Need You Tonight, page 5
She nodded. ‘Go on.’
As he spoke, he couldn’t help watching her, the way she sat back in her chair, index fingers pressed together against her mouth, her attention solely on him. She nodded a few times, her lips twitching once or twice, but he couldn’t read what she was thinking.
He’d been speaking for about ten minutes when there was a knock on the door and a young woman entered, hair cut like Lexi’s and dressed in jeans and a shirt over a t-shirt—seemed to be the thing to wear around here. She had a tray in her hands. ‘Sorry to bother you,’ she said, blushing, obviously trying not to look at him. ‘Bev thought you might like another pot of tea. And she was worried you might still be hungry given you didn’t eat much of the afternoon tea, so she added a few things for you to nibble on.’
He glanced at Lexi, bemused. They’d eaten at least half of the sandwiches and polished off most of the scones—well, Billy had. She just shook her head, smiling and said, ‘Put it here, Jenny, thanks.’
Jenny placed the tray on the desk, sneaking peeks under her fringe at Daemon.
‘Jenny, this is Daemon Flagherty. And Daemon, this is Jenny Harrison. She’s a local who helps out around the place. Bev calls her “her gem”.’
Jenny’s blush deepened. ‘It’s nice to meet you, Mr Flagherty. I love your music.’
Daemon took her hand and held it between his until she looked up at him, then smiled at her. ‘Daemon is fine. Mr Flagherty is my grandpa.’
‘Daemon.’ Jenny blushed again and Daemon couldn’t help notice the frown on Lexi’s face as she looked between him and the young woman.
‘Thank you for bringing that in, Jenny,’ Lexi said, her voice tight.
‘Do you need anything else?’
‘No, we’re fine, thanks.’ Her tone was soft and gentle now, and the frown turned into a smile as Jenny looked at her with what could only be described as hero worship.
‘Thanks, Jenny,’ he said as the young woman nodded and left the room, closing the door with a snick behind her. ‘She seems nice.’
‘She is, but definitely out of bounds.’
Daemon held up his hands. ‘Teenage women just out of school are hardly my type.’
‘No?’
‘No.’
‘Okay.’
Lexi bent to pour the drinks. The aroma of the Earl Grey tea mixed with the delicious scent of freshly baked fruit mince slice Bev had added to the plate alongside a couple of scones. His mouth watered even though a moment ago he’d thought himself full from afternoon tea.
‘Milk? Sugar?’
‘None for me.’ He hesitated over having another scone before choosing a piece of slice instead. His da used to bring mince slice home around Christmas and there was nothing like it. He hadn’t had any in years. No matter how good the scones were, the slice couldn’t be as good as the one that lived in his memory. He took a hesitant bite then closed his eyes as rich spice and pops of sweet dissolved in his mouth. ‘Mm. This is delicious.’
She took a sip of her tea, then placing the cup carefully back in the saucer, sat forward, index fingers tapping the desk lightly. ‘So, about your work. I agree with what you’ve said so far.’
He sipped his tea and sat back, listening.
‘The whole pop thing on your last few albums … What were you thinking?’
He sat forward, excitement thrumming through him. ‘That’s exactly what I said to Duddey, but he was being pressured by the powers that be to create a certain sound and we were tied in by a contract I should never have signed. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.’
She cocked her brow. ‘Duddey Gratton is a great producer but he was off the mark. He should have known better than to try to play to what’s popular rather than allowing the sound to be what it was meant to be.’
Daemon blew out a breath. ‘That is precisely why I want you.’
She stiffened, edged back in her chair and he could have sworn fear flickered in her eyes. Hell, what had he said? Surely, she wasn’t afraid of him. Maybe he’d misread. Best to just ignore and press on. He sat back, forcing himself to smile. ‘Those songs you sent us were amazing. As were all the ones you wrote for us before.’
‘Craig shouldn’t have told you that.’
‘I’m glad he did or we wouldn’t be here.’ He wanted to edge forward, but stopped himself from moving, instinct telling him she still wasn’t relaxed. ‘I really believe we could do something amazing together.’
Her lips flickered into an almost smile. ‘You’ve worked with some amazing producers before. Why not go back to one of them? Why insist on working with me?’
He allowed his gaze to meet hers, hold, so that she’d know he was speaking true. ‘You get at the heart of the music. Your take is unique, compelling. The songs you write, the music you produce, speaks to people on another level and touches them here.’ He touched his hand to his chest. ‘My da calls that “sounding the heart”—what our hearts would say with music if they could. You have that. What you do is a kind of magic. You have a unique talent. I want to work with you. I want it more than I’ve wanted anything in a long time.’
For a long moment, she stared at him, searching his face. The light of passion sparking in her eyes as he spoke about the music had died. It was almost as if his compliments made her nervous. Shite, had he taken the wrong tack?
But before he could do anything, say anything, she stood, hand out. ‘And I want to work with you … with The Sidhe, too.’ She cleared her throat again. ‘As long as you’re happy to come and work with me here, we have a deal.’
The smile on his face was too big, too goofy, but he didn’t care as he leapt to his feet and took her hand in his. ‘Excellent.’ Her grip was firm. Sure. Cool. Delicate.
She was all those things.
Their eyes met, held.
She eased her hand out of his, the nervousness back.
He stepped back, nervous about her nervousness.
She seemed to relax a little, smiled, but he noticed she kept rubbing the skin where they’d touched. And for some reason, he didn’t like that she seemed to want to rub away his touch at all.
Lexi cleared her throat again. She had to stop this nervy star-struck crap. She was on her home turf. This was her show, not his. Time to act like it.
‘Why don’t I show you around my facilities before you make your final decision?’
‘From what I’ve seen so far, I know it’s going to be perfect. I already had a song starting in my head on the drive here.’
‘I’m looking forward to hearing it. But even though I’m happy with what I’ve built here, I know it’s not for everyone, especially given you might end up staying here for months. It’s important you’re comfortable.’
He shook his head and looked out the window beyond her shoulder. ‘I think I’m going to like living here just fine. I can’t wait to get away from all the shite.’
‘As long as that “shite” doesn’t follow you here and interfere with our work or the farm, then I’ll be happy.’
He focused back on her. ‘Me too.’
She shifted away from him slightly. ‘Well, let’s get going. We’ll catch Craig down at the pool and then I’ll show you both around.’
He fell in beside her as she walked back down the hall. ‘If you’re happy with the setup then tell your manager to get in contact with mine. Your manager is here in Australia with you too, I understand?’
He nodded. ‘Nigel came out a couple of months ago to whip the staff in his Melbourne office into shape.’
‘Good. So they should be able to meet face to face and nut things out.’
‘Your manager is here?’
‘In Melbourne. She moved here when I did but doesn’t like the country so lives in the city. She’ll let you know all my requirements and will be happy to try and accommodate yours. If you decide against working with me, I’d appreciate it if you don’t mention this meeting. I prefer to keep out of the public eye.’
‘I envy your ability to do that.’
She coughed. ‘Yes, well, it’s been out of necessity.’ She pushed open the door to the pool and gym area before he had a chance to question her on that. ‘Here we are.’
‘This is amazing.’
She looked around, seeing it as she always did with a feeling of astonishment that it was hers.
Floor-to-ceiling windows surrounded them on three sides, making it feel like you were standing by a tranquil green pool in the middle of a ferny glade. Beautiful dark slate tiles streaked in shades of deepest red through to burnt orange, skirted the pool. Through the peaked glass ceiling you could see the vastness of the sky. She loved coming in here at night and floating in the water, looking out at the velvet night and overwhelmed by the millions of stars you could always see so clearly in the country and with the mountain rising up over her like a majestic queen.
Craig stood at the other end of the room talking to Billy who was doing physical therapy with Cat in the pool. Her head lay on Billy’s shoulder and he moved her arms against the pressure of water shooting out of jets from the walls of the pool.
Lexi watched him, pensive, as they walked closer to her sister, noting the exact moment Daemon’s gaze went to Cat. He’d seen her briefly outside, but was able to get a much better look now she wasn’t being rushed past him.
Her cheekbone, nose, eye-socket and jaw had been broken and had needed multiple surgeries to fix. That surgery had changed the shape of her face, moulded the contours so they were only a shadowy reflection of what her face had once been. While the doctors had done an amazing job, they hadn’t been able to get rid of the fine scar that ran from just below her nose to mar her otherwise perfectly shaped lips and the other, thicker scar that ran from brow to cheekbone. With her hair scooped into a cap, you could also clearly see her missing earlobe.
She watched Daemon carefully, ready to call the whole thing off if he showed even an instant of revulsion. But aside from that small moment of shock she’d seen outside when he first saw her sister, he simply looked … sad.
As if he sensed her watching him, he looked back, eyes full of an empathetic sympathy she couldn’t call pity. Pity she would have rebuffed, but this, it was harder to be angry with.
Hell. What had happened in his past that he understood this kind of grief?
She suddenly wanted to know, but it was the last question she’d ever ask him. Maybe she could find out from Craig. No. That wouldn’t be right either. It was none of her business just like it was none of his what had happened to Cat, what had happened to her, all those years ago. It had nothing to do with what they were here to do together.
The music. It was all that mattered between them.
Daemon had turned away from her and was talking with Craig and Billy. Cat simply stared up at the ceiling, her eyes devoid of anything. Daemon’s gaze flickered briefly between Cat and Lexi, but it was so quick she thought she might have been mistaken when he turned his charming smile on Cat, as if she would respond to it, and greeted her.
Her chest ached. She was holding her breath. She let it out on a shuddering sigh and then, after rubbing her chest, walked over to join them. ‘Are you ready to continue our tour?’
‘I’ll come with you,’ Craig said. ‘I’ll catch up with you later, bro.’
‘It was nice to meet you properly this time, Cat,’ Daemon said.
Cat’s eyes flickered to him momentarily before returning to stare blanky at the ceiling.
‘Did you see that, Lexi?’ Billy said. ‘She looked at him.’
‘Great. That’s great.’ And it was. There was no need to be jealous.
‘Yeah. She’s already noticed more since arriving than I’ve ever seen her notice before in a single day. I’m so glad you’ve finally brought her home. This is just what we need to get her to come back to us. I can’t wait to sit down with you and work out a plan.’
‘Later. Tonight?’
‘Sure.’
She left him then to his excitement and led the way to the door and outside to the path that led down to the studio and guest accommodation.
She was vaguely aware that Daemon was filling in Craig on what they’d talked about in her office as they walked behind her, which was good. It gave her a moment to collect herself.
‘This is amazing,’ Craig said, pulling her attention back to her guests as they started down the hill. ‘You should be proud of everything you’ve done here, Lexi.’
Allowing herself to feel the pride his words brought, she smiled. ‘I am. I love it here.’
‘What’s this?’ Daemon gestured at the building they were approaching.
‘The Barn House. It’s the guest accommodation. The studio is next to it. We built a corridor to connect the two. They were originally two old barns. I kept the outside simple but turned the inside into more of a home. At least, the bands I’ve had here so far have been comfortable.’ She entered the code in the front door and gestured for them to enter.
‘Lexi, this is bloody amazing. Look at that view, Dae. Melissa’s going to love it here. That’s Phil’s wife,’ he said in explanation to Lexi.
She smiled. ‘I’m not so buried in the sticks that I don’t know Phil’s married and his wife is your publicist. Billy says she’s pregnant.’
‘Yep. She’s going to love nesting here. And painting. Wait until you see her work. She could have a career as an artist. Couldn’t she, Dae?’
‘Absolutely. Not that she’d ever leave us. She loves us all too much for that.’
She ignored his cocky smirk. ‘I can’t wait to meet her and see her work. Maybe she’d do a piece to hang in here.’
‘I’m sure she will.’
Her shoulders relaxed as Craig and Daemon looked around. She hadn’t realised until that moment how much she’d been worried they wouldn’t like what she’d built.
‘It’s bigger than it looks. Very TARDIS-like,’ Craig muttered.
‘Do you have to be such a King of the Geeks?’ Dae said, lips twitching.
‘Who are you calling King of the Geeks, Mr Cold-War Spy-Movie Obsessive?’
‘Spy movies are cool.’
‘So is Doctor Who.’
‘Are you two always like this?’
‘Yup,’ they said in unison, slapping each other on the backs. She could suddenly see them as the young men they’d been when they met almost fifteen years ago and formed The Sidhe.
‘Okay. Duly noted. But let me finish the quick tour in here then we can go see the studio.’
‘Sounds good to me,’ they said in unison again before bursting into laughter.
Craig’s laughter was a familiar deep chortle that warmed her on the inside, but Daemon’s laugh was like joyful music, deep yet light at the same time, showing off his famous tenor. It made her skin tingle and her fingers ache to get to a piano and put a tune to its sound.
She realised they were both staring at her. She turned, hiding her blush and hurried towards the balcony that edged the level they stood on and gave a brilliant view out of the floor-to-ceiling windows that showcased the best of Howqua Valley.
Clearing her throat, she said, ‘So, the tour.’ She showed them through the multi-levelled building, starting with the kitchen, dining, small lounge area and library-slash-reading nook in the corner then onto the four bedrooms on the same level before going down the first flight of stairs to the next level that held a larger lounge, two bedrooms and a soundproof music room and small practice studio. Dae and Craig’s smiles widened as they took in the last two rooms just like she knew they would. Musicians were all the same. She managed to pull them away from the small recording desk before they got too invested and took them down into the basement with its six-car garage and storage rooms.
‘We’re allowed to drive here?’
‘Following some precautions to make sure no press or fans follow you—sure.’
An expression crossed Daemon’s face but before she could try to figure it out, Craig said, ‘Shall we go to the studio now?’
She led them into the hallway that connected the accommodation to the studio. ‘Ladies from the local town will take care of the cleaning and washing, but you’re responsible for your own meals. Although there are local ladies who can take care of that too. I’d prefer your personal assistants stay away, although I do understand your manager wants to come up here from time to time.’
‘He’ll probably just want Lyall—his assistant—to come up some of the time.’
She nodded. ‘Well, there should be room for them here, if they must come. As long as they follow the rules about making certain nobody follows them.’
‘They will.’
‘Good. But nobody else can come up while you’re here. And absolutely no social media that would give away where you are. We don’t want fans or the press up here.’
‘Sounds perfect.’
‘Really?’ She stopped by the door at the far end, turning to face Daemon. ‘I always got the impression you were into all that stuff.’
Daemon snorted. ‘My ex-wife was into all that stuff. I’m not. It takes me away from what I really want to be doing.’
‘And that would be?’
‘Music. Writing, playing, recording, listening. Any way I can get it is fine by me.’
She nodded, studying his profile. ‘I know what you mean.’
Their gazes met, unspoken words shifting between them. A simple understanding. A touching of souls. A love of music. She felt shattered by the strength of the connection, couldn’t look away and neither did he.
Craig’s chuckle broke the connection. ‘You’re as obsessed with music as Dae. It’s like you guys are soulmates or something.’
Lexi shifted uncomfortably. ‘I don’t believe in stuff like that.’ She turned, flipped open a panel and entered the code. There was a beep and a green light flashed ‘enter’ on the panel. She opened the door and marched ahead of them into the other barn.
Behind her she heard Daemon hiss, ‘Good going, mate. I’d just gotten her to relax again.’
‘Hey!’ Craig protested, rubbing his side. ‘I was only joking.’
‘It wasn’t funny.’
‘Are you coming?’ she asked over her shoulder as the entry lights blinked on around her. She punched in another access code at the internal door and after a beep and click, the door opened. ‘Gentlemen. This is my studio.’
