Billy Jeffers: Rockers of Steel by Mj Fields Page A

out your tongue.”
    “Why, so you can spank it?”
    He sighs yet doesn’t let go. “I wanna see how much damage you did trying to keep your mouth shut.”
    I stick it out and watch him assess it. His jaw tightens, and then he rubs his thumb across my lip. I turn my head away, and he sits back to look away from me and out the window.
    “You should stop and get something cold to drink. It would probably make it feel better.”

    An hour later, and I can’t stand the silence.
    “Can you hook my phone up to your system?”
    “For...?” he asks slowly, looking at me.
    “So I can listen to my music.”
    “You don’t like the classics?”
    “Not unless I’m going to bed.”
    His eyes widen, and he turns away, shifting in his seat “Where is it?”
    I pull it out from underneath my leg and hand it to him.
    “Password?”
    Shit. There’s no way in hell I would ever tell him.
    I hold out my thumb. “This will work.”
    “Madison, I’m not gonna steal your phone and sneak around in it,” he huffs.
    Hmm, I think to myself, I would.
    “I am going to ask you a question, and I would appreciate an honest answer.”
    “Shoot,” I say, switching lanes.
    “How the hell do you know about Angel?”
    Shit and shoved in it.
    “I answered the phone when she called and put her on hold until Jessica came back.”
    He doesn’t say anything. Dammit, he knows I’m leaving out something.
    “Then I left work and saw your car near the pier. I saw you with a girl. I’m assuming her name was Angel.”
    He doesn’t say anything again.
    “I saw her give you something.”
    Now I wait for him to fill in the blanks.
    “You followed me?”
    “I saw you and stopped.” It’s not a complete lie, not even a lie. It was just not all of it.
    “I don’t have a girlfriend,” he says, leaning back and crossing his arms over his chest. “I don’t want one. I’m not a cheater.”
    “So, who is she?”
    “I asked you earlier not to bring her up again.”
    “And I didn’t,” I reply, feeling proud of myself.
    “Taelyn and I went to college with her. She used to date, or sleep with or whatever, Xavier Steel.”
    “Does Taelyn know?”
    “Yes, Madison,” he sighs. “Not everyone is a cheater.”
    “Well, a lot of people are,” I add. When he doesn’t say anything, I look over at him. “Go on.”
    “This is not office chit-chat, understand?”
    The way he says it pisses me off, but I suck it up and reply calmly, “I’m not a big gossip, Billy.”
    “Not even Tallia.”
    “Fine, spill it.”
    “She posted a picture of herself giving Xavier oral sex. She did it because she was pissed. She did some other rotten things, as well. I didn’t want Taelyn and Xavier together. He was a complete ass the first time I met him and I thought Taelyn could do better. I knew Angel did it but I didn’t tell them at first. Then I realized what type of person Angel was so I told them. It was a misjudgment of character, and I don’t wanna bring any of that back into their lives.”
    “Yet, you are,” I point out.
    “Not by choice,” he says under his breath. Then silence falls around us.
    “Contrary to how you feel about me, Billy, I am very trustworthy.”
    “Good, that goes no further.” He lays the seat back. “If you don’t mind, I am going to nap.”
    I reach up and turn the music up a little. “Will this bother you?”
    “No.”
    I want to ask more questions, but I also don’t want to push too hard. I offered to drive him as a friend.
    I laugh to myself, thinking about how he doesn’t consider me a friend. Hell, I don’t consider him one. But he does trust me, and I don’t want to break that trust. I know me, however, and it’s bound to happen.
    I look over. His hands are fisted, and he is looking out the window. I know he is concerned for his father, and I also assume that is why he is being so … un-Billy-like.
    When I eventually have time to process the past twenty-four hours, I know there will be a reasonable