Music of the Heart, page 15
“Don’t you dare. I am not about to walk back out there in front of everyone and tell them we are a couple after you’ve just given me an orgasm with your fingers. I’d like to not be so obvious when we go out there.”
I throw my head back and laugh out loud. You never know what may come out of her mouth sometimes.
“Fine. But I get to give you many orgasms later tonight.”
I give her a kiss on the forehead and walk back to the den. Thankfully, everyone is scattered around and pays no attention to me. A few minutes pass and Ashleigh walks back out. I give her a smirk and she flicks me off with a grin on her face. Everyone has made their way back to the den and before I know what’s going on, Ashleigh has started talking.
“Okay y’all. I’m pretty sure none of you are stupid or blind as I’ve been told but just to clarify things, yes, Cross and I are a thing. Please don’t say anything to anyone else though. With our jobs and careers, we want to keep this under wraps for now.”
Everyone pretty much has the same reaction. Mason looks at us and laughs. “It’s about damn time you admitted it to everyone. It was pretty fucking obvious.”
After about another hour, we start going home. It’s late and Ashleigh has to be up somewhat early to head to the airport. She gives her goodbyes and I walk her out to her car.
“I’ll meet you at your house. I hope you’re not too tired though. I have plans for you.”
The look in her eyes is enough to make me fly down the street. Thank God she lives in the same neighborhood as Merritt.
Chapter Twenty-Four
ASHLEIGH
I’m going to be so tired on my flight tomorrow. Thank goodness I don’t have a show the first night. I actually have no plans and decide to sleep all night long in my hotel room.
I look over to a sleeping Cross and wonder how I got so lucky. He’s gorgeous and he’s mine. I should be exhausted after two rounds of sex with him already but he brings out something in me and I’m ready to go again.
“Quit staring at me Ashleigh. It’s kind of creepy.”
I giggle and sit on his back to give him a massage. I’m moving all around with my arms rubbing his back and not even giving it a second thought that I am totally naked.
Apparently, he has remembered and flips me over so he’s on top of me now.
“Sorry, you were killing me moving all around. Your pretty little lips down here were about to put me over the edge. I was a little jealous of my back. Now, I want them for myself.”
Before I know what’s happening, he has flung the sheets off the bed and made his way down my body, settling his face between my thighs. He blows out over my mound and pulls my lips apart with his fingers. His tongue is like magic and I enjoy it too much. It doesn’t take long before I am about to fall over the edge. Adding two fingers to the mix, he pumps them in and out of me while he sucks on my clit. All of a sudden, he bites down and sucks harder than ever and I explode. My body writhes back and forth and I squeeze my thighs around his head. He flattens them to their sides and continues sucking and lapping me up. Just when I think he’s letting up and I’m coming down off my high, he goes at it again and I feel myself about to come again.
“Oh my God, Cross. I’m about to come again. Please don’t stop.”
Before I can urge him along more, he pulls his mouth away and I am stunned. I’m about to open my eyes to look for him when I feel him thrust inside of me. My eyes spring open and his mouth is on my mouth like I’m his last meal. I love kissing Cross and I can’t get enough of it.
He moves his mouth down to my nipples and works his magical tongue of both of them. Alternating between sucking and biting my nipples, I can feel it building up again. With all my strength, I push him over so I’m sitting on top of him. He gives me a smile and grabs my nipples with his fingers and starts twisting them and pinching hard.
Swiveling my hips, his erection hits all the right places in me. He grabs me by the hips and starts pumping me up and down on him. My breasts are bouncing all around which I know he loves too. Leaning back, his very large erection hits me in the perfect spot and I start to see stars. I fall forward on him as he finishes and finds his release.
“Wow. I don’t think I have any other words Ashleigh. Where did that come from?”
“I’m just full of surprises.” Smiling, I lean down to kiss him and get ready to roll off of him. He grabs me before I can roll off and deepens the kiss. This kiss is different than normal. It’s not the animalistic one he gives me where he assaults my mouth with his. This one is tender but has a sense of urgency to it.
Pulling away from him, I look him in the eye with a questioning stare.
“Hey, you okay? You seem different all of a sudden.”
Cross just looks at me and gives me one more tender kiss. This one feels like love. Oh God. I think I’m falling in love with Cross. I can’t tell him though. What if he feels different? I’m pretty sure he didn’t include love in his forever future. That’s a conversation for later though. Now, I’m tired and have to be up in five hours to head to the airport.
Pulling my back towards his front, he spoons me as we fall sound asleep. It doesn’t take me any time before I have drifted off to sleep.
**********
As I wake up, I realize I beat my alarm from going off and look over to see Cross still asleep. I turn the alarm off so I don’t wake him and head to take a shower. Standing under the hot shower, I let the water beat down on me. As I lather shampoo in my hair, I feel two hands circle my body and grab my breasts.
I don’t say a word and just let him do his thing. Feeling his lips on my neck, I instantly start to get turned on. I know I only have an hour to get ready before I need to leave but he’s making me want him again. I look at him and with a smirk, let him know I want him.
“You better make it quick. Flight leaves in two hours.”
Shower sex is nothing to toss aside. It’s intimate and sensual. His hands are about as magical as his tongue and he lathers up my conditioner to my hair and while I start to rinse it out, he washes my body with my soap paying extra attention to cleaning my breasts and my thighs.
Thank God I have a big seat in my shower. Sitting down, he pulls me over and I slide right on his erection. We waste no time and before I know it, I’m screaming his name out. As we slow down, I passionately kiss him and I press my breasts against him. He stands up while holding me and while he is still inside of me. I finally let go and drop my legs to the ground knowing I need to get ready.
As I put the finishing touches on my make-up and throw my travel clothes on, he comes back in fully dressed with a steaming cup of coffee.
“Thank you so much. I need this so bad.”
I’m putting on my jewelry and adding lipstick when I see him staring at me through my mirror.
“Stop staring. Remember, it’s kind of creepy.”
“Sorry. I’m just remembering how happy you look right now since we won’t see each other for a while.”
He stands up and walks towards me. Wrapping his arms around my chest from behind, he hugs me and kisses me on my temple.
“I’ll miss you Cross. Be safe traveling to China. You mentioned you’d be gone for a while, right?”
“Possibly a month. I promise I will stay in touch with you. I know the time difference will be crazy so it may be a lot of texts but I will be in touch with you every day. I promise.”
Kissing him goodbye, he leaves to get ready for work as I wait for Allie to get here so we can head to the airport.
CROSS
I’ve been in China for two weeks and I have texted or talked to Ashleigh every single day or night. The time difference is thirteen hours so we’ve actually been able to talk a lot. I try to call her when I wake up around 7 a.m. because it’s early evening there and it works out well for us.
I really miss her but I know she’s having fun. I called Allie, her assistant, before I left for China and asked her to update me on Ashleigh’s throat and voice during this tour. I’m really worried about her but even more so I’m worried what she’s going to do when Jamie tells her she’s on a permanent break in a few weeks.
I’m mostly worried about what is going to happen when and if she finds out I’m the one to blame for her break. I just won her heart. I don’t want to lose it again.
Somehow I get through the next two weeks even though I miss her like crazy. My flight is scheduled to arrive back in Atlanta tomorrow night but I fly out the next day to California for two weeks. By the time I get back, it will be mid March and Jamie will have talked to her already. The only thing keeping me anyway sane about it is Jamie will not bring my name up and she will never know I am the reason behind her break. At least for now.
Chapter Twenty-Five
ASHLEIGH
I am performing my last show for this part of the tour tonight in Nashville. I am headed to the label tomorrow for a quick meeting. I get a few weeks off before the MLB Tour begins and then I hit all thirty teams to sing the national anthem, have meet and greets with fans and throw out the first pitch.
Once the show is over, I head back to the hotel and get some much needed sleep. The next morning, Allie has room service delivered to my room and I get ready to head to JMA Music for a meeting with my people.
“Good morning Ms. Kennedy. Mr. Matthews asked me show you to the conference room. I already have your coffee for you. Is there anything else you need?”
“No, Leslie. I’m good but thank you.”
I’m waiting on everyone to come in and finally see Claire, Grant and Mark walk in. Greeting them all, they sit down and Leslie brings in more coffee and some breakfast pastries. Finally, Jamie walks through the door and has a seat.
“Good morning Ashleigh. Thank you for joining us today. I don’t want to keep you long. We just have a few things to go over with you.”
I look over at Claire, Grant and Mark and I can instantly tell something is up and this is not just a ‘how are you doing’ meeting.
“What’s going on? I can tell I’m not here for the hell of it so just spill it. Why did you call me in for a meeting today Jamie?”
“Well, we have some concerns. I’ve been told you are having some medical problems with your voice and your throat. I know all the details of what’s been going on with you and I’m genuinely concerned.”
I notice movement out of the corner of my eye and see Dr. Whitley walking in the room. He’s the specialist that Preston Hamilton set me up with and the one who confirmed what Dr. Gregory told me. If I don’t calm down my touring and singing, my vocal fold hemorrhage will worsen and I will need surgery.
“Dr. Whitley, what are you doing here? Can someone tell me what in the hell is going on?”
“Ashleigh, I was called in and asked to speak with your permission in regards to your condition. Do I have your permission to talk about your visit with me?”
Shit. They all know. I’ve kept it under wraps for so long and they somehow found out. I look over at Allie and she looks sympathetic.
“Sure, Dr. Whitley. Go ahead and discuss our visit.”
For the next twenty minutes, Dr. Whitley explains to everyone in the room exactly what is going on with me and my voice. I can see the looks on their faces and no one looks very thrilled with me right now. Grant looks over at me and is really pissed.
“Ashleigh, how could you not mention this to me? I mean, I knew you were tired a lot and I know you work too hard sometimes but I honestly didn’t think anything was wrong with your voice. You can’t keep things like this from me. Especially not when we’ve got you on a long tour.”
I calm down a bit when Claire starts talking and seems upset with me but sympathetic also. But then I look over at Jamie and I know something else bad is about to happen.
“Just spit it out Jamie. I know you have something else you want to say. Just tell me.”
“Fine. Look, I think you need a break from the road.”
“A break? What do you mean a break? Like a few days off the tour or a couple of weeks? I can handle that. I’ll even agree to doctor visits weekly if needed.”
“Oh, you’re going to be having weekly doctor visits. But the type of break I’m talking about is a bit longer.”
“How much longer Jamie?”
I know it’s bad because he hesitates and looks away from me and at Dr. Whitley. Dr. Whitley takes over for Jamie.
“Ashleigh, I think it would be best for you and your career if you you took several months off from singing. Kick back and relax. Go on a much needed vacation. Visit your…”
“MONTHS! Are you fucking kidding me right now? I am not going to take a break for a few months. I have the MLB tour in three weeks. You can’t make me miss that. I’m their spokesperson.”
“Ashleigh, calm down. The break isn’t for a few months. It’s actually for six months. You will be doing the MLB tour but you are not allowed to sing – only throwing out first pitches, autograph sessions and appearances. Then, you are done until the fall. No singing at all and you have to have weekly doctor visits. We are just trying to keep you healthy and away from surgery.”
By this point, I am in tears and I am beyond pissed off.
“NO! NO! You cannot do this to me. This is my job – my life. I cannot and will not take a six month break.”
“Unfortunately, you don’t have a choice, Ashleigh. You either take this break and get healthy again or the label could be forced to drop you. I like you a lot and I want you on our label for the foreseeable future so please take the break and come back healthy.”
I have no fucking choice. I don’t want to be dropped from the label. Who in the hell put the bug in his ear about my throat. God, I just need to cry.
“Are we done here? I need to leave.”
I excuse myself from the conference room and Allie is behind me calling for our car. We head straight to the airport and home to Atlanta. I don’t let anyone know I am home. I just need time to mope and pout and cry.
CROSS
Dixon called me and told me what happened to Ashleigh. Hopefully, I played it off well that I didn’t know about any of it already. Apparently, she is devastated and aside from being upset, she is extremely pissed off.
He said she’s been holed up in her house for the past week. No one even knew she was home until Allie called Merritt earlier today and told her what happened.
Merritt also called and told me they were all headed over there in a few hours to take her food and hang out with her. I stop by the Café and grab some sandwiches and bakery items to take over there.
I was not expecting just how upset she was when I got there. She looks awful. Her hair is a mess, she’s wearing bummy sweatpants and her eyes are almost swollen shut because she’s been crying so much.
The girls are already there when I arrive with the guys. When she sees me, she comes right into my arms and cries again. What hurts me is knowing I am the reason she is like this. If I had never opened my mouth to Jamie, he never would have done this to her. But her health is more important than her singing right now.
After three weeks of moping around, she went back on the road for the MLB tour with extra people from the label to ensure she follows orders of no singing. She will be gone until May 15th and then she will be back home for good.
This whole situation has put me in a bad mood lately and Dixon has definitely taken notice. I have been staying holed up in my office pretty much every day since Ashleigh went on the road so he decided to pay me a visit one afternoon.
“Knock, knock my friend.”
“Hey Dixon. Come on in. I just need to finish up this paperwork and sign a few things really quick. What brings you by?”
“Well, I’m kind of worried about you. You’ve been acting strange ever since Ashleigh told us about her meeting in Nashville. What’s going on man?”
Ashleigh has been on the road for a month now. She’s due to come home in two weeks and so far, she has no clue I’m involved in any way. But I need to tell someone. It’s killing me holding this in.
“Shit. Dude, I think I fucked up. I’m pretty sure everyone is going to hate me if they ever find out what I’ve done.”
“Do I even want to hear what you’ve done? Do I need to be worried about the police getting involved?”
“Fuck you, asshole. I didn’t do anything criminal. But I do need you to promise not to say a word at all to anyone. Do not rat me out.”
He just shakes his head and groans.
“I’m serious asshole. This is between me and you.”
“Fine, fine Cross. It’s between me and you. Now tell me what the hell it is.”
