was an angry shade of red.
“Come on, let’s get some ice on that.” He moved toward her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, but for a few moments he just held her. “You are one fierce chick, baby.”
She elbowed him in the ribs good naturedly, but was smiling.
“If I’m being honest, it turned me on seeing you put Laura in her place.” He cupped her cheek and leaned down to kiss her before she could answer. He pulled back and looked into her eyes, but was still close enough that she felt his lips touching hers. “God, I love you so fucking much, Tanner.”
He kissed her once more, and it felt like long, drugging seconds before he pulled back. He held her around the shoulders still and led her to the kitchen on the other side of the room.
Beer and liquor bottles were scattered on the floor, as well as random pieces of clothing, cigarette butts and roaches, and some other less favorable things like used condoms. Jacks broke away from her and went to the small freezer and grabbed an icepack, and then grabbed a dishtowel that was on the counter.
When he was back in front of her again he placed the rag covered bag on her knuckles gently and stared into her face. “You’re okay?”
She looked down at her hand and nodded. “Yeah. I honestly don’t know what came over me.”
He placed his finger under her chin and tilted her head back so she could look at him. “That shit was building since before you even joined the tour, and only got worse the last week. Laura has issues, and her being around the band is not good for anyone.”
“She’s a bitch, no doubt about that, but I thought she didn’t have anywhere else to go?”
Jacks shrugged. “Not my issue or the band’s. She brought this on herself, and this was coming anyway. Several of the roadies have talked to her dad, and I know for damn sure he’s spoken to her about her causing trouble.
Before you, she was starting crap with others, so don’t feel sorry for her. She is trouble, and the only reason she was on this tour was because her dad is a good guy and asked us for a favor.”
The sound of the hotel room door opening had them both turning around. Five walked in a little bleary eyed. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, and his physique and tattoos were just as impressive as Jacks’.
It was the fact that he was only in a pair of boxers, and that his junk was hanging out in all its glory that had Tanner covering her mouth and glancing over at Jacks with suppressed amusement.
“I know I missed drama.” Five grinned and lifted his hand to scrub it over his hair, making it have even a more bedhead look.
Jacks started chuckling. “Dude, your dick is totally hanging out. Go back to your room.”
Five glanced down at said body part, tucked himself back in, and turned around to leave, grumbling all the way. When the door shut behind him there was this weird moment of silence.
“How many piercings does he actually have down there?” She had seen more than one, but she had looked away as soon as she realized it was Five’s penis all out in the open like that.
“Baby, you don’t even want to know. Five is way more freaky than he was back in the day, and so are Matty and Beats for that matter.”
All she could do was shake her head. She wanted to talk to him about Beats and Zoe, but she knew her friend didn’t want her business all put out in the open like that. If Zoe wanted the others to know what had happened with her and Beats, then she would be the one to tell them.
As it was, Tanner assumed Beats hadn’t said anything to Jacks since he didn’t say anything about it to her. But maybe he felt the same way she did about blurting out someone else’s business like that?
“Baby, you’re in my life now for good, and it is going to be one hell of a ride.” He leaned down and kissed her softly. “Hang on tight.” He murmured against her lips, and she couldn’t help but grin.
Yeah, it was definitely going to be one she wouldn’t forget, or regret.
18
Beats sat on the bed in his hotel room and stared at his cell. He drummed his fingers on the mattress, tapped his foot on