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  All the lights are on in the home when I reach the front porch. I push the doorbell, then wait several minutes before I push it again. When no one answers, I try the handle, and sure enough, it’s unlocked. Kayla is crazy if she thinks to leave the doors unlocked up here is safe. I enter into a long, wide entrance. The floors are all hardwood, and the walls are made of logs. As I continue to walk in, there are tree trunks that double for pillars throughout the home. Several steps up lead me to another level, which contains a kitchen and dining room along with a large open living room with floor-to-ceiling windows and an enormous stone fireplace. It isn’t cold enough for a fire, but for some reason, Kayla has one going anyway. The black leather sectional faces the windows, which look out among the pines. I’m sure it’s beautiful in the daylight, but at night, all you can see is black sky and stars. To the right is another staircase that leads to a loft area that holds a pool table, a wet bar, and a laundry room. Another set of stairs leads you back down a level to a split-level sleeping area. Down one hall are four bedrooms, each with their own private ensuite. I hear music coming from the opposite direction, which leads me to the master bedroom. The walls are tongue and groove, and the ceiling is separated with box beams. A huge bed is standing against the far wall, French doors beside it leading to a balcony overlooking the forest.

  The smell of peach fills the room, and the closer I walk toward the bathroom, the stronger the smell gets. The hallway opens into the bath area, with his and hers closets on either side of the entrance. A private room holds the toilet, and a huge walk-in block shower fills the space. When I glance at the back left corner of the room, there is an opening leading to another room. This is where the music is coming from, and the closer I get, the louder it becomes. Candlelight fills the room, and in the corner, nestled between two glass walls and one wall made of slate, is a tub big enough to comfortably hold three people. The tub is filled with bubbles, and I can hear the jets moving the water around. Kayla lies there with her eyes closed, relaxing and oblivious to anything going on around her. My cock grows hard as I stand there looking at her, but my blood boils; not from excitement but from anger. I’m angry that she can be so careless to leave the front door unlocked and place herself in danger. I could be a rapist or a killer, and she would never know I’m there until it’s too late.

  I decide to teach her a lesson and quietly move through the room toward the bathtub. When I’m right next to her, I kneel and place my hand over her mouth. Kayla’s eyes immediately fly open and complete terror fills them. Once she realizes it’s me, the terror leaves her eyes and is replaced with rage. Slowly, I remove my hand from her mouth.

  “What the hell, Cayson? You scared the shit out of me. What are you doing here?”

  Guilt for scaring the shit out of her has me feeling bad for a moment, but only for a moment. “What the fuck, Kayla? Why would you leave the front door unlocked? I could have been anyone, and you could be dead already.”

  “I didn’t leave the door unlocked. I’m almost sure I locked it. Besides, you haven’t answered me. Why are you here?”

  Reaching behind me, I grab the towel from the shelf and hold it out to her. “Well, you didn’t lock the door; that is how I got in. I’m here because I told you I was coming for you. We need to talk, and I’m not leaving till you hear what I have to say.”

  Kayla reaches out with one arm, taking the towel from my hand, and with a less than pleasant tone, she orders, “Turn around so I can get out of the bath. Better yet, leave me alone in peace. I’ll meet you downstairs.”

  I can tell she’s still upset, so I do as I’m told and leave the room.

  Chapter 11

  Kayla

  Cayson scared the shit out of me. When I felt a hand go over my mouth and nose, I immediately knew I was in trouble. How the hell someone got in this house, I wasn’t sure. All I could do was pray that I’d still be alive tomorrow. Hell, they could take everything in the house; I’d gladly offer to help them load up their vehicle with the most expensive items I could find if that meant I would live another day. Seeing Cayson was the last face I expected to see. Relief filled me when I saw his blue eyes lustfully looking at me, but I pushed that aside and let anger take over. Who does he think he is sneaking in here and scaring the shit out of me?

  Standing in front of the mirror, I look at myself, not recognizing the face staring back at me. Mixed emotions wrestle between my brain and my core. The sexy vixen I didn’t know existed deep inside me suggests that I storm out towel-clad to find Cayson, stand before him, and drop my towel to expose my hardened nipples and pulsing sex, and let him ravage me. But it isn’t long before my brain stomps all over the advice my inner core is giving me, so I dress in a pair of yoga pants and a T-shirt before I go in search of Cayson.

  I find him sitting on the sofa by the fireplace, holding my book in his hands and staring at what I’ve written to him. When I clear my throat, Cayson quickly shuts the book and places it on the table in front of him.

  “Why, Kayla?” he asks, his voice laced with something that sounds like sadness.

  “Why what, Cayson?”

  “Why end the book the way you did? Why not give Richie and Lara a happy ending?”

  I don’t know how to answer the question. I’ve written and re-written the ending so many times until, in the end, I knew there could be no happily ever after. “Because you showed me that life can be ugly and messy, Cayson, that’s why.”

  Yeah, Cayson Razor has shown me that life and love can be ugly. That no matter how much I wanted a happily ever after for the characters and myself, it just wasn’t possible.

  “Look, Cayson, that last day with you was amazing. I felt connected to you like I’ve never felt with anyone, but it also obliterated my heart.”

  Cayson takes several steps toward me but then stops when my body goes taut with apprehension.

  “I was embarrassed when everyone came back to the bus, and yes, I didn’t want them to know that I was so foolish to sleep with you, but I never expected to experience the intense loneliness I felt the minute you walked out the door.”

  I watch as Cayson’s Adam's apple lifts and drops in his throat before he hangs his head. Tears well in my eyes and begin to drop down my face as I continue.

  “I cried so hard in the Uber that the driver pulled over just to make sure I was alright when I wouldn’t respond to his questions. I couldn’t stop crying, no matter how hard I tried. It wasn’t until I was standing in the check-in line at the airport and I saw all the people waiting in line whispering about me that I snapped back to reality.”

  Cayson’s head snaps up and his eyes lock with mine. There are devastation and hollowness is the blue pools that look back at me. I can’t let that stop me from finishing what I have to say.

  “I could hear your voice in my head saying ‘This is the real world, Kayla. Not everything is as happy as you write about in your romance novels.’ You were right; not everything would ever be alright again.”

  Three steps, that’s all it takes before Cayson is on me. His mouth covering mine, his lips pressing down forcibly, begging for me to kiss him back. I feel my resolve give way as his hands clamp down on the sides of my head, his fingers tangling in my hair. My lips part, granting him access to my tongue, and the kiss grows desperate. Moans reverberate through the room until Cayson pulls away to look in my eyes.

  His thumbs brush the tears from under my eyes as he speaks. “I’m so sorry, Kayla. I never meant to hurt you that way. I never stopped to think that you would believe my leaving you alone meant I didn’t care for you.”

  His eyes search mine, for what I don’t know. When it appears he doesn’t see what he’s looking for, he continues, “When I got back to the bus and found you were gone, it killed me. Then I found your notepad with your story in it, and all that did was leave me more confused. I could tell the story was about us, but it just stopped, and I had no idea what to do.”

  “Why, Cayson? Why didn’t you call me, text me, a
nything to let me know that I wasn’t just another piece you conquered?”

  “PRIDE.” One word is all Cayson says. Just hearing him say that word pisses me off. I can’t stand to have his hands on me any longer, so I push them away and turn so I’m not facing him anymore. I need to calm down and collect my thoughts before I say something stupid. My heart is obliterated because of his pride, and now here he stands before me asking for forgiveness.

  “Your pride, Cayson?” I yelled as I turn to face him once more. “Not once did you even think to yourself that maybe, just maybe, you would want to find out why I left without saying anything to anyone?” I push my fingers into his chest with extra force. “Decency. Do you even know what that word means?” I poke him two more times. “The decent thing would have been to reach out and make sure I was alright. But NO, I never heard from you, and now you’re here for what? Forgiveness?”

  This time, I push him with all my might, but it doesn’t move him. Cayson’s hands quickly grasp my wrists and pull them tight to his chest.

  “You’re right, Kayla, about everything. I should have called or at least texted, but I didn’t, and by the time I grew a pair and realized that the best thing to ever happen to me had walked out of my life, I was scared.”

  Cayson lowers his forehead to mine. “I was too afraid that you would tell me to go to hell. I’ve never felt for someone the way I feel for you. The only thing I could think of was that as long as I didn’t give you a chance to tell me to go to hell, I’d still have a chance to make it right someday. Please tell me I haven’t lost that chance.”

  His breath is hot on my face, his lips just millimeters away from mine, but I can’t give him the answer he needs. “I don’t know if you can ever make it right, Cayson.”

  His lips brush against mine tenderly. “Please, just give me a chance, Kayla. Give me a couple of days here with you just to show you that I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make this right. To make you mine.”

  I can’t speak the words without my voice betraying how I really feel about his confession, so I just nod a timid yes in response.

  Chapter 12

  Cayson

  I can’t believe that Kayla is willing to give me a chance to make things right. I thought I had lost that chance forever, so when she nods, giving me the opportunity to spend just a few days with her to show her she means everything to me, I drop to my knees, pull her close to me, and hold her. When I feel her hand graze the top of my head, I think I’m going to lose it right there and cry like a baby.

  Kayla makes us dinner that night, and we sit at the dinner table just talking as if nothing has happened between the two of us. It’s hard for me to open up and share with her that she was one hundred percent right when she said that maybe my father wasn’t the innocent victim in the divorce between him and my mom. I even find it hard to swallow when I have to admit that maybe, just maybe, I have been the one with skewed visions of what the real world is like.

  It’s me who finally suggests we call it a night. I watched her secretly yawn several times, and her eyelids are getting heavier with each passing moment, so I stand and say, “Good night,” as I press my lips to her forehead and head out of the kitchen. Just before I leave the room, I hear Kayla say, “Good night, Cayson,” so I stop to look over my right shoulder and wink at her then head up the stairs to find the first spare room with a comfortable bed in it and pass out.

  When I awake in the morning, I’m still wearing the same clothes I did the night before. The house is silent, so I take the opportunity to grab my bag from my car and shower and change. It’s still quiet by the time I finish and make my way downstairs. My cooking skills are nonexistent, but I can make a mean pot of coffee, so I do.

  I sit quietly drinking a cup of coffee and running through my head all the things I have to make sure I complete before I leave here and leave town to go on tour. Everything has to be settled between Kayla and me, or I’ll risk losing her to someone else. Particularly Randy, who texted several times last night and is causing Kayla’s phone to vibrate on the counter this morning. I couldn’t see the texts she received last night, but the ones this morning piss me off.

  The first comes at around seven thirty.

  RANDY: Morning, sexy. I waited for you to call me like you said you would, but I guess you got busy and forgot. Here’s a reminder of what you’re missing.

  A picture of his junk semi-aroused pops up on the screen and is followed by another text a few minutes later.

  RANDY: We both miss you terribly. Call me when you get up.

  I’m tempted to reply to his text with a GO TO HELL, since Kayla doesn’t appear to have her phone password protected, but I think better of it.

  This guy is a douche; it takes one to know one, so I’m positive of my assessment. Who sends photos of their dicks to women? I think but then quickly push the thought out of my mind because it’s a stupid question. I’m sure that I would if I weren't afraid it would end up on TMZ and all over the Internet. I’m pretty proud of my shit, and if I thought it would impress Kayla, I’d send her one every night I’m on the road, but somehow it just doesn’t seem like she would be one to be impressed by a dick pic.

  Kayla’s phone vibrates once again, pulling me from my thoughts. Curiosity getting the best of me has me walking to the counter to see who is sending her another text. This one is from her mom.

  MOM: Brenda said Cayson was on his way up there. Did he arrive? Is everything OK? Be nice to him, hear what he has to say, and then decide what you want to do. Remember, men are the inferior species, and they are emotionally unintelligent when it comes to matters of the heart. Well, all of them except your dad. He’s a genius. Love you, baby girl. Call me later.

  I stand there staring at the phone thinking my mom needs to keep her mouth shut and silently thanking Mrs. Marshall for at least telling her daughter to give me an opportunity to speak when it vibrates once more.

  RANDY: You still sleeping, beautiful? I miss you. Call me.

  “What are you doing?” The sound of Kayla’s voice startles me, causing me to knock my cup of coffee off the counter. “Why do you have my phone in your hand?” she asks skeptically but then shrieks when she sees the picture of Randy’s dick. “Oh, my God, is that what I think it is?” Kayla asks, placing her hand over her mouth.

  She is so cute when she’s embarrassed. Her cheeks are tinged pink, and her eyes look as if they’re ready to pop out of her head. “Yep,” I reply, “your boyfriend misses you something fierce, but I’m not sure his cock quite got the message, since it’s still a little soft.” I can’t help but laugh out loud.

  Kayla quickly snatches the phone from my hand and glares at me. “I can’t believe he would send something like that, and he is not my boyfriend. We’ve just gone out a few times.”

  “Well, ignore his texts and read the one from your mom. I like her message,” I tell her as I walk toward the sink to grab some paper towels to clean up my mess. Kayla isn't’ paying attention to me; her fingers are quickly moving on her phone as she texts something in reply. To whose message, I’m not sure, and it doesn't make me happy.

  “I’m going to go get us some breakfast. There’s a little diner in town that has amazing food, my mom says.” Without thinking twice of it, I grab my keys out of my pocket and place a gentle kiss on Kayla’s cheek before I leave.

  “I feel like a spoiled princess,” Kayla tells me as we sit on the porch watching the sun go down. “You’ve been waiting on me hand and foot all day today. Don’t think just because you are being so nice, I’m going to let you sleep in my bed tonight.”

  She’s right. I have been waiting on her hand and foot today. For lunch, we went to the casino and gambled a bit and ate. For dinner, I took her to a quiet restaurant on the outskirts of town. And now, we’ve been sitting together in the wicker lounger relaxing. I won’t lie and say I haven’t thought about taking her to bed all day long, but I know I won’t act on it. “I wasn’t planning on sleeping in your bed toni
ght, princess,” I tell her with a quirky little smile.

  “I find that very hard to believe.” Kayla laughs

  “Honestly, I wasn’t. But that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t give in and do it if you begged me,” I say as I stand and walk through the French doors. “I mean, if you needed me to hold you all night long, I could inconvenience myself to make you happy.”

  I’ve only made it a few steps in when a shoe flies past my head. “Hey, now,” I call out but keep walking toward the kitchen. Once inside, I grab a bottle of beer for each of us and a bag of chips. It’s getting late, but I’m not ready to call it a night just yet, and I don’t think Kayla is either.

  Once the sun set, it got cooler outside. There is a gas firepit on the patio that I click on as I sit down and hand Kayla her beer. Today has been fun, but now it’s time to have a serious conversation. Kayla places her head on my shoulder and takes in a heavy breath and lets it out. “Kayla,” I utter, “this right here, you curled up with me, today, spending all our time together. This is what I want.”

  She pulls away from me and sits up, looking at me with a puzzled look. “I want more days like this, Kayla. I think I know you well enough to know that even though you may have forgiven me, you haven’t forgotten how I treated you. Today doesn’t make up for any of that, but I want us to try dating. It’s a new concept to me, I’ll be honest, but I want to do it. With you. I want to spend my time with you when I’m not on the road. I’d even like it if you’d consider coming on the road with us for a couple of weeks.”