Read Online Flesh & Bone - a contemporary romance: The Minstrel Series #2 by Lee Strauss, Elle Strauss - Free Book Online

neck. She didn’t have to turn around to know who the voice belonged to.
    She swiveled slowly. The sight of Sebastian Weiss standing in the middle of their small house church made her knees give out, and she lowered herself onto the nearest chair. She wasn’t imagining it this time. He was really there, in the flesh.
    Her brain couldn’t compute. Sebastian Weiss belonged on stage and on TV. A crack in the universe had erroneously delivered him here.
    Papa’s eyes, looking larger through the thick lenses he pushed up on his face, darted from Sebastian to Eva and back. His thin lips drew downward. “What are you here for then?”
    Eva’s pulse surged, and she found it hard to swallow.
    Sebastian pointed at Eva. “For her.”
    Papa stared at the large tattoo on Sebastian’s arm, then to the earrings in his ears, and a soft growl escaped from his throat.
    “It’s all right, Papa,” she said, her voice barely audible. “He just wants to ask me about a song I sang at open mic night.”
    Papa bore down on their visitor. “What did you say your name was?”
    “Sebastian Weiss.”
    Papa’s eyes moved back to Eva, his bushy brows jumping. Then he grunted again. “Never heard of you.”
    Eva knew that wasn’t true. Everyone in their small flat was aware of her fascination with Sebastian Weiss and his band, and they often teased her for it. Papa’s thick brows furrowed deeper but thankfully he turned back to the kitchen and left them alone.
    Sebastian slipped into the seat across from Eva. “He’s scary.”
    She nodded feeling like a pixie had suddenly stitched her lips together. Her papa may be scary, but he wasn’t the one who terrified her now.

 
     
     
     
     

     
     
    The girl, Eva, looked like a frightened rabbit shrinking into herself on the other side of the table. She hid behind a swath of brown hair. Sebastian wondered if he’d made a mistake in coming. He liked her sound, but she wasn’t worth getting taken out by her old man.
    “I suppose I should’ve called first,” Sebastian said, “but I didn’t have your number.”
    Eva blinked.
    “I thought maybe you could play me your song again?” Most musicians jumped at the chance to showcase their music to Sebastian with the hope that he could somehow pull strings to help them break into the industry. He had a collection of CDs hopeful artists had shoved into his hands on tour. They stalked him in the lobby and ran after him as he climbed on the tour bus. They were almost as bad as the groupies.
    The girl’s eyes popped even wider than they already were, if possible, at his request and he thought she was going to say no.
    Finally, she spoke. “I guess.”
    She didn’t ask if he wanted to record it or perform it and she didn’t have that eager, puppy dog expression like any other singer would have. It was like the thought hadn’t crossed her mind. He waited for her to retrieve her guitar, but then she didn’t move. Her eyes darted to the guitar sitting on the stand across the room as she rubbed her right thigh.
    Right. Her gimpy leg. Was she self-conscious? Maybe she didn’t want him to watch her struggle across the room.
    He waved toward the instrument. “Do you want me to get it?”
    Eva stared back and nodded.
    Sebastian sprinted across the small room and back and carefully handed her the guitar. She propped it across her lap, her knees peeking out from the hem of a light-colored skirt. “This isn’t mine,” she said. “I have a Duncan Africa upstairs.”
    “Really?” Sebastian said. “I’ve heard good things about them, but never played one.”
    “It’s amazing. The warm tone and resonance… I’m sure you’d love it.”
    She smiled a little, like talking about guitars relaxed her, and Sebastian smiled back. She strummed and picked at the strings, and he recalled the melody.
    She looked up from under long eyelashes free of mascara. “I’m kind of nervous. You’re you, and you’re so close.”
    Her eyes were green and they