Page 16 of Heart of the Sun

I pushed that thought aside, clearing my throat and thanking Leon.

“One other thing,” Leon said, and the way he paused made me tense. He looked like he was about to deliver bad news. “I’d like you to lip-synch.”

Confusion made me gape. “Lip-synch? Lip-synch…what?”

“Your show.”

“My show?” I let out a small laugh that died a quick death when Leon stared at me with zero amusement in his expression.

He raised his hand. “I knew you wouldn’t love the idea but hear me out. The dance sequences are extremely vigorous. You’re a new performer, especially in venues like the ones where we’ve booked your shows.There’s a lot of money riding on you, Emily. Millions of dollars. People have made investments in your image, and we cannot afford your vocals not to be everything the audience expects and more. It’s too risky.”

“Isn’t it a risk that I’ll be mocked?” I asked. “That my talent will be questioned?”

“You’re not lip-synching someone else’s vocals, babe. You’re lip-synching your own. Lots of big names do it. It’s practically expected in this day and age. And the professionals get it. Very few can focus on doing ten things at once, and why should you? You’re called an entertainer for a reason.”

Ithought I was called a singer.

Leon went on. “We’ve weighed the risks and benefits and determined this is the best way to go. A flop now would be career suicide. This is a business, babe. Business can make the dream feel less shiny, but it’s also what keeps the dream alive. Do you understand?”

I nodded slowly. I understood, I did. And I was scared of risking it all too. Leon Lee was one of the very best in the business. His client list—and their net worth—spoke of a man who knew exactly what he was doing and guided his clients to success. Was I going to be the fool who disregarded what he thought was best for my career? Wouldn’t I be stupid not to take Leon’s advice to heart?

Yes. Yes, I would.

So why did it feel like my heart was shrinking in my chest? Yes, it was because the idea of lip-synching made me feel like a total sellout. But also… I’d chosen this career so that I could sing all the time.Thatwas my dream. My passion. And I was having a hard time squaring how living my dream also meant…losing it.

chapterten

Tuck

The getup Emily was currently shimmying in across the makeshift stage was little more than a tasseled, rhinestone-studded bikini. The thigh-high boots added a bit more coverage and yet somehow made the outfit that much more risqué.

Risqué? You sound like a crotchety old man. Just enjoy it.

The problem? Iwasenjoying it. A little too much. I pushed my sunglasses up my nose, angling my head so it appeared I was looking off to the side when I was really staring at her. She did have an amazing body. Toned yet rounded in all the right places. Long, shapely legs. And though I couldn’t see them now, I knew even her ankles were pretty. And the way she moved. Graceful. Effortless. Sexy as hell. God, the way she’d feel underneath—

“Are you all right, man?”

I turned at the sound of the man’s voice next to me. The tall, blond guy was looking at me with concern. He waved his hand in front of his face.“You look like you’re in pain. Too much to drink last night?” He grinned, nodding to my sunglasses.

I pushed the shades up, so they rested on top of my head, squinting as a spotlight from the stage glanced off something shiny and hit me in the eye. “No, it’s just unusually…bright in here.”

He laughed. “You get used to it.” He held out his hand. “I’m Charlie, Emily’s boyfriend. You must be her new bodyguard.”

Ah, the boyfriend.I gripped his hand. The guy looked familiar, but I couldn’t say why. When I glanced over his shoulder, a very large man with a buzz cut and wearing all black stood with his hands clasped casually in front of him, but obviously watchful. Charlie’s security? He must be someone famous in the music industry too. My eyes returned to him. “Tuck Mattice. Nice to meet you.”

“Welcome to her team. It’s great to have you here. Your presence will really give her peace of mind. And me too. Especially on this tour. You never know what to expect from fans. Most of them are a hundred percent nice and genuine. But there’s always that fringe, you know?”

I’d take his word for it. To my mind, anyone who followedanyonearound town, much less around the country, was less than stable. Then again, my own judgment had been questionable—to say the least—for much of my life, so I’d work to tone down my assumptions when it came to Emily’sfans.

Also, I didn’t want to undermine Emily’s talent. She was a beautiful singer. Her voice had moved me when I was nothing more than a kid. I remembered standing off to the side while she’d sung for our families. I’d always separated myself from the others when she performed, because I’d wanted to direct all my focus on her and her alone. It’d felt like witnessing a small miracle. She was a star now, or so I’d been told, but God, I’d been starstruck by her back then. Totally and completely.

Currently though? The number she was gyrating to was overly fast,the recording making her voice sound strange and electronic, doing nothing to highlight her natural velvety soulfulness. A particularly high note made me cringe as Emily danced across the stage, ending in a dramatic pose. A smattering of applause from the small crowd went up and I let out a sigh.

Emily unclipped the microphone she’d been practicing with and then stepped off the stage, a bounce in her step as she walked toward us. She was breathless and glistening with sweat, and I had the sudden flashback of Emily running toward me during a game of tag, as we wove and ducked through the orange groves. Only this time, she was a woman and her…tassels were bouncing. I felt my blood notch up a few degrees at the sight of all that flushed, glowing skin. I looked away as she arrived where we stood, seeing her go up on her tiptoes and kiss Charlie on the lips from my peripheral vision.

“I see you took some liberties with the uniform,” Emily said.

I looked back at her, one perfectly drawn eyebrow arched as her gaze moved down my body over the medium gray cotton T-shirt and dark gray jeans, down to my black boots. “Yeah, about that,” I said. “I just couldn’t find exactly what Destanie described. I hope this will work.”

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