He smiled. "That would be nice."

"Then let"s do it!" I was warming up to this idea.

"I can"t. I have my duties here."

I scoffed. "Some duties they are. Look where it got you!"

"With you?"

"And now you"re going to push me away. Leave me like you don"t want anything to do with me." Tears were starting to come to my eyes, so I got out of the bed and started getting dressed.

"Please, Sarah, don"t do this."

"Do what? Have some f.u.c.king self-respect? You think I"m just going to let myself be tossed aside like a broken toy?"

"No, of course not." Now he was up, reaching for me. I threw my suitcase on the bed and unzipped it, angrily throwing in the few belongings I had. "Please don"t go."

"Why not? You just said I had to."

"I- I don"t know. I can"t make everything work out." He voice was desperate, pleading. I ignored it, trying to forget the beautiful nights and days we spent together, learning everything about each other.

"I"m just making it easier for you then."

That night I slept in a hotel.

We didn"t speak over the next few weeks. I half-heartedly looked for an apartment, but now I really just wanted to leave this city and run away. There was nothing really tying me here and more than one reason why I should run away. Michael tried to call me multiple times.

When I wouldn"t answer this calls, he started leaving messages and texting me, trying to reach out to me. He said he was sorry, that he wanted me back, that he would do anything. Pathetic. Even more pathetic was that every time he tried to contact me, I almost told him I would go back. Every time. Because I wanted him.

He was the only person since Dad that could understand anything of who or what I was or am. He let me just...be me, without any reservations, and that was beautiful and special.

But then I remembered he just threw me away for some stupid motorcycle gang. What was I supposed to think or do? How could something so beautiful end so badly? Well, I knew d.a.m.n well. Because he was the man I had spent the past three years of my life hating with every fiber of my being. He was the man who I blamed for my father"s death.

I was loading my suitcases into the back of the car when I heard an engine roar behind me. I turned around to see a motorcycle pulling up. Every time I heard or saw a motorcycle, my stomach lurched and I felt a thrill of excitement and fear. I turned away from the biker and tried to lift my heavy suitcase into the back of my car. Suddenly the weight of the suitcase was lifted off me. Surprised I turned around to see Michael.

"You didn"t think you could leave without me, did you?" he asked.

I dropped the suitcase and flung my arms around him. "What, why, how?" I asked through tears.

"I realized that my priorities needed a huge readjustment."

"No kidding," I teased.

"And I couldn"t let something like this go." He intertwined his fingers with mine and pulled me close. He was tall enough to rest his chin on my head, and we held each other like that for a long minute.

"Where are we going?" I finally asked.

"Anywhere you want."

Rocked by an Angel.

Sophia Hampton.

Melody Turner needed a break. Her manager knew it, her band members knew it, even her fans knew it. But Melody was nothing if not stubborn. It took a crazy fan with a pocket knife to make her realize that this was not the dream life she had always thought she had.

True, being a famous rock star had its perks. She had gotten out of the sleepy biker town of Madena and had made something of herself. She had promised herself that she would never look back and until recently she hadn"t.

Realizing your life is in danger will do that for you, she mused to herself. She liked to think that she lived her life without fear...but that"s crazy. No one can keep that up for long. She had no family left and few friends, besides her band mates. She slept little and had no social life. Whoever said that she had the lifestyle of the rich and famous, clearly didn"t understand what that meant. If it meant TV dinners, long nights of practice, and virtually no time off unless you were sick...then yes - she definitely had the life!

Melody stopped strumming when her manager, Ricky, walked in. He sat down on the RV cushion and just looked at her. She knew she was in for a lecture and tried to head him off.

"I know, Ricky. I"ve already booked the plane tickets."

Ricky looked surprised, and then quickly gathered it together. "Where are you headed?"

She thought for a moment, wondering who it was safe to tell. Nowadays, she felt like she couldn"t trust anyone. "Back home."

This time Ricky didn"t even bother to conceal his shock. "But...but you hate it there!"

She sighed because he wasn"t wrong. She had spoken often enough about how much she disliked the quiet town full of bikers and librarians. She had to think of her safety though, and as much as she despised having everyone know her business, she knew the town would not put her in any danger if they could help it.

When she didn"t answer, he piped up, "How long will you be gone for? We don"t have another tour until September."

"I"ll be gone as long as it takes. Not sure exactly how long that is. But, I"ll miss you," she added playfully. Over the years, her manager had become as close to a friend as she had.

They shared a quick hug, and then he let her get back to work. A few days later, she flew out of Denver to the small airport in Madena. Not knowing who still lived in the town, she rented a car and drove out to her parents" house. She hadn"t been back since the funeral, so she spent most of the afternoon going through old photo books and digging through her mother"s hope chest.

After an exhausting day, she decided to head to Minnie"s, the local coffee shop, to grab some caffeine before unpacking. Standing in line, she couldn"t help but hear the guys behind her who were doing their best imitation of a stage whisper.

"Mmmm...I"d like a little drizzle of cream on that vanilla latte." They cracked up, and she rolled her eyes inwardly.

"Looks like she"s got some honey stowed away on her," another said. The bad puns continued until she got up to the register. When one of them went too far, she heard someone walk up behind them. A shock of awareness jolted through her when she recognized the voice.

"Leave her be, Tommy." The deep voice resonated with an unspoken threat.

"You don"t have your posse here, Kent. No one to back you up now, is there?" Tommy let out a snicker and his buddies joined in.

The man let out a slow chuckle. "I didn"t need help the last time, did I?"

The laughter died out, and she half turned to catch a glimpse of Tommy flying through the air and landing on his back, a stool tipping over in the process.

She looked at the broad back, recognizing the familiar lines, and noting all the new muscles that added to his already impressive size. He had been working out. Like, a lot.

The other diners went back to munching on their food. Clearly, this was not the first bout of violence between the two men. She figured there was probably more to the story, but at this point, all she wanted to do was get out of there. The last thing she needed was a complication like Jackson Kent. They had never seen eye-to-eye on the benefits of living in a small town.

She turned back to cashier and gave her an apologetic smile. This was probably more drama than they"d seen in the whole year.

"That"ll be $4.50," the girl announced.

"I"ve got this." She suppressed the shivers that went through her when he spoke up somewhere behind her. She ignored him, slapping down a five dollar bill and smiling again at the girl behind the register. "Keep the change."

The girl gave Jackson a look, and then glanced down at the money, clearly unsure who"s side she was supposed to be taking. Melody nudged her bill further ahead and thankfully the girl took it and put it in the register. She stepped off to the side to wait for her drink.

Jackson followed her after ordering his coffee, puzzled. Why was the chick trying to be unfriendly? Or maybe she was just keeping her distance after the violence? He didn"t even try to hide his stare while he looked her over for clues.

She was wearing ballet flats and destroyed skinny jeans that hugged the curves of her calves and thighs. He could see a tiny strip of tanned skin through the ragged threads at her knee. She was tall. Not nearly as tall as he, but at least he wouldn"t have to hunch over to talk to her, which was a welcome change. She had on a plain purple t-shirt with a scoop neck, just low enough that he could see the tops of her cleavage. A cross necklace was nestled between the two globes.

He felt himself growing hard and was amazed that just the merest glimpse at this mystery woman"s cleavage was enough to turn him into a randy schoolyard boy. He let his eyes wander over her slender neck and up to the golden-streaked hair that was upswept into a messy bun. Her face was turned away, but from the profile he could see she had unblemished sun kissed skin and full red lips. Her eyelashes were long and full and her bottom lip was caught between her teeth. He had a moment of deja vu and struggled to place where he had seen someone do that before.

The girl behind the counter called out a name that he didn"t catch and the object of his musings stepped forward to take it. She smiled at the woman, took a sip, and then walked out of the shop. Just before she thrust the door open, she threw him back a glance. His whole world tipped and then righted itself. He knew that face. Instantly he realized where he recognized that look, those legs, her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. It was Melody.

Back when they were young, kids really, they had something special. They were inseparable through high school. Over a decade ago, back when they had thought they would be together forever. Back when she had thought he was worth staying for. Until she didn"t. And she left him behind, heartbroken and bitter.

She hadn"t even had the decency to write, or call, or come to the reunions. He knew she was big out on the West Coast, a rock star supposedly. He would always remember her tucked up against him, strumming her old acoustic guitar while he murmured sweet things into her ear and she giggled. She had been sweet, innocent, and loving. Then, her parents had died and she didn"t want anything to do with this town, or with him.

She had left, never looking back, never caring how she had stomped on his heart and made him unfit for any other woman. Sure, he dated, but every girl ended up either caring too much for him or thinking they had a future. They didn"t, and they wouldn"t. His heart still belonged to the girl who had grown into a full blown woman halfway across the country.

Melody tried to shake off the tremors that coursed through her body since she walked out of the coffee shop. She didn"t know why it unsettled her so when she saw that spark of recognition in his eyes, just before she left. He clearly recognized her, even with twelve years of no communication. Of course, she had recognized him instantly, so she supposed she shouldn"t be so amazed that he had done the same.

It brought her back to the night they had broken up. It was raining and cold, a perfect setting for the ending of two bright futures. She had just said goodbye to her parents, buried deep below the earth. He had been her pillar of strength, the one thing holding her up and keeping her strong through it all.

She had wanted to leave, to get out and never look back. But he still had a family, although it was only comprised of his father and his motorcycle club, the Desperados, who were just as good as family to him. When his father had taken ill years before, it was the members of the club that had banded behind him, fed him, clothed him, and had taken care of all the medical bills until his father was healthy enough to work. Jackson could never forget that. He was a loyal until death and would never leave the club.

She had taken his refusal to move away from the town as the ultimate betrayal. She had thought they meant everything to each other. She"d honestly believed he could leave it all behind for her. But that day, he had looked at her with his eyes void of emotion and told her that this was his home, and she could become a part of that or she could leave.

She left and joined up with the first band that heard her sing. They made it big in the matter of just a few years, and now her name was a household name. True, not her name...Sapphire Daly, her alter ego. Sometimes she was more Sapphire than Melody. Sapphire was strong and fearless and confident. She didn"t need people to like her or her music. She didn"t need to look back.

Over the next few days, it seemed like Jackson was everywhere. If she went to the grocery store, he was leaned up against it, talking to a couple club members. If she went to a restaurant, he was there with his father. If she went to the gym, he was lifting on the machine right next to where she wanted to be.

She figured out that he had ended up buying the house that the two of them should"ve purchased together. It was blue with a white picket fence and a bright, sunny, yellow door. She had always loved the house. It was just another twist of the knife that he bought it and brought other women there instead of her.

She walked up to the front door and knocked twice. He answered, wearing only a pair of low slung jeans. His feet and chest were bare. She swallowed involuntarily and forced herself to look higher, past his well-defined abs and chest, to his face.

Apparently, he was having a similar problem focusing. He eyes were cast down, directed at the top of her blouse where one of the b.u.t.tons had popped opened. She refused to shift like a child being punished in cla.s.s and waited for his eyes to meet hers. They did, and she caught the twinkle in his eye and tried hard not to return it.

"If we"re both going to continue living here, we might as well just deal with it," she started, putting her hands on her hips.

He waited a moment, and then nodded and waited for her to continue.

"I don"t regret anything I have done. I don"t believe in regrets." He watched her struggle for the right words.

"You could"ve told me you were leaving," he interrupted, his voice low and somber.

"I thought it was easier on both of us if I didn"t." She tapped her shoe idly on the side of the door.

He didn"t respond, but just kept watching her.

"It"s not like it really would"ve worked anyway, Jackson!" she burst out.

His eyes roamed over her face, searching for...something. "You don"t know that."

"But I do! You know how I know for sure? Because you let me leave. If you really cared about me like you always said you did, there"s no way you would"ve let me walk out that door without a fight." She lost her air towards the end, her anger giving way to something more solemn and lonely. She struggled to keep her composure and not let him see how much, even to this day, it affected her.

He pulled her inside the house and shut the door behind her. She didn"t get more than two steps inside before he started up again. "You left. Not me."

"Jackson..." she sighed.

"No," he said firmly, his eyes going cold. "You don"t understand. You. Left. Me. I would never have done that to you."

"Then, why didn"t you come after me?" she murmured quietly, looking deep into his eyes and searching for the truth.

He stayed silent, running his hand through his already tousled hair. He gave a heartfelt sigh, and for a second he looked like he had been carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders for longer than she had realized.

He stepped closer to her, until their toes were almost touching. "Did it ever occur to you that I know chasing someone and forcing them back doesn"t really mean they"ll love you in return?"

She bit back her retort sharply before it left her mouth. It would do no good to profess how much she had been, and maybe still was, in love with him. She recalled the story of his mother, who had taken off when he was young. She remembered long ago, curled up next to a campfire, when he had told her about how he had spent weeks searching for her, only to find her and have her laugh in his face at the suggestion of returning to her family.

She hadn"t realized the similarities between the two situations and felt sick to her stomach. Picturing him as a small child, vulnerable and scared, searching for some motherly love and finding instead a cruel, heartless woman. She thought of her own parents, and how dearly they had loved her for as long as they could.

Jackson saw the understanding sweep across her face. He didn"t like feeling this open and honest with anyone, but he did still trust Melody, for whatever reason. He saw her reach toward him unconsciously, and he had to still his body so he wouldn"t flinch away from the warm heat of her body touching his. He felt her fingertips trace down his arm until her fingers laced around his. He had always loved this small touch, the feel of her soft warm fingers clasped in his rough, scarred ones. It made him feel protective, like he could keep her safe and with him for all time.

Each of them took a step forward until they were wrapped in each other"s arms, just like old times. She wound her arms around his neck and placed her lips on the side of his throat. He spanned her back and tugged her closer to him.

Melody was tired of not having everything she wanted. And right now she dearly wanted Jackson Kent. More than she could remember wanting anything. She didn"t know much about him now...didn"t know what he did for a living, or if he was happy, or if he was even unmarried.

As the thought raced across her mind, it was easily dismissed. If she knew one thing about Jackson, it was that he was loyal. She had never worried about him straying when all her friends made it known that he was a prime specimen. Her forehead drooped against his chest until all of her weight was resting against him. She felt his fingertips at the nape of her neck, teasing the fine hairs there. She let her eyelids droop shut and just took in the smell of his body, noticing the heat that it was putting off. She shuddered when he pressed his lips against her exposed cheek. Deciding to go with her gut, she shifted her face closer to his until his lips met hers in a long exploratory kiss. She heard herself moan in the distance and angled her lips more firmly over his. The kiss escalated quickly until they were both out of breath and frantic.

He looked shocked, and she knew she must look the same way. He recovered faster, half carrying her up the stairs to what she a.s.sumed was his bedroom. While he turned out the lights, she took the time to observe. It was manly, but clean. No frivolities, no lace...just like him. And d.a.m.n, if she didn"t like that about him. He was all man.

His blue eyes gleamed in the dim light and she felt ensnared by him. He walked toward her slowly, shedding his b.u.t.ton-down shirt and cargo shorts. She slipped her shirt over her head and unb.u.t.toned her jeans. He drew them off, first the left leg and then the right until she was clad only into her pale blue panties and bra. He took a second to admire her, and she did the same.

When she licked her lips in antic.i.p.ation, his gaze darkened. He placed a hand on the outside of each thigh, forcing her backwards and up against the headboard. He rained kisses along her eyelids, cheeks, and neck until he was licking the tops of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. When the tip of his tongue stroked across her swollen nipples, she let out a soft scream. He laughed quietly...some things never change. She swatted him playfully and got an evil glare in her eyes. He opened his mouth to question her, and then felt her hand land gently on top of his cotton clad hardness. His whole body tensed in preparation. When she began to slide her hand up and down him, he threw back his head and enjoyed her silken warm touch against his aching member.

She drew off his boxer briefs, and then slid him into her mouth. His body jerked, as she sucked and licked him until he was half out of his mind with need. After having a couple close calls, he finally tugged her off of him and onto her back. Seeing her self-satisfied look, he decided to have a little payback. He drew down her panties and placed open-mouth kisses until he felt her hard c.l.i.t. Now, it was her turn to spasm. He let his tongue drift over her wetness, sucking in until she cried out in need. He slid one long finger up into her and she began to gyrate around it. He increased suction until he felt her tremble against him. He slid a second finger in and felt her clench around him.

When she settled, he slid his c.o.c.k deep into her with one stroke. She gasped at the invasion and he tensed his whole body, resisting the urge to drive into her hard and fast. Seconds later, she had her legs locked around him and was drawing him in deeper. He didn"t think he"d ever felt anything or anyone as amazing as Melody, right here, right now. She was warm and wet and clenched tight around him. He pumped into her, feeling her nails rake across his bare back. Feeling the buildup and knowing he couldn"t hold out much longer, he leaned down and took one turgid nipple into his mouth. She groaned and started to writhe with the need for release. When he bit down gently, her whole body started to shake. He felt her grip him inside and couldn"t stop the blast that was bearing down. He came into her, and they stayed like that for a long time.

He looked out the window across the room and realized it was night. He stood, shaking the clenched muscles of his thighs out. Looking down on Melody, he thought he"d never seen anything so beautiful. Her hair was splayed out across the pillow, his pillow. This was right, he knew it.

The next morning he woke up happier than he had in a long time. He breathed deep into her hair, smelling her flowery perfume and the scent of her. She murmured in her sleep and rubbed up against him. He fought the urge to press closer against her. He pressed a kiss on her forehead, and then slid out of bed carefully. He grabbed a new pair of boxers out of the drawer and headed into shower.

Rinsing the soap out of his hair, he fought not to grin like an idiot and tried to figure out what his next move would be. Should he ask her out like he had so many years ago? Was that lame now? Maybe he should just a.s.sume she would be going out with him tonight? Or was that rude? After going back and forth, he decided he would just make plans and if she said yes, great.