Rock Me Faster (Licks of Leather #4) - Jenna Jacob Page 0,17
masculine scent wrapping me in a blanket of arousal, I couldn’t think, let alone string a coherent sentence together.
“Thank fuck you’re back. We’ve been worried shitless, bro,” Burk barked as he grabbed Ross in a brief man hug and clapped him on the back. “Be as pissed at Quinn as you want, but you can’t quit. You’re family, fucker. Deal with it. Besides, you wouldn’t let me quit when I wanted to, remember?”
“I do, but this is different.”
“Bullshit. Come on, the guys are waiting for us up in my suite. Let’s talk this shit out. All right?”
Ross gave him a begrudging nod, then pinned me with a stern glare. “Go inside the hotel and stay there. It’s not safe for you to be out here alone.”
I was tempted to remind him that, A, I wasn’t a dog he could order around, and B, I wouldn’t have been strolling the streets of New York alone if he hadn’t stormed out of the hotel. Instead, I kept my mouth shut and prayed Burk and the others could convince Ross to stay.
As the two men turned and walked toward the elevator, I stilled and quietly began meditating. I knew everything in the universe happened by design, but I didn’t have a clue why Ross’s path had crossed mine. Until the powers that be decided to reveal the answers to my questions, I had to put my faith in the sun, moon, and the stars. Had to keep an open heart and mind and remember that kindness and compassion were gifts that could only be reaped after they’d been sewn.
While he might not know it or want to admit it, Ross possessed immense kindness and compassion. I’d seen it…felt it. Even if I couldn’t yet tap into the life-altering trauma that had buried his benevolence under an avalanche of rubble, I would make it my mission to uncover the source of his sadness. Well, providing he changed his mind and stayed with the band.
“Harmony,” Quinn called from across the lobby, dragging me from my thoughts. “Thank god you’re back. Did you find Ross?”
“Yes.”
Quinn darted a glance around the room. “Where is he?”
“Upstairs with Burk and the others.”
“You’re good.”
“Excuse me?”
“You convinced Ross to come back to the hotel. I’m impressed.”
“No. I didn’t. He escorted me here after some lunatic attacked me, and—”
“Attacked you?” Quinn blanched. “Are you all right? Did he hurt you?”
I explained what happened, and though I was still a bit spooked by the whole ordeal, I assured him that I was fine.
“Did you and Ross talk after that?”
“Not much.”
“I told you last night that he was going to fight you tooth and nail. But I’m sure you’ll find a—”
“If he quits, there will be no fighting.”
“He’s not going to quit. Burk and the others won’t let him.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“Come. Let’s head back to the restaurant and get you something to eat.”
I held my tongue until we sat down at the same, now empty, table. Placing my napkin in my lap, I glanced at Ross’s partially filled coffee cup and drew in a fearless breath. “I’m not sure lying to Ross is such a good idea. He already asked if I was a shrink. It won’t be long before he figures out that I’m more than a fake girlfriend.”
“So, you did talk to him.”
“Surface stuff. Nothing deep to explain why he’s so closed off.” Sympathy skipped over Quinn’s face and a heavy weight of sorrow rolled off him. “You know why, don’t you?”
He remained silent.
“Come on, Quinn. You hired me to help your friend. If you really care about Ross, as a friend, help me…help him. What was he trying to escape that he had to use cocaine?”
“I can’t,” he bit out. “There’s confidentiality issues at stake.”
I didn’t like his answer, but I respected it. “Okay, but at least stop lying to him. Tell him who I am and what I’m trying to accomplish.”
Quinn scoffed. “Ross is threatening to quit because he thinks you’re here as his fake girlfriend. If he discovers you’re here to pry his stubborn ass open, he’ll probably kill me with his bare hands. Even if, by some miracle, he didn’t he’d never let his guard down, or let you slide under his radar. I’m sorry. It has to be this way.”
He leaned back in his chair, steepled his hands, and tapped his index fingers to his lips like he’d done on the terrace last night. It was Quinn’s contemplative pose.