Forbidden Ballad - Rock My World

by Reese Summers

  “Want to get something to eat?” I ask Amber as I take a long sip of water.

  “Oh, I told my boyfriend to come meet me, but you’re welcome to come too.”

  Ugg. The last thing I felt like doing was being a third wheel to a couple.

  I plaster a big smile on my face. “No, that’s okay. You guys have fun!”

  I sling my purse across my chest and head out into the bright daylight. I wander through the city, watching the different people pass by. I wonder if Willow and Walker are working together this very second, and I bite my lip so hard that I taste blood.

  I see a deli ahead, and decide to stop in and get a sandwich. The deli is busy and cramped inside; something I take as a good sign. I decide to get my sandwich to go, and just as I’m walking back out of the deli, I see Leo Nash crossing the street towards me.

  “Crap,” I mutter, looking down and veering down the street. Leo wasn’t looking at me, and I really doubt he would remember me after just meeting me last night, but still I did not want to strike up a conversation with him. He had been a complete prick last night, and I was a little embarrassed by my own bitchy behavior. This crap with Walker was turning me into someone I didn’t like.

  As Leo came closer, I suddenly felt his eyes on me. It was hard to explain, but it was like my entire body caught fire, and I was suddenly overheated.

  “Carly?”

  I was too stunned that he actually knew my name, and I made the mistake of looking up at him. So much for hurrying away and pretending that I didn’t see him.

  Looking at Leo took my breath away. Maybe it was something about the bright New York sun, or the way that Leo had pushed his dark glasses off his eyes, but I felt like I was seeing him for the first time.

  He was nearly a foot taller than me, and his dark brown hair was disheveled in just the right way. At first glance his eyes were green, but then as I stared foolishly into them, I noticed they were most unusual. They were almost just as blue as they were green.

  Aquamarine.

  His lips were large and lush as if they ached to be kissed.

  He was so handsome it hurt.

  I realize that I am still staring at him and I’ve yet to answer him.

  “Umm. Yeah, hi.”

  Oh, genius.

  He falls in step with me, and slips his shades back over his eyes.

  “Look, I am really sorry about yesterday. I don’t know why I was acting like a jerk. I may have been listening in to your conversation.”

  I look over at him, and he has the decency to look embarrassed. At least I think he does, because it’s hard to tell with his sunglasses.

  “Well, thanks. I was pretty bitchy myself.”

  He lets out a snort.

  “What?” I demand.

  “Nothing. I appreciate you acknowledging that.”

  I want to snap at him, but I don’t. He seems different today.

  “So where are you headed?” he asks, running his hand through his hair. I follow his hand back down to his side, and take in his torn jeans and black shirt. I think he’s one of those people who look effortlessly cool no matter what he’s wearing. I still feel out of place in my new clothes, and today is no different. I’m dressed in a long black maxi skirt, with a fitted white shirt. I can feel Leo’s eyes rove over my body.

  I like that Leo is checking me out.

  “I’m rehearsing the music for the tour.”

  “Oh, right! How’s it going?”

  “Really well actually. To be honest, rock music isn’t my thing, but I really like the band’s stuff.”

  “I’ll take that as a compliment. I’m glad it’s going well.”

  He looks at me sideways, as if he wants to say more.

  “What?”

  “Nothing. It’s really none of my business.”

  I sigh. “Go on.”

  “It’s just that, I know who you are. I heard you left a headlining tour. Why would you give that all up to come sing backup for a rock group? It doesn’t make sense.”

  There’s something about Leo that I can’t describe, something that makes me want to confess everything from the past two weeks, but I snap my mouth shut just before I begin spilling my secrets.

  I shrug, trying to play it cool.

  “Circumstances change.”

  Leo stops in the middle of the busy sidewalk and looks at me.

  “People don’t just walk away from that. What happened that made you leave Nashville?”

  Now he was getting way too close for comfort.

  “It’s none of your business,” I snap and walk away.

  He hurries to catch up with me. “I know, I know, it’s not. I’m just trying to figure you out.”

  “There’s nothing to figure out. I’m starting over.”

  “But why is Willow Green taking your spot?”

  I stop on the sidewalk, and all I can feel is the pounding of my heart and the clamminess of my hands.

  This is how it’s been lately every time I think of Willow Green. I can barely breathe, and my breath starts coming in shallow pants.

  Leo notices instantly that I’m not okay.

  “Hey, hey,” he says quietly, taking my hand. “It’s alright. You don’t have to talk about it. I shouldn’t have pushed.”

  He starts pulling me down the sidewalk again so people don’t stare.

  “I can’t talk about it,” I whisper and he nods.

  We walk another minute or two in silence, and soon we’re on the block of the studio where I’ve been working on the music.

  “This is me,” I say, taking a deep breath. My body still hasn’t completely calmed down.

  “Alright. It was nice seeing you, Carly. I’ll see you tonight.”

  “Sure. You too.”

  Another brilliant response on my part.

  He starts to walk away.

  “Leo!” I call out before I think about what I’m doing.

  He turns back around.

  “Where are you going?”

  He gives me an absolute killer smile and I think my knees might give out.

  “Therapy.”

  He lifts up his glasses to wink at me, and then disappears into the sea of people.

  While it seems like nothing more than an innocent encounter, I have the strange premonition that my already-distorted life has just been completely turned upside down on its head.

  ~~~

  I find myself walking into rehearsal later, freshly dressed and showered and drinking a Red Bull to try to bump up my energy level. I have never had Red Bull before, but Quinn has assured me that it’s perfectly safe, and will give me the energy I need to make it through a long rehearsal after learning music all day.

  I’m no stranger to long days; I did them all the time in Nashville. But I always had Walker by my side, and everything seems more tiresome now that I’m alone. Will I always feel this way? The thought is depressing, and I mindlessly smooth my ponytail back as I think about the bleak outlook of my life.

  Of course, I know I’m ridiculous. Plenty of people would kill to be going on tour with a group like Cobalt, and I’m going to see dozens of amazing cities.

  Amazing cities that I could have seen with Walker by my side.

  Now I’ll be seeing them alone, and I know that they won’t look the same now that my rose-colored glasses have been removed.

  Pity party for one, please.

  Gosh, I’m getting on my own nerves! I need to snap out of this.

  As if by magnetic force, my eyes are drawn to the far right corner of the room, and there is Leo in conversation with the drummer, who happens to be gorgeous. But I think I remember Amber telling me that Jacie and Leo were related.

  Why did I care anyway?

  As if Leo has sensed my own presence, he turns around and our eyes lock.

  I’m not sure what it is about his eyes, but I’m turned to silly putty again, and I can’t pull away from his stare.

  Finally Jacie must say something to him, because Leo loo
ks back at her.

  I seriously need to get a grip.

  I put my bag down and try not to think about how handsome Leo looks, and how much I prefer him with his sunglasses off.

  We get started on the songs, and I feel so much better after having spent the day working on music. I’m still nowhere near ready, but I’m able to harmonize much better, and I’m finally familiar with all the music now.

  I find myself not thinking about Walker and Willow as much because I’m too busy staring at Leo which is incredibly easy when I’m singing back up to his music. I know that Leo has an awful reputation, but he seemed normal and down-to-earth today. He was kind and concerned. Maybe I misjudged him before. Or maybe New York is throwing off my Asshole Radar.

  “You’re doing great,” Amber says to me on our break.

  I can’t help but smile proudly. “Thanks!”

  She shakes her long black hair out and looks at me. “I don’t know, Carly Michaels, I think you were meant to be a rock goddess.”

  I laugh loudly and the sound surprises me. It’s a happy and carefree sound and I can’t remember when that happened last. It catches me completely off guard.

  “Umm, and Leo hasn’t taken his eyes off you all night,” she says with a disapproving tone.

  I give her an innocent look, but I can tell that Amber knows that I’ve noticed too.

  “Be careful,” she warns. “There’s a reason why we needed you to step in last minute.”

  With those words, she walks away and leaves me wondering what she means. I vaguely remember Jake saying that Leo was possibly involved with the singer I had replaced.

  I push all thoughts of Leo out of my mind for the remainder of the rehearsal, and soon we’re wrapping up. I sling my bag across my body and make my way towards the elevator. Déjà vu strikes me as Leo comes hurrying up and sticks his hand in the elevator just before the door closes.

  “Hey,” he says, getting in.

  “Hey.”

  We stand in silence as the elevator takes us down to the lower level. I chew my bottom lip and try not to focus on how I can see the thick muscles of Leo’s biceps under his shirt.

  The doors slide open and Leo lets me out first. I start walking towards the door when Leo calls out after me.

  “Want a drink?”

  I spin around to look at him. Is he serious? Leo Nash wants to get a drink with me?

  “Umm, I’m pretty tired, actually,” I admit. I’m not sure if going out for a drink with Leo is a good idea, even though my body is suddenly alert and tingling.

  “Sure, sure. I get it.”

  Except I want to be around Leo longer. After Leo left me today during my lunch break, I realized that I had felt so alive with him. I had never felt that way in Nashville, and never felt that way around Walker. Of course, I loved Walker more than I could express, and still loved him now even though I hated him. But something about being around Leo made my skin burn and my senses heightened.

  “I guess I could get a quick drink,” I confess.

  Leo’s face breaks into a sexy grin.

  “Great! This way.”

  He takes my elbow and gently leads me from the building and down the street. It’s like a surge of electricity when we touch and I see Leo startle for a second, too. Could he possibly have felt it as well?

  I realize that we’re heading for a building and not a bar or restaurant.

  I stop in my tracks. “Where are we going?” My voice sounds a little too hard.

  “I didn’t want to go somewhere public, it’s hard for me. I live here, so I thought we could just grab a drink at my place.”

  “You want me to go to your apartment?” I ask stupidly.

  Leo smiles. “Well, I don’t bite. I promise you’ll be perfectly safe,” he purrs. I can’t help but get a shiver from the slightly dangerous tone of his voice.

  “Just one drink,” I say firmly, still unsure if this is a good idea.

  I follow Leo inside, and we’re whisked upstairs to one of the penthouses, of course. Being a world famous rock star certainly has its perks.

  The doors of the elevator open directly into the penthouse, and at first all I see are crisp white lines and twinkling city lights. Once I adjust to the luxury of Leo’s home, I notice that he has amazing views of downtown Manhattan. From what I can see of the open floor plan, everything is done in whites and gray shades, and I instantly start to relax.

  “Have a seat,” Leo says motioning me towards a plush white couch in the living room. I sit down and watch as Leo walks over to a bar at the adjacent wall.

  “I’ve got everything. What would you like?”

  “A glass of wine if you have it. “

  “White or red?”

  “White, please.”

  He opens a small door on the lower part of the bar, and I see it’s a stocked wine fridge. He pulls out a bottle of Pinot Grigio and pours two glasses. He hands me a glass and sits next to me.

  “Your place is amazing.”

  “Thanks. I worked hard for this.”

  “I’m sure you did. Your parents must be proud.”

  Leo nearly chokes on his wine. His eyes are hard and he gives me a sad, bitter smile. “You would think.”

  “Your parents aren’t proud of you?” I can’t help but ask. Leo Nash was one of the biggest music stars and had obviously done extremely well for himself.

  “I didn’t follow our family career path,” he says bitterly.

  I don’t want to press him further because I can see he doesn’t want to talk about it.

  “Well, they’re crazy,” I say softly.

  He takes a sip of wine and turns towards me, giving me his full on Leo Nash hot-as-hell gaze.

  “Are your parents proud of you?”

  I sigh and bite my lip. I think about the last phone call I had with my parents.

  “They were proud of me,” I answer honestly.

  “They aren’t any more?”

  “I’m not sure. They were very disappointed when I left Nashville and quit Sideroad. They couldn’t understand why I would give that up.”

  “Why did you give it up?”

  “It doesn’t make for a good story. Trust me.”

  “That’s okay. I don’t mind hearing it.”

  I don’t think I’m ready to talk about this with anyone, least of all Leo Nash.

  I shake my head, somewhat embarrassed, and change the subject.

  “So, how did I end up singing backup for you?”

  Leo chuckles; a deep, throaty sound.

  “Touché. That doesn’t make for a good story, either,” he says darkly.

  The energy between us feels strange now and I take a sip of wine.

  It suddenly hits me that I’m sitting in Leo Nash’s sleek penthouse apartment and I’m not sure what I’m doing here. Leo has been perfectly fine to me, but there’s an undercurrent of danger about him. In fact, he’s probably more dangerous than I ever suspected because he’s made me feel so at ease.

  I’ve left my fiancé, and my entire life behind in Nashville. I’ve walked away from a great career, and come to New York City of all places, where I’m suddenly singing backup for a wildly popular rock band.

  What the hell am I doing?

  I abruptly put my glass down and jump up.

  “I’m sorry. I’m not sure what I’m doing here. I should go.”

  “Wait! Don’t go! What happened?”

  Leo’s gorgeous face is twisted in confusion, but I don’t recognize myself. I’m dressed in clothes that aren’t me, singing music that isn’t me, and sitting with a known womanizer.

  “This was a mistake. I don’t know what I’m doing. My whole life is turned upside down.”

  I hurry towards the elevator doors and jam the button to go down. But Leo is right behind me, and before the doors can even open, Leo has spun me around to face him.

  I want to shout for him not to touch me, but I can’t because he’s pressing me up against the wall and his lips crush aga
inst me. I half-heartedly try to push him away, but he feels so different than Walker, and I throw caution to the wind and melt into his body.

  I press my lips hard against him, and kiss him back and I hear Leo groan in surprise pleasure. His hands travel down my back and he squeezes my ass to pull me closer to him.

  The kiss is wild and reckless, and I can’t get enough of Leo as I part my lips and our tongues mash against one another. I run my hands along Leo’s biceps, something my subconscious has wanted to do all day. Leo smells delicious and he tastes like the Pinot Grigio. My heart pounds wildly in my chest, and I can feel elicit heat building between my legs. I’m so intoxicated with Leo that I’m not sure if I can stop myself.

  Leo presses his hips hard against me, and I can feel his bulging erection. I moan with my desire and then open my eyes to look at him. I catch a glance of our reflections in the mirror and I’m jolted back into reality.

  Leo is grinding against me, and I have my body wrapped so snugly around him that we look like one. My hair is wild and disheveled; I look nothing like myself.

  “I can’t do this!” I gasp, breaking away.

  “What? What’s wrong?” he asks in a throaty voice. “Let me take you upstairs.”

  My stomach turns.

  “No. I can’t. I shouldn’t have come here. Things got out of control. I’m sorry.”

  “Hey!” Leo grabs my hand, and I focus hard to ignore the wild desire of my raging hormones. My body desperately wants to win out over my head.

  “I’m sorry, Leo. Please!”

  I wrench myself free, and press the elevator button again. Mercifully, the doors open and I jump inside. I watch the doors close as Leo’s surprised face stares at me in shock.

  “Shit, shit, shit!” I exclaim, raking my fingers through my mussed up hair. “What am I doing?” I wail to myself.

  Great. Now I’m talking to myself. This can only get better.

  I hurry out at the lobby and all but run all the way back to Quinn’s. I realize that Leo only lives five blocks away, which is not a good thing.

  I burst into the apartment, and Quinn jumps up from her spot on the couch.

  “What the hell happened to you?”

  “I don’t know! I’m losing my mind! I just kissed Leo Nash!”