Before they could speak, Sean’s voice reached her, and she couldn’t help it; she turned around. “Tonight,” he said into the microphone, “I hope you’ll humor me. I want to try something a little different.” Without further preamble, he started playing sweet, melancholy chords, strumming the guitar with his eyes closed.
Amy didn’t recognize the song, but she found herself listening intently to the lyrics as she stared at Sean, wondering what it was about him that continued to draw her eye.
“Thought I found a girl for a weekend, a fling,” Sean crooned softly. “A girl for a little fun and no strings.”
Amy pulled her eyes away from the stage. “What’s the song?”
“Shh!” Carol almost squealed. “You’re not listening.”
Amy glanced at Sharlene, but her friend just tipped her head back toward the stage with a secret smile, and Amy turned around in her seat.
“Couldn’t see what a beautiful thing I had, but I’m usually blind. No matter what I did, couldn’t get her out of my mind.”
Amy bit her lip, mesmerized by Sean’s words.
“But she’s more than a sometimes girl, more than once in a while.” Sean opened his eyes, and his gaze locked on Amy. “I want to be the million reasons that make her smile,” he sang, a grin slipping onto his face. He reached over and unplugged the guitar from his amp, and then he strolled off the stage, still strumming as he headed straight for Amy.
Her heart was racing, and she replayed the lyrics in her mind as Sean got closer to her. He couldn’t be talking about me, she thought, shifting nervously in her chair. Besides, Joanne said he never writes his own songs anymore.
Sean stopped in front of her, looking like the hottest wandering troubadour Amy could imagine, and, deliberately, he sang the next lines as he stared at her. “I thought I missed my chance, wasn’t looking for romance, but girl, you got under my skin and into my heart.”
Amy licked her lips nervously, but she couldn’t take her eyes off of him, and Sean leaned closer.
“I’m ready if you are to make a fresh start. And I’m not just talking about a weekend kind of fling,” he sang, his blue eyes nailing her to the spot. “I’m finally ready for the real thing.”
Breathless, Amy stared into his face. This can’t be happening; things like this don’t happen in real life! Sean stopped playing and lifted his guitar over his head, handing it to Roxy without breaking eye contact with Amy.
“So,” he said, his lips quirking up into a slow smile, “what did you think of the song?”
Amy finally remembered how to speak. “Beautiful.” She paused, but she had to be sure. “You wrote it?”
He nodded. “For you.”
Her heart melted, and all of her fears fell away. With a big grin, she jumped up, nearly knocking her chair over, and threw her arms around Sean’s neck.
His smile stretched wider. “I’m a man of words, Ames,” he said in a husky voice. “What are you trying to tell me?”
She laughed. “Shut up and kiss me already.”
He wrapped his hands around her waist and pulled her against his body, and Amy felt a shiver of anticipation course through her. Tightening her hands around his neck, she brought his face closer with a broad smile.
When his lips met hers, the bar suddenly erupted into applause, and she didn’t even care. Let them stare, she thought, kissing Sean hungrily. They might as well see what about damn time looks like!
###
Dear Reader,
I’ve always been a bit obsessed with fairy tales, and I’m having so much fun coming up with new ways to imagine the magic of some of my favorite stories with the Once Upon a Desire series. There are some amazing variations on “Rapunzel” out there, even including one where being locked away in a tower isn’t enough: the witch actually turns the princess into a frog in order to keep her away from men!
If you enjoyed Sean and Amy’s story, I hope you’ll consider leaving a review of Cutting Loose at your favorite eBook retailer. Your feedback is important to me, and your thoughts might help other readers who are thinking about starting this series. If you’ve got a chance, visit my website to learn more about the series.
There are plenty of fairy tales that inspire me, and I’ve included a sneak peek of the next book in the series, Princess Suite, on the following pages. I hope you’ll enjoy it!
Be on the lookout for Princess Suite, coming out later this year.
Here’s to happily ever after!
Best,
Charity Hillis
Discover other titles in the Once Upon a Desire series by Charity Hillis:
MIDNIGHT RUN
CUTTING LOOSE
PRINCESS SUITE (coming Winter 2015)
Ready for a sneak peek of the next book in the
Once Upon a Desire series?
PRINCESS SUITE
By Charity Hillis
Coming Winter 2015
CHAPTER ONE
Carter hated flying. There was something about being trapped inside a metal cylinder for hours, shooting over mountain and lakes and other death traps just waiting to happen.
But that didn’t matter to his manager; Davis always insisted that they fly everywhere, even if it would have been possible to drive. California to New York really would have been a hellish road trip, though, so Carter kept his mouth shut and his hands clenched on the wide armrests in first class as they made their way to La Guardia.
He’d halfheartedly suggested getting a rental truck and driving his stuff to Manhattan himself, but Davis had dismissed the idea immediately.
“Oh, ‘cause you’d do so well stopping at crappy little rest areas and posing with random families on vacation.” The manager had shook his head firmly. “No reason to bring everything with you yet, anyway; you don’t want the press getting wind of it, right?”
“What’s it going to matter if they know I’m moving to New York now, or in six months?”
“In six months, God willing, you’ll have made such a splash on Broadway that everyone will expect you to move.” Davis jabbed his chest. “If they knew you were moving now, not just passing through and playing on the stage for a bit of fun, how long do you think it would take for the vultures to start circling? Driving a moving truck across the country smells an awful lot like running away from Hollywood, Carter.”
But I am running away, Carter thought, staring out the window as the plane began its initial descent. He swallowed the rest of his complimentary whiskey and shut his eyes, trying to ignore the way his stomach lurched as the plane slowly lost altitude.
“Will there be anything else, sir?”
Carter opened one eye as the flight attendant leaned over him to collect his glass, her hand brushing deliberately against his arm as she pulled back. Maryanne or Marian, she’d said her name was. He swallowed the bile in his throat and flashed her his million dollar smile. “I’m doing just fine,” he said, slipping into the role of a happy, successful movie star with ease. “But you’ve been good to me.” He winked at her, and she smiled at him sappily.
“I’m sure people ask you this all the time,” she began, studying his face. “But—“
“Yup,” Carter purred. “I’m him.”
Her grin stretched wider. “I thought so. Oh, my gosh, my roommate is going to flip when I tell her. Can I, um, would it be awful of me to ask for your autograph?”
Carter reached over and plucked the pen from her apron pocket, and she flushed. With a flourish, he scrawled his name across the tiny napkin sitting on the tray table in front of him, and then he presented both the napkin and the pen to the woman like some knight errant offering his favor to his lady fair. How many years has it been since I played a part like that? I didn’t really like the tights, he remembered as he looked up at the flight attendant.
She gushed her thanks and backed away toward the cockpit, and he ran a hand through his hair, wondering idly if the gray at his temples would make people treat him like a has-been. His manager had assure
d him that his hair was still an asset, but Carter wasn’t entirely sure he believed him. Still, the flight attendant hadn’t seemed to mind.
Carter risked another glance out the window. Buildings were looming dangerously close, and he shut his eyes again reflexively, dropping the comfortable mask he always wore with the fans. At least she distracted me, he thought as the wheels ground down on the runway. That wasn’t as bad as it usually is. Still, he drew in a shuddering breath before he got off the plane, but the minute he walked into the airport, he plastered his usual smile across his face. He wore it like some celebrities wore their sunglasses; his fan smile was his disguise, his armor, no matter what else was going on around him.
He hadn’t been sure if there’d be any reporters at the airport or not, but he was seasoned enough to be ready for them at any moment. The only person who seemed to notice him, however, was his manager, checking his cell phone constantly and waiting in the baggage claim.
Carter nodded to him, and Davis slipped his phone into his pocket. “You made good time. Let’s go.”
“Where did you book me again?” Carter asked, grabbing his roller bag off the carousel and striding toward the exit.
“Regal Towers.”
“Never heard of it.”
Davis shrugged and pointed to the black car with tinted windows idling by the curb. “It was the only penthouse in your price range.”
Carter winced. “I didn’t need a penthouse,” he said as he handed his bag to the man who was waiting by the open trunk of the car.
“Yes you do. It’s the look of the thing. Doesn’t matter if the hotel is shabby or not; Carter Edwards is a big star, remember? And big stars stay in the penthouse.”
Carter rolled his eyes. “Right. Hollywood stars,” he reminded Davis. “Broadway nobodies barely make the rent.”
Davis held the door for him, and then slid into the backseat after Carter. “Stop being so negative. New York is a great scene, and the perfect place for a career reboot. Look at what happened with Moyra.”
Carter winced and looked out the window. “Thanks for the reminder.”
“Look, I’m just saying there are worse ways to cash in on your name. Or did you want me to look at some of those adult film offers?”
Carter glanced at the man, expecting a punchline, but Davis wore a serious expression. “No, thanks.”
Davis looked disappointed. “They pay pretty well, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“No, Davis.”
“Then Broadway it is.”
###
PRINCESS SUITE
By Charity Hillis
Coming Winter 2015
Cutting Loose Page 11
