Jaded (Music City Moguls Book 5) Read online

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Don’t I?” He feigned disinterest as he tuned the guitar to his satisfaction. “I think that’s why you won’t give us a chance because what you’re feeling now reminds you of what you felt when you met him, and that scares the hell out of you. You like being in control, and when you’re in a relationship, making yourself vulnerable, you can’t control the outcome.”

  “Maybe I like being on my own,” she said, raising her arms as she gestured to their surroundings. “I like running my own business without a partner I’m always butting heads with. I like coming home to a house I bought and decorated.” She pointed to the large flat screen in the corner. “I like watching HGTV whenever I want. I like everything just the way it is and I don’t need a pushy, arrogant man forcing his way into my life, trying to take over!”

  He watched her carefully when she finished her tirade. Her soft pink cheeks told him she was embarrassed by her outburst, but wouldn’t admit it to him. She had pride in spades and that only made her more irresistible. For the first time in… ever, he felt like he’d met his match.

  Chapter Five

  Josie was mortified that she’d put it all out there like that. Before long he’d be buying her a cat, a skein of yarn, and telling her to have a nice life.

  “You want to know the way I see it?”

  “I have a feeling you’re going to tell me whether I want to hear it or not.” Her sisters always told her that her smart mouth was going to get her into trouble someday. She feared today might be that day.

  “I’m not saying I’m ready for the whole ball and chain. Clearly, I’m not.”

  “What a charming way to put it.”

  “But I do know the most important thing about relationships is compromise. Would I let you decorate the whole house in pink?” He gave her that sexy half-smile that made her toes curl. “’Fraid not. But I would curl up on the couch and watch your girly shows every now and again.”

  The thought of curling up on the couch with him sent a delicious spiral of heat winding through her. Even though she’d held onto her anger toward him all day, his charm was working its magic to change her mood.

  “I love my old house, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t let you put your own stamp on it.” He chuckled. “As long as you promised no pink.”

  “You’re getting way ahead of yourself, cowboy.”

  “Easy now, I was just speakin’ in general terms about relationships, using us as an example.”

  That should have made her feel better, but strangely it made her feel worse. “Go on.”

  “People have to be willin’ to meet halfway to make a relationship work, that’s all. It can’t be my way all the time and it can’t be your way all the time, but as long as we both feel like we’re bein’ heard and respected, I don’t think anyone’s busy keepin’ score, do you?”

  “I guess not.” It was a little unsettling that he seemed able to rebuff all of her arguments for staying single without breaking a sweat. It was like he understood her better than he should. He knew why she had a guard up and what it would take to break that wall down.

  “Now that we’ve got that settled, why don’t you read my note?”

  She’d snuck a quick peek while he was fiddling with his guitar and she had some idea of what it said. But to humor him, she cleared her throat and read his words back to him.

  “Hey Gorgeous,

  Guess this is the part where I’m supposed to apologize, huh? Sorry, no can do. You turn me on and I can’t apologize for wanting to sleep with you. Any man in his right mind would. You’re beautiful, sexy, smart, successful, and you make me laugh. Ask any guy. That’s a lethal combination.

  What I will apologize for…? Hurting you. Offending you. That was never my intent. I think you’re amazing. Probably way too good for me. Yet here I am asking for one more chance to make you smile. One more date? Clean slate? I promise I won’t disappoint you.

  Love,

  D.J.”

  Hmmm… He’d apologized without grovelling and stayed true to himself. If he’d shown up on her doorstep with flowers and chocolates or jewelry and claimed he was sorry, she would have slammed the door in his face. But this simple note, written from the heart, spoke to her. To the woman who wanted to be appreciated, cherished, and understood by the man in her life.

  “Say something,” he said, looking adorably anxious. “I’m breakin’ out in a cold sweat over here.”

  “Thank you for this,” she said, folding the note carefully and tucking it into the pocket of her pink Juicy track pants. “It means a lot.”

  He breathed a dramatic sigh of relief, swiping the back of his hand over his forehead. “That means I’m forgiven?”

  Josie thought of how she’d felt since she tore out his driveway. She’d barely slept last night and had been miserable all day, snapping at anyone who looked at her too long. She was torn between venturing outside of her safe haven and staying firmly planted in the comfortable, man-free zone, she’d built.

  “You’re forgiven.”

  “Great.” He grinned. “Then we can—”

  “Before you ask, the answer’s no. We can’t date. But I would like to be friends.” It would be her biggest challenge to date, trying to resist a man who appealed to her as much as he did, but in the end, she would rather have him in her life as a friend than a bitter and resentful ex-boyfriend.

  His face fell. “I know I was the one who suggested bein’ friends, but—”

  “You were just saying that?” she asked, reading from the expression on his face she was right. “It’s all or nothing?”

  “No, no.” He gripped the neck of the guitar tighter as his eyes lingered on her bright pink toenails. “I just…” He let out a huff of breath. “I don’t wanna piss you off, but I can’t promise I won’t cross that line again, sweetheart. You’re hot and I want you. It’s as simple as that.”

  Josie tried to ignore the tingle in her belly, telling herself he probably said that to all the girls, but something in his tortured expression told her he was being sincere. Maybe he was just caught up in the moment, trying to win over the one woman who’d been stupid enough to refuse his offer of no-strings sex, or maybe he was going to all this trouble because he thought she was special. With him she had no idea what was real and what was fake. And that scared her.

  “You’re not throwin’ things, so I’m gonna take that as a good sign.” Looking hesitant, he asked, “Or should I duck and cover?”

  “No need for that. I appreciate your honesty. If this friendship thing is going to work—because that’s the only offer on the table—we need to be honest with each other.”

  “I can do that,” he said, smiling. “Believe it or not, I’ve been told I’m a straight shooter. I say what’s on my mind. Sometimes it gets me into trouble, like last night, but I’d rather that than regret the things I didn’t say.”

  She understood and even admired his reasoning, but that didn’t mean she was going to accept his proposition. She knew once a guy like D.J. got under her skin he’d haunt her for the rest of her life. Every time she turned on the radio, he’d be there. When she turned on the TV, his gorgeous face would be smiling back at her reminding her of what she’d never have again. No way. Being friends with the man was a much safer bet.

  “I understand, but we have to respect each other’s boundaries, D.J.”

  “What if I don’t have boundaries?” he asked, winking. “With me, anything goes. You wanna tie me up and—”

  “Stop!” She was trying to sound firm, but he made it nearly impossible to stay angry. “I need you to respect my boundaries. I meant what I said. I don’t want to date or have casual sex.”

  “What if the sex wasn’t casual?” he asked, his voice dropping lower. “What if it was serious and intense and exclusive?”

  She could barely catch her breath when he looked at her like he wanted to push the furniture aside and take her right there on her living
room floor. “Friends,” she forced herself to whisper. “Just friends.”

  Extending his hand, D.J. said, “Okay, friends it is, sweetheart.”

  ***

  D.J. was standing outside of Josie’s gym the next evening arguing with himself about the wisdom of his idea. He wanted to honor their agreement, but he knew as soon as he saw her he’d want to kiss her senseless.

  Last night had ended with a brief hug and it left him miserable and wanting more.

  “Hey there,” Gwen said, as soon as he walked in. “This is a nice surprise, D.J. Are you here to see Josie?”

  “Yeah, is she in her office?” He knew she was still there because he saw her car in the lot.

  “She sure is.” Gwen rolled her eyes. “She should have gone home hours ago, but I can’t get her to leave. I think she’s working on payroll. Says she needs to get it done so she can take Saturday off.”

  “Oh yeah?” he asked, bracing his forearms on the elevated counter. “What’s so special about Saturday?”

  “I think she has a friend in from out of town to take her to the wedding.”

  A friend, as in a male friend? Why the hell hadn’t she asked him if she needed an escort? “The wedding?”

  “Her friend Cassidy’s mama is getting married.”

  Of course Gwen wouldn’t have known Cassidy was also his friend. “Right, I forgot all about that. You wouldn’t know who’s takin’ her to the wedding, would you, Gwen?” He knew he could have asked Cassidy who Josie’s plus one was, but he was trying to be discreet and honor their ridiculous friendship pact.

  “I think it’s her ex,” she said, whispering as she cast a quick glance at her boss’s closed door. “Connor.”

  “Is that right?” He clenched his hand into a fist below the desk, trying to keep his jealousy in check. “Huh, well, I think I’ll see if I can’t talk her into sneaking out for a quick bite with me.”

  “You do that,” Gwen said, nodding. “She’s been here twelve hours, barely taken a break all day. It’s not healthy. She needs to get outside for some fresh air.” She sighed. “It’s such a nice night. You should take her for a walk. Enjoy it.”

  “I just might do that,” he said, tapping his knuckles against her door. Without waiting for a response, he strolled in, pinning her with an intense stare. He knew he had no right to be mad at her for going out with her ex, but he was… furious. “I hear you’re gonna be at the wedding on Saturday night. With a date?”

  “Oh, come right in, make yourself at home.” She gestured to the chair across from her. “I’m not busy or anything.”

  Ignoring her sarcasm, he took her up on her offer. “You had to have known I was going to be there. Why didn’t you tell me you were takin’ your ex?”

  Spinning her chair around so she was facing him instead of her computer, she sighed. “It was decided months ago. He said he was going to be in town on business this weekend and would love to take me.”

  “How convenient.” D.J. knew he was acting like a temperamental child, but he had no idea how to handle this situation and he hated being at a loss. If he took a date, he would be obligated to entertain her all evening, which meant he couldn’t spend time with Josie. “Were you going to tell me or just show up with him?”

  She rubbed her eyes, looking every bit as tired as Gwen claimed she was.

  D.J. suddenly felt guilty for giving her a hard time. He wanted to make her life easier, not harder.

  “I hadn’t thought much about it. I asked a friend to escort me to a wedding. It’s no big deal, or at least I didn’t think it was.”

  It wouldn’t be if D.J. didn’t know the man in question was still harbouring feelings for her. “You’re right. It’s no big deal,” he said, forcing a smile as he concluded he would have to concede. Josie was strong-willed and there was no way she was going to give in. “As long as you promise to save me a dance?”

  Looking relieved, she smiled. “Deal.” Wincing, she said, “I hate to be rude, but I have a ton of work to do before I can leave. Was there some reason you stopped by?”

  There was, but he knew his proposal would have to wait until he had her undivided attention. “You should see all the stars in the sky tonight.”

  She frowned. “Excuse me?”

  “Have you been out? It’s an incredible night. Warm, with a slight breeze and about a million stars in the sky.”

  Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes, almost as though she was envisioning it. “It sounds wonderful.”

  “Why don’t we grab some food? There’s a blanket in my truck. We could drive down to the lake—”

  “As tempting as that is, I have to get this done,” she said, gesturing to the spreadsheet on her computer.

  He didn’t want to be overbearing; he knew a woman like Josie wouldn’t respond to his heavy-handed tactics, but he could also see that someone needed to make sure she took better care of herself. “Is there any way you could wake up a bit earlier in the morning to get it done?”

  “I don’t know…”

  “Come on, Gwen said you’ve been here since early this mornin’ without taking a break. Aren’t you the one preachin’ about the merits of a healthy, balanced lifestyle to your clients?”

  She pinched her lips together, presumably to keep from smiling. “That’s real nice, D.J., throw my own advice back in my face.”

  “Does that mean you’ll come with me?” he asked, already getting excited about the prospect of having her all to himself for the next few hours.

  “You’re not giving me much of a choice, are you?” She grabbed her purse, reaching into her desk drawer to toss her wallet and keys inside. She gave the cell phone on her desk a cursory glance before dropping that inside too.

  “That’s the spirit,” he said, grinning. He didn’t care that she felt slightly coerced into accepting his invitation. She’d agreed. That was the only thing that mattered to him. “My mama’s friend owns this little diner not too far from here that makes the best fried chicken and macaroni salad you’ve ever tasted.”

  She rolled her eyes. “How the hell can you eat the way you do and look like that? I’ll have to spend an extra hour on the treadmill tomorrow to work off the meal you just described.”

  “Must be good genes,” he said, winking as he held her office door for her.

  He thought of teasing her about admitting he looked good, but opted not to push his luck. She’d decided to go with him and he didn’t want to say or do anything to make her change her mind.

  After last night, they were officially starting… date number four. She would claim they were just spending time together as friends, but he knew better.

  After helping Josie climb into his truck, he rounded the cab, whistling. It really was a perfect night and he couldn’t wait to spend more time with her. He was supposed to be out doing some promo op his publicist had arranged, but he’d begged off, claiming he was too tired after a full day of rehearsals for his upcoming tour.

  He was tired. Tired of being on. He needed a night off just as much as Josie did.

  D.J. started the truck, watching with amusement as Josie turned the dial until she found a radio station that suited her. Thankfully, it was country. “You ever been to Mabel’s?” he asked, referring to the little diner his mama’s friend owned.

  “Can’t say that I have,” she said, fastening her seatbelt.

  “I’m not surprised. It’s a little off the beaten path, but well worth the drive.”

  “If you say so.” She glanced over her shoulder, peeking at the basket in the backseat. There was a bottle of wine and glasses inside along with the folded blanket on the seat. “You were pretty sure I was going to agree to this, weren’t you?”

  “I was hopeful.”

  He didn’t even know for sure she’d still be there when he finished work, but he figured it was worth a shot. He thought about Cassidy’s advice to surprise Josie by proving he wasn’t the player she thought he was. He didn’t want to seem fake by stepping too
far out of his comfort zone, but an impromptu picnic in the bed of his truck, admiring the stars, felt right.

  “Truth is, I’m kind of glad you stopped by,” she said, rolling her window down as she tipped her head back and closed her eyes. “I was looking for a reason to cut out.”

  “You could’ve left whenever you wanted to. You’re the boss, remember?”

  “That doesn’t mean I get to blow off work just because I’m tired. It means I have to work through the fatigue to get the job done.”

  He admired and could relate to her work ethic. Now that he’d found success, dozens of families were relying on him to put food on their table and he had no intention of letting them down. As much as he loved making music, he knew it was a tough business and never lost sight of the hard work it required to stay at the top of the charts.

  Reaching for her hand, he said, “I think you’re pretty awesome, have I mentioned that?”

  Looking hesitant about their linked hands, she finally relaxed. “No, I don’t think you have.”

  “I really respect the fact that you’ve built a successful business doin’ what you love. Not a lot of people can say that.”

  “Thanks.” She smiled shyly. “That’s sweet of you to say.”

  He brought their joined hands to his mouth, meeting her eyes before he kissed hers. In spite of her claim she just wanted to be friends, he could feel her walls coming down, slowly but steadily.

  “You had a productive day though?” He couldn’t remember the last time he’d cared enough to ask a date about her day, but with Josie, he was genuinely interested.

  “I did. You?”

  “Yeah, the band and I were rehearsin’ today. We’re getting’ ready to go back out on the road to promote this new album.”

  Josie’s face fell as her grip on his hand tightened. “Oh. You have to leave soon?”

  He was encouraged that she seemed to care about his plans. “Not for a couple of months, and the way the tour’s set up, we won’t be on the road for more than a few weeks at a time.” Now that he’d met her, he was grateful to his record company for planning it that way. He didn’t know that he could be away from her for a long stretch.