Dr. Gregory had also sent a message.
Toven,
I know we’re meeting Monday morning, but I had to show you the change in the mice injected with VP5. In the video, the mice on the left are the control mice, and the VP5 mice are on the right. Don’t blink when you click play.
Will update you on the other proteins on Monday.
Abigail
I clicked the file to download the video. The clip was short, and she was right, had I blinked I would’ve missed it. The mice who’d been injected with the vampiral protein streaked across their cages, back and forth. The speed of the mice was incredible. I watched the video half a dozen times. Finally, a protein with a definitive result. The possibilities were numerous with this particular finding, though it still wasn’t the answer I needed.
I spent the next couple of hours poring over reports from various managers within my corporation. Then unable to resist, I clicked on the shortcuts Celesta had placed on my desktop leading to my various social media accounts. As my gaze dropped to the number of followers, I blinked in astonishment. There was no way this many people followed me. I clicked the new video linked to my Facebook page. It was the song the new group wanted to meet with me about tonight. Then I watched the clip Celesta had edited of me playing the song Rage Rush wanted to record. She’d done a remarkable job with the recording and the editing, especially considering those skills weren’t part of the job description she was hired for. My eyes fell to the ridiculously large number beneath the video.
What did it mean?
I’d have to remember to ask Celesta. Meanwhile, I scrolled through the list of comments beneath the video. People raved about the song, wanted to know where they could hear more from me and wondered why they’d never heard of me before. The affirmation that my music still meant something to the world made my heart sing and my fingers itch to play.
Without conscious thought, I found myself in the music room. I flipped on the recorder and grabbed the notepad I dropped in here yesterday with the symphony I’d been composing while Celesta slept. I settled in my sanctuary and lost myself to the music.
I played through it several times—changing things here and there, noting the adjustments on the notepad. By the time I was satisfied, my fingers were throbbing, yet I still played. Quiet feet padded into the room. My eyes opened and lifted toward the source of my inspiration moving through the open space. My fingers stilled on the keys.
“I didn’t mean to interrupt but thought you might be hungry or thirsty. You skipped lunch.”
She held out a bottle of blood for me and set a plate with a sandwich on it down on the piano bench. Opening the bottle, I took a long drink and was instantly revitalized. I hadn’t realized how thirsty I was.
“Thanks. I forgot about lunch. Sorry.”
She waved off my apology. “It’s no problem. When I finally got my lazy self out of bed, I showered and did some work on my laptop in my room. Then I fixed myself some lunch and started a new book—Parallel by Elizabeth O’roark on my kindle. It’s so good. I kind of got lost in the story. When I peeked in at you, you were so focused I didn’t want to bother you.”
While she talked, I devoured the sandwich and finished the blood. My fingers no longer throbbed, and my vision had sharpened.
“So, what were you playing?” Her chin tipped down shyly. She understood how personal my music was to me.
“The song I was composing while you were sleeping yesterday morning. I didn’t get around to playing it for you yet.”
“Can I hear it now?” Eagerness made her eyes shine brightly.
“I think that’s only fair since you inspired it. You might want to have a seat. It’s a rather long piece.”
I got up from the bench and grabbed one of the chairs to bring over for her. I’d rather have her on the bench with me, but I didn’t want my ability to move to be hindered. The composition required all of the keys.
Once she was situated, I sat at the piano but didn’t immediately begin to play. Nerves made my fingers tremble. I hadn’t been nervous in front of an audience of thousands, yet this audience of one had my heart pounding. “I don’t have all the bugs worked out of it yet . . .” I stammered.
She laid a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “I’m sure it’s perfect.”
My fingers traveled the keys, extracting the single best piece of music I’d ever written. And she was right, it was perfect because it was her.
As the final notes faded into silence, I finally opened my eyes and looked at her. A huge smile lit her face while tears filled her eyes.
“Wow,” she whispered and swallowed hard. “That was . . .. I don’t think I know the right word to say what that was.”
“You,” I replied.
Confusion filled her features. “What?”
I spun on the bench, bumping her knees with mine. “I said you. Because the song is you. It’s everything I see when I look at you, everything I feel when I’m with you.”
Understanding replaced confusion, and she leaned forward enough to rest her fingers on my cheek. I may have still been under the influence of the music, but in her expression, I imagined her feeling the same things I did. Closing the distance between us, I married my lips to hers and reiterated everything the notes had expressed and more.
When I finally put space between us, her eyes still said the same things they said before passion shuttered them. My fingertips traced her lips of their own accord.
“It’s too bad we have to get going,” I said with regret.
“Oh yeah? And why is that?” she asked playfully.
“Because right now I want to show you another way I make music.” I leaned forward and dragged the tip of my nose from her jaw up to her ear. “When you moan in pleasure, it’s like a song rushing through my blood. I think it may be my favorite sound ever.”
A shiver traveled down her body as she tilted her head to grant me better access. My tongue traced her pulse point, then I pressed a hard, sucking kiss there. Her blood raced warmly beneath the surface of her skin. I could discern the rhythm of her pulse with my tongue. The old Toven would’ve bitten her then. But while I desperately wanted to drink from her, I resisted the urge. And it wasn’t even that hard. I lifted my head and planted a kiss on her nose. “But we’ve got to get going soon. Go get ready before I decide to cancel our plans and stay home making music.”
Her face looked torn. I stood, pulling her to her feet. With a gentle tug, I set her in motion toward the door. “We’ll leave in thirty minutes.”
The time limit sent her scurrying. I walked over to the video recorder and stopped the current recording. Removing the memory card, I went down the hall to my office and started to upload the files from it so they could be backed up. I hadn’t watched the last several sessions. While hours of raw footage downloaded, I went to my room to get ready. Remembering Jacque’s advice from before, I dressed down even more this time, in jeans and a soft pullover shirt.
At the end of her allotted thirty minutes, Celesta found me in the office finishing the backup of the videos. Today’s recording played through the speakers. Satisfied that the files were intact on the backup hard drive, I pressed stop.
Celesta stepped up behind me and peered at the screen. “We need to upload a new clip to your Facebook page. Do you want to use some of what you played today?”
“I’ll have to think about that and let you know. I have quite a few recordings we can go through.” Minimizing the playback window, I showed her the thumbnail files of the clips I’d just uploaded. One thumbnail showed her prominently displayed on top of my piano. I got hard just thinking about it.
Leaning forward, she pointed to that thumbnail image and said, “Is that,” she paused and swallowed hard before continuing. “me the other night when you played me . . . I m-mean played for me?”
“Yes. You want to watch it with me?” I asked, looking in her eyes.
She chewed on her bottom lip nervously but nodded. Heat flooded my body
.
Holy hell. “Later,” I responded in a voice so gravelly I didn’t even recognize it as my own.
“OK. Later,” she whispered, then turned on her heel and marched to the doorway. “Let’s go then, so we can hurry up and get to later.”
Damn, I loved how she thought.
As I followed her down the hall, I took in her attire. She wore wedged shoes and ripped jeans. The rips were strategically placed to drive me nuts. Her lilac-colored shirt was a flowing V-shape that left her midriff bare. I wasn’t sure how I’d wait for later.
“Joe’s going to drive us tonight,” I announced my sudden decision. Later might not have to wait until we were home to get started.
“OK,” she replied.
My fingers quickly dashed out a message to Joe for him to pull the car around soon. Thank goodness I hadn’t sent him off on other errands today.
Celesta grabbed her jacket from where she’d draped it over the banister, and I hurried to help her put it on. As the soft leather settled on her shoulders, the front door opened, and Joe stepped in.
He did a double-take when he looked at me. He bit his lip, suppressing a grin. Arching my brow at him, I silently asked, What?
And he just shook his head. All he said was, “Car’s ready,” before he walked out the door.
“What’s up with Joe?” Celesta asked.
“I think he wants to laugh over seeing me in jeans and a T-shirt,” I answered with a scowl.
She turned around and grabbed a handful of my shirt and pulled me to her. “I think you look hot in jeans and a T-shirt.” Then she pressed her lips to mine for the hottest but briefest kiss known to man. Turning, she sauntered to the open door and made her way to the car.
I told Joe our itinerary, then climbed in back with Celesta. As Joe drove us to B.I.T.-10, my fingers traced the rip in the knee of Celesta’s jeans. I longed to explore the tears higher up, but I knew if I did that, later would become now.
Our quick stop to pick up Celesta’s clothes for next week turned into a lengthy ordeal as Jacque and Circe fussed over my casual appearance. Had I known that dressing down would make them ooh and aah while touching me, I’d have worn my normal suit. Then Jacque had to go over Celesta’s wardrobe for the movie premiere. I tuned them out.
Finally, we were on our way. Celesta and Lucy sat across from me. During the drive, I watched the two of them interact. I hadn’t met Lucy the night of the gala or even noticed her. My focus that night had been a tad narrow. It hadn’t really widened since then, but I could appreciate Lucy’s liveliness and exuberance. She didn’t strike me as the type to take life or herself too seriously, and part of me envied her carefree attitude. It had been so long since I’d been free of care that I couldn’t recall what it even felt like. Observing the pair of them giggle and gush over whatever girlie stuff they whispered about made my heart light. I think they forgot I could hear them, at least Lucy seemed to.
“Oh my God, Celesta. He is to die for. I can’t believe I said that about a vamp. But you know what I mean . . .. Wow,” Lucy whispered.
Celesta looked up at me sheepishly and whispered back, “I know exactly what you mean.” Apparently, she hadn’t forgotten about my hearing abilities.
With a slight roll of my wrist, I motioned for her to continue talking about me as if I couldn’t hear. She smirked at me with a mischievous look in her eyes.
“He’s so much more than I ever imagined,” Celesta continued quietly.
“He’s like a wet dream. I bet he’s really skilled, huh?” Lucy asked as she tilted her head against Celesta’s.
Celesta’s gaze darted to mine for a millisecond, then she leaned toward Lucy, allowing her hair to fall forward like a curtain. I leaned forward slightly, anxious to hear what she’d say.
She turned her mouth to Lucy’s ear and said, “He’s . . .” Her heart rate increased, and her blood rushed through her veins, sounding like an ocean in my ears. She dropped her voice even lower as she continued, “He’s everything. When he holds me, it’s like birds singing under the most vibrant rainbow. And he’s so talented. I could listen to him play music forever. And oh my God, kissing him is like I always imagined when I watched romance movies. It’s Johnny and Baby at the last dance of the summer. It’s Jack and Rose on the bow of the Titanic, sailing across the ocean. No, it’s Jack and Rose fogging up the windows in the backseat of that old car in the ship’s cargo hold. It’s Rhett and Scarlet, when he tells her she needs kissing often. It’s Lady and the Tramp sharing spaghetti. It’s Allie and Noah when they finally reconnect after life tore them apart. I could go on and on. Kissing him is like taking all those epic movie kisses and combining them into one amazing kiss. And then the next time his lips touch mine, it’s ten times more incredible than the one before. It’s the stuff songs are written about.”
I didn’t recognize all the movie references, but I made a mental note to watch each of them with her. My heart stuttered and swelled to hear her speak about our kisses that way. I knew she enjoyed them and reacted every time I touched her. But hearing her say it provided affirmation of my own fledgling feelings and what I hoped she felt. I forced myself back to their hushed conversation.
“. . . loved those movies. It sounds so romantic. It’s like a real-life Pretty Woman. I bet he’s dynamite in bed. Vamps are so much more skilled than humans. They’ve had time to perfect the art of giving pleasure,” Lucy gushed.
Celesta’s face flushed scarlet. “We shouldn’t talk about that. Remember, he can hear us,” she hissed.
Aghast, Lucy glanced up at me. I quirked a brow at her and tried to tone down the smug expression on my face.
“Sorry,” Lucy whispered.
I wasn’t sure if she was apologizing to me or to Celesta. Thankfully, she was saved from further embarrassment by our arrival at Club Night.
When Celesta finally met my gaze, I winked at her. She was so adorable when she was flustered.
Holding out my hand, I helped both girls from the car. Celesta linked her fingers with mine while Lucy stepped to her other side.
“Thanks for letting me come with you guys tonight,” Lucy directed at me. “I’ve been wanting to check this place out for a while now. But the line was always so long whenever I tried to get in.”
“I’m glad you were able to come tonight. I don’t want Celesta to be bored while I have to deal with business. It’ll be nice for her to have a friend to hang out with.” We moved toward the door where an orderly line started.
“Speaking of your meeting, I forgot to ask who you were meeting with tonight,” Celesta said, looking up at me.
Frowning, I thought back through my messages. “Umm . . . I think tonight is Chrome Symphony.”
The rest of what I was going to say was lost in the shriek coming from Lucy. I quirked a brow at Celesta. She was trying to stifle the urge to laugh at her friend, and only her trembling shoulders gave her away.
Thankfully, Lucy clamped a hand over her mouth, smothering the noise.
“I take it you’re a fan,” I teased.
“O-M-G, yes,” she said behind her hand.
“Think you can handle meeting them?” I asked.
She nodded her head vigorously.
I laughed. “Well, come on. Let’s get inside. They should be here any minute now.” I tugged Celesta forward.
As the bouncer opened the door to let us in, a thumping beat greeted us. Words flowed into my ears—vaguely familiar words from decades past. Sundays used to be the club’s slowest nights until I’d instituted 80s and 90s night. Business had picked up some in response.
We went upstairs to wait in the VIP area for the guys to arrive. The girls leaned against the railing and watched the DJ below. I settled in a seat with a view of Celesta’s back. It was enticing to watch her sway and bob to the music. As I was hypnotized by her, a commotion arose behind me. Turning, I found four guys moving toward me.
“You must be Toven,” the tall one with the lip ring and black hair said.
>
“Yes, I am. And you guys must be Chrome Symphony.”
With a chuckle, the leader of the group shook my hand. “I’m Derek. That’s Mack and Lark and Tim.” As each guy’s name was spoken, he shook my hand.
“Let me introduce you to my girlfriend and her friend,” I said once round one of the introductions was over.
“Celesta, baby, you want to meet the guys?” I called to her.
She turned, and my world brightened. I hadn’t even realized it was darker without her gaze or her smile. When she stepped to my side, I drew her into me and pressed a grateful kiss to the top of her head. Then I introduced her and Lucy to each of the band members.
“Since the lower level isn’t too busy, why don’t we move this meeting down there, that way the girls can dance while we talk?” I suggested.
“Sounds good to us, man,” Lark said.
We moved to a table off to the side, while Celesta and Lucy meandered over to the area in front of the DJ. The band and I discussed business for a few minutes, but it didn’t take long for us to all realize we were a good fit.
“So, 80s and 90s hip-hop is the scene here on Sunday nights?” Mack asked, bobbing his head and finger-drumming the table in time with the beat.
“Until nine. Then it becomes karaoke night,” I told them with a laugh.
“Nice. Maybe we could sing some karaoke,” Derek said.
“That would be epic,” Mack chimed in.
I hated karaoke, but if my new musical partners wanted to sing cheesy karaoke songs in my club, then who was I to stop them?
Once our meeting was officially over, I ordered a round of drinks to celebrate. Celesta turned around, and I motioned her over.
“Are we celebrating?” she asked.
“Yep. Chrome Symphony wants to record the song in the second video you posted.”
“And more,” Derek chimed in.
We toasted our new business relationship.
“You want to come practice your dance moves with me,” Celesta whispered in my ear.
Absolutely. I grinned at her. Turning to the guys, I said, “You guys cool to hang out longer or do you need to jet?”
Blood Song: Refrain (Blood Song Series Book 2) Page 12