Joy Ride by Desiree Holt (bill gates best books TXT) 📗

things making up a relationship. She was so conflicted, as if her heart was taking flight while her feet were locked to the ground in cement shoes.

But she was fighting thirty years of ingrained behavior that refused to let go. Breaking the final tie was damn hard.

He tensed beside her. “Can’t you stay? Just a little longer? I still want to take you to breakfast.”

“No. I’m sorry. I…I really have to go.”

Reluctantly, she eased herself from his arms, slid from the bed and dressed quickly. He had no idea how bad she wanted to stay, but sticking to her routine was another part of her self-protection. At least it was the weekend, and she could sleep in. Thank God.

“You’ll be back next week?”

“Of course. But…maybe not every night. Okay?” She needed some breathing room. Time to get her head straightened out again. She hadn’t let him know that next Sunday, the night of the concert, was her birthday. Truthfully she wasn’t sure yet if she was going to. She couldn’t figure out why he kept choosing to spend so much time with her instead of someone like the redhead from the club. Someone flashier, more outgoing, more into “the scene”.

“I’ll take what I can get.” His voice was strained but his smile was warm.

“Thank you.”

As usual Marc climbed out of bed naked and followed her through the house to the front door. “Music Lady?”

She turned, her hand on the doorknob. “Yes?”

“Just…this.”

He cradled her face in his warm palms and pressed his mouth to hers. His tongue slipped inside as if it belonged there, tasting her inner surfaces, drinking from her. He kissed her until she couldn’t breathe.

“Keep that in mind until I see you again.” He stroked a finger along her cheek.

This time he didn’t come out on the porch to watch her leave, simply stood in the doorway. The image of him burned itself into her brain. Along with a thought she wanted desperately to dismiss.

She was falling in love with Marc Malone.

***

“A concert?” Annie’s eyes widened. “He’s getting you a backstage pass to a concert?”

“Uh huh.” Emma took a bite from the slice of pizza she was holding.

The two women sat cross-legged on Annie’s living room floor, the pizza box between them, a half-empty bottle of wine on the coffee table along with two glasses. She’d slept late, exhausted in a well-sated way from the hours with Marc. Then Annie called late in afternoon demanding the latest details and offering wine and pizza as a bribe.

“And they’re opening for Deep Blue River?”

“Maybe.” Emma chewed, swallowed, and took a sip of her wine. “They’re making the tracks today and blending everything for the video.”

“Recording the tracks,” Annie corrected. “And mixing the sound.”

Emma lifted an eyebrow. “Since when are you so familiar with the lingo?”

“Since I was sixteen and hung up on rock music and soaking in everything I could like every other teenager. Except you.” She laughed, but her face sobered instantly. “Honey, I did not mean anything by it. Okay? Please?”

Emma tucked her hair behind her ears. “I know you didn’t. I’m just now beginning to realize all the things I missed out on.” She took another sip of wine, wishing that her parents could be half as understanding. That they could see beyond the Emma they’d created. The thought of explaining Marc to them very nearly gave her a case of the hives. “Still, I can’t keep blaming my parents. They raised me the way they’d always lived, my friends were the same and I guess I was oblivious to everything else.”

“Too bad I wasn’t around.” She swallowed a bite of pizza. “I’d have turned you into the original wild child.”

“I’ll bet. And gotten me grounded for life.”

They were both silent for a long moment.

“So when will they know for sure about next Sunday night?” Annie wiped pizza sauce from her lips.

“Tomorrow. Whenever the band leader meets with Deep Blue River’s manager.” Emma popped the last of the crust in her mouth.

“Deep Blue River.” A long sigh drifted on the air. “I have every one of their CDs.”

“You do?” Emma caught her breath. “So they really are famous?”

“Yes, honey. They really are. I know you have a CD player, in your car as well as your house. What do you listen to?”

Emma shrugged. “Glee. The Beatles. Michael Bublé.”

“Okay, okay, okay.” Annie drained her glass and refilled it from the wine bottle. “Education time. Deep Blue River is one of the hottest rock bands around. Especially here because they’re home grown. Their last single debuted at the number three spot on the charts and in a week it was at the top.”

Emma was curious. “So what do they sound like?”

Annie chuckled. “I’ll put in a CD and you can hear them for yourself. Have some more wine, lean back, and prepare to be wowed.”

She turned on her stereo, popped a CD in the player and hit the play button. Immediately the sharp sound of an electric guitar crashed into the room, a shower of notes that instantly filled the air. Then the heavy cadence of the bass guitar, building the foundation of the song. The drummer, and then all of it came together in music so powerful Emma was mesmerized. She simply sat, leaning back against the couch, letting the sound grab her until the final notes of the song had faded.

In seconds, the intro began to the next cut but Annie turned the volume way down.

“We can listen to them in the background now you’ve gotten the full impact,”

“I don’t think Deep Blue River could ever be just background music. Holy crap, Annie. They’re incredible. And I don’t even know anything about rock music.”

“See what you’ve been missing?” Annie winked. Then she sobered. “This is a huge deal, Emma. It could mean big things for Lightnin’.”

“That’s what Marc said. He mentioned Deep Blue River’s record people will be there, too.”

Annie sat back down across from her and tilted her head, studying her friend’s face. “This