Wild Chase (21 page)

Yup, I’m still confused.

“I’m not following…” I mumble, twisting my fingers in my lap nervously.

“I want to see what it sounds like with you taking on Avery’s vocal part on the track,” Jesse states slowly, waiting to see my response.

I must be dreaming right now. Pinching my arm I look down at the almost purple mark I leave behind.

Twisting my head back up to him, “Are you serious?”

“No, he can’t possibly be serious! Jesse, have you lost your mind? Don’t you think—A) you should check with your LEAD SINGER first! And—B) you need MY father’s permission before you do something like this!” Olivia seethes, standing to her feet and crossing her arms across her chest.

Jesse rolls his eyes and looks over at Avery.

“Olivia, he doesn’t need to ask me anything because I already know he’s right. I don’t expect you to understand. Her voice on the track is going to sound twenty times better than mine will. And secondly, we already have the other version nearly done. We can do it this way and see which one the label prefers when the time comes,” Avery says firmly, his eyes never leaving hers. She glares at him and then sits back down on the sofa, arms still crossed. Well, damn.

Adam does one of those whistle sounds and the she-devil glares at him, but he just turns around and winks at me.

“So?” he asks, raising his eyebrows.

My heart falls into my stomach and then shoots back up into my chest.

HOLY SHIT BALLS.

They are really asking me to sing on one of their tracks and I can’t remember how to breathe.

“Pretty please, with whipped cream and a cherry on top?” Jesse asks, pouting his full lips at me as he holds a hand out. As I take it, he pulls me up, out of my seat, and far too close to his own body than should be allowed in a room full of people. He watches me closely, his lips turning up into one of those sideways grins that I’m starting to like a little too much. When he flashes his almost perfectly straight white teeth at me and swipes his tongue across them, I get a glimpse of that tongue ring and my brain short circuits.

I bite the corner of my lip, nervously messing with my lip piercing, unable to think straight when he starts doing things like that. I think I nod.

“YES!” he breathes out, gripping onto my arms and quickly planting a kiss on my cheek.

He leans in next to Adam and Mike, and starts talking about the song. Avery crosses the room in a few steps and takes me by the forearm.

“I’ll take her in there guys,” he says, tugging me in the direction of the microphone on the other side of the glass.

When he opens the door and I take my first step inside, I almost forget that he’s even there. All of the guys’ instruments lay around the room and as I walk in, I ever so slowly trace my finger over the top of the neck of Jesse’s bass. I turn and see the microphone and my hands fly up over my mouth in an attempt to hide the emotion that’s bound to pour out of me at any given moment. Suddenly, Avery circles around me, standing between the glass and me so that no one can see anything but his back. He reaches up and grabs the headphones and gently places them around my neck, letting his hand slowly trace its way from my shoulder all the way down my arm. This one little movement sends shivers all the way up my body.

“You belong in here,” he says, his voice low and soft, caressing me in ways I know it shouldn’t. I place my hands on the headphones and look up at him, glad that he’s in here with me because I know he can see the tears welling up in my eyes, but he doesn’t pry. He completely understands just how incredible this moment is to me. As I pull the headphones up, he brushes my hair back for me and helps adjust them so that they fit my head. He smiles at me, in a way that looks like he’s proud and sad all at the same time. The back of his finger gently skimming along the side of my cheek before he lets his hand fall to his side. We take one final quiet moment together before he reaches back and presses a button on the wall.

“She’s ready,” he says before turning and walking back out of the door. Jesse comes over the speaker and I look up at him and grin.

“All right, Babe! First, the sheet with Avery’s part should be in that stack of papers in front of you. Second, go ahead and take a minute to warm up while we finish getting things ready.”

“Oh ok! Um, y’all aren’t gonna listen to me while I warm up, are you?” I ask with a nervous laugh. He smiles and I can see him laugh, but he doesn’t press the button, he just shakes his head no.

I give them a thumbs up as I watch Adam playing around with some headphones as he flops down into the chair I was in. Avery and Kennedy stand behind him, seemingly fascinated with Mike and Jesse’s conversation.

Taking a deep breath I close my eyes and start doing probably the stupidest warm up ever. I start rapping.

“Holy, fucking, shit…” Adam mutters, staring at Chase with a huge grin on his face. He taps Kennedy, and hands over the headphones. Kennedy places them up to his ear and his face lights up. Letting out a soft chuckle, he smacks Avery on the back and hands the headphones over. Avery pulls them over his head hesitantly, but then jerks his head around to look at the girl behind the glass.

“Un-fucking-believable!” he breathes, the amazement on his face blatantly obvious.

Adam stands up, takes the headphones off Avery, and plants them onto Jesse without any warning.

“What the—” Jesse starts before his eyes widen and his eyes look up at the girl with lavender hair. He stands to his feet, unable to take his eyes off her.

“I don’t understand why you guys are wasting your time on this girl. I don’t even see why you guys think she’s so talented!”

Adam, Avery, and Kennedy all turn around and gape at her. Avery leans up and presses a big red button and suddenly, Chase’s voice rings out throughout the room, half singing and half rapping to the song “Super Bass.”

Olivia stares through the glass as she listens to the girl belt her heart out. Her mouth falls open before she shuts it and frowns. Avery shakes his head at her and turns his attention back to Chase.

“Not only can she sing, but the girl can rap, too,” Adam says, giving Liv a cold shoulder as he turns back to watch Chase finish up.

“You don’t find someone like her every day. That kind of talent is something rare, Olivia. Like it or not, she’s about to be around a whole lot more,” Jesse declares, his blue eyes still stuck on the girl at the mic.

“Do you have any idea how incredible you were in there?” Jesse asks me as he pulls me out of the studio and into the hallway.

After a few takes, I’m almost dizzy and breathless and completely and utterly happy. For a little while, my entire world of problems just didn’t exist.

I grin up at him and shake my head no.

He shakes his head in disbelief and laughs, “Seriously? Well, you were. I could have watched you in there all day. I still can’t believe that you can rap!”

My eyes bulge out of my head, “YOU SAID YOU WEREN’T GOING TO LISTEN TO THAT!” I reach out and playfully smack him across the chest—his very firm chest.

Chuckling, “Well, I didn’t intend to, but I am so very glad that I did. It was hot.”

I feel my cheeks warm. I lick my lips and stare down at the floor for a minute.

“Go out with me,” he says, reaching out and twirling his fingers around with some of mine.

Our eyes meet and I almost feel sick.

I want to tell him yes, but my stomach is twisting around in knots.

No, butterflies.

Saying yes would be selfish and wrong on so many levels, CHASE
! my head screams as I debate on what to say to him…

His blue eyes are piercing their way through mine and I realize that I really do like this guy, and I should just be honest with him.

“Jesse, I— I don’t know that I… I’m not sure that I can do a relationship right now. It just… it wouldn’t be fair to you…” I say, hoping he doesn’t see how much more I’m not telling him.

A slight smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. “What if I told you that I don’t really do the relationship thing. Would that change your mind?”

Scrunching my nose at him, “What do you mean exactly?”

“Well,” he starts, licking his lips, “I don’t see why you and I can’t go out as friends and just have a good time, you know, and see where it goes. It doesn’t have to be serious, Melanie. I’m actually kind of relieved by your honesty.”

Arching my brow at him, my heart starts to beat a little faster. Is he suggesting what I think he’s… nah!

“So, you still want to go out on a date with me… but as friends… and not have a relationship?”

A devious smile appears on his face and he leans in close to me, “Well, not the kind of relationship you’re worried about having.”

My sweat glands pick up and suddenly it feels like I’m standing in a fire pit under 10,000 suns. Sweet Lord.

“Mel, I’m not trying to insinuate anything here, but I like you. I’d really like the chance to get to know you better, and I think you and I could have a lot of fun together,” his voice comes out low and rough as he takes my hand and raises it to his lips, slowly kissing the tip of my finger.

I tilt my head to the side and wonder what sort of alternate dimension I’ve fallen into.

On one hand, my obscenely horny friend, Victoria, was so wrong—I’m quite possibly about to ‘O’ right here in the damn hallway while he kisses his way down my hand to my wrist. Ok, maybe she was right. Maybe I am a tiny bit frustrated in that department and a quasi-non-relationship with this Adonis is exactly what I need.

On the other hand, I’ve admitted to myself that I do have feelings for Avery, and Jesse is his best friend. It would be insanely wrong to say yes and take this any further. I tear my gaze from my hand and look inside the little glass window and watch as Avery turns to Olivia and slips an arm around her waist. He pulls her close and kisses her on the forehead.

Ya know what, back to that first hand.

My full attention soars back to Jesse in the next second as I feel him nip gently at my wrist.

Oh my heavens.

“Yes,” I blurt out without hesitation. He leans his head back up, his black locks falling back slightly, revealing his sexy smile and I swear my legs start to shake beneath me.

“Tonight. Be ready by eight.”

Without another word, Jesse takes my hand in his and pulls me back into the studio with him. Everyone is standing around chatting, getting ready to leave for a lunch break. According to the guys, they have quite a bit of work to be done so they will be heading back here later.

Did I really just agree to go out with him? And not even go out, like go out… with intentions of sexy time! God, it’s getting hot in here again. I quickly fan at my armpits while no one’s looking.

My head is still swimming as I search the small room, looking for where I set my bag. My eyes reach the guys and my stomach drops as I watch Jesse elbow Avery and make a slight gesture toward me with a huge grin on his face. I don’t need to be a rocket scientist to figure out what he was telling Avery because Avery’s jaw tightens and his eyes search for mine.

I should be able to stand my ground and confront him,
Hey, you sexy, blonde, asshat! You’re damn right I have a date! You’ve moved on, and I should too, FRIEND!