Worthy of the Harmony (Mountains & Men Book 2) (28 page)

IT’S FIVE MINUTES
’til eight when I turn off the Audi and hop out of the driver’s seat. Millie—decidedly more awake and fully aware of my hyped-up mood—doesn’t waste a second before stepping out after me.

Earlier, after I devoured her sweet pussy, she had only thirty minutes to get showered and dressed. I know girls who have spent a lot longer getting ready and none of them look as gorgeous as my woman does right now. Her long, damp, light brown hair is pilled in a knot on top of her head, leaving her positively kissable neck on display. She’s got on a pair of flats; tight, well-worn, dark-wash jeans that hug her long-ass legs; a plain white T that reminds me of her bitable tits and her petite waist; and an oversized, maroon cardigan that hangs down to her knees. Even though I swear she doesn’t need it, she managed to find time to put on a little makeup, too. Watching her walk toward me makes me want to pull her into my arms and never let her go. She’s sexy as fuck, and she’s all mine.

Pussy whipped. That’s what I am—totally pussy whipped.

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?” she murmurs, her dark green eyes peering up at me.

I shake my head as I lean down and press a soft kiss against her lips. “Just glad you’re here, baby doll.”

She reaches for my hand and I lace my fingers with hers. “Me too,” she tells me. Her response makes me want to kiss her again—so I do. “Are you nervous?” she asks as I lead her inside. The others arrived just a couple minutes before us and I’m anxious to join them.

“Nah,” I answer. “This is going to be fun.”

“Do you
ever
get nervous?”

“Sometimes,” I say with a shrug. “Usually when we’re playing someplace new, in front of a crowd I’m unsure of. There’s always this moment, right before I walk out on stage; it’s like I’m about to lose my nerve. But then, when I get out there, when I get the mic in my hand…” I shake my head, my mind imagining exactly what it feels like to shed my stage anxiety.

When we enter the little lobby of the studio, and I see the guys all standing around, a smirk tugs at my mouth before I continue.

“No matter what, I’ve got my crew behind me. As cheesy as it may sound, knowing we have each other’s backs, knowing that it takes all of us to be any good, I just know when to man up and do my part. Can’t let my nerves get the best of me.”

“Well, you are far braver than I, Sage McCoy.”

I wink down at her just as Stefany appears from behind a closed door, a big, burley dude with a long beard and a graying ponytail following behind her.

“Morning boys, Alex, and…two chicks I don’t know,” she says, running her fingers through her blonde locks. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen it down. It’s wavy and hangs just above her shoulders. When she folds her arms across her chest, lifting her eyebrows expectantly, a dubious, lopsided smile on her face, I realize that she’s expecting an introduction.

“Oh, yeah—Stefany, this is Millie—my girlfriend—and that’s Violet.”

“My girlfriend,” says JJ.

“Ah. Girlfriends. Girlfriends in the studio are cool
only
if they inspire you to work harder.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll kick his ass if you need me to,” says Violet with a nonchalant shrug.

“I like you already,” Stefany says with a laugh. “Okay, we’ve only got three hours, so I want to get you in there.
This,
” she turns and motions with her hands to the man standing behind her, “is Tank. Tank is one of my favorite sound engineers, isn’t that right, Tank?”

He rolls his eyes and shakes his head but doesn’t say a word. Stefany laughs, patting him on the arm.

“Tank, this is Sage, Derrick, Knox, Maddox, JJ, and Alex—otherwise known as Mountains & Men. Now,” she claps her hands before rubbing them together. “Let’s get in there.”

“You guys ever been in a state of the art studio before?” asks Tank, his voice gruff and low. We all answer with a
no
of some sort and he nods before motioning us to follow him. “I’ll give you the lay of the land before we start.”

SAGE HOLDS MY
hand through the duration of the tour. Every time he sees something that excites him, or any time Tank says something that fascinates him, he gives my hand a squeeze. He does it unintentionally, which makes it even better. Tank has his undivided attention—rather, he has
everyone’s
undivided attention—except mine. Mine is definitely divided. To me, what everyone finds so enthralling is just a bunch of really expensive equipment that does a bunch of fancy things that I know not how to appreciate. What I appreciate more is how in awe everyone else is.

Every time Sage squeezes my hand, a jolt of electricity shoots up my arm, heading straight to my stomach, igniting a burst of tingles. There’s something about being here with him, about experiencing this
first
with him, about bearing witness to the beginning of something amazing—there’s just something about it that’s incredibly overwhelming, but in the most wonderful way. Now that I’m here, I take back my flippant response to his earlier quip about girls
bitch slapping
a chick to be in my place.

I can’t lie. I’d act undignified if he expressed any desire to share this with any other girl who wasn’t me.

Right here, right now, I know I’m falling for him a little bit more.

It still scares me, but I won’t run from it anymore. It’s too late to escape my reality. I accept the importance of him in my life. The lingering trepidation that he may one day leave me, just like they always do, is temporarily in the shadow of his presence. I’m not naive or stupid. I know by letting my guard down, I’ve left myself entirely unprotected against the possibility of losing him, but he makes it nearly impossible for me to bask in the worry of anything beyond now. Beyond the promise of our relationship. Beyond his constant affection.

I am his and he is mine. I hold fast to that truth as I hold his hand, all of us making our way into the sound proofed room filled with instruments.

“Who’s the drummer?” asks Tank, pulling me from my thoughts. Derrick lifts a hand, stepping forward, and Tank nods. “You can play on the house kit. Get comfortable. Let’s get the rest of you set up and we’ll do a sound check.”

“Come on, ladies,” says Stefany as she begins to back her way out of the room. “You can hang with me in the booth.”

I start to pull away from Sage, but he pulls me back.

“Aren’t you going to kiss me for luck?”

I smile up at him, resting my freehand against his chest. I know as well as anyone that his raw talent has brought him this far, and nothing I say or do will make it stop now. “You don’t need luck,” I murmur.

“You ain’t lying, doll face,” he says, leaning down to line up our lips. He stops just a breath away. “Need a taste anyway.”

I grip a fistful of his shirt before pushing up on my tiptoes, eliminating the space between his mouth and mine. We kiss only for a moment, but it’s enough to stir a hint of longing. He pulls away with a smile and then taps my ass. I shake my head, unable to wipe the grin off my face as I turn and follow Violet and Stefany out of the room.

“
God
, I
love
you two,” Violet gushes when I catch up to them. She links her arm with mine as we make our way to the big, worn, comfy couch squeezed into the room behind the glass partition. “He’s totally squishy about you.”

“
Squishy?
” I question, lifting an eyebrow at her.

“Yeah,” she says with a giggle. “The guy can barely keep his hands or lips off of you. He makes this totally endearing face when you two are texting. His whole demeanor changes when you walk into a room. And he’s been writing songs like a
mad man
since you got together. It’s like I told you a few weeks ago—you look good on him.”

“So, you’re his muse, huh?” Stefany asks, leaning up against the sound board as she looks at me. She seems more fascinated than judgmental, but I still don’t really know how to answer her.

“Absolutely,” Violet insists, nodding enthusiastically. She tosses her head, causing her bangs to flop out of her eyes and across her forehead as she addresses Stefany. “JJ told me you picked the song they are recording today.”

“Yeah, I did,” she says with a smile. She looks back over her shoulder into the next room as she continues to speak. “I don’t know why, but this one felt right.” She shrugs, turning back to us. “I love their stuff—but this one is different, somehow. I think it could be their break-out hit.”

“Well,
Just Tonight
is about Millie,” Violet replies.

Stefany’s lips turn down into an impressed frown as she pushes herself upright. “Hope he keeps you around, then.” She winks and then turns to check on their progress. When her phone rings, she excuses herself to answer it. She leaves, but her words remain.

Hope he keeps you around
.

I wonder what that means. I wonder what it is she’s experienced in the world of music. How many girlfriends has she met who have turned into bitter ex-groupies? How many relationships has she watched fall apart while she’s on the road? How many boyfriends has she seen cheat or lie while they were away?

Sage has never lied to me before, but what will six weeks apart do to us?

I draw in a deep breath as I shift my focus into the next room. Sage is laughing with Maddox and Knox as Tank helps JJ finish his set up. When they all leave, he’ll have his best friends by his side—the men who have been a part of his life, who have shared and invested into his passion for
years
. He’ll be busy doing exactly what he’s always wanted—exactly what he was meant to do. I’ll be left here. Alone.

I’ll miss him terribly, but will he miss me just as much? Or will I be a casualty of his dream?

Hope he keeps you around.

Am I allowed to be surprised if he doesn’t?

Dare I dream that he will?

“OKAY, LET’S DO
a dry run. I’ll adjust some levels and then we’ll get crackin’,” says Tank as he heads for the door. Just as he opens it, Stefany bursts in. “About to get started, Stef.”

“Fantastic! I’ll only be a second, I swear.” He offers her a curt nod before she jogs the rest of the way into the room and bounces on her toes in front of us. “I just got off the phone with Heath.” She pauses, as if that name is supposed to mean something to us, and we look at each other in confusion. A sly smile pulls at her lips as she props her fists against her hips. “Lawful Sinners’ manager.”

“Goddamn. Out with it, woman, you’re killin’ us!” cries Maddox.

She laughs. “Okay, okay, okay! They caught wind that you’ll be part of their tour and they want to see you in action before we leave. Not to worry,” she says, holding her hands out in front of her as if to brace herself. “Even if you suck ass—
which you won’t
—this isn’t an audition. But, they want to get a feel for you guys.
So
, they’ve invited you to play with them. Three weeks from now. At The Fillmore.”

“The Fillmore? Are you serious?” mutters JJ.

“Yup. Welcome to the A-list of up and comers, boys and girl.”

“Holy shit,” I manage. We’ve never played at a venue as big as The Fillmore. It’s located in the art district of Denver. It’s the hottest spot for bands like Lawful Sinners. It’s just one step away from the fucking Pepsi Center.

“Wipe up your drool, guys—Tank’ll kill you if you ruin his equipment. Besides, The Fillmore will soon be child’s play, if I have anything to do about it. Now, let’s record some music, shall we?” She hurries out of the room just as fast as she came, and a slow smile makes its way onto my face.

This is fucking
awesome!

“Lawful Sinners…we’re—we’re going to meet Lawful Sinners in three weeks?” Alex squeaks.

“Babe—lookin’ a little green over there. You alright?” asks Maddox with a frown.

“Yeah. I just…” Her words trail off as she starts gathering her hair up into a ponytail and away from her neck and back. “Is it suddenly hot in here?”

“Zip, why are you freaking out? You’ve known all along that we were going to be touring with them,” I remind her.

“Mmmhmm, yeah,” she sighs before drawing in a deep breath. “I’m not freaking out. I’m fine. I’m great. Three weeks? Yeah. That’s—that’s awesome.”