Free Relentless by Cheryl Douglas Page A

scraped his hands over his face. “What the hell am I gonna do? She won’t even talk to me. I tried knockin’ on her door a little while ago and she wouldn’t even answer.”
    “She’ll come around, man. You guys are going to run into each other; it’s inevitable now that we’re touring together. She’ll have no choice but to deal with you. Even if it’s just to tell you it was just a one-time deal for her.”
    J.T. felt his gut clench. “I don’t want it to be a one-time deal. It’s not gonna be a one-time deal.”
    “Man, it’s not like you have a choice. You can’t force her to feel something she doesn’t.”

    No, he couldn’t force her. But he’d be willing to bet his prized belt buckle that what she was feeling for him was unlike anything she’d ever felt before. She was just running scared. He’d have to find a way to convince her that being in a relationship with him wouldn’t be as bad as she seemed to think.

 
     
     
     
    Chapter Seven
     
    After receiving no response when he knocked on her door the following morning, J.T. made his way down to the restaurant, hoping to catch her in the midst of breakfast. If she had her mouth full, she would have no choice but to listen.
    He spotted her friend, Brad, dining by himself. After waving off the hostess, he strode to the back of the restaurant. “Where the hell is she?”
    Brad wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin. He looked up, smiling. “Good morning to you too, cowboy.”
    J.T. took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He wasn’t going to get anywhere with this guy using intimidation. He would have no choice but to reason with him. He pulled out the chair across from him and sat down.
    Brad smirked. “By all means, have a seat.”
    As the waitress hovered, J.T. turned his mug over. He would need a strong shot of caffeine to get through this conversation. He had a feeling trying to get information from this man would be harder than extracting teeth with a rusty old set of pliers.
    Once the waitress poured his coffee, he asked, “Is she hiding out in her room?”
    Taking a small bite of toast, Brad chewed carefully before shaking his head. “No, she had a plane to catch. She left early this morning.”
    His grip on the mug in his hand tightened. “Was she headed back home?”
    “Yeah, she had a magazine interview and photo shoot today.”
    Getting past the security at her old man’s place would be tricky without explaining to Luc the reason for his visit, but he’d deal with that problem when he got there. “Have you spoken to her today?” J.T. asked, trying to find out whether she had confided in her friend about what happened between them.
    “She spent the night with me.”
    J.T. leaned forward, glaring at him. “What’re you talking about?”
    He shrugged. “Apparently the proximity to your room made hers a less appealing option.”
    Trying to rein in his frustration, he clenched and unclenched his fists under the table. “You play for both teams or what?”
    Brad laughed as the sound filtered through the restaurant, drawing the attention of other diners. “Subtlety isn’t your strong suit is it, J.T.?”
    “I’m not in the mood for games. Just answer the damn question.”
    “No, I’m not bi. Nikki and I are just good friends, nothing more.”
    Satisfied that he was telling the truth, he asked, “Did she say anything to you about what happened last night?”
    Brad tossed a napkin on his plate and picked up his juice glass. He paused with the glass in mid-air. “You’re asking if she told me that you two slept together? Yes, she told me.”
    Normally, he would have been pissed that she’d shared the intimate details of their evening with someone else, but he was past the point of caring who knew about them. He just wanted some answers before his rising blood pressure landed him in the hospital. “Did she tell you why she bailed on me?”
    He set his glass down and shifted his body to the side, crossing