her head and pressed her lips against his. It was a soft and telling; there was nothing sexual in the way she kissed him. It connected them. When Jarrod placed his hands on her face, she lowered her body over his. As she settled against him, she rested her head on his chest and took deep breaths as he rubbed circles on her back.

“Do we have to leave?” Her voice was soft and filled with longing. The way her hands were wrapped around his back, running circles over his bare skin, spoke to him without saying anything.

“You know that leaving this house and going back out on the road doesn’t change anything that’s happened. It doesn’t change the fact that you are the sexiest thing I have ever had in my arms and that I am never letting you go because I love you, Patricia Monroe.” The words came out as a promise, and he felt her relax in his arms.

The car ride to the lot was quiet, neither of them spoke until they arrived. Trish curled up around him in his truck. “I want to keep this on the down low on the road, Jar.”

“Okay.”

“I mean, the guys all know, and the crew knows too, so I don’t see why we should hide it from them, but everyone else… the media….” He knew she wanted to stay in their bubble for a little bit longer, and praying the media didn’t get wind of it just yet would allow for that to happen.

“Okay.” He understood where she was coming from, and he had no problem keeping this from the media. They would be the one thing he would change about being Jarrod Banks if he could. He hated the way the media always tried to get information out of him about his personal life and the way they made him out to be a first-class womanizer. So if she wished to keep this off the media’s radar, he wasn’t about to deny her.

After they were settled in the bus, he grabbed a blanket from his bunk and headed for the media room in the back. When the band first started having success, they had insisted on making the bus the best home on wheels. They spent so much time in the damn thing that making it comfortable was essential to them staying sane.

“Hey, Trish, you up for a movie?” he called out when he saw her putting something away in her bunk—although, if he had anything to say about it, they would be sharing his bunk. He had never thought about getting his own bus, but maybe now would be a good time to bring it up.

She walked toward him, flashing that gorgeous smile of hers. “That sounds perfect. We have a couple of hours to kill before we get to the venue, so I’m in.”

He picked one of her favorite action movies and sat down on the leather sofa. He spread his legs in front of him and patted the spot in front of him. She tilted her head to the side, like she was debating where to sit.
Yeah, baby, there is no other option.
“Sit down, Trish. I just want you to myself for a little bit longer.”

“Sweet talker.” She laughed as she settled beside him, her body curling into his with her hands on his chest and her face on his shoulder.

Halfway through the movie, Sam and Austin joined them, smiling when they saw a sleeping Trish with her head in his lap. He caressed her hair, enjoying having her so relaxed.

“You guys look good like this,” Sam murmured as he looked at them as if he was seeing the two of them for the first time.

“It feels good. She wants to keep it on the down low with the media, so we need to make sure we do whatever we can to make that happen.”

“We have her back, man, we always have,” Austin answered, tapping a new beat on his lap with his fingers.

“We need to start thinking about the new album,” Jarrod changed the subject. “Management has been all over my ass asking when we’ll have new material ready for them to hear.” As an artist, he hated being pushed to produce creative material. As a veteran in the industry, he understood the need to always be on the public’s mind, but sometimes the pressure of sustaining the momentum wasn’t the best creative way to a new album.

“They can just back off. We made them millions with our last album, and this tour is generating more than enough to keep them off our backs for a little while,” Sam chimed in. He was like a brother to Jarrod, physically and musically. Knowing he wasn’t the only one feeling like their management was getting ahead of themselves gave him a small piece of comfort.

“I agree with Sam. We need some breathing room once the world tour is done,” Austin added.

Patricia stirred on his lap and slowly opened her big brown eyes to look at him. “Sorry I fell asleep.” Pushing her hair back behind her ears, she sat up beside him and smiled when she saw the guys around. When she shivered, he handed her the blanket, covering her body with the warm duvet. “Where are we?”

“We’re almost at the venue for sound check,” he whispered against her hair.

“I should get with Derek and make sure things are all set for the meet and greet.” Derek was one of the best tour managers in the industry, and over the years, he’d become an integral part of making sure their operations ran smoothly. When she got up to leave, he pulled her down on his lap and captured the sound of her giggles with his kiss. He could hear the guys whistling in the background, but all he could focus on was her—the way she tasted, the way she moaned against his lips. Everything about her was intoxicating. When he let her go, her face was flushed and her eyes shone. He loved knowing that every other man on their bus would know who she belonged to when they glanced at her.

Patricia

Handling reporters was much easier than handling fans, especially if those fans were women who had a little too much to drink, like the two women currently hanging all over Jarrod and Sam in the VIP room. How little shame did these women have, for crying out loud? They were barely dressed, and if they kept pulling at the guys’ shirts, the guys were bound to end up shirtless. Jarrod’s eyes wandered to where she stood, and when he saw the look of disapproval she no doubt had on her face, he gave her his best smile, but she noticed it didn’t reach his eyes, telling her he needed her help.

“All right, ladies, how about we start getting ready to head out front for the show?” The look in Sam’s eyes silently thanked her for intervening, but the women were persistent and weren’t ready to leave just yet.

When one of them grabbed Jarrod’s ass and the other grabbed Sam’s crotch, Patricia took a deep breath and approached the ladies, resting her hands on their shoulders. “Okay, ladies, that was inappropriate, and if you both don’t take your hands off their precious cargo, I will be forced to call security and have you escorted out, and I really don’t want to have to do that.”

Jarrod looked relieved as he watched the two women walk out of the room. “Fuck, I think I need a shower after that.”

“No shit, man, she grabbed my junk. Who does that?” Sam sat down beside Patricia, sipping on a cold beer.

“You’re a hot commodity, baby,” she said playfully, trying not to laugh at the annoyed stare Sam shot her, but when her eyes met Jarrod’s, she saw that he was far from laughing. His eyes pierced through her soul and sent a shiver down her spine.

“Is that so? Well, hey, if you want to grab my ass, Trish, I’m all yours,” Jarrod said, turning around so she could stare at his ass, which was perfect, just like the rest of him.

“In your dreams, Banks.” She had to control her hormones because she was tempted to grab his ass until she caught a glimpse of a reporter standing in the back of the room, his eyes on them, just waiting for them to give him a scoop.
Sorry, buddy, not tonight
, she thought.

“Baby, you’re doing a lot more than grabbing my ass in my dreams.” He winked at her before sitting down beside her. She knew it was hard for him to keep his hands to himself, and his restraint meant more to her than he could ever know. Part of her job was to make sure the guys were always in the limelight, but the one thing she always promised herself was that she wouldn’t become a part of that. She loved her privacy, and publicly dating one of the hottest stars in music was sure to change that.

Sam all but jumped from the sofa and headed straight for the door. “Okay, that’s my cue to leave.”

“Hmm, what do you want, Mr. Banks?” she teased Jarrod playfully, keeping it cool since the reporter was still there.

“I want to bury myself so deep inside of you that you don’t know where you end and where I begin.” His lips were inches away from hers, his breath tickling. She held back a moan that would give her away, then rose from the sofa and didn’t bother replying before leaving the room.

Chapter
Eight

2 years ago

Jarrod

“Come on, Trish, I just need you to check out this house with me. You’ve met my mom and you know what she likes, and you’re a woman, so you can tell me if you think she’ll like this house.” Jarrod had been begging her for the last thirty minutes to come and check out the house he wanted to buy for his mom.

“You know your mom better than me, Jarrod. You don’t need me to go with you. She’ll love it no matter what.” He knew she was trying to get out of spending the day with him, but unfortunately for her, he was more stubborn than she was.

He took another sip of coffee and analyzed the situation before him; he needed another approach. He knew Patricia loved his mom, so it wasn’t that holding her back. She had the day off and had no plans, so it couldn’t be that either. Then he saw her bite down on her bottom lip, and he understood the problem.

“Wait, are you afraid of spending time alone with me?” he asked, not bothering to hide his grin, because he knew the answer already. Sure, using reverse psychology probably wasn’t the best choice, but it was the only thing he could come up with on the spot.

“What? Don’t be silly, Jarrod. I am not afraid of spending time with you. I spend time with you all the time,” she argued back as she took another bite of her breakfast.

“No, you don’t. You spend time with me and the guys, but you rarely spend time alone with me anymore.” He watched as she tried to form her reply. He beamed when the fight left her. He had her.

“You know you’re a pain in my ass, right?”

“The only reason I’m a pain in your ass is because I don’t let you get away with the bullshit in your own head, sweetheart.”

They ate the rest of their breakfast in relative silence, and when they arrived at the neighborhood where the house they were looking at was located, he heard her sigh. “Jarrod, this area
is perfect for your mom. Did you see that little bakery at the corner? She's is going to like that.”

“Wait until you see the house. I think she’s really going to love it.” Jarrod drove around the neighborhood, enjoying the serenity of being out of the city. He took a county road that led to the driveway of the house he hoped to buy for his mother.

“Jarrod, this is…beautiful.”

The house had a wraparound porch with large windows in the front, surrounded by a beautiful garden, which was perfect for his mom. “She’s going to fall in love with this garden,” Patricia rushed the words as she got out of his truck.

“She’ll probably end up out here more than inside,” he admitted as he walked to the front door and unlocked it. “Come check out the inside.” The outside was what had made him consider the house, but the inside was just as gorgeous.

“Show me the kitchen.”

He knew the kitchen was a monumental room in both Patricia and his mom’s life, and it was what had sold him on the house.

It was a large, open room with windows on one wall, a double oven, and white counters and cabinets. “Oh, God, Jarrod, this kitchen is to die for. I would move in for this kitchen if I could. She is going to
love
this house.”

“You think so?” he asked, realizing how important her approval was; he wanted her to love it as much as he did. That was something he would have to remember to analyze later.

“Yes, yes I do!” she said as she kissed his cheek. “You made the perfect choice.” All he could think about was that he had, indeed, made the perfect choice, and he wasn’t thinking about the house.

Present Day

Patricia

Patricia was going crazy running from one side of the venue to another, making sure all of the guys’ guests and VIPs were taken care of when she heard Derek, their tour manager, in her ear-piece. “Trish, Jarrod wants you in his dressing room. Says it’s urgent.” Patricia’s cheeks heated at the sound of Derek’s words.

“Okay, D, I’ll be right there. Can you come take over for me here?” She motioned some of the VIP guests to the designated area as she waited for Derek to answer.

She felt someone nudge her shoulder, and when she turned around, she smiled at Derek. The man had been a permanent fixture in her life for as long as the other guys. Tour managers were a dime a dozen, but Derek stood out from the rest. There was something so calm and serene about the man; he was one of the best. “Go before the man has a heart attack.”

“Going, going. Thanks, D.” She was heading toward the backstage entrance when she heard her private frequency come on and Derek’s voice followed. “Make sure you have him stage ready at nine o’clock. That gives you guys thirty minutes.”

Before she could reply and stop Derek’s laughter, she heard the channel go offline. She crossed paths with a few crew members on her way to Jarrod’s dressing room, making small talk, but keeping the conversation minimal.

Standing outside of Jarrod’s dressing room, she gave herself a mental rundown. She was wearing a purple sundress and her cowboy boots, and her hair was pulled back in a ponytail. It wasn’t her sexiest look, but she knew it didn’t matter to him.

She took a deep breath, opened the door, and walked straight into the lion’s den. Judging by the intense way he was looking at her, she was definitely his prey.

“Close the door.” His voice was stern. She didn’t blink or think twice. Patricia closed the door and flipped the lock. Leaning against the door, she took her time to look him over. He wore black jeans that left nothing to the imagination and nothing else. She noticed his shirt for tonight’s show sat on the side table. Her eyes went straight back to him. With his hair hidden under a baseball cap and his face unshaven, the man was pure sexual energy.

Without breaking eye contact, he took a few steps toward her, but stopped before getting too close. His expression said he wanted to eat her up. “I’ve been going crazy all day, being close to you, but not being able to touch you. Feeling you beside me, but not being able to pull you close. Seeing you look at me like I’m the sexiest thing in the world and not being able to kiss you, but now I have you here, all to myself, and I intend to make the best out of the fifteen minutes we have left.”

With one stride, his six-foot-three frame loomed over her; his hands were on her hips pulling on the material of her dress. She licked her lips, needing to feel his on hers, and he didn’t deny her. He lowered his lips and took hers in a passionate kiss. His hands never left her body as he possessed her with his kiss. When he bit down on her lower lip, she moaned and her hands pressed against his chest. Wishing she had something to pull on to bring him closer, she wrapped her arms around him.

“You drive me fucking crazy,” he told her before kissing her jaw, then her neck as he pulled her dress up and his hands found her breasts. “Absolutely fucking crazy.”

Patricia could barely breathe; she needed to feel all of him. Reaching down to the front of his jeans, she undid the button and slid down the zipper. She loved that he went commando during his shows. Her hand gripped his cock at the same time as his fingers entered her. Her head slammed back against the door, but she never let go. Her hand pumped up and down, squeezing at the base, while his fingers thrust in and out of her. Lights began to dance before her eyes as her orgasm built. The minute Jarrod pulled away from her, she protested, but he explained, “Babe, I need to feel you come all around me.” He took her mouth for another intense kiss before moving them to the sofa.

“Five minutes till show time,” Derek’s voice rang through her ear-piece as Jarrod lowered his jeans and entered her in one swift move, causing her to cry out in pleasure.

He muffled her cries with his kiss, before whispering against her ear, “This is going to be fast, babe.” Jarrod plunged in and out of her as he bit down on her shoulder. She knew it would leave a mark, but she didn’t care. Her nails dug into his back, urging him to go faster, deeper.

“Jarrod, please,” she begged, desperate for release.

“Please what, babe?” He teased her like he owned her body, playing her like a finely tuned guitar, and she loved every minute of it.

“Make me come, Jar.” She was begging for it; hell, she would give up everything she owned for the man who was on top of her, bringing her pleasure that she had never knew was possible. She was having sex in a dressing room, for crying out loud. When he rubbed her clit again, she forgot about everything except the two of them, right then and there.

When her orgasm hit her, she screamed his name, and a few seconds later, he groaned hers as his orgasm shook him from head to toe. He didn’t move, didn’t pull out of her; they just stayed like that lost in each other’s eyes until Derek’s voice came into her ear. “Trish, I need my singer for this show to start.”

The interruption startled them into laughter. Finally, Jarrod got up and grabbed two washcloths from the bathroom. He handed one to Patricia and cleaned himself up with the other. He grabbed his shirt from the table and headed for the door, but her hands on his shoulders stopped him.

Patricia wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her breasts against his back. On her tiptoes, she whispered in his ear, “Have a good show,” before pressing a kiss on to the back of his neck.

After a crazy show, she was happy to be sipping a hot cup of coffee while sitting in the back lounge of the bus, answering emails and finalizing all the details ready for the guys’ appearance on
Good Morning America
. She couldn’t help but smile at the countless memories of her and Jarrod on this bus. To see where they were now in their relationship was surreal, and if she was honest, it scared the living daylights out of her. Her phone rang, bringing her back to reality.

“Mrs. Banks, what a nice surprise.” Patricia had instantly fallen in love with Jarrod’s mom the first time they’d met.

“Hi, honey, how are you? Are the boys behaving?” Jarrod’s mom, Christine, called her occasionally to check in on her or invite her over to dinner, but talking to her now, after everything that had happened with Jarrod, felt very different.

“You know how they are. Boys will be boys.” Just then, Jarrod walked into the back lounge, fresh from the shower, with wet hair and wearing nothing but jeans. She whispered that she was on the phone with his mom, and he sat beside her with his hand on her thigh.

“Yes, they will. Well, honey, I won’t keep you long. I just wanted to invite you to dinner when you guys get into town. We haven’t seen your face in a while, and we all miss you.” Patricia let the words sink in before answering. This would be the first time she’d be invited as Jarrod’s girlfriend, and what if that changed everything? But she wouldn’t allow herself to worry about that now.

“I’ll be there. You know I always love seeing you. We get into town the day after tomorrow and we’re there for three days. So anytime is great.”

“I assume my son is with you?” she asked her in a humorous tone, like she already knew the answer.

“Yes, he is.” Patricia nuzzled her face into his neck, desperate for his touch.

“Great, then tell him dinner will be Sunday night. See you both then.” Then she hung up.

Patricia closed her laptop and glanced at the man who’d stolen her heart. “Let’s go to bed.”

Jarrod

If anyone would have told him that being in a relationship was going to make him this happy, he would have tried to make this happen much sooner for them. The last couple of days had been so amazing, he had to frequently ask himself if this was all a dream. But every time he doubted she was real, she found a way to prove him wrong.

When Jarrod woke on Sunday morning with Trish’s soft naked body pressed against his, he was sure he was the luckiest man alive. They had decided to stay in the night before, and Jarrod had convinced her to stay over at his place. She had cooked them what had to be the best damn meal he had ever had, and they drank wine and sat by the fire. Jarrod could testify that most of the surfaces in his house had been tested by his woman’s insatiable sex drive.

He ran his hand down her spine, and when her big brown eyes opened, he just had to kiss her. His hand slid lower to palm her ass while her fingers traced the tattoos on his chest down to his hipbone. “Woman, you might kill me. I just can’t get enough of you.” The words were lost in the feel of her lips on his neck and chin, and when she bit his lower lip and straddled him, his control slipped.

He grabbed her hair with a fair amount of force, which, judging by the sounds coming out of her mouth, she more than enjoyed. He flipped her onto her back and bent his head to kiss her. “This is going to be hard and fast.” And that was exactly what he gave her for the rest of the day, time after time, until they had to leave for dinner.

Driving to his mom’s house, he caught a glimpse of her looking out the window. He was taken aback by how fucking beautiful and at peace she looked with her hair loose, and falling over her shoulders. “You’re beautiful,” he told her, keeping his eyes on the road. Her hand touched his and their fingers intertwined.

“You’re pretty handsome yourself.” When they pulled up to his mom’s house, tension rolled off Trish. She had nothing to be worried about, but the fact that she told him showed just how important this night was for her.