Relentless by Cheryl Douglas

relationship with Avery. They had a rock-solid marriage. In spite of the challenges, they had found a way to make it work, so he knew it wasn’t impossible. Of course, he knew Avery was a hell of a lot more tolerant and understanding than he was.
    “Why Nikki?” Brad asked. “Why are you so interested in her?”
    J.T. didn’t even hesitate; he knew what made Nikki so special. “Like you said, she’s amazing. She’s bright, beautiful, talented, ambitious… Hell, I love everything about her.” Once the word slipped out, J.T. realized how it must have sounded to her friend.
    “You’ve been waiting a long time to make your move,” Brad said, watching him carefully. “This was more than a one-night stand to you, wasn’t it?”
    He sighed, trying to make sense of what he was feeling. He rarely let anyone in, so he didn’t know what possessed him to consider opening up to a complete stranger. “At first, I thought I’d be satisfied with one night, to get her out of my system, ya know?”
    Brad nodded, waiting for him to continue.
    “But it became pretty clear that wasn’t going to be enough. I started to want more. Hell, I knew I was in trouble when I started getting jealous of the piano player at the bar.”
    “Nikki wasn’t just some random girl in your mind,” Brad said quietly. “She was someone you’d been thinking about, waiting for, for a long time. It’s not surprising that your feelings for her ran deeper than you expected when you finally got the chance to act on them.”
    J.T. knew he was right. She was the voice that filled the cab of his truck every morning, the gorgeous image that flashed across his TV screen, the sexy little siren from that long ago memory. He had imagined what it would be like to be with her, to make love to her, countless times. It was no wonder his body was on sensory overload when he finally seized the opportunity to make his fantasies a reality.
    “You’re right; she’s not some buckle bunny, some random chick I picked up in a bar. She’s the girl I want.” It scared the hell out of him to admit it aloud, but he knew it was true. He suspected Nikki Spencer might be the one.
    Brad grinned, revealing teeth too perfect to be real. “You’re wasting your time sitting here telling me, cowboy. You need to hunt that girl down and tell her how you feel about her, what you want.”
    For the first time in a long time, J.T. was nervous, uncertain. “You think she’d be willing to listen to what I have to say?”
    Brad shrugged. “It won’t be easy to get her to see reason; she’s stubborn. But I have a feeling you’re not the kind of man to give up without a fight.”
    J.T. smiled, reaching across the table to offer his hand. “You’re right about that, buddy.”
     
     
    Nikki was trying to focus on the photographer’s direction, but her mind was inundated with images of J.T. That broad chest, the intense look in his eyes before he kissed her, the way he touched her.
    “Are you cold?” the photographer asked.
    She hadn’t realized she’d shivered at the memory until he posed the question. Forcing a smile, she said, “No, I’m fine, thanks.”
    “Okay, we’re gonna take five, Nikki,” he said, taking the strap off his neck and setting his equipment down on a nearby table. He nodded to Luc before making his way to a small office in the back of the studio.
    Luc approached her, eyebrows raised. “You seem a little off your game today. Is everything okay?”
    Her father rarely accompanied her on photo shoots, but this was important. An international fashion magazine would allow her to reach out to an audience beyond country music fans.
    Hopefully she would be able to attract the attention of the all-important 18-24 demographic of female fans, young women who could relate to her and her music.
    “I’m okay, Dad. Just tired, I guess.”
    He put an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side. “I’m so proud of you for taking home that award last