Chapter 35

Jack

I exhaled while we drove and focused on the guitar resting to one side of me. I picked it up, trying not to think about the gaze looking my way. Juno was under my skin, there was no doubt about it. After bedding her the way I had, I'd partially hoped she wouldn't be anymore.

But I kept thinking about Hunter and Ella in her books and how they'd developed this interesting dominant and submissive relationship, and it called to me like some kind of siren song.

I wanted her. To claim her the way Hunter did Ella. But I couldn't shake this unease I felt at the same time. Was I being a fool to think she wanted this, too?

More than once, she'd said Ella was based on her, but it was a book. Fiction. Did she truly want a relationship like that? Did I?

I kept coming back to these thoughts, but I didn't have answers to many of them. Not yet.

For now, I tried to switch off my mind. Tried not to worry about what might be.

I had to start trusting someone again sometime. Maybe if she wanted to be the Ella to my Hunter, it would mean I was always in charge. Always in control. What I said would happen and nothing else.

Just the thought of being able to have her sweet body whenever I wanted made my cock harden, but I knew it wasn't that simple.

I lived in New York most of the year and on my island in the Bahamas for the rest. She lived in the UK. But as a writer, she could move anywhere, couldn't she?

"You're deep in thought," she said, looking at me. "You keep frowning, and your grip is getting tighter."

She lifted her hand, her fingers entwined in mine. Immediately, I loosened my grip. I hadn't even realized I was hurting her.

"Sorry," I said.

"What's bothering you?" Her wide eyes looked up at me, searching my face, a hint of worry making her bite the edge of her lip. Without thinking, I let go of the guitar, leaned in, and kissed her, wanting the anxiety to leave her face and unable to think of another good way to reassure her.

I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her closer, the worried thoughts leaving my head as I tried to make her feel better, too. While she was in my arms, I didn't worry about anything anymore. She felt good. Right.

Slowly, she pulled back.

"Please…tell me what's worrying you. It's the second time you've suddenly looked like you might throw something or cry, and you're not sure which."

"It's complicated," I replied, knowing it was a copout.

"Life's complicated. Maybe we can simplify it together."

"You live a long way away. And I…" Words failed me, and I wasn't sure I even wanted to say everything I was thinking anyway. How did I tell her what was going through my head? I was sure at least some of it was too soon.

"Are you already asking if I'll move in with you?"

"No. Well, yes, but no. I mean. Not…" I panicked until I saw the smirk on her face.

"It's okay," she replied. "It's just occurred to you, and you have no idea how it will actually play out, but it's still early days, and we aren't even at that bridge, let alone thinking about crossing it."

"Yeah." I ran my hand through my hair, grateful she'd put what I couldn't into words. "That."

"Well. Would you consider moving to another country for the right woman?" she asked.

I thought about the question and almost nodded, thinking anyone would for the right person, but then I thought about the band.

The right woman would know how much the Vampirates meant to me, but the kind of woman who'd be willing to follow me wherever I wanted to be career-wise should have me reciprocate that.

"It's complicated," I said and exhaled again.

"Because of the band and your friends and stuff," she replied as if she understood.

"Yeah. I think the right woman would be someone who came here. I just…can't."

She nodded and looked away, and immediately, I felt an ache in my chest. It was clear she didn't want to leave her home either. No doubt she must have many similar things she was tied to. It would be a sacrifice for either of us to move in with the other, and it wasn't going to happen.

Her fingers squeezed mine a moment later.

"I don't think we're there yet," she replied. "But don't assume it wouldn't work without asking me, okay?"

"Okay," I said, not sure how else to respond.

It hadn't been what I expected of her.

The pain inside me receded a little, helping me to think more rationally. She was right. We weren't there yet. This was just a great week with the band and her.

She was fun, a distraction, and it felt good to stick my cock in her. Anything after that didn't matter right now.

"Is the studio far?" she asked a moment later.

"No. We're almost there," I replied, wondering what else to say.

"Pity."

"You want to be in the car?"

"The last time I was alone in the car with you, and we had a decent journey ahead of us, I'm pretty sure you screwed me senseless," she replied, her eyes lighting up with an amused twinkle.

I laughed and pulled her closer to kiss her again.

"I'd love to bed you again, but it will have to wait until later."

"Then later can't get here soon enough," she replied, pressing her lips against mine again. I lost myself in the moment, the desire she was reciprocating making me more than a little turned on.

Taking a few deep, slow breaths, I pulled back. I couldn't show up at the studio with a hard cock, throbbing with the desire to be driven deep into her cunt.

She smirked again and gave me some space, and I almost pulled her back and fucked her anyway. Damn, she was so tempting.

Instead, I looked out the window, desperate to find something normal and mundane to focus on. A random person on the street, another car. Anything that would allow my mind to move to calmer subjects.

We'd only gone a few miles from the penthouse, but the journey had been a roller coaster ride of emotion. Everything with Juno was a roller coaster ride of emotion.

Thankfully, she didn't push me for anything more as we made our way to the studio, and the car pulled up by the sidewalk.

Unlike at the studio in London, there weren't any fans milling around here. We'd booked it so last minute that not even our most fanatical groupies had managed to figure out where we were going to be. There would probably be a few by the time we finished, but that would be hours away.

I led Juno out, keeping her hand in mine. Her soft, slender fingers felt good in mine, and they helped calm me. Something there for me to hold onto reminded me that she was there, I wasn't alone, and I could keep going.

Kai gave me a slightly exasperated look when he saw us coming in together, our fingers still entwined, but he said nothing, and neither did the rest of the band. I felt a stab of guilt. If I hadn't invited her in, then maybe we'd have been on time.

Immediately, I thought of the scared look on her face and how she'd tried to hide the umbrella in her hand. I thought of the bruises on her body and what I'd seen her ex attempting. If anything, she'd slept better because of me. No, I couldn't feel guilty for making her feel safe enough to finally sleep as much as she needed.

Thankfully, Juno seemed to sense the band's desire to get on and got stuck in, asking them what progress they'd made. For a moment, I could sit back and recover. It was time to be creative and trust her experience and the band's skill once more.