I heard someone choke beside me, no doubt from her statement. She took a much longer drink of whiskey than I’d ever seen anyone take.

“Her momma is a stripper?” Hensley asked as he stared at her in openmouthed amazement. As if Jess hadn’t already drawn attention, this piece of information was going to go through the room like wildfire.

“Shut up,” I replied, and picked up my drink, needing to hover over her and protect her from the horny males who were just going to get worse when they found out her momma’s profession.

“I can’t believe you announced that,” I said to her quietly as I led her away from the bar.

“Why? They’re never going to see me again, and they’ll all talk about you like you’re a badass for bringing a stripper’s daughter commando to one of their uppity parties. And whoever I’m supposed to be making jealous, I assure you, she is fuming. You’ll have her back in your arms in no time. Just get rid of me first.”

What the hell was she talking about? Make who jealous? Had someone told her about me and Johanna? That relationship had only been in Jo’s head. All I had done was have sex with her once, months ago. “What are you talking about?” I asked her.

She took another long drink. “I’m talking about the reason you brought me to this thing. I couldn’t figure out why you’d want me to come as your date when you could do so much better. I get it now. I’m the bad girl from the wrong side of the tracks meant to drive the ex-girlfriend mad with jealousy.”

That was what she thought? Shit. Of course it was. The insecurity that she was so damn good at hiding was still there. She had been used so many times in her life that she expected it. I had only wanted to spend some time with her and treat her differently. But in the end I had treated her the way she expected.

I grabbed her drink and set it on a tray as it went by, then led her to the door. I’d call later and apologize for leaving. Right now I was getting Jess out of here so we could talk.

“Where are we going?” she asked as I pulled her out the door and toward the elevator.

“We’re leaving,” I replied.

“Why?”

“Because I need to get you alone so I can explain to you how very wrong you are.”

She stiffened beside me. “If that means sex, we aren’t doing that anymore.”

I started to say something, when the elevator opened and I watched her ass as she walked inside. Just imagining it bare under that silky material was driving me fucking crazy.

When the elevator doors closed, I backed her up against the wall and pressed against her so she could feel just how turned on she made me. “No panties, Jess. No fucking panties. Don’t tell me we aren’t having sex anymore.”

She opened her mouth, but the elevator door opened and I reached for her hand and pulled her outside. I had forgotten to buzz the driver. I texted him and then pulled Jess over to a dark corner of the lobby.

“I didn’t bring you here to make anyone jealous. I brought you here because I like spending time with you,” I told her.

She bit her bottom lip and I watched, transfixed, as she let it free. “But you want distance now,” she said, breathing hard.

“This can’t happen. Us. It won’t work. I don’t have time. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want you,” I told her, sliding my hand down her hip until I finally touched the silk-covered bare ass of hers. “Fuck,” I whispered.

“Don’t. Please. If we can’t . . . If this is over when we get home, then don’t.” Her chest was rising and falling so rapidly I was positive she was about to pop free of that dress. If she could just wait until we were in the limo, I would make sure to give those sweet nipples all the attention they needed.

“But I want you. So damn bad,” I whispered before lowering my head and pulling her lip into my mouth and sucking on it. Women paid thousands to have lips this full and plump. I couldn’t get enough of them.

She kissed me back, pressing closer, and I felt my chest ease up. She was giving in.

“Your car is here, Mr. Stone,” a voice said behind me. Jess backed away immediately. I tucked her hand in the crook of my arm and led her out to the waiting limo. After the door closed, I reached for her again and she moved away, shaking her head.

“No. Don’t. I can’t do this,” she said. “It’s just sex for you, but I’m afraid it became more for me. I didn’t want to admit it, but after tonight I have to face it. I . . . This is going to hurt. You’re leaving. It’s going to hurt. I can’t make it worse. So don’t. Just, please, I need to go home.”

Chapter Fourteen

JESS

The flight home had been lonely. I had tried to close my eyes and sleep, but my heart hurt too much. I hadn’t even told Momma I was on my way home early. But by the time Kane had retrieved my bag from the limo and handed it to me, the front porch light had come on and the door opened.

I thanked Kane and walked away without looking back. I didn’t want to watch the car pull out of my driveway. Even though Jason wasn’t in it, I still felt like it was him leaving.

Momma stood at the door with her arms crossed over her chest, watching me. She was trying to figure it out. When my feet touched the bottom step, the first tear fell.

“Oh, baby,” she said, rushing to meet me and pull me into her arms. “I was afraid of this.” I let her lead me inside and to the sofa, where she held me close, patting my head like a child.

I needed the comfort. I had walked right into this, and I didn’t regret the memories, but I knew I wasn’t ever going to be the same.

“I know this hurts. But remember, he will never forget letting you go. It will be one of his biggest regrets,” she said against my head.

I wanted to smile, because leave it to my momma to believe a rock star’s privileged brother would regret letting me, of all people, go. A mother’s love really was unconditional. “He was kind,” I told her. I didn’t want her to think I was crying because he had been cruel.

“I know. I saw it in his eyes when he came to get you. That’s how I know he’ll regret this.”

I held on to her arms and let all the pain go. She let me cry and didn’t say anything else. My chest felt like it had exploded, but the smell of her soap and perfume was comforting. Finally I closed my eyes and drifted to sleep.

* * *

I didn’t leave my house for over a week. I worked on costumes for the club and sat in my room for hours, staring at the walls and remembering. It was ten days after I said good-bye to Jason that my bedroom door swung open and in sauntered Krit. He was the lead singer of the local band, Jackdown. He was also Trish’s little brother. We had grown up together. Trish and my cousin Rock had dated for most of our lives. Then they’d gotten married. Krit was the epitome of a man whore, but he was hard not to love.

“I fucking refuse to sing tonight if you’re not there. Won’t do it. Those motherfuckers can get their rocks off somewhere else. I’m sick of looking for your angel face and not seeing it,” he said as he plopped down on my bed and stretched his legs out in front of him, then put his hands behind his head. “Place is pointless without your sexy ass out there dancing. I don’t have you to make the girls jealous. Who the hell am I supposed to kiss like I’m fucking to drive the women mad if you aren’t there to grab? You’re screwing up my game, love.”

I couldn’t help but smile. I turned my head to look at Krit, who was now lying down beside me. “Did Rock send you?” I asked.

Krit made a mock face of horror. “Rock? Hell no, Rock didn’t send me. When the fucking hell do I do anything Rock tells me to? Never. That’s when. I came because I missed you. I need my tongue-fuck buddy. Come dance and give Green a hard-on. He misses getting one while we’re onstage. You always did it for him. Although, that tongue of yours must remain mine. Besides, Green would come in his damn jeans like a schoolboy if you planted one on him.”

Green was the bass player in Jackdown. Krit loved to harass Green about the one time he and I had gone out in high school when I had broken up with Hank. Green had told me he loved me after one date, and once Krit found out about it, Green never heard the end of it.

“You don’t need me to get women. They throw themselves, their panties, their bras, and anything else they can take off their body legally at you every night,” I reminded him, as if he needed reminding.

“I miss you, though.”

“How much are you getting paid to do this?” I asked teasingly.

“I was hoping to settle up payment with you. A hot fuck in the back room while I’m on break tonight. That always makes me sing better before the next set. Or hell, baby, we can do it here. I’m game,” he replied.

I laughed this time. I knew Rock was behind Krit’s showing up. There was no way Krit had noticed I was missing. He was just trying to make me laugh, and it was working.

“If I stripped naked and crawled on top of you right now, you wouldn’t fuck me, and we both know it, It never ends well for us. We’ve been there, done that,” I told him. We had tried that out when we were younger. It wasn’t that it was bad, because it was actually really good. We were just both so unstable that we couldn’t deal with a relationship. We were just good at the sex part. Then there was my inability back then to get over Hank.

Krit let out a hard laugh. “You wanna bet? Try me.”

Well, maybe he would. The guy was a sex fanatic.

“Come on, don’t tease me. Get naked and crawl on top, love.”

I punched his arm and he groaned, then gave me an evil laugh. “If you’re not gonna fuck me, at least come tonight.”

Going to Live Bay with everyone there watching me and wondering about what had happened didn’t sound appealing. I wasn’t in the mood for guys, either. I didn’t want to dance with any or have any of them grope me.

“I’m not in the mood for guys,” I told him.

Krit shot up in bed and looked down at me. “Holy hell, love. Are you saying you want a woman? ’Cause I’ll pay shitloads of money to see you with another woman. Fucking cut off my left nut to watch that.”

I shoved him and grimaced, causing him to laugh. “You’re so ridiculous. Of course not. That isn’t what I mean. I just don’t want the flirting and touching and all that.”

Krit lay back down beside me. “I’ll stake a claim to you tonight, and you’ll be safe. Just let me do my thing and everyone will know you’re taken. That way you can relax and enjoy the night.”

I glanced over at him. “What about your hookup for the night? Acting like you’re with me will screw that up for you,” I reminded him.

He reached over and tickled my stomach. “Let me at this body and you can make it all up to me.”

“Krit,” I said, throwing his hand off me. “Stop it.”

Krit tucked his hand back behind his head. “Fine. I get it. No touching. But tonight I’ll lay one on you and probably grab your ass at least twice so people can see. It’s the only way to show everyone you’re taken.”