fun. I’ll get home.”
Justin shook his head. “We’ll see. I’m thinking I’ll just give you the keys and I’ll find my own ride home. You think you can handle driving the love mobile?”
“Yeah. Though I might take it to a junkyard and trade it in for a ten speed. That’s about all it’s worth.”
He reached down and gave my nose a tweak. Then he lifted his fist and held out his knuckles. I laughed and pressed my fist against his.
“Kill ’em, Mallory.”
“You know I always do.”
Then Justin hopped out on stage and strummed the melody as he waited for me to step out into the spotlight. I took a deep breath and blew it out. I went up on the balls of my feet and shook my fingers out along with the butterflies that were always there. I craned my neck to the left, then to the right. Justin turned, pointing the neck of his guitar offstage and straight at me. He shot me a wink that I knew a few women in the front row probably thought was for them. I reached up and twisted the one karat diamond stud at the top of my right ear just like I did every time I took the stage. The stone was from my mother’s engagement ring. Then I took one last breath and walked out on stage.
I started slow at first, breathy. I pulled the crowd in and took them along with me. It was easy. It always was. I loved them. They loved me. We went on the ride together. But I was the one driving. The lights were hot. I kept Justin on my left. He was my anchor. Like I was on some spacewalk. I could go high and far and all around the moon, but Justin held the line that kept me from floating off toward the stars until I was good and ready to let go.
Everything else in my life could let loose at any moment. But here, now. On this stage, this microphone, my voice. I owned it. I had control and power and it thrilled me, intoxicated me. No one could touch me but every man in that room wanted to.
They sang with me. Followed me. I made each one of them think I was singing just for them. And a little bit of me really was. I gave them each a small piece of myself as I let my voice rise high and belted out a note. They’d give it back to me with their applause and their energy. It fueled me. Fed me. Made it so I could shut out every other part of my life and just be here. In a way, it felt like flying.
Justin gave me a break and started “Changes” slow, letting me come back down to Earth and breathe a little. I took center stage again and sat on a bar stool, letting my voice do the work as my body cooled. We would rock them hard tonight but play it a little safe until we found the sweet spot here. Stones, Bowie, Joan Jett, maybe a little grunge. Nothing original. Not yet.
I opened my eyes and Kellan was there. He stood leaning against the bar. My heart raced, my head went light when his eyes met mine. He drew me into his orbit with a flash of green eyes and a sweet, sexy smile. My eyes took in the hard lines of his face, the way his jeans hugged him in all the right places. Flashes of memory from the other night filled me as I sang. The strength of his fingers as he ran them along my rib cage and pulled me close to him. The coarse stubble along his jaw contrasted with his thick, soft hair as I pulled him down to kiss me. A flutter ran through me, quickening my heart and sending heat through me. I almost couldn’t catch my breath. I closed my eyes and inhaled the memory of his scent. God, I wanted him to touch me like that again.
The tether between Justin and me snapped and something rose in its place. The crowd was with me, around me, filling me. But Kellan filled my mind and heart.
I couldn’t take my eyes off Kellan. He moved away from the bar and worked the crowd in his own way just like I was. He was smooth. Cool. He looked rugged and strong with his leather cut spread across broad shoulders and a chest hard with muscles. I knew, I felt it. The memory of his arms around me kept me awake at night.
Justin shook his head. “We’ll see. I’m thinking I’ll just give you the keys and I’ll find my own ride home. You think you can handle driving the love mobile?”
“Yeah. Though I might take it to a junkyard and trade it in for a ten speed. That’s about all it’s worth.”
He reached down and gave my nose a tweak. Then he lifted his fist and held out his knuckles. I laughed and pressed my fist against his.
“Kill ’em, Mallory.”
“You know I always do.”
Then Justin hopped out on stage and strummed the melody as he waited for me to step out into the spotlight. I took a deep breath and blew it out. I went up on the balls of my feet and shook my fingers out along with the butterflies that were always there. I craned my neck to the left, then to the right. Justin turned, pointing the neck of his guitar offstage and straight at me. He shot me a wink that I knew a few women in the front row probably thought was for them. I reached up and twisted the one karat diamond stud at the top of my right ear just like I did every time I took the stage. The stone was from my mother’s engagement ring. Then I took one last breath and walked out on stage.
I started slow at first, breathy. I pulled the crowd in and took them along with me. It was easy. It always was. I loved them. They loved me. We went on the ride together. But I was the one driving. The lights were hot. I kept Justin on my left. He was my anchor. Like I was on some spacewalk. I could go high and far and all around the moon, but Justin held the line that kept me from floating off toward the stars until I was good and ready to let go.
Everything else in my life could let loose at any moment. But here, now. On this stage, this microphone, my voice. I owned it. I had control and power and it thrilled me, intoxicated me. No one could touch me but every man in that room wanted to.
They sang with me. Followed me. I made each one of them think I was singing just for them. And a little bit of me really was. I gave them each a small piece of myself as I let my voice rise high and belted out a note. They’d give it back to me with their applause and their energy. It fueled me. Fed me. Made it so I could shut out every other part of my life and just be here. In a way, it felt like flying.
Justin gave me a break and started “Changes” slow, letting me come back down to Earth and breathe a little. I took center stage again and sat on a bar stool, letting my voice do the work as my body cooled. We would rock them hard tonight but play it a little safe until we found the sweet spot here. Stones, Bowie, Joan Jett, maybe a little grunge. Nothing original. Not yet.
I opened my eyes and Kellan was there. He stood leaning against the bar. My heart raced, my head went light when his eyes met mine. He drew me into his orbit with a flash of green eyes and a sweet, sexy smile. My eyes took in the hard lines of his face, the way his jeans hugged him in all the right places. Flashes of memory from the other night filled me as I sang. The strength of his fingers as he ran them along my rib cage and pulled me close to him. The coarse stubble along his jaw contrasted with his thick, soft hair as I pulled him down to kiss me. A flutter ran through me, quickening my heart and sending heat through me. I almost couldn’t catch my breath. I closed my eyes and inhaled the memory of his scent. God, I wanted him to touch me like that again.
The tether between Justin and me snapped and something rose in its place. The crowd was with me, around me, filling me. But Kellan filled my mind and heart.
I couldn’t take my eyes off Kellan. He moved away from the bar and worked the crowd in his own way just like I was. He was smooth. Cool. He looked rugged and strong with his leather cut spread across broad shoulders and a chest hard with muscles. I knew, I felt it. The memory of his arms around me kept me awake at night.
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