Chapter 4

Kade sat at his desk and stared at the blank notebook. The words weren't flowing. The music wasn't coming to him. Every time he tried to focus on the woman who'd be singing, he lost all focus. Tapping his pencil idly on the wood, he practically growled at himself. He hated having to put aside his own latest project to do the work for others, but that was his business and the name of the game. You didn’t always get to work on your own songs, and the one he had burning inside him was sure to be special. He was writing it for Cadence.

The idea had come to him months ago, and he’d been fleshing it out in his mind ever since, but now he was struggling to get anything out.

This didn't happen to him. Sure, sometimes he felt a creative block, but it was mostly because he was overworked. He never let a woman come between him and his work, and he'd be damned if he let Addilyn Wheeler be the first.

America Holden. He needed to remind himself that this was a pop princess. She grew up in life with every opportunity, and now she had everything that she ever wanted.

He wasn't going to let her take this contract away from him. Not when he'd fought every step of the way to get here. He had the scars to prove it.

The phone rang, and he glanced down at it with a sigh. Christopher. No doubt his friend was checking up on him and his progress. Weeks had passed, and he had nothing to show for it. Pushing the phone away, he got up and started to pace.

Addilyn had called him nearly every day. She left voicemails. She sent emails. She continued to threaten him if he didn't let her in on the process, but she just didn't get it. She was taking a huge risk by switching genres, and if his name was attached to that kind of failure, it could be the end for him. There was too much pressure to let her upset the balance, but the more she called, the less he was able to work.

The phone rang again. Picking it up, he practically snarled in the phone. "What do you want, Christopher?"

"Where are you?" His friend's voice was clipped.

"What do you mean? I'm in Nashville."

"Not anymore," Christopher snapped. "You have a flight in three hours to New York, and so help me God, Kade, you better be on it."

"Excuse me? I am in the middle of a contract, Christopher. I don't have time to meet with anyone else."

"You're not meeting someone else. You have a meeting with Peter, and if you're not there, you may not be meeting with anyone except coffee house singers with big dreams and little town."

Kade's head jerked up. "Peter Homes wants to meet? I have nothing to show him."

"Did you really kick Addilyn Wheeler out of your house when she showed up to help?"

Groaning, Kade ran his hands over the rough scruff of his chin. "She showed up unannounced, Christopher. I have a family for heaven’s sake. She doesn't just want to collaborate. She thinks I'm tutoring her on songwriting. That's not the contract that I signed."

"Damn it, Kade." Christopher sighed. "Just make sure you're on the plane. I'm going to see if I can do some damage control. I'll send you an email while you're in the air, and you better do everything that I say."

"What do you mean? Am I going to lose this contract?"

"Don't be late."

The fact that Christopher didn't try to reassure him worried him. His friend always had his back, but Peter Homes was a powerful man.

And Addilyn Wheeler was his biggest star.

Swearing loudly, Kade went to pack.

Four hours later, he sat next to Christopher in Peter's waiting room. "Did you get my email?" he whispered.

Kade had gotten Peter's email, but he wasn't happy about it. Grunting in response, he kept his eyes trained on the glimpses of people that he could see through the blinds. He'd recognize those golden strands of hair anywhere.

Addilyn Wheeler.

"Kade, you need to control your temper if you want to keep this contract."

"Christopher--"

"This is a big deal for me, too. Managing a contract between a producer like Homes and one of my songwriters is huge."

"I know that," Kade hissed. "You're making me even more stressed, so relax. I promise to behave myself."

The door to Peter's office suddenly opened, and the man waved them in impatiently. He scowled at Kade. "Let's get this over with. I have more important things to do today."

Addilyn rose in one fluid motion and held her hand out to Christopher. "Mr. Park, it's nice to see you again."

"You as well."

Kade couldn't help but feel a little irritated when that warm smile cooled considerably as her eyes landed on him. "Mr. Kade," she said icily.

"Ms. Holden." He used her stage name deliberately and was rewarded with a tight smile. Christopher cleared his throat and glared at him as he took his seat. Kade shook Peter's hand and took a seat. He saw Addilyn open her mouth to speak and quickly interrupted. "Mr. Homes, Ms. Wheeler, I must apologize for my actions in Nashville. I had no idea that Addilyn wanted such a hands-on experience. Most artists, especially artists new to a genre, understand that it's better to let me get a few songs written before they jump in. I'm always happy to hear some ideas, but it's not until we start working on those first few songs that I really get a sense as to what the artist wants."

Christopher narrowed his eyes, but he backed him up. "Kade is very private and reclusive during the first couple of months of a project. I've made the mistake of interrupting him. I think what we need to discuss today is how involved Ms. Wheeler wants to be."

"Completely involved," Addilyn said quickly. "The whole point of this switch was to give me a chance to be more involved in the songwriting process."

"Then why did you hire me?" he asked dryly.

"Enough," Peter snapped. "I would like to remind you both that this is a tricky situation and we all have reputations and money on the line. Mr. Hardy, we hired you because Christopher tells us that you're the best, and Addilyn, you know nothing about writing songs. This is your chance to learn. The two of you need to figure out how to cooperate. I've already started promoting Addilyn’s switch to country, and all eyes are going to be on this new album. I will not have it fucked up because you two can't get along. Figure it out."

He stood and opened the door. It was clear that the conversation was over. "Christopher, I still need a few minutes with you. Addilyn, I suggest you and Mr. Hardy figure out some kind of arrangement before he gets on his plane back to Nashville."

The pop star barely met his gaze as she stood and marched out of the office. Kade nodded to the gentlemen and followed behind. She angrily hit the elevator button and glared at him. "If you had just answered one of my many phone calls or emails, we wouldn't be in this situation."

"If you'd let me do my job, we wouldn't be in this situation," he muttered. "C'mon Princess, I am the best man for the job. Just relax. I'm not the sensitive writer type. If you don't like my songs, then we go back to the drawing board."

"Don't call me Princess." The door opened, and she stalked inside. Before joining her, Kade took a moment to admire the way her legs looked in those heels. She really did have a fabulous body. "And I'm tired of people trying to control me. Just once, I want to have a say in the music that I sing. It's my face, and it's my voice. You were the one who said that country was all about emotion. These songs should come from me."

He sighed. He could understand her frustrations, but that didn't mean he was about to bend to her will. "That's just not how I work."

"Tough. You will answer when I call, and you will listen to my ideas, or I'll find someone who will."

The doors opened, and she pulled out her sunglasses and marched into the lobby. Despite his anger, he couldn’t help but admire her resolve. It was a temper tantrum, but he could see where she was coming from.

A slow smile crossed his face. If she wanted to work so closely with him, maybe he should make sure that she got her wish.

Her every longing desire.