Made in Nashville: HarperImpulse Contemporary Romance by Mandy Baggot
Authors: Mandy Baggot
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room.’
He stepped back, pulled at the sleeves of his jacket and turned to Honor.
‘Are you OK?’
She nodded. ‘I appreciate you stepping in and everything but I had it covered.’
‘I know that. It’s just…well me and him, we have history and…’ Jared started. She looked so small stood there, in faded blue jeans and a white v-neck tee. Her beautiful, innocent face coupled with that raven hair. It moved him. It moved him in a way he’d never felt before.
‘I know it might be an imposition.’ She stopped, wet her lips. ‘But I spent all my cash on buying drinks to escape Wesley over there and…’ She met his eyes. ‘Could you please take me home?’
Those eyes were pleading with him. She’d had enough of something and whatever Dan Steele had been hassling her about had hurt her. He should have wiped the floor with him.
‘Sure.’ He smiled at her. ‘I’d be honored.’
Chapter Nine
When she’d told Mia she was leaving it had hardly registered. Her friend had been in a lip-lock with Eric and Wesley had moved on to chatting to a pretty brunette who looked half-wasted.
She didn’t know why she’d asked Jared Marshall to take her home. Maybe because he’d defended her honor. Or maybe just because he’d been in front of her when she realized she had to get out of there before she was forced to sit through Dan’s set on stage.
She knew just how much she’d drunk when she got on the back of his Harley. He didn’t have a spare helmet so he’d given her his. When the bike pulled away she’d clung on to him before the motion sent her sprawling to the sidewalk.
Leather underneath her fingers, the heat from his body radiating through her hands, warming her to the core. She’d leaned into him, enjoying the sensation of the ride as they flew through town and out into the suburbs she called home.
They’d stopped outside her house but she hadn’t moved yet. She just sat on the pillion, her hands still on his hips, her eyes closed. She just wanted the world to stop turning, her life to slow down and her memories to stop creeping up on her when she wasn’t expecting it.
He’d turned the engine off but she hadn’t let go. He didn’t move. He just sat on the bike, watching the trees shift in the breeze, listening to the faint hum of the traffic from the freeway. For whatever reason she needed him to be here for her. His deadline of six days couldn’t matter less right now.
She
was all that mattered.
He felt her fingers release and his body tensed, as if something had gone missing. He felt her leave the bike and he turned. He watched her take off the helmet and shake her hair loose. It fell onto her shoulders and he had to swallow. She was beautiful. Not just pretty, but heaven-sent beautiful.
She was looking at him, standing there on the sidewalk, her eyes fixed on his, unmoving, unspeaking. He didn’t know what to say. Right now he was concerned if he said anything she would run. He didn’t want her to go. As that realization hit he shifted on the bike and she took a step back.
‘Do you drink coffee?’
She knew she needed one, but the words that had fallen from her lips had caught her by surprise. What was she doing inviting him inside? Larry was the only guy who’d set foot in the house since Jack…Dan…whatever he was calling himself. She was pulling at a curl of hair and looking back at him, waiting for an answer. He wasn’t saying anything.
‘Sorry, you’ve probably got somewhere else to be. Thanks for the ride and…’ she started.
‘I drink coffee. Sometimes. You know, if I’ve run out of beer and the twenty-four hour liquor store isn’t open,’ he interrupted. ‘And especially when I’m ridin’. Wouldn’t be smart to get a DUI right before my tour.’
She smiled and clapped her hands against her thighs, backing up towards her gate. She watched him swing himself off the bike and position it against the curb. Her stomach was swirling with beer and fries she
He stepped back, pulled at the sleeves of his jacket and turned to Honor.
‘Are you OK?’
She nodded. ‘I appreciate you stepping in and everything but I had it covered.’
‘I know that. It’s just…well me and him, we have history and…’ Jared started. She looked so small stood there, in faded blue jeans and a white v-neck tee. Her beautiful, innocent face coupled with that raven hair. It moved him. It moved him in a way he’d never felt before.
‘I know it might be an imposition.’ She stopped, wet her lips. ‘But I spent all my cash on buying drinks to escape Wesley over there and…’ She met his eyes. ‘Could you please take me home?’
Those eyes were pleading with him. She’d had enough of something and whatever Dan Steele had been hassling her about had hurt her. He should have wiped the floor with him.
‘Sure.’ He smiled at her. ‘I’d be honored.’
Chapter Nine
When she’d told Mia she was leaving it had hardly registered. Her friend had been in a lip-lock with Eric and Wesley had moved on to chatting to a pretty brunette who looked half-wasted.
She didn’t know why she’d asked Jared Marshall to take her home. Maybe because he’d defended her honor. Or maybe just because he’d been in front of her when she realized she had to get out of there before she was forced to sit through Dan’s set on stage.
She knew just how much she’d drunk when she got on the back of his Harley. He didn’t have a spare helmet so he’d given her his. When the bike pulled away she’d clung on to him before the motion sent her sprawling to the sidewalk.
Leather underneath her fingers, the heat from his body radiating through her hands, warming her to the core. She’d leaned into him, enjoying the sensation of the ride as they flew through town and out into the suburbs she called home.
They’d stopped outside her house but she hadn’t moved yet. She just sat on the pillion, her hands still on his hips, her eyes closed. She just wanted the world to stop turning, her life to slow down and her memories to stop creeping up on her when she wasn’t expecting it.
He’d turned the engine off but she hadn’t let go. He didn’t move. He just sat on the bike, watching the trees shift in the breeze, listening to the faint hum of the traffic from the freeway. For whatever reason she needed him to be here for her. His deadline of six days couldn’t matter less right now.
She
was all that mattered.
He felt her fingers release and his body tensed, as if something had gone missing. He felt her leave the bike and he turned. He watched her take off the helmet and shake her hair loose. It fell onto her shoulders and he had to swallow. She was beautiful. Not just pretty, but heaven-sent beautiful.
She was looking at him, standing there on the sidewalk, her eyes fixed on his, unmoving, unspeaking. He didn’t know what to say. Right now he was concerned if he said anything she would run. He didn’t want her to go. As that realization hit he shifted on the bike and she took a step back.
‘Do you drink coffee?’
She knew she needed one, but the words that had fallen from her lips had caught her by surprise. What was she doing inviting him inside? Larry was the only guy who’d set foot in the house since Jack…Dan…whatever he was calling himself. She was pulling at a curl of hair and looking back at him, waiting for an answer. He wasn’t saying anything.
‘Sorry, you’ve probably got somewhere else to be. Thanks for the ride and…’ she started.
‘I drink coffee. Sometimes. You know, if I’ve run out of beer and the twenty-four hour liquor store isn’t open,’ he interrupted. ‘And especially when I’m ridin’. Wouldn’t be smart to get a DUI right before my tour.’
She smiled and clapped her hands against her thighs, backing up towards her gate. She watched him swing himself off the bike and position it against the curb. Her stomach was swirling with beer and fries she
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