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“Good. There are a couple of hours free in the studio tomorrow if you want to do another recording session. Last-minute cancellation.”

  “Okay, put me down. I’ll be there.” My head bobbed like I was a cartoon character. “Thank you so much for this, Bobby.”

  “Not a problem, kid. Have a good night.”

  I hung up and pumped my fist in the air. “Yes!”

  Mate, that felt good! I knew it could lead to nothing, but it could also lead to everything I wanted. I was tempted to jump up and do a happy dance.

  A knock at the door made me pause. I knew who it was; I could tell by the way my heart jackknifed and skidded down to my stomach. With my already giddy excitement, the feeling was intensified. My palms were sweating as I rested my fingers on the ivory keys.

  “Come in!”

  The door popped open and Jody’s head appeared.

  “Hi.” She smiled.

  “Hey, Jo. Come on in.”

  I knew I shouldn’t have been beckoning her into my apartment. I’d just had the call I’d been waiting for, the chance at a shot in NYC, but my impulse had a bloody mind of its own.

  She was too beautiful not to welcome in. Her curious gaze shot around the room as she padded across the floor in her pink socks. Yoga pants were never supposed to look that good on a woman. I shifted in my seat, thankful the piano was there to hide my lap from view.

  Jody rested her forearms on the closed piano lid, placing the baby monitor beside her and smiling down at me.

  I wanted to tell her. I wanted to let her know about the call, but I knew the second I opened my mouth, she’d scurry out of the room, scared off by the idea of holding me back.

  Maybe she didn’t have to.

  Maybe she could actually be part of it.

  The idea blossomed inside me, rising like helium until it filtered through every part of my brain with a jubilant shout.

  “So, um.” Jody tucked a curl behind her ear. “I wanted to come over and thank you for what you did this afternoon.”

  I shrugged, brushing my finger over middle C. “I heard her crying and I just wanted to help you out.”

  “You did. I’ve had a really shitty week and she was tired and I thought my brain was going to implode.”

  I chuckled with her.

  “You just cut all the tension like that.” She clicked her fingers. “You made everything better.”

  “Nah-uh.” I shook my head. “Olly did.”

  Her smile was sunshine. “Well, next time you see him, can you thank him for me?”

  “It was just the right song for that moment,” I murmured.

  My heart was still nestled in my stomach; its pounding sent vibrations though my limbs. Jody could be my songbird. She was my muse. Why not get her to sing for me, as well? We could make this work, couldn’t we?

  “Have you always been like that? With a song for everything?”

  “Yeah, yeah, I think I have.” I nodded, scratching the stubble on my chin. “I remember, actually, as a kid I’d be walking along with my mum, and I’d see someone and they’d make me think of a song. She’d laugh at me and say, ‘You don’t just have a song for every moment, you’ve got a song for everyone, as well.’ And she was right, I can’t meet people now without a song coming to mind.”

  “Oh, yeah?” Jody’s head tipped, her long hair splashing over her shoulder as her eyes danced with mischief. “What song do you think about when you’re dealing with Ms. Thornby?”

  I grinned, pounding the keys and singing the first line of “Yakety Yak” by the Coasters.

  A burst of musical laughter came out of her. “That’s perfect! What about the Cray-Cray?”

  “That’s easy.” My fingers sank into the keys and I belted out, “You drive me cra-zy!”

  Jody’s giggling increased, her shoulders shaking. “I’m sure your interpretation of that song is a little different to what Britney had in mind,” she teased.

  I laughed with her. “Yeah, well it’s just that one line, repeated over and over in my head, so my version has a very different connotation than hers.”

  “I’m totally going to sing that now, every time I have to deal with him.”

  We grinned at each other, the electricity flowing between our locked gazes sparked with intensity. Jody broke first, looking down at the piano top and bobbing her shoulders.

  “This is fun, tell me another one.” She leaned forward, her perfect breasts squishing against her forearms; the milky white curve showing over the edge of her tank top made my mouth water.

  “Um.” I forced my eyes back to her face, although that didn’t feel much safer. I cleared the tickle from my throat and clicked my fingers. “Oh, your sister, she always makes me hum “Titanium” by David Guetta for some reason.”

  Jody’s lips rose with an awestruck smile. There was a look in her eyes I didn’t quite understand, but I couldn’t help thinking that I’d totally nailed that one.

  “What about Angel?” she whispered.

  My fingers hit the keys straight away, and I played the opening baseline of “My Girl” by the Temptations, clicking my fingers and then singing, “I’ve got sunshine...” She quickly joined me and we sang through to the end of the first chorus.

  Her voice was like honey, its sweet nectar intoxicating my senses.

  “My dad used to sing that to me when I was little.” Jody’s smile was sad for a moment, but she shook the emotion off and grinned. “That’s perfect for Angel.”

  “Yeah, it is.”

  She nipped the edge of her lip with her teeth, her cheeks flushing pink as she glanced back down at the piano top. “What about me?”

  She was nervous asking.

  Heck, I felt nervous responding. Should I tell her?

  I scratched the back of my neck, feeling gun-shy and a little awkward when I tried to smile at her.

  “You don’t have a song for me?” Her nose wrinkled, her smile growing tight.

  Oh, what the hell, she’d told me.

  “Of course I do.” I winked, my fingers hovering over the keys for just a second before I launched into Michael Buble’s “Everything.”

  I sang to the end of the first chorus. I couldn’t meet her gaze, but her eyes were on me the whole time. I could feel it. My voice petered out, my fingers coming to rest on the keys. My heart was back in my ribcage, thumping like a strobe light. Bloody hell, she needed to say something!

  I drew in a quick breath and glanced her way, ready to face whatever expression she might be wearing.

  My chest restricted, my Adam’s apple feeling huge in my throat when I tried to swallow.

  Jody’s eyes were glassy, a soft smile curving the edge of her lips. Pushing off the piano, she stepped over to me. I swiveled to face her, perching on the edge of the stool. She came to stand between my legs. I could sense her hesitancy, but that didn’t stop her teeth from brushing over her lower lip and her fingers from gliding through my shaggy hair.

  There weren’t any words left. I sang her my heart...all I could do now was kiss her.

  Stretching up, I lightly placed my fingers on her neck, running my thumb over her chin before pulling her toward me.

  Our lips brushed, sparks flashing between our soft skin. She sighed against my mouth, her hands trailing down my head and coming to rest on my shoulders. I cupped her face, delicately holding her against me, and applied more pressure, my hungry tongue wanting to dive in without caution.

  It took every ounce of restraint to hold back, let her make the next move. Her kiss seemed tentative for some reason, and I couldn’t quite figure out why.

  I held my ground, enjoying the sheer pressure of our mouths pressing together and forcing myself not to dream of more. Jody’s taut muscles began to relax against me, her hesitation shifting. I felt the edge of her tongue skim my bottom lip.

  My blood ignited, my limbs surging back into vibration mode...and then the baby monitor squawked.

  We jerked away from each other, the unexpected sound jolting us both.r />
  I pressed my lips together, giving her an understanding smile.

  Her lips parted as if to say something, but no words came out. Instead, she grabbed the monitor and headed back out the door, her fingers running lines over her lips as she went.

  I stayed in my seat, unable to move until the door clicked shut behind her.

  The first thing to twitch were my lips; they curved into a slow smile as my body dropped down to a simmer that felt warm and lush. Spinning back on the stool, my fingers quickly found the keys, and I picked up Jody’s song where I’d left off, because she was all those things, and if I got to be her man, I’d sing this to her every day if she wanted me to.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Leo

  “You little ripper! Woohoo!” I jumped into Bobby’s arms, giving him a hard slap on the back.

  His mate liked the proposal! It was happy-dance time.

  Bobby chuckled, slapping me back and pulling away from me. “I’m proud of you, kid, but don’t get ahead of yourself. He still has to hear the music, and then has to like that, and then he’ll want to hear more and pitch those to his buddies. This is going to be a long, slow process. You’re gonna have to be patient.”

  “Yeah, yeah, I know, I know. But hearing back after only three weeks is impressive right?”

  “Yes, that is a good response time.”

  I giggled, a gleeful silly one that made me feel like a child, but I didn’t care. This was perfect. Things were finally coming together.

  “So, our job now is to make sure those songs come out as sellable as we can make them. You’ll need to finish recording your best piece from the first act and see if you can’t find yourself a few decent singers to make the demos.”

  “I’ve already got a lead in mind. She’s a mezzo-soprano, perfect for the part.”

  I hadn’t told Jody yet, but I would tonight. I no longer had any reason for hesitating. Since our first kiss we’d shared a dozen more. They were all short and fleeting, but that didn’t make them any less addictive. I wanted more, I wasn’t going to lie, but that was Jody’s call, not mine. She’d already had one guy knock her up and leave her in the dust. I wasn’t going to be like that. The little general may have a mind of his own, but I was stronger, and I’d rather die than hurt her.

  She’d let me know when she was ready, I was sure of it. What I really wanted to do was shift to the idea that this casual kissing thing we had going on could easily become something more...maybe even something permanent. It scared the crap out of me to think that way, but I couldn’t get the thought out of my mind...one that involved Broadway and my two girls.

  Could we make it work?

  I drove home pondering, my mind still overflowing with questions as I took the lift to the top floor. Pausing in the corridor, I glanced at my door and then headed straight for Jody’s.

  “It’s open,” she called after my quick knock.

  I frowned, walking through and shutting it behind me. “You know it’s nearly ten, you should be locking your door after dark.”

  “I know.” She shrugged. “But I thought there might be a chance that some hot guy would come knocking at my door, and I’m on the floor here folding laundry and I didn’t want to have to get up.” Her eyes twinkled.

  I shook my head, grinning at her as I shrugged out of my jacket and threw it over the back of the couch.

  Oh, man, she was wearing her foxy PJ pants again. Damn if they didn’t undo me.

  Dropping down beside her, I reached for a pair of baby socks and folded them together, hoping the menial task would cool the fiery heat pulsing through my veins.

  “How was your day?” I asked.

  “Oh, you know, the usual. Mr. Cray-Cray was yelling at pigeons again, Ms. Thornby found a speck of dust underneath her couch and nearly passed out, and Angel ate an ant. So, not a completely awful day.”

  I chuckled and reached for a yellow dress with a pink happy face flower on it.

  “I did manage to start organizing Angel’s birthday party for next weekend, so...” Her eyes danced over to mine, looking damn adorable.

  “So?” I grinned at her.

  She rolled her eyes, her head bobbling on her shoulders. “Do you want to come?”

  I leaned forward and pecked her lips. “I’d love to.”

  Her smile was sunshine.

  “How was your day?” She scrunched a hot pink G-string in her hand and threw it onto her pile.

  Damn. I swallowed, flicking my eyes back to her and reminding myself why I’d popped in.

  “Good.” I nodded, trying to curb my excitement. “I heard from a guy in New York.”

  Jody gasped, dropping the shirt in her hands and spinning to face me. “And?”

  A slow smile crept over my lips. “Well, the proposal I sent him sounds like it could be a goer.”

  She slapped my arm. “You’ve already sent a proposal to New York and you didn’t tell me?”

  “I was waiting to know more.”

  “You tell me next time.” She pointed at me, her eyes narrowing.

  I grabbed her finger and lightly tugged it, kissing the tip before letting her go. She grinned. “So, did they like it?”

  “They’re interested.”

  She squealed, jumping to her knees and wrapping her arms around me. “Oh my gosh, I’m so proud of you!”

  I squeezed her waist, relishing the warm glow radiating through me. I loved hearing her say that.

  She bounced back, her face still alight. “What’s the next step?”

  “Well, I have to record my best song from the first act with full orchestral arrangement, plus finish writing the last two songs. He has to like what I’ve sent and then pitch that to the money people and then we go from there.”

  Her smile faltered for a second, but she pulled it together, flashing me another broad grin.

  “It’s going to take a really long time, Jo.” I rubbed her arm. “I’m not going anywhere in a hurry.”

  Her smile relaxed but not completely. We both knew what I wasn’t saying, both trying to decide if we should go for whatever we had going on here, knowing that it most likely had an expiry date.

  I frowned. Damn it, why should it have to have one!

  “Sing for me.” The words popped out fast and clear.

  “What do you mean?” Jody’s eyes danced.

  “Be my demo singer. You’re perfect for the main part.”

  “Really? You think so?”

  “I know so.” I chuckled, reaching for her face and rubbing my thumb over her cheekbone. “Some of these songs would suit your voice perfectly, and the one I want to send in first has your name written all over it.” I didn’t quite have it in me to tell her she’d been my muse, that everything had started from her. What if she hated the music?

  No, that little truth nugget could be handed out later.

  Jody sat back on her knees, sheer excitement skittering over her expression. “You want me to sing your stuff for a demo?”

  “I do.” I smiled. “Do you want to?”

  She gasped, covering her mouth and nodding. Reaching for me, she held my face in her hands and planted her lips on mine. The kiss was filled with zest and passion, more than she’d ever given me before. Her tongue dove into my mouth, her excited buzz flowing from her straight into me. I responded immediately, catching her tongue against mine. My core temperature skyrocketed. She tasted good. The heat inside her mouth was like an open flame. I was about to grab for her waist and pull her onto my lap when she jerked away from me.

  “Sorry.” She touched her lips with a shy smile. “I just got carried—”

  I didn’t let her finish. I dragged her back against me before she could say more, my hungry tongue devouring the taste I’d been craving. Jody sighed against my mouth, her arms wrapping around my shoulders as she scrambled onto my lap. My hands went roaming before I could stop them, sliding over the curve of her waist and coming to rest against her breasts. My thumbs brushed her nipples, her sugar
y sigh encouraging me to do it again. Her hands sped down my back, clawing under my shirt and sliding it up my torso, her light touch sending the little general into overdrive.

  Our hot breaths mingled together, my fingers itching for a taste of her smooth skin. My thumb skimmed beneath her top, traveling up her body until I hit a cotton bra. Her nipples were hard beneath my touch, and I wanted to feel them with more than just my hands.

  Tugging at the material, I yanked her shirt north. Jody raised her arms for me, letting me lift it over her head. I smiled at the bright purple bra cupping her breasts. It was covered in starbursts and way too pretty to just rip off.

  She giggled, tipping backward and lying against the mound of unfolded laundry. I ran my hands up her smooth waist, relishing the contours of her body. She felt fantastic.

  Her hands came around my neck, and she pulled me on top of her, her legs wrapping around my hips. I didn’t know what I’d let loose with my invitation to let her sing, but I liked it.

  Our tongues wove together, the heated sensation scorching my senses. Her legs shifted, her heels digging into my butt, and her moan grew as I pressed my jeans between her legs, the desire in both of us escalating quickly. I felt near blinded by passion. If I didn’t pull it together quickly, I wouldn’t be able to control myself.

  I broke our kiss, resting my forehead against hers. “You taste too good.”

  “So do you.” She licked her bottom lip, her panting sending shockwaves of desire pulsing through me. I ground my hips, pressing the rock-hard general against the tender spot between her thighs. Damn that felt good. Jody closed her eyes, her head tipping back as her fingers clasped the back of my neck and a sweet moan eased out of her mouth. I wanted to do it again and again. I wanted to hear the sound of our flesh slapping together and feel that scorching ecstasy of her silky insides encasing me...but I couldn’t.

  It took all my willpower to detach her legs from around me and sit back. The little general was throwing a tantrum as I kept him locked up behind my zipper. I squirmed on the floor, forcing myself to utter the words I didn’t want to say. “We can’t, Jo, I’m sorry.”

  Her face blanched, her eyes rounding with embarrassment as she sat up and scrambled away from me, knocking over the neat piles of washing with her butt. Her fingers were shaking as she ran a hand through her hair and reached for her T-shirt.