Resounding Kisses

by Jessica Gray

  She pondered whether to call him or not. It was early, six-thirty in the morning and he’d be sound asleep. The image of his sleeping face spilled warmth from her heart into every corner of her body and she decided to let him sleep. He’d probably gone to bed late after his performance last night.

  She texted him: I love you, too, and was startled when her phone rang a few seconds later.

  “Ter? You’re awake?”

  “Not really,” his sleepy voice answered. “But I put the text message tone on extra loud so I would wake up and could call you to hear your voice.”

  Ivy’s heart jumped. “That is so sweet. I miss you so much.”

  “I miss you too. I have to stay another week, because we have two more concerts, but then I’ll be on the first flight to New York, lovey.”

  Ivy wasn’t sure she could wait that long. Her entire body was hurting, and not only from being sore because of their intensive love-making last weekend.

  Later that day she went to see her boss.

  “What brings you here, Ivy? How are things going with Electric Flow?” he asked.

  Ivy put on her most confident smile. “Pierce, everything is going fine. Terrence agreed to the contract, but I still need to get the other band members to sign.”

  “I see. I didn’t expect you to make such progress in such a short amount of time.” Ivy wasn’t sure if Pierce was complimenting her or complaining. It was very hard to tell. “Ivy, you’re a brilliant lawyer.”

  “You think that?” she asked, confused because his actions had shown otherwise.

  “I do, but you still have lessons to learn. Listen closely.” He paused for a moment and leaned back in his chair. “You will never get anywhere if you don’t learn to ask for the things you want.”

  Ask for the things I want? Is that even possible? “I’m not sure I understand.”

  “Don’t you?” he suggested, locking eyes with her.

  She thought for a moment and then asked, “Why did you give me the Electric Flow account instead of one of the more prestigious contracts? If you think I’m so brilliant?”

  “That’s easy. Nobody else asked for it.” His gray eyes stared at her and she had a slightly queasy feeling in her stomach.

  “I didn’t ask for it, either,” she reminded him.

  Her boss’ eyes were unreadable. “So what did you ask for? Tell me.”

  Her stomach sank as realization hit. “Nothing.”

  “Precisely. Nothing.” Pierce’s voice was as cold and unemotional as always. “Your colleagues weren’t so shy.”

  “They asked you for the big accounts?” Ivy burst out.

  “Yes, Jeremy and Colin knew what they wanted and they went for it.”

  She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. It had never occurred to ask for what she wanted. Apparently, she still had to learn the rules of the trade. That you weren’t appreciated for your knowledge, but for the contacts you had and the demands you made.

  Her boss chuckled at the perplexed look upon her face. “Ivy, you got Electric Flow because I can’t have you doing nothing and still pay you a salary. After Jeremy and Colin took their pick, I gave you what was left.”

  Ivy tried to wrap her head around the news. “So, let me get this straight. If I had asked you for the Rihanna account, you would have given it to me?”

  “Sure. I told you, you’re a brilliant lawyer.”

  “Anything else?” She stood and headed for the door, needing time to process what she’d just learned. Before she could turn the handle, he called her back.

  “Look, Ivy, being brilliant alone doesn’t cut it. I’ll tell you something and it might well be the most important career advice you’ll ever hear. You have everything you need to make it big in this industry, but you’re missing one key ingredient.”

  “And that is?” She steadied herself against the door, not sure if she even wanted to hear his assessment.

  “You need to sell yourself. Ask for the things you want and then don’t stop until you get them. Stop blending in and make people take notice of you. Don’t hide behind your work.” He gave her a hard, penetrating look. “Success in the music industry, and that includes all of us lawyers, is at least fifty percent marketing and only fifty percent skill.”

  Ivy nodded and was about to leave, but Pierce’s words kept replaying in her mind. Ask for what you want. Fine. Let’s start right now. She squared her shoulders and looked into his eyes. “I need to fly to Chicago to meet the other band members of Electric Flow and to attend one of their concerts. That will speed up the process and save us money in the long run.”

  Pierce raised an eyebrow at her, but put down the papers in his hand and stared at her hard. After a lengthy pause, she added, “I need to do this now. This week.”

  His lips quirked up in the hint of a smile as he answered, “Tell Tina to make the travel arrangements for you. I’ll sign it.”

  Ivy blinked once and then turned without a word and left his office, rushing back to her own, her mind racing with the possibilities. She called Tina, who assured her she would be on the next flight, which was scheduled to leave in less than three hours.

  She called Bella at work and told her what happened.

  “You’re leaving today?”

  “Yes, right away.” Ivy grinned, hurriedly clearing her desk and gathering up her things. She needed to rush home, pack a small suitcase and head to the airport.

  “I’m so happy for you,” Bella said. “Hugging you right now.”

  “Hugging you right back. I’ll call you once I get to Chicago.”

  Bella chuckled. “I hope you’re too busy doing other things to think about calling me. You go find your man.”

  “I will.”

  Chapter 17

  Ivy stepped off the plane several hours later and was hit by a sudden wave of nerves. She hadn’t called Ter to tell him she was coming to Chicago and now she was having second thoughts.

  She retrieved her luggage and then hailed a taxi. She barely had enough time to check into her hotel and rush to Electric Flow’s concert so she wouldn’t miss their opening song.

  This concert included a meet and greet area for fans willing to pay extra. They were allowed to come back stage before and after the concert, catch a glimpse of their idols and interact with those willing to do so. A wave of jealousy hit Ivy when she saw all of the beautiful girls standing there.

  Without thinking, she rushed to the VIP area. On her way, she looked around and observed several of the band members posing for photos, signing t-shirts and body parts, and exchanging hugs and kisses with their adoring fans. Most of which were young girls showing off their assets.

  She gritted her teeth and scanned the entire area for Ter, but he was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps he was already headed towards the stage, she thought, when she finally spotted him walking towards the far side of the VIP area. Amidst five or six beautiful, well-endowed girls, all of them clinging to him and trying to touch him.

  Her stomach churned with jealousy and she wanted nothing more than to scratch out the eyes of each and every one of those girls. Jealousy wasn’t an emotion she was used to and she was still trying to deal with this feeling when she watched one of the girls wrap her body around his and kiss him right on the lips. Logical thought went out the window as she saw red and charged towards the VIP area. I’ll teach that girl to kiss my man!

  She tried to dodge around the entrance, but the bouncer had seen her coming and, not knowing who she was, he picked her up and physically lifted her off her feet.

  “Put me down!”

  He did so, outside the VIP Area. “Miss, I can’t let you in here without a pass.”

  A commotion to her left caused her to turn her head and she watched as Terrence and his band headed towards the stage. She wrapped her arms around herself, scolding herself for being so ridiculous to think that she could come here and things would be the same as in New York.

  She’d thought he was different and she could t
rust him to be faithful, but he’d just proven otherwise. Her first impulse was to rush back to her hotel and hole up in her room to cry, when the lights dimmed and the crowd pushed towards the stage. Ivy fought her way to the exit against the flow of bodies as they pressed forward.

  As she’d almost reached the doors, Electric Flow started to play their first song and Ter’s velvety voice captured her attention, sending shivers rushing up and down her spine. It was impressive on CD, but hearing him sing in reality was out of this world, making her legs wobbly.

  She liked his voice when he was speaking, but his singing was so smooth, it was as if he was making love to her with his voice alone.

  Caught up with the crowd around her, she started dancing and moving to the rhythm, content to enjoy the concert for now and deal with her jealousy later. When the song ended, Ter thanked his audience, introduced all of his band members and then he said, “The next song is brand new and I just finished it up last week. I’d like to dedicate it to a very special woman who has captured my heart.”

  Ivy’s heart wanted to explode in her chest as she heard those words and the ensuing cries of disappointment from his female fans as they realized he’d just announced he was no longer single, but had lost his heart to…her. Her jealousy of earlier fell away and she could only stand there and watch him with her heart in her eyes.

  He began to sing, and the lawyer in her wanted to protest. His contract clearly stated that he could not perform any new material on stage without the record label’s approval. Lighten up, Ivy. It’s not valid yet because it hasn’t been signed. He’s not technically breaking any rules.

  The song was a love ballad and as he sang the lyrics, she felt tears run down her cheeks. It was such a poignant moment, and even his screaming fans quieted down listening to his heartfelt emotion.

  Electric Flow continued their normal program before thanking their fans for supporting them and heading off stage.

  Ivy waited until the crowd had thinned and then approached the VIP area again. Once she arrived there, she reached into her purse and pulled out her I.D. badge from the record label. It was her ticket backstage and she flagged down the bouncer who’d stopped her earlier.

  “Miss, I already told you–”

  “Yes, I know what you told me. Now, let me tell you something. My name is Yvonne Kafando and I’m here representing the band’s new record label.”

  “Miss, without an access pass, I still cannot let you back. That I.D could be a fake.”

  Ivy blew out a breath in frustration. “Go get one of the band members. They all know who I am and will vouch for me.”

  It took some convincing, but he finally nodded and looked around. He spied Jason, the drummer, walking past and called him over. “Do you know this woman? She says she’s from the record label.”

  Jason turned to her and Ivy introduced herself. “Yvonne Kafando.”

  Jason smiled. “I haven’t met her yet, but I know the name. She’s good. Let her pass.”

  Ivy sighed and was proud of her new bold behavior when the bouncer stepped aside. She was backstage. Now what?

  Chapter 18

  Ter was flying high on adrenaline. The concert had been spectacular, one of their best, and the only thing missing to make him fly was Ivy. He’d tried to call her, but she wasn’t answering her phone. Glancing at the time, he realized she must be asleep.

  He grabbed a bottle of water and tried to think of something besides her when Jason approached him with a gorgeous woman in tow. He blinked and then shook his head. God, now I’m hallucinating.

  “Hey, Ter. This is Yvonne.”

  The rest of Jason’s words got lost as Ter realized she was real. Ivy was here. He jumped up and rushed past a very confused Jason, sweeping her into his arms and kissing her passionately in front of everyone. She kissed him back, wrapping her arms and legs around his torso as they devoured each other.

  “You’re here,” he whispered against her lips long moments later.

  “I’m here,” she told him, searching his eyes. Oh, how he loved her expressive eyes. When she realized she was wrapped around him like a pretzel, she slid down so that her feet were once more on the ground and blushed.

  “God, I love it when you do that,” he whispered against her lips, kissing her hard once more before tugging her back to the now gathering group.

  “Everyone, this is Ivy. My girlfriend.” He’d never believed it would feel so good to say those words, but it did. And when he looked down at her, he could see she felt the same way.

  To emphasize her meaning for him, he possessively put a hand around her shoulders as his band members came up and introduced themselves one at a time.

  She leaned up and whispered in his ear. “I love how possessive you are. It turns me on.”

  He growled in response, thinking about the possibilities to disappear with her to a more private place. As soon as the introductions had been made, he dragged her off to the side. “How are you here? I thought you didn’t have any time off coming?”

  “I don’t. But I’m here because I convinced my boss I needed to talk with the other band members.”

  Ter kissed her again and then asked, “Where are you staying?”

  “The company reserved a room downtown. Where are you staying?”

  “With you. Let’s go,” he dragged her towards the exit.

  “Now?” she asked, trying to keep up with his long legs. When she stumbled, Ter stopped and swung her up into his arms.

  “Now. I can’t wait one more minute to be alone with you.”

  Ivy blushed. “I guess I can talk to your band members tomorrow…”

  “Hey, Terrence. Sorry for not letting her in,” the bouncer called out, looking somehow miserable. “I didn’t know she’s your girlfriend. She wasn’t on the list. She didn’t have a pass.”

  Ter put her down. “Don’t worry, man. From now on she has permanent access to all areas.”

  The bouncer sighed in relief. “Sure. I’ll personally make sure this won’t happen again. Hey, miss. No hard feelings?”

  Ivy smiled. “No hard feelings. Thanks for keeping him safe.”

  The bouncer gave her a little jaunty wave and turned away. Ter took her hand and pulled her after him to a private parking area. He pulled a set of car keys from his back pocket and then opened the passenger door of a sassy little two-door coupe. He helped her into the small car, reached in and buckled her seatbelt, kissing her hard before shutting the door.

  She gave him the name of the hotel and within minutes they were parking in the valet driveway. Ter handed the young man his keys and grabbed her hand. “Let’s go.”

  Ivy had to hide a smile at his urgency. He was in a hurry to get her alone, and while she was definitely on board with that idea, she liked seeing him this desperate for her.

  At the courtesy desk, she retrieved her room key. The ride in the elevator was almost painful, they stood next to each other, avoiding touch. But the minute she opened her room’s door, he pushed her inside and slammed the door shut.

  Then he spun her around and backed her up against the wall. He raised her hands above her head and kissed her senseless while divesting her of her clothing and then stripping himself.

  They were both panting hard when he picked her up and sat her in the middle of the bed. He tossed the pillows to the floor and then began a new oral inventory of her person, starting with her lips and working his way down her body until he reached her toes and all of the flesh in between.

  “God, I missed you,” he murmured to her as he rose above her long minutes later.

  Ivy wrapped her arms around his back and leaned up to kiss him. “I missed you too. So much.”

  Ter levered himself above her. “Ivy, I can’t go slow right now. I need you too much.”

  “Then don’t. I always figured you for a rough lover anyway. Show me how much you want me.”

  He didn’t need any other convincing and fingered a condom from his wallet. Without preamble, he
surged into her warm heat, thrusting deep and hard. The hint of guilt about being too rough with her quickly faded when she moaned and screamed with pleasure. “Now. More.”

  Soon his control slipped away from him, and they were flinging off the precipice of orgasmic pleasure together. Nothing had ever felt so good or so right.

  ***

  The next morning, Ivy got a chance to officially meet with his other band members. She saw why they were still together after so many years and she knew working with them wouldn’t be a problem, but a pleasure.

  Over a loud and laughter filled brunch, all of the band members signed the contract and Ivy was pleased that she’d be able to return to New York with good news for her boss.

  “So, I guess that’s that. I need to call the airport and see when the next flight back to New York is,” she told Ter as they sat in the restaurant, the final two left since everyone else had gone about their day.

  “Stay. Please. We’ll drive up to Sandy Beach and I’ll introduce you to my parents.”

  Ivy watched him, wanting to say yes and finally she nodded. “I can stay one more day, but then I have to fly back to New York. My father’s birthday is tomorrow.”

  “I’ll drive you back to the airport first thing tomorrow morning,” he said and then called his mom to tell her he’d bring someone for the barbecue.

  Chapter 19

  The drive out to Sandy Beach was wonderful and Ivy was excited to meet Ter’s family and see where he’d spent his teenage years. He pulled up in front of a charming little house and two older people came out to greet them. “Here they come,” he warned her.

  Ivy looked at the couple and slid from the car. She was grateful when Ter took her hand, offering her his silent support.

  “Mom. Dad. This is Yvonne Kafando. My girlfriend.”

  His mom raised an eyebrow at that introduction, as if she hadn’t believed she’d ever hear those words out of the mouth of her youngest son.

  “Please, call me Ivy,” Ivy hurried to say.

  “And you can call me Mitch,” the big man Ter introduced as his father said. He shook her hand, but when she turned to greet his mother, she found herself wrapped in a warm hug.