Memory of a Melody

by Charli B. Rose

  A few silent moments passed before she said, “Maybe I should take Sydney’s advice.”

  “What? Drown your sorrows? I thought that’s what you were here for.” My brow wrinkled as I looked at her in confusion.

  “No. Well, yes, she did say that. But she said the best way to get over him …” Her face turned beet red.

  I nodded in understanding. “Was to get under someone else?”

  She nodded. Heat smoldered between us. My mouth went dry as her tongue darted out to wet her lips. Her hand around my neck tightened, drawing me closer.

  “Princess, are you propositioning me?” God, please let her say yes.

  The tiniest imperceptible nod from her sent my blood rushing south.

  Leaning down, I put my mouth right next to her ear. “Are you sure about that? You don’t seem like the kind of girl to pick up some guy in a bar.” She shivered in my embrace. My cock argued with my brain, begging me to shut up. I tilted my head back to look in her eyes.

  “I-I’m not. I’ve never even had a one-night stand. Never kissed on the first date. Never flirted with a stranger. Actually, I’ve never danced with a man I just met before. Normally, I’m actually quite dull.” She frowned.

  “I don’t believe that for one second. You just haven’t had the right motivation before.” I smirked at her. I let go of the hand that clutched hers against my pounding heart. My other hand squeezed her waist, pressing her tightly to me, letting her feel what her words were doing to me. Her eyes widened.

  I ran my fingers through my hair as I waged a war internally. She was not a hookup kind of girl. I should steer clear. “Want to see if we can check some of your nevers off that list, princess?”

  “Mm-hmm.” The sound of her answer reverberated against my chest.

  Movement over her shoulder caught my eye. Damnit. The rest of the guys were here. That meant I was going to have to let go of Willa sooner than I’d like.

  I pressed my lips to where her pulse fluttered in her neck. “The rest of my band just arrived. We’re on in like ten minutes. I’m going to give you time to think about how you want this night to end. I want you to be sure. How much have you had to drink tonight?”

  “Not enough to drown my sorrows if that’s what you mean. I only had the one cosmo.”

  “Good. I have to leave you for about thirty minutes. Go drink a glass of water and think. If you want to do more than dance with me, I want to make sure you’re sober.”

  ♪ Slow Dance by AJ Mitchell

  “OK,” she said with a smile. “You gonna sing me a song?”

  I played along. “Sure. What would you like me to sing?”

  “Hmmm. ‘Kiss the Girl.’” She giggled as the words left her mouth.

  “From The Little Mermaid?” my voice pitched up an octave and would’ve made any cartoon character proud.

  “Yep. I love Disney movies, and that’s my favorite one.” Her smile lit up the whole room.

  “I’ll see what I can do, princess. But I’m not kissing the girl until she’s stone-cold sober.”

  I pressed a kiss to her cheek, linked our hands and escorted her back to Sydney. With my lips next to her mouth, I said, “If you change your mind and want to just drown your sorrows and dance, that’s cool with me too.”

  She planted her lips softly on my cheek. “I’ll be waiting for you. I’m not changing my mind.” Her fingers squeezed mine before she let go and settled on the stool next to Sydney.

  “I’ll be back then.” I turned to leave as she ordered a water. Grinning like an idiot, I made my way toward the back to let the guys know about the minor change in our setlist. As I walked, I pulled up the lyrics to her song request. It had been a while since I’d watched the Disney animated movie about love under the sea.

  3

  Willa

  “Holy hell. When I told you to find a hot guy to get under, I didn’t really expect you to find one,” Sydney gushed and fanned herself as I sipped my water.

  I remained silent, letting the ice water cool my insides.

  “Where did he run off to anyway?” she asked, peering through the crowd.

  “Oh. You’ll love this. Mr. Hot and Hunky is about to go on stage in about five minutes. He’s in a band,” I informed her happily.

  Sydney had always had a weakness for musicians. “No fair.” Her lower lip jutted out in a pout.

  “Sorry, chick. This one’s mine.” My declaration was uncharacteristic, as demonstrated by Sydney’s jaw hanging open. Tonight I planned to be very un-Willa like. I needed to erase the memory of Cade’s betrayal that was singed in my mind and heart. I was going to get out of my head and not be me. Just for tonight. I’d go back to being responsible Willa tomorrow. Shaking my head, I winked at my stunned friend. “Now, let’s go get a front row seat and watch him serenade me.”

  I maneuvered my way through the growing crowd until I was front and center of the stage. As the band filed on the raised platform, the crowd around us grew, pressing against us. Trystan was the last to climb the steps off to the side.

  My heart stuttered at the sight of him with his guitar slung across his back. As he settled behind the mic, his eyes met mine, and he winked. He looked like a dream under the stage lights. His dark jeans hugged his legs and hips. The blue fabric of his shirt clung to the muscles moving beneath it as he grabbed the mic stand.

  “Hello, Mind Melders! How are you tonight?” he said.

  The crowd roared impressively for the size of the group. They obviously were fans of Trystan’s band.

  “I see some beautiful new faces out there tonight,” he said smoothly into the microphone, staring at me. “So, for those of you who don’t know us, we’re Tryst Disrupted. Are you ready to rock?”

  The answering cheer was deafening. With the ease of someone who’d done it a hundred times, Trystan slid his guitar around and across his chest. As he strummed the first note, I fell under his spell, mesmerized by the gravelly rasp of his voice and the hypnotic movement of his fingers on the strings.

  I sang along to the cover songs they performed, and I listened intently to the originals. He kept his eyes on me the whole time. And I adored the attention. I was no musical expert, but Trystan was on the edge of greatness. I could feel it.

  “You guys have been great. And I know you’ll show the same love for all the acts to follow. We’re going to play you one more song. It was actually a special request.” Trystan winked at me and started to play a rocking version of “Kiss the Girl”. I nearly swooned. All I could do was imagine his lips on mine—making me feel, making me forget. Helping me become someone else for a while.

  Sydney bumped my shoulder, but I didn’t even glance her way. Nothing existed in my world except crystalline blue eyes gazing into mine, lyrics to a kids’ movie soundtrack being sung soulfully to me, a smile meant for me, and a desire buzzing under the surface of my skin like ants marching.

  As the last note faded, my heartrate tripled. I was so out of my depth. And for some reason, I was anxious to let go.

  “Thanks again. Enjoy the other acts,” Trystan said before he stepped away from the microphone.

  “I’ll be right back,” he mouthed to me.

  I nodded in response.

  “Girrrrl,” Sydney said, drawing the word out. “That man wants you something fierce.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I answered, trying to play innocent.

  “Yes, you do. He was practically eye-humping you the entire time he was on stage. And then he played your favorite Disney song. If he had eyes for anyone but you, I’d try to get him to notice me.”

  I sighed. “I know. And his voice …” I rubbed my throat.

  “So, what are you going to do?” my partner in crime asked.

  Straightening my spine and drawing a deep breath, I fortified my resolve. “For once in my life, I’m going to go with the flow. I’m not going to worry about what everyone else thinks or would want me to do. I’m going to enjoy my night with a hot-as
-sin rocker. I’m not going to be heartbroken Willa. At least for one night.”

  “I’m going to need details tomorrow. All of them,” she demanded.

  “We’ll see,” I teased.

  A warm handed rested between my shoulder blades as Trystan sidled up next to me. “You stayed,” he said.

  “I did. And I drank all my water,” I said, holding up the empty glass.

  His eyes flared. “So, do you want to stay and listen to the next band or …”

  “Or do I want to get out of here? Collect on that kiss you promised to give me when I was sober?” I whispered so only he could hear.

  He gave a curt nod. “Yeah or those things?”

  “I choose door number two. Let’s get out of here.”

  His hand slid down my spine, sending a shiver in its wake. When it stopped at the small of my back, he slipped it around to grip my hip. “Don’t you want me to kiss the girl to see if we have chemistry before you walk out the door with me?”

  I turned so I was facing him fully and stepped forward until my chest was flush with his. “Oh, I want the kiss.” I licked my lips, and his nostrils flared. “But I don’t need a kiss to determine if we have chemistry—we’ve got that in spades. Don’t you feel it crackling like a live wire between us?”

  ♪ What am I? by Why Don’t We

  His hold tightened. His other hand tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. “Yeah, I feel it,” he murmured.

  “Now that that’s settled, let’s get out of here.” I started to turn toward the door.

  “Wait. Sydney, give me your number,” Trystan said, slipping his phone out of his back pocket.

  Sydney shot him a confused look but rattled off her number anyway. Trystan tapped away on his phone. A moment later, Sydney’s phone chirped with a new text.

  “I just sent you my full name, my number and my address. I want to make sure Willa feels safe leaving with me. That someone knows who she’s with and where she is. Oh, hang on.” He tugged me closer to him and pressed his cheek to mine. Holding his phone up, he took a selfie of the two of us, then he fired that off to Sydney’s phone too.

  “Thanks,” Sydney said to him. Looking in my eyes, she asked, “You OK?”

  “Better than OK,” I said, and I actually meant it.

  “Come on, princess. I live a couple of blocks away. But first …” He held open the leather jacket that was dangling in his free hand for me to slip my arms into. “It’s probably a little chilly out there by now.”

  The smell of leather and spicy man filled my nostrils as I took a deep breath. He wrapped his arm around my waist, his hand settling against my hip again. Though we’d only just met, the gesture felt as natural breathing.

  I threaded my arm around his waist, between his solid form and his guitar case, snuggling into his warmth as we left the noise of the bar for the sounds of the busy New York street.

  “So, that slight twang in your voice tells me you definitely aren’t a New Yorker by birth,” he said as we briskly moved down the sidewalk.

  “I’m from Kentucky. I moved to New York for college a few years ago.” I tilted my head back so I could see his face as I answered him. Sometimes yankees had a thing against southerners.

  “A southern belle, huh?”

  I chuckled. “I guess you could say that.”

  “So, what do you think of my fine city?” his voice rumbled next to me.

  “I love it. Though some of the people here could do with a dose of southern hospitality,” I teased as I hip-checked him.

  He peered down at me and pressed his free hand over his heart. “Well, bless your heart. Are you planning to give me a dose of that famous southern hospitality?” he proclaimed in an exaggerated southern drawl.

  A tingle raced through my body. Maybe it was the way he already felt comfortable enough to tease me. Maybe it was the desire and affection shining in equal parts in his ice blue eyes. Maybe it was lingering alcohol. Whatever it was, I liked it.

  “This is my building.” He steered us to an older, but well-kept apartment building. It looked to be in much better condition than the buildings across the street. Four concrete steps led us to the well-lit foyer. “You still sure about this? I can take you home if you’re not.” His face was thoughtful as he peered down at me.

  “Now you sound like a southern gentleman,” I joked, staring up at him.

  He studied me seriously. I licked my lips nervously. Heat flickered in his gaze.

  “I’m sure I still want to collect my kiss and cross some other first times off my list. So, let’s go inside,” I said in a husky voice.

  Our pace increased slightly as he directed me toward the elevator. Once we stepped inside the shiny, metal box, he slapped his palm against the six, then the door close button without looking at the panel. His stare was locked on mine. A feral hunger simmered between us. It crackled and jumped as he closed the distance separating us.

  When he finally pressed his body flush to mine, all the breath rushed out of my lungs. With one finger beneath my chin, he tilted my face up. “Willa,” he breathed against my lips. His face descended a few millimeters. “I’m so glad your ex is an idiot.”

  The mention of Cade should have acted like a bucket of ice water on the moment. But instead, I found myself having no damns to give about him or the demise of our relationship—which I would really need to examine under the light of day. Tomorrow.

  At the moment the only thing I wanted to analyze was the man in front of me. His touch, his scent, his sounds, his taste. I wanted to experience and know everything that was Trystan.

  I waited, poised on the precipice of a cliff and yearning for the kiss I’d been anticipating all night. He smirked down at me, as if he sensed my impatience. His tongue darted out, wetting his lips. How I wanted them on mine. Screw it.

  I planted a hand on the back of his neck and tugged his mouth to mine. But before the kiss could even begin, a loud ding sounded, and the doors slid open. Trystan smiled against my lips while I groaned in frustration.

  “Come on, princess.” He tugged me out of the elevator and down the hall to a door marked 615. A quick jingle of keys and a twist of the knob let us inside. A small lamp to the left cast the room in a soft glow.

  “After you,” he said as he held the door open for me.

  I stepped inside. The overhead light flickered and illuminated a space oddly clean for a single guy. I spun around, taking everything in from the light brown sofa to the flat screen TV to the family photos on the bookshelf by the window.

  “It’s not much, but it’s mine,” he said from behind me.

  When I turned back to him, he was surveying me in his space. “It’s nice. Feels homey. I like it. But I’d like it a lot better if you weren’t way over there.” I chewed my lower lip nervously, no doubt eliminating my lipstick.

  He slipped the guitar case from his back and leaned it against the recliner. Then he toed off his shoes. With a swagger becoming of a rock star, he sauntered over to me. “This better?” he asked when there were only a few inches between us.

  “Some,” I whispered. I stepped up against him and laced my fingers behind his neck. “But this is even better.” I smirked at him.

  “Wait.” He stepped back from me. “First things first, princess. Can you touch your pointer finger to your nose?”

  I frowned in confusion. “What?”

  “I need to make sure you’re sober. I don’t want you to have any regrets tomorrow,” he stated simply.

  My heart melted a little at his chivalrous nature. I held my arms out to my side, tilted my head back, lifted one foot then touched my pointer finger to my nose.

  When I opened my eyes, he was back in my space. His hands gripped my waist. “Impressive,” he mumbled against the skin of my neck. “Can you say the alphabet backward?”

  “I don’t think I could do that no matter what,” I answered with a laugh. “How about you?”

  “What about me? Can I say the alphabet backwards? Z, Y, u
m …” His mouth moved up to the sensitive skin behind my ear.

  “No. That’s not what I meant. Are you sober? I don’t want you to r-regret me in the morning,” I stammered.

  He lifted his head from the curve of my neck. Vulnerability pulsed through me as his eyes searched deeply into mine. “I’m definitely sober. I had one drink tonight, which I easily burned off dancing with you. And there is no way in hell I could ever regret you.”

  With that declaration, his lips descended on mine. The kiss was tentative at first, testing the weight and feel of my lips on his. When I thought I would die from anticipation, he finally licked the seam of my mouth. It parted on a moan, allowing him entrance. He took his time exploring my mouth as my blood heated.

  One of his hands traveled from my hip, up the bare skin of my back where the cut of my dress left the flesh exposed. The stroke of his roughened fingertips along my spine blazed a trail of heat that spread throughout my body.

  No longer cold, I shrugged my shoulders, causing his jacket to fall to the floor. I dragged my hands up his chest and over his shoulders so I could grip the hairs at the nape of his neck. I slipped my feet out of my heels, dropping my height a few inches and making me angle my neck back to keep our mouths fused.

  With a boldness I’d never possessed before, I stepped forward, pushing Trystan backward. Our lips never broke rhythm as we moved in the direction of his couch. After several steps, his legs bumped the piece of furniture. My hands drifted to his shoulders and pressed down, nudging him to sit on the sofa. I moved with him, straddling his legs. The rough denim scraped against my skin as I scooted closer to him.

  For once in my life, I allowed myself to just feel and enjoy without worrying about what anybody thought of me.

  ♪ Impulsive by Wilson Phillips

  4

  Trystan

  ♪ Nobody’s Perfect by Reklaws

  Briefly, I thought about the fact that I owed Chad one for calling me tonight and convincing me to come into the bar to perform. I hated even considering the possibility that I’d have missed out on meeting this woman.