“Oh yeah. But I’m imagining it’s your hands on me or I’m sliding in and out of your warm mouth.”

While slightly mortified by his dirty talk, a shudder went through me at his words. The dull ache between my legs began to grow. “Do you want me to take my panties off now?”

“Mmm, yeah. But keep on the garters.”

I slid off the thong and then buried myself under the covers. “Okay, I’m naked.”

“Are you wet?”

Warmth entered my cheeks as the reality crashed down on me again of what I’m doing. “Jake…”

“Come on, Angel, tell me.”

“Yes,” I whispered.

“Mmm, I love how wet you get for me. Now stroke yourself nice and slow,” Jake ordered. Once again, I did as I was told. Closing my eyes, I pictured him and his delicious fingers touching and probing my center. “Now faster.” When I sped up my tempo, I couldn’t help gasping with pleasure. “Oh baby, that’s right. Let me hear you.”

Even with the TV on, I still didn’t want to be too loud in case the boys came in. So instead, I bit down on my lip, stifling some of my cries. “You’re holding back,” Jake panted.

“Yeah, well, I’ll let go if you let me hear you,” I countered breathlessly.

At the sound of his grunts and groans, I felt myself building closer and closer to coming. “Oh Jake!” I cried as I went over the edge. Just as I started coming down, Jake’s breathing grew even more ragged. “Angel, oh f**k!”

I lay there for a moment, trying to catch my breath. It was a few seconds before either of us spoke. “That was f**king fantastic!” Jake exclaimed.

A giggle escaped my lips. “Yeah, it was. Now you’ve even taken my phone virginity.”

“I love that you did that for me, Angel. But most of all, I love you.”

My heart thumped wildly in my chest. “I love you too. I can’t wait to see you Friday.”

“Will you promise to wear the lingerie under your clothes?”

“Of course I will. I’d do anything for you.”

“God, I love you, Angel.”

“I love you more.”

***

Chapter Twenty-Four

Three days and two performances after my infamous phone call with Jake, I lounged in a giant hotel suite the label had provided for my brothers and me. I was counting the hours and minutes before I could see Jake again.

At the sound of a Mariachi ring tone echoing through the room, I grinned and picked up my phone. “Hello, AJ, what’s shaking?”

“Hola, Abuela, como estas?”

My brows furrowed as I pulled the phone away to make sure it was really AJ. Then I replied in Spanish, “Um, I think you have the wrong number.”

Still in Spanish, AJ replied, “Yeah, I got the right number. I just can’t speak freely at the moment. That’s why I’m talking in Spanish.”

I gasped. “Is it Jake? Is something wrong?”

He drew in a ragged breath. “He’s in bad shape, Angel. He’s totally shut down, and I don’t know what the hell to do.”

“But why? What happened? I just talked to him last night.” My mind spun frantically as I tried to remember anything unusual about our conversation. He’d mentioned the nurse was worried Susan’s pneumonia might be getting worse, but Jake hadn’t told me much more.

“The pneumonia took a greater toll on her system than the nurse and hospice people thought. She’s been practically comatose all day.”

My stomach churned, and I fought the urge to throw up. “Oh God…poor Jake…poor Susan,” I murmured, gripping my phone tight as tears burned my eyes.

“Even though he won’t say it or admit it, he needs you. Can you come?”

My mind whirled with the next few days of shows. The logical answer was I couldn’t go, but there was no way in hell I was leaving Jake alone when he needed me most. “Of course I can. I’ll get the next flight out.”

“Good. I’ll come pick you up, okay?”

“Thanks. I appreciate it.”

“See you soon.”

“Bye.”

Surprisingly, my brothers and parents didn’t protest about me leaving. They believed my place was with Jake and Susan. I was able to get a flight two hours later, and true to his word, AJ was waiting to pick me up. After he filled me in on everything that was going on, we spent most of the drive in silence.

Cars were parked everywhere along Jake’s driveway. Since it was raining, AJ dropped me off closer to the door and then went back to park. With a shaky hand, I rang the doorbell. I half expected a nurse or one of Jake’s relatives to answer it. Nothing could have prepared me for Jake throwing open the heavy mahogany door. At the sight of me, he did a double take. The color drained from his face before he demanded, “What the f**k are you doing here?”

I jolted back at the harshness of his tone. It took me a moment to find my voice. “AJ called me and told me about Susan. I came as soon as I could to be with you…and her.”

He stood there still staring at me. My heart ached at his appearance. Rough stubble covered his face from where he hadn’t shaved, and his usually styled-to-perfection hair was unkempt. Dark purple circles formed under his eyes. He wore a ratty Runaway Train t-shirt and a pair of holey jeans. While he had yet to ask me in, I threw myself forward, wrapping my arms tight around him. “Oh, baby, I’m so, so sorry. I’m here for you, and I love you.”

He didn’t hug me back. In fact, his arms lay limply at his sides. I pulled away to tenderly kiss his cheek. “Talk to me, Jake,” I implored.

His body shuddered for a moment before he shook his head. Without a word, he pushed out of my embrace. Taking my hand, he jerked me further into the foyer and down the hallway. I thought we might be going to Susan’s room, but instead, he ushered me into his room and slammed the door.

“Jake, what are—” He silenced me by crushing his lips to mine. The kiss was demanding and harsh, nothing like I was used to experiencing with him. Taking my shoulders, he whirled me around and shoved me back against the door with such a force I cried out. His hands raked over my body as I tried getting away from him.

“Stop it!” I cried against his mouth.

When he pulled away, his fingers went to the button on his jeans. When he started to undo them, I shook my head. “What are you doing?”

“I’m gonna f**k you. That’s what you came here for, right?”