Rock Me Faster (Licks of Leather #4) - Jenna Jacob Page 0,29

for years and nearly lost my mind when I joined the guys on tour.” Sofia kept her voice low as we followed the young hostess to a private dining room.

On a long, rectangular table draped in white linen, place settings of fine bone china and shimmering stemware were assembled in front of several glossy oak chairs. Glass sconces lined the walls, illuminating the room in a soft glow.

“Sitting behind a desk orchestrating tours and publicity junkets is way different than being out there with them and having all those…eager women shoved in your face,” Sofia continued. “It’s not easy to turn the other cheek and look away when you want to bitch-slap them into next week.”

So my violent impulse was normal?

Maybe if I was Ross’s real girlfriend.

But I wasn’t. There was no rational reason for these dark, nasty feelings to be clawing through me.

“I’m sure it’s torture watching them throw themselves at Burk,” I sympathized as the hostess finished setting a menu on each plate, then left the room. “But I’m just here to play a part.”

Sofia sent me a knowing smile. “Then you’re an even better actress than you portrayed at the interview.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Because you looked like you were ready to spit nails when those women were rubbing all over Ross.”

Praying to all the goddesses that he hadn’t been as perceptive as Sofia, I forced a tight smile. “I need to use the ladies’ room. I’ll be right back.”

“Take your time. They’ll be signing autographs for a while.”

Good.

It was going to take more than a few minutes for me to purge these toxic emotions and replace them with patience, peace of mind, and the tranquility necessary to restore my soul.

Then what? It’s not going to last.

That wasn’t negativity talking…it was the truth.

I knew the second Ross turned his fathomless dark eyes on me again, my system would short-circuit, and I’d be right where I was now, trying to process all these foreign emotions. Because it happened every dang time.

Maybe I needed a wall around me to shield my system from the sparks he induced. But I couldn’t. I had to somehow entice him out from behind his own bastion. But until I got an accurate read on Ross’s emotions and uncovered his secrets, I didn’t know if I needed to use a battering ram or kindness. Until then, I had to don a mask, as fake as that trampy redhead’s lips, boobs, and fingernails, and play my part in deceiving the public.

I knew the people back home were happy that I was here trying to save our little slice of heaven. But would they still be as supportive if they knew I was deceiving everyone on the planet? Or that the man I’d been assigned to save lit my soul up like a firefly every time he looked, touched, or spoke to me?

After circling the restaurant three times, I finally asked a waitress for directions. Once inside the restroom, I splashed cold water on my face and dried off with a cottony-soft towelette as memories of home filled my brain.

I closed my eyes and envisioned the lush green mountain. I could almost smell the pine in the fresh, sweet air. See those tall trees stretching toward the heavens. Hear Jeb strumming a happy tune on his banjo by the fire.

A pang of longing for the simple, safe, uplifting life I’d left behind stung.

Sucking in a deep breath, I tucked the bittersweet memories away and studied my reflection in the mirror.

“This job wasn’t supposed to be like this,” I whispered softly.

Every hardship reaps its own reward. My father’s voice and sage wisdom echoed in my ears.

“But I think I’m in over my head, Bodhi,” I murmured to him.

And though he was over seven hundred miles away, I could hear his wisdom whispering through me once more.

You’ll never find peace with life until you achieve peace within yourself.

Yes. Regardless of the tangled mess I was in, I had to maintain my peace of mind. The only way I could achieve that goal was to feed and water the seeds of compassion and tranquility.

Though Ross was hands down the most emotionally unavailable and socially detached man I’d ever met, I was determined to help him discover his happiness and set it free.

After aligning my mind, body, and soul once more, I stepped from the bathroom and plowed into a wide, solid chest. As I froze in place with my breasts mashed against a wall of unyielding muscle, Ross’s unique,