Chapter Twenty
Standing in the wings to one side of the stage, Kennedy thought her heart might burst with pride. Oh, watching Isaac onstage tonight had spurred a lot of reactions, not the least of which was a sweat-inducingly urgent need to get him alone, anywhere, and fuck like bunnies until the sexual need his performance had stirred inside her was at least semi-satisfied. But it was the pride that had tears tingling in her eyes and her heart straining in her chest. He’d put on the performance of his life tonight, one of the best concerts she’d ever seen—and she’d seen chart toppers all her life.
Isaac was the best of them all. And she didn’t just think that because she was going home with him tonight.
He’d been in Vegas two weeks. They’d barely known each other fourteen days, but they’d been days filled with a happiness she’d never experienced before. Despite all the questions they still hadn’t answered, being together just felt right. Isaac was the wordsmith, and he’d put it best when he’d held her in his arms and told her just that.
But tonight was big for more than one reason. Yes, this performance was the culmination of months of work, but the meeting afterward was, in her eyes, equally important. Ted Dugan stood not far from Kennedy in the wings, Isaac’s manager next to him. Isaac would talk to them in a few minutes, and the record exec’s response would either support or discourage the efforts Isaac had put in for the past week, both professionally and personally.
The encore ended, and Isaac rushed her way. She wasn’t sure what to expect—was he one of those artists who was drained by a live performance, all out when it ended? Or did it feed his energy like it did the fans?
The sweaty, almost exalted smile on his face as he stepped off the stage said he tipped toward the latter. The way he bear-hugged her into his arms—and the hard length against her belly—confirmed that he was energized, in more ways than one.
“Can we sneak out the back?” Isaac growled low in her ear.
A delicious shiver shot from ear to breasts to clit. “Afraid not,” she said, though she couldn’t keep from tilting her pelvis the slightest bit to grind against him. “Duty calls.”
His growl this time was pure frustration. With a hard, thorough kiss, he pulled away. On the side of her body hidden from their audience, he trailed a hand along her ribs, tracing the harness of rope she wore beneath her clothes. The rope he’d put there before they came to the arena. “You’re okay, yeah?”
Her smile hurt, it was so big. “Perfect.”
Something relaxed in his demeanor, as if knowing she was safe and happy and wearing his rope fulfilled a need she didn’t quite understand. The Dom part of him lingered between them even out of the bedroom, though it transformed into more of a protection thing than a command thing. That side of Isaac’s personality became more precious to her every day, and slowly but surely, with every encounter that reinforced his care—and the satisfaction their being together inevitably brought them—she was learning to trust him and let go of her old fears.
As if everything else had needed to wait until he’d assured himself of her well-being, he finally turned to the couple patiently waiting a few feet away. Securing her hand in his, he held his free one out to the man watching them curiously. “Tad. Good to see you.”
A hug for Susan followed, and then Isaac was ushering them along the hall, fingers still firmly entwined with Kennedy’s. “I was able to secure a conference room for us to talk. I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve invited the guys to join us since this affects them too.”
The hint of worried that sparked in Susan’s eyes told Kennedy that Isaac hadn’t informed her of his plans, but the woman held her questions until they reached the conference room.
Isaac’s bandmates waited inside. She’d gotten to know each of them over the last week, knew they worked well together—and gave each other a bitch of a time just for fun. They fully supported Isaac in this move, however, and that was something he would need as he battled his demons for the next few months. Kennedy had no doubt he would come out the other side stronger and more creative than ever.
When everyone was seated around the table, Tad glanced at each of the men before clearing his throat. “Guys, you’ve worked damn hard tonight and put on one of the best performances I’ve ever seen; I want you to know that. And I’m sure you’re all exhausted, so let’s not draw this out. What have you got for me, Isaac?”
Isaac squeezed Kennedy’s hand, but she didn’t get the feeling the action was about nerves. More like he was happy to have her at his side in this moment.
“Actually, I want to pitch you two projects,” Isaac told him. “We have a working concept for the next album that I want to e-mail you. The writing is going slow, but it is going, and we—all of us—think it will be ready for studio time within a year.”
“A year?” Tad’s voice was strained, clearly trying to control the alarm Kennedy could see in his wide eyes.
Isaac held up a hand, chuckling. “A year. But don’t panic.”
“That train has already left the station,” Tad said.
“Well, hit the brakes, yeah?” Isaac leaned onto his elbows, his intensity ratcheting up as he approached the deal she knew meant so much to him. “Look, I’ve spent a lot of time focusing on the business, on me, on ‘making it’ for the last four years. I want to change that a little bit. I think it’s time I gave back, and after talking to the band, they agree.”
“Giving back is usually good PR,” Susan said cautiously.
“What are we talking about here?” Tad asked.
“You know I do some work with a charity called LIVE in Australia.”
Tad nodded, rubbing his thumb across his chin.
“The organization was founded when a man I considered family took his own life,” Isaac said. “I want to step up my involvement there. I plan to attend their annual benefit in a couple of weeks as their headliner.”
“In Australia?” Susan asked. “You never perform in Australia.”
Isaac nodded, a hint of embarrassment creeping into his expression. “Yes, in Australia. And you’re right; I haven’t performed there for personal reasons, but it’s time I got over those. This charity means a lot to me; you know that, Susan. Because this will be my first home concert ever, we expect an explosion of interest and, hopefully, a massive outpouring of support for LIVE. That’s a lot of people helped, possibly even lives saved.”
Tad still looked wary. “What does this have to do with your recording schedule?”
“We want you to partner with us,” Isaac explained. “At the benefit I plan to perform a song I’ve written to honor my friend’s life. We”—he glanced around at the band, who were all nodding, then back at Ted—“would like that song to become the start of a charity EP we would release in six months. The proceeds would benefit LGBT youth programs worldwide, not just in Australia.”
Kennedy watched Isaac, awed at what she saw in his face. She’d never seen that kind of passion and determination in his eyes. Artists created, that was their passion, but though Isaac had explained about the nightmares and his inability to write, she hadn’t truly understood how devastating that must be until this moment. The Isaac beside her wasn’t empty, struggling, or afraid that the music he loved was gone forever. This man had regained the part of himself he thought was lost, and the change, the drive and excitement she sensed inside him, lit his spirit from the inside out. She found herself wanting to nurture that newfound joy with everything inside her—right after she kissed him, after she tasted the renewed Isaac on her lips and tongue. He was already in her heart; she knew that. She couldn’t wait for more.
Tad Dugan’s wheels were turning; she could see that too. Finally he nodded. “I want to hear the first single. And I want details on your appearance in Australia. If I’m happy with that, we can make a deal.”
Isaac’s smile was wide as he stood, extending his hand across the table. “Thank you.”
There was still press and the VIP meet and greet to get through. By the time they were ready to go back to the hotel, Kennedy was yawning behind her hand. Isaac chuckled as he urged her in front of him into the Escalade. “What’s the matter? Can’t keep rock-star hours?”
“Rock stars get to sleep in the next day.”
A smack landed on her ass cheek before she could get it into the back seat.
“Hey!”
Isaac chuckled as he sat next to her. “Sassy.”
If she got a spanking every time she sassed him, sitting might become a problem.
“Besides,” Isaac was saying, “you don’t have to get up in the morning. It’s Sunday, your day off.”
“Massage day,” she nearly moaned. Giving him a side eye, she said, “Don’t think you’ll be stealing my masseuse, rock star or not. Melody is mine.”
Isaac gathered her as close as he could in the limited space of the Escalade, even dragging her legs across his, tucking his mouth against the sensitive skin of her neck. “And you’re mine, sass and all.”
“You know you wouldn’t have it any other way,” she said, trying hard to ignore Nick’s grin in the seat in front of them.
“No, I wouldn’t.” Isaac straightened until he could capture her with those sea-glass eyes. “I talked to Susan during the meet and greet. Other than a couple of short promo trips, the benefit, and recording late this year, I’m pretty much free for the next six months. And I’d like to spend them with you.”
He didn’t ask, but she knew he wanted her to agree. Her life was just as important as his, not something to run over, devastate, and disregard as her parents had. Her heart swelled, the emotion threatening to choke her as the moment dragged on and she soaked up the heat and hunger in her lover’s eyes. She’d gone from a fling kind of girl to a woman who wanted everything with the man in front of her. And because of who he was, who he’d proved himself to be, she wasn’t afraid anymore.
She lowered her chin, sending a challenging look at him from under lowered lashes. “If I say no, are you going to tie me up and torture me until I change my answer?”
Isaac’s grin was wicked and full of promise. “Of course.”
She was so going to need that massage tomorrow. “Well then…no.”