The wind picks up, and I huddle into my jacket, moving as quickly as I can, but I’m not fast enough.
“Lucy?” His voice carries on the wind.
I stop and slowly turn around.
Seth is scrambling off the rocks and staring at me in wonder.
I lift a tentative hand and wave.
When he finally catches up to me, he places his frozen hands on my cheeks and crushes his lips to mine. I open my mouth in shock and he deepens the kiss, devouring me with intensity and what appears to be desperation.
My fists curl in the fabric of his jacket as I hang on, meeting his frantic pace with one of my own. All too soon, he pulls back, leaving me completely breathless.
His hands are still cupping my face as he gazes down at me. “You’re really here.”
I take a breath and nod. “I am.”
Then his gorgeous eyes turn worried. “Why?”
“It’s a long story.” The way he looks at me makes it hard to think. Through the worry is also joy. He’s happy and scared at the same time. I want to cling to him and tell him I’m never leaving again. But that would be a lie.
“I’ve got time,” he says.
“So do I.” I grin, loving the way his eyes light up at my statement.
“How much?”
“Enough.”
The light in his eyes dims.
I stand on my toes and say, “I’m not going anywhere until spring, and then it’s only temporary.”
“Really?”
“Really.” I push up on my tiptoes and give him a slow kiss, wanting to taste every inch of him right here on the beach. And I would have if it weren’t less than forty degrees.
He pulls away, our lips still touching. “Let’s get out of here and go somewhere warm.”
“Are you sure? I didn’t mean to intrude.” I glance at the rocks he’d been standing on. “Honestly, Jax said you come here sometimes, and all I wanted to do was talk to you.”
“I want to do a lot more than talk,” he says, teasing me, but I can see emotion in his eyes.
“Seth?”
He takes my hand, holding it in both of his, and jerks his head, indicating we should start moving back toward the cars. “I made the decision to finally say good-bye today.”
“To Elsa.” It has to be. I saw him scattering ashes.
“Yes. This was one of her favorite places. I’ve been trying to find the nerve to do this for the past year.”
“What was different about today?” I ask gently.
He turns and scans my face then gives me a small smile. “You.”
“You saw me?” I ask, horrified.
“No. That’s not it. I realized after you came into my life that I was holding on to her because I didn’t want to move on. Didn’t think I deserved to.”
“And now you do?” I hold my breath, praying he doesn’t say he made a mistake.
“Honestly?”
I nod.
“Yes… and no.” He takes a step back and rubs his palm over the back of his neck. “It’s time. I’ve been punishing myself for far too long.” Staring at his feet, he takes another step back.
I grab his hand and hold it between both of mine. “Why?”
He flinches as if I’d slapped him.
“Seth?”
Then he jerks his head up, sadness shining in his beautiful eyes as his brow creases with barely controlled emotion. “It was my fault she was driving that night. I went out drinking, and she had to come get me.”
“Oh, Seth.” I sigh. “You can’t blame yourself for an accident.”
He stiffens. “She asked me not to go. But I went anyway. If it hadn’t been—”
I raise my hand and graze my thumb over his cheek. “She loved you and wanted to see you safe. You would have done the same if the situation were reversed. It’s what we do for those we love. You have to let it go. It isn’t your fault she lost control of the car, no matter how much you want to blame yourself. It was a senseless accident.”
“I know. I’ve been telling myself that for the last year. It’s hard to change what’s in here, though.” He points to his chest, and I feel like mine is going to split open from the ache I have for him. “I didn’t want to say good-bye, but I have to,” he continues. “There’s no getting around it.”
“Why?” I ask gently.
“I think my heart belongs to someone else now.”
I stop, utterly shocked. “What… I mean, you didn’t know I was coming back.”
“No, I didn’t.” He tugs me back toward him. “But that isn’t the point. I realized I wasn’t living. I was a shell of myself, and part of the reason is because I couldn’t move forward. I know I have to. And the only way to do that was to let her go.”
I slide my arms around his waist and gaze up at him. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I think so. It helps more than you know that you are here.”
I press my head against his chest. “I’m glad I’m here then.”
He holds me until I start to shiver. “Let’s go.”
When we get to the cars, I say, “Will you follow me back to my house?”
“There was no way I wasn’t going to… unless Kinx is there.”
I laugh. “No. Definitely not.”
“Good. I don’t like that guy.”
We make it back to my house in record time. We’re barely inside the door before Seth has his hands on me again. He grips my hips from behind and lowers his mouth to my neck, trailing hot, sensual kisses along my skin until my knees start to go weak.
“Seth?”
“Hmm?”
“Can we talk for a minute?”
He clutches me tighter for a moment and then takes a step back, his brows pinched with unease. “Lay it on me. How long do we have until you have to go back to Kinx and the band?”
“Forever,” I say.
“What?”
“You heard me. I’m not singing with Cadan anymore. And there’s nothing in my contract that says I have to.”
“Wait a minute.” He presses his hand to the small of my back and leads me into my living room. “I think we need to sit down for this. How in the world did that happen?”
I curl up next to him and pull a blanket over our legs. “Turns out Cadan and my lawyer were working together. I wasn’t under contract at all. I had been, but once my dad passed, they waived the remaining dates on our tour. And there never was a publishing contract for my songs. Cadan didn’t sign my name, only his. He lied to me to get me back and paid the lawyer to make it seem legit. And the song he recorded? He finally told them he didn’t write it. And since the truth has come out, they pulled it from distribution. All the royalties are being transferred to me.”
“Whoa.” Seth’s eyes go wide with shock, then anger. “Is he really that much of a selfish asshole?”
“Yes,” I say without hesitation. “I thought he was making positive changes, but turns out he was playing me to get what he wanted. When I found out the truth, I had a long talk with my rep at the label about what I wanted, and she agreed to sign me separately from Cadan. I still get to record my songs, but I don’t have to do a world tour and I don’t have to be on the road with my ex.”
“So you’re staying here, then?”
I smile. “Yes.”
“And no touring? That’s a shame. You’re a fantastic performer.”
“We’ll still tour a little bit, but it will be more like a few weeks on, a few weeks off, so I’m not living in a hotel for a year and a half. I want to perform. I just don’t want to kill myself to do it.”
“So…” He brushes a lock of hair from my eyes. “This means we’re neighbors? Permanently?”
“Looks like it.”
“Thank God.” Seth rises and reaches down, easily picking me up in hi
s arms.
I giggle. “What are you doing?”
“Taking my girl to bed. Does that work for you?”
“I’m your girl?” My breath catches and tears sting my eyes.
“If you want to be.” There’s a tremble in his voice. He’s just as nervous about my answer as I am.
“I’ve never been someone’s girl.”
He frowns. “What does that mean?”
“The only other person I dated was Cadan. And while we were mates, he’s never treated me as his girl. I always felt more like I was an asset to be exploited rather than his actual girlfriend.”
“That guy deserves an ass-kicking.” Seth heads into the hallway and starts up the stairs. A moment later he gently lays me on my bed. “So, you didn’t answer. Do you want to be my girl?”
“Hell yes. Besides, my heart already belongs to you. You might as well have the rest of me.”
He stills as he takes in my words. “Do you mean that?”
I nod solemnly. He makes me into a better version of myself, unlike others in my life who are only interested in what’s good for them. “Yeah. I really do.”
Hovering over me, he closes his eyes, presumably taking in the moment.
“Seth?”
“Yeah, love?”
“Make love to me.”
His eyes turn emerald from the desire sparking down at me. “Gladly.” He kisses my temple, my eyes, and my jawline, and moves lower, nestling his mouth between my breasts. Lifting his head, he presses his lips to mine once more. “That’s what it is, you know,” he says against my lips.
“What?”
“Making love. Every single time I touch you.”
A lump forms in my throat, and I’m certain if I try to speak, I’ll start to cry.
“I love you, Lucy Moore.”
I can’t help the tear that spills down my temple. Raw emotion takes over. I swallow the lump in my throat and force out what I have to say. “I didn’t come back because things didn’t work out with Cadan.”
“You didn’t?” His body goes tight, as if he’s bracing for bad news.
“No.” I reach up and brush my fingers over his worried brow. “I could’ve started working on my album right away. I could’ve toured some. Or just stayed in a hotel and worked on my songs, all at the label’s expense. It was tempting. I have producing rights, which means most of it will be under my control.”
“That sounds amazing.”
“It is. But I’m not quite ready. I came back because of you. Because I had to see you.”
The worry lines disappear, but now he’s searching my gaze as if he’s looking for something. But he doesn’t have to try too hard, because what he’s looking for comes flying out of my mouth, “I came back because although Cadan might be my soul mate, I have a much deeper connection to you. I’m in love with you.”
His eyes close, and when he opens them, they’re filled with joy. He gathers me in his arms and pulls me tight against him. “You’re never getting rid of me now.”
“That’s a hardship I’m willing to live with,” I say and work the top button of his shirt open.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“Seducing you.” I press my hips against him, feeling the hard outline of his arousal. A tingle of satisfaction ripples through me, and I unbutton two more buttons. “Looks like it’s working.”
“You have no idea.”
“Show me,” I say with heat and scrape my nails lightly down his chest.
He visibly shivers, and then a second later, he pins me beneath him. His penetrating gaze holds me captive. “I’m not going to let go, you know.”
A slow smile blossoms over my face. “I’m counting on it.”
Mate or not, I know Seth is the person I’m supposed to be with. And when he claims my lips again, we give ourselves to each other so completely, a new magic blossoms. One that is born from what we carry in our hearts. Each other.
Accepting Fate
When two souls are fated...
A year ago, Jax Russo left school to escape to her safe haven, her hometown of Mendocino, CA. After overcoming depression and healing old wounds, she’s finally ready to move on. But when her brother’s arrested for a shocking crime, she finds herself caught between her family and her brother’s accuser—the man she’s been in love with since she was fifteen years old.
Firefighter Derek Alexander never wanted to be a hero. He does his job for one reason and one reason only—to make up for that terrible night nine years ago. His demons haunt him, but so do dreams of Jax, the girl he knows he’s fated to be with. But in a world of magical soul mates, sometimes even love and forgiveness isn’t enough.
Accepting Fate (Book 2)
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About the Author
Deanna is a native Californian, transplanted to the slower paced lifestyle of southeastern Louisiana. When she isn’t writing, she is often goofing off with her husband in New Orleans, playing with her two Shih Tzu dogs, making glass beads, or out hocking her wares at various bead shows across the country. For more information visit her website at www.deannachase.com.
Other Books by Deanna
The Jade Calhoun Novels
Haunted on Bourbon Street
Witches of Bourbon Street
Demons of Bourbon Street
Angels of Bourbon Street
Shadows of Bourbon Street
Incubus of Bourbon Street (Winter 2014)
The Coven Pointe Novels
Marked by Temptation (a novella)
The Crescent City Fae Novels
Influential Magic
Irresistible Magic
Intoxicating Magic
The Destiny Novels
Defining Destiny
Accepting Fate (November 2014)
Shattered Souls (Winter 2015)
Still Life with Strings
L.H. Cosway
For my readers.
You are a drop in a gigantic ocean but you mean the world to me.
A Note from the Author
Dear reader,
The story you are about to read is set in my home city of Dublin. It may not seem this way to strangers, but it is in fact a very small place. Lives can be interconnected in little ways that may seem unbelievable, but are actually very possible given how tiny the city, and indeed the country, really is. My heroine, Jade, works in a concert hall that is loosely based on but not a one hundred percent accurate portrayal of the National Concert Hall on Earlsfort Terrace. Similarly, my hero Shane is the concertmaster of an orchestra that is loosely based on but not a one hundred percent accurate portrayal of the RTÉ National Concert Orchestra. Just a short walk from the concert hall is Grafton Street, where Jade busks as a street performer, and just around the corner from Grafton Street is St. Steven’s Green, where Jade’s mother used to sell her paintings. If all this information seems random, I promise it will make better sense once you’ve read the story. However, if like Jade you are a dreamer at heart, you can simply choose to put it all down to destiny.
I sincerely hope you enjoy Still Life with Strings.
Yours,
L.H. Cosway.
At eighteen years of age, he never knew true grief until he saw her crying on the six o’clock news.
It was so palpable he could almost mould it with his hands.
His fingers itched to create a melody that would be the musical embodiment of her mourning.
So he picked up his violin and began to play.
Chapter One
They call me the Blue Lady.
The more poetic would say a dark angel, or an unexpected, fantastical surprise standing upon the mundane street. I wear a long
midnight blue dress, a matching wig, white paint on my hands and face, and glorious, feathery blue wings affixed to my back.
I feel like a gap in reality, a moment where people can pause mid-stride and say in a breathy, wonder-filled voice, wow, look at that. For the more cynical, wow, look at that nutjob.
Perhaps for a moment someone will think that they’ve stepped into a world where normal is not the rule anymore, that the extraordinary is. That my wings aren’t false but real, that my skin is really this white, my hair really this blue.
Unfortunately, none of it is real.
But it’s nice, isn’t it, for a brief moment to imagine that it is?
In reality I’m a twenty-six-year-old woman with a stack of bills I’m struggling to pay and two younger siblings who are reliant on me to keep a roof over their heads, clothes on their backs, and food in their bellies.
I do this living statue act whenever I have the free time. It gives me an artistic outlet, while also making me some much-needed cash on the side. Admittedly, I don’t normally do it at one o’clock in the morning in the middle of Grafton Street, but it’s a Saturday. That means there’ll be lots of tourists. More to the point, lots of drunk tourists with loose pockets and even looser inhibitions about who they hand over their cash to – such as women who stand very still while dressed like a Manga fairy.
I stare directly ahead, unblinking, controlling my breathing using a qigong method, just as I hear the recognisable loutish shouting and laughter of a stag party up ahead. When they come into my line of sight, I see that they’re all wearing black T-shirts with their nicknames written across the back and Jack’s Stag Weekend across the front.
No shit.
I am an island, an inanimate object among the to and fro of humanity. I brace myself for the possibility that the stag party is going to be trouble. Moments later, one guy stands in front of me, waving his hand in my face and trying to get me to blink. How original.
Rockers After Dark: 6 Book Bundle of Sexy Musicians Page 26