Music of the Heart (30 page)

Brayden and Lily were so touched by mine and Jake’s offer. It took about an hour for them to get

everything we would need together for a day and night with the kids. Then taking Lily’s SUV, Jake

and I headed first to the Atlanta Zoo and then we went to the Aquarium. With his dark sunglasses and

baseball cap, Jake did his best to blend in and not call attention to himself. While I pushed Melody in

her stroller, he carried Jude on his shoulders. Since we appeared to be the model picture of a young

family, no one even stopped to look or question whether a famous rocker was in their midst.

After ogling all the wildlife, we then headed back to the hotel for Melody’s nap time. “Big boys

don’t nap!” Jude complained when I suggested he lie down as well.

“Come on, Little Man. You and I will go for a swim while the girls relax,” Jake suggested.

Jude squealed with delight and raced into the bedroom. While I got him into his swim trunks and

floaties, Jake borrowed a pair of Brayden’s swim trunks. When he came out of the bathroom, I drew

in a sharp breath at the sight of his bare chest and all his hard, chiseled muscles on display.

Lowering his sunglasses, Jake grinned wickedly at me. “Impressed, Angel?”

I rolled my eyes. “Why do you always have to be so cocky?”

He pulled me into his arms. “And why do you always have to fight your feelings when it comes to

me?”

“I’m not fighting anything right now when I say your arrogance manages to ruin more moments.”

Jake’s hands dipped lower to cup my butt. “Oh come on, baby, you drive me wild with desire

every minute, so can’t you just at least admit that every once in a while, the sight of me gives you a

lady boner?”

I bit my lip to keep from laughing. “A lady boner?”

He grinned. “Yep.”

“No, seeing you did not give me a lady boner, but it did get me hot, okay?”

Jake twirled me around. “Finally, you admit it.” His lips met mine in a hurried, frantic kiss since

we both knew at any moment Jude would be coming out of the bathroom. After he licked a moist trail

up to my ear, he whispered, “And as for that lady boner, guess I’ll just have to step up my game.”

I giggled. “Yeah, you do that.”

Jude emerged, and Jake and I reluctantly pried away from each other. After a bottle, Melody went

down for a two-hour nap. While she slept, I texted with my brothers and my parents. Jake and Jude

arrived back at the hotel suite just as Melody was waking up. Since they were both starved, dinner

was our next order of business.

As we gorged ourselves on chili dogs and hamburgers from Jake’s favorite Atlanta restaurant, The

Varsity, Jude asked, “Are Mommy and Daddy playing somewhere else today?”

When Jake snickered, I shot him a look while wiping the ketchup stains off Jude’s face. “Yes, they

needed some time alone to do some big people stuff.”

That caused another amused snort from Jake. “You’re impossible!” I hissed.

A little pout formed on Jude’s face. “I’m not a baby. I could do big people’s stuff.”

“Sorry Little Man, but you’re not quite ready for what Mommy and Daddy are up to,” Jake said.

Jude crossed his arms over his chest in a huff while I gave Jake a smile. “Now don’t worry. Uncle

Jake isn’t a big enough boy to get to do what your parents are doing right now either.”

Stuffing a handful of fries in his mouth, Jake mumbled, “Oh please, I’ve done it plenty of times. It’s

Aunt Abby who needs to loosen up.” When he winked at me, I tossed the dirty napkin at him, which

caused him to almost choke on his fries.

After we arrived back at the hotel, it was after eight. Jake yawned as he collapsed on the couch.

“Can you give Melody her bottle while I give Jude a bath?”

He nodded and took the almost sleeping baby from my arms. I then herded Jude into the bathroom.

After a quick splash to get clean, I slipped him into his pajamas and read him a bedtime story.

When I finished the book, Jude’s eyes were heavy, but he still wasn’t asleep. “Sing to me, Aunt

Abby.”

“Um, okay.” I searched my mind for a song and finally remembered the one my mother used to sing

to me.

Finally, he nodded off, and I carefully eased myself off the bed. After I closed the bedroom door

behind me, I was surprised to find the living room bathed in darkness. Only the flickering TV screen

lit the way for me as I walked toward the couch. When I was almost there, I skidded to a stop at the

sight before me. Shirtless, Jake lay on his back while Melody slept soundly on his chest. My hand

fisted my shirt over my heart as the scene of Jake with a baby wrecked me emotionally.

I drew in a deep breath and continued over to the couch. Gently, I picked up Melody. Sensing the

loss, Jake popped open his eyes. “I’ll put her down,” I whispered.

“Okay,” he replied, rising up into a sitting position on the couch.

After I laid Melody down in her Pack-N-Play, I covered her up. Grabbing a t-shirt and a pair of

yoga pants out of my suitcase, I went into the bathroom to change. When I finished, I peeked at the

kids again before leaving the bedroom. Jake reclined on the couch with the remote in his hand. When

he saw me eyeing his naked chest, he grinned sheepishly. “Melody kinda spit up all over me.”

“Oh, I see,” I replied, as I eased down beside him.

“Jude asleep?”

“Yep.” I couldn’t fight the dreamy smile that curved on my lips. “I ended up singing him to sleep.”

Jake chuckled. “There’s not a chance in the world that kid isn’t gonna be a rocker just like his old

man.”

“You’re right. He adores music.”

With a yawn, Jake turned to me. “I had no idea two kids would wipe my ass out so much.”

I laughed. “I know. But they’re really good kids.”

“Oh yeah, Bray’s a lucky man.”

At the serious way he was looking at me, I quickly turned my head. Wrinkling my nose at the TV

screen, I asked, “Ugh, do we seriously have to watch Sports Center?”

Jake snorted. “If you think we’re watching some sappy chick flick, you got another thing coming.”

“Well, at least let me see what else is on,” I suggested, reaching for the remote.

“Oh no. I don’t think so.”

When I tried prying the remote out of his hands, it went flying across the living room and bounced

onto the floor. Jake and I momentarily eyed each other before we both lunged off the couch for it.

Pushing and shoving each other out of the way, I finally grabbed it. “Aha!”

It was a brief victory because Jake flipped me over on my back. After he straddled me, he pinned

my arms above my head. “Not so fast.”

As he smirked down at me, I tried squirming out of his hold. “Let me go, asshole!”

“Ooh, you get so feisty when you’re angry.”

“Don’t make me knee you again,” I threatened.

At the mention of our first encounter, our eyes locked, and in that brief instant, the remote was

forgotten. Leaning down, Jake brushed his mouth against mine, caressing my lips with his. I craned my

head up, so I could reach him better. The tighter we fit against each other the more feverishly Jake’s

lips moved against mine. I darted my tongue into his mouth and teased mine against his. His hand

abandoned mine and moved to cup my breast. Over my t-shirt, he kneaded my flesh, causing me to

moan with pleasure.

Tearing his mouth from mine, Jake panted, “Abby…”

“What?” I murmured as I ran my hands through his hair.

His brows creased in worry. “Are you sure about this?”

“Because of Brayden’s kids being in the next room?”

Jake chuckled. “Well, yeah, that’s a buzz kill in itself, but I was thinking more about you.” He

stared down at me with such a mixture of lust and desire in his eyes that I shivered. “I just can’t help

myself around you. I want you so bad that I can’t help but devour you any chance I get. I’m just afraid

this is too fast and too soon for you.”

My chest constricted at his concern for me. He really was willing to give me the time and space I

needed, and that made me love him all the more. When he started to pull himself off me, I knew right

then and there that I didn’t want him to stop. I was almost twenty-two years old, and I wanted to keep

enjoying a frolic on the hotel room floor with the guy I loved. “No!” I cried, grabbing his shoulders.

His eyes widened in surprise. “I want this, and I want you.” I tore my gaze from his before adding,

“Just not all the way.”

“You mean it?” he asked, tipping my chin to make me look at him again.

“Yes,” I whispered.

“Thank God,” he groaned before he brought his lips back to mine. Kissing me feverishly, he eased

my t-shirt up and over my head. Then he snaked his arm around my back. With just a flick of his wrist,

Jake unhooked my bra deftly with just one hand and then slipped it off. “Nice work,” I panted.

He grinned down at me. “It’s tricky, but I’ve had a lot of practice.”

I smacked his chest. “Don’t be bragging about your former conquests with me.”

“Sorry.” As his hand cupped my bare breast for the first time, I gasped. “Would it sweeten the pot

if I said you’re the only girl in the entire world I dream about conquering?”

“Maybe,” I whispered as his thumb brushed across my nipple. It hardened under his simple touch

while an ache burned between my legs.

Jake’s gaze roamed over my breasts. “God, these are amazing…and real.”

I couldn’t help giggling at his statement. “Um, should I say thank you?”

He chuckled. “Sorry for the caveman comment. It’s just you’re so damn perfect everywhere.

Including your tits.”

His mouth hovered over my nipple. As his breath warmed my breast, I arched my back,

encouraging him to stop tormenting me. Happily, he obliged and sucked my nipple into his mouth. “Oh

Jake,” I murmured. The sensation was like nothing I could have imagined. While his tongue assaulted

my nipple, his other hand continued massaging my other breast. I couldn’t help the moans and

whimpers escaping me. It felt too good to be quiet.

While he continued giving my breasts attention, I opened my legs wider, allowing him to sink

closer between my thighs. My hips bucked up involuntarily to his, and I felt the bulge growing beneath

his jeans. He pushed back against me, and I cried out. Grazing my nipple with his teeth, he then began

to rock his erection against me.

“Mmm,” I murmured, turning my head from side to side. I matched his rhythm lifting my hips to

meet his thrusts. Pressure continued to build between my legs as Jake rubbed against me. I bit down

on my lip to stifle my cries. If it felt this good now, what would it be like when he actually touched

me there or put his mouth there?

The friction was driving me wild, but it wasn’t enough. “Jake,” I whispered.

He raised his head from my breast. “What do you want, Angel?” he rasped.

“Touch me.”

“You sure?”

I bobbed my head. “Yes, please.”

Rolling off of me, one of Jake’s hands abandoned my breast to trail down my abdomen. When he

got to the band of my yoga pants, I sucked in a breath. The back of his hand feathered tantalizingly

across my stomach, and I couldn’t help but buck my hips up to him. Chewing his lip for a minute, he

gazed down at me. “Has anyone ever…”

Warmth flooded my cheeks at his question. “No.”

The cocky little smirk that filled his face caused me to smack him. “What?”

“The victorious caveman look you just made at being my first third-base action.”