Yes to Everything (19 page)

“Brooke, holy hell. We’re getting requests for Nickelback. We usually do two or three of theirs a night and you said you liked them. Anything you’d like to sing?” John was trying, and failing, not to look at her cleavage.

Her smile was huge, “I love Shakin’ Hands, Rock Star, Next Go Round, Something in Your Mouth. I know them all.”

“Of course you do, sweetheart. Why don’t you pick something and we’ll end with Rock Star. We gotta do that one.” He stood and Rex put her on stage.

Sidney and Jeanette were grabbing the men to come stand in front of the stage. Sidney said, “I sense something naughty coming. You’re going to want to be front and center for this. She does some very bad things in rehearsals, not that she could ever do them for a concert. We have to help her. I’m so glad we’ve been drinking.” Jeanette groaned and nodded. All the men’s brows went up and the two women sighed.

Motioning to her friends, the men lifted them up on stage. The riffs for Something in Your Mouth started as they stood in front of her and Brooke smiled. Putting a mic stand in front of them, she winked and they rolled their eyes.

Sidney and Jeanette kept time and helped her with backup vocals along with the band. Brooke skipped, jumped, and shook her ass all over the stage, even grinding against each woman as she sang. Jeanette was laughing and blushing. Sidney was totally into it.

Putting her arm around John’s shoulders while he played, he was in heaven, as she thumped her heel in time to the beat. The bar went wild and their dates came to lean on the stage and watch them. Her friends had their arms on each other’s shoulders, rocking to the beat, and filling in on the chorus. She ground her way to the floor and back up again in front of them. On the last note she went to her knees at the front of the stage and arched her body backwards, her hair on the floor.

The applause was deafening as she made Jeanette then Sidney turn their back to the room and fall, the Marines catching them while everyone laughed.

She did Rock Star and sat down at the edge of the stage to include the crowd. This time they came to her to sing and she was laughing as she sang with them. John filled in the sarcastic speaking parts in a deep voice that killed her.

At the end, she said, “Thank you for being so great. This is the most fun I’ve had in years. Good luck to each of you. I’ll come back when I’m in Chicago. For all the military personnel, past and present, thank you. For those of you still serving, please be safe.” They cheered for her as Rex lifted her down. She shrugged into her jacket and said, “Time to go, baby.” He nodded and led her to the front, the crowd cheering as she was leaving.

She glanced over her shoulder at the girls and Rex said, “They’re perfectly safe. I give you my word. They’ll be taken only where they choose to go. If that’s back to the hotel to sleep, that’s where the guys will take them.”

With a smile, she wrapped her arm around his waist and he opened the door to an explosion of flash bulbs. Rex turned to shield her and whirled her back inside. He went to the owner and John hopped down off the stage. Everyone had seen the lightening effect of cameras out front.

Sidney was livid, “Damn it. Fucking vultures! You can’t do anything without a pack of reporters.”

Mack appeared at their side. “It was one of the bar backs. He’s been taking video on his phone all night. Shot it to a friend who uploaded it to a celeb spotter site. I’m sorry, Brooke.”

She shook her head, “I haven’t done anything to be ashamed of. I’m sorry for bringing this to your place.”

The owner said, “Bullshit, you’re the most fun we’ve had in years. And you’re welcome back anytime, honey. We’ll get you out of here.” He whistled loudly and announced, “Everyone on a motorcycle. I need you to leave at the same time. We need to get our new friend away without her being followed. Who has a helmet we can use to cover her hair? Great. A few stay with her, those of you with ladies. Girls, put helmets on. Hide your hair if you can. Let’s hustle men.”

He pointed at the bar back being held between two Marines. “Not only are you fired, I may sue your ass. This is a private club asshole, members and their guests only. There are laws that protect anyone who comes in here from being filmed without their consent.”

There was a lot of activity as men paid tabs and went out to get helmets from their bikes. Every woman wore one. Sidney, Jeanette, and Brooke wrapped their hair tightly and pulled on helmets with visors. Rex wore a visor helmet as well. Then they all left at the same time, swarming through the exit doors. Rex straddled his bike and Brooke climbed on behind him.

The reporters raced for their vans. It sounded like a tornado when they all started their bikes together. Rex backed up and tore out, ten bikes around him. They spread out to prevent the one van in pursuit from passing.

When it was on the left, he took a hard right down a small side street, several bikes following, the rest going straight. He went left with another bike and the other bikes went right. Fifteen minutes later, they drove to the top level of a parking garage before killing the engines and lights. Jeanette took off her helmet with a huge smile.

Rex said, “From here, we can see the bar and the surrounding streets. Still a few bikes being followed, persistent little roaches, aren’t they? My place is over there, two blocks over. Fuck, there are two news vans parked in front.”

Mack glanced over his shoulder at Jeanette and she said shyly, “We’ll go to your place, you two go to Mack’s. We’ll pull up and walk in with the helmets on. Later, we’ll glance out the door all confused. That’s sure to piss them off.” He was grinning at her. “Oh, what? I haven’t even kissed a man in three years. Like I wasn’t going home with you…look at you.” Glancing at Brooke, she added, “I’m buzzed not drunk, by the way. You don’t have to worry.”

“I love the way you look at things,” Mack told her.

“Jeanette is very practical,” Brooke said with a smile. “It’s one of her many talents. Are you glad you came out tonight?” Jeanette nodded happily. “I knew it. Okay, let’s do this. All the cloak and dagger is having the naughtiest effect on me. Jeanette, I can see you’re also very affected. Good for you. I’ll see you at the hotel tomorrow. We have to roll out at three.” When her friend started to speak, Brooke cut her off. “Don’t. Don’t ask me any questions. I can’t handle it yet, honey. We’ll talk tomorrow.” Jeanette nodded and they all put their helmets back on.

As they shot out of the exit for the parking garage, Mack went one way and Rex went the other. Brooke snugged her body tight to Rex’s and hoped they didn’t have far to go. She wanted him so bad she was aching.

Jeanette and Mack…

Mack drove around Rex’s neighborhood for a few minutes before heading to his friend’s house. He wanted to scope things out but he also really liked how Jeanette felt against his back. She was trim and lovely but didn’t seem to know that.

Parking in front of Rex’s place, he shut off the bike and held Jeanette’s hand as she got off. Cameras were going off around them but neither of them responded. Getting off behind her, he picked her up and her legs wrapped around him as he went up the steps and unlocked the door with his spare key.

Shutting the door and locking it, he leaned her against the wall and took off their helmets. “I hope you don’t mind, you’re shorter than Brooke so I picked you up. I’d rather not put you down though, Jeanette. I find I like you right where you are.” Mack smoothed his hands through her hair and she sighed. Lowering his mouth to hers, he kissed her long and slow, taking his time with his tongue coiling around hers. “Are you honestly twenty-three, Jeanette?”

“I will be in a couple of months.”

He groaned and laid his head on her shoulder. “Honey, I’m fucking thirty-eight. You realize that, right? I am way too old for you. What the hell are you doing, baby?”

Jeanette’s eyes were wide and she seemed stunned, “There is no way in hell you’re self-conscious about your age, Mack. You do have mirrors, right? I could stare at you and pet you for hours. Do you have any idea what kind of men are normally attracted to me? Nerds. I’m not talking about movie-style nerds who are quirky and funny and endearing. No. I get rocket scientists who think talking to me about quantum physics is foreplay. To what, I have no idea because I have literally had two boyfriends who actually managed to wait until they were exposed before losing it completely. You’re laughing. This is no laughing matter. This is very serious stuff.”

“You’re a Mensa girl, aren’t you, Jeanette?” She nodded. “How the hell did you end up where you are?” He carried her into the living room, sitting on the couch with her straddling his lap. Jeanette seemed hesitant and he gave her a quick kiss. “Tell me your story, baby.” He rubbed his palms over the tops of her thighs and smiled.

“It’s certain to turn you off but okay.” She took a deep breath. “I’m an only child of only children who are so brilliant they’re stupid. I graduated high school at thirteen. I attended Princeton and have a Masters in education as well as a doctorate in psychology. I graduated when I was eighteen, right after I had a nervous breakdown no one noticed. I applied for a position as a nanny because I’d never been able to be around kids before. My parents nearly had a heart attack but I thought it was wonderful. I didn’t even realize what real kids were like.”

Mack trailed a finger over her cheek and she gave a little sigh, “When they started school last fall, I took some time off. I was living in Dallas when I saw the ad from Brooke’s record label for her assistant/nanny. I thought I might be a good fit. I organize her life, handle all her publicity; keep all the little pieces moving. But my favorite thing is being around her and her family. The four of them have made me laugh more in four months than the rest of my life combined. She makes me do things I would have never done a few months ago…like singing in front of people, dressing in non-business clothes, and going home with a man I don’t know and would never feel confident enough to approach. And there you have it, a thrill a fucking minute.”

Mack stared at her for a long time before he said, “I think you were definitely meant to meet me, Jeanette. I’m one of six kids. My mother is one of nine, my father one of eight. I have, quite literally, hundreds of relatives and there are no events where there aren’t at least twenty kids running around. I went into the military directly out of high school because I honestly had no interest in sitting in another classroom for any amount of time. When I finished my twenty last year, I opened a gym for military and law enforcement. I have good friends who I’ve had since I joined up and laughing is one of my favorite things to do.”

Stroking her silky hair back from her face, he continued, “I don’t know why you wouldn’t approach me; you are exactly my type…exactly the kind of woman I’m attracted to. Intelligent, classy, with a beauty you can’t buy. And though I love to talk about a great many topics, I don’t consider quantum physics foreplay on any planet and can promise you excellent control both in and out of bed. And since most people would have been in their mid-to-late twenties before they had one masters, much less a doctorate, plus four years of working, academically you’re right in my age group so I’m not going to bring that up again.” He cupped her head in his big hands and brought her to his mouth, smiling because she seemed so surprised.

Stroking through her hair, Mack watched Jeanette soak up every touch and knew he’d never met anyone more in need of human contact in his life. Most of her life had been barren of pleasure, something that hurt his heart for her. He’d been close to committing a couple of times before and he knew as he touched her carefully, this wasn’t a woman he could play with. This wasn’t a one-night-stand woman. For some reason that realization didn’t cause him to panic like it had with other women, probably because Jeanette wasn’t expecting anything from him. Whatever the case, she deserved every good thing Mack could give her.

He slipped his hands through her hair again and fisted his fingers in the silken length. His lips went over her jaw and down her neck, across her collarbone. “You have the softest skin, Jeanette, and you smell like peaches. I love peaches.”

Her hands were on his shoulders, her fingers clenched into the muscle. He moved over her shoulder and kissed his way over the hollow of her throat, licking it gently, to the other shoulder. The pulse in her throat was pounding and she was breathing rapidly. Never in his life had he been with someone so receptive, so responsive to simple touch. Her hands went into the hair he’d let grow longer over the last year, raking her short nails over his scalp and tugging it tentatively.

His arms tightened around her, pulling her more firmly against him and she gasped as she came in contact with the evidence of what she was doing to him. “Oh yes, Jeanette, that is all about you, darling. I’m very picky when it comes to women. I need just the right combination to interest me. Sweetheart, you have that combination in abundance. From the first moment I saw you, I was attracted to you. You’re understated and classically beautiful but when I told you that, you blushed. Then you got on the Harley. You’d never been on a motorcycle before tonight, have you?”

She shook her head as he kissed over the tops of her breasts. “You believed in my ability to keep you safe. The first time I kissed you at the bar you were nervous which told me you aren’t someone who allows just anyone to kiss you. Letting Brooke and Sidney pull you out of your comfort zone, says you want to have fun when you have the chance. How much fun you were having dodging the reporters. You being honest about wanting me, all these things make me want you in so many ways.”

Mack released her hair and Jeanette lowered her head to look at him. Her fingertips went over his face like butterflies. She leaned forward to kiss over him, following the path of her hands. They moved down to the thick column of his neck and she whispered, “You’re so warm. I love that you’re so warm, Mack.” Her fingers went to the top button of his shirt and she began moving down the row as she kissed him.

When every button was undone, she flattened her palms over his pecs and slid them over his stomach. Pulling back, she stared down at him in awe. “Oh my god. You’re so much more beautiful than I thought.” She was pressing into the hard muscles of his abs and asked, “What is that, a…a ten pack? Oh sweet lord.” He grinned, never happier about good genes and owning a gym in his life. “I never work out. I’m regretting that right now.”