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Chapter 21
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Man of My Heart Chapter 22
"So how are you doing? Really?"Carson Wagner sat across the table from Jasmine on her patio and studied her with that analyzing look she knew so well."Good. Really. All things considered."She wasn't about to tell him she still woke up in the middle of the night with the feel of Cobra's hands on her. This was a battle she was determined to fight herself."Are you sure? Because we have stuff to talk about, good stuff, but I want to make sure you're ready to move forward.""Carson, it's been three weeks. I'm okay. The best part of the whole episode, if there is a best part, is the band and Gary broke into the room and yanked him off of me before he could do any real damage.""And thank the lord for that. Okay, if you're sure, take a look at what I have here." He reached into his briefcase, pulled out a folder, opened it and set it on the table before her.Jasmine's eyes widened as she read the information. This was the next step in her career and it was a really big one."Wow, Carson,
Man of My Heart Chapter 23
Caleb grumbled to himself as he drove down the two-lane country highway headed toward the address Carson Wagner had given him. He still couldn't figure out how this happened so fast. Or how it even happened at all. One minute he was happily miserable in his self-imposed isolation. He'd even learned to live without sex except for the occasional connection with his hand. The next Aron McCoy had turned his life upside down. He thought it was the fickle finger of fate that they'd bumped into each other in Kerrville and nothing would do but they have coffee together. As if that wasn't bad enough, Aron managed to connect with him again on the one day he came into town to do some grocery shopping. He'd been happy not having to talk to people. Be with people. He could wallow in his misery up in his isolated cabin and feel as sorry for himself as he wanted to. He should have flat out told Aron "No" when the subject came up, but the man just wouldn't take that for an answer. He'd said yes mostl
Man of My Heart Chapter 24
"Well, what?" Caleb asked. "I just met her. I don't know exactly what this job requires or even if she could stand to have me around.""Don't throw those scars in here," Aron warned. "She barely looked at them. I want your gut reaction."Caleb folded his arms. "She seems okay. At least for all of the ninety seconds I've been with her so far."Aron threw back his head and laughed. "So I should forget that you practically had your tongue hanging out of your mouth?""Okay, okay," he grumbled. "She's attractive. I'll give you that. But you're not hiring me to be her stud."Aron's face sobered. "No, I'm not. But I also don't want you to stand around with a stick up your ass. She's not what you expected, is she.""Exactly what did you expect, Mr. Branam?"Both men startled. Neither of them had heard the screen door open and close or her footsteps on the concrete. Caleb felt a hot flush rise on his cheeks. He stood up, trying not to favor his leg, and took the tray with mugs on it from
Man of My Heart Chapter 25
Jasmine stood in the center of the great room directing the deliverymen from the furniture store. She and Liberty had put a nice dent in her cash but she was happy with everything she'd gotten. She'd even thought to ask Aron what kind of mattress she should get for Caleb. He'd only be staying with her a short while but Aron had told her about his leg and she wanted him to be comfortable. She'd had them set up the room Caleb would be using first thing, so she could make it up with the new linens she bought and washed in fresh-smelling detergent. She even had a television in there. She'd hooked it up to the satellite system and tested it to make sure it worked. She wanted him to be as comfortable as possible. After all, it would be just the two of them alone out here while she finished the songs for the album. The two of them alone!A little shiver danced along her spine at the thought of Caleb Branam living in her house with her, just the two of them. Just his presence had made all
Man of My Heart Chapter 26
Caleb nodded. "And why you want it." He chewed, swallowed and shrugged. "Sorry. My social skills are a little rusty right now, so I'm sorry if anything I say offends you.""No, no, no. Not at all." She took a swallow of her iced tea, hoping the chilled liquid would cool off her flaming hormones that seemed to ignite when she was within ten feet of this man. Great. Just great."So let's have it. Was this your goal in life?"Jasmine shrugged. "I think so."She told him about singing at parties with her cousins, getting her parents to drag her to every country music and country/rock concert and appearance within fifty miles. How she'd bought her first guitar from a second hand store and taught herself to play. How, at the insistence of her parents, she'd enrolled in the University of Texas at Austin but spent every spare minute looking for gigs at every little hole in the wall club in Austin.She told him about the nights she sat outside by herself, writing music and practicing it.
Man of My Heart Chapter 27
Caleb stood in the middle of the great room, hands in his pockets, just taking in his surroundings. The sun blazing in through the abundance of windows gave a warm honey look to the polished hardwood floor. The furniture was upholstered in cream and maroon, the dining table an unusual slab of granite on a pedestal. One wall had built-in bookshelves and an office area with her computer and printer. The walls were still bare but he chalked that up to the newness of the place. Between the tension of knowing some asshole was out there waiting to disrupt your life and starting the preparations for the album and the tour she probably didn't have a lot of free time for shopping.He wondered at her choice of locations, buying a house on six acres out in the middle of the Hill Country. She was pretty isolated out here. As someone who liked his solitude, however, he could relate to it. He knew what demons he was running away from. Did Jasmine have her own or did she just want her privacy? He su
Man of My Heart Chapter 28
The first week went by without incident. Jasmine thought that was a good omen. She was still convinced Cobra wouldn't be able to find her here, and that made her relax. Her writing was coming along better than she could ever have expected. She was sure Carson would flip when he heard the new tunes.Things weren't so quiet on another front, though. That electricity still snapped and popped between them but they both did their best not to acknowledge it. Caleb gave a good imitation of a stone sphinx although on occasion, when he appeared not to be thinking about it, he even smiled at her. Not much of a smile, more like a painful contortion of his facial muscles. And she always smiled back. She'd never been in a situation like this before and she was working hard to handle it. They had fallen into a routine. Both were early risers and neither of them were fans of breakfast. He also didn't believe in talking until his third cup of coffee any more than she did so the morning pattern was
Man of My Heart Chapter 29
Jasmine wrinkled her forehead. "Plan for what? I thought you were just supposed to be guarding me." The minute the words were out of her mouth she wished them back, realizing how stupid they sounded. "Sorry. That was pretty dumb of me.""I'll want to go over the details with you, also." Caleb went on as if she hadn't spoken, for which she was thankful. "Whatever you need." She kept alternating between resentment that her life was being affected this way and being grateful that she'd have someone covering her ass. And a generous sprinkling of resentment at Cobra for creating this situation."Good.""So how about a celebration? Want to go into town for dinner?" She was always wound up tighter than a drum when she finished writing, excited about what she'd accomplished and itchy to get into the studio with them. She was filled with excess energy and needed to do something. She was on a high and she wanted to take him with her."Town?" She could see him rolling the question around
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