The Duet

by R.S. Grey

  The knocking outside grew louder and then they started shouting our names along with a few choice expletives. We just kept right on ignoring them.

  “So you’ll be staying in LA?”

  He smiled. “Yes, but we’ll still take trips to Montana. The gang already misses you. Dotty refuses to take sugar cubes from anyone since you left.”

  I smiled. “On one condition,” I said, twining my fingers together behind his neck.

  “What’s that?” he asked with an arched brow. He knew I was putty in his arms.

  “We collaborate again.”

  He smiled, his brown eyes crinkling in the corners just before he bent down to kiss me.

  “You want to do another duet?” he asked skimming his lips against mine.

  “I’m thinking a whole album.”

  He groaned, working his lips up to my ear until I was shivering in his arms. “Let’s take it one song at a time.”

  “Perfect. That’ll be the name of our first song,” I joked.

  The pounding on the door threatened to break the door off its hinges.

  “Brooklyn Heart, get your ass out here right now! You just won Best Solo Artist of the year!” Summer yelled through the dressing room door.

  “Oh shit,” I gasped, jumping out of his arms and ripping the dressing room door open. There were two stagehands, Summer, and a show producer standing there with wide eyes.

  I sighed and propped my hands on my hips as if I’d been ready for days.

  “Outta my way people! I have an award to accept.”

  I tugged Jason along as I made my way through backstage. Hopefully the producers wouldn’t mind if he escorted me back on stage. I had a feeling this would be the last award I’d be winning as a solo artist and I wanted him standing by my side during the speech.

  …

  It was later, after I’d accepted my award with a bright smile and shaky hands; after Jason and I had taken our seats once again; after Cammie clutched my hand as they announced the nominees for Album of the Year, and after Jason’s name was announced once the thick envelope had been torn open.

  That’s when he took the stage with the crowd cheering him on. I stood up and whistled as best as I could (which is to say, not at all). His dark eyes locked with mine as he accepted the award and then he looked up to the faces in the crowd and took a deep, calming breath.

  Names rolled off his tongue as he thanked the label, his manager, agent, friends, and colleagues. And then his gaze fell on me and my stomach clenched in anticipation for what he would say.

  “I was once asked which I would pick if given a choice between experiencing love firsthand or writing about fictional love in my songs. At the time I’d chosen what seemed like the logical choice: to write. It’s what I’d done my whole life, it’s something I do every day.” His gaze never left mine as he held his Grammy in both hands. His dark eyes burned through me and I gripped the velvet seat beneath me for support. “But I was wrong. You can write one million songs about one million types of love, but none of those can compare to feeling it firsthand.” He lifted the Grammy up in the air and looked out into the expanse of people. “So this award is for the dreamers, and the romantics, that they may follow their hearts and not their heads, and seek to find a nonfiction love song of their own.”

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Epilogue

  “So you’re going to be my brother in law now?” Cammie asked as soon as Jason and I had joined her for breakfast. It’d been a week since the Grammys, and Jason and I had spent our days in bed alternating between writing and having sex. I have to say, it was a pretty great system and we’d already finished the first song for our next album. (A fact that our record label was ecstatic over.) After nearly wearing a hole in my mattress, we’d managed to extricate ourselves from my condo so that we could meet Cammie for breakfast.

  The bistro in downtown LA was bustling with families enjoying their meals. I glanced around the space, smiling at the lively atmosphere as our mugs were filled with steaming coffee.

  “Cammie, Jason and I have technically only been dating for one week. We aren’t getting married,” I told her once the waiter had walked away.

  She leaned back in her chair and stared between the two of us with a wide smile. “I give it a month.”

  Jason chuckled, but didn’t disagree. Dear God, would I be engaged in a month?

  No.

  Nope.

  Maybe.

  “Let’s order some food!” I exclaimed, a tad too loud for it to seem natural.

  “What do you guys have planned after this?” Cammie asked, pouring some cream into her coffee.

  I slid my gaze to Jason who was wearing a small smile, probably because of that new move I’d attempted in bed that morning… or maybe it was because Cammie was finally done threatening his life with poisoned fruit.

  “We’re going to go pick up Lacy and take her to the children’s museum. She’s been begging to see one of the new exhibits,” he said with a proud smile.

  “Sounds very exciting,” Cammie mocked.

  I kicked her under the table. “It’ll be fun.”

  “How does that arrangement work? You don’t have shared custody do you?” she asked.

  Jason shook his head. “Nah, I don’t have set times with her, but since Kim and her fiancé live thirty minutes away, they’ve agreed to let Brook and I take her out twice a month.” He shifted to look at me with a soft smile. “I never wanted to take her away from Kim, I just wanted to make sure I could still be a part of her life as she grew up.”

  “I see.” Cammie nodded. “If you guys want her to really like you, you should probably give her lots of candy. That’s more fun than a museum.”

  I gave her a death stare over the rim of my coffee mug.

  “Alright, fine, stick to the museum plan, but maybe supplement it with some ice cream after.”

  Jason laughed. “I think we can manage that,” he said, squeezing my hand gently.

  Cammie’s phone chimed on the table and she reached for it before I could grab it first.

  “What about our no phone at the table rule?” I joked.

  She didn’t answer me, instead, the relaxed smile she’d been wearing a moment before started to slip as she read through whatever email or text she’d just received.

  “What’s up?” I asked, leaning forward to see what she was reading.

  I managed to catch a glimpse of the Cole Designs logo at the top of the email before she pulled the phone away.

  “Nothing,” she lied. “Just a confirmation email concerning my interview time with Grayson next week.”

  Jason and I exchanged a glance.

  “How are you feeling about it?” I asked gently, hoping she’d finally offer me the truth. I knew she was nervous about the impending interview. I knew it had the ability to shape her career, but she was adamant about keeping a brave face.

  “I am feeling like I suddenly have no appetite,” she said, pushing the cup of orange juice away.

  “You’ll be great, Cammie. Don’t psych yourself out this early.”

  Jason nodded. “I can go over interview questions with you if you want.”

  She smiled up at him. “If you do, you’re going to need to put on a tailored suit, style your hair, and become a full-on asshole. That way, you can really prepare me for Grayson Cole.”

  “Cammie! He’s not that bad.”

  She flashed me a pointed stare. “You’re right. He’s worse. He’s treated me terribly over the last few years.”

  “How?” I asked, wanting her side of the story.

  “Mostly like I don’t even exist. He came to one of my architecture classes a few years back and after his lecture was over, I went up to the front of the room to say hi to him. He completely ignored me. I know he saw me, but he didn’t nod or anything. He walked right past me, talking with another student from my class.” She shrugged. “That was the day I finally decided that he and I would never be friends.”

 
; I frowned and held up my glass of orange juice for a toast, trying to lighten the mood. I’m sure there was a perfectly good explanation for why Grayson ignored her that day, but I couldn’t dispute the fact that the two of them had some serious tension to work out.

  “Well, here’s to Cammie, who will have an amazing interview next week, and who will undoubtedly land the job of her dreams,” I said with a wide smile.

  She clinked her glass against mine and added a second part to the toast with a wicked gleam in her eyes.

  “And who will put Grayson Cole in his place if it’s the last thing she does.”

  THE END

  Want more of Cammie and Grayson?

  Untitled (Coming Spring 2015)

  Five minutes until the interview begins.

  Fresh on the heels of her college graduation, Cameron Heart has landed an interview at a prestigious architecture firm.

  Four minutes until the interview.

  She knows she’s only there because the owner, Grayson Cole, is her older sister’s friend.

  Three minutes.

  For the last seven years, Grayson has been the most intimidating man Cammie has ever had the pleasure, or displeasure, of being around.

  Two Minutes.

  But the job opportunity is too good to pass up. So, Cammie will have to ignore the fact that Grayson is handsome enough to have his own national holiday.

  One.

  After all, she shouldn’t feel that way about her new boss. And, he will be her new boss.

  …

  “I’m not scared of you,” I said with a confident smile.

  “Perhaps we should fix that, Ms. Heart. Close the door.”

  ADD IT ON GOODREADS

  Acknowledgements

  (I put this in every book because it’s SO important.) To every reader that takes a chance on an indie author, thank you so much. It means the world to me that you took a chance on this book.

  To my family, for all of their unconditional support. Especially Lance, who gave me a year “to see if this writing thing could work out” and never once pressured me to go after a more reasonable dream.

  Mom, I’m listing you here because you always deserved to be thanked. You keep me sane on most days, and for that, I am grateful.

  Lance, you get a second mention. Thank you for reading and add your own humor to this book. You make my jokes 10x funnier.

  To Jenni Moen and Janosie (Josie) Bordeaux for being my two favorite author friends in the world. Thank you for being available at all hours of the day. Sure, most of what we talk about has nothing to do with writing, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world! Jenni, thank you, thank you for talking me through the beta changes for this book. Seriously.

  Thank you to all of my beta readers: Staci Brillhart, Stacey Lynn, and Brittainy Cherry! Your feedback was wonderful and truly, truly appreciated! Thank you for putting up with my changes and talking me through this book. You all helped bring this book to life.

  Thank you to my amazing editor over at Taylor K.’s Editing Services.

  Thank you to my awesome proofreaders at Grammar Inspection Task Force.

  GIANT thank you to my street team!!!! R.S. Grey’s Girls is such a fun group to be a part of. You all know how to make an author feel special!

  Jennifer Flory-Van Wyk, I cannot thank you enough. Every day you help spread the word about my books and it completely astounds me. Your generosity knows no bounds and I am ETERNALLY grateful!!

  Patricia Lee, you are a constant supporter and such a good friend to have in this writing community! Thank you so much for everything you do.

  Jamie Taliaferro & Gabbs Warner – I love you both so much!! Thank you for the amazing support!

  Danielle Vanzandt – thank you so much for taking it upon yourself to be my final proofreader for this book! I truly appreciate all of your support!

  Thank you to all of my fellow indie authors (within Author Support 101 & Write Club). I don’t think I’d have the energy to write without the help from all of you ladies. Thank you for providing support and a sense of community within a crazy world!

  Thank you to everyone who accepted an ARC edition of this book and who stayed with me for all the tweaks and changes!

  If you’re still reading these acknowledgements then you deserve a thank you as well, haha!

  Other Books by R.S. Grey:

  Scoring Wilder

  USA TODAY BEST-SELLER

  New Adult Sports Romance

  What started out as a joke-- seduce Coach Wilder--soon became a goal she had to score.

  With Olympic tryouts on the horizon, the last thing nineteen-year-old Kinsley Bryant needs to add to her plate is Liam Wilder. He's a professional soccer player, America's favorite bad-boy, and has all the qualities of a skilled panty-dropper.

  * A face that makes girls weep - check.

  * Abs that can shred Parmesan cheese (the expensive kind) - check.

  * Enough confidence to shift the earth's gravitational pull - double check.

  Not to mention Liam is strictly off limits. Forbidden. Her coaches have made that perfectly clear. (i.e. "Score with Coach Wilder anywhere other than the field and you'll be cut from the team faster than you can count his tattoos.") But that just makes him all the more enticing...Besides, Kinsley's already counted the visible ones, and she is not one to leave a project unfinished.

  Kinsley tries to play the game her way as they navigate through forbidden territory, but Liam is determined to teach her a whole new definition for the term "team bonding."

  **Recommended for ages 17+ due to language and sexual situations.**

  Available on: AMAZON

  With This Heart

  New Adult Romance

  If someone had told me a year ago that I was about to fall in love, go on an epic road trip, ride a Triceratops, sing on a bar, and lose my virginity, I would have assumed they were on drugs.

  Well, that is, until I met Beckham.

  Beck was mostly to blame for my recklessness. Gorgeous, clever, undeniably charming Beck barreled into my life as if it were his mission to make sure I never took living for granted. He showed me that there were no boundaries, rules were for the spineless, and a kiss was supposed to happen when I least expected.

  Beck was the plot twist that took me by surprise. Two months before I met him, death was knocking at my door. I’d all but given up my last scrap of hope when suddenly I was given a second chance at life. This time around, I wasn’t going to let it slip through my fingers.

  We set out on a road trip with nothing to lose and no guarantees of tomorrow.

  Our road trip was about young, reckless love. The kind of love that burns bright.

  The kind of love that no road-map could bring me back from.

  **Recommended for ages 17+ due to language and sexual situations.**

  Available on: AMAZON

  Behind His Lens

  Adult Romance

  Twenty-three year old model Charley Whitlock built a quiet life for herself after disaster struck four years ago. She hides beneath her beautiful mask, never revealing her true self to the world... until she comes face-to-face with her new photographer — sexy, possessive Jude Anderson. It's clear from the first time she meets him that she's playing by his rules. He says jump, she asks how high. He tells her to unzip her cream Dior gown, she knows she has to comply. But what if she wants him to take charge outside of the studio as well?

  Jude Anderson has a strict "no model" dating policy. But everything about Charley sets his body on fire.

  When a tropical photo shoot in Hawaii forces the stubborn pair into sexually charged situations, their chemistry can no longer be ignored. They’ll have to decide if they’re willing to break their rules and leave the past behind or if they’ll stay consumed by their demons forever. Will Jude persuade Charley to give in to her deepest desires?

  **Recommended for ages 17+ due to language and sexual situations.**

  Available on: AMAZON

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