Jaded (Music City Moguls Book 5) Read online

  “Of course, go ahead.” He considered excusing himself to give her privacy, but discounted the idea when he saw the swarm of rabid fans eyeing him. Sitting here with her made him feel like he was in a protected bubble and he liked it. Maybe a little too much.

  “Hey, Gina. What’s up?” Josie asked. “Is there a problem?” She frowned as she listened. “He did what?” Her eyes darted to D.J., looking uncomfortable as she shifted in her seat. “Okay, just put them in my office. No, tell him, I’m uh, busy tonight. Yeah, okay. I’ll be in to open in the morning. Thanks, bye.”

  “Problem?”

  She blushed, shaking her head slowly. “No, it was just…” She looked like she was considering her options. Lie or tell the truth? Finally, she said, “A guy that I went out with last week brought flowers in for me. He’s a client at the gym.” Rubbing her fingers over her forehead, she muttered, “It was stupid. I never should have gone out with him. I don’t normally date clients, but he was so persistent. I was working late one night and I was famished. We were walking out to the parking lot together and he suggested grabbing a quick bite. I thought it would just be a casual thing, but—”

  “He won’t leave you alone now?” D.J. grinned, though he wasn’t amused. For some reason he felt something akin to jealousy, knowing there were probably too many men trying to get that elusive second date with her.

  “Something like that.” She sighed. “I’ll just have to tell him—”

  “That you don’t do second dates.”

  “Right.” She smiled, gesturing to him. “See? You get it. It’s not a difficult concept to understand, is it?”

  “It kind of is.” He didn’t want to argue, but no way was he letting her leave thinking this would be their one and only date. He was determined to see her again, even if it meant breaking every damn rule in her book. “We obviously have chemistry. I like you. A lot. Why can’t we see each other again?”

  She laughed softly, shaking her head, until she realized he was serious. “Even if I did date, which I don’t, I definitely don’t date guys like you. No offense.”

  “Guys like me?” He scowled as he reached for his beer. “What the hell does that mean?”

  “Please don’t be offended. It’s just that your reputation precedes you.”

  “And you think your best friend would have set you up with me if I were really as bad as people say I am?” He was trying hard not to let the bitterness seep into his voice, but it wasn’t easy. He knew his privacy was one of the trades he’d agreed to make for fame, but this was the first time he’d felt it was a price too high to pay. If they’d met for the first time with no pre-conceived opinions, he had no doubt he would be taking her out again tomorrow night in spite of her stupid rule.

  “I think Cassidy meant well,” she said hesitantly, seeming guarded. “She wants me to get out and have fun. She says I work too much and take things too seriously. She knew I would have a good time with you and I have. You’re fun and easy going. Maybe we can be friends?”

  “Friends?” He narrowed his eyes at her. “How about friends with benefits? ’Cause I’m thinkin’ that’s the only way I’d agree to that proposal.” He was teasing and she knew it, trying to lighten the suddenly tense mood.

  “You’re too much.”

  “Darlin’, you have no idea.” The heated glance they exchanged should have set off the overhead sprinklers, it was that hot. “Listen, I know you don’t do second dates, so I’m thinkin’ I really need to make the most of this one. Come back to my place.”

  Her mouth slipped open before she snapped it shut. “I don’t do one-night stands either. I thought I told you that.”

  He chuckled as he reached into his pocket and tossed some cash on the table. “Let me get this straight. You don’t do one-night stands or second dates. Am I to assume you don’t have sex then?”

  Josie’s face lit up like a blazing inferno as she crumpled her napkin in her hand. “The second date thing is a fairly new rule.”

  Now I’m really curious. “What prompted it?”

  She looked at him a long time as though considering whether she should tell him the whole story. Finally, she sighed, tossing her napkin on her abandoned plate. “I was in a relationship. He was great. We dated for a few months.”

  “What happened?” He didn’t want to hear that she still had a thing for him… that he’d broken her heart and she was holding out hope that he’d come to his senses and come back to her. “Did you end it or did he?”

  “I did. He was looking for something more. He wanted to take our relationship to the next level, move in together, and I wasn’t ready. That’s when I realized I didn’t think I’d ever be ready to go there again.” She folded her hands on the table. “So now I’m happily single.”

  “Just because he wasn’t the right guy for you doesn’t mean you should give up.” He didn’t know why it was so important for him to convince her of this, but he couldn’t let it go.

  “But that’s just it,” she said, sounding frustrated. “He was the right guy for me. He was perfect in every way, everything my ex-husband wasn’t. He was thoughtful, considerate, wanted to spend all his free time with me—”

  D.J. stuck his tongue out, gagging. “God, no wonder you dumped him.”

  “Excuse me?” she asked, folding her arms.

  She looked hotter than hell when she was irritated. He decided he’d have to make more of an effort to get her all riled up. “He sounds more like a lap dog than a boyfriend. I don’t care what you claim, every woman wants a man who’ll push her buttons sometimes, who’ll challenge her, fight with her.” He winked. “Make-up sex is the best kind, baby.”

  “Funny, you sound just like Bryan.”

  Ouch. Point taken. “How about you let me help you redefine your idea of the perfect man?”

  Her lips twisted as she tried to keep a straight face.

  He laughed. “You look like you just sucked on a lime.”

  “Oh, shut up!” Her dimples flashed as she balled up another paper napkin and aimed it as his chest.

  He caught her missile, tossing it up in the air. “You know, that offer still stands. Come on, how about a drink at my place?”

  Josie checked her watch. “I promised myself I’d be in bed by ten.”

  “You can be. My bed.”

  “You’re an arrogant as—”

  “Can I get y’all anything else?” the harried waitress asked.

  “No,” D.J. said, smirking. “I think we’re ready to call it a night, aren’t we, sweetheart?”

  Chapter Two

  Josie couldn’t believe she was actually following the D.J. Stevens, country music’s hottest bad boy, back to his home, which appeared to be in the middle of nowhere. What the hell was she thinking? That he was sexy? Yes. Funny? Hmmm mmm. Charming? She was in so much trouble.

  She followed the taillights of his late-model Ford pickup truck into the winding gravel drive. She loved that he drove a pickup instead of some expensive foreign sports car that wouldn’t have suited him. He was real. Down to earth. And she liked that about him. Which explained why she was here instead of snuggling under her down duvet at 10:18 p.m.

  He hopped out of the truck and made his way back to her car, opening the door of her Cadillac CTS before she could. “Welcome to my humble abode,” he said, bending at the waist as he gestured toward the red brick, two-story home with a wraparound porch.

  “I love it,” she said sincerely. It wasn’t pretentious at all. On the contrary, it seemed warm and welcoming, much like the man himself.

  “Wait ’til you see the inside,” he said, his dark eyes shining with excitement. “It’s totally original, right down to the old wood banister. I worked with a designer who specialized in restoring old farmhouses like this and she found salvaged material that had been in the neighboring homes before they were destroyed or torn down. A tornado blew through here about twenty years ago, and a lot of the houses weren’t salvageable. This one was, but it took a hell
of a lot of sweat and money to bring it back from the dead.”

  “Why not just tear it down and start over again?”

  He chuckled. “My parents asked me the same thing, but there was just something special about this place. I felt it as soon as I walked in. I think it reminded me of my grandparents’ old farmhouse back in Georgia. God, I used to love that old place.”

  She watched him open the door thinking he does have a sensitive side, and family is clearly at the top of his list of priorities. Interesting.

  As soon as she stepped inside, she understood why he didn’t have the heart to tear it down. It was remarkable in a totally understated way. She felt as if she were stepping back in time, glimpsing at a little piece of history. From the dark solid wood doors and moulding to the scarred, strip hardwood floors, it told a story of the generations who’d lived there before.

  “It’s perfect, D.J.”

  “Thanks.” He held her hand as he led her into what would have been the parlour, followed by the enormous formal dining room and, by contrast, much smaller kitchen. “The thing about these houses that deters some people is the size of the kitchen and the formal rooms, which aren’t so popular anymore. I guess people think they’re just a waste of space.”

  “But you don’t agree?” she asked, already knowing the answer to that question. He wouldn’t have gone to all this trouble if he hadn’t appreciated everything about this gem.

  “No, I think this place has character.” As he led her to a less formal sitting room furnished with oversized leather furniture she suspected he selected strictly based on comfort, he said, “Take that big ’ole wood banister, for example. My parents had one just like it in our old ranch house and me and my kid brother used to make our mama crazy seein’ who could slide down it the fastest.” He chuckled. “Then my brother broke his arm and that put an end to that game.”

  “I guess so.” She smiled, utterly charmed by the story he depicted of his childhood. He told her he’d grown up in Macon, Georgia, but moved to Nashville to pursue a music career seven years ago. When his parents were ready to retire and sell the ranch, they moved to Nashville to be closer to him, buying a house on some acreage just up the road from his.

  One of the things she missed most about Chicago was her parents and two younger sisters, so she could appreciate D.J.’s connection to his family. It was another facet of his personality that made it difficult not to like him.

  “What can I get you to drink?” he asked, settling her on the sofa. “Wine? Beer? I know, how ’bout a shot of Jack?”

  He was clearly teasing her. She told him she didn’t drink much and he said he would make it his personal mission to get her drunk, just so she’d know what she’d been missing.

  “I really shouldn’t,” she said, shaking her head regretfully. “I have to drive home.”

  “You don’t have to drive,” he said, lifting an eyebrow. “You’re welcome to spend the night here.”

  He’d been flirting with her all through dinner, letting her know where he hoped this evening would end, but she never thought she’d actually consider his offer. She wasn’t that kind of girl. She didn’t take sex lightly. In fact, she’d abstained for almost a year, which may explain why she was considering his outrageous offer.

  “Damn, girl,” he said, his drawl more pronounced. “I’ve got you thinkin’ about it, haven’t I?”

  She wanted to feign innocence, but knew it was a lost cause. “I’m not gonna pretend I’m not attracted to you, D.J. I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t.”

  He sat down beside her, turning to face her with his arm along the back of the sofa. “As long as we’re bein’ honest, it’s been a hell of a long time since a woman’s got me this riled up. You walked into that bar tonight and I felt like I’d been struck by lightin’.”

  Josie suspected he was exaggerating, but hey, the man was paying her a compliment. Who was she to argue?

  “You don’t believe me, do you?” He looked into her eyes intently as though he were trying to read her mind. “You think I’m just feedin’ you a line, that I say that to all the girls, just to try and get them into bed, huh?”|

  “Honestly?” she said, patting his knee. “I don’t think you have to work very hard to get a woman into bed.”

  “But you’re different. You don’t think I can see that?”

  It was difficult to ignore the flutter his words evoked. Of course she wanted to believe this sexy celebrity, who could have any woman he wanted, wanted her. But she wasn’t that naïve. He’d just met her. He was saying what he thought he had to just to avoid sleeping alone tonight.

  “Still not convinced, huh?”

  “You don’t have to convince me,” she said, patting his cheek. “Of anything.”

  “Kiss me.”

  Her eyes widened in shock. “Excuse me?”

  “You heard me. Kiss me. Then tell me this isn’t different. If you kiss me and feel nothing, we can call it a night and you can stick to your one date rule with no argument from me.”

  “And if I do—”

  “If it’s as hot as I know it will be, you agree to a second date. That’s it. Just one more date. I’m not asking you to sleep with me, just spend more time with me.”

  She wanted to argue, but he made it difficult. “Why is this so important to you? I’m willing to bet you were out with a pretty blonde last night and you probably have a redhead slated for tomorrow night.”

  He flashed a quick grin as he dipped his head. “Actually, she’s a brunette.”

  Josie’s smile slipped. She’d wanted him to tell her that she was wrong about him, that he wasn’t the player he was reported to be. But he couldn’t do that because she believed, despite his wandering eye, he valued honesty and had integrity.

  “Then why are you wasting your time with me?” she asked, inching back into the deep cushions. “I already told you I don’t do casual sex and neither one of us is looking for a relationship.”

  “Did I say I wasn’t looking for a relationship? No. I think you’re the only who said that.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Three women in three days and you’re telling me you’re looking to settle down?”

  He chuckled. “I didn’t say I’d had sex with three women in three days, just that I’ve been out havin’ a good time. That’s what life is all about, right? Havin’ fun?”

  “I suppose so.” She didn’t mean to sound so judgemental. It was his life to live as he saw fit and he certainly didn’t have to answer to her or anyone else, but that didn’t mean she was interested in playing his game.

  “What do you like to do for fun, Jos?” He ran his hand through her hair before cupping the back of her neck.

  Jos? It was tough to concentrate with his warm hand branding her, but she knew she had to try to form a coherent sentence if she didn’t want him to know how affected she was by the innocent touch. “Um, I work a lot. For me, that’s fun.”

  “And?”

  “I spend time with girlfriends when I have time off.” Her network of friends was the only thing that kept her sane sometimes.

  “What do y’all like to do?”

  She smiled, feeling self-conscious. “Do you really want to know?”

  “I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t, sweetheart.”

  “Well, we go shopping, have spa days, go to concerts or to Jimmy’s. Sometimes we go out for dinner or to see a movie.” She shrugged. “Just depends what we’re all in the mood for, I guess.”

  “Concerts, huh?” He grinned. “How would y’all like to be my special guests at a benefit concert next weekend? It wouldn’t be a date if all your friends were there, now, would it?”

  She couldn’t help but laugh. “Are you trying to get me on a technicality?”

  “Honey, I’ll take you any way I can get you.”

  ***

  D.J. was aching to kiss her. He thought issuing that challenge might be the best way, but so far, she hadn’t taken him up on his offer. And he was getting impatient.
He couldn’t stand sitting so close to her and not tasting those sweet lips. He felt like a damn teenager trying to get laid for the very first time.

  “Well, I guess I should go,” she said, stifling a yawn.

  “No!” He bit his tongue when he realized it came out as a demand instead of a request. Josie didn’t strike him as the kind of woman who took orders from any man. “I mean, you’re tired. Why don’t you just spend the night here, or at least let me drive you home? I can drop your car off at your work. I’ll have my brother follow me in the truck.”

  “That’s a sweet offer, but I couldn’t inconvenience you that way.”

  “You’re not inconveniencing me. And you’re not driving home when you’re tired. End of discussion. ” He knew he was doing exactly what he said he wouldn’t, trying to dominate her, but when it came to her safety, he wasn’t willing to compromise.

  She shook her head, trying to hide her smile. “You’ve really got this whole alpha male thing down, don’t you? Do your other girlfriends like it?”

  He wanted to tell her he could care less what anyone else thought of him, but he knew she wouldn’t believe him. She was determined to believe the worst about him until he could figure out a way to prove to her he was sincere about wanting to spend more time with her, just for the sake of getting to know her better.

  It had been a long time since a woman intrigued him this much, and he wasn’t willing to let her walk away without giving him a chance. “What other girlfriends?” He grinned, trying to charm her. “Believe me, when I’m with you, I’m not thinkin’ about anyone else.”

  Her eyes travelled to his lips as a small, reluctant smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “You, D.J. Stevens, are very, very bad for me. I should run as far and fast as I can.”

  “But you’re not going to,” he said, reaching for her hand. He brought it to his lips, placing a kiss on the inside of her wrist. “Because you’re as intrigued as I am. Face it, Cassidy may have been right about us… havin’ a connection.”