Rhythm and Blu

by Jennings, S. L.

  Reluctantly, I follow him into his home, expecting to see it filled with luxurious furnishings that rival the design of his Seattle penthouse. But, it’s empty. And I’m legit confused as he keeps walking, heading up the staircase and down the hall.

  “You know I’ve seen this house before, right? Not much of a tour when it’s empty.”

  He chuckles but keeps walking until we stop at a door. The door of his bedroom. When he pushes it open, I find that this room isn’t empty. In fact, it’s completely furnished and decorated exactly the same way I remember it.

  “What is this?” I ask, looking around. It’s like taking a step back in time.

  “My listening party,” he replies. He picks up a remote and presses a button, and the music begins on the first track of his new album. He settles onto the edge of his double bed. “I wanted you to be the first to hear it.”

  “But what about your listening party at MoPOP?”

  Riot shakes his head. “You think I would have a party there, let alone play my music there, without you by my side? Hell no. Only you would understand what an honor that would be for me. No. The party is next week. And I’d like to escort you to it.”

  I cross my arms in front of my chest and give him a pointed look. “I’m not going anywhere with you. At least not until you explain what happened with your pregnant fiancé.”

  Riot presses his teeth into his lips as he takes a deep breath. “Poppy was never pregnant. Not with my baby or anyone else’s. Those were forged ultrasound pictures. She paid a doctor to use pics from another patient and put her name on them.”

  “You are shittin’ me,” I bleat.

  “Nope,” he shakes his head. “And the engagement? She bought herself that ring then went to the press and gave them some bogus engagement story. I only went along with it because I still thought she was pregnant and I didn’t want to embarrass her.”

  Once again, he was willing to take the fall to save someone else. And this time, that person was not worth saving.

  I cross the room and take the space on the bed beside him, keeping a good foot between us.

  “I’m sorry.

  He nods. “I have Heidi to thank. She had her doubts—we all did. But I guess I didn’t want to believe Poppy was capable of doing something so foul. Heidi knew better. She called in a favor to some friends down in Miami and they found the so-called doctor. And once I discovered it was all a lie in a desperate attempt to keep me in that bullshit relationship, I told her it was over for good. I was tired of looking like an asshole. I was tired of protecting someone who was so ready and willing to hurt me.”

  I turn and offer an encouraging smile. This is so completely fucked up, but I’m proud of him for sticking up for himself instead of playing the punching bag.

  “What changed?”

  Riot shrugs, and the corner of his mouth curls. “A beautiful girl told me I needed to let people see the real me. And then she wrote this story that cracked me wide open and… Reading how she saw me through her eyes made me realize that there are things much more valuable than selling records or scoring endorsement deals or having my own stupid hashtag. And one of those things is spending the rest of my life with my best friend.”

  He picks up the small remote and hits the forward button. “This one is dedicated to you, Roxy,” he says, breathing life into the memory of our first time in this very same room on this very same bed. But this time is different. It isn’t the Aaliyah song he played for me. It’s the song we wrote for each other.

  “How did…?” The first chords of the guitar open the song, then my voice. My voice. Oh my God, that’s me. “You finished it?”

  “We already had your vocals. I just laid down mine and had Nick polish it up.”

  My eyes bulge from their sockets. “Nick? Nick Wilde has heard me sing? Holy shit, I can die now. Thanks.”

  He laughs, shaking his head at me. “Rox, a lot more people are going to hear you sing. This song is on the album. And after my track with Grip, I’m releasing it as my second single. So you better get used to people seeing how perfect you are.”

  I would be hyperventilating if he hadn’t just stolen my breath.

  “I don’t know what to say.”

  “Say you forgive me. Say you’ll come back home with me. Say you’ll allow me to spend every day until forever making you feel as loved and cherished as you make me feel. Say this isn’t over.”

  I lean forward and press my lips against his, drinking in the feel of him, the scent of him, the taste of him, and murmur against his mouth, “Were we ever over?”

  I fell in love with a boy whose laughter was the soundtrack of my heart. And I still play it on repeat every day as we relive all our firsts and love them into forevers.

  “I CAN’T. I KNOW I told you I could, but I can’t.” She shakes her head furiously. “Please, don’t make me do this.”

  I gaze at her and smirk, running my thumb over the corner of her mouth. I really need to stop fucking with her, but I love it. She’s my favorite person to play with, in and out of the bedroom. And right now, the game is heating up.

  “Come on, baby. You promised me your firsts. I’m ready to collect.”

  “Riot, you know that’s not fair. You’ve done this before; I haven’t. Can’t we do something else?”

  I shake my head. “Nope. This is what I want. And since it is my birthday…”

  She huffs out her frustration and juts out her lip. I want to bite that lip. I want to suck that lip. I want to feel that lip on my—

  Shit.

  I step in close to her, pressing my hardening cock against her hip as I whisper in her ear. “I’ll make it worth it for you, I promise. Just do this for me, baby.”

  She closes her eyes, gathering her courage, and I watch in awe as my lady, as the very air in my lungs, becomes the sexy as fuck badass that made me fall crazy stupid in love with her.

  “Fine. Let’s do it. But only because it’s a special occasion. This isn’t an everyday thing.”

  I lean forward and press my lips to hers. “I love you.”

  “Yeah, yeah, I love you too. Now hurry up and get this over with.”

  Deep breath.

  Then I flick on my mic and step out on the raised platform serving as a stage. Cheers, claps, hoots, and hollers, but none of that means anything. Not compared to the gift Rox just agreed to give me.

  “I want to thank you all for coming out to my listening party for The Riot Act. Although it is my birthday, I wanted to give you all a special treat. Tonight I’ll be performing a song off the new album which will also be my second single. And to make it even better, my baby, the love of my life, has agreed to perform it with me. Ladies and gentlemen, Ms. Rox Lee.”

  The crowd erupts and everyone climbs to their feet, welcoming Rox to the stage. It’s only been a week since I publicly announced the end of my arrangement with Poppy and the beginning of the rest of my life with Rox. There was speculation, some of it negative, but before the rumors could start, I shut that shit down. By disrespecting Rox, my fans were disrespecting me. And once they learned what Poppy had done in the name of fame, they realized they had judged Rox unfairly.

  Still, Rox was laying low, and I was in no rush to share her with the world when I was having too much fun keeping her to myself. However, there was nothing on Earth that could keep her from my big night. Except maybe singing in front of a crowd full of entertainment execs, producers, press, and fellow music artists.

  Rox glances up at me, her gorgeous, dark eyes filled with trepidation. I dip my head down to kiss her sweet lips, knowing good and damn well that every camera is capturing the moment and probably streaming it all over the world. I don’t even care. All my life I’d done what looked good, what sounded good. I let people believe in an illusion, not the man. And Rox showed me that none of the awards or money or sales meant a damn thing when I wasn’t content within myself.

  A tech comes over to hand her a mic and she accepts it with a trembling hand
. I reach over and take her other hand, interlacing our fingers. The track starts and I give her a little squeeze of encouragement. She brings the mic up for her lips and…

  Nails the first run.

  She sounds amazing, but I can tell she’s nervous at the beginning of the verse. However, once we hit the chorus, she begins to open up and have fun with it. And my baby shines bright in a billion brilliant colors.

  I sing my verse just for her, never taking my eyes off her. I’m grateful, but real talk, I don’t even care who’s here. She is the only person I see.

  We harmonize into the bridge, gazing at each other like it’s just the two of us, laying on her bedroom floor with a pair of headphones between us. But as we come to the last few notes of the breakdown, I let go of her hand.

  And get down on one knee.

  I’m guessing the room has gone completely insane, but I don’t hear or see any of it. All that matters is the woman in front of me and her answer to the words that have been watermarked on my heart since the day she came back into my life.

  “You were my first.

  You’ll be my last.

  I want to be your forever.

  Will you marry me?”

  I unsheathe the little black box that I’d been hiding in my suit jacket all night and pop open the top. She holds out her hand and while she takes a few moments to give the ring an appreciative glance through tear-filled eyes as I slip it on her finger, her gaze goes right back to me. She doesn’t care about the clarity or the karats or the designer. She’s more concerned with the man she’s marrying, not the ring she’s wearing. And that’s why she was meant to be Mrs. Blufield.

  Her parents, Haze, and DeDe step onto the stage, a surprise I had coordinated days ago, even getting the ok from my mother’s doctors. Rox’s tears fall freely now as she hugs our family members then leans in to kiss me. At least, that’s what I think she’s doing.

  “Wait. I haven’t said yes, yet.”

  Eyes widen. There are gasps and groans in the crowd. Mrs. Lee looks like she might bolt. But I know my girl. She quickly plays it off and announces her answer enthusiastically, giving the cameras what they want. However, I’m not ready to turn her over to all the reporters itching to get a glimpse of the real engagement ring for the real engagement.

  I lean in close and whisper for her ears only, “I can think of a few ways to get a definite yes out of you.”

  “Promise?”

  “Yeah. Hell yeah.”

  “Careful, Mr. Blufield. My fiancé might hear you.”

  “Then let’s ditch this party before he finds us.”

  We laugh, we kiss, and we chat with our guests. And the entire time, not once do I feel the need to turn on the charm or give a crooked smile or flirt shamelessly. For once, I get to be the man that Rox has chosen to be her husband. And that alone means more than any measure of fame or fortune can buy.

  The End

  From International Best Selling Romance Novelist, Hope Hughes, comes a gripping, heartfelt tale of two lovers, fighting for the freedom to…

  No. Scratch that. Too cheesy.

  …two people, torn apart by the tumultuous tides of life, only to discover refuge in…

  WTF? What does that even mean? DELETE.

  …two people, confused as shit as to where they should be and who they should love and none of this means a damn thing because it’s all lies!

  Lies.

  I’m not Hope Hughes. I’m not some fierce woman romance machine. Hell, I’m not even a woman.

  I’m a liar.

  And while I refuse to believe my own BS, deceit masked in heartfelt phrases of love and devotion, I want to make her believe them. Because maybe—just maybe—if she can find the soul within my words, she’ll also be able to find the truth scribbled on my heart.

  You see, I once lived for the perfect plot twist.

  I just never expected to actually live it.

  This is my story. Well, maybe her story. I just wish I could make it our story.

  The one I’m still writing.

  Buy INK & LIES

  Mo Sytsma of Siren’s Call Author Services, PA, Editor, Beta reader, and Promo Goddess extraordinaire: Thank you so much for everything. Seriously would not have pressed publish without you.

  Stacey Blake of Champagne Book Design: Thank you so much for being so incredible and hanging in there with me, even when it came down to the wire!

  Letitia Hasser of RBA Designs: I am so grateful for you! Thank you for a wonderful cover and for all the additional promotional graphics. You are awesome!

  Kaz van der Waard, model: Thank you for being so gorgeous, helpful and professional.

  Kennedy Ryan, Amo Jones, Claire Contreras, and Tillie Cole: Thanks so much for letting me borrow your book boos!

  Leigh Shen and Charleigh Rose: Thank you for all the advice, talks, and for lending your cover expertise! Love you both!

  The Unicorn Squad, JFJ Girls and all the amazing readers, reviewers, and bloggers: You’re amazing. I love you.

  Most known for her starring role in a popular sitcom as a child, S.L. Jennings went on to earn her law degree from Harvard at the young age of 16. While studying for the bar exam and recording her debut hit album, she also won the Nobel Prize for her groundbreaking invention of calorie-free wine. When she isn’t conquering the seas in her yacht or flying her Gulfstream, she likes to spin elaborate webs of lies and has even documented a few of these said falsehoods.

  Some of S.L.’s devious lies:

  Ink & Lies

  SE7EN SINNERS

  Born Sinner

  End of Eden

  Wicked Ruin

  Fallen Reign

  FEARLESS SERIES

  Fear of Falling

  Afraid to Fly

  SEXUAL EDUCATION SERIES

  Taint

  Tryst

  THE DARK LIGHT SERIES

  Dark Light

  The Dark Prince

  Nikolai (a Dark Light novella)

  Light Shadows