Music of the Heart (Runaway Train #1)(10)
Author: Katie Ashley

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.”