“It’s not that easy now,” I laughmirthlessly. “She’s been through something. I don’t know what butshe’s a little bit broken now.”
“So that means she’s suddenly not worth the risk?” Maddox bites.
“What? No! That’s not what I meant. I don’t want to make it worse. Idon’t want to put any extra pressure on her.I also have Lyra to think about. Besides, what twenty-one-year-old girl wants to be strapped down to someone else’s baby.” I say the last part a little bitterly, then instantly feel ashamed.
“The right one. A fucking special one,” Maddox says with such conviction it shakes me to my core.
“Learn from Dane,” Angel says as he stands from the table. “There will be someone, and she might be right in front of you.”
The rest of them nod in agreement as they leave me at the table with my thoughts.
Cara
I walk behind Jake,holding Lyra while he carries our bags into the hotel suite.Dane told me before we left that there wouldn’t be many nights on a bus during the European leg of the tour. It’s not as spread out as things can be back in the States, and they have more than one night in most cities, so there also won’t be hours upon hours of riding on the buses either.
Because of that, staying in hotels is easier. I was shocked the label was willing to pay for that kind of expense. That’s when Dane let it slip that the label wasn’t paying. They wanted Jake and Lyra comfortable, so Maddox and Ryder decided to take care of the bill.
Jake has no idea.
The suite is beautiful and cannot possibly be cheap, but I don’t know much about the cost of things in Russia.There are three bedrooms. One for each of us. It seems excessive because what two-year-old needs a king-sized bed. But that’s Madsy and Ry for you. They spare no expense for their friends.
There is also a beautiful kitchen that leads to a formal dining area with a table large enough for the band and the crew. To the left is a living room with two navy-colored velvet sofas and matching wingback chairs that are a stunning contrast against the cream-colored walls.
I nearly laugh at how very non-kid-friendlythe space is, but it doesn’t matter. We’re only here for two nights, then off to Moscow, which they’ve chartereda plane for as well. Anotherexpense the guys are paying. I just wonder what they’ve said to Jake to convince him the record label was paying.
I stand awkwardly in the middle of the overly luxurious space. The jet lag is very real, and the time difference is throwing me off. It’s just after midnight in New York. It’s breakfast time here.
I’m so tired, I feel it in my bones. I need my medicine, and I need sleep.It’s one thing I promised Dane and Maddox when they agreed to let me do this. I woulddo what I must to avoid a setback in my therapyand recovery.Although, I’m not sure they realize I may never fully recover. This is part of me forever. I’m just learning a better way to deal with it.
I look at Lyra, who lets out a yawn so big I’m not sure how it comesfrom such a tiny body. “Come on, pretty girl,” I tell her. “Let’s go get you changed for bed.”
“I’ll do that, Cara,” Jake tells me. I press my lips together firmly. For all intents and purposes, I have been hired to be Lyra’s nanny. I have a job to do,andI can’t do it if he won’t let me. But he is her dad, so I can’t argue.
“Don’t go anywhere,” he tells me with stern eyes as he takes her from me. “She’ll be asleep in five minutes, and I want to talk to you.”
I stand there for a second, debating his request. No. Not a request. A demand.
I decide I’m too tired and too disgusting to deal with him. Not after his little outburst on the plane. The audacity he had to accuse me of not taking care of her. He may have looked apologetic, but I’m not feeling especially forgiving right now.
Whatever he has to say can wait until I’ve had a shower and sleep. Not necessarily in that order.
He took Lyra to the middle room, so I choose the room to the right of that. I don’t even take the time to appreciate themassive bed with the fluffy, oversized duvet or the spa-like bathroom with its huge, sunken whirlpool tub or the shower with a dozen showerheads to hit you from every angle.
My shower lasts just long enough to scrub the grime off my body and hairand brush my teeth. I step into the roomand drop the towel onthe floor. I’ve barely got my pink panties pulled over my hips when the door opens.
“Cara, I told you ....” Jake starts, buthis words fall away as he realizes I’m not dressed. His eyes widen and flare as his adam’s apple bobs in his throat.He just stands there, staring.
I turn around from him with a huff. “Jake, could you get out?” I yell as I grab my pink tank off the bed.I am pissed that he just walked into my space without an invitationor even an announcement.My stomach is also tightening from the way he is reacting to my naked body. The feeling is not welcome.
I pull the shirt over my head before searching through my bag for something to cover my lower half since my underwearcovers nothing.I find a pair of soft gray shorts and quickly pull them up my body since he seems to be frozen in place.
I finally turn to face him again, his hands bracedon either side of the door frame, gripping so tightly his knuckles are white. Hisblue-green eyes are hazy and full of heat that itstarts a fire of my own in my belly.I am incredibly uncomfortable with the lust in his eyes. Andturned on. I cross my arms across my chest to hide my hard nipples poking through my shirt.
Why am I so turned on? It’s Jake!I’ve never feltanything for him before. Not like this. What I felt was a teenage infatuation.
I get a grip on my emotions. It’s Jake. Just Jake. Ihave no reason to feel weird. It is not my fault he walked into my room without knocking.And he’s sexy as hell, so of course, that look of lust in his eyes is doing crazy things to my insides. It’s a normal, physical response.
The most surprising thing here is Jake’s reaction. If I were just any other girl, I would completely get it.I’m not the same kid he met five years ago, but I’m still me.His best friend’s little sister.He has never spent more than a few minutesaround me before finding somewhere else to be. The same guy that was an asshole this morning.
