Heart of the Music (Saints & Sinners #1) (12 page)

“Babe, there’s no reason for you to be nervous. You've have been here hundreds of times. My mom adores you, and I can tell you right now, she is probably the happiest person on Earth because we finally stopped being so damn stubborn.” He kissed her before getting out of the car and walking around to her door.

His mom was waiting for them on the front porch, and the instant Trish was out of the truck, he heard his mom’s voice welcome them. “Well now, it’s about damn time. Come over here you two.”

He walked over to the woman who had raised him, who had given him the tools he needed to be the man worthy of the woman holding his hand. When he reached his mom, he let go of Trish’s hand and tugged his mom in for a tight hug. “Hey, Mom.”

When they pulled away from the embrace, his mom looked at him the same way she always did when she was trying to figure out what was going on in his head. “Oh, honey, you have that look,” she whispered to him, low enough that he was the only one to hear.

He mimicked his mom’s tone. “What look, Mom?”

“You’re in love,” she said before stepping away from him to embrace Trish. He kept his eyes on Trish’s face, and when he saw her eyes fill up with tears, he silently mouthed,
I love you.

“Oh, sweetie, look at you. You’re glowing with joy,” his mom told her, laughing.

“I'm very happy. Jarrod’s been my rock for years, but now it’s different. It’s better,” Trish said while looking straight at him, knocking the wind out of his lungs. To hear that she saw him that way, that would never get old for him.

“As he should be, darling, as he should be. Well now, let’s not just stand here. There’s enough food on the table to feed half of Tennessee.” They followed his mom into the house they had picked out for her together.

“Where were you just now?” he asked Trish when he noticed that she seemed lost in her thoughts.

“I was just thinking about the day you brought me here to see the house,” she said, leaning into his chest as they looked outside the kitchen window into the pond a few yards away.

“Even back then, I knew my choice was the perfect one, and I’m not just talking about the house,” he said, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head.

“Okay, you two, let’s eat.” His mother’s voice brought them back to reality. He gave her a quick kiss before walking them toward the dining room.

“This looks wonderful, Christine. You didn’t have to go through all of this trouble,” Patricia said softly as she sat down beside him, dropping her hand to the top of his thigh.

“Nonsense, I love cooking, and this is a special occasion. Seeing my son and you together, finally, is giving me the most joy.” Emotions laced his mom’s words. It brought out a sense of longing that he didn’t know he had. It hit him all at once—his love for Trish, his need to make it permanent, his future with her. He wanted her to have his name and dreamed of seeing her carrying his child.

Patricia

After dinner, Patricia was doing dishes when Christine came into the kitchen. “Oh, dear, leave that. I’ll take care of it in the morning.”

She loved Jarrod’s mom like her own, but if the woman thought she would just sit down and not help clean up, she had another thing coming. “No such thing will happen, Christine. You cooked, it’s only right you don’t do the dishes.”

“All right, dear, but I’m helping you. You wash, I’ll dry.” She knew better than to argue with Christine, so she rolled up her sleeves and started washing the dishes, letting herself fall into the ease of the situation.

“Are you going to tell me what’s been weighing on your mind all night?” Christine’s question shocked her, and she couldn’t help but laugh, hoping it would hide how nervous she was.

“I forget, no one can hide anything from you,” Patricia said, taking a deep breath. She knew this conversation would have to happen sooner rather than later.

“Years of experience. Now, spill,” Christine said as she put away some of the dried dishes.

“I’ve known you and Jarrod for a long time, and I consider you family, Christine. I’m just scared that if something bad happens between me and Jarrod, then I’ll lose you and the guys too, and that would kill me.” Wow, she hadn’t realized how much that fear weighed on her mind until the words slipped off her tongue.

“Patricia Monroe, how could you ever think such a thing? You are family and nothing will ever change that, especially not fallouts that are never going to happen. You two were made for each other. I’m just happy you both finally came to your senses.” As Jarrod’s mom’s words sank in, Patricia felt her mind slow down. That was exactly what she needed to hear to help her stop creating negative scenarios in her head, which deep down in her soul, she knew wouldn’t happen.

Christine held both of her hands in hers as she spoke and Patricia couldn’t hold back the tears any longer. “You have been in love with my son for so long, sweetheart. I am just so happy you’re both giving in to this and enjoying where it’s going to take you. A love like yours is rare, sweetie. It’s something that needs to be cared for and cherished, and no one will do that with you better than my son.”

“I love him so much, Christine. I don’t think I could live without him. I think I would just be surviving, going through the motions, but not really living my life in color. He’s everything to me.”

“Oh, honey, come here.” She hugged the woman who had become like a second mother to her over the years. When she opened her eyes, she saw Jarrod standing in the doorway looking at both of them with emotions that could only be described as love and true happiness, the same emotions she knew he was seeing on her face.

“Hey, baby, you ready to head back home?”

She nodded as she pulled away from Christine. “Yes, I am. Thank you so much for having us over, Christine. We have to do this more often.” she said, grateful for Christine’s support and love.

“My door is always open, sweetie. Now, you two strut your little selves right on back home.” Christine kissed Jarrod and whispered in his ear, “I’m so happy for you, honey.”

When they hit the highway, Patricia slid in the middle seat of Jarrod’s truck, her head on his shoulder and her hand on his thigh, and if someone ever asked her what the perfect night was, this would be pretty high up on her list. “I had a great time tonight.”

“My mom loves you, Trish. No matter what happens with us, that’s never going to change.” Jarrod kissed her forehead and linked his fingers with hers.

It was past midnight by the time they arrived at his house. Waves of energy rolled off him. She knew him well enough to know he wouldn’t be able to sleep. “Baby, why don’t you go up and take a shower and go to bed. We have an early flight out to Cali tomorrow.”

“You’re not coming up?” she asked. She had gotten so used to having him in her bed at night, she wasn’t sure she would be able to sleep without him beside her.

“I’ll be up soon. I just need to do something first.” He softly kissed her lips before slapping her ass as he walked away with her laughter in his ears.

After her shower, Patricia needed her man. It was crazy to her how fast she had grown addicted to having him with her and sleeping with him. Assuming he was in the studio, she grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and headed downstairs. She heard the sound of a guitar coming from the studio and hesitated before going in. As she pushed the door open, she saw Jarrod sitting barefoot on the leather loveseat, wearing nothing but faded blue jeans while playing his guitar and scribbling on a notepad.

She stood in the corner watching him work and couldn’t believe how sexy he looked. Lust crawled through her body, which was the only explanation for what came out of her mouth. “Hey, baby.” Patricia took a few steps toward him, but stopped before she got too close to him. “I couldn’t sleep without you.”

“Come here.” He put his guitar down and pushed the papers to the floor as she moved toward him. She lifted her T-shirt and pulled it over her head, letting it drop to the floor before straddling him.

“Look at you, baby, so beautiful, so damn sexy.” He kissed her neck, moving down to her collarbone, then her breasts, sucking on her nipples hard enough to make her back arch.

“Jarrod.” He looked at her and smiled as he continued his assault with his mouth, moving down from her bellybutton to her pubic bone.

“I love it when your body gets flushed like this and I know I’m the one responsible for it. So responsive, Trish, it drives me fucking crazy,” he whispered as he kissed her inner thighs, teasing her with his tongue, but never giving her what she needed.

“Please….”

“What do you want, baby?” he asked, the gravel in his voice sending shivers down her spine.

“Your mouth, Jar.” Licking her inner thighs, brushing his jaw along her wet pussy, he teased her. His stubble felt so good against her skin.

“My pleasure.” He licked her pussy up and down before he grabbed her waist with his hands and held her down on the couch as he stroked her clit with his tongue. “So fucking sweet, baby. I could do this all damn day.” He closed his mouth along on her clit, biting down, causing her to cry out as he entered her with one finger.

“Oh, God, please, Jar, more…. Oh, God.” She was losing her mind. She was close and loved how he toyed with her. When he slipped a second finger into her, she cried out his name like a prayer. His mouth was sucking her clit when she felt his fingers turn inside her in a come-hither motion, and she exploded. “YESSSSS!”

He was relentless. He didn’t stop. He kept fucking her with his fingers, sucking down on her clit, making her orgasm build and build until she saw stars.

“Fuck, Trish, that was the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen. So goddamned hot.” She was still coming down from her mind-blowing orgasm when Jarrod kissed his way back up her body.

He kissed her senseless, rocking his rock hard erection into her. “The way you give yourself over to me like that, fuck, you undo me, baby.” He nipped at her lower lip, then stroked his tongue over the bites.

“Hmm, I taste good on you,” she whispered the words as she kissed him, her hands running up and down his back. He was building her up again by rocking into her, and she needed to feel him; she needed him to lose himself like she had. She grabbed his ass, pressing herself into him.

“Fuck, Trish, what’s gotten into you?”

“I want you.” Her hands travelled down his chest, her fingernails digging into his skin, and when he hissed and lowered his head to the crook of her neck, she knew he was as gone as she was. Reaching the button of his jeans, she unzipped him and slid them down his legs.

“Baby, when you talk like that… Shit….” As he stood up to help her take his jeans off, she lowered her body to the floor so she could give him the same pleasure he had just given her.

With her hands on his ass, her mouth moved slow and tight around him. “Your mouth feels so fucking good. That’s it, baby, use that tongue.” She swirled her tongue around the tip of his dick and his head flew back.

Sweat trickled down his chest and his body shook with tension. “Trish, fuck, I’m not coming in your mouth. I want to feel your pussy squeezing me dry, baby.” He helped her up, and pushed on her shoulders until she was lying down on the loveseat. He climbed on, kneeling between her legs. He grabbed her ankles with his hands and put her legs on his shoulders, opening her up to him. He grabbed a condom from his discarded jeans and put it on in record time. He teased her wet folds with the head of his dick. “Is this what you want, baby?”

“Yes….” she admitted, not caring how desperate she probably sounded.

“Oh, baby, I’m going to ruin you.” He entered her in one stroke. “Fuck, you’re so tight.”

“Babe, I’m so close. Yes…! Fuck me harder. Yes, Jarrod.” He found her clit with his thumb and rubbed circles as he fucked her deeper, and he followed her over the edge, shouting her name. Jarrod lowered her legs back onto the loveseat and let his body fall on top of hers as their hands tangled with hers over her head.

“That was…wow,” she admitted, trying to get her breathing and heart rate under control. “I love you, Jarrod.”

“I love you, too, baby, so much.” He kissed her softly and slid his body down beside her, pulling her into him. “Let’s just stay here for a bit like this, just you and me.”

Chapter
Nine

1 ½ years ago

Jarrod

As the car pulled up to the plane, he still couldn’t believe they were flying out to L.A. in a private jet. Things had happened so fast since signing their record deal that it was hard to stay grounded. Private jets, five star hotels, it was easy to get lost in the hype of things, and God knew he saw it happen on a daily basis. As he looked at the woman sitting on the other side of the car, her big eyes filled with excitement, he knew she was the reason why he would never lose who he was.

“Can you believe we're flying in a private jet? How insane is that?”

In the last three years, he and Trish had gone through a lot of moments and milestones together, but he had rarely seen her as excited as she was right then. “It’s pretty insane. Shit, I’d be happy flying commercial, you know.”

She looked at him with her big brown eyes and gave him a smile that made him weak in the knees every time. “Oh, me too. This is all a little too much for me, but I’m still excited. I’ve never been in a private jet before.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this excited about flying out at 5 a.m. before.” She looked so happy that he couldn’t stop himself from reaching for his phone and snapping a picture of her.

He was looking at the picture of her on his phone as the sound of her voice filled the plane. “I got a heavy dose of caffeine before the car picked me up and the driver had a cup waiting for me when I got in. You wouldn’t know anything about that now, would you?” It was the first time they were travelling alone.

The rest of the band was already in Los Angeles, and it somehow made him a little nervous. It wasn’t like she made him nervous—he spent almost every day with her—but usually that involved having other people around; now they would be in a plane, alone together for the next four and a half hours.

He smiled at her and shook his head. “Me? Now, Trish, why would I do something like that? Aren’t I supposed to be the womanizing playboy here?” he asked her sarcastically, trying to hide the hurt he felt using those words.

“Only to people who don’t know the real you.” He knew she meant that.

“Do you know the real me?” he asked, even though he already knew the answer. She knew him better than anyone else.

“Yes, I do. That’s why I know you had the driver bring me coffee this morning. That’s also why I know you had the driver crank the heat up, even though you hate the heat, because I get cold when I’m tired. It’s also why I know you had the driver pick up my favorite breakfast sandwich with my coffee. It’s also why I know that, even though you’re calm as can be right now, the thought of getting on a private jet scares the hell out of you because it actually means you’ve made it.”

“When did you get so introspective, Miss Monroe?” She had pinned him down to the very last detail, but that didn’t surprise him. Ever since she had walked into his life, Jarrod had felt a connection to her that he had never experienced before. He could read her like a book and dig deep down into her soul, and she had the ability to see through his bullshit and see the man he really was, not the illusion he wanted people to see.

She tilted her head to the side before answering him. “About twenty-four hours after I met you, Mr. Banks.”

The car came to a stop and after a few moments, the door opened. “Miss Monroe, Mr. Banks, we have just arrived to the airfield. It was a pleasure driving both of you this morning. Please have a safe flight to Los Angeles.”

“Thank you, Aaron.” Trish exited the car, and kissed the man’s cheek, thanking him once more for the coffee and breakfast before exiting the car. She loved how they always kept the same staff over the years. It felt like an extended family. They walked toward the plane and were welcomed by a young stewardess who was obviously more than happy to be working a flight with him on board.
Fuck, this is going to be a long flight.
It was all he could think about.

“Welcome aboard, Mr. Banks. My name is Corrine. Please let me know if there’s anything I can do for you today to make your flight more comfortable. Anything at all.” Jarrod didn’t miss the innuendos in the blonde woman’s comments, and one look at Trish, who was already sitting down, told him she hadn’t missed it either.

“Thank you, Corrine, I’m fine, but maybe the other person aboard this flight wants something. Why don’t you check with her?” He could hear the annoyance in her voice, which just pissed him off.

He wasn’t interested in Corrine in the least amount, and her flirting had left him uncomfortable. He sat down in the seat in front of Trish, facing her.

“Well, that’s new, even for you, Jarrod.”

“What’s that?” he asked, knowing very well what she was talking about.

“You’re not taking up Miss Blondie’s offer to join the mile-high club on today’s flight? Don’t let little ole me stop you.”

“Not interested.” That was the God’s honest truth. He was growing tired of meaningless sex.

“Hmmm, okay then.”

They were in mid-air when she started shifting on her seat, trying to find a comfortable position, so she could take a nap before they got to LA. Jarrod took hold of her legs and rested them on his lap. “What are you doing?”

“Helping you find a comfortable position so you’ll stop fidgeting and we can both get some sleep. Now shut up, lean back, and relax.” He let her shoes fall to the ground and started rubbing circles on the top of her foot. When he heard her sigh and saw her body fall comfortably into a deep sleep, he smiled and joined her, thinking this was better than anything Blondie could ever offer him.

Present Day

Patricia

When they boarded their private jet at 5 a.m., Patricia decided she hated mornings, she hated travelling, and she hated people who made her get up one hour after she had fallen asleep. Jarrod had kept her up until 3 a.m., and if she didn’t get her hands on caffeine right then, she might resort to causing physical harm to the men surrounding her in the cabin.

“Someone looks like they didn’t get much sleep last night. Do we need to install a curfew for you two?” Sam handed her a cup of coffee, and she took it from him so fast that he couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Yeah, I think we need to have a talk with our lead signer about keeping our publicist up all night. Or at least, have him feed her caffeine before she’s out in the world.”

“Sam, I swear to God, if I didn’t need this caffeine more than air, I would put it down and hit you, but I just can’t let go of it right now. Is there more of this? Because I’m going to need an IV to keep me going today.” She took a few long sips of coffee and moaned loudly as the caffeine made its way through her body.

“Man, Jarrod, I think you’ve got serious competition with that cup of coffee. Your woman is looking at it like it’s the best she’s ever had. I didn’t know you lacked so much in that department.” She laughed when Jarrod threw a towel at Mike.

She leaned back in her seat, desperately needing a nap. Jarrod sat down in front of her, raising her legs so they rested on him. He started rubbing circles on her soles as Austin covered her with a blanket, and she was hit with the memory of their first private flight to Los Angeles as she dozed off.

She woke up a little disoriented, taking a few minutes to remember where she was. Her eyes found Jarrod, who was wide awake in front of her, staring at her, but looking lost in thought. “Hey,” she whispered.

“Hey, you sleep okay?” Her legs were still on Jarrod’s lap, his fingers digging into the soles of her feet, rubbing circles on the side around her ankles.

“Yeah, how long have I been out?” she asked him.

He lifted his arms to her, giving her a come-here look. “About an hour or so.”

She moved from her seat to his lap, loving how he tucked her body against his. She glanced around the plane, finding the guys were all busy either on their phones or watching a movie. After five years, it was still hard to believe this lifestyle was a part of their reality.

“What are you thinking about?” She turned her head to the side as he spoke. She loved the way he always had his hands in her hair. There was something sexy about him doing that.

“I’m just thinking about how far we’ve come since we first met. We went from a beat-up van to private planes and two tour buses. Sometimes, it just hits me how crazy our lives really are now.” She didn’t think someone could ever get completely comfortable with this type of life, and if any of them ever started taking their life for granted, she knew the others would be right there to bring them back to reality.

“We worked damn hard to get here. We deserve it. Sure, sometimes the luxury still makes me go, ‘how the hell did we get here?’ but then I remember all the crappy motels we stayed in, playing shows for ten people, and I tell myself, ‘fuck, we earned all of this.’” His voice was thick with pride as he spoke.

“Those were the days though, no pressure about album sales or ticket revenue, just the music.” That was the one thing she missed about the days when they were starting out. It was all about the music back then, and sure, it still was today, but there was so much more at play now. Sometimes, the pressure made everything less pleasant.

“All the other bullshit, it’s just extra, baby. It’s part of the job. Yeah, sometimes it sucks, but we worked hard to get to where we are, so we deal with it.”

“You’re right.”

“Now that we’re talking about this, I’ve been thinking about maybe getting us our own bus,” he told her, drawing circles on her back.

That took her thoughts for a ride; she hadn’t thought about the possibility of them getting their own bus. As much as she loved the idea of them having their own space, she didn’t like the idea of them spending that much money. “A new bus is expensive, Jar.”

“I know, but think about it. We would have our own space and you could have the inside custom-made to anything you like. Our own bus would mean no more bunks. We could have a real bed. You could even have a little space to draw and work.”

She remained quiet for a little while, letting his words sink in. The more she analyzed what he said, the more she liked the idea. “How about we get a quote first?”

“I’ll set up a meeting for when we’re back in Nashville.” He kissed her lips softly, but possessively. When she heard the guys whistling in the background, her lips turned up into a smile against his. As they pulled away from each other, she tucked her head into the crook of his neck, and the sound of laughter filled the plane.

When the pilot announced that they were making their final descent, she sat back in her seat just in time to hear Sam say, “L.A., home of the paparazzi.”

The idea of someone taking pictures of them made her a little nervous, and as if Jarrod read her mind, he said, “We knew we’d have to deal with them. I have your back always, baby.” Out of all the uncertainties in their life, that was the one thing she had no doubt about.

As they made their way through the airport toward their bus parked upfront, she smiled at herself for having putting on some makeup because, as predicted, they were swamped by media as soon as they stepped outside. Flashes were going off, reporters were screaming their questions and comments, and for the first time in a long time, Patricia didn’t want to handle all of this; she didn’t want to have to deal with reporters and interview requests. Jarrod must have noticed the change in her body language because he pulled her close and whispered it would all be okay.

The minute their bodies collided, the reporters went crazy.

Jarrod, are you dating your publicist?

Jarrod, are you finally off the market?

One second was all it took for their relationship to become international headlines.

Jarrod

As much as he loved his job and everything that came along with it, the one thing he would change if he could, were the paparazzi. The damn people were vultures, always waiting around for that one picture, that one shot that would make them rich. Walking out of the airport, he felt Patricia’s body tense, and he couldn’t control himself. He had to pull her close, to make her feel safe. And in that moment, he gave the cameras their money shot.

When they were on the bus safely out of the media frenzy, Sam went straight for the coffee maker, making everyone a cup as the bus drove away from LAX and the craziness that came with the city. Moments like the ones they had just experienced were the reasons why he loved living in Nashville so much.

“What happened out there, Trish?” Mike asked, leaning against the kitchen counter, concern rolling off him, which was something Jarrod could relate to. In all the years he’d known her, he had never seen her tense up like she had in front of the cameras. She was always the cool and collected one—it was her job. But today, she’d reacted differently, and just like Mike, he wanted to know what was going on with her.

“What do you mean, Mike?” she asked, but she knew exactly what he was talking about, and Jarrod knew it just by the way she was biting her bottom lip. It was her tell when she was trying to hide something.

“You tell me. Something shifted in you out there, and we all saw it. You looked like a newbie publicist entering their first rodeo. What happened?” Mike asked her, making sure she knew she wasn’t getting out of this conversation, not this time.