25
"What's up?"
I turned to face Noah as I lowered the phone from my ear. I'd finally received the phone call I'd been dreading for weeks. My breathing quickened in a near panic.
"Naomi called," I said numbly.
"Why do you sound so…" Noah's brow furrowed. "What's wrong? You look upset."
"She wants to hear our song."
"Did you tell her we're not done?"
"I tried. She said we've been working on it long enough." I buried my hands in my face. "I'm going to get fired."
"No you won't."
"We've been working on this new song for weeks, Noah! And we still don't even have a finished draft, let alone something ready to show other people."
"We'll need to work harder."
"Harderhow?" I exploded. "I know I told you we need to put the real you into the song, but I don't think I know how. I thought I could do it, but I can't."
"Yes you can. You were the one at the beginning who encouraged me. Now I'm going to encourage you. You're talented, Jen. I know we can do it."
"I'm not a genius. I'm not a prodigy. I struggle with every note, with every bar." Tears sprang to my eyes. "None of this comes easy to me. I have to workso hard."
"Good."
I sniffled. "Good?"
Noah's eyes burned into me. Not like they usually did when he was getting ready to pounce on me. They burned in a way I'd only ever seen on stage, when he was lost in the music. Dark and fiery, scorching me from the inside out.
"Writing music, real music that comes from within, should feel like you're slicing open your veins. It should feel like you're letting every last drop soak into the page."
He cupped my cheeks with his hands. It wasn't a gentle touch. He forced my head up with a jerk, making me look him in the eyes.
"You work until you're exhausted. You work until you're near collapse. You work until you have nothing left to give."
Those hands stroked down my cheeks, down my neck, finger tapping at the pulse pointed on my throat.
"You should put everything into your music."
One hand slid down my chest, pressing against the swell of my breasts. My breath caught in my throat.
"Your heart."
His hand trailed lower, tracing a line from my belly button to the apex of my thighs. My inner muscles clenched and throbbed at the touch.
"Your body."
He tipped my face up with his other hand and bent to touch his lips to mine, whispering against them.
"Your soul."
He captured my mouth in a bruising kiss,firm, fervent, and full of passion. Our lips locked together, his tongue darting into my mouth. I arched my back, moaning into the kiss, allowing him to deepen it. With one touch, one kiss, he made me forget all about my worries. The only thing that mattered was the feeling of his skin beneath my fingers, his mouth on mine.
His length stirred against my hip. I clutched at his t-shirt, pulling him closer to me. I wanted him to take me then and there. Wanted him to fuck me until I was a sobbing mess. I wanted him to erase every bad thought and replace it only with pleasure.
