Rock Stars Do It Dirty
CHAPTER 1
Jamie heard Chase’s feet behind her, heavy boots smacking the concrete. She ducked her head, doing her damnedest to pretend she didn’t hear him. To pretend she didn’t know what would happen if she turned around.
Jamie didn’t turn around. She made it to Dale’s car, clutching the leather strap of her purse in a white-knuckled grip. A part of her wanted to haul around and deck him. Another part wanted to turn around and kiss him, then take him somewhere, anywhere , and finish what they’d started.
She was tugging futilely at the locked car door when he caught up to her. His hand wrapped far too gently around her upper arm, near her armpit, his knuckles brushing her breast. She dragged a deep shuddering breath in, placed her palm on the window, refusing to turn around.
“What do you want, Chase?” Jamie hated how quivery and breathy and damned needy her voice sounded.
“You.” His voice was raw, growling, as if the admission had been dragged out of his chest.
“Well, you can’t have me.”
“I know, but…” His grip tightened on Jamie’s arm, and then he let go with a long, expelled breath. “That doesn’t mean I’ll ever stop wanting you.”
She clenched her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut; the visceral pain in his voice tore at her heart.
“Chase…” Jamie could feel the intensity radiating off him, and she just had to turn in place to see his eyes. “God, you think I want—you think I don’t—”
“Then why can’t we make this work? Anna will be okay. She has Jeff. I’ll be okay around her, if I have you .”
Temptation raged through Jamie. “That’s like…it’s so wrong. I can’t. I can’t. It’d be ripping open wounds every time you two are in the same room.”
She was standing against his chest, her hand curled up between them. She wasn’t sure how that had happened, but it felt so right. And so wrong.
“It would get easier. Time heals all wounds, right? You heal the hurt inside me. You make it all go away.”
Jamie blinked hard and bit her lip until it hurt. “ Stop , Chase. Please stop. It would be a betrayal of Anna. My best friend. The one person I have in this world who’s like family. I can’t.” The admission of her own feelings for Chase were on the tip of her tongue, and she choked them back. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
She stepped away from him, and the hurt in his eyes deepened until Jamie thought she might be seeing the raw material of his very soul gleaming in the cracks of his heart, visible through his eyes. She felt a tear dragging down her cheek. Jamie knew this was the correct decision, but it still felt so wrong, so terrible. Chase was already hurt; she was only driving the dagger deeper.
She watched his eyes harden, watched as the shutters slammed down between them, between him and the world.
“Fine. I get it. You’re right. She’s your best friend. Your family. I’m just…some guy, right? I wish you all the best, Jamie.” His voice was dead and cold, his words like stones. He turned and walked away.
“Chase, no, it’s not like that. You’re not just some guy, you’re—”
He spun around so fast it startled her. “ Don’t , Jamie. Don’t mitigate it. Okay? You can either heal me, or hurt me. Not both. That’s not an ultimatum, it’s just facts. I’m not going to try to make you choose between me or her.”
“But that’s exactly what you are doing.”
“You’re doing it, not me. I think it would work. I think it would be tough, but eventually, it would be okay.”
“No, it wouldn’t!” She slumped back against the door of the car, struggling for breath, for control. “Why do you have to make this so much harder on me?” Jamie slid along the side of the car, away from him; his nearness was intoxicating, suffocating. “What do you want to hear from me? Yes! I want you! Is that what you want to hear? But this cannot happen ! I can’t betray my best friend like
CHAPTER 1
Jamie heard Chase’s feet behind her, heavy boots smacking the concrete. She ducked her head, doing her damnedest to pretend she didn’t hear him. To pretend she didn’t know what would happen if she turned around.
Jamie didn’t turn around. She made it to Dale’s car, clutching the leather strap of her purse in a white-knuckled grip. A part of her wanted to haul around and deck him. Another part wanted to turn around and kiss him, then take him somewhere, anywhere , and finish what they’d started.
She was tugging futilely at the locked car door when he caught up to her. His hand wrapped far too gently around her upper arm, near her armpit, his knuckles brushing her breast. She dragged a deep shuddering breath in, placed her palm on the window, refusing to turn around.
“What do you want, Chase?” Jamie hated how quivery and breathy and damned needy her voice sounded.
“You.” His voice was raw, growling, as if the admission had been dragged out of his chest.
“Well, you can’t have me.”
“I know, but…” His grip tightened on Jamie’s arm, and then he let go with a long, expelled breath. “That doesn’t mean I’ll ever stop wanting you.”
She clenched her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut; the visceral pain in his voice tore at her heart.
“Chase…” Jamie could feel the intensity radiating off him, and she just had to turn in place to see his eyes. “God, you think I want—you think I don’t—”
“Then why can’t we make this work? Anna will be okay. She has Jeff. I’ll be okay around her, if I have you .”
Temptation raged through Jamie. “That’s like…it’s so wrong. I can’t. I can’t. It’d be ripping open wounds every time you two are in the same room.”
She was standing against his chest, her hand curled up between them. She wasn’t sure how that had happened, but it felt so right. And so wrong.
“It would get easier. Time heals all wounds, right? You heal the hurt inside me. You make it all go away.”
Jamie blinked hard and bit her lip until it hurt. “ Stop , Chase. Please stop. It would be a betrayal of Anna. My best friend. The one person I have in this world who’s like family. I can’t.” The admission of her own feelings for Chase were on the tip of her tongue, and she choked them back. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
She stepped away from him, and the hurt in his eyes deepened until Jamie thought she might be seeing the raw material of his very soul gleaming in the cracks of his heart, visible through his eyes. She felt a tear dragging down her cheek. Jamie knew this was the correct decision, but it still felt so wrong, so terrible. Chase was already hurt; she was only driving the dagger deeper.
She watched his eyes harden, watched as the shutters slammed down between them, between him and the world.
“Fine. I get it. You’re right. She’s your best friend. Your family. I’m just…some guy, right? I wish you all the best, Jamie.” His voice was dead and cold, his words like stones. He turned and walked away.
“Chase, no, it’s not like that. You’re not just some guy, you’re—”
He spun around so fast it startled her. “ Don’t , Jamie. Don’t mitigate it. Okay? You can either heal me, or hurt me. Not both. That’s not an ultimatum, it’s just facts. I’m not going to try to make you choose between me or her.”
“But that’s exactly what you are doing.”
“You’re doing it, not me. I think it would work. I think it would be tough, but eventually, it would be okay.”
“No, it wouldn’t!” She slumped back against the door of the car, struggling for breath, for control. “Why do you have to make this so much harder on me?” Jamie slid along the side of the car, away from him; his nearness was intoxicating, suffocating. “What do you want to hear from me? Yes! I want you! Is that what you want to hear? But this cannot happen ! I can’t betray my best friend like
Similar Books
