Just One Week (Just One Song) (5 page)

“You keep thinking that hard and your head might explode.” Chase grins at me with that crooked smile, sets his pen down, and leans back on the couch. He rocks his head side to side, stretching his neck muscles. “What are you thinking about?”

“I was just thinking about my mom,” I say with a sigh followed by a yawn that I can’t even begin to fight. This day has been exhausting, and the longer I sit still, the more tired I become.

Chase frowns for a second and nods his head like he understands. He does, to an extent. I’ve told him about my mom being sick, how Elijah took over all the cooking and became a parent to me – making sure I got to school, ate, and finished my homework. Chase only knows a minimum about my dad though because I hate talking about him. He used to be the perfect dad – playing outside with us, taking us to parks and ballgames, helping us with our homework. Now he’s got this red swollen nose and constant bloodshot eyes from years of heavy drinking and we consider it a good day if he remembers to change his clothes without my mom telling him to. It’s about once a week.

“You know,” he starts to say and leans forward on his elbows, hands clasped together. “You don’t always have to be the one taking care of everything for everyone else.”

I roll my eyes. It’s a common reaction to people telling me what to do. I can’t help it. “I don’t.”

Chase guffaws. “Right. Because you didn’t take care of your parents for years when you should have been enjoying high school and college. And you didn’t move in with Nicole for months after Mark and Andrew’s death. And you didn’t turn down half a dozen promotions after that because you couldn’t bear to leave her so messed up. You take care of everyone you love, which is admirable. I just wonder if you will let other people take care of you when you need it.”

My whole body bristles in annoyance. I let people help me, don’t I? Elijah helped me for years. Nicole and I have always been there for one another.

“Screw you, Chase. You don’t know anything.”

I hate that he can piss me off so quickly, and he’s done it twice tonight. Chase grits his teeth together like he’s suddenly pissed off that I have the gall to remind him that we’re not actually in a relationship.

Then his jaw relaxes and he winks at me. “You ever join the mile high club?”

I laugh. I can’t help it. This is Chase. He pushes me until he can’t push anymore and then he backs off, acting like we’re just two friends who have sex sometimes. I hate when he does this. And yet, I love it because this Chase is easy to be around.

“That’s not the screwing I was talking about.”

“A man can dream.”

“Keep dreaming because it’s absolutely not happening tonight.”

Chase throws his head back and laughs. Then he clasps his hands together behind his head and relaxes against the back of his couch. “But you’re leaving room for another?”

I want to tell him to shut up. I also sort of want to take him up on his offer, but just as I’m debating how to respond while he sits there smiling at me, I yawn again. It’s large and loud and almost embarrasses me.

“There’s a bed in the back you know.” He wiggles his eyebrows at me in a suggestive way.

“Shut up,” I say, laughing once.

He throws his hands up in an innocent gesture. “Get your head out of the gutter. If you’re tired, go back and sleep. I’ll wake you up when the plane lands.”

A bed sounds fantastic right now. And yet, I don’t really feel like being alone. Chase showing up at my doorstep wasn’t ideal, but his company has been distracting enough that I haven’t had to think about losing my job and what else that means for me now.

I take a deep breath and close my eyes. I hate this feeling. That everything I worked so hard for, spent years busting my ass for, just got ripped out of my hands and out of my life. I hate feeling out of control, and I’m not sure I want to go into a dark room alone with all of my thoughts right now. I’m afraid my life will be like a house made of cards and if I let that top card blow over, everything else will tumble underneath. I hate feeling like I’m one more crazy thought away from everything falling to shit.

“Would you want … I mean … never mind.” I shake my head at my own stuttering and inability to ask for what I want. I don’t want to be alone, but being so close to him right now isn’t smart either.

Chase chews on the inside of his cheek and purses his lips while I walk away. I can feel his eyes on me until I get into the bedroom and shut the door.

The bed is inviting me, practically calling my name out loud, to lay down and relax for once today. I’m barely able to brush my teeth and wash my face I feel so tired.

Minutes later, once I’m crawled under the covers, I’m trying to think about anything except what I’m going to do about my job when the door slowly opens. I don’t need to turn my head or open my eyes to know that it’s Chase.

For one, there’s no one else on the plane with us. And two, the man always seems to know what I need without me having to say it.

I sort of hate him for it.

Without saying a word, he strips off his shirt and jeans, leaving only his boxer briefs on. I can’t see him, but that’s what he wears and I know they’re perfectly formed to every inch of his muscular thighs and probably white. His skin always has a little bit of a tan, making his boxer briefs look that much brighter and sexier.

I shiver when he climbs in bed next to me, and with one arm, pulls me to his chest so my back is lined against every hard muscle on his body.

“If you didn’t want to sleep alone all you had to do was ask.” He whispers it against my neck, his warm breath so close to my skin and the sensitive spot behind my ear that goose bumps flare up all over my body instantly.

“Sometimes, Chase, I think I sort of hate you.”

He chuckles softly and his fingers on my stomach dig into my skin, just slightly, like I’ve made him flinch.

“I know you do, babe, but just let someone else help you tonight. You can go back to being your strong, independent, kick-ass self tomorrow.”

I can feel his heart beating against my back and smell his cologne, a mixture of pine and leather, as I fall asleep.

Mia’s heart beat eventually slows down when she falls asleep. I brush a lock of her long blonde hair out of her eyes and fight the urge to gently kiss her cheek, afraid I’ll wake her up. Taking a deep breath, I lean forward just enough to be able to smell her beautiful soft skin. I hate the sadness I saw in her earlier today. Her eyes were red and swollen, and I instantly wanted to pound the shit out of whoever made her cry.

I’ve seen a lot of shit go down in the last couple of years. Drama with her family. Drama between Zack and Nicole before they finally figured their shit out. Yet, never once did she come close to crying. But take away her job? The career she loves? It pisses me off seeing her so upset, knowing how much she wanted this job and how damn good she is at it.

I pull her closer to me, holding her tightly because I know as soon as she wakes up, she’ll flip her hair, smile, leave the plane, and we’ll go back to being friends.

I fucking hate the friends with benefit zone, and I hate that the first time I even want to try a relationship with a woman it’s this one, who has so many walls built up around her that she’s impossible to actually get to know. I didn’t want to feel this way about Mia. She is the perfect woman for a guy like me. She likes sex, she likes fun, and she expects nothing else.

Which is awesome and all I’ve ever wanted. At least it was until this woman got under my skin. Now I can’t stop thinking of her when I’m in New York and I have to fight to not drill Nicole for answers about her when I’m in L.A.

I love that she says what’s on her mind and doesn’t care if it ticks someone off, that she loves her career, that she’s the first person to stick up and stand by Nicole when anything happens. But there’s this other part of Mia, beyond the laughing and smart-ass comments and great sex, that is closed up in a box, taped and packaged tighter than a bomb.

Growing up in the foster care system, I never had a real family. It wasn’t until I met Zack and Jake when we were teenagers that music even hit my radar. And as far as family, or a woman, I never wanted it.

Until Mia came practically skipping into that sound check over two years ago with Nicole, flirted with everyone in the band, and eventually spent a weekend on the tour bus. That weekend sucked for Zack when Nicole took off, but when Mia wasn’t reassuring Zack that everything would work out, we had an absolute blast and it was the first time I thought … maybe I can do this relationship shit everyone says is so great.

Slowly, I take my hand from Mia’s hip and run it across my forehead, frustrated. Not just because Mia frustrates me, but because she’s next to me and I walked right into this situation and she feels so damn good. She fits perfectly lined up against me, her tall slender frame feeling almost delicate wrapped up in me.

Everyone always said the love of a good woman can change a man and I always knew they were full of shit. Except I might actually love this one, but I know if I tell her, she’ll run as fast as her gorgeous legs can carry her and never speak to me again.

Fuck me. Love sucks.

I need a cigarette, or to punch something. But since neither are available, I take a deep breath and just hold her closer.

She might wake up and be so pissed at what I have planned for her that she’ll never speak to me again. It’s a gamble, a big one. But it’ll be worth it if I can just get her to see that we’re perfect for each other. I close my eyes, inhaling Mia’s sweet scent before I feel myself drift off into my own restless dreams.

When I wake up a little bit later, Mia is still fitted perfectly against my side and I realize that neither of us moved while we were sleeping.

I can never imagine another woman making me feel the same way that she makes me feel. The day I asked her to make our relationship more permanent, I saw the look on her face and knew I had lost her. It hasn’t stopped me from trying to get through to her, but damn if this woman isn’t the most stubborn thing I’ve ever met. I tried to move on. I went out on a few dates, hooked up with a few women, but no one ever made me feel like she does – in bed or out of it.

Is it like that for her? Does Mia date other guys when I’m not around? I choke on that thought and close my eyes, resting my head against my pillow. Do other men touch her? Do they know that she’s ticklish in only one spot, right above her left hip bone? I groan at the thought of another man touching her, his hands rubbing up along her soft skin, pleasing her and hearing the little moans she makes. Drives me crazy. And then a thought I like even less seeps into my brain before I can stop it. Is this why she hasn’t returned my calls in months? Is she dating someone?

I shake my insecure and dumb as shit thoughts out of my head. If Mia were dating someone Nicole would have said something. And if she is, then she’ll stop me soon because if I might only have one night with Mia I’m sure as shit not wasting it.

I almost don’t want to wake her up knowing how long her day has been. She probably needs the sleep, but I’ve never claimed to be selfless.

I pull her to my chest and everything south of my waist immediately wakes up. I groan slightly and press a gentle kiss right behind her ear and she shifts her hips back into me. She’s not awake yet, and I almost feel like a prick. But God she smells so good. It’s not her perfume, or any of that smelly lotion shit some girls slather themselves with. It’s just her. And her scent instantly makes me hard.

My hands come alive with a mind of their own and I slowly move one hand along her side. I pause slightly when I reach the swell of her breast, resisting the urge to play with it some more. Instead, one finger light rubs along the underside and then my hand moves further down, caressing her stomach lightly. She shivers and her breath hitches a little bit. I still my hand for just a second to see if she’s going to push me away, but instead she shifts slightly closer to me. One side of my lip quirks up and I lick my lips, wetting them before I place another soft kiss on her neck.

Her body tenses for a split second and I realize she’s awake. Not only is she awake, she’s also not pushing me away. My hand moves to her waist and then slowly down to her hip. I squeeze it gently before following the line of her hip down to her thighs. God she feels so good under my rough skin. Smooth as silk and soft. Mia is just so soft. She’s the complete opposite of my callused hands, but damn it if she isn’t the most amazing woman I’ve ever touched.