Fuck.
The coffee pot bubbles. Grabbing two mugs, I pour myself a cup, but before I can pour the second and take it into the bedroom for Jasper, warm hands wrap around me.
“And here I thought I was going to be the one waking you up,” Jasper says.
“Couldn’t sleep,” I say. He lifts me into his arms with ease, setting me on the counter. Sleep lines his face and pillow marks crease his cheeks. “Now I’m wishing I stayed in bed a little longer.”
Jasper takes a sip of my coffee before setting it down. He kisses me and makes my toes curl.
“Waking up to you and a cup of coffee isn’t a bad second.” He smiles. “Although, you sounded a little grumbly when I came out.”
“Well, aside from the fact that you didn’t get to wake me up, I got an email from my attorney.”
“Really?” Jasper takes the second mug and pours himself a cup.
I nod. “I have a court date.”
“I thought you already had one?” he asks. “I know a little bit based on passing conversation from Harper and Stevie.”
“Sometimes things change.”
“And this is for your manager?”
I sigh, tracing a hand down his carved abs. It helps to distract me from the awkward conversation we’re about to have. “Also my ex.”
“Your ex.”
Pushing him back, I hop off the counter. “This is a couch conversation to have.” He looks confused. “I’d prefer not to have it while I’m sitting on the counter.”
Taking his hand, I lead him toward the living room and take a seat. He sits down next to me, pulling my legs onto his lap.
“Okay. Tell me about this guy.”
His thumbs start digging into the arches of my feet and damn, does that ever feel good.
“Eric was my manager.”
“Was your manager?” he asks.
“Eric signed me when I was eighteen. It was my very first contract. He discovered me at a talent competition in Boston.”
Jasper gives me a cocky grin. “I knew it.”
“Yeah, yeah.” I wave him off. “Ever since I was a kid, all I ever wanted was to be a singer. My parents took me to see Dolly Parton and I fell in love with her presence on the stage. The way every single person in the venue had eyes only for her. They were mesmerized by her.”
“I think people can say the same about you.” Jasper’s eyes are soft as they look at me. “I’ve only seen you sing twice, but you sucked me in. I’ve seen how people react to your music. They love you.”
His words make me blush. Fans heaping praise on me is one thing, but the man I’m intimate with? A completely different story.
“I love doing it. Seeing how people react when I’m on stage is the most rewarding part about being in the music industry. From day one, Eric took advantage of me.”
“What do you mean?”
Jasper’s fingers work their way up my calves. It’s like he’s loosening my muscles to make it easier to tell him all of this. It’s a weight I don’t like carrying around.
“Before I signed my contract, everyone told me make sure you own the rights to your own music. It was something I paid attention to. When I signed the contract, that’s about the only thing I did look for.”
“I don’t like where this is headed,” he says.
