Wanting Shaw (Rockers' Legacy Book 5)

“Don’t be sorry.” He caught my hand and lifted it to his lips, kissing my knuckles before opening his menu. “How hungry are you, babe? Because I’m fucking starving.”

For the next hour, we sat there and talked while we enjoyed our meal. Jagger had always been easy to be around. He put me at ease even when he was driving me crazy. Before I’d made the mistake of falling for him, he’d been one of my closest friends, second only to Violet. I had missed just spending time with him, listening to his voice, hearing his deep laugh.

When our dessert plates were cleared away, I was reluctant to leave the small sanctuary we’d created for ourselves. “I wish we didn’t have to go home tomorrow,” I muttered, unable to mask the disappointment in my voice.

“Me too, Dimples,” he said with a heavy sigh. But then he pasted on a grin and kissed me one more time before standing. “Come on, assistant. I have to get to the studio.”

I didn’t like the sly look in his eyes. “What exactly is expected of me, boss man?”

He threw back his head and laughed in that creepy supervillain way that was much too sexy for my peace of mind. “Ah, baby. I’m so glad you asked.”

“Something tells me I’m going to regret this,” I grumbled as he opened the back door of a cab and slid in first.

For the next four hours, I was Jagger’s “assistant.” From the moment we got to the studio, he was a diva. It wasn’t that I didn’t expect it. Between Jagger and my brother, I knew exactly how demanding they could get before a show. It was their way of coping with their nervousness. They couldn’t control how they felt, so they needed to control everything else around them until their moment in the spotlight was over.

I didn’t think less of him for it, because I understood why he needed the control. It made him look like a spoiled brat, and yeah, there were times he seemed like a total dick because of it, but he wasn’t. At least not completely.

I got him a coffee, but it wasn’t made exactly how he liked it. I hadn’t been watching the barista when she was making it because the coffee shop had been too busy, even at the late hour. With a dramatic sigh, I flipped him off but went back to have them redo the drink. When I returned, he was arguing with some producer guy because they wanted him to sing one song, but he’d planned on performing a different one.

“I didn’t bring a band with me,” Jagger told him. “Just my acoustic guitar. My manager told your people this was the song I was going to do. It’s not my fault you got your wires crossed and assumed I would do whatever the fuck you wanted.”

“I spoke to your manager personally this afternoon, and she assured me you would be cooperative,” the guy told him, sounding annoyed.

“Seeing as she didn’t tell me the plans had changed, I know you’re full of shit.” He sat back on the little couch in the dressing room and crossed his legs in front of him. Casually, he lifted his phone to his ear while giving the man in front of him a dispassionate once-over. “Hey, did you talk to some dipshit about what song I was going to sing tonight? No? I didn’t think so.” He lifted his phone to the guy whose jaw was suddenly so tight I figured he was going to need dental work come Monday. “She wants to talk to you, dude.”

Pressing my lips together to keep from grinning, I moved around the guy and offered Jagger the fresh coffee. He took a sip and let out a contented exhale. “Perfect. Thanks, Dimples.”

“Yes, Mrs. Armstrong. I apologize for the trouble…” I glanced over my shoulder in time to see the producer pale. “I assure you, your client is in good hands here. I’ll see to his comfort myself.”

Whatever Aunt Emmie said to the man had his hand shaking as he handed Jagger his phone back. “You’ll be on in twenty minutes,” he muttered before making a hasty exit.

“Ma?” Jagger took another drink of his coffee as he listened to his mother. When he noticed my eyes were on him, he winked, and I felt myself melt. “Nah, I’m good. Shaw is acting as my assistant. Maybe I should get her to fill in for you and Dad more often. She doesn’t bitch at me like you do. Plus, she’s so damn good to look at.”

I rolled my eyes and dropped down into the makeup chair in front of the mirror. Seeing that the artist had left her brushes and makeup lying around, I started touching up my own makeup while I waited for him to get off the phone.

“I just needed you to deal with that idiot,” he told her after listening for a moment. “They expected me to do a song that would require a full band. If they had said something about it earlier in the day, I wouldn’t have cared because I could have gotten a band here. But twenty minutes before I’m expected to go on live television, what did they expect?”

He talked to her for a few more minutes before saying goodbye. “I have to go, Ma. I love you too. See you tomorrow night.” He hung up and then stood. Crossing to me, he offered me his phone. “Watch this for me, will ya, Dimples?”

I took it without even looking at the screen and stuffed it into my purse. Once it was safely out of the way, he took both my hands and pulled me to my feet. With my boots on, I was only a few inches shorter than him, so all I had to do was tilt my head back ever so slightly for him to kiss me.

With his thumb under my chin, he angled my head the way he wanted me and then brushed his lips over mine.

All evening, I’d been questioning myself, wondering if maybe I was overreacting to the whole Luca and Violet breakup. I’d liked being able to call Jagger mine way too much. Even when I’d been working, I’d loved that all I had to do was look at him and he was jumping up to take care of me. Dinner had been perfect, and I’d been so close to saying fuck it and just letting everything go. The fear of being hurt was the worst, though, and it was what kept my mouth shut.

But maybe I should give this—us—a chance…

I opened my mouth to suggest maybe…just maybe, we could try. Before I could say anything, however, someone in a headset appeared at the door and cleared their throat to get our attention. Jagger lifted his head from kissing me again and gave me a sexy wink before brushing his lips over the tip of my nose. “Be back in a few, Dimples.”

Licking my lips, I nearly moaned when I tasted him there, and I nodded. He grabbed his acoustic guitar case and walked out with the guy wearing the headset.

Yeah, I thought as I slowly sat once again, already missing him. Maybe I should give this a real chance. Even though it had only been a day, I liked how he’d made the ache in my heart ease. I missed him so much, and I didn’t think I could go back to ignoring him so I wasn’t tempted to—

That thought was cut off when his phone m

ade an angry sound from my purse. Frowning, I dug it out in case it was his mom.

When my fingers wrapped around the cool metal, I slowly turned it to see the screen. Two texts were waiting there. The first was a picture I couldn’t see unless I opened his messages, but the second one was an actual message.