by Skye Turner
The guys decide to stop in Orange, Texas for something to eat before we head on home. The tour starts in September and we’re finalizing the arenas now. Cowboy Stadium was just added and the label demanded we come out to see it and do a photo op for press so they could promote it. What the hell ever.
We’re finishing up our fast food since everyone is ready to get home and my cell goes off. I glance down and see it’s Clove.
Immediately I think something’s wrong, yet Liam’s phone is silent and she’s his wife. I swipe the screen and check the text.
“Clove:
Melonie is at my house. She’s staying the night with us. Girl’s night. Don’t be an idiot!”
My palms sweat and I read through the text again to make sure I understood it. Melonie, my Melonie is with my sister. At her house. All night. She’ll have to listen to me.
Rushing everyone, I take the keys and we break a lot of laws as I race back to Baton Rouge.
She’s talking to me tonight. I can’t go on like this.
I’m out of the car before it’s even parked and the guys are all screaming at me to chill the fuck out and think before I storm the house. I ignore them and mount the steps. The door is unlocked, so wrenching it open, I follow her voice down the hall.
Her tear soaked voice as she rages at Blue makes my heart stop. “No, of course I miss him. I can’t breathe sometimes it hurts so bad and I miss him so much. But I don’t care! He doesn’t trust me! Do you get that!? I fell in love with him even though I told myself not to and he punched me in the gut and walked out on me, not once, not twice, but three times. Screw that! Screw him!”
She loves me?! She just said she loves me.
Yeah, she also said “screw you”.
Not important, I can work with that.
Bradi sees me and her face drops. Her mouth hangs open and dread crosses her features as she looks toward Melonie. I know the instant Melonie realizes I’m here, because her back goes ramrod straight and she turns slowly. Her tear streaked face is looking right at me.
I implore her to let me talk.
The color drains from her face as she whirls away from me. Grabbing her purse, she tries to get past me. She’s wobbly on her feet. I reach out. I can’t stop myself. As my hand touches her arm, she wrenches it back from me and loses her balance. She falls, but I catch her before she hits the ground.
She struggles as I hold her tightly to me. Everyone is staring at us. The girls are all standing with open mouths and the guys are watching us as they hold their breath. Shaking her slightly, I grunt out, “Stop trying to get away. Stop.”
She glares at me and turns her head to make sure she captures everyone in her frigid gaze. “You set me up.” Then looking at me with rage, she mutters, “Fucking. Let. Me. Go.”
Jesus. She’s furious. But she’s so beautiful. Don’t let her go. Don’t you dare let her go.
I don’t.
Standing up, I lift her with me. Setting her on her feet, but holding onto her shoulders, I whisper, “I’ve missed you, Mel.”
She closes her eyes and holds her stiff posture. “Let me go, Dade.” Her voice is flat and emotionless. It scares the shit out of me.
Yet, she just said she loves me.
Taking a risk and preparing to hurt, I lean down and kiss her. She struggles, but I hold her firmly while my mouth gently persuades her lips to open. She clamps them tight and screams with her mouth closed, yet I’m relentless. My lips brush over hers again and again until I feel her soften. Victory is not yet mine. Her mouth is still closed, but it’s not tight anymore. Running my tongue slowly along the seam of her mouth I stay diligent. Finally, she moans and opens for me. Her tongue meets mine and her head slants to allow us both better access.
Yes!
She goes limp in my arms. What the hell?
Leaning back, she stares at me flatly. “Don’t do this, Melonie.” I brush another kiss whisper soft against her mouth. Her eyes track my every movement with distrust. “Don’t throw me away. You love me. You just said you love me.”
She shoves me. I let her go. “So what? I love you. So fucking what?!”
Dropping my hands in utter defeat, I say as clearly as I can, “So, I love you, too.”
Her eyes go luminous, before I see the shutters fall over them. “So what? You love me. Ok. So what? You don’t trust me, Dade. I don’t care how much you love me. It’s not enough.”
If she walks away, this is really it. She can’t walk away. It is enough. I fucked up. I know that. But it’s enough.
“It is enough. I love you. You love me. I fucked up. I know that. Everyone knows that. I’m admitting it. In front of everyone. I fucked up. I was jealous and I fucked up. I assumed things I shouldn’t have instead of doing what I always do and finding out the facts.
I am sorry. I will apologize for the rest of my life if you want me to, but don’t push me away.
I love you.
I’ve only said that to one other woman, ever. She’s right there and she’s my baby sister.
I’m asking you not to do this, Melonie. We have something. It started as a fling, but it’s so much more now. It’s real. You infatuated me for a short time, but more than that, you made me open my eyes about everything. You made me take stock. You invaded my heart and now you’re in there. There’s no room for anyone else. Just you.
You can leave. You can really end this. But if you do that… if you do that, you end me, too.” I walk over to her and take her hand and place it on my chest, right over my pounding, terrified heart. “This… this is yours. All of my faults, all of my goodness, everything I am is yours… If you want it. If it’s not too late. Please accept it.”
I’ve said my piece. I laid it on the line. It’s up to her now.
She says nothing as she stares at me.
Sighing, she steps back from me and her hand drops. The room is quiet except for the country music blaring through the speakers. I refuse to look away from Melonie, though I can see everyone else staring at the two of us, too.
She turns and my entire world crashes. It’s too late. She’s really leaving. We’re done.
Bradi gasps and says, “Are you fucking serious?! Don’t be stupid, Melonie. He just poured his heart out to you and you love him. Don’t be an idiot.”
I hear the zipper on her purse open, but I can’t look up from the floor. I start as she stops right in front of me. She holds out her hand. What? I raise mine and she places something in my palm and closes my hand around it. Then… she steps back.
I open my hand… and grin. My eyes fly up to meet hers and she slowly smiles at me.
Blue screeches. “What is that? What the hell did she give you?”
Holding my hand out, palm up, I show them my treasure. It’s a clam shell we found on the beaches of St. John. It was the second day we were together on the island. Melonie was so excited because it was perfectly formed into the shape of a heart.
Lexi clutches her throat and Clove leans back into Liam’s arms as he hugs her.
A song comes on and they all start singing. Everyone takes a part. At just the right moment, I sing as I stare at her. Her face lights up.
As the song ends, everyone stops singing and we wait. Melonie laughs and launches herself at me. I catch her, but lose my balance and roll. She’s on top of me.
Bradi chuckles. “Always on top! Hold onto the power, sista!”
Looking around at my friends, I mutter, “Nosey bunch of people. This is private. Go away.”
Liam winks and calls out, “Make good choices,” as he leads Clove from the room.
Jessie and Blue exclaim at the same time, “This is how we roll.”
Everyone laughs.
I look up and Melonie is looking down at me, “You had to sing me Luke Bryan, didn’t you?!”
Grinning, I exclaim, “Whatever works.” And pull her down to my face as I kiss her.
She kisses me back.
When we’re done, we look around. We’re alone in t
he room and she pulls off of me and sits up.
I sit up too and tuck her hair behind her ear before kissing her softly. “I love you, Melonie Rayne Bird.”
She leans back and her green eyes sparkle with merriment. “I love you too, Dade Rodrigue. You’re not off the hook, but I love you.”
I groan, “I’ve been miserable without you. Don’t ever leave me again.”
She chuckles before looking at me sternly. “Don’t ever distrust me again. You have no reason to.”
Nodding, I agree. “I know that. I think I always knew that. It was more me than you. I’m so sorry.”
Leaning up, she kisses me again and then stands and offers me her hands. “Ok. But one more thing…”
I smirk. Taking her hands, I stand with her. I know what’s coming. “What’s that?”
“You have to sing me Luke Bryan.”
I throw my head back and laugh. Leaning down, I kiss her again, “Deal. Can we go home now? To my house. Where you’re going to live too?”
She smirks as she cups my face and then laughs. “I thought you’d never ask.” Leaning in, she presses her mouth to mine.
As we break the kiss, I take her hand and we join the rest of the gang before heading home…
Stay Tuned for the FINAL book in the Bayou Stix Series
Book 5 Bayou Stix
Cruz and Tifanie’s story.
Winter 2014
*dpgroup.org*
Playlist
Jason Derulo – It Girl
Breaking Benjamin – Breath
Scorpions – Rock You Like A Hurricane
Zedd – Stay The Night – featuring Hayley Williams of Paramore
12 Stones – Lie To Me
Katy Perry – Walking On Air
Linkin Park – In The End
Radiohead – High And Dry
Rascal Flatts – Rewind
David Guetta – Titanium (feat. Sia)
Maroon 5 – Get Back In My Life
Nickelback – S.E.X.
Marky Mark And The Funky Bunch – Good Vibrations
Puddle Of Mudd – Famous
Christopher Cross – Sailing
Lenny Kravitz – Again
Pam Tillis – Mi Vida Loca (My Crazy Life)
Warrant – Cherry Pie
Daughtry – High Above the Ground
Florida Georgia Line – This Is How We Roll
Hunter Hayes – Nothing Like Starting Over
Darius Rucker – Radio
Heart – What About Love?
Saving Abel – 18 Days
Luke Bryan – Play It Again
Three Days Grace – Never Too Late
Trapt – These Walls
Sia – Chandelier
Rihanna – Stay
Eric Church – Give Me Back My Hometown
Lady Antebellum – Bartender
The Gillis Silo – She’s My Hurricane
Gloriana – [Kissed You] Good Night
Joe Nichols – Yeah
Big & Rich – Look at You
Lee Brice – I Don’t Dance
Florida Georgia Line – Dayum, Baby
Bruno Mars – Treasure
Saving Abel – Addicted
Shinedown – Second Chance
Lee Brice – Hard To Love
Doves – Catch the Sun
Kenny Chesney – Come Over
Jason Derulo – Talk Dirty (feat. 2 Chainz)
About the Author
Skye Turner
Skye Turner is an avid reader and an editor turned Amazon Bestselling Author of the Sexy Adult Romance series Bayou Stix.
She attended Southeastern Louisiana University and Louisiana State University where she majored in Mass Communications, centering her studies in Journalism. Unfortunately, life intervened and she never finished her studies.
She lives in small town Louisiana with her husband, two children, and five fur babies.
When she’s not chained to her laptop pounding out sexy stories she can usually be found playing ‘Supermom’, reading, gardening (playing in the dirt), listening to music and dancing like a fool, cooking, baking, crafting, or catching up on her family oriented blog.
She loves to incorporate pieces of Louisiana into her writing.
You can find her here:
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/SkyeTurnerAuthor
Twitter:
@SkyeTurner_Auth
Blog:
www.skyeturnerauthor.com
Goodreads:
www.goodreads.com/author/show/7164331.Skye_Turner
E-mail:
[email protected]
Letting Go
Anchored Hearts
Vol. 1
By: J.M. Witt
Copyright 2013, 2014 © J.M. Witt
Cover Artist: Kellie Dennis at Book Cover by Design
Photographer: Michael Meadows
Models: Carolina Kenney & Matthew Maguire
Editor: Tiffany Tillman
Betas: Melanie Chandler, Tammy Faris & Liz Stephenson
Publisher: J.M. Witt Books
All Rights Reserved 2013, 2014.
This book may not be reproduced in any form; in whole or in part, without written permission by the author.
All characters and events in this book are fictional. Any similarities to real life people and events are purely coincidental.
Chapter 1 ~ Blackbird
~ CASSIDY ~
May 2013
It was a cool, Spring Saturday night. I had just been promoted to Junior Event Planner at Bea and Cecily, more commonly known as B & C, and I was out to celebrate. My ‘boyfriend’ was performing at the Blue Horse for the first time. My best friend, Holly, was dating the band’s front man, Sam, and she was the happiest I remember seeing her in all the years we’d been friends. I wasn’t sure it would last, but time would tell.
We got to the bar, which was an unfamiliar one to us, and took our seats. Holly was crooning about Sam and I was trying to listen. After our drinks arrived, she mentioned that the bar was just purchased by a friend of Dan’s. I simply shrugged my shoulders and smiled, vaguely remembering her saying that Dan and the new owner went to high school together. If she mentioned a name, I didn’t catch it.
Holly was also celebrating. She had recently gotten a job at an art gallery. She was a free spirit, which tended to get her in trouble from time to time. It was probably what drew me to her like a moth to the flame. She was out-going, artistic, and had mountains of confidence—knew how to love and live fast and hard. The fact that she was also an orphan had made her super independent; she’d been supporting herself since she was seventeen.
My upbringing was the opposite of Holly’s. I grew up in a middle-class family, with an older brother, a mom and a dad. We had our share of drama just like every other family. I went to school with the same kids from elementary school all the way through high school. That wasn’t necessarily a good thing.
I was with Dan, the bassist for a few weeks by the time that night rolled around. Meeting Dan had been a setup, which I normally hated, but there we were. I remembered Holly asking me, “What’s the worst that could happen?” a few weeks prior to meeting Dan.
What a loaded question. I over analyzed anything and everything. Holly was one of those people who could just let go; I truly envied that quality. She was always telling me, “Just let go, Cass! Have some fun.”
Currently I was preoccupied, staring at the tall drink of water that had just walked out of the back room. God, he was hot! He was on his cell, clearly in a heated conversation. He had me completely captivated and I couldn’t take my eyes off him. Close to six and a half feet tall, his face was clearly chiseled by the hand of God. Great nose, cheekbones and a jaw line covered in a dusting of hair. It was obvious that he worked out; he was built like a linebacker with broad shoulders and that perfect V shape that many athletes are able to maintain.
“Hey, I’m talking to you! What are you looking at?” Holly pulled me
from my trance just as the object of my desire turned his back. The view was almost as nice as his front—if that damn shirt wasn’t hiding his ass from my hungry eyes.
Holly followed the nod of my head. “Damn! He’s got to be close to seven feet tall. I wonder who that is.” She seemed just as intrigued as I was.
I rolled my eyes at her exaggeration of his height. “Just because you’re a dwarf doesn’t make him a giant. He’s perfect!” I could hear Foo Fighters playing overhead, though I don’t recall what song. Holly continued to admire him until Sam walked over with Dan following close behind. The night proceeded like any other. The band performed three sets while I drank too much and danced too little. I couldn’t stop my eyes from searching for him all night.
* * *
A week later we were at the Blue Horse again. Dan walked over to Holly and me, in between sets, with Sam and the object of my lust behind him. Oh shit!
“Guys, this is James, he’s the owner. We go way back.” Dan smacked James on the shoulder, which was a feat considering the height difference. James didn’t look amused and only took his eyes off mine long enough to introduce himself to Holly. He then held his hand out to me.
“And you are?” Is there such a thing as eye-fucking? ‘Cause if there was he was doing it. I felt myself blush when I took his hand. Electricity ran up my arm and down to my core.
“This is my girl, Cassidy.” I wanted to shout at Dan ‘I’m not your girl just because we’re sleeping together.’
James held onto my hand a little longer than necessary, running his thumb back and forth across the back of it. He looked down at our joined hands and I followed his gaze. He was trailing a finger over the blackbird tattoo on my wrist, studying it intently.
“Blackbird, it suits you.”
I was speechless, mesmerized by the green of his eyes and envious of his long dark lashes. His touch sent goose bumps up my arm and no one seemed to notice except the two of us.
Similar encounters happened several more times over the following weeks. James and I had various run-ins at the bar, in the back lot, and at the front door. Each time he would shake my hand and call me ‘Blackbird’ and I would remind him of my name to which he would simply smile. I welcomed the contact each and every time, sometimes seeking him out purposely, and he always left me wanting more.
