In Tune

by JN Welsh

  She fumbled with the earbuds. “What the...”

  “According to Sara you’re not supposed to have this. At least, not until you’ve finished working.”

  Leona’s heart rate settled. “Sara’s on her way to Nashville. When did she tell you that?”

  “She sent me a text about an hour ago.”

  “From the plane?” Leona asked.

  Luke shrugged then pulled out his phone and read the text. “Leona likes sweets. Please don’t let her eat any until she finishes her work. She’ll understand.”

  Leona sniggered at Sara’s neuroticism. “I have to approve this so Sebastian can run it. I’m almost done.”

  Luke peered over her shoulder. “What is that?”

  “Footage of you. Now that you’ve done a few concerts, we can put those clips together for a video series. They’ll be online for the fans and we can use them for marketing ramp-ups to build pre-show excitement.”

  “Cool.” Luke still cupped her treat.

  “Don’t you have stuff to do for your show tonight?” Leona reached for her bowl.

  Luke dodged her hands. “What’s the story with this? Why aren’t you supposed to have it? Are you dieting or diabetic?” His curious, but mischievous smirk dimpled the space between his brows.

  “Just give it to me.”

  “Answer me first,” he said. When she didn’t respond he heaped a spoonful of the dessert into his mouth.

  “Okay, okay.” Leona sighed. “I’m kind of sensitive to sugar. I’ll be turned up for a bit, but after I finish eating that bowl of good deliciousness, I’ll probably take a nap. Sara calls it my happy sugar coma. That’s why she wants me to finish working.”

  “So, why do you eat it?” He chewed.

  “Because I enjoy it. Now, hand it over.”

  Luke eyed the screen. “Have you finished working?”

  “Almost. That’s why I’m eating it slowly but it’s no good to me if it’s all melted, so...” Leona wiggled her fingers at the bowl.

  Luke didn’t comply. “Can I see how they captured the concerts?”

  “Grr.” Leona side-eyed the chair next to hers.

  Luke sat down and then handed her the bowl.

  Glee lifted her cheeks. Once again reunited with the plastic bowl, she readied the spoon with its gooey chocolaty chunks.

  “Addict,” he accused, humor teasing the corners of his lips. “That shit is way too sweet. Try some berries next time.”

  “Don’t be jealous.” Her eyes crossed and drooped closed as the spoon disappeared into her mouth. “Mmm. It’s so good.”

  With a touch of a smile on his lips, his eyes lingered on her mouth. “Show me.”

  Leona unplugged the earbuds so Luke could listen to the soundtrack. The video was only about three minutes, but was packed with footage from the concerts, backstage, the tour bus, air travel, and spontaneous interactions with the fans.

  “I only have some minor notes. You have some of the best people in the business on this team. Your image is in good hands. They do a great job for you.” She shoveled in another liquid bite. Had Luke not been there, she might have taken the bowl with its melted contents to the head, but she refrained.

  “We.” He focused on the screen. “You should include yourself in that statement.”

  His kindness was freaking her out so she used the tactic that had been successful over the past month—focus on the work. She set her dessert aside to craft an email about the montage. “Do you have any comments or suggestions?”

  Luke shook his head. “No. It’s great. Do you mind if I watch it again?”

  “Knock yourself out.” Leona hit send and clicked to reset the video. “It’s all yours.”

  She moved from the table to the small couch and rested her head against the cushion. The last thing she remembered was Luke bobbing his head to his music in the video.

  * * *

  “She wasn’t kidding.” Luke stood over Leona’s sleeping figure. She neither responded to his voice nor his attempts to shake her awake.

  He packed her equipment and collected the other items she had with her. She didn’t budge when he hauled her over his shoulder. Wisps of her familiar sweet, floral perfume flooded his nostrils. He secured her against him by the back of her thighs. His palm itched to clasp her rear, but he could successfully transport her to his room without the complimentary cop-a-feel.

  The closed curtains darkened his spacious suite and he laid Leona on the white duvet. He held her at the ankles to remove her sandals and then unfastened her bracelet, placing it on the desk.

  Once he made her comfortable, he went back to the conference room and retrieved Leona’s equipment.

  For the past week, Miami had been in a perpetual heat wave and today was no exception. The air-conditioning blew on high yet the humidity still made the atmosphere moist and muggy. He regarded Leona’s peaceful figure and recalled how she’d licked the spoon clean after he’d returned her dessert. Had she tasted him? His dick jumped and he forced himself to settle down. He shed his pit-soaked tee shirt and tossed it aside. He kept his shorts on and sat in a corner armchair in case Leona woke up, surprised to be in his bed. She was in his bed and he wasn’t?

  He stashed the dangerous thought away and opened his laptop in the dark room to work on his set list. Once he had a few tracks lined up, he listened to the song progression in his headphones. Every so often, he observed Leona. Her torso, fitted in a short-sleeved pink shirt, rose and fell with her breathing. Her navy blue knee-length cargo pants covered legs that were elegantly folded into a slight fetal position.

  After the initial turbulent start, his tour was running smoothly. Leona had set a tone of excellence and ran a tight ship. He had learned firsthand why she was the best. With every tour date, the attendance to his shows, his popularity, and his confidence in Leona grew.

  He should be happy but his big goals loomed ahead, and with them, accomplishments he hoped would make things better for his family. His chosen career path hadn’t come without some casualties. Though his parents and sister had been supportive, explaining to their friends and family members that “Luke was doing his music thing” had always been a pain point. This had to be the year where his success wasn’t in doubt.

  He’d made the mistake of thinking that Ivy could not only help him achieve his goals but share his life with him, too. His niece and nephew were great and he’d always wanted a family of his own, but when he and Ivy split, the betrayal left him at a deficit—a deficit that lessened each day on tour with Leona. Leona gave him hope that achieving his goals was possible, exciting even, and he had no complaints—none, except for one.

  Despite efforts to stay focused on the tour, the more time he spent with Leona, the harder it became to deny his attraction to her. He couldn’t get off track, but the fact that they were alone and apart from the rest of the tour roadies hadn’t slipped his mind and she was so close—too close.

  Leona began to stir.

  He sat still and waited.

  * * *

  Leona’s eyes cleared and adjusted to the dark room. How did she end up in bed? This wasn’t even her bed...or her room. She sat up and rubbed her face.

  “Where the fuck am I?” Her heart thudded against her rib cage.

  Someone chuckled in response.

  “Relax, Leona. You’re in my suite.”

  She directed her attention to the voice in the shadows to find a computer screen illuminating Luke’s face. “Why am I here?” Her throat was dry and hoarse from sleep.

  “You were knocked out. I wasn’t comfortable leaving you in the conference room, so I brought you here,” he said.

  “Why didn’t you wake me?” Leona knew she was impossible to wake after having too much sugar.

  “I tried.”

  “Why didn’t you just bring me to my room?”r />
  “A few reasons. I wasn’t going to frisk you to find your room key and I had to carry you,” he said. “You’re only light for about five minutes. My room was closer.” The humor in his voice validated that she hadn’t dreamt the friendliness they’d shared when she’d showed him his video medley.

  “Oh.” She tossed a sheepish smile in his general direction because she couldn’t fully see him and plucked the hem of her shirt. “Hey, I’m sorry you had to take care of me. I should get going.”

  “Stay, Leona.” Luke’s tender command tensed and enticed the muscles in her body, from her big toe all the way to her hairline. “You’re already in bed and resting.”

  Leona jumped out of the bed and attempted to flee the heady trance of his voice. “The last thing either of us needs is a rumor about me doing the walk of shame from your hotel room, especially given your conditions. You never know who’s watching.” She was unable to locate anything else in the seductive lighting. “Where’s my stuff?”

  Luke pointed next to him. “Everything is right here.”

  Of course...right next to him.

  Leona almost bumped into a lamp. She needed light and groped for the switch. Squinting from the initial brightness, she refocused to find Luke shirtless and sitting with one leg crossed over his thigh. He shielded his eyes from the light.

  Leona hesitated, absorbing Luke’s tatted skin and prowess. She’d seen half-naked men before but Luke’s effect on her was concerning. Not only was she hotter than doughnut grease, but Luke’s words impacted her decisions—like whether to leave or not. She inched closer to the desk where her jewelry was organized and neatly displayed. Her heart leapt in her chest. Luke had gone out of his way to make her comfortable. She peered at him, but didn’t ask him the rhetorical questions.

  “Thanks.” She shifted from one foot to the next, rattled by his care for her and her things. She fastened her bracelet and slid her feet into her shoes, struggling to slow her shallow breaths.

  “It’s cool, Leona.” Luke rose to his feet and laid his computer down on the chair.

  She wished he had stayed seated because all he had on was a pair of shorts. The waistband hugged his hips, but the invitation of his chiseled pelvic muscles and the full visual of body art ignited a fire at her core.

  “Why aren’t you wearing a shirt?” Her accusation fell to a whisper as she reached for her bag.

  “The humidity. I keep sweating through everything.” His voice dropped to an oozing caramel octave and he stepped so close to her that his size filled her entire vision. “Does it bother you?”

  “No, I—I...” The butterflies in her stomach fluttered up, choking her words. She thought of backing away, but her fascination with what might happen next not only transfixed her in place but also had her leaning toward him, summoning him.

  Luke responded with blurring speed, seizing her face as he brought her lips to his. The initial connection between them was crushing, amateur and desperate as he devoured her. He opened her mouth and his probing tongue wrestled with hers, deepening the kiss. His heavy nasal breathing hummed over the air conditioner and the warmth and savory taste of him overwhelmed her senses. She had wanted this from the first time they’d met, since the last time they’d kissed.

  “Luke,” she mumbled against his mouth, and her hands flew to his head, raking through his soft dark brown hair. She tried to separate but the taste of him was more drugging than any sugar she’d indulged.

  Her hands had ached to grasp his waist again, ever since day one of the tour when she almost fell in the corridor. She explored the carved muscles there and drew him closer. Luke obliged, aligning his pelvis against her hip. A moan escaped her lips at his hardness. His mouth left hers and traveled to her neck.

  “We shouldn’t,” was her weak protest as Luke planted delicious wet kisses down to the top of her shirt. Her head fell back in lustful submission.

  “Yes, we should.”

  In one motion Luke supported her seat, lifted one of her legs, and spun her onto the mattress. Her ass bounced when it hit the cushioning, and she yelped. Luke’s hand slid under her shirt and over her breast. His touch increasing her already erratic pulse. She lifted slightly and peeled her shirt up and off, tossing the material to the side. He marveled at her black-satin-adorned chest before pressing her backward.

  Luke hovered above her but not for long. Leona obeyed the voiceless command, scooting back to lie against the already ruffled duvet. She fought to reconnect with his mouth, punishing his lower lip for leaving with a not too gentle bite. A moaning sigh escaped him and the sound thrilled her.

  Sliding her fingers over his perspiring chest, Leona reveled in the feel of his tightening pectoral muscles. She had dreamt about how he would feel and the real thing was better by far. Her hands curved around his waist and down to his muscular ass. He hastily unbuttoned his shorts to give her access to him. She reached inside to feel him and pushed the material down to expose his ass.

  “Fuck, Leona.”

  She didn’t have to look to see his hard-on through his shorts. She felt every titanium inch of him against her leg.

  Luke wiggled between her legs as they kissed. He propped himself up with one hand while the other traced her cheek, her neck and down further to her breast where he squeezed her through the satin material. His fingers curved over the top of the bra cup rim and yanked downward, revealing her dark, hardened nipple. He teased the sensitive button with his knuckles before he enveloped it in his mouth. Time stopped as the sensation of his hot suckling mouth halted her breathing. Leona’s hand flew to his head, encouraging him to continue.

  “Luke.” Her words were drenched in surrender. She sucked in air as if minutes had passed since she breathed, and with it the spices of his intoxicating fragrance.

  Luke worked the button of her pants and his hand slid against her belly and inside her panties. She spread her limbs to allow his fingers access to her center. She writhed under the skill of his caress. Her moans vibrated against his mouth as his kiss fogged her brain.

  “You’re so wet, Leona.” He pulled his finger from her and began to wrestle her pants down.

  The separation gave her the time she needed to regain her senses.

  Leona scrambled to sit up. “Shit! Luke, I can’t. We can’t.” She maneuvered her leg around him and hustled off the bed. Her pussy screamed, “No! Go back,” but she dashed past the desire. She searched for her shirt and gulped in air to clear her head. “Oh my God.” She still tasted him and yearned for his kisses. “You’re my client. We have an agreement.”

  Luke moaned facedown into the mattress where she left him. The scrumptious round mound of his butt tempted her like her mother’s pot roast. He eventually tucked himself back into his bottoms and positioned himself to sit on the bed. The hardness between his legs creased the material of his shorts.

  “Don’t worry about the agreement,” he said.

  She found her shirt and put it on. “What?” She forced her eyes to his. He was way too calm for someone who had been so adamant about banning her from sex. Had he forgotten that the conditions applied to him, too? “Why would you say that? We signed a legally binding contract preventing us from having sex. The one where—” Leona stopped.

  Luke scratched his head and remained silent. Was that guilt dusting his face?

  “Wait a minute.” Leona mulled over the condition again and again until realization hit her. “That condition doesn’t mention the artist like the others do. Staff or fans, yes, but not you.”

  “That’s correct,” he said.

  Leona crossed her arms as her brain figured out the equation. “So basically, I can have sexual relations with you and you alone, just not on premises or at locations associated with the tour.” She scanned the room. “Like here.”

  “Also correct.” His palms rested on the bed to support his weight, unaffected by her epip
hany.

  “Sonofabitch! You set me up.” She was aghast by the manipulation.

  “I did no such thing, Leona. You did when you asked that the condition apply to me, too.”

  “But you knew and chose not to disclose it.” Leona grabbed her computer bag from the table. “Why would you do that?”

  “I have my reasons for those conditions.” Luke dragged himself up.

  “You didn’t answer the question. Why, Luke?”

  He jutted his head to the bed. “Do I really have to answer that?”

  She waited, shifting her stance into her hip.

  “Because ever since we met all I’ve wanted to do is touch you.”

  “But you hated me when you met me.”

  “No. I hated Paul and your connection to him. I am...was seconds from shaking the sheets with you.”

  “You actually say that to people?” Their attraction was obvious, but he’d deceived her.

  “We could see the loophole as an opportunity.” Luke fluttered his eyebrows.

  “Opportunity?” Leona gathered her things. “You know what? You can go shake the sheets alone.”

  “Leona,” Luke called, following her to the door.

  “The car will pick us up. Be in the lobby by eleven.” She opened the door and tried to slam it but the safety slowed its movement, making her exit less dramatic and pissing her off even more. Luke’s amusement chased her but she didn’t turn back.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Leona slammed her bags on the couch in her suite and attempted to pull her hair out. “Aaarrgh!” How had she let such an important nuance in the addendum slip by? She recalled the meeting when Tommy reacted to Luke’s speedy agreement. That was her red flag and she had let it go unchecked.

  “Damn it.” She paced back and forth. Even now, after finding out about his omission, she wanted him to consume her as he’d done moments before. Her eyes glistened, angry and frustrated from being handled and aroused by the same man who had manipulated her.

  Take a breath, girl.

  Luke called the loophole an opportunity. The seed of his suggestion grew. He’d admitted his desire to touch her. Perhaps she could have her cake and eat it, too. Why not follow Luke’s lead and fulfill her desires with him away from the tour.