He could understand her fears. Every touring musician knew how hard maintaining a relationship could be. "Will you at least give me a chance? Work with me on this project. I'm not going anywhere, unless you boot me out."
"You say that now, but what happens when this project is over?"
"You'll have to trust me. I want to be there for you. You're always on my mind, Sunshine. I'll prove to you that I'm serious."
She was quiet for a long moment. Her gaze fixed on their joined hands. He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. Even that small motion was enough for him to feel her all the way to his toes.
Slowly, her gaze roamed from their hands, to his arms, to his chest, and then finally to his face. "Okay. But we need to go slow. Baby steps."
"I can do baby steps." He drew her hand to his face and sighed against her knuckles then planted a gentle kiss on them. "Are you free the rest of the day?"
"I have to finish up a few things at the studio. And then I want to get started on some ideas for your logo."
"How about tonight?" He'd have to plan something special. It had to be the best first date in history.
Her smile bloomed until it beamed across her face and brightened the room. "I'd like that."
They sat, sipping coffee, and talking about her upcoming show and his upcoming auditions and possible ideas for the TV show and label designs. The clouds that had been hanging over his head for months dissipated like a sky clearing after a storm. The heavy weight lifted and the sunlight of Audrey poured in.
When they drained their drinks, she glanced at her watch. "I need to get back."
"I'll walk you." He drew her to her feet. He wanted to hug her, hold her. And damn, he wanted to kiss her. But not yet. He'd have to hold back. She wanted slow. She needed to see that he wouldn't hurt her. No matter what he wanted, her needs came first.
Five hours later, he stood outside the brownstone housing her second-floor apartment. The cab idled by the curb, revving its engine every few moments, matching the beating of his heart. When Audrey came through the door, Luke nearly swallowed his tongue. He smoothed a hand down his chest and quelled the jumping sensation residing there. "You look beautiful."
The simple white dress, thin straps at her shoulders, and the way the fabric draped across her chest, hinted at curves he'd imagined far too many times. A delicate gold chain, one of her designs, with a teardrop stone the color of the ocean laid against the hollow of her throat. "Thanks. You clean up well, too. I approve of the shirt."
She should. It was from her most recent collection. "The designer's pretty special."
A blush tinted her cheeks and her lips curved in a soft smile. The need to touch her was too great to ignore. He reached out and linked their fingers and then raised her hand to his lips. More softness. More of what he'd been missing. "Ready to go?"
"Sure," her voice breathless, she glanced at the cab. "Where are we going?"
"I made a reservation at that French restaurant you told me about the last time I was in town."
"La Chance? I've been dying to try that place. They're supposed to have the best desserts in the city."
He held the cab door for her and then slid in beside her. After he rattled off the restaurant address, he leaned against the seat. "I forwarded the email you sent of the preliminary logo designs to the other guys. They looked good to me. I think the black box with white font is my favorite. How was the rest of your day?"
"Busy. We only have two weeks until the show. It can get crazy up until then. I'll be putting in a lot of hours leading up to it."
"You can't be all work and no play. Maybe I can convince you to play hooky."
Her lips twitched. "I have a feeling you can be pretty persuasive."
"You have no idea." His fingers played with the ends of her hair. That rich brown cascaded around her shoulders like waves of chocolate.
She relaxed into him, letting her thigh brush against his leg and her arm rest along his side, and chatted more about the fashion show. Her face was animated, eyes sparkling when she spoke about the possibility of partnering with the domestic violence center, and the way she kept her attention on his face, as though he were far more interesting than anything passing by their window, enraptured him.
Damn, he was lucky.
The cab screeched to a stop, jolting them forward. Luke flung out his arm to protect Audrey and his elbow connected hard with her chest. Her cry echoed in his ears as his shoulder slammed into the front seat. Muttering curses, he reeled around. "I'm sorry. Are you okay?"
"Fine." She held her hand on the red spot blooming on her sternum. Hopefully, it wouldn't bruise.
Great way to start off the evening... He paid the driver and then opened his door. "I'm happy to help make it feel better."
Her smile eased his guilt. "Maybe later you can show me what you have in mind."
Taking her hand, he led her into the crowded restaurant, anticipating candlelight, quietly efficient waiters, good wine, five-star food, and the pleasure of watching Audrey enjoy every moment.
He smiled at the hostess. "Reservation for Thompson."
She scanned her list and frowned. "I'm sorry, sir. I don't see anything here under that name."
"Can you look again? I made the reservation earlier today. When I called, the guy I spoke with said you'd had a cancellation for seven-thirty, so he put me in that slot."
"I'm sorry. There isn't anything here under that name. We're booked solid."
"How long is the wait for a table?"
"Two hours."
No way. Irritation pricked along his skin. Luke leaned in and lowered his voice, "Is there anything you can do?"
"We don't have any open tables."
"None?"
Audrey's soft cool hand curled around one of his. Her perfume teased the air and cut through his frustration. "Don't worry about it. We'll go someplace else."
"But you really wanted to try this place." All he'd wanted was a perfect night, and so far, he'd almost given her whiplash, and lost out on the romantic dinner he'd planned.
She tugged him away from the hostess. "We'll try it some other time. Come on. There's a club not too far from here. They have a lounge with pretty good food and drinks and decent live music. We can grab some food and dance."
In spite of everything, he smiled. The idea of dancing with Audrey, holding her in his arms, was way better than anything he'd dreamed. "Lead the way."
Chapter Four
The club pulsed with a hard rock beat. A throng of bodies writhed on the scarred dance floor. Audrey glanced at her dress and wrinkled her nose. Under the strobe lights, her white dress practically glowed.
In her rush to smooth out the issue at the restaurant, the club had seemed like a good idea. But now that they were here... she wondered if she'd made a huge mistake.
Luke, in his dark shirt and black pants, showcasing wide shoulders and muscles that proved he spent a solid chunk of time at the gym, blended in perfectly with the other patrons in dark colors or band t-shirts. But they'd already received a few sideways glances and her white dress was a beacon for more. Luke was bound to be recognized by at least someone, or several someones. Discomfort itched in between her shoulder blades. She wasn't big enough to block him from people's line of vision.
They sat at a little high-top table, a shared plate of nachos between them, legs tangling together. Less than eight hours ago, he'd stood in her studio, out of the blue, and now, here they were, on a date. Surreal.
He held out his beer. "Cheers."
She clinked her mojito against the brown bottle and then gestured at the club. "What do you think?"
"The acoustics are great." He leaned back in his seat and looked at the stage where three men rocked out cover versions of metal hits. "Band's not bad either."
"I love this place. Renee and I usually cap off the week with a stop here."
His fingers laced with hers on the tabletop. "I wouldn't mind coming back again."
"They occasionall
y get big names to play. I'm sure your band would be welcomed."
"Yeah. But I was talking about coming with you." His thumb traced a lazy circle on her palm. "Dancing with you. Holding you—"
"Excuse me." A tall man with a red and black mohawk stopped at their table. "You're Luke Thompson. Holy shit. It's really you."
"I am." Luke broke contact with Audrey's hand and held his own out toward the fan. "Good to meet you. What's your name, man?"
"Ed. Hold on. The guys aren't going to believe this." Ed waved at a group huddled by the bar and then bellowed over the music, "Luke Thompson is here!"
All eyes in the bar area and a few on the dance floor turned in their direction. Audrey shifted closer to Luke. A sense of dread filtered through along with memories of the countless times this had happened when she was with Rob. She cursed herself for being so stupid in suggesting this place. Sure enough, a mass exodus from the bar and dance floor followed. People crowded around their table like ants at a feast.
"Luke!"
"It's really him!"
"O-M-G. I'm The Fury's biggest fan."
Luke's brows rose and his smile froze on his face. His gaze connected with hers and she could see the conflict burning there. He again laced their hands together across the table. "Hey guys, it's good to meet you. Let me introduce you to my date, Audrey."
The fans gave her a cursory glance, maybe a polite nod, before they turned back to Luke with hero worship in their eyes.
Luke shook their hands, asking people's names, repeating them back. He was genuine, thanking them for their support, and joking around with them like old friends. "Thanks guys. Let me get back to my date here."
The group left, only to be replaced by new fans crowding in. Luke's posture was rigid, his hold on her hand tightening as he smiled at the fans, said hello, shook hands, then again requested they let him get back to his date with her.
Bonding over music mended gaps and broke down barriers, but the people here acted like they considered him to be family. She could understand that—music spoke to people on so many levels, and the way Luke crooned and growled lyrics made it seem like he knew exactly how the listener was feeling. No wonder they loved him.
New people flowed into the club, calling out that they'd heard about his visit through various social media sites.
Fabulous. What had she done? Stupid, stupid, stupid.
People asked him for autographs and to pose for pictures. One woman about Audrey's age thrust her phone into Audrey's hands. "You don't mind taking my picture, right? Thanks."
Audrey failed to keep her smile on her face when the woman wrapped her arm around Luke's neck and pulled him down for a kiss. He turned his head so her lips glanced off his cheek and not his mouth.
When she returned the camera to the woman, Luke slid his arm around her. "Thanks. I'm so sorry. I'm trying to get rid of them as fast as I can."
She let her hand rest on his hard stomach. He pulled her in tighter. But more people kept swarming. Fans trying to get close to Luke edged too close into her personal space. An awful, claustrophobic feeling clawed at her skin.
Luke must have noticed. "Guys, can we back up? My date and I need some breathing room."
A small space opened, but soon was crowded with people again. This was ridiculous. She leaned toward his ear. "I'm going to the bar."
His lips tightened. "Give me five minutes to clear this out, then we'll leave."
"Okay."
Luke's hold loosened and then fell away as he shook more hands and posed for more pictures. The tightness in Audrey's chest eased as she retreated further and further away from the crowd and took a seat at the bar. The high stool gave her a good vantage point and the fresh mojito gave her time to sip and decide that saying yes to Luke had been a mistake.
Luke did glance around a few times, perhaps looking for her, but people kept approaching him from every angle. He made an effort to speak to everyone. Even the band on stage joined in when they finished their set.
Audrey glanced at her watch. Half an hour of sitting back was enough. The spot on her chest throbbed. Whether from its earlier contact with Luke's elbow, or disappointment, she couldn't tell. But she'd reached a decision.
After one last sip of her drink, she pushed her way through the crowd, but three-deep out, people wouldn't budge and she couldn't move any further. She peered over tall shoulders. Thankfully, her heels made her tall enough for Luke to spot her.
He motioned for her and spoke words that were swallowed up by the crowd. They shifted and let her through.
"Hey." Smiling, he wrapped his arm around her. The heat of his skin felt good, tempting her to relax into him, but she held herself stiff. "I'm sorry about this. Someone on my fan page announced I was doing a flash meet-and-greet here."
"I'm going to take off."
"Wait." Hands on her shoulders, he drew her closer and leaned down, searching her face. "Please."
She shook her head. "I've already waited. You're having a good time here, and obviously, this is important to you."
"You're important, too."
Was she? She wondered... "I think it's wonderful that you take the time to talk to each person and make them feel valued. But you're so busy with that, there isn't any time for one-on-one for you and me. So, you stay. I'll go. I've already called a cab. It should be outside now." She'd received the confirmation for cab pick-up while sitting at the bar.
He grabbed hold of her hand, preventing her retreat. "I'm sorry it got out of control."
"It's fine. Really. I have to get up early tomorrow anyway." Watching his eyes, memorizing how they looked up close, she fought against the stab of loss in her gut. "I'll wait to hear back from you and the guys about the design sketches. Maybe we can meet up the next time you're in town. Or you can meet with my assistant. Have Irisa call me with the band's availability for meeting up to pick out clothes before the TV show."
A frown marred his brow. "It's only Tuesday. I'm not leaving for Nashville until Friday night."
"I have a lot going on with my show." She didn't want to have this conversation here, in murmured tones in full view of over a hundred people. "And, honestly, I need a few days to think about things."
"Audrey." His grip tightened and he pulled her closer. "I'll give you those few days, but I'll be back on Sunday. I'm sticking around, Sunshine."
She lifted her head until her lips were by his ear. "This is exactly what happened when we hung out during your last tour. You're never going to be able to put a relationship first. I went through what happened tonight with Rob too many times, too."
He glowered at Rob's name and then faced the crowd, raising his voice so it carried through the room, "Guys, I'm so glad I got to meet you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I really need to get back to my date."
The groans and complaints and disappointment on several of the fans' faces tugged at her. "Don't," she whispered against his cheek. "Now I feel like a shrew. And they'll all blame me if you leave."
"I want to be with you."
"I want to be with you too. But sometimes, we don't get what we want, or what we want isn't what's best for us." She brushed a kiss over his beard and pulled her hand out of his grip. "Be happy."
Then, she turned to the crowd. "Don't worry. You guys get to have him. I'm not pulling him away."
"Audrey..."
With a cheery wave, she darted into the throng. When she reached the door, she turned back. The crowd had swallowed up her space, pressing around Luke, all talking at once. He stared at her, face like stone.
Biting her lip, she stepped out into the night. She couldn't let him sway her. If she did, she'd only end up hurting them both.
***
Late Saturday morning, Luke strolled through downtown Nashville with Ivan, one of the band's roadies who was also filling in as his cameraman to record the audition. They rounded a street corner and passed a man strumming a guitar and singing a song about love gone wrong.
Luke could relate.
No contact with Audrey for four days, except the lone email with the approved logo design, ticked him off. His screw up at the club ticked him off even more. Irisa's early words of advice echoed in his head, "You can't please all of the people all of the time."
No shit.
But he'd failed at pleasing the one person who mattered most. Her experience with Rob had caused scars, and her experience with Luke at the club had apparently reopened those wounds. He had to fix what had happened there. How could he make her understand how nervous he was about fucking up everything with the fans? How every interaction could make or break him and how guilty he felt about everything that had happened before. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place in trying to please everyone. No excuse though, he'd have to try harder.
Sweat trickled down his back. He stepped inside the cool comfort of an air-conditioned coffee shop. A large iced coffee helped chase the cobwebs of fitful sleep. He bought Ivan the same and then checked his messages. Nothing from Audrey. Jayne had sent him information on the first contestant, Hugh Tremont, a recent college grad who had been singing and playing guitar for fifteen years.
Cool. Life-long musicians were his type of people.
"Luke." A shaggy-haired blond guy wearing an old Fury concert t-shirt approached his table. "I'm Hugh."
"Hey, man." He shook hands. "Want anything to drink?"
"How cool is this, Luke Thompson is buying me coffee." He smiled at Ivan and introduced himself. They exchanged hellos and Luke made sure they were both fueled with coffee.
"We're going to one of the conference rooms at the hotel. We'll hang out and talk and then listen to you sing. Okay?"
Hugh nearly bounced on his toes. "Sure. Yes. Fine. Thanks."
Luke laughed and clapped him on the back. "Relax, man. It's too early for that much energy." He led the way into the harsh sunlight and back to the hotel. When they arrived in the conference room, he nodded to Ivan to start rolling.
Luke stood next to Hugh at the table and waved to the camera. "Hi, Fury fans. Luke here, with our first singer contestant for the New Band Contest. Everyone, meet Hugh. Hugh, say hello."
Love Song (Rocked by Love #2) Page 3