Rocked to the Core (8 page)

"And most of all, right now, I love that I can see you're still afraid of the future but have decided to move forward anyway. With me. Because when we're together I think anything is possible. I'm more myself with you than anyone else in the world. The best of me. Which isn't close to what you deserve but I'm going to try to be."

My mouth opened but I couldn't speak. Couldn't tell him he was so much more than I deserved. Not perfect, but wonderful. And mine. But from the look in his eyes I saw he knew, could feel the emotion behind the words I couldn't find.

I put my hand in his chest and felt his heart beating. I grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer to me, slanting my mouth over his for a kiss.

He wrapped his arms around me and held the whole length of his body against mine. His tongue drove inside my mouth and explored. I moaned, enjoying the taste of him.

Joe shuffled us backwards and dragged me down on the sofa. His hands roamed my body and I warmed under his touch, feeling alive in a way I'd forgotten was possible.

"You have to be shitting me," a voice said from behind us.

I broke off our kiss to look and saw Ryan glaring down at us from the open doorway.

"Joseph, you are supposed to be working on a song. Not working on your girlfriend."

"Fuck off, Ryan." Joe's lips curled up and he bent back to kiss my neck.

"I give up. Look, go make out somewhere else, okay? Studio time costs money."

"Fine. We will." Joe lifted me onto my feet and held my hand tight. "See ya."

Ryan's eyes bugged out. "What?"

"Gotta go. I'll be back tomorrow." He looked down into my eyes. "Maybe the next day."

I giggled as Joe led me out of the room, past his apoplectic manager.

"Always a pleasure, Ryan," I said.

"Fucking lovebirds," was all I heard him say as we raced down the hallway towards my waiting car.

We got back to my apartment and fell into bed immediately. Unlike the last time, the sex was slow and tender, like a song we sang together. Clothes were shed and every inch of both of us was explored with hands and mouths as we worshipped at the altar of our bodies and our love.

When Joe slipped inside me I moaned and let my head fall back. I realized this was heaven. A place where nothing but love and passion existed. And just as he found peace in my arms in the midst of his hectic life, I could have the same thing. We could explore the future and our dreams and come back together, safe and secure, hidden from the world, but never from each other.

And after, as he held me, I felt like such an idiot for denying myself this love for so long. I traced the lines of the tattoo on his shoulder and smiled up at him. "What are you thinking about?"

"Your apartment."

I looked around. "What about it?"

"It's…kind of messy."

"What?"

"On tour you were always cleaning things, putting them away. What happened here?"

I smacked him lightly and rolled over on my side, my back against him. "It's my place. No one else has to deal with the mess here usually. Unlike a shared hotel room."

"Well, I plan to spend a lot more time here in the future, Liss. So see about straightening up, okay?"

"Asshole."

I got out of bed just long enough to fetch a bottle of water and some snacks. We ate and drank together, wrapped in my sheets, never letting the other person out of arm's reach.

"So, tell me more about this new career of yours, Liss. Journalism? Want to interview my band?"

"Absolutely not. While it would be a great way to get published again it violates all of my journalistic ethics."

He pulled me closer and nuzzled at my neck. "Mmm, give me more sexy reporter talk. Do you have glasses and a little notebook?"

I giggled. "Maybe."

"Did I ever tell you the thing I had for Lois Lane as a kid?"

"No."

"Well I did. Tell me more about your next probing story. Will it involve going under cover?" At that Joe went under the covers himself, sliding a hand between my thighs.

"Pervert."

"Oh you are good at finding the truth."

His mouth dipped down to my breast and he licked slowly in circles. I squealed as his fingers found my core, and gave up on using words at all for a while.

~*~

Eventually we did manage to have a real conversation. There were details to work out. While the band was in town recording it would be easy to spend time together, but when it was time for him to go back out on the road it would take some planning.

But once I stopped being so scared I realized Joe and I
could
figure it out. Together. I'd loved being on the road with him and now that they were making good money he could help with tickets so I could fly to wherever they were and spend a couple days on the bus.

And when I was home I wasn't going to be sitting around waiting for him to call. I had my job at the diner and a contract with the newspaper, a list of classes I wanted to enroll in for the summer semester, and some really great friends, including Zach. I'd made the life I wanted for myself and almost didn't notice. It took Joe and how well he knew me to make me see.

From the first jolt of electricity between us, Joe and I were connected. Through touch or a phone, it didn't matter. The spark between us grew stronger and stronger, into a fire that warmed and protected instead of burned.

When the band finally finished their album they threw a party. Half celebration and half goodbye, everyone was there and in high spirits. Ryan was crowing about the new assistant he hired to "keep the animals under control" on the road. Kelly came to the party and flirted with sweet, quiet Matthew, who looked terrified of her, but pleased about the attention. Sourpuss Rick almost smiled at one point I think, or it might have been a grimace. But my Joe, his lopsided grin was unmistakable. As he said in his toast, he had "a brilliant new album and a fantastic girlfriend." Everything a man could wish for.

And maybe life wasn't perfect, but it sure as hell rocked.

Thank you so much for reading
Rocked to the Core
. While Liss and Joe have their happy ending (or is it just a beginning?), there are more stories to tell in their world. If you want to be one of the first to read the next book, please go to my website, 
www.clarabayard.com
, and enter your email address to join the announcement list. 

Also, I love hearing from readers to feel free to send me an email at 
[email protected]
 and I'll try to get back to you as soon as possible. 

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- Clara