Page 65 of Hope & Harmony

“More, more, more!”

But Blaire, her face a vibrant pink, takes a graceful bow and exits the stage.

I nod to the audience and then follow her.

Sarah grabs both of us, gushing. “Didn’t I tell you? The two of you together are magic. Come to my office first thing tomorrow and we’ll discuss the logistics. Mary Louise—she’s the songwriter—has some numbers that will be perfect for the two of you together.” She brings our hands together, draws them to her mouth, and plants a kiss on them. “This is a match made in heaven. My God, I’ve been looking for the two of you for years. That crescendo in the middle… My God… It was phenomenal.”

Blaire’s eyes are glazed over. Does she hear what Sarah is saying?

Sarah snaps her fingers in my face. “Gunnar? Did you hear me? This is what’s going to put you on the map. Both of you.”

My gaze is zeroed in on Blaire’s lips. Her dark red lipstick is smudged.

I’m pretty sure it’s all over my mouth.

As if she can read my mind, Blaire reaches into her purse, pulls out a compact, and attempts to fix her makeup.

“And that kiss at the end?” Sarah continues. “It cemented the whole thing. From now on, it’s Gunnar and Blaire. I’ve never seen such chemistry. If you can do this with a song made famous by two of the most talented performers in the world, just think of what you can do with something that’s written expressly for you. This is going to be huge!”

Sarah’s words are intriguing, but I can’t stop staring at Blaire’s mouth. She’s fixed her lipstick, but she can’t take away my kiss. Her lips are slightly parted, swollen, and glistening. All I can think about is touching them with mine again.

Kissing her, touching her creamy skin, cupping her cheeks, her gorgeous round breasts. Sliding my fingers over the hard nipples sticking out against the soft velvet.

“Are you hearing me, Gunnar? I need to meet with you both tomorrow, first thing. I’ll bring Mary Louise, and we’ll start…”

Sarah’s words become jumbled.

If I’m not hearing them, I know Blaire isn’t.

The guy in tweed approaches us and takes Blaire’s arm. “It’s time to go. You need your rest.”

“Who are you? Her father?” I blurt out without thinking.

He raises an eyebrow and glares at me. “Whatever designs you have on Blaire, you can forget them right now. She has an exciting career in opera ahead of her. She doesn’t need to share the stage with some wannabe rocker.”

“Wait just a minute,” I say. “You can’t talk to me like that. You can’t?—”

Sarah steps in front of me, holding out her hand. “I’m Sarah Leventhal, and I’m a talent agent. I’m not sure who you are, sir, but I think I can take both of these young vocalists to the top.”

“Blaire already told me about your idea,” the man says. “I’m afraid she isn’t interested.”

Sarah crosses her arms. “If it’s all the same, sir, I think that’s Blaire’s decision.”

Blaire’s lower lip trembles, and a need to protect her surges into me. Who the hell is this clown?

“Professor Morgan is thinking about what’s best for my career,” Blaire says.

“That’s right,” Professor Morgan—apparently—says. “Blaire is under contract with Opera Livingston. She starts their yearlong young artist program in two weeks.”

“We can’t plan and cut an album in two weeks,” I say.

“What if we can?” Sarah asks. “Are you in, Gunnar?”

Am I?

Can I spend two weeks with Blaire Cavileri without constantly swapping insults?

Yeah, I can do it. Especially if I get to kiss her again.

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