He smiled. “I can think of a few reasons, but right now none of them matter.”
She quirked her eyebrow. “A few reasons, huh? I’d love to know one.”
“I should be working on my new album right now, instead of talking to you.”
“You’re not talking to me. You’re letting Sir Barks outside.” Her gaze landed on the small dog who had curled up on the deck.
“Right.”
She couldn’t hold back her smile. “Do you ever need a sounding board when you’re writing? I’d be happy to listen to what you have.”
“Well, I’m not Miles Davis.”
A strange chill shot down Riley’s back as she stared at Shadow. Her conversation about jazz had not been with Shadow. Had Jalen told him about that? She stared at him, trying to work it through in her mind. Of course, he must have. Right? Still, something about it made her uneasy. “How did you know I’m a Miles Davis fan?”
Shadow froze, his expression hard to read under his mask. “Jalen told me.”
And that’s what she expected. “Right.”
“He said you’re not a fan of pop.” A smile tugged on his lips. “But if you want to hear the song I’ve been working on, you can come over. I’ll try not to be disappointed if you don’t like it.”
To hear a song Shadow Walker was writing before anyone else? That was an invitation she couldn’t turn down. “I’ll be right there.”
After she shut her laptop down and slipped into her dress sandals, she knocked on Shadow’s door. He let her in and pointed to the couch. “Have a seat.”
She set her bag down on the carpet. “I’m excited to hear your work. What’s this one about?”
He glanced at her before picking up an acoustic guitar. He swung the strap over his head and walked to the table where he had his sheet music. The way he moved with the instrument, like it was part of him, made Riley feel a little envious for some strange reason. “It’s a love song.”
“Oh?” Shadow was known for his jaded music full of angst. Most of his hits were breakup songs or get-away-from-me-you-horrible-woman songs. She didn’t know anything he’d written that would qualify as a true love song.
He strummed the guitar a couple of times, the chords flowing easily with his fingers, the melody finding itself and carrying over the air. Riley swayed, letting the music flow through her.
And then he began to sing. She’d heard his voice before, of course. But hearing him sing softly while sitting in front of her was something else entirely. The man’s voice was deep and rich. Soothing, and yet, had a rasp to it that made him sound unique and incredibly sexy.
She watched his face as he sang, at least, what she could see that wasn’t hidden by his mask. His closed his eyes and cocked his head to the side, as if every note were precious to him. And then the words began to sink in, and Riley sat fascinated as the story of the song unfolded.
He sang of wanting, needing, and not quite being able to hold onto the woman he loved. It was a love song but had such a sadness laced through it. It wasn’t one of those happy we’re-together ones. The lyrics pierced through her and brought tears to her eyes. But before the end, his notes faded, and he stopped and looked at her. “That’s all I have.”
She blinked back her emotions. “Wow.”
“Was that a good wow, or a bad wow?”
Riley struggled to form her thoughts into words. “It was beautiful, in an ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’ kind of way.”
He fought back a smile. “So, you do know some music that isn’t classical or jazz.”
“Of course. I don’t live in a bubble.”
Shadow let out a breath and took off his guitar. “To be compared to Bill Withers, though. That was quite a compliment.”
“You deserve the comparison. It was an emotional song.”
He set his guitar back into the case. “I can’t decide on how it ends.”
The song was so emotional because it was about a man who was losing the woman he loved. She didn’t see any other way it could end, but with heartbreak. “What do you mean?”
He crossed the room and sat beside her. “Does he get the girl?”
“I don’t see how. The song was about how he couldn’t figure out how to keep the girl he loves. If you change that, and he succeeds, it will change the whole tone of the song. I don’t think that would work at all.”
He slowly nodded as he stared at her. “I see.”
The mood shifted, and she wondered if there was something she was missing. But it was too late to go take back what she’d said, so she looked at the clock on her phone. “Should I get you something to eat?”
He smiled. “Good idea.”
She left a moment later, the sun warming her skin as she walked. It had been a moving experience to listen to Shadow sing, and she still wasn’t over it. The tone of his voice and the way he gave himself fully to the song was amazing. Still, she couldn’t help but question if there was an underlying message from the song. And what did that mean exactly?
Chapter 12
A light breeze blew as Jalen stood on stage checking the sound on his electric guitar. The sun was almost below the horizon, casting long shadows and an ethereal orange glow on everything. Riley shifted the large bag that hung over her shoulder. “Do you want some water?”
How could she tell he was thirsty? “Sure,” he said, lowering his guitar. She uncapped it for him, and he drank the cool liquid. Even with the breeze, it was a hot day.
Spending the afternoon with Riley had been fun. He’d worked on some lyrics with her, and she’d been surprisingly helpful. The only disappointment had been her answer to his question about the ending of his song. But what did he expect? She was right. It was a sad song, one he’d started writing before he met her. But now, for some reason, he wanted the song to have a happy ending.
“Thanks,” he said, handing the bottle back to her. He continued with his sound check.
Colby King stepped onto the stage, his cowboy boots impacting the hard wood. He wore blue jeans and a flashy white vest with silver studs. He was one of those country singers that sometimes found his songs on the tops of the pop charts as well. A straddler.
“Hey, Shadow,” Colby said, picking up his guitar.
“Hey.”
Colby sauntered over to Riley. His gaze traveled over her. “Who’s this?”
Annoyance washed over Jalen. Why didn’t he just talk to her if he wanted to know who she was? He hated it when stars played some kind of power game with people. “This is my assistant, Riley.”
Colby smiled and stuck out his hand. “Nice to meet you, Riley.”
Of course, he didn’t introduce himself because he was conceited and figured everyone knew who he was. Yet, Riley stared at him, a blank look on her face. Jalen, suddenly interested, watched what would happen.
Riley politely took his hand. “I didn’t catch your name.”
Colby laughed, the sound echoing across the stage. When Riley didn’t join in, he sobered. “You really don’t know who I am?”
Riley shook her head. “Sorry, I don’t listen to that pop stuff.”
Jalen hid a smile as Colby took a step back from her. “Pop stuff?” He turned to Jalen, his smile now stiff. “Where did you find this delightful assistant?”
Jalen slapped Colby’s arm. “Get over it. Not every woman worships you.”
A feedback noise came from the speakers, and they all cringed. “Sorry,” one of the sound guys called out.
Colby chuckled and cozied up to Riley. The hairs on the back of Jalen’s neck rose. “Why don’t you meet me after the concert, and I’ll tell you all about who I am.”
Riley stepped away from him, but Jalen couldn’t quite read her expression. “I’m sorry. I’m working tonight.”
“You won’t be working all night, will you?”
Jalen ground his teeth. “She said she’s working.”
Colby stuck his hands up. “Hey, no problem.”
They continued the sound ch
eck, and Jalen shoved his guitar back in his case and climbed down from the stage. When he and Riley were out of earshot, he leaned toward her. “Sorry about that. Colby thinks he’s a lady’s man.”
Riley laughed. “I didn’t mind.”
Wait, what? She didn’t mind? Did she like the attention from Colby? He was an insufferable flirt. Was she flattered by that? He opened his mouth to ask, but her phone chimed, and she dug it out of her bag.
She read the text, snickered, and put her phone back. “Dad wants me to know he got to eat pot roast for dinner and didn’t have to listen to any dead-husband stories.”
“Good for him.”
The resort had set up a few tents behind the stage so the stars could relax, change, or whatever they needed to do before the show. Jalen unzipped the flap on his tent and ushered Riley inside. It was a little cramped, but at the highest point, they could both stand up straight. An oscillating fan kept it surprisingly cool.
He motioned to the cot they’d set up for him. “Have a seat.”
“Do you need anything else before the show? Tylenol?”
He squinted at her as he sat beside her. “How do you do that?”
“Do what?”
“How do you know when I have a headache? Or when I’m thirsty?” Or when he should put on sunscreen? But he kept that one to himself.
“I don’t know. You just looked like you might be in pain.”
“It’s uncanny. I didn’t even realize I had a headache until you asked.”
She set her bag on her lap and pulled out a small, white bottle. It rattled as she tried to get the lid off. “Maybe I’m psychic.” She grinned at him as she held out two pills in the palm of her hand.
Jalen took off his gloves, then took her hand in his. He scooped out the pills. The contact with her skin sent a wave of teenage-hood giddiness through him. Was it bad that he took pleasure in the pink that rose to her cheeks?
She pulled out some water. “This is the last one. Should I run to your room and get more?”
“In a minute.” He took the water and downed his pills. “How are things at home?”
“Fine.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Just fine?”
“My mom didn’t come back, so that’s good,” she said under her breath, and she rolled her eyes. “Sorry. Don’t know why I brought her up.”
Jalen didn’t have a ton of experience with women, but whenever his mother needed to talk about something she would make small comments here and there until he asked about it, and then it would come out. “Sounds like you want to talk about her.”
She sighed and tossed her bag on the floor of the tent. “I shouldn’t want to talk about her. She’s a mess.”
He didn’t know much about her mother, other than what cryptic things she’d said the other day, but if she wanted to talk, he was more than happy to listen. “Is it drugs?”
Riley dropped her gaze. “Gambling.”
The heaviness of that one word weighed down on him. He had not known anyone who struggled with that, but he knew it had to be difficult. “I’m sorry.”
“You know, I probably would be able to understand more if it were drugs.”
He put his hand on her shoulder. The warmth of her skin could be felt through her creamy blouse. “Gambling is an addiction, too.”
She took off her glasses and rubbed the bridge of her nose. “I know. I guess it’s just hard to understand why your mother would continually choose something like that over her own family.”
“I can’t even imagine.”
Riley swallowed, obviously getting emotional. “I’ll tell you what it’s like. Imagine standing outside your school waiting for your mother to pick you up while all the other kids leave with their moms. And you wonder when your mother is going to get there, only to have her never show up. And they take you in to the office, and you sit there, waiting. And finally your father comes and tells you that your mother is gone, because something else was more important than you.”
Jalen sucked in a breath, the image of a young girl standing outside of her school, alone, seared onto his brain. “Oh, Riley.”
Tears filled her eyes and spilled over down her cheeks. “Imagine seeing her show up at your house after that, and the excitement that you feel thinking she missed you and came home, only to find out she wasn’t there for you. She was there to beg for money. And after she gets it, she leaves again. Imagine this happening over and over giving you disappointment after disappointment, until you decide it’s too hard to have hope that your mother is going to be there for you, and you build a wall around your heart so she doesn’t dash it to pieces again.”
Jalen didn’t know what else to do except encircle her in his arms and pull her to him. She buried her face into his chest. His heart beat loud in his ears as he held her close. “I’m so sorry.”
Riley let out a bitter laugh. “I don’t know why I’m telling you this. And now I’m getting your shirt all wet and snotty right before you have to go out on stage.”
He held her closer, rubbing her back to calm her down. “I don’t care.”
She pulled back and fished around in her bag until she pulled out a tissue. “You’re too kind. Now I’ve embarrassed myself.”
He reached out and took her face on his hands. “Don’t be embarrassed. Never be embarrassed for sharing your honest feelings.” He brushed away her tears with his thumbs.
She closed her eyes and nestled into his palm. “I shouldn’t have dumped on you.”
“Please don’t feel like you did that. Since the moment I first laid eyes on you, I’ve wanted to know who you are. You may not understand when I tell you this, but I don’t usually connect with people. But…things are different with you.”
Riley gazed at him, and for a moment, he thought he saw guilt enter her eyes. What she had to be guilty for, he didn’t know, but she dropped her gaze, and the look disappeared. “I feel it, too.”
An overwhelming desire to kiss her enveloped him, and he leaned closer, taking in the almond-butter smell of her hair. He was pretty sure she wouldn’t object to the kiss, but he had to admit he didn’t have a lot of experience with that kind of thing. He didn’t want to mess it up or do anything she didn’t want him to. Hesitating, he waited to see if she would pull back.
The tent unzipped, and Colby stepped in. Riley jumped back from him. Jalen shot Colby a death stare. “What?”
Colby grinned, his gaze bouncing from Riley to Jalen. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“You didn’t,” Riley said quickly, standing. “I was just going to run and grab more water.” She skittered past Colby and out of the tent.
Jalen bit back a rude comment. It wasn’t Colby’s fault. Jalen should have simply kissed Riley when the mood turned more intimate. It was his own fault he was a coward. He tugged on his gloves. “What’s up?”
Colby pointed toward the stage. “They’re about ready for us. I think you’re up first, so I just wanted to make sure you’re about ready.”
He sighed. “Yeah, I’m ready.”
Colby nodded, then gave him another grin. “See ya out there.”
Someone started talking on the loudspeaker, warming up the crowd for the concert. Jalen took one more minute to make sure his mask and skullcap were on properly before he stepped from his tent and climbed onto the stage.
He quickly lost himself in the show, getting into the music and gaining energy from the crowd. This was where he belonged. On stage, singing and entertaining. The crowd screamed as he began his newest release that had hit number one on the Billboards. As he sang, he couldn’t help but sneak a peek at Riley, standing backstage. She was tapping her leg to the music, which made him smile. She professed to not like the pop stuff, but he wasn’t sure how true that was. Maybe he could convert her yet.
Chapter 13
It was incredibly difficult to not sing and dance to the music as Riley watched the show unfold on the stage. Her young, teenage heart was beyond thrilled with getti
ng to be backstage with Shadow Walker, Colby King, and several other stars she loved. Hearing them perform live was a thrill. Not that she’d never been to a concert, but she’d always been in the nosebleed section. Getting to hear them from this close was amazing. And Shadow was on another plane tonight. He was easily the best performer, hands down.
She watched as he danced and worked the stage and the crowd. He loved what he did. That was obvious. He was born to perform. As he finished his song and waved to the crowd, Riley grabbed a cold bottle of water and loosened the cap for him. He ran backstage, and she handed it to him. “I’m sure you need this.”
He grinned at her, sweat glistening on his jawline. “Thanks.”
As he drank, Riley pulled out a towel. She traded it for the half-empty bottle. Shadow patted his skin with the towel. “You know exactly what I want, when I want it. I think you’re part genie.”
“Oh, really?”
He leaned closer to her, a playful look in his eyes. “I’m also pretty sure Jalen’s not paying you nearly enough.”
Butterflies exploded in her stomach at his close proximity. He smelled of a cologne she was sure she knew but couldn’t place. It made her pulse react. “Just trying to be helpful.”
The noise from the crowd overpowered them. He glanced back at the stage. He seemed energized by the excitement. “I have one more encore to do, then I’ll be done.”
“How long do you need to stay at the mix-and-mingle?”
“I won’t have to stay long. If I walk through the crowd and shake hands, I should be good.”
“Okay. I’ll have more water for you in your tent.”
Shadow motioned to the beach. “They’ll have food and drinks at the gathering. Why don’t you run down and grab something to eat while I finish up on stage? I’ll join you when I’m done working the crowd. Maybe we can do something after.”
Riley nodded, her butterflies going crazy at the thought of spending more time with him after the party. She was pretty sure he was about to kiss her when Colby interrupted. Just the thought of Shadow’s lips on hers made her melt inside. She was pretty sure an actual kiss from Shadow Walker would send her into a state of bliss.
A Deception of Massive Proportion: A Romantic Comedy (The Billionaire Club Book 3) Page 8