Harmony for Christmas (Dansboro Crossing #4)

Chapter 20

twenty

HARMONY

I’ve never gotten nervous about walking out on stage before. The butterflies in my stomach have always been attributed to excitement not nerves.

For the first time ever, I’m worried. What if Beau doesn’t come, or what if I’m wrong, and he isn’t interested in a relationship at all? What if he just wants a casual thing? Can I really do casual? Do I even want to?

My fingers strum my guitar mindlessly while I wait off stage to be announced. I wish Travis had let me know what’s happening on his end. We rehearsed the entire song earlier, so I know that will be okay. I just wish I could look into a crystal ball and see the future.

“He’s going to like it, sweetheart,” Luke says, stepping up next to me. “And if he doesn’t, he doesn’t deserve you.” I smile because it’s a sweet thing to say, but it does nothing to calm my nerves. “Are you about ready?”

“Yeah, I’m good.”

“Okay, see you out there.” The band walks out onto stage to a rowdy response. I can already tell this is going to be a good night as far as the audience goes. I hear my name and plaster on my best smile. Stepping out on stage, I wave to the crowd. It looks packed tonight.

“Hello, Dallas!” I say into the microphone. “Thank you for joining us tonight.” Desperately I squint into the crowd. I wouldn’t see Beau through the stage lights even if he was standing in front of me. Doesn’t stop me from trying though. “Here’s one I think you’ll recognize.” Chris starts up a beat on the drums before the rest of us join in.

We always start with the first single off our recent album to get the crowd going. Through the lights, I see people singing along, swaying to the beat, and cheering. None, as far as I can tell, is Beau. I push all thoughts of him out of my mind. I need to focus on giving our fans the best show I can.

When the song is done, we roll right into the next one. I don’t speak again until after it’s finished. On the floor is taped our playlist with marks to show when I change costumes and speak.

I change shortly off stage while the band plays some instrumentals, then it’s right back on. The song comes to an end, and I rush off stage. Robin is there to make sure everything goes as planned.

I began the concert in a traditional country dress covered in rhinestones. The next outfit, though, is my favorite. It’s my ode to the very person who put me here in the first place, Kelly Clarkson.

I slide the skin-tight leather pants up my legs. The silver studded belt has already been run through the loops, so all I have to do is hook it. With a sleeveless graphic cropped T-shirt and flashy pair of boots, I’m ready.

“Everyone,” I say into the microphone handed to me. “Luke Masters on lead guitar.” I point to him. He does a riff, and the crowd cheers. Each band member follows suit as I introduce them. “As for me, I’m Harmony Ellis.” We launch into a great number that Luke and Kenny wrote. The beat just makes you want to get up off that couch and dance I say.

That’s how the rest of the evening goes. We play, I sing, I change clothes, and talk to the audience. It’s a lot of fun. I’ve almost forgotten about the song I wrote until Luke nods at me.

Picking up my guitar, I climb onto the stool one of the stage crew brings me. Here goes nothing. Either he’s here, or he’s not. Either he takes the words to heart, or he doesn’t.

“This song has never been heard before outside of the band. I started writing it when I was snowed in back home over the holidays. It’s the brand, new single coming out on the new album next year.” I clear my throat and begin to play. The fans grow almost spooky silent as my voice fills the venue.

I sing for all I’m worth as the band joins in. The song is sweet and a little melancholy. It’s about how my home is not a place but a certain man I know. How he looks at me with his dark gaze, and I know I’m more than enough.

It talks about how he treats me like I’m the most amazing person in the world, and how, when I’m in his arms, everything else melts away. It’s a song about love, devotion, respect, and longing.

I can see several people in the crowd wipe at their eyes. I guess they know the feeling I get when I’m with him.

The song ends, and there’s a quiet moment before the fans go wild. I honestly don’t care if they like it or not, I wrote it for one person. I take a bow and disappear off stage. There’s no way I can stay for an encore song tonight. I’m too raw. The band will fill in for me. Handing my guitar to one of the stagehands, I head for my dressing room.

“You have a handful of fans,” Robin says quietly. “That was beautiful by the way.”

“Can you give me a minute before showing them in?” She nods and backs out of the room. I take the minute to get a drink of water, carefully dab the sweat off my face, and change from the last sparkly outfit back into something comfortable but fan-worthy. Yep, another pair of tight pants and a sleeveless crop top. Hey, I learned from the best.

“Ready?” Robin asks, sticking her head in the door. I can still hear the band playing as the first fans come through the door. The guys will be back downstairs in a minute to meet them too.

I smile and thank them through the gushing. I wonder what they’d think if they could see me with greasy hair, curled up on Beau’s couch, with a giant dog in my lap.

“I thought your last song was so good,” a teenage girl says. She’s cute in her cowboy boots and short skirt. “You said it was about a boy? Who?”

“You’ll just have to wait and see,” I tease. “Thank you. I’m so glad you liked it.”

Her mother snaps several pictures of us, and I take at least three selfies. After signing her poster, I sent them on to talk to the rest of the band. More people crowd into the dressing room. No sign of Beau or Travis. I thought at the very least Trace would be here.

“There she is!” I hear finally as the line thins. Travis walks in and throws his arms around me. I’m spun until I think I’m going to blow.

“Travis!” I exclaim, and he sets me back on my feet. “Trace.” Trace is standing behind Travis shaking his head.

“Sweetheart, that was beyond,” he says. “We would have been here sooner, but I had to wait for Trav to stop sobbing in the bathroom.”

“Lies,” Travis says with a grin. “I did have to blow my nose though. God, I had no idea that was in your head when we showed up Christmas Day.”

“It really is something,” Trace agrees.

“An instant hit. I can’t wait for the new album.” I appreciate them building up my ego, but there’s only one thing I want to know.

“Did Beau hear it? Is he here?” Okay, that’s two, so sue me.

“Maybe you should see for yourself.” I follow Travis out of the dressing room, and leaning against the wall like he’s waiting for a bus is the man I’ve been dreaming about.

Words that seemed to come so easily normally fail me as I gaze at him. He’s even more beautiful than I remember. He pushes off the wall and uncrosses his arms. They fall to his sides.

“Yeah, we’re going to head off. Great concert, Harmony.” Trace grabs Travis’s hand, and they head down the hallway.

“Hi,” I manage to get out.

“Hi,” he answers. “That song was about me?” I nod. “That’s what Travis said. I don’t think anyone has ever seen me as their home.”

“I’m not just anyone,” I answer.

“You certainly aren’t.” He stares down the hallway for a second before turning back to me. The rest of the band steps into the hallway. They introduce themselves, and Beau shakes hands in turn.

“You good here?” Luke asks.

“She’s good,” Beau says before I can answer.

“Okay, talk later. Nice to meet you.” They walk down the hallway until there’s only the two of us left. Beau looks back down at me.

“What do you want to do?” He’s not asking a simple question about tonight. I can tell by the steady gaze that he truly wants to know where we go from here.

“I want to come home,” I say. His hand reaches out and wraps behind my neck. Slowly, he draws me closer to him. Bending, he whispers in my ear.

“Then come home.” I don’t need more. Beau says nothing he doesn’t mean. Nothing this important anyway.

I can’t stand it anymore. I have to be as close to him as possible. Throwing my arms around him, I jump. He pulls me up around his waist, and I’m kissing him before either of us can say another word.

“I love you, Harmony,” he says when our kiss settles from its fevered pitch. His words are so raw that I know they’re not said in haste. “I don’t understand how or when, but I know I’ve fallen in love with you. I can figure out how to make this work if you can help me.”

“I love you, Beau. I’ll do whatever I have to, as long as I’m with you.” His dark gaze searches my face. “I don’t want to do all of this without you anymore.”

He nods, his eyebrows drawing down like he’s been given a mission. Maybe he has because I don’t know how we’ll make this work either. But if he needs time to work it out, then he can have it in spades. I’m not going anywhere.

“Should we get out of here?” He sets me back on my feet. “Do we need to get your stuff?”

“Robin will deal with it.”

“What about your bag? Do you have clothes with you?”

“I don’t plan on needing clothes tonight.”

“I like how you think,” he says with a smile. Sliding his hand into mine, he pulls me down the hallway.

It’s a short ride to his hotel. Then he’s opening the door to his room. My skin erupts in goose bumps with anticipation. We only have tonight before I’m on the bus again heading to our next stop. I intend to get very little sleep.

“Did you ever find your other Christmas present I put in your suitcase?” he asks, walking through the door.

“No, I haven’t even looked in that case since Christmas. What is it?” It’s torture to tell someone they have a surprise gift when they can’t open it that minute. The first thing I’m doing when I get back to the bus is dragging it out from the belly and ripping it open. “Seriously, what is it?” He just grins at me. “You’re killing me, you know that?”

“And you’re killing me.”

I squeal when he tosses me onto the bed.

“I should shower,” I protest. “I’m sweaty and gross.” He studies me for a beat.

“Good idea, let’s shower.”

I raise up on my elbows as he partially unbuttons his shirt and pulls it over his head. I’m not about to miss the show. He catches me watching and slows down. No complaints here.

That bulge threatening to escape has my mouth watering. He kicks his boots off and makes a show of shimming out of his jeans.

“Now it’s your turn,” he says when there’s nothing left of his clothes to remove.

I can’t stop from appreciating his hard length standing proudly between us, begging for attention. Before I can reach for it, he takes the hem of my shirt in both hands and pulls it over my head. I have no idea where it lands when he tosses it over his shoulder.

He presses me down until I’m lying flat on the bed so he can pull my pants down my legs. His hands brush up my inner thighs making me shiver as he returns for my panties. The growl he makes leads me to think he likes the barely-there lace thong I chose. My back arches as he moves to unhook my bra.

In one smooth movement, he stands back up, pulls me from the bed to his shoulder, and walks into the shower. I would squeal and protest, but honestly, it was a pretty badass move.

The sound of the shower is something I can only hear until he steps inside. Water hits my ass in a sheet. I’m starting to get lightheaded from being upside down.

“Still on birth control?” he asks.

“Yep.” He swings me up and slowly lowers me down his body.

“This isn’t going to be slow,” he warns. Our gazes meet as he holds me close to his chest. His throbbing cock teases my entrance until I nod in agreement. Then I’m impaled on him in one hard thrust.

“Beau,” I cry out. I’m not sure if it’s the sudden fullness or the overwhelming emotions, but I cling to him desperately.

“You’re okay.” It isn’t a question, it’s a demand. “Take it all.” How does he drive me to madness with just his words?

He gives me only a moment to adjust before he’s thrusting into me in a punishing rhythm. He’s right though. I am okay. I’m better than okay.

“Harder,” I beg.

“You think you can take it harder?” he growls.

“Yes.”

“Then beg for it, little girl. Beg for every inch.”

“Please,” is all I can get out. He’s right, this isn’t going to be slow. I can feel it building deep in my core. The coils threading through my body chasing a high only he can give me.

I lose myself in the delicious friction of his lower abs against my clit as he pounds even harder. Turns out, I didn’t need to beg. He knows exactly what I need and gives it to me.

“Beau!” I scream as the waves crest and break over.

Silently, I beg my mind to hold me forever in this place. To never let me leave. I don’t think it’s possible to live in that world, though, without losing your mind. So, my body betrays me as it brings me back to earth. Beau holds me tight as my senses return.

“Jesus,” he murmurs. I couldn’t agree more.