Page 3 of Another Postcard

Twisting in my seat, I smiled at Brooklynn and enjoyed the pink tinge that appeared on her cheeks. “Are you familiar enough with our music to just riff with us?” I questioned, even though I was confident she was. Brooklynn had a reputation of being able to pick up just about anything quickly, with flare and precision. She had perfect pitch and a talent for spitting back whatever she heard with total accuracy. But, what made her truly special was the way she made everything hers, adding unique touches that enhanced what may have already seemed perfect.

Brooklynn raised a condescending eyebrow, basically calling me out for being a patronizing jackass. I laughed and launched into “World On End,” one of our most popular singles. It only took a moment for the world to fall away, leaving nothing but the music. I closed my eyes, feeling the guitar become an extension of my body, and the lyrics poured out of my mouth like they’d been caged in and were desperate to be set free. I reached the chorus, and as Matteo and Simon added their voices, I felt shivers coursing through me that were always evoked by the magic of harmony. This was why we worked. Despite the different notes, we were one when the music wrapped itself around us.

On the second chorus, another voice joined in and suddenly, the small shivers became full-blown streaks of emotion. If I’d been standing right then, I’d have been knocked on my ass. The music suddenly faded out until all I heard was Brooklynn’s gorgeous alto twisting itself around my voice, blending in a way that would make one believe we were put on this earth for no other purpose than to sing together. The song ended, and the last of our notes died away, leaving a heavy silence. Opening my eyes, I was surrounded by faces filled with awe, each of my band mates frozen. I realized that the reason I only heard myself and Brooklynn was because, at some point in the song, everyone else had ceased playing and singing and it had been just Brooklynn and me. Slowly, I pivoted in my seat and sought out her chocolate eyes. She seemed just as shell shocked as the rest of us.

“Marry me,” Matteo breathed, breaking the silence. Everyone but me burst into laughter. Just the thought of Brooklynn with someone else made me want to put my fist into something. Teo’s face seemed like a satisfying option. I shook it off and tuned into the pulsing energy of the room. There was an edge of hysteria in their amusement, a sort of high that came with making truly inspired music. The same hum of excitement that I was feeling exuded from everyone around me.

A knock on the studio door calmed our revelry and Noah opened it, letting in Sheryl’s husband, Danny. He glared at us, but the expression lacked real malice, and I couldn’t help chuckling in response. “Sorry for keeping her, Danny,” I apologized with a rueful shrug. With an accepting chin lift, he stalked over to Sheryl and lifted her into his arms.

“Danny!” she squeaked. “I can walk.” He grunted a response that only she could hear as he carried her to the exit. I swallowed a laugh at the sight of him attempting to go all alpha on his wife. The effect was kind of ruined since he was roughly the same size as his wife and was clearly struggling to stay upright. Actually, I’d hazard a guess that Sheryl out-weighed him right then. Not that I’d say it out loud and risk what would surely be a swift kick to my balls.

“Brooklynn, you’re amazing!” she called out. “You’ll be great!” Then she was gone and the door slammed shut.

There was more laughter and then we dove back into the music. It was after ten when Simon announced that he was done for the night and off to get laid, eliciting a round of snickers. He just grinned and beat a hasty retreat. The rest of the group trickled out until it was just Brooklynn and I remaining. I was about to approach her when Noah entered the room. It surprised me because I’d assumed he went home hours before, but he must have been working in his office. He made his way over to Brooklynn, who was slipping on her coat but stopped when he was in front of her. Offering a hand, he smiled widely as he shook hers, and the contact annoyed the shit out of me. Brooklynn returned the smile, and when he let go, she stuck her hands in her back pockets, resting her weight on her heels.

“Sheryl was right, Brooklynn,” he told her with enthusiasm. Well, as much enthusiasm as an uptight, overly controlled guy with a stick up his ass can muster. I often found ways to fuck with him just to break through his all-business attitude and make sure my friend was still in there somewhere. Generally, it ended with one hell of a hangover. I grinned at the memory of the last time we let loose. I even got him to take a woman home for the night once, though I hadn’t been able to get any details from him about it.

“You are a perfect fit. Can I go ahead and have the contract drawn up?”

Brooklynn lit up and nodded. “As long as it includes what we talked about, I’m all yours.”

“I think you mean, all mine,” I interjected, drawing another frown from Noah and an eye roll from Brooklynn. Though it was followed up by a suppressed giggle. I paid more attention to the latter, prowling over and slinging an arm around her shoulders. Noah studied us with caution, opened his mouth, then shut it.

Finally, he looked to Brooklynn and murmured, “I’ll fast track it through the lawyers, so it should be ready in a couple of days. We’ll meet and go over the contract and schedule.”

“Great,” she replied brightly before slipping out from under my arm and slinging her bag over her shoulder.

“Do you have some place to stay?” Noah inquired. He was tapping away on his smartphone as he asked the question and his tone made it clear that he was simply making sure she was taken care of, not hitting on her. So, I didn’t clip him in the jaw. Instead, I listened eagerly for Brooklynn’s answer and was shocked to find an invitation to stay with me on the tip of my tongue. I didn’t bring women to my home. Ever. It was my sanctuary, the place I did most of my writing, where my family came to visit. In only a handful of hours, it had become more and more obvious that this thing I was feeling between us was more than just a desire to fuck her. There was a deeper connection. One I didn’t quite understand yet.

Trust me, I was dying to get her underneath me, but I also felt a desire to know her, to simplybewith her. It was like my fast-paced world slowed down to a manageable speed and I found my calm center. It was scary to be feeling those things so fast, and I was half tempted to shut it the fuck down before it went somewhere I wasn’t ready for. It wasn’t like I was the manwhore Simon was, but I got around when I wasn’t in a relationship. That’s where things had gotten sticky before. I tried the relationship thing in the beginning of my career and it had ended in disaster. Music was the most important thing to me and no girl was willing to settle for that. Nor should they.

So, I’d written off relationships for the time being. I was only twenty-three for fuck’s sake, I had plenty of time to focus on my career and get to all that other stuff later. My parents had been married for thirty-five years and were still so in love it made my siblings and I gag. Especially my sister Lily, since she was still living at home. My younger brother Liam and I liked to tease them, but I wouldn’t lie and say I didn’t want that someday. I didn’t think I would ever be able to put someone before my music though, so I accepted the fact that it might never happen. But, for whatever reason, I was sure what I’d been feeling around Brooklynn was worth exploring, even if all it led to was incredible music and some hot, sweaty fucking.

“I booked a hotel for a couple of nights,” she mumbled as she buttoned up her coat. “But I lined up an apartment here in the Village in case things worked out. I’ll sign the lease in a few days.” She bent down to grab her purse from the floor, giving me an excellent view of her ass, and I stifled a groan. She sighed as she stood back up. “Damn, I hate moving.”

Noah lifted his attention from his phone and laughed. “You were always intending to say yes, weren’t you?”

Brooklynn smirked and cocked her head to the side. “It never hurts to make you sweat just a little, right?” she sassed.

Noah grinned and clapped her on the shoulder. “Come on, I’ll walk you out and find you a cab.”

I firmly grasped Noah’s arm and removed it from Brooklynn. “I’ve got some things to go over with Brooklynn, Noah,” I told him, keeping my tone easy. “I’ll make sure she gets home safe.”

“Who will keep her safe from you,” he grumped with a warning look in my direction.

Brooklynn laughed and winked at him. “I can handle him, Noah.” I had no doubt this was true, in and out of the bedroom. And, the thought of herhandlingcertain parts of me had my blood thickening.

“We’ll see,” he muttered as he walked to the door.

Once he was out of the way, I put on my most charming smile and gave Brooklynn my full attention. “Are you hungry? I’m starving. Let’s get some food. I know a fantastic diner on 10th street.” I took her elbow and steered her toward the door.

“Um, I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” she objected but didn’t stop me from guiding her down the hall to the office Noah used when we were recording in that studio. I grabbed my winter coat and scarf from where I’d thrown it over a worn, plaid couch earlier and put it on.

“You want to go somewhere else?” I asked, deliberately misunderstanding her. “I’m game for whatever.” Putting my hand at the small of her back, just above the sweet swell of her ass, I once again led her down the hall. This time I took her out the front door and the bite of the bitter February wind immediately stung my face. I wrapped my scarf around my neck and up over my mouth, keeping my throat insulated from the dry, frigid air. Turning toward her with the intent of helping her, I saw she had already done the same. Not really surprising, considering how dedicated she was to her craft. We protect our instruments with the utmost care. Still, I adjusted her scarf as an excuse to touch her and keep her with me for another minute so I could convince her to grab some food.

“Where should we go?” I shuffled from side to side in an attempt to keep my blood moving and stay warm. I couldn’t see her mouth, but her cheeks lifted and her eyes crinkled, giving away her smile.

“I’m going to go back to my hotel. Alone”—she emphasized before I could open my mouth to suggest I come along—“and ordering room service before I call my sister and go to bed. It’s been a long day.”

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