Relentless (13 page)

He glared over her shoulder, looking like he was getting ready to take his frustration out on the first available target. “I don’t think so, sugar.”

Obviously Ty shared her fears because he approached his brother, slapping him on the back.

“Come on, man. Step outside with me for a minute.”

J.T. shot him a sidelong glance. “Why would I wanna do that?”

Apparently, Ty was used to dealing with his brother’s wrath because he didn’t back down. Quite the opposite, he stepped up, getting in his face. “The lady asked you to leave, so that’s what you’re gonna do.”

“You really want to push me right now, Ty?” J.T. asked, shoving him.

“Stop it,” Nikki shouted. “Stop being such an asshole, J.T.” She stepped between the two men, knowing her personal safety would never be in jeopardy amid two cowboys. Harming a woman, any woman, went against their code of honor. Using her body as a barrier was the best way to diffuse the situation. “Just give me a minute, okay?” Her voice softened on the last word.

Mirroring J.T.’s fury would only prolong it, so she decided to try a different approach. She tipped her head back, looking him in the icy-blue depths of his eyes. Lord, the man had incredible eyes. “Please?”

He framed her face in his hands, reaching down to brush a brief kiss across her lips. “Just don’t be too long, sugar.”

“I won’t.” She tried to conceal his effect on her with Ty and Jake looking on, but she was sure it was as obvious to them as it was to the man himself; she turned to putty in his skillful hands.

Watching him walk away, she guessed she’d allowed her gaze to linger on his fine backside a little too long because Ty chuckled, grasping her shoulder.

“I’m going to head outside too. I need to call Avery.”

“Sorry about your appointment time, Ty,” Jake said. “I know you’re a busy man.”

“This is my fault,” Nikki said, turning to face the two men. “If you can hang tight for a few more minutes, you can take my time, since I obviously won’t be using it.”

“Sure, no problem,” Ty said, extracting his phone from the pocket of his jeans. “I wasn’t having a very productive day in the studio anyhow. I could use some time to clear my head.”

She waited until Ty made his way out of the room before turning her attention to Jake.

They had been friends for a long time, though she knew he wished for more. It was time for them to have the conversation she’d been putting off for too long. “I’m sorry J.T. came here, getting in your face like that.”

“He cares about you, a lot.”

She tried to ignore the buzz his words evoked. She might not want a relationship with J.T. McCall, but she had been in lust with the man for years. She had the right to bask in the excitement for a minute, now that the feeling was finally mutual. “It’s not going to go anywhere, Jake. It can’t. I have my career to think about, and J.T. is obviously not a man who’s used to sharing his woman with anything or anyone.”

He observed her carefully before asking, “If you were ready for a relationship, would he be the one?”

She hated the thought of hurting Jake, but she knew prolonging the inevitable would only hurt him more in the end. “I don’t know, maybe.” She moved in closer. “You know I think you’re a great guy…”

“Just not the guy for you, right?” He raised a hand, taking a step back. “It’s okay. I get it now.”

She frowned, sensing his irritation. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“After meeting him, it’s pretty obvious. He and I are nothing alike.” He smiled, brushing a hand across her cheek. “I thought you wanted a nice guy who would treat you right. I wanted to be that guy for you.”

“J.T. is…”

“The man you want,” he said softly, dropping his hand to his side. “I’ve suspected that for a while. But seeing you together just now, it was painfully obvious.”

She didn’t know what to say, how to bridge the burgeoning gap between them. Jake was her friend, first and foremost. She didn’t want to lose that. “Maybe we just need to take a break for a while. When I get back from the tour, I’ll call you. We’ll get together…”

He pressed his fingertip against her lips, silencing her. “There’s no room for me in your life now.”

“What are you talking about? Why would you say that?” It wasn’t the thought of losing him as her lover that rattled her. He was her confidante, her champion… She began to realize how selfish she had been. While she had been thinking of him as a friend, who sometimes satisfied her urge for an intimate touch, he thought of them as much more. She had to let him go, to find the kind of relationship he deserved. That was never going to happen as long as she was in his life, demanding her share of his time and attention.

She brushed a tear away before pressing a kiss to his lips. “I’m going to miss you so much.”

“I know, sweetheart. I’m going to miss you too, but I think we both knew this day was going to come sooner or later.”

She nodded, clearing her throat. “You’re right. I just wish…”

“No regrets,” he whispered, obviously battling his own surge of emotions. “Okay?”

She reached up to wrap her arms around his neck. “Right, no regrets.”

J.T. stalked the paved parking lot under the watchful eye of his brother. Ty was probably worried he was going to start tearing the place up if she didn’t come down soon. The thought had crossed his mind, but he wasn’t there yet. Just when he thought he’d worn a hole in sole of his custom boots, she finally put him out of his misery.

Nikki smiled at Ty, and J.T.’s libido kicked into overdrive. Damn, if she could turn him on with a smile, he really was in trouble.

“Sorry that took so long, Ty. You can head on up now.”

Ty grinned, crooking a thumb over his shoulder. “I didn’t mind waiting. Too bad I can’t say the same for this guy.”

She rolled her eyes. “Patience isn’t his strong suit, is it?”

J.T. growled low in his throat. She was doing a damn good job of testing his patience right now.

“You mind giving him a ride home?” Ty asked, still grinning, as though he was enjoying watching his brother squirm.

J.T. had no doubt this was his way of getting even for all the grief he’d given him about Avery in the early days. “I can find my own ride home. You just head on upstairs.” He flashed a quick smile. “And make sure you’ve got a spotter. Wouldn’t want you to have an accident. It’s been a long time since you’ve lifted anything heavier than your guitar.”

“Smart ass,” Ty mumbled. “Hey, I almost forgot, Nikki. Avery wanted me to invite you over for a barbeque tonight. There were a few things she wanted to talk to you about before we hit the road.”

She smiled. “I’d love to come, thanks. I’ve missed that gorgeous daughter of yours.”

Ty beamed like the proud papa he was. “You should see how much she’s grown. I can hardly believe she’ll be turning three next month.”

Nikki frowned. “Next month? Does that mean you’ll miss her birthday?”

“No way, I wouldn’t miss that for anything. We’ll be in Charleston around that time. Avery will bring her out. We’ll go out for dinner, and I’ll have a chance to spoil her rotten.” He winked. “She’s got her eye on this pony…”

Nikki laughed. “Please tell me it’s the stuffed variety.”

“Yeah, I wanted to get her the real deal, but her overprotective mama says she’s too young.” He shrugged. “Maybe by next year I can talk her into it.”

“Unless her favorite uncle steals your thunder,” J.T. chimed in.

Ty raised an eyebrow. “Derek’s gonna surprise her with a pony?”

J.T. smirked. “Get your ass upstairs, big mouth.” He grabbed Ty’s shoulder before he could reach for the door. “Hey, did my sister-in-law say anything about inviting me to that barbecue?”

“She’s been trying to get you to come out to dinner for months, but you’re always on the road. Hell, your niece asks for you every other day.”

Anna Marie was his little princess. It killed him to think he may have disappointed her by not making more of an effort to spend time with her. He’d have to redeem himself with a trip to the toy store before he paid her a visit. “Tell my best girl I’ll be there at six sharp.”

“You best be there,” Ty said, pointing a finger at him. “If you let my baby down, I’m gonna come lookin’ for you.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be there.” J.T. waited for Ty to pass through the glass door before he turned his attention to Nikki. “Hope you don’t mind that I honed in on your dinner invitation like that?”

She shook her head. “I don’t mind.” She chuckled. “Kinda hard for me to picture you playing dolls with a toddler though.”

He took a step closer, brushing his index finger down her cheek. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me, pretty lady. Stick around and I just might let you in on a few more secrets.”
Like I’m falling for you.

She shook her head, smiling. “You’re too much.” She positioned her hand over her eyes to block the sun. “About last night…”

He took a step toward her, wrapping an arm around her waist. “Why don’t you come back to my place and we’ll…” He grinned. “Talk about it.”

She laughed. “You sure you don’t want to re-enact it?”

He would give anything for a do over. If he hadn’t been so anxious last night, they wouldn’t have to talk about it at all. He would have already sealed the deal and she would be his, period.

“We’ve got a few hours before we have to be at my brother’s place.” He ran a hand up her bare arm. “A lot can happen in that amount of time.”

She tipped her head back to look him in the eye. “That’s what I’m afraid of, cowboy.” She pressed her palms to his chest, and he took advantage of her close proximity to draw her into the circle of his arms. “You need to know, nothing’s changed for me. If anything, your little vanishing act just proved my point.”

Frowning, he said, “I’m not the one who disappeared, darlin’.”

She pushed his hands away, stepping out of his arms. “Really? What would you call it, then? I hadn’t even caught my breath and you’d already hit the shower.”

An older couple walked past them toward the building’s entrance, eyeing them curiously.

J.T. couldn’t decide if it was because they recognized Nikki or they had overheard snippets of their conversation. Either way, he wasn’t taking any chances. Raking his hand through his hair, he said, “Listen, we both agreed to dinner at Ty’s tonight, and the fact is, we can’t avoid seeing each other now that you’re hittin’ the road with my brother. I’d just as soon it not be awkward, wouldn’t you?” He knew a woman like Nikki wouldn’t respond well to pressure, but he had to make her see reason before his window of opportunity slammed shut. He knew once she started the tour, he would be relegated to the back of her mind again.

Sighing, she tossed him a set of keys. “I’m tired. You can drive.”

Her fine little backside mesmerized him as she crossed the parking lot to her Lexus SUV. Standing with her hand on her hip as she waited at the vehicle, she said, “Are you gonna stand there gawking at me all day, or are you gonna unlock the door?”

Chuckling, he hit the switch and walked to her side of the truck to open the door for her. This was the first time he’d ever been able to say, in all honesty, that he loved everything about a woman. She was sweet enough to bring home to mama but sexy enough to rock his world. A combination that might prove to be hell on his heart.

Gripping the hand rest, she climbed in, treating him to a view of the angle he loved so much.

“Hot damn, girl,” he said, giving her a thorough onceover. “You don’t know what you’re doin’ to me.”

Tongue in cheek, she replied, “Don’t be so sure.”

He leaned over, stealing a quick kiss before he closed the door. Crossing the front of the vehicle, he realized all of the tension he’d felt earlier, about his career and his future, had dissipated.

Being with her made him happier than he’d ever been astride a mean-ass bull, and that was saying a lot. He didn’t think he’d ever see the day when a woman would outrank a bull in his mind. When he claimed the driver’s seat, she was scrolling messages on her phone, a smile on her face. “What’s got you so happy, sugar?”

“Just friends and fans congratulating me on the big win last night.” She slipped the phone back in her purse as she reached for the radio.