Dare to Dream (Truth or Dare #2) Read online

  Colby finishes the song and the crowd erupts into applause. A drunk chick on the other side of the bar professes her love for my boyfriend and he shakes his head, chuckling as he thanks her. Just thanks her, nothing more. My fingers curl around the edge of my seat, my only hope for staying seated. I really hope he’s taking a break soon because the anticipation of having his arms around me after so long is killing me.

  After two more songs, Colby announces that he’s going to take a quick break and my heart starts racing so fast that I think it’s about to leap out of my chest. My eyes are glued to Aaron and Colby as they walk, side-by-side with Aaron blocking Colby’s view of the bar. He stops dead in his tracks about fifteen feet away from our table, scrubbing his face with his hands, staring at me. Silent. The corner of his mouth quirks up as he closes the space between us.

  “Surprise,” I whisper in his ear as he picks me up and spins me around, nearly knocking over a table in the process. My legs wrap around his waist, trying to stay connected to him for as long as possible. I don’t give a damn about him performing another set, I want to be alone so I can show him how much our time apart has made my love for him grow.

  His hands cup my face as he kisses me, the action quickly shifting from sweet and tender to urgent and passionate. His tongue glides easily between my parted lips and I moan at the taste of him, the feel of his strong hands traveling down my arms. Hips grinding against me as he squeezes me tightly to him. And it takes everything I have in me to pull away, reminding myself that we’re in a public place right now.

  “I thought you couldn’t come until Thursday,” Colby says, looking over his shoulder to see Aaron’s smug expression. “Did you know about this?”

  “Maybe a little,” Aaron responds, holding his thumb and forefinger in the air with barely any space between them. “You going to be able to focus enough to do the last set?”

  Colby’s head turns from me to Aaron and back again as if he’s watching a ping-pong match, the smile on his face growing larger than I’ve ever seen it before. “Yeah, I’ve got this,” he says confidently. “Babe, you have to sit up front. I can’t have you all the way back here where I can’t see you.”

  He takes me by the hand and I wave to Pete and Cameron. I’d almost rather stay with them, just so I’m not sitting off by myself, but there’s no way I’m going to tell Colby that. Right now, I think I would get up on stage and sit on the floor if that’s where he wanted me.

  “Five minutes,” Aaron calls out behind us and Colby raises his hand in acknowledgment. We’re stopped a few times along the way, people telling Colby that he sounds great. Every time, Colby shakes their hand, lowering his gaze to hide the blush creeping over his cheeks. Even though he knows he’s talented, it’s hard for him to hear praise from other people.

  “Can I get a picture?” A petite redhead hands me her cell phone as she wraps her arms around my man. What. The. Fuck? Offering her a plastic smile, I hold up the phone, wanting to get this moment over with. Handing the phone back to her, I keep a bit of distance between Colby and me. This isn’t our group of friends hanging out in a parking lot and I need to get used to women coming up to him because it’s only going to get worse.

  The redhead protests when Colby pulls her arms away from him, immediately pulling me to his chest. “I’m sorry, babe,” he sighs, kissing me on the top of my head. I stand there, breathing in the heady combination of his cologne, sweat and what I have to assume is pure adrenaline.

  “It’s okay,” I say, running my hands along the firm ridges of his chest. He wasn’t quite this built when he left and I’m not sure how much I like it. I’m not complaining, by any means, but it’s not the same chest I love curling up against. It sounds like a little thing, but I always secretly loved the fact that he saw sitting around lifting weights as a waste of time. “Have to keep the fans happy, right?”

  Colby chuckles, turning me so he can rest his hands on my hips, “Baby, there’s only one woman in this bar that I have to keep happy. Fuck, I can’t believe that you’re actually here!”

  He lifts me off the ground again, carrying me the rest of the way to the front of the room. I look around, seeing that there aren’t any empty tables up here and wiggle my way free while there’s still time for me to head back to sit with the guys. Colby holds my hand tight in his as he leans over to say something to a group of guys. From the looks of it, I assume they’re regulars because one of them heads to the hall, grabbing an extra chair to add to their small table.

  “You’re here,” Colby whispers as he nibbles on my ear. “This is seriously shaping up to be one of the best days ever!” He motions for me to sit with the guys and offers them a warning glance before heading back up on stage again. As he makes adjustments to the tuning of his strings, he shakes his head and smiles at me. Just before turning the mic on to start his next set, he mouths the words I love you to me and I blow him a kiss in return.

  Chapter 3

  Colby

  It’s a surreal experience to look into the crowd and see Lea sitting at a table in the front row, singing every word of every song I’m playing. Sure, she’s watched me before, but this is different. This is Nashville. The big time. And she’s looking at me like I’m right up there with Luke Bryan and Tim McGraw. It’s probably a good thing I didn’t know she was here when I sang her song because I would have lost it. Every time I sing “Road to You” I think about her, but she’s never seen me perform it live. I wrote it right after we made the transition from friends to lovers because there were so many emotions inside of me that I wasn’t ready to voice.

  Playing to the crowd is a skill that I’m still trying to hone. Back home, it was easy because my friends were there to support me and I could be playful with them, ignoring the eyes of strangers who were carefully assessing me. Here, it’s a sea of unknown faces once you get beyond the front row. That’s not an issue for me tonight because that’s the furthest I have any desire to look. I narrow my eyes on Zach, one of the regulars around here, when he leans in to whisper something in my girl’s ear. He looks at me and laughs, making a gesture letting me know he thinks I’m pussy whipped. And he’s right. And I can’t wait to become reacquainted with that and every other part of Lea’s body.

  “I’m going to do one more song for you guys tonight. Hopefully you don’t mind, but there’s a pretty girl I haven’t seen in too damn long who decided to drop in and surprise me. And by drop in, I mean my boss helped get her sweet little backside on a plane to surprise me.” The entire room breaks out in catcalls and whistles and I feel like the king of the world. I don’t give a shit that every man in the room is now craning his neck to get a good look at my girl because I’m the only one who is going to have her laid out bare tonight or any other night. I look down and see Lea’s scarlet curls covering her face and know her face is probably equally red.

  She had better get used to the attention because tonight has renewed my hope that I might actually be able to go places with my music. It may not be as soon as I’d like, but when it happens, there’s no way I’m going to keep her hidden away like some dirty little secret. As I begin strumming the opening chords to my last song of the night, I look directly into her eyes, smiling like a love struck fool when she blows me a kiss.

  The applause hasn’t even begun to die down when I prop my guitar against the side of the piano that’s a permanent fixture on stage just before Lea jumps into my arms, causing another round of applause to burst out.

  “I’m so proud of you, baby!” In this moment, every minute that I’ve been missing her has been worth it. Seeing the way her green eyes look at me in complete awe of what I’ve just accomplished wipes away every speck of doubt that has been floating around in my mind. And if she kisses me the way she is while her legs are wrapped around my waist every time we see each other after a period apart, I can get through the tough days by looking forward to these little moments.

  “You were amazing up there! The entire crowd was singing along.” As
I reluctantly set her on the floor so we can take this reunion someplace a bit more private, she wraps her arms tightly around my waist.

  “I still can’t believe you’re really here,” I sigh, knowing that at this point, I sound like a broken record. I can’t help it; it’s the only thought racing through my mind that I can express in public. The rest of my thoughts will have to wait until we get back to Aaron’s place.

  Shit, the last thing I want to do is go back there right now. There will be plenty of time for her to see where I live, but tonight, I want it to be just the two of us. I want to listen to her scream my name as I bury myself inside of her. The thought of doing the things to her that I’m imagining while under the same roof as Aaron’s children is like a bucket of ice water to my libido. Looks like I’ll be taking a bit of the money I was saving to get a hotel room at least for tonight.

  “Colby, my man! Great job tonight,” Aaron praises me as he wraps one arm around my shoulder in a friendly hug. “And I’m impressed, I’m not sure I would have been able to keep it together as well as you did with such a beautiful distraction sitting in the front row.”

  “It was hard, but I’d have felt like an ass if I fell on my face the first night she’s here.” Lea needs to see me at my best while she’s here. Even though it was her idea for me to come down here, there’s still that little part of me that worries she’ll begin to doubt her decision. That she’ll see the way I struggle to get out of bed some mornings because jealousy and envy make me forget that most musicians out there do the same shit I am, day in and day out for as long as it takes to get noticed. Above everything else, I’m terrified that she’ll go home and decide that the time apart from one another isn’t worth it after all. It’s clear that I’m carrying more than enough doubt for both of us.

  “Even if you had, I’d still love you,” she promises me, spinning herself so she’s standing in front of me. “There’s nothing you can do on that stage that will ever change that.” She stands on her toes, gently placing kisses at the corners of my lips. Someone behind me suggests that we move the show to somewhere a bit more private and I think it’s a damn good idea. Unfortunately, Aaron seems to have other plans.

  “Colby, I know you probably want to get out of here, but there are a couple friends of mine that I want you to meet.” I look down at Lea and she shrugs. I’m not sure why I assumed she would know what’s going on, but nothing would surprise me seeing as they already pulled one over on me tonight. We follow Aaron back to the table where Lea was sitting through the first set and the two men she had been with both stand. “Colby Davis, this is Pete Tyler and Cameron Best.”

  My mind is reeling as I realize exactly whom I’m standing in front of. Pete Tyler owns one of the most sought after talent agencies in the city and Cameron Best is the owner of a small, but highly respected record label. Missy Harrington’s label. The thought that the two of them just sat through my performance is enough to make my stomach tighten. Fuck, if Aaron thought I would have screwed up with Lea in the front row, I’m damn glad he didn’t mention these two were here. Even after the fact, being in their presence is giving me a case of nerves like I’ve never experienced before.

  “Mister Tyler, Mister Best, it’s a pleasure to meet you both,” I say, hoping my voice only sounds shaky in my own head. Lea’s hand rests on my forearm and I know I’m out of luck. Maybe she just heard it because we know one another so well. Maybe these two men who have the ability to make or break a person’s career are clueless to the fact that I’m about to piss my pants.

  “Colby, it’s great to meet you,” Mr. Tyler says, offering me his hand. “And please, call me Pete. You were great up there tonight. A bit rough at times, but certainly nothing that won’t iron itself out with a little more experience. Very impressive for someone who’s been at it for such a short time.”

  Holy. Shit. Pete Tyler is standing in front of me telling me that I have talent. As I move to shake hands with Mr. Best, I feel myself stand a bit straighter, my shoulders squared to show the confidence that is slowly returning to my body. It doesn’t escape me that I’m on an emotional rollercoaster right now. One minute, flying high, the next dropping to the ground. I wonder if it will always be like this.

  “Colby, I would like you to give me a call early next week. Cameron and I would like to discuss putting together a demo for you.” My eyes widen as I’m handed a business card that symbolizes the opportunity many artists struggle for years to be given.

  I stare at the card, which has Pete’s office information on one side and his cell phone number hand written on the back. When I look up at the three men staring back at me, with my mouth slightly agape, they all chuckle. More than likely, this isn’t the first time they’ve seen such a reaction. If not for the fact that I don’t want to look like an unappreciative ass, I would ask if I’m being punked. After all, a few hours ago I was nothing more than a bar manager at one of the hundreds of small bars in Nashville, working on completely mundane paperwork.

  “We’d do it sooner, but Aaron says you’ve been looking forward to your girl’s visit since about ten minutes after you moved down here. So go, have fun with her through the weekend, and we’ll talk once you’ve had time to digest everything.” Cameron leans in, giving Lea a peck on the cheek before excusing himself.

  “Baby, if you need to talk to them sooner, I’m sure Aaron’s wife and I can find something to do,” Lea says sweetly, gently trailing her hand up and down the length of my arm. “I knew something would come along for you, I don’t want me being here to jeopardize that.”

  “Don’t worry about him, Lea,” Pete assures her. “He’s got a unique sound, just the type of thing we’re looking for right now. Believe me—a week isn’t going to change that. You know, there’s a party Friday night for some of our artists. It’s a bit premature, but I would like to think that you will soon be among that group, so I’d be honored if you and Lea were able to come out. Who knows, if you can get Aaron to find a sitter for the night, we might even be able to get him to get in on one of the jam sessions.”

  Pete pulls out a chair for Lea and we all sit around the small, round table. As one of my co-workers brings a round of drinks, I keep waiting for the moment when someone points to the cameras, telling me that this is all a prank. Shit like this doesn’t happen. It’s the very thing everyone hopes will happen, but you rarely here of anyone being in the position I’ve just been thrust into.

  We sit there for over an hour, talking about my career, or lack thereof, up until this point. Pete doesn’t make me feel like I’m too inexperienced for him to take seriously. In fact, it almost seems as if he’s eager to have someone like me that he can mold into the artist he wants. If not for his reputation, it would have been a huge red flag for me. I have no problem receiving constructive criticism that will help me succeed, but I didn’t move down here for some suit to strip me down to nothing and rebuild me to fit their marketable image.

  “It’s been a pleasure getting to know you a bit, Colby.” Pete stands, handing a credit card to our server as she passes. “I hope we’ll see you Friday night. If you are interested in coming, call me at the number on the back of the card and I will give you all of the details.”

  “I’ll talk to Lea and get back to you,” I tell him, not wanting to commit even a minute of our short time together without discussing it with her first. For the week that she’s here, I plan to make her my only priority.

  I notice that Lea’s about to say something, but stops when I subtly shake my head. Pete isn’t pressuring me for an answer right this minute and seems to understand where my head is at. Not giving him an immediate answer is also a way for me to gage his true interest in me. If he truly sees potential in my performance as he claims, he’ll stand by his word that he’ll want me just as much once she’s headed back home. Plus, it shows him from the very beginning that there are certain compromises I’m not willing to make, no matter what the cost. Or more accurately, I won’t compromise on anything whe
n it comes to Lea.

  “Of course,” Pete responds, looking between the two of us with a wistful smile. I wonder what he’s thinking about when he sees us standing before him. Is it a naïve wannabe and his adoring girlfriend? A rising star and the woman who pushes him to do more than he ever thought possible? Or does he simply see a young couple in love, completely devoted to making all of their dreams come true? “Lea, it was a pleasure to meet you. It would be wonderful to see you at the party, but know that I don’t want you to feel as if you don’t have a choice in the matter. Enjoy your visit with Colby, I have a feeling it won’t be long before life gets a little crazy and I don’t want either of you to have any regrets.”

  Pete is so unlike the predators I’ve been warned about. When he makes statements like the ones he is tonight, they seem sincere. While it’s possible that he’s just that good at saying what struggling artists want to hear, I don’t think that’s the case with him. We follow Pete out to the parking lot and say goodnight, promising to talk again soon.

  After helping Lea into the passenger side of the Nissan Pathfinder Aaron’s letting me borrow until I get my own wheels, I round the hood as quickly as I can without appearing desperate. Which, of course, I am at this point. I want to be alone with Lea, not only to show her how much I’ve missed her, but to begin celebrating the best night I’ve had since moving away from her. The second my door closes, Lea leans over the seat, cupping my face in her hands. She closes her mouth over mine in a passionate kiss that doesn’t last nearly long enough.

  “Baby, I’m so proud of you! I know they’re going to love you just as much as I do.” She kisses me again before sitting back in her seat. “This is a good thing, I can feel it!” She’s practically bouncing around in her seat with enthusiasm.

  I love her excitement, but in a way, I feel that much more pressure to succeed. If I don’t, I’m not sure which of us will be more crushed.