Music of the Heart, page 16
I start by filling him in on my silent shareholder role I have at the record label. Before I can even finish my story, he figures it out for himself.
“Holy shit. You’re the reason she’s on a break, aren’t you? You went to the label and said something. Oh man, she’s going to fucking hate you. You know that, right?”
“Hey, why don’t you take my scissors and stab my eyes out? It might feel a little better than you rubbing in the shit storm I have created. I know she’s going to hate me. But her health and her throat not being permanently damaged is more important than her hating me or not.”
I jump up from my chair and go pour a drink. I never drink at work during the day but I think this situation calls for it right now.
“Look Cross. I know you meant well but she’s not going to see it that way. She’s going to be crushed when she finds out you had anything to do with it.”
“Which is why she can’t fucking find out.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
ASHLEIGH
This is miserable. I have gone from doing something I love to something I hate. Not being able to sing on the MLB tour is pure hell. My job is to fucking sing and I can’t even do it. I’m supposed to sit here and look pretty and I am over it. Thank God I get to go home in two days. But then, I can’t even look forward to that because I am being forced to sit around and do nothing. Absolutely nothing.
I will figure out who leaked just how bad I was to the label. If it is the last thing I do, I will find that person and rip them a new asshole. I was doing fucking fine. I know my limits and I knew when to cool down from singing too much.
So, now when I get home on Sunday, I get to look forward to another very lengthy doctor’s appointment to re-evaluate my whole situation and see if I need surgery or not.
Sunday arrives and when I get home, I find my girls waiting on me at my front door. I really wasn’t in the mood for any company tonight but they aren’t going to leave me alone. Ava looks at me with a big smile and holds up her hands.
“We come bearing gifts. Greasy hamburgers and fries and a shit ton of ice cold beer.”
I can’t help but laugh. I do love me some burgers and beer.
“Come on in. I’m starving and pissed so I could use a beer right now.”
They blast me with questions about the tour and how it was not singing. I fill them in on how boring it was and how miserable I was the whole time.
Merritt asks me if I will help her out at Bello some while I’m on my break and it just makes me cry. I mean crazy person, lose my shit, cry fest.
“I’m sorry Ashleigh. I didn’t mean to make you upset. I was just trying to help out and make the time go by quicker with come thing else to do. I know that Elizabeth mentioned needing some help at the Breast Cancer Foundation as well. I know she loves you and would appreciate your help.
“I’m the one who’s sorry. I just can’t wrap my head around how this happened. I had everything under control myself. Who in the hell went to the label about this? So help me God, I will find out who did it if it is the last thing I do this summer.”
The girls kept trying to think of ways to help keep me occupied during my time off but I just wasn’t in the mood to hear any of it. I know one thing to take my mind off of it and there is only one person who can help me with that.
I shoot Cross a text to come over in about an hour when the girls are gone.
When he arrives, I basically jump his bones the minute he makes it through my front door. He closes my front door and locks it, never putting me down. Walking me up the stairs while kissing me is easy for him. We spend the rest of the night in the bed and I am like a sex maniac. I want him and I need him. Feeling him inside of me is amazing and I can’t get enough of him tonight.
“Oh my God, Cross. Yes. Oh God, yes. Right there. Please make me come.”
His tongue is working its magic again but that’s not how I want to come. I want him all the way in me bringing me over the edge with my orgasm. For the past week, we have spent every night together, fucking each other senseless. I just need him to fuck the hurt away and he gladly obliged.
“Cross, I need you in me now. Please, get your ass up here and fuck me hard.”
“Your wish is my command Ashleigh.”
He trails his tongue from my mound, up my belly and then he feasts on each of my nipples. Finally, his mouth finds mine as he grabs a hold of each of my hands and raises them above my head. Holding my hands and kissing the hell out of me, he thrusts himself in me and I moan into his mouth. He starts pumping in and out of me at a normal pace and lets his mouth find my nipples again. I want to grab his ass and push him in farther but he won’t let go of my hands. I throw both legs around his waist and lock them behind his back pulling him further into me.
Picking up his pace, he pumps harder and harder until I can’t take much more.
“Come for me, Ashleigh.”
My whole body explodes and Cross is right behind me, coming with me.
“What am I going to do with you baby? You’re like a sex-crazed animal.”
Looking at him, I just laugh. “What else am I going to do with all my spare time? Sex with you all day sounds about perfect to me.”
For the next week, my nights go pretty much the same. Dinner with the girls or Cross and then sex all night long and all morning long. I even paid Cross a couple of visits to work and christened his office bathroom with him. And the places we have had sex! Oh my, I have become adventurous with my spare time.
Merritt looks at me over lunch one day with a questioning look. “Okay, you’re going to have to give me a rundown of everywhere you’ve had sex lately. I need some fresh ideas for me and Mason.”
“Well, of course, there have been the normal places like the bed and the shower. We found every available space in my house and his condo to have sex. We’ve done it on the kitchen island, in the laundry room on the washer, on the couch, in the pool, in the shower, in the bathtub, on my back porch, on his balcony, in his office bathroom at work and a few other places.”
“Okay, you’ve become some sex maniac. You’ve never been like this before. What gives?”
“It’s different with Cross. He brings something out in me that makes me crave sex all the time.”
I notice a look on her face and I can’t figure out what it’s for.
“Hey, what’s that look for Merritt? You look like you have something on your mind. Spill it.”
“I’m really not sure what it is. Dixon has been acting weird lately. I’ve seen him and Cross talking a lot and they are always whispering but stop when I come around. Have you noticed it too?”
“Now that you mention it, I have seen them whispering a lot. Dixon has looked kind of aggravated with Cross too. Maybe I can get Dixon to talk to me. I’ll go visit him at work tomorrow. Off the subject, are we all still on for East Andrews on Friday night? It’s the last weekend before Dixon and Ava’s wedding. It’s time to have some fun.
“Yeah, last I heard, everyone was still on for it.”
Perfect. A night out is exactly what I need.
CROSS
Having to take a last minute business trip is not what I was planning for this week but I got a call from a company in North Carolina I’ve been working with and I need to get up there to sign off on the deal. Thankfully, I was able to have them ready for me on Thursday and Friday so I could get back by Friday night to go out with the whole group.
I can’t stop thinking about Ashleigh. As much as I never wanted a serious relationship, I think I’m ready to take the plunge with her. She means the world to me and I can’t get enough of her. I just can’t stop hoping that everything doesn’t come crashing down on me involving her career. I’m honestly not sure what I would do if she finds out.
I get through the day of meetings on Thursday and just order room service for dinner. I’m not in the mood to go out with anyone tonight. Friday morning rolls around and I have three meetings to go to and then I can hop on the plane and head home. I will just be getting back in time to meet everyone at the club and not for dinner but thankfully, I have a shower on the plane so I can change clothes and get ready while we’re in the air. It’s the last big hurrah for Ava and Dixon before the big day next weekend. We decided to have a joint night out with the guys and the girls and all I can think about is getting my hands on Ashleigh.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
ASHLEIGH
“Hey Hannah. Is Dixon in his office? I really need to talk with him.”
“Sure Ashleigh. Go on in.”
I decided to pay Dixon a visit at his office to see what is going on with him. Merritt mentioned he was acting strange and I thought maybe I could figure it all out. I stopped by the Sweet Peach to grab us some lunch.
“Knock, knock. I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”
“Hey Ash. Come on in. What a nice surprise.”
Dixon stands up and walks around to kiss me on the cheek. He takes the bag from me and leads me over to his conference table.
“So, am I in trouble or something? You’re bringing me lunch and coming to visit unannounced? What’s up?”
“Really, I just wanted to come see you and talk to you. Merritt mentioned something is going on with you but she wasn’t sure what it was. I thought for sure you would talk to me. Right?”
The look on Dixon’s face changes quickly to one of stress and I can tell he’s getting nervous. Yep, something is up with him.
“Seriously Dixon. The look on your face says it all. What’s wrong? Lord knows I have enough crappy shit going on in my life right now. Why not share yours with me too?”
“Ugh. I wish I could but I promised I wouldn’t say anything. I’m sorry.”
Hmmm… I know it has nothing to do with any of the girls because they would have already told me. It has to be one of the guys.
“Okay, listen. I get you want to be respectful to whoever told you something but you are incredibly stressed. Maybe you just need to get it off your chest. You know me well enough to know I won’t say anything to anyone.”
I take a huge bite of my chicken salad sandwich when he stops eating and looks at me with almost a sympathetic expression.
“Fuck. Look, you did not hear this from me, okay? Shit, he is going to kill me.”
“What the hell Dixon? What is going on? And who the hell is going to kill you?”
Taking a sip of my tea, he looks at me again.
“Cross is the person responsible for you being on a permanent break.”
I spit my drink out everywhere and start choking.
“Excuse me? I’m pretty sure I didn’t hear you right? Why don’t you tell me again what’s going on please?”
Dixon stands up and starts pacing around his office. If what he just said is the truth, I might be sick.
“I can’t believe I just told you that. Oh shit. Okay, listen. Long story short. Cross is a silent shareholder and on the board of trustees for JMA Music. He’s the one who talked to Jamie about your voice and throat. Listen, he was really worried about you and when he saw how bad you were hurting one night and then overheard you talking about your throat, he mentioned it to the label. That’s how they got access to your doctor as well.”
I start hyperventilating. Oh my gosh, I think I’m having a panic attack. What in the hell has he done?
“Calm down Ashleigh. You’re starting to have a panic attack. Please listen to me. He seriously thought he was doing something good, not bad. He cares so much for you and didn’t want to see you ruin your career over not taking care of your voice.”
“Holy shit. I’m going to kill him. He didn’t help me. He ruined everything. I am supposed to be on tour all summer and I had to cancel everything. I mean, he already controls my recording studio. Is there anything else he’s secretly involved in?
“Well, he owns the Sweet Peach Café too.”
Of course he does. It seems like every single fucking thing I am involved in or like, he owns it. All of a sudden, a calm comes over me.
“Is he coming tonight with us to dinner and the club? I haven’t talked to him today and now, I don’t plan on it.”
“He told me this morning when he called that he would miss dinner but would meet us at East Andrews. Why? What are you going to do?”
“Dixon, don’t worry about me or what I may do. I will be fine. Do not under any circumstances tell him that I know. And please do not mention this to any of the other girls or guys.”
With that, I stand up and walk out. Not do anything, my ass. He’s going to get what he deserves tonight.
CROSS
My plane rolls in about thirty minutes before I’m supposed to meet everyone. Thomas is waiting on me and drives me towards East Andrews, a fun and young club that has great bands, great drinks and a VIP area for us to be away from the craziness.
Happy I landed the deal, I can’t wait to see Ashleigh and kiss her. I’ve missed her and it’s only been two days. I could never get in touch with her today and I got a little worried until Dixon told me he had seen her and she was busy with the girls today at the spa.
The guy working the door at East Andrews lets me in and I’m shown upstairs to the VIP area by a waitress. We lucked up with our room and bar tonight. We are overlooking the whole dance floor that is outside and I can already hear people yelling up at Ashleigh, having recognized her.
Walking up behind her, I wrap my arms around her stomach and kiss her neck. She quickly jerks away from me and turns around.
“What the hell Cross? Don’t do stuff like that please.”
“Excuse me? Why the hell not? You are mine.”
“Let’s get one thing straight. I am not anyone’s property so no, I am not yours. Secondly, our friends may know about us but all the people below that can see us don’t know and I really would prefer not shouting it to the world tonight. I’d rather not be a front page tabloid story tomorrow morning or see my picture on someone’s Instagram tonight.”
Wow. She is pissed off about something and taking it out on me. Awesome. Just the way I wanted to be welcomed back by her. She has already walked away to where Merritt is standing and I notice some extra faces joining us tonight. I knew my brothers were going to be here but there are a few former baseball players from Auburn up there that the girls were friends with and their girlfriends. Then I notice Ashleigh’s ex, Bennett.
“Dixon, what the hell is Ashleigh’s ex doing here?”
“I invited him. It’s mine and Ava’s night. Seriously Cross. I think you know they are more like brother and sister than anything romantic. The last thing she wants is to start things up with Bennett again. Plus, if you would take a minute to get your head out of your ass, you would see he has his new girlfriend with him.”
“She just bit my head off. Told me not to touch her tonight in front of people. What the hell is that about? I get not wanting to flaunt us for the world to see yet but I don’t see how a hug could hurt anything?”
Dixon makes a face but doesn’t let on that he knows anything. If something is going on with Ashleigh, I’m going to find out tonight. I’ll make sure of it.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
ASHLEIGH
It totally pisses me off that he’s here right now but I’m letting on that I know what he’s done yet. No worries though. That moment is coming later.
“Ashleigh, what the hell just went on between you and Cross? I thought you were excited he was coming back to go with us tonight? What’s up? And don’t tell me nothing because I know you better than you know your self. Spill it bitch.”
I grab Merritt’s hand and drag her to the ladies room to talk. I click the lock so no one interrupts us and spill everything to her. I replay what went down at Dixon’s office today and she flips out.
“What the fuck is wrong with him? Why didn’t he just talk to you first instead of trying to rule every aspect of your life? That fucking asshole. I’m going to rip him a new one and beat the shit out of him.”
“Merritt, calm the hell down. Look, don’t say a fucking word to him about this right now. Trust me, he’s going to find out I know and when he does, his world is going to be rocked.”
I storm out of the bathroom before Merritt has a chance to say anything else. Ava, Laken and Ellis are all looking at us and come straight to the bar where Merritt and I are headed. Lord knows I need another drink.
“Bartender, a round of tequila shots for me and my girls!”
I feel his presence before I see him.
“Ashleigh, do you really think that’s a good idea? You seem to have had a few drinks already.”
