Page 148 of Unspoken Words
“It was.” I laughed a little. Except, I wasn’t entirely sure the idea of a pre-concert sex-session was the cause of my body’s reaction.
Something didn’t feel right.
But it would have to wait.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Connor
My dressing room was unusuallyquiet considering the hustle and bustle behind the door: sound techs, lighting techs, engineers, and performers, a swirling storm of organised chaos preparing for the show.
Jackson opened the door, stuck his head into the room, and announced, “Five minutes” before closing it again.
I plucked the E string on my guitar and turned the tuning peg, followed by the A, D, and G strings, and so on.
“I think she’s tuned,” Ellie said, stepping up beside me, her soft hands settling on my shoulders, her fingers massaging deep.
If it weren’t for the fact I was about to perform for over ten thousand people for the first time, I’ve absolutely no doubt she could’ve lulled me to sleep with her calm and soothing nature.
“Come here.” I propped my guitar against the sofa I was sitting on and reached for her hand, directing her to my front and guiding her to straddle my lap.
She eased down and placed her hands on either side of my face, her emerald eyes glassy, her skin pale. “You’ve got this. You’re gonna be amazing. Youareamazing.”
I scoffed. “Am I?”
“Yes. I’ll be right beside you, just off stage, every step of the way.”
My throat thickened, and I struggled to swallow. “But what if the words don’t come out?”
“They will.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I do.” She leaned forward and pressed the sweetest kiss to my lips.
I closed my eyes and breathed her in. She was the scent of a flowerbed in spring and vanilla cake on a winter’s day. Warm and fresh. Delicious.
“Connor, your songs have always been your words when you could and couldn’t say them. That’s not going to change now.”
Fuck, I loved this woman more than I could ever express. No words, whether I sang them or not, could completely convey what my heart felt for her. And, because of that, I feared she would never truly know.
Kissing her back, I gave her a wink for peace of mind even though I didn’t agree with what she’d said. Expressing one’s emotions in front of complete strangers was easier said than done. Stage fright was fucking real. Freezing like a deer in headlights was fucking real.
She tapped my nose with her fingertip. “You can’t hide the untruth within your bones, Connor Bourke, for you are glass and I can see right through you.”
I smiled at her cute audacity. “Is that right?”
“Yes.” Ellie’s eyes chased her finger as it drew patterns over my forehead and temples. “If you must, and I don’t think you will, just close your eyes and block everyone out. Picture us by the river, just you and me … and Trevor.” She waggled her eyebrows, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Just you, me, and Trevor, ay?”
“Yep. Go back to where it all began and you’ll be fine.”
The door swung open again, and we both startled at Jackson’s intrusion.
“Time to go.”
Sucking in a deep breath, I gave Ellie’s arse a playful smack. “We’ll resume this position later.”
