Every Heart Sings (Serenity Island Series) (11 page)

Trotting down the stairs into the kitchen, she pulled to a stop when she saw him step out of the bathroom to walk to the kitchen sink. His back to her, he didn’t see her while the water ran from the spigot as he rinsed his coffee cup.

He was hot from the shower. Steaming hot. A white towel draped low on his hips, cinched around his lean waist, but otherwise, he didn’t wear a stitch of anything. Warm glistening skin, wet dark hair, and a shadow of a beard on his strong jaw were all plainly visible.

A stray drop or two of water trickled its way down his back as it dripped from his hair. She had the sudden urge to lap up the drops. Follow the water droplet with her tongue across his warm, fragrant skin.

Jordan had the perfect view of him. And while she’d seen him without his shirt earlier, she hadn’t seen his back.

A beautiful tattoo, black, white, and gray-scale with intricate swirling Celtic patterns intertwining were snarled in a beautiful collage of images that made up a huge phoenix covering his right side from his shoulder, rounding the rotator cuff and bicep, then down his back to curl around his rib cage. The ink disappeared below the towel, but must have ended somewhere on his thigh because it didn’t extend below the bottom hem of the towel.

He turned off the water and dried his hands on the towel. It gaped open, exposing a portion of his right thigh. The tail feathers of the bird fanned the muscles there.

She must have made some noise, because Josh spun around. “Hell, J.D., don’t do that.” He panted, gripping the counter behind him. “I didn’t expect you.” Straightening, he ran his hand through his wet hair.

“No. I’d think not.” She eyed him, following the tattoo around his ribcage to where it dipped low on his abdomen. “That’s a great tattoo.”

“Thanks. It’s my trademark. A phoenix. Born again and rising from the ashes. Symbolizes Nicodemus.”

She let her gaze linger on him, appreciating the body art as well as the art of his body beneath the ink. The hard muscled planes, the curving sculpted muscles. His nipples were a dusky rose color that matched his lips. The man was seriously hot.

“It’s beautiful and it suits you.” Her voice sounded husky and raw to her own ears.

Josh stepped away from the counter and closer to the island. She noticed the tenting of his towel. For some reason, he wanted to hide his erection from her.

“Yeah, Ben likes me to take my shirt off on stage as much as possible. The fans love it.” He cleared his throat. “Did you need something, Jordan?” he asked after the silence had stretched beyond comfort.

A pained expression crossed his face.

Yeah, baby, she sure needed something all right. But she wasn’t going to get it here with Josh. Not today. Not any day.

He’d been very clear about his position earlier.

Just his comment alone, about his fans and needing to undress for them, brought her back to why she was here and why she couldn’t do this with Josh Nicodemus. He was a rock star and he thought she was just another fan girl seeking a piece of phoenix tail.

She moistened her lips before she spoke. “Ahem. Yes. Ben’s gone for now, but he’s planning to stay on the island.”

“What? Why the hell would he do that?”

Jordan sighed. “I told him you were staying up the coast somewhere and that you’d be back sometime in the next week to pick up your equipment. He figured this was the best way to catch you.”

“Shit. You couldn’t just get rid of him?”

“We’re working on that.”

Josh cocked his head. “What does that mean?”

“Well, the islanders have a way of taking care of their own and running interference with outsiders. How do you think I’ve survived here so long?”

“They’ve been hiding you?”

“Well, kind of. But not really. They do watch out for me, though. There’s not a thing that goes on in this community that goes unnoticed. So when a stranger winds up here, they know how to run him or her through the gauntlet to get what they want—make sure they’re friendly or they’re run out of town.”

“All right. Where’s he staying? Close by? Do I need to wear a disguise to go out? I can’t stay inside twenty-four-seven.”

“He’s on a tour of the island right now, whether he wants to be or not. Salty will tie him in knots so he won’t know how to find his way back here quickly. He’s staying at The Seashell Inn. But his car is on the mainland, not parked here on the island. So he’s a captive audience unless he’s going to rent a bicycle.”

Josh laughed. “I cannot imagine Ben on a bike.”

“That’s kind of what he said, too.”

Jordan’s eyes were drawn to the tattoo again. She couldn’t help admiring the work.

“My equipment is downstairs?”

She glanced down, thinking of other equipment he might use, and her cheeks grew warm. “Yeah. It’s down in the café. I’ll have Tony bring it up for you.”

“Thanks, I appreciate it.”

“No problem.” She turned to head back the way she’d come.

“Jordan, wait. About earlier . . .”

She held up a hand. “No. I don’t want to talk about it.”

“I’m sorry. I was an ass. You didn’t deserve my rude response.”

“No woman does. Remember that next time you want to treat a woman like a bimbo. Attraction is not wrong, Josh. It’s what you do with it that matters.”

He rubbed his chest and stared at the floor. “You’re absolutely right. Look, Jordan. I can’t do anything with this heat between us right now. I don’t have time for a relationship. Period. I’m sorry. I didn’t want to hurt you earlier. It was mean, but it’s the only way I could see around what happened between us.”

She stepped up to him. “Listen to me, rocker boy, this—” She waved her finger between their two bodies. “—this attraction thing is going to continue to happen. And with you overtop me . . .” She squeezed her eyes shut at the wording she’d chosen. “With you living above the café, it’s not going to get any easier over the next couple of months.”

Overtop her.

She wanted to slap her forehead. Gawd. Was she insane?

His hand hovered close to her cheek, then it was gone. And, damn, if she didn’t yearn for him to touch her, for the connection she knew they’d have if they ever really did have full-blown sex.

It would be amazing between them. Star dust and roses.

She opened her eyes again and cleared her throat. “I’m not looking for a relationship. Okay? I don’t want a commitment or a boyfriend—famous or not. Got it? My body likes your body. Period. Simple law of attraction. It’s only biology. We want to scratch an itch. It’s natural. So get over yourself. I will not die if I don’t screw you.” She peeked down to see the still-tented towel. His dick twitched under the course fabric. “Maybe.”

Josh growled.

She took a deep, calming breath. “Ahem . . . Although we might both go up in flames if we keep meeting like this.” Her voice sounded breathy. And, God, was she horny. She could climb up him right now. But she wouldn’t. Couldn’t. He didn’t want her. No matter how much his body craved hers.

She was just a girl. To him she could be anyone. God, for some reason, she wanted to be more . . . to be special. She gave into impulse, reaching out to run her fingertips down his chest, tracing the outline of the phoenix wings that came around his ribcage. When her fingers neared his belly button, he stopped her, his hand on top of hers.

“Jordan, you’re playing with fire. We can’t do this.”

“You have no idea how hot you make me,” she whispered, licking her dry lips.

“Yeah, I think I do. Your panties are wet. And I’ve got a boner the size of Texas under this towel.”

Then he was there. In front of her. His warm, minty breath fanned her cheek as he leaned in to kiss her. His naked chest brushed her breasts and her nipples hardened through the thin fabric of the T-shirt.

A loud knock sounded at the door leading up from the café. “Josh? I got your equipment. I’m coming in.” Tony announced himself on the other side of the door.

Jordan sprang away from Josh and dashed into his bedroom.

He followed close behind her. Grabbing his jeans off the chair by the bed, he turned his back to her and dropped his towel, stepping into his pants.

She froze. Squeezed her eyes shut. But the damage was done. That perfect ass would be imprinted forever in her brain, the title perfection labeling it. Gawd. The door clicking softly had her eyes springing open again. Thank God Josh still had presence of mind.

There was no way she could let Tony, her impressionable nephew, see her with Josh in such a compromising position. What kind of role model would that be for him? Her hand shook as she pressed it against the door and leaned in to listen to the conversation.

“This is a nice soundboard,” Tony said. Jordan could hear the awe in the kid’s voice. He was one-hundred percent music crazy. Certifiable.

“Thanks for bringing this up. Did Ben bring anything else?”

“Yes, at least another load or two. When do you think you’ll have your studio set up?”

“Should only take me a few days, maybe a week at tops. Might need to get a contractor in town to help me out, add some sound-proofing and beef up the electrical down in that old party room at the back of the café.”

“J.D. would know of someone good to use.” She heard Tony shuffle around, dragging his Converse shoes in the loose-joined, casual walk he did, shoulders hunched forward to hide his ever-increasing height.

“Let me dress, and I’ll come help you get the rest of the stuff.” Jordan tensed, waiting for Josh to walk through the bedroom door again. God, she’d been so close to giving in to the amped-up attraction between them once again. What was wrong with her? He wasn’t staying. But she hadn’t been lying when she’d told him she wasn’t looking for a relationship or commitment.

She’d seen what that kind of love did to people. What it had done to her own parents and she didn’t want it. Had never let a man get close enough to tear her apart like her parents had done to each other.

“Can I ask you a favor?” She heard Tony say to Josh.

“Sure, bud.” She could hear how fond Josh was of Tony by the warmth of his voice. He was good with the kid.

“Once you get your studio up and running, could you maybe coach me on recording a song or two? I mean—I don’t want to bother you or anything, and I won’t interrupt your working time. I just thought—”

“Look, Tony, what does your mom think about all of this?”

“She’s cool with it.” That was true. Grace didn’t seem to have the big hang-ups that Jordan had over Tony considering a career in the music industry. Maybe it’s because she’d been married to a musician.

Josh paused. “But your aunt has a problem with it, right?” Score one for the big guy for trying to help her out.

“Yeah. J.D. has a big problem with me getting into the music biz. Which I don’t understand, not really. It’s kind of hypocritical, I think. She did it. Jordan got into show biz. She was an actress from the time she was little. And now she tells me I can’t—”

“Hold on, kiddo. She’s trying to protect you. She knows how hard it can be.”

“When did you get into the business?”

“At eighteen.”

“See, you weren’t much older than me. I’ll be seventeen in November.”

“But Jordan is right. It’s a tough business, and if you’re not careful, it can chew you up and spit you out—taking parts of your soul with it.”

“Did it do that to you?”

“I’m not sure yet. That’s why I’m here. To find out.”

Tony paused for a few beats, as if he was considering Josh’s confession. “Will you help me? I want to do this right. If I’m going to produce a song, I want it to be the best I can make it. With your help, I know it could be great. Please?” The last word was drawn out into a plaintive sound that was clearly begging, even for a teenage boy.

“Tony, I know how much you want this. I was there. And nothing would have stopped me. Nothing did stop me from doing what I wanted to do when I was eighteen, but I burned some bridges—important bridges—when I said yes to a rock-and-roll career and no to everything else. I get it. You’re going to do it anyway, no matter what Jordan says or your mom or the ghost of your father. But I need to warn you, it’s not going to be easy.”

There was silence. She eased the door open to watch them. They stared at each other a long moment. Josh, arms crossed over his chest while he considered Tony. Tony, looking like the sullen teen he was.

“I know it’s not going to be easy. I was young when my dad died, but I remember how painful his career was for him since it wasn’t turning out the way he wanted. But if I don’t try, I’ll always wonder if I could have been somebody.”

“You are somebody. You’re Tony Alexander. You’re an important somebody whether you ever make it big in music or not. Don’t let someone else determine that for you. It all starts here.” Josh tapped his temple.

He glanced at the bedroom door and saw her peeking out. She stepped back and closed the door silently. But she could still hear them.

“I will help you. I will mentor you. But you need to promise me that you’ll do everything I say, without question, and without complaint. At least at first. Got it? And nothing without consulting me, okay? Once I see you’re on the right path, then you can begin to make those harder decisions on your own.”

Damn it. Jordan wanted to scream and stomp her foot. Josh couldn’t do this. He was setting Tony up to fail, to be eaten alive in this cutthroat business. He didn’t know what he was doing, the path he was setting this kid on.

“Yes, sir.”

“Deal. What time do you work in the café tomorrow?”

“Ten.”

“Check with your mom, first, and if she’s okay with it be here at six o’clock and bring a change of clothes. You’re going to help me get started on this studio. Won’t hurt you to learn some construction skills. A man needs to earn his way in life. Got it?”

“Yes, sir.” Tony’s voice grew quieter as he moved to the door. “You won’t regret this. Thank you.” The kid sounded so damned excited. And Jordan knew where that kind of boundless hope ended, smashed like road kill right on the road of bitter dreams never realized. Or dreams realized then wrestled away from you by people who thought they knew better than you did what your career was supposed to look like or who you were.

Josh opened the door and grabbed the doorframe above his head. The causal pose put his body on display and made her whole system jolt to life. But she tamped down on it. Pissed off again, this time by Josh’s agreement to mentor Tony, she had no intention of finishing what they’d started in the kitchen a few minutes ago. And he could tell.