Author: Jaci Burton

“Thanks,” she said.

“So why aren’t you doing this…somewhere?”

“Somewhere?”

“Yeah. Like on a stage somewhere. In public.”

She let out a snort, then laid the guitar in the stand, pushed off the carpet, and stood. “Please. I’m an amateur.”

He stood, too. “Amateur my ass.”

When she would have walked away, he held her back by grabbing her hand.

“You’re an incredible singer, Jenna. People should hear you.”

She frowned. “No.”

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t want to.” She walked out of the room and headed back to the living room, Ty’s words zinging around in her head.

“You’re afraid to sing in public?”

“That’s not it.”

“Then what is it?”

She grabbed the empty pizza box and started cleaning up. “Leave it alone, Ty.”

But he followed her into the kitchen. “You have a talent you’re wasting.”

She ignored him and lifted the trash out of the can. He took it from her and tied it up, then took it outside, giving her a minute to inhale and blow it out in a frustrated breath.

She bit her lip to keep the tears back. She never sang in front of anyone. Not anymore. No one knew about her hobby. It had always been just for her, a way to let out her frustrations, to pour out her feelings about whatever was on her mind.

Why had she sung in front of him? That made no sense. She should have kept it to herself. Instead, she’d played for him. She’d sung not only a popular song, but one she’d written.

He liked it, had made it seem like she was really good.

He’d touched a nerve, had tapped into her dreams and fantasies, making her want things she knew she could never have.

“Where are your trash can bags?”

“What?” She hadn’t heard him come back in.

“Trash bags, to line your kitchen can?”

“Oh. Right. Under the sink.”

Forcing herself to focus, she turned around. “I can do that.”

“Already done.”

“Well, thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

She turned away, but he wound his arms around her and pulled her back against his chest.

“You’re a great singer, Jenna. I only meant to compliment you, not piss you off.”

She sighed. She was being overly sensitive. “I appreciate it. And I’m not pissed off.”

He cocked his head to the side. “Somehow I think there’s more to this story.”

“Not really.”

He turned her around to face him. “Whatever it is, you can talk to me about it.”

“I played when I was in Germany. There’s an awesome music scene there and I hooked up with a few bands. I was living my dream and having the time of my life, writing and singing.”

He folded his arms and leaned against the counter. “Yeah? That’s great.”

“It was. We got an audition to do this big show. Except they only wanted the band. Not me. They hated my voice, said I was holding back the band.”

“Ouch.”

“The band kicked me out and that was the end of my singing.”

“Jenna, rejection is part of the business, isn’t it?”

She shrugged. “Maybe. I don’t know. I just wasn’t good enough.”

He pushed off the counter and came to her, laid his hands on her shoulders. “You are good enough. You have an incredible voice. Maybe you just weren’t the right voice for that particular band. It doesn’t mean your voice wasn’t good enough. It is good enough. I think you have an incredible voice.”

She lifted her gaze to his. “It’s okay. For singing in the privacy of my bedroom.”

“Bullshit. It’s amazing.”

Her lips curved. “You’re not exactly a talent scout. But I appreciate you thinking so.”

“So what happened after that?”

“Nothing.”

“You mean, you stopped singing?”

“No, of course not. As you can see from the mess in the office, I’m still writing songs and singing them.”

“But not publicly.”

“Uh, no. Not until tonight. For you. Which I guess can’t be considered public singing.”

His brows rose. She knew he wanted to say more, but maybe he read the pleading look in her eyes, because he smiled at her and said, “Then I’m honored. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

He bent and brushed his lips against hers. “You’re a woman of many talents.”

Glad the tension had dissolved, she laughed. “Yes, I am a hell of a bartender.”

“Well, yeah, that, too, but those aren’t the talents I have on my mind right now.”

“Is that right? And what is on your mind right now?”

“Something more bedroom oriented.” He scooped her up in his arms and headed down the hall toward her bedroom.

She gazed up at the obvious amorous intent on his face and smiled.

“Speaking of someone with many talents…”

FOURTEEN

TY ASKED JENNA OUT A FEW DAYS LATER, SURPRISED when she agreed.

After the other night, she’d been upset, though she’d been a good sport about getting over it in a hurry. She wasn’t one of those women who got mad and stayed that way.

A good thing, too, because he had special plans for her tonight, and she might end up pissed off at him all over again. Hopefully, he’d maneuver this just right and she’d never know he set it all up.

He picked her up at eight. She wore jeans and a really sexy shirt, which she covered up with a leather jacket and finished off with high-heeled boots. She looked so hot he wanted to forget all about taking her out and get down to the business of peeling off her jeans and getting her naked. But that wasn’t tonight’s objective.

Or at least it wasn’t tonight’s starting objective. He hoped to end up there later. He couldn’t help himself. It’s where his mind wandered whenever he was with her.

She climbed into his car and made herself comfortable by stretching her long legs out and crossing her feet at her ankles. She turned toward him, her long silver earrings dangling against her neck.

“You look beautiful tonight.” He leaned over and pressed a light kiss to her lips, coming away with a taste of something flavorful. He licked his lips.

“Cherries,” she gave him in answer. “And thank you. You look pretty hot yourself.”

He was hardly dressed up. He’d worn jeans, a button-down shirt and his own leather jacket to ward off the icy cold chill in the air. “Thanks.”

He took off and got on the highway.

“So where are we going?”

“This club a few of the guys’ wives and girlfriends have been talking about. Supposed to be a popular hotspot. A lot of good music, from what I hear, and some awesome games.”

“It’s not a sports bar, is it?”

He laughed. “Not a television screen in the entire place.”

“Then I’m sure I’ll love it.”

The drive didn’t take long since the spot was midtown in the city, which wasn’t the place you’d expect to find some killer club, but the parking lot was full. They had to park halfway down the street. Ty helped Jenna out of the car, then took her hand as they walked toward the club.

“I know about this place,” Jenna said as they neared the front door. “A couple of my friends mentioned coming here. Said it was hard to even get in the door. I couldn’t believe it considering the location, but now I understand what they were talking about.”

There was a line outside. “Fire code restrictions, I guess,” he said, then looked down at Jenna.

“Maybe we should have gotten here earlier.”

“We’ll get in.”

She laughed and scanned the line. “Yeah, by midnight.”

He walked right up to the front door and grinned at the well-muscled guy guarding the door.

“Hey, Tyler.”

“How’s it going, Greg?”

“Good.”

Greg opened the door for them. “You two have fun tonight.”

“Thanks.” Ty tipped him, then escorted Jenna through the door over the complaints of those waiting outside in the cold.

As soon as they stepped inside, she turned to him. “So you’re that famous, or have you been here before?”

He quirked a grin. “This is my first time here. Greg does security at the Ice games. I saw him when we drove by, figured he might let us bypass the line.”

“Lucky break.”

“Wasn’t it?” He put his hand on the small of her back and led her inside the club.

It wasn’t a rocking dance club with high-tech loud music. There was a bar off to one side and a stage that centered the whole place, with lots of tables scattered around. Right now a band was on stage playing something cool and country.

“Oh, this is fun,” Jenna said, turning to him as they wound their way around the crowds to locate an available table. They found one near the far side of the club and sat down. “Not at all what I expected.”

“Yeah? What did you expect?”

“From the lines out there? Something louder, heavy on the lights and bass. I figured it was one of those hot new dance clubs.”

He laughed. “Yeah, you’re not going to find that here.”

The waitress came by and they ordered drinks.

“My friends told me it was a great club, but they didn’t tell me what kind. This band is good.”

“They are.”

They sat back and listened while they had drinks and watched everyone dance. Tyler waited for Jenna to notice the book, as well as the pencils and cards on the table. So far she was preoccupied with the band and checking out the club, as well as her no doubt natural inclination to eye the bar and the bartenders. Checking out the competition and all that.

But when the band finished their set, took their instruments, and left the stage to thunderous applause, Jenna frowned.

“That’s it?”

“Huh. I guess so.”

“That was short.”

Until a singer came onstage, a girl dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt. She had on neon orange tennis shoes and her hair was in pigtails. She was cute.

The announcer asked them all to give it up for Marie, so everyone clapped and hollered.

Music started playing, and Marie began to sing.

She was pretty good.

Then Jenna frowned again, noticing the book on the table.

“Oh. It’s karaoke or something.”

“Is it? The band did karaoke?”

“I don’t know.” She picked up the book and flipped through it. “No, it’s open mic night tonight. You can bring in your band or sing your own music or they have recorded songs you can sing to.”

“Huh. That’s pretty cool.”

She slanted a glance his way. “You didn’t know about this?”

“How the hell would I know about it? I’ve never been here before. Like I said, some of the women mentioned coming here and said it was awesome, so I thought we’d give it a try. You know, since it’s not a sports bar and all.”

She gave him a look like she didn’t believe him, but turned her attention back to Marie and let the subject drop.

So far, so good.

He was going to get Jenna on that stage tonight.

And he wouldn’t have to do or say anything to get her up there.

JENNA WATCHED A PARADE OF TALENT CLIMB ONSTAGE for a couple hours, admittedly transfixed and awed and appalled.

For some reason, people weren’t shy about showcasing what they had—good or bad. And some people who were really awful—or really drunk—thought they sounded great, which the crowd didn’t seem to care about. They were polite, sometimes teased or booed depending on who was up there, and often clapped loudly, which was to be expected considering several of the people who’d been up there were damned talented.