Music of the Heart

  Rhys held his hands up in defeat. “I stand corrected, Angel. Your brothers are complete and total badasses!”

  Jake flipped an omelet onto a plate and added, “And their sister is pretty hardcore too.”

  I laughed. “Thank you—for all your compliments about the general badassery of my family’s DNA.”

  After winking at me, Jake then shuffled over to the fridge and pulled out a carton of orange juice. “I’d really rather have a Coke Zero if you have it.”

  He ignored me as he poured two large glasses before handing me one. “OJ is better for you.”

  Rhys shook his head. “Says the dude who has beer with his breakfast most days.”

  “Shut up, douchebag.” Eyeing me, he then said, “You did pass out about thirty minutes ago from low blood sugar, remember?”

  “You’re right.” I took a long swig of my orange juice, and I had to admit it was good. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome, Angel.”

  I huffed out a frustrated breath. “Why do you all insist on calling me that?”

  Jake motioned to my dress. “For one, you’re all decked out in white.”

  “But it’s just a sundress.”

  Balancing three plates, Jake then came over to the table and set down our omelets. “Second, you appeared out of nowhere like a fallen angel from the sky.”

  “How poetic,” I snipped.

  AJ grinned. “Not to mention, you’re a 180 from the girls who are usually on this bus.”

  “Definitely,” Jake replied. Tilting his head, he pinned me with his stare. “And then you’ve got the most beautiful aura of light about you—pure and exquisite.”

  I almost choked on my orange juice at the sincerity of his words. “Really?”

  “Yeah, you do.” After plopping down across from me, Jake added, “And finally, you felt like absolute heaven pressed up against me in bed.”

  And just like that, the perfect moment was shattered. “Please,” I muttered, grabbing my fork. When I bit into the omelet, I closed my eyes from the ecstasy my stomach experienced. “Wow, this is really good.”

  “I’m good at a lot of things besides singing and playing the guitar,” Jake replied.

  I popped one eye open to peer at him. “There’s some more lovely innuendo in there for me, isn’t there?”

  Jake grinned as he took my glass to get me more orange juice. “Nope, I’m being a good boy.”

  “I doubt that seriously.”

  The table fell into silence as we all gobbled up our food. Brayden came out of the bedroom with a smile from ear to ear. “I guess by your expression your call went well?” I asked.

  He beamed. “Melody said ‘dada’ today and blew kisses at me. She’s never done that before.”

  “Aw, that’s sweet,” I replied.

  Brayden’s expression darkened. “I just hate that it’s going to be two more weeks until I get to see them. Jude gets bigger and bigger every time I see him.”

  “Maybe you should think about bringing them along on the tour again,” Jake suggested.

  I stared at him in amazement. “You like kids?”

  He gave me his signature smirk. “Of course I do. I especially like Jude and Melody. I also like having Lily around because she cooks for us and cleans.”

  Brayden threw a napkin at Jake, hitting him in the face. “My wife is not your glorified cook and maid, douchebag.”

  “I know that, twatwaffle. But more than anything, I like how having her around puts you in a good mood. When you got your kids around you and you’re getting laid often, shit just runs smoother for all of us.”

  Clenching his jaw, Brayden slammed the refrigerator door. “Somewhere in that statement was something decent and redeeming, but like always you had to trample all over it,” he grumbled, bringing his food over to the table.

  Raising my arms over my head, I yawned. “Tired of us already, Angel?” Jake asked with an amused grin.

  “No, it’s just I didn’t sleep much last night. Nerves and all. Then I had to get up at the asscrack of dawn to get to the airport for my early flight.”

  With his expression waxing concern, Brayden leaned forward in his chair. “Why don’t you go lie down for a while?”

  I glanced around at the guys. “You wouldn’t mind?”

  AJ shook his head. “Nah, we’re probably going to crash again ourselves. We had a week straight of gigs before Rock Nation, so our asses are dragging.”

  “Oh, okay.”

  Sweeping his hand to his chest, Jake said gallantly, “And I’ll even let you have the bedroom.”

  “That’s awfully sweet of you, but I can always take one of the roosts.”

  With a twinkle in his eye, Jake replied, “I insist.”

  “Thank you then.”

  When I rose out of my seat, he followed suit. Taking my suitcase, Jake rolled it down the aisle to the bedroom. I glanced back at the guys to see their open-mouthed, wide-eyed expressions of disbelief. Putting one foot in front of the other, I trailed behind him. Once Jake wheeled my suitcase inside, he turned around. “All yours, Angel. We’ll make sure to wake you for dinner. We’ll probably stop a little earlier than normal because those omelets won’t sustain us for long, and we’re almost out of groceries.”

  “Oh, okay, thanks.”

  Jake didn’t move out of the doorway, so I had to squeeze past him. Our bodies meshed together, and I fought the familiar tingle that prickled over my skin at being so close to him. It was a feeling I wasn’t used to experiencing with anyone. Once I was inside, I turned back to him. “It’s very sweet of you to give me the bedroom. The privacy is nice.”

  He inched closer to me. “Well, just to forewarn you the lock is busted. So if you need me to watch the door while you change into something a little more comfortable, I’d be happy to. You know, so the guys don’t get a peek at your goods.”

  “How sweet of you,” I noted as I moved in front of him. Bringing my hand to his chest, I gave him a hard shove, sending him flying out into the hallway. “I’ll make sure to put my luggage in front of the door just in case.” With a sickeningly, sweet smile, I added, “And thanks again for being so thoughtful when it comes to my goods.”

  Behind Jake, the guys hooted with laughter. Instead of anger, amusement twinkled in his sky blue eyes. He wagged his finger at me. “I’ll get to you sometime, Angel. I’ll break down all those goody girl walls you have built around you.”

  “We’ll just have to wait and see then.” With that, I slammed the door in his face.

  The RV shuddering to a halt jolted me awake. My eye-lids fluttered open. As I took in my darkened surroundings, panic crept over me. Wait, where the hell was I? Gazing around the blackened room, I tried getting my bearings. “Ugh,” I muttered when all the events of the day raced through my mind.

  When the lamp on the bedside table came on, I jumped out of my skin. Jake perched on the side of the bed, practically on top of me. “W-What the hell are you doing?” I cried, jerking the sheet against me.

  He rolled his eyes. “Don’t get your panties in a twist, Angel. I’m not here for a repeat performance of this morning.” With a wave of a shoe, he added, “I’m sorry to have disrupted your beauty sleep, but all my shit’s in here.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” I murmured.

  “Besides that, we’re stopping for dinner, so I figured I’d better wake you up.”

  “Thanks.”

  He cocked his pierced brow at me. “Did you know that you snore?”

  My eyes widened in horror. “I do not!”

  “Yeah, you do.”

  Covering my mouth, I muttered, “Oh God, I do?”

  Jake grinned as he bobbed his head. “It’s kinda cute though. Nothing like the loud-as-fuck snores me and the guys do.”

  “How mortifying.”

  “You embarrass too easily, Angel. How are you going to make it a week with us if a little snoring gets you so riled up?”

  “I’ll be just fine thank you.”
/>
  AJ peeked his head in. “Hey, I need to get my stuff.”

  “Go right ahead.” I threw the sheet back. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll get my things and go to the bathroom so I can get dressed for dinner.”

  Jake opened his arms wide before collapsing onto his back on the bed. “Be my guest.”

  When he didn’t move, I grunted in frustration. Just as I started to climb over Jake, AJ flung the closet door open to get out his clothes. Since we were in such close quarters with the bus’s bedroom, I couldn’t move. To my utter horror, I’d gotten stuck straddling Jake.

  When I caught his eye, he grinned and winked at me. My face flushed. “AJ, would you hurry up with the freakin’ door!” I snapped.

  He peeked around the side and snorted back his laughter. “Whoops, my bad.”

  I sighed with exasperation. “Any day now, AJ!” The moment I said it, I knew he’d take his own sweet ass time—anything to keep me in the precarious situation of riding Jake.

  “You don’t have to go, Angel. I’m sure this could be a win-win situation for both of us,” Jake teased.

  I stared at him for a moment before flopping back on the other side of the bed. I shook my head at him. “Why do you have to do that?”

  “Do what?”

  “Act like a constant manwhore who only sees women as sex objects.”

  Jake arched an eyebrow at me. “Oh, I’m sorry. Did I just objectify you?”

  “Yes,” I hissed before narrowing my eyes at him. “Is it too much to ask that we carry on a civil conversation without you always having to make everything between us about getting off?”

  Jake’s brows creased. “And there’s something wrong with that?”

  “For me there is.” I gave him a pointed stare. “And for our bet.”

  He turned over on his side to where we were face to face. “I’m not losing this bet, Angel.”

  “Then start playing by the rules.” With the sweetest smile I could muster, I then batted my eyelashes at him. “Or I’m going to start walking around here in my underwear.”

  His mouth gaped open. “You wouldn’t dare!”

  “Try me, big boy. Sporting my bra and panties is basically a bikini, so why not?”

  Staring at me dumbfounded, Jake drew in a ragged breath. “I’m never going to intimidate you, am I?”

  I shrugged. “Nope.”

  “Damn. I don’t know how the hell to take you, Angel.”

  “Why do you have to ‘take me’ period? Can’t you just talk to me like you would any girl?”

  With a sneer, he replied, “If I do that, it won’t help us.”

  I propped my head on my elbow. “When was the last time you actually had a conversation with a female, besides your mother, that didn’t involve dirty talk?”

  “Hell if I know,” he replied.

  “I thought as much.”

  “Wait a sec…” He snapped his fingers. “Actually, it was Tuesday. I talked to my baby sister on the phone.”

  My eyebrows shot up in surprise. “You have a sister?”

  “Well, she’s my half-sister. My dad and step-mom each had a kid when they got married. Then they had Allison. She’s fifteen and spoiled rotten.”

  I smiled at the sincerity in his voice when he talked about his sister. “I bet she idolizes her big brother.”

  Flipping on his back, Jake slid his hands under his head and grinned. “Yeah, she does. I mean, she’s always thought I was pretty cool, but even more since I hit it big.” His expression slowly darkened. “Some shitheads give her grief about it—like trying to be her friend just to see what they can get from her. I hate that.”

  “Poor thing. It must be hard sometimes having a famous brother.”

  Jake frowned at me. “I try making it up to her all the time by giving her shit.”

  I laughed. “Thus why she’s the spoiled baby sister?”

  “I guess. Hell, the guys and I are even playing her Sweet Sixteen in a few weeks.”

  “Aw, that’s so sweet of you.” I nudged him playfully. “Who knew there was a good guy buried deep, deep down inside.”

  AJ closed the closet door. “Okay, done.”

  “Finally,” Jake muttered as he got off the bed.

  Gesturing to his jeans and polo shirt, AJ said, “Hey, give me some credit. It’s not easy changing behind a closet door to protect Miss Innocent Eyes over there.”

  I laughed as I rose up to a sitting position. “One minute you’re trying to get me to see you naked and the next you’re protecting me.”

  AJ winked at me. “Just know I would do anything, and I do mean anything for you, mi amor.”

  I grabbed my dress and cowboy boots off the dresser. “Thanks so much.”

  ***

  As soon as Abby disappeared into the bathroom, AJ arched his dark brows questioningly at me. “You better be damn glad it was me and not Brayden who came back here.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked as I slid on a clean pair of jeans.

  “You said you were coming in here to get your shit and wake Abby up, and instead you’re back in bed with her. Hell, she was riding you.”

  “That was your fault, not mine, opening the closet door like you did.”

  “Mmm, hmm,” he replied, raising his brows suggestively.

  I shrugged. “Trust me, she wasn’t happy about me being in bed with her.”

  “But were you?”

  I froze half-way in pulling a fresher smelling shirt over my head. Peeking through the neck of the shirt, I shot AJ a look. “Get real, dude. I’m so not interested in Abby.”

  He grinned. “Keep telling yourself that.” He started for the door, but then turned back to me. “So if you’re not interested, you mind me making a play for her?”

  For reasons I couldn’t possibly understand, my jaw clenched at the thought of Abby and AJ. At the same time, my fists tightened at my sides. “She’s not stupid. She knows exactly what dogs the three of us are when it comes to women.”

  “I could try to change her mind.”

  “Yeah, good luck with that one,” I grumbled as I brushed past him.

  Using my fist that was still clenched from AJ’s comment, I pounded on the bathroom door. “You through in there, Angel? Some of the rest of us would like some mirror time.”

  “I’m coming, I’m coming,” she mumbled as she undid the lock. When she threw open the door, my breath caught at the sight of her. Somehow in the few short minutes Abby had been in the bathroom she’d managed not only to get dressed, but also freshened up as well. Her long, blonde hair fell in waves down her back while she’d also reapplied some makeup. Her full lips glistening with gloss just begged me to reach over and lay one on her.

  “What?” she questioned as she swept her hands to her hips.

  Trying to cover up for my lustful thoughts, I smirked at her. “Nothing. You just clean up fast.”

  A giggle escaped those succulent lips of hers. “Yeah, it comes from growing up with one bathroom, six people, and most of the time not a lot of hot water. You should see some of the conditions I’ve had to get ready in before.”

  She squeezed past me and then started over to AJ who was messing with the entertainment system. While my gaze instantly honed in on the soft sashay of her hips as she walked down the bus aisle, Rhys sidestepped me into the bathroom. “Oh hell no, dude! I was here first!”

  He shot me a wicked grin. “You were too busy ogling Abby’s ass to care about the bathroom.”

  “I was not ogling her ass,” I hissed under my breath as I pushed him out of the way.

  We began elbowing each other for mirror time when music suddenly blared throughout the bus’s speaker system. He and I exchanged a glance before both groaning in unison. “AJ, not that Mexican shit again!” I shouted.

  From time to time, AJ insisted on torturing us with the Banda and Cumbia type music he grew up on until we gave him enough hell to turn it off. I poked my head out of the bathroom door. “Dude, seriously,
I can’t take—”

  Before I could give him anymore grief about the music, the sight of AJ dancing with Abby stunned me silent. Well, it wasn’t your traditional dancing or the dry humping kind I was used to at clubs or concerts. It was the kind I used to see when I went to AJ’s family parties.

  AJ could have seriously put the dudes on Dancing with the Stars to shame. He’d been born with a natural rhythm that enhanced his drum playing. Not to mention that when he danced, he had that whole effortless Latin hip swishing and swaying thing that made women’s panties melt. But at the moment, I wasn’t so concerned with AJ’s moves as I was with Abby’s. Leaning against the doorway, I watched as Abby danced as effortlessly as AJ. Even with the trickier steps, she kept up, matching his fluid movements. I was treated to quite a floor show considering the hem of her dress twirled provocatively back and forth.

  Scratching the stubble along on my jaw, I couldn’t help wondering if she could do all that with her hips when she was standing up, what she could do flat on her back.

  AJ caught my eye and winked. “She’s a natural, isn’t she?”

  “Oh yeah, she can move.”

  Forgetting about potentially shaving, least of all fixing my hair, I stepped closer to them. “Where did you learn to do that, Angel?”

  Without missing a step, Abby replied, “Over the years, we lived in several places in Mexico—Guadalajara, Mexico City. I was just a kid then, but I went to lots of parties. Everyone wanted to teach the little blonde Gringa how to dance.” She giggled. “And since my brothers were older than me and wanted to impress the chicks, they recruited me as a partner. So in the end, you pick up on things.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest. “I’m seriously impressed. You’re a true triple threat—you sing, you play guitar, and you dance.”

  AJ shimmied Abby across the grungy bus floor. “She’s a quadruple threat because she’s fine as hell too!”

  Abby rolled her eyes, but she still let AJ spin her around and then dip her low as the song came to a close.

  As she lay reclined in his arms, I asked, “Tell me, is there anything you can’t do, Angel?”