Rough Rhythm: A Made in Jersey Novella (1001 Dark Nights)(32)

Adrenaline found its way to her heart, jumpstarting the organ along with her legs. Lita jumped from her throne, leaping over wires and sprinting full speed toward the sound booth. She caught just a hint of James’s relieved expression through the glass before the door swung open and she tumbled through. James scooped her up before she’d set foot inside the room, burying his face in the crook of her neck and chanting her name in a gruff voice.

“I lost you. I lost you.”

She wrapped her legs around his hips and clung, treasuring every frantic kiss of his lips up and down her neck. “You found me, too,” she whispered. “Twice now.”

He pulled away just enough to press their foreheads together. “There’s no excuse for what I said. I was wrong, Lita.” The words floated over her lips. “I’m protective over you because I remember living without you. I remember the waiting, even though I didn’t know that’s what I was doing. And when you finally appeared, I took protecting you too far. You didn’t need protecting. You needed me. We needed each other.”

Her heart couldn’t take any more. It pounded in her chest like the bass drum during a wicked solo, erratic and powerful. “Do we have each other now?”

James groaned against her mouth. “Lita, bring me back to life. Tell me you actually want me after everything I’ve done.”

“Of course I do,” she sobbed. “I don’t know how to stop wanting you. Wanting you is part of me. I like it right where it is.”

His kiss was one of cherishment. “I love you.”

Tears fell down Lita’s cheeks. “I love you back.”

She leaned in to kiss him again, but a commotion behind her in the studio caused James’s body to stiffen. His gaze was full of regret, but there was a hint of something else she didn’t recognize at first. But slowly it dawned on her. Mischief? She’d never seen James house mischief in any shape or form. It had to be a mistake.

“What’s going on?”

Footsteps sounded on the floor behind Lita, coming in their direction. “I had a backup plan, in case you weren’t ready to listen yet.” He kissed her one final time, then set her down. “So I hope you have bail money. Because I might have stolen a police car and drove it here.”

Lita’s mouth dropped open as two officers skirted past and pulled James’s hands behind his back, slapping handcuffs on his wrists. “James. I…what…” she sputtered. “You could have been killed. Do you know how much danger you put yourself in?”

His gray eyes were the lightest she’d ever seen them. Light and focused on her. As always. “It was worth it to see your face right now.”

“I’ve never been more turned on in my life.”

Ignoring the officers’ reluctant laughter, James stroked her with a head-to-toe look. “Excellent timing.”

“I’ll be right behind you with bail.” Lita pressed both palms to his cheeks and went up on her toes to speak against his mouth. “James?”

“Yes?”

“Kiss me and know that everything is going to be fine.”

He did. And it was.

Forever.





Epilogue



Two months later



James let himself into Lita’s apartment and carefully closed the door behind him. The sharp sounds of her drumming sailed down the stairs, forcing his heartbeat into the rhythm she created. He knew the song, knew the section she was working on.

Perks of being the band manager.

However, he much preferred the perks of being Lita’s boyfriend, which included having keys to her apartment. Along with permission to come and go without consulting her. To take her by surprise when she least expected it.

James wouldn’t even attempt lying to himself. He wanted to live with Lita. Whether it was here in the apartment or at his house ten minutes away, he wanted to live his life immersed in every goddamn facet of her. The way she woke up like a cat, rubbing her cheek on the pillow and purring in her throat. How she only ever drank one sip of coffee, then switched to orange juice. The pride she took in the apartment and the personalization of her space. He didn’t want to take that away from her any time soon, so he contented himself with spending the night as often as possible, without taking away from what she’d accomplished on her own.

After returning, he’d questioned his desire to continue as band manager for Old News, wondering if he should leave Lita to rule the professional part of her life, but she’d been horrified at the idea of him not returning. And in the spirit of being honest with himself, the idea of Lita traveling around the world without him? It didn’t sit well, to put it mildly.

As James climbed the stairs, Lita started the drumming section over, improvement noticeable with each run-through. Practice time was about to be over, though. James was starved out of his f*cking mind for his girlfriend…and his intentions were the furthest thing from pretty. They were dark, dirty, and urgent. Just the way Lita liked them. Not that she would tell him that until after. Oh no.

Over the last two months, James had been beyond relieved to discover he found the same overwhelming pleasure making love to Lita that he did playing rough. It was just a different type of pleasure. Smooth instead of coarse. Sweet instead of razor-sharp. Every time their bodies were joined, his soul threatened to burst free, no matter how or when or where.