He was enjoying making me squirm. I knew he wanted me to beg, and so I gave him what he wanted. "Taylor, please, I'm begging you. I have some things I need to workshop." And a career to restart, I didn't add.
His bushy eyebrows zoomed upwards, disappearing into his mass of bushy hair. "You're kidding," he deadpanned. "And you'd want to do that here? A big star like you?" He turned his mouth down into a frown. "This is more of a place for, what did you call us?" He glared at me. "Oh that's right. Small town dreamers."
I looked down at my hands. Pride made my fingers itch and I wanted so badly to just walk away like this was beneath me. "Yeah," I said slowly, tamping the urge back down again. I needed something from him. And I also sort of owed him an apology for being an egotistical jerk. "I guess I deserved that."
"You're an asshole, King."
"I am well aware," I sighed. "Honestly Tay? I'm trying to be better though. Got a new girl now who's making me want to be a better person."
He stopped rubbing the glass. "Local girl?"
"Ruby Riley," I said proudly.
He set his glass down and his whole persona seemed to undergo a shift. The hostility drained out of his face and he smiled broadly. "She's my niece Maddy's teacher at the school. Sweet woman."
"The sweetest," I quickly agreed.
"Wow, Ruby Riley with an asshole like you?" He started chuckling. It grew louder and louder until it became a full-blown belly laugh. "You know I still hate your guts, King," he said, his amiable tone softening the harshness of his words. "But if you managed to convince a sweet girl like Ruby to put up with you I guess I'd better do the same. How's this Saturday?"
I grinned and shook his hand, promising a huge, thirsty crowd. Then I made for the door, pulling my phone out of my pocket as I did to text Ruby the good news.
Jonah: You're amazing.
Ruby's laughing emoji came back almost immediately. She must have been on break. I hurried over to Ethel and slid into the driver's seat, turning the ignition on so I could get some heat. And while I did, she was typing.
Ruby: You tell me that every day.
Jonah: Did I tell you today?
Ruby: I just scrolled up. Actually you haven't yet.
Jonah: Well I definitely need you to know it today.
Ruby: Well thank you, you're sweet.
Jonah: No you are.
Ruby: Oh no, you're not trapping me in that cycle again. Last time we went back and forth like that for twenty minutes.
Jonah: I only stopped because you yelled at me for distracting you while you were teaching.
Ruby: Well what did I do that was so amazing today?
I thought for a moment. Part of me wanted to burst out with the news, but the other part wanted to tell her in person so I could see her face.
Jonah: It's a surprise.
Ruby: How is something I did supposed to surprise me? Surprises don't work that way.
Jonah: Let's just say I dropped your name today and it got me into the hottest concert of the season.
Ruby: What on earth are you talking about?
Jonah: You'll see Saturday night.
Ruby: What if I have plans Saturday night?
I grinned at my screen.
Jonah: I'll make it worth your while.
There was a pause while the three dots hung in the air. I was just about to start driving when her reply came through.
Ruby: Then I'll see you Saturday.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Ruby
When I heard his footsteps on my porch, I threw the door open so hard it slammed into the wall and sent Ginger skittering for the basement. "Finally!" I shouted. "Now tell me what's happening before I completely lose my mind!"
He chuckled as I grabbed his hand and tried to yank him out the door. "I'll tell you!" he said, "I promise."
I stood still and waited expectantly.
"But you have to kiss me first."
"Oh my god you suck so bad," I groaned, but fell against his mouth anyway. He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me close against his body and goddamn him he took his time, licking and teasing and biting before dragging his lips down my neck. "I like this dress," he murmured against the shell of my ear, making me shiver. "But I'd like it better on the floor."
"I hate you," I breathed as his lips found my neck, but I bent my head to the side, willing him to kiss downward while I gave in to the roller coaster sensation, that insane feeling of rising desire and then the lovely feeling of falling.
"First we need to celebrate," he said, producing a bottle of top shelf whiskey as if by magic.
"First you need to tell me what I'm celebrating!" I demanded as he tipped the bottle back. "Hey! Easy there slugger."
He leaned in and kissed me with whiskey sweet lips and I felt the delicious burn on my tongue. "A show. I told you." He grinned. "And you're looking at the headliner."
I squealed and leaped at him. He fell back, laughing, letting me back him up until he tumbled onto the floor. "I'm gonna get to hear you play live?" I breathed as I straddled him, bunching his shirt up in my fists and leaning down to press my forehead to his.
"You are. I'm playing the Crown Tavern."
"Oh my god." A twinge of something shivered through my body.
But he was too wrapped up in his pride to notice. "Tickets are sold out."
"There are tickets?" I bleated. The panic solidified somewhere around my belly button. I hadn't allowed myself to think about how he wasn't staying here in Crown Creek for long. We hadn't even talked about it, both of us gingerly dancing around the topic of how long he was staying here in favor of happier thoughts.
Like the one Jonah was having now. "And the best part is I'm playing Gid's songs."
I froze, squeezing his shirt in my hands. "Jonah."
His eyes darkened. "Thank you for giving me that box, Ruby." He took a deep hitching breath and leaned up to take another swig from his bottle. "I listened to every single tape. Gid and I, well I'm calling this a collaboration. A tribute."
I was speechless. I looked back and forth between his hazel eyes, feeling like I was seeing him for the first time. "You're amazing," I finally said.
His smile was so broad it looked like it should crack his face open. "Hey," he said, leaning up to kiss me again. "That's my line."
I threw myself at him, kissing him as hard as I could, trying to put everything I was feeling, all my support, all my gratitude, into it. He kissed me back just as hard and it suddenly became a tug-of-war, pushing and pulling. I tugged at his shirt, pawing at the buttons until I had his bare chest under my hands. He grabbed my ass, squeezing through my dress and pulling me flush against him so I could feel how hard he was for me already.
"Yes," I gasped. "Hurry."
He slipped his hands under my skirt, thick strong fingers delving into my thighs, spreading them wider. I hissed as his fingernail brushed against my panties, that whisper of sensation against my already sensitive parts making me squirm. His eyes darkened and he roughly shoved my panties to the side and let his finger slip across my already swollen clit. "So wet already," he murmured, as if to himself. "Fuck, Ruby."