Page 5 of Shock to the Heart

"Cool. Have you shown your work anywhere?"

"I've always just given paintings away. Two years ago I did a series of animal paintings for the children's wing of the hospital, and some abstracts for a yoga studio. I did get paid for a series for a café that Dad's friend owns." She grins. "Well, my payment was free coffee for a year. But honestly, it's the process I love, not sharing the finished product with the world."

Nodding slowly, I'm hypnotized by the light in her eyes. "I can understand how you might not want fame."

As she nods, a tendril of hair drifts near her cheekbone. If I weren't holding a mug and a toolbox, I'd have to touch her.

"It's more than that," she says softly, leading us through to the studio. "I don't want anyone judging my work. Ever." Her tone suggests it's a sensitive topic.

We enter the studio and turn on the lights, and I see that she's pushed a few of the amplifiers aside, and wrapped everything in plastic sheeting.

"Fantastic. You've already started the housekeeping portion of our program." I sip the hot brew before setting it down. "This coffee is amazing, by the way."

She grins as I get my tools organized. "Many people use cinnamon and nutmeg, but they use too much and turn it into flavored coffee. I prefer to use just enough to bring out the… Is coffeeosity a word?"

"It is now." Smiling at Electra makes my heart sing. I run out for another box of supplies, then check to make sure there's not a hint of damp left in the drywall. When I hand her the flashlight, she's close enough that I can feel her warmth.

I've never seen a woman who was so effortlessly sexy. She's also a great assistant. Wherever I point, she locks the flashlight beam in place and doesn't move it one bit.

While I'm up on a stepladder to seal the leaks in the ceiling above, I take a good look around the studio. It's definitely lived in. The kind of place people would comfortably hang out for weeks at a time while working. "I guess the lights are all on dimmers here to give it kind of a living room vibe?"

Electra rolls her eyes. "Yeah. Plus they don't want any concept of day or night while they're in the zone."

I chuckle. "Can I ask about the names CC and Ryl?"

She snickers, grinning up at me. "I guess Carol and Darryl didn't sound very Nashville."

"Ugh. And rhyming names. Yeah, that's almost as bad as Ray and Trey." I raise an eyebrow. "So, how do you really feel about your parents?"

Her sparkling laugh rings out around us. "They think they're great musicians and amazing parents. Me, I give them an B+ and a C+, respectively."

"Their music isn't to your taste?"

She hesitates, clearly wanting to be diplomatic. "I'll admit, it's well done. It fits perfectly with all of the commercials and movies it's ended up in. It's just not really my style."

"Fair." I cap the caulk and climb down as she snaps off the flashlight. "It's not my business, but why were you working here in the studio at all? Shouldn't you be…what's the opposite of a musician? An accountant or lawyer or something?"

I double check that the current is off before starting to replace the wiring. Electra turns the flashlight back on, knowing instinctively where I need the beam trained. Her little black sneakers shuffle slightly as she hesitates.

"Never mind – sorry I asked," I say quickly. "It's none of my business."

"No, I want to tell you." I look up and catch her beautiful shy smile. "It's just… I haven't told anyone else. Not my coworkers, not my friends. Like, nobody."

"We just met, but I swear I'll keep your secret."

"I can already tell you will." She steps closer, biting her perfect bottom lip for a second. "I'm making a five-song demo."

"Wow." I snap a connector in place, then glance over at her sweet, hopeful face. Having Electra this close to me makes my entire body thrum. "The record companies are going to snap that up in a second."

"No!" It's the first time the flashlight beam has wavered. "It's not for them."

"Oh – you're going to release it independently? Just put it up online?"

"Not even." Her head shakes. "Just for me. I've written dozens of songs over the years, but these five are the ones that have always struck me the hardest. I need to get them down correctly."

She's so earnest. That hits me as much as her beauty. And this closeness is driving me wild. Every single detail about this gorgeous girl makes me need to reach out and hold her.

"I get it." Dropping to one knee, I begin attaching new wires to the outlet. "You've been surrounded by musicians your whole life, analyzing each other's work and picking things apart. Me, I have an entire town full of people expecting me to be exactly like my father. So I can imagine that everyone would compare your songs to your parents' work. Compare your voice to your mom's. Compare your guitar style to your dad's."

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