In Tune

by JN Welsh

  “And I love you, baby. All of you.” Luke nuzzled his sweaty forehead against the slick perspiration under her chin.

  “No way,” Leona said when he hardened again inside her. “We have to go.”

  A rumble of laughter escaped his chest as he flipped her back onto her back and dragged himself out of her. He swept down to kiss her exposed belly.

  “I’ll be back.” He spoke close to the mound between her legs before he kissed the thin patch of hair there.

  Leona was in stitches. “Silly.”

  He pulled her up and with wide, cowboy-like steps, dragged her to the bathroom where they cleaned up and dressed. His stiff dick led every move and Leona’s inability to take her eyes off him wasn’t helpful.

  “I just need a sec.”

  Leona smirked before leaving to wait for him in the main room while he finished up.

  When he returned, he found her deep in thought by a window overlooking the city. He could only imagine what went through her head. She’d closed a big deal, held a press conference to defend herself, and still had a tour to finish. In the middle of it all was their love for one another, which they both wanted to protect. He loved her and would do anything for her. He believed she would, too. With the pending closeout of the tour, one question remained. How was this going to work?

  “Tomorrow’s a big day. The Epic Stadium should be a great finale,” she said.

  “About that, Leona.” He joined her. “The tour is ending and being without you just isn’t an option anymore. I’ll do anything to have you in my life.”

  “I feel the same, baby.” She angled her body to his.

  “What do you think about me moving to New York? I’ve spoken to Patrick and my broker, and I’d be willing to sell the San Francisco house.”

  Leona gasped. “But you love that house and the ocean.”

  “I love you more. Building a life with you means more to me than a house. Plus the surf in Rockaway, Long Island, and Jersey ain’t half bad.” He charmed her with his killer smile.

  Leona said nothing for a long time. She knitted her fingers with his, squeezing his hand and stroking his skin.

  “Don’t sell the house. We fell in love there. Jane and the kids are on the west coast. Your studio? We’ll make staying there work, even if only part-time.”

  “You don’t want me to sell the house?” He kissed her forehead.

  She shook her head.

  “Then I won’t sell our house.” He tilted her chin up to kiss her lips.

  “You know I’m going to marry you, don’t you?” His breath hitched in his throat at the thought of being her husband one day.

  “Yes.” Her eyes glistened but she beamed up at him. “But you’ll have to date me first.”

  Luke laughed. “As you wish.”

  Epilogue

  Luke’s moment of truth had arrived. He scanned the computer screen as he made some minor changes to his music. He had set some lofty goals and had the woman he loved. He was confident Leona would love him whether or not they succeeded, but if he didn’t achieve this last goal, how would he feel?

  There was a knock on the door followed by Diesel’s entrance. “Ready?”

  “As I’ll ever be.” Luke headed to the stage with Diesel. On the way, they picked up Tommy and Abe.

  Music filled the stadium as the opening act played. The tech guys secured his computer and readied it on the stage. Luke looked for Leona. She normally made sure he was all set, but he knew she was stressed about the numbers.

  “It’s been a great summer, Luke. I’m sure tonight will be no different. This is your biggest and best tour, yet. You did it, man.” Tommy hugged him.

  “The offers are rolling in, Luke,” Abe chimed. “This was a lucrative partnership for us both. We don’t know if you’ve sold out yet, but it has been a pleasure to work with you. I hope we continue our relationship.”

  The man was shaky and beads of sweat pimpled his forehead. Abraham Wallace worked to put on a good face but he was worried. Failure to sell out the Epic Stadium meant the loss of big bucks for Wallace Entertainment. Luke would be nervous, too, if that was his possible fate.

  “Thank you,” Luke said.

  From the corner of his eyes he saw security escorting a group of people, Leona, his sister Jane, her husband Aaron, and...his parents?

  They smiled at him as they approached and the emotion rumbled. He had wanted to make his parents proud of him with the work he did this summer.

  “Mom?”

  “My son.” His mother held his face with tears in her eyes. She kissed him several times. “It’s so good to see you, honey.” She held him tight—almost as tight as he held her.

  “I’m so proud of you, boy. We both are. I mean...look at all this.” His father hugged them both while Jane sniffled and held on to Aaron.

  “Thanks, Dad,” was all he could express through the tightness in his chest. “How?”

  “Leona arranged for us to come. She thought this moment would be important for you and wanted you to have your family here. All of us.” His mother motioned to his tour manager–girlfriend.

  “Leona?”

  “Yes. She called us when you were in Japan, just before we shipped out for the cruise,” his father explained.

  Luke spotted Leona with Tommy and Abe.

  She had organized this during the stormy events after Las Vegas. “You did this for me?”

  Leona nodded and blotted her eyes with a knuckle. “Jane helped.”

  His mother held his face in her hands. “We’ve missed seeing you, honey. We love you, Luke. I hope you know we don’t want you to be anything other than who you are.”

  “Screw anyone who thinks otherwise,” his father bolstered, his athletic build mirrored his own.

  Though he wanted them to be proud of him, they were here to witness him possibly make history if he sold out the Epic Stadium, and that was enough.

  Jane and Aaron came over to hug him.

  “I have to go check the box office, but I’ll be back.” Leona inched toward the exit.

  Luke grabbed her hand and squeezed it. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. Hold them close. They love you,” she whispered and left.

  Luke turned back to Jane. “Where are Emily and Ryan?”

  “With a sitter at the hotel. We almost brought them, but that would have been the worst idea ever thought up.” Jane’s eyes widened.

  “Without a doubt. We’d actually like to enjoy the show. We could use a date night.” Aaron draped an arm over his wife.

  Luke laughed, knowing firsthand the manpower needed to care for his niece and nephew. He finally remembered his manners and introduced his family to Abe and Diesel.

  A few minutes later, a commotion startled him from his conversation with his family. Leona, flanked by Sara and Sebastian, ran at full speed, shouting something he couldn’t make out above the thud of the music.

  “We sold out! The show is sold out!” They continued to run before finally stopping in front of him.

  Leona tried to catch her breath. “You just sold out the Epic Stadium. You made history. Again. You are the first DJ to sell out the Epic Stadium!” Her octave grew higher and louder with each word. Her delivery of the news made him love her even more.

  Abe clapped his hands together. “Yes.”

  “I didn’t doubt you for a minute,” Tommy said.

  Leona hugged him but he was still immobile from the news.

  “I couldn’t have done it without you guys in my corner,” he somehow stated to the group who he’d seen work their asses off for him. “This is your moment, too.”

  “You did it, son.” His father patted him on the back while his sister and mother hugged him. Aaron shook his hand. He was completely overwhelmed.

  “We have to get him to the
stage,” Leona instructed Diesel then faced him. “Ready, Luke?”

  He nodded, still overcome with his family’s presence and the news about selling out.

  Leona addressed his family. “Security will get you guys to your viewing location and we’ll make sure to meet up with you after the show.”

  “I love you guys.” Luke finally found his voice.

  He and Leona gave a few parting words to Tommy and they headed to the stage with Diesel.

  “Get your ass on that stage and bring the house down,” Leona said in his ear.

  Luke spun her into his arms and kissed her like it was the first time he’d tasted her. He released her and ran up the stairs. The earsplitting screams from the crowd filled the stadium when they saw him. He picked up the microphone as the beginning of a song played.

  “Thank you guys for supporting the tour. This is our last show and because of you and the great team I have, we have made history. They said a DJ couldn’t do it, that our music wouldn’t last, but we did it. We sold out the Epic Stadium. Together.”

  The crowd went wild and nearly bowled him over.

  Luke absorbed the tens of thousands that filled the stadium.

  “Let’s make this a night we’ll never forget,” he howled into the microphone.

  The song he played built until the beat dropped and the fans went wild. He was filled with gratitude and love. He had made it. He had done the impossible and he knew that he couldn’t have done it without the woman he loved.

  * * *

  Friends and fans of The Musical Prophet attended the wrap party to celebrate their final show. One such person was Christian Sacks.

  “There appears to be more than one reason why I am going to need you once you tie up all the post-tour loose ends, Leo.” The news about her suing Paul for writing credits and royalties traveled fast.

  Leona chewed on her lip. “I’ve never officially done this, Christian.”

  “Well, for someone who hasn’t officially done this, your track record is decent. You also have me and the perfect tutor over there to help you.” He referenced Luke.

  “I do, don’t I.” Leona’s eyes showered Luke with adoration.

  They discussed managing and also working on his album a little bit more before Christian was pulled away. Luke mingled with his family and everyone wanted time with the man of the hour. Leona imprinted the happy faces to her memory. The company, though not completely out of the woods, was in better standing and Luke’s career was flourishing. They had done it.

  Later, when everyone started to depart, Leona and Luke rode a car back to the hotel.

  “Hey, can we stop at my apartment real quick?” Leona asked.

  “Of course, baby.” Luke intertwined their fingers.

  In her apartment, Luke strolled into the living room and perused Peaches as she whirled around in her tank.

  “I think this is well deserved.” Leona greeted him with two flutes of champagne.

  “Thank you.”

  They clinked glasses and took a celebratory sip.

  Leona held his hand and guided him to her bedroom. “Come with me.”

  “Oh?”

  His sexual energy was electric and engulfed her body like a hand-stitched afghan. “You’re so one track minded.”

  “You do it for me, baby, and I’d want it no other way.”

  In her bedroom she waited for Luke to see her surprise. “This is for you.”

  He cocked his head when he saw a dark wood dresser tied in a huge, shiny blue bow, and guffawed. Leona clapped her hands at his reaction. She’d had Izzy set it up for her during the frantic New York events for Luke, and her friend executed the task perfectly.

  “Open it,” Leona instructed and Luke tore the bow away. He opened each empty drawer and in the last one found a key attached to a retro key chain of a box of animal crackers.

  Luke turned to her with a smile that creased his entire face and tapped the key on his palm. “Not only are we officially dating. We’re officially living together.”

  “Yes,” she said.

  “You’re mine, forever.” Luke pulled her by the waist against him.

  “And you’re mine.”

  Her hands rested on his biceps as he danced with her and sang the words to “Glimpsing Leo.”

  Glimpsing Leo.

  Reflecting constellations to the sun.

  Gravity I’ve come undone.

  Out of darkness light and love.

  A burning path to her I run.

  Come alive. Come feel the love.

  She’s music and magic, my only one.

  Glimpsing Leo.

  “The tour is over, Leona. You know what that means?” He started to undo the tie on her blouse.

  “What?” she asked and caressed his muscles. She inhaled his familiar scent and closed her eyes.

  “I can have intimate relations with you wherever the fuck I want.” He planted delicate kisses on her neck. “So you can start getting undressed now.”

  “I think we already broke that rule,” Leona razzed and leaned into his caress.

  “Shh. I won’t tell if you won’t tell.”

  “Are we negotiating another agreement?”

  Luke chuckled and gave her a more thorough kiss as he continued to undress her. “No more agreements, baby.”

  “Agreed.” Leona laughed against his lips.

  * * * * *

  Acknowledgments

  Thank You, God, for this journey and all of Your blessings. Through You all things are possible.

  Thanks to my editor Stephanie Doig (and the team at Carina Press) and my agent Sarah Younger (and the team at Nancy Yost Literary Agency). You both gave me the best early Christmas gift ever!

  Thank you to my writing partners and groups. I truly and deeply appreciate your valuable time, advice, and talents.

  Last, but not least, thanks to my fans and readers. You’re the best!

  About the Author

  JN Welsh is a native New Yorker and natural storyteller. As a young student in school, she was a voracious reader who stole her older sister’s romance novels. She graduated to writing entertaining love stories, in the form of long notes passed in class, for her friends. The writer was born.

  She writes entertaining, often humorous, and provocative tales about strong, career-driven, multicultural heroines who are looking for love. Her punchy, flowing dialogue and big-city stories are heartwarming and stick to your ribs. When she’s not writing she can be found dancing, wine-ing, rooting for her favorite baseball team, and/or indulging in countless guilty pleasures.

  To purchase and read more books by JN Welsh please visit JN Welsh’s website at www.jnwelsh.com/books.

  Follow JN on Social Media:

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  Also available from JN Welsh

  Gigolo All the Way

  Sea Breeze Seductions Series

  Book I: Before We Say Goodbye

  Book II: Bitter Sweet

  Coming soon

  Book III: Moonshine and Mistletoe

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  ISBN-13: 9781488038570

  In Tune

  Copyright © 2018 by Jennifer N Welsh