Free JAXON (The Caine Brothers Book 4) by Margaret Madigan Page A

different simply because they’d met outside of his celebrity life, that would sound dismissive. If he said she was different because he admired her commitment and passion, she’d just say if he’d taken the time to get to know any of the women he’d met on the road, he might learn something different and interesting about them, too. Clearly, he was the issue. He felt like an asshole. “You make me think—about the things you’re committed to, but also about myself. How can I be a better person?”
    It sounded like a cheesy, opportunistic pickup line, but her expression softened. “Good,” she said as they pulled into the driveway.
    He climbed out of the truck and collected his shoes and clothes, wondering what she meant by that sly smile. “So what’s on the agenda for the evening?”
    “If you’re still game after everything else we did today, it’s dumpster night.”
    “Care to elaborate?”
    Her expression brightened even an August day in Texas. “Nope. You have to experience it to understand. But you might want to just save those clothes. Dumpster night can get dirty.”
    He waggled his brows. “I’m game for dirty.”
    She snorted as she headed for the door. “I’m sure you are.”
    In the foyer they stood for an awkward, silent moment, not sure what to say or how to go to their separate wings of the house. Jaxon still only wore his boxers and carried the rest of his clothes in a wad under his arm. He shifted from one foot to the other, not ready for their day together to be over.
    “Okay,” she said, breaking the silence. “So, meet back here at midnight. You might want to nap because we’ll be up late.”
    “Midnight?”

    At midnight, Jaxon left his room and headed back to the foyer. He’d showered, dug around in the fridge for something to eat—Lily hadn’t cooked dinner so he figured they were on their own—and taken a short nap. He hadn’t fallen asleep easily. Instead, he’d laid there with tangled thoughts about food and hungry people, Lily’s fiery hair and passion, and music and his absent muse, all filling his head in that drowsy place between awake and asleep.
    Despite Lily suggesting he wear the same smelly clothes, they were too ripe, so Jaxon had thrown on jeans and a t-shirt.
    Lily stood in the foyer waiting for him as he descended the stairs. She wore dark jeans and a tight black t-shirt that emphasized her breasts and slender waist, and did nothing to discourage his libido. She’d pulled her hair back into a messy bun. She looked so good his first instinct was to drag her upstairs and sex her up until neither of them could stand upright.
    But he crushed that impulse. Celibate.
    “Ready?” she asked, handing him a cup of coffee she’d been holding
    “As I’ll ever be.”
    As they climbed in the truck, Jaxon noticed the back full of coolers and crates held down by bungee cords.
    “What’s with all this?” he asked, gesturing to the stuff.
    “You’ll see.”
    Her smile teased at something, but he had the feeling he might not like it. They drove with the air conditioner chugging to keep up with the heat outside, and the radio turned up. Jaxon sipped his coffee and watched the dark scenery drift by, but then the song on the radio changed and suddenly he was thrown back into his world. His band and his voice blasted from the speakers.
    They looked at each other, frozen in that weird moment, but then Jaxon broke out and sang along Karaoke style. He belted the lyrics and drummed on the dashboard. He didn’t care how good or bad it sounded, he didn’t care about production values or audience satisfaction or singing the right notes or anything he usually worried about when on stage. This wasn’t stage. This was why he’d got into music in the first place, because it fed his soul. It made him happy, and by the way Lily laughed and sang along, it made her happy, too.
    By the time he finished the song, Lily had pulled them into the parking lot of a FreshMart grocery