Catch Me When I Fall

by Jackson, A. L.

  Repulsed.

  Disgusted.

  I was a bastard. I knew it. But there wasn’t a goddamn thing I could do about that now.

  Like they say, it was time to face the music.

  Refusing to back down, I kept my attention pinned on her, watching the way her face twisted and contorted and pulled through a thousand different emotions.

  Shock.

  Hatred.

  Attraction, every bit as strong as it had been last night.

  Only growing when I took another step farther into the room.

  No one said anything.

  I wondered if they could feel it, too.

  I reached up and adjusted the tie cinched too tight around my neck.

  Finally, Richard Ramsey cleared his throat and approached me, appreciation and hidden understanding in his eye. “Royce Reilly, in the flesh. It’s good to finally meet you face-to-face.”

  He offered his hand, and I shook it, words rough when they scraped up my throat. “Glad to be here. Thank you for meeting with me on such short notice.”

  Only, he’d been well aware that I was coming. He’d jumped at the idea when I’d suggested it, though I’d prefaced it like a requirement. A little gift to let him off the hook. To take the pressure off his shoulders.

  Thing was, I got his frustration. It was plenty warranted, and the care he had for his band was clear.

  He was a cool guy. A good guy. On top of that? He was fucking off-the-charts talented. And it was my job to sort the talent from the hacks. The exceptional from the expected.

  The only thing you could expect from him was greatness.

  No mediocre songs or riffs or lyrics or shows.

  “Hey man, not a problem at all. We had nothing going on this morning, and we don’t have to be on the road for a couple more hours.” Rich’s words rushed from him, the guy clearly anxious, not sure which way this meeting was going to go. Swiveling on his bare feet, he gestured for me to move deeper into his suite where the rest of Carolina George waited. “Come on in and have a seat.”

  I wondered if he’d be so earnest if he knew what the full extent of my intentions were.

  “Everyone . . . this is Royce Reilly, head of A & R at Mylton Records. I asked you all to come here because he wanted to meet with us this morning.”

  A ripple of raw energy blasted from the tight-knit group.

  Rhys and Leif, who were easy to recognize, shared a glance of speculation, unsure what to make of my appearance.

  Trying to deduce if I was a benefit or a threat.

  Let’s just say I didn’t exactly come across as a friendly guy.

  “Good morning,” I said curtly, moving deeper into the room, doing my best to ignore the way the air crackled the closer I got to Emily. My footsteps coming heavy, in sync with the breaths punching from my lungs.

  Fuck.

  This was going to be a problem.

  “Well, well, well . . . If it isn’t a new face from Mylton Records. Can’t say I’m surprised. Looks like they’re pulling out the big guns,” Rhys said with one of his signature grins, eyeing me with a gleam, clearly hoping I was coming with a more enticing offer than the one my stepfather had presented them with three months ago.

  No, more money wasn’t on the table today, even though they’d be worth every cent.

  Richard Ramsey wasn’t the only talented one.

  The entire room was loaded with it.

  Each member possessed their own unique style.

  Their own distinct sound.

  Contributed a piece that couldn’t be replaced.

  It made Carolina George a name that couldn’t be replicated.

  Which was why Daddy Dearest was salivating to get his grubby paws on them.

  Not a fucking chance was I going to let that happen.

  I returned a rigid smile to Rhys Manning. The guy played bass like he was roping a bull in a rodeo. Wild and reckless and so skilled you didn’t know what hit you. Country all the way to the dusty boots he wore on his feet and a face that made innocent girls lose their minds.

  I let my attention drift across the table to where Leif Godwin sat.

  He was precisely that.

  A god in his own right.

  Drummers tended to fade into the background. Secondary. Songwriting far from their repertoire.

  Not Leif.

  He was just as enigmatic and indispensable as the rest.

  And then there was Emily.

  Emily Ramsey.

  The girl was crucial.

  Essential.

  A necessity.

  She possessed what had to be the sultriest, sexiest voice on the planet.

  A face and a body to match, all wrapped up in a sweet southern shyness that made good men want to do wicked things.

  Thing was, wicked ones wanted to do worse.

  And every fucking component of this was riding on her.

  Then she had to go and shock me with the way she’d affected me, the first girl since her who made me feel like I couldn’t breathe.

  That should have been enough of a warning.

  This girl was the one who was the threat. The first with the power to cloud my judgement.

  I wouldn’t let it happen. Wasn’t going to mess this up any more than I already had.

  Touching her again wasn’t an option.

  Didn’t mean I wasn’t going to be fantasizing about it.

  “Let’s get started.” I kept my voice low and indifferent, like I hadn’t had her propped on a table last night. Like I couldn’t still taste her on my tongue or feel the scratch marks she’d left on my shoulders.

  She gasped out a small, shocked breath, clenching and unclenching her fists, chest jutting with pants where she stood trying to rein in the disbelief and disgust shimmering in her eyes.

  I deserved it all.

  The woman who’d opened the door all of a sudden rushed to catch up with me, like she’d, too, been locked in a trance and had just broken free. “Mr. Reilly. Welcome. I’m Melanie, assistant to the band. Please, have a seat. Can I get you a cup of coffee?” She cocked her pretty head, taking me in, something wry pulling into her expression. “Or maybe a whiskey or a scotch?”

  I got the feeling she was stamping me with the label of bad.

  Smart girl.

  “No, thank you, I’m fine.” I unbuttoned my suit jacket and slipped into the chair at the head of the table. Just to let them know where I stood.

  I let my attention bounce around all of them again. “I apologize for interrupting your busy schedule, but I was in Savannah on business, and I thought it would be a good idea to meet with you while I was here.”

  I’d left Sebastian Stone’s house a half an hour before. A legend who I’d idolized as a teenager before he’d become a friend.

  He’d warned me that this was messy.

  I’d told him I didn’t care.

  It was worth it.

  “Nah, no apologies, man,” Rhys said, rocking forward with an easy smile. “There are things we obviously need to talk about.”

  He glanced at Emily, gauging her reaction, like he was hoping she would take one look at me and jump on board.

  Highly unlikely.

  Not with the stupid fucking stunt I’d pulled last night. Knew I’d regret it. Didn’t know it so much until right then.

  “Yeah, no worries.” Leif waved a hand, watching me like he didn’t know whether he should trust me or not.

  “Thank you,” I told him. Honestly, it wasn’t either Rhys or Leif that I was concerned about.

  Richard followed me in, though he remained standing. He hung onto the back of a chair, letting his wary gaze jump around the members of his band. “So, guys . . . you all know we’re coming up on having to make a decision soon.”

  Every eye turned to Emily.

  Discomfort had her shifting on those toned, bare legs.

  What the fuck was she wearing, anyway? Flimsy material caressing her shoulders and those tits, shorts so short she looked lik
e she was ten feet tall, all legs and seduction. It was almost worse than the tease of that dress from last night.

  I cleared my throat, drawing the attention from her. Clearly, she didn’t want it.

  She probably wasn’t going to like what I was getting ready to say any more than having all eyes in the room on her, though.

  I went all business. “You have a contract you’re sitting on. I get it . . . it’s a big decision. You’re smart not to take it lightly.”

  “Our songs are being downloaded at warp speed, man. Not sure if there’s a whole lot more you can offer us,” Leif said, though I got the feeling he was just making room for the conversation. That he wanted one more person at Mylton Records to make him big promises. Assure him they were taking the right step.

  I eased back in the chair, crossing an ankle over my knee. I met his eye. “Yes, they are. We have the reports. Which is why we’re offering the amount that we are. You’ve amassed a huge, devoted following. It speaks volumes about your talent and drive. But I think everyone here is aware you’ve only touched the tip of the iceberg. There are millions of people who’ve never heard the name Carolina George. My job is to change that.”

  It wasn’t a lie.

  Leif nodded. “And you think that you can?”

  “I know that I can.”

  My attention moved on from him, hitting Rhys then Richard, before dragging all the way up the lush lines of Emily’s body to meet the turmoil in her eyes, her lips moving in silent disbelief.

  My chest tightened like a fist.

  I was pretty sure she wanted to call me out.

  Shout that I was a fraud.

  “I realize you’re not ready,” I said, voice raw as I stared directly at her. “That you may not trust what we are offering. So, I’ve decided to hit the next couple tour stops with you so you can get to know me.”

  Those green eyes flared with another bout of shock. A rustle of movement filtered through the bodies around me.

  Unorthodox.

  Yeah.

  But this was worth it.

  Rhys smacked his hand on the table like it was settled. “Sounds like a damn good plan to me. We need to get this thing settled.”

  “It’s reasonable,” Leif agreed.

  Cool.

  I was glad they were on board.

  But it was the storm of energy pounding me that I was really interested in.

  Wave after wave. Surge after surge.

  I stood in the middle of it, pinning her with my stare, wishing I could erase the doubt I could see spinning through her mind. Thing was, I wasn’t sure her reaction would be any different if last night hadn’t happened.

  She probably would have been looking at me with the same distrust. With the same fear in her eyes. I wasn’t the one who’d put it there in the first place.

  Emily gave a fierce shake of her head and hugged herself over her middle. “No.”

  More rustling. This time disgruntled.

  “Emily . . . come on, baby girl. This is super cool. I mean, what can it hurt?” Rhys was sending her one of his smiles that had clearly won him his way on more than one occasion.

  All the guys in this band possessed that power.

  You couldn’t only play.

  Charisma was a key factor of success in this business.

  It wasn’t just music.

  It was entertainment.

  I knew that firsthand.

  Except the one he was trying to charm wasn’t buying it.

  She knew exactly how badly it could hurt.

  “I’m not comfortable with this,” she whispered, rubbing her hands up her arms, looking to her brother to back her up.

  Guilt tugged at my spirit.

  Fuck.

  I swallowed it down, remembered my purpose. “You won’t even know I’m around. Unless of course you want to ask me questions. That’s all I’m here for. To answer your questions and assure you I have this band’s best interest at heart.”

  Her brow twisted, like she couldn’t believe that I would sit there and spew this bullshit.

  I really couldn’t believe it, either.

  Richard huffed out a breath. “Emily . . . you have to give something. He’s here because of you.”

  Chewing at her lip, she stared at her brother, trying to keep it together as she rushed to whisper the words, “What he’s here for is to talk me into what I’ve already said I’m not ready for.”

  “I’m here to offer you that time,” I interjected, capturing that sage-gaze that was making me itch. Fingers twitchy and dick antsy.

  What the fuck was she doing to me?

  She scoffed out an enraged sound. It rang of discord and disbelief. “Is that what you’re here for?”

  “Yes.” It came out resolute.

  “Emily . . . please . . . just give him a chance. Give us a chance.” Her brother edged toward her, pleading, trying to get through to this girl who was so confused and uncertain and broken down that I was pretty sure all it was going to take was one more blow for her to crumble.

  My soul shook.

  Fuck.

  This was bad. Everything was getting distorted. Pen strokes breaching clear-cut lines. I had to keep it together.

  Her attention bounced around the room. “Is that what all of you want? For him to come along? Get into our business?”

  “It’s not a big deal, Em. He’s just doing his job,” Rhys said, lifting his hands out from where he held his coffee cup, looking at her like he couldn’t make sense of her.

  Not getting that there was something bad going on in that pretty head.

  So clear it was giving me a heartache.

  “Leif?” she asked, voice soft and unsure and pleading.

  In discomfort, Leif fiddled with the strings from a massive hole in the thigh of his jeans, glancing down before he looked back at her with a sigh. “I think we’ve got to give this thing a chance, Em. Know you’re dealing with something right now, but I don’t think we can just turn our backs on this opportunity, either. I’m sorry.”

  She looked at Mel, who shrugged her shoulders hopefully.

  Emily didn’t need to look at Richard to know what his vote would be. He’d already made that plenty clear.

  Warily, she gave a tight nod, giving in.

  Got the feeling that was what she always did. Looked out for everyone else rather than herself.

  “If it’s really what you want, then okay.”

  Richard blew out a relieved breath. “Thank you, Em. You’re not going to regret this. You’ll see.” He looked around at the band. “Bus leaves at 11. Get your shit together. We have to be in Birmingham tonight.”

  “You made the right decision.” I issued it to all of them, though I was directly speaking to Emily.

  Wishing there was a way to convince her she could trust me. Knowing she shouldn’t.

  “Thanks for doing this,” Rhys said, clapping me on the shoulder as we stood.

  “I fight for the things that are important.”

  Emily sucked in a haggard breath. That overwhelming connection I’d felt to her last night was a throb in the air, though it was mangled and meshed with hostility and doubt.

  Leif lifted his chin to me. “See you on the bus.”

  The guy strutted out behind Rhys, two of them followed by Melanie who was barking a bunch of orders. She only glanced back once as I headed out behind them, eyes narrowing for a flash like she was issuing her own warning, before she let the door close behind her.

  No doubt, she was a force to be reckoned with.

  I glanced at Richard.

  He barely nodded.

  Knowing.

  Grateful.

  I just prayed this bullshit wasn’t going to backfire on us all.

  Opening the door before I said anything more, I strode out to head for my room. I froze when I felt the presence come over me from behind, potent and raw and sweet.

  It was a dangerous, dangerous combination.

  “I can’t believe you.”
Her voice shook like a crumble of stones, and I slowly turned around.

  My chest clutched, the sight of her a constant kick to the gut.

  I shouldn’t be attracted to her.

  It shouldn’t be possible.

  Couldn’t be.

  But my heart fucking pounded a wayward, mindless beat.

  “I’m just doing my job, Ms. Ramsey.”

  “Is that so?”

  I took a single step her direction, cocking my head and lowering my voice. “I told you that you would regret meeting me last night.”

  Her lips trembled. “You’re right. I do. But I didn’t have all the information then, did I?”

  It was straight accusation.

  Drawn, I edged forward, one step and then another. Tension ricocheted, alive in the narrow hall.

  Those eyes widened in surprise.

  Seemed it was impossible to stay away from her.

  Nervous, she fumbled, backing into the wall, pants jetting from her throat.

  My gaze swept across her gorgeous face, getting distracted by those full lips covered in more of that cherry gloss I had the sudden, overwhelming urge to lick off, our noses so close they almost touched. “Don’t pin this on me, Precious.”

  She stared up at me, and I worried it just might be hope that shone in her eyes. “Tell me one thing . . . when you came up to me last night, did you know who I was?”

  Lips pursing in a thin line, my head angled back, eyes narrowed, tongue held.

  A silent confession.

  She didn’t need to know there was no chance I couldn’t have stood up for her.

  A roll of low, horrified laughter ripped up her throat, and she slowly shook her head. “Wow. I guess I really was an easy target, wasn’t I? Is that what you wanted? To sleep with me to form some kind of connection? Make me think I knew you a little better? Get me right where you wanted me so you could manipulate me into doing what I don’t want to do?”

  “Last night was a mistake. But this isn’t. I’m here because I’m going to sign your band.”

  An incredulous sound left her. “Maybe I won’t sign.”

  “And maybe you can be replaced.”

  She blanched, hurt streaking across her face like she’d been punched, anger riding in right after.

  That’s exactly what I needed.

  Her passion.

  Her ferocity.

  For this girl to stand up and fight for her band.