Chapter Twenty-Six
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
The concert was in full swing. The crowd was on its feet, singing and dancing along with hit song after hit song. When Cash suddenly ripped off his shirt and launched into his famous martial arts performance, the stadium almost shook with the thunderous roar, then the crowd fell silent as the lights dimmed, and Lenny’s drums signaled a dramatic moment. Seconds later, a light followed Cash as he soared in the air like a bird in flight.
Watching from the box, Becky found it hard to believe the man with scores of hits and capturing the imagination of tens of thousands of people, was the sweet, sexy guy who had strolled into the diner. The sheer magnitude of his fame and fortune was suddenly hitting her.
As he dropped to one knee, his head bowed and arms outstretched, she turned to her father and grabbed his arm.
“Dad, he’s so...” she mumbled, but couldn’t find the words to finish.
“It’s okay, baby,” her father replied, then whispered, “don’t ever forget, he’s just a man.”
Though her father’s words sounded wise, she couldn’t help thinking Cash Colt was more than just a man. Just a man couldn’t hold thousands of people in the palm of his hand, or sing from the soul, or make her giddy from his touch. Cash was a superhero, and she suddenly wondered why he’d chosen her. But as the band launched into a classic from their early years, and her father began singing along, the hostess unexpectedly appeared at her side.
“Excuse me, Miss Turner,” the hostess began, “Cash asked me to make sure you move into the tunnel during this song.”
“I didn’t realize this was the one.”
“The rest of your party will be taken backstage when the show is over.”
“Dad, did you hear all that?” Becky asked, breaking into his singing.
“Yes, hon, you go on. We’ll see you later.”
Rising to her feet, she followed the hostess to join the brawny bodyguard waiting at the door.
“You’ll have an amazing view,” he declared as they left the luxury room and walked down the hallway to the elevator. “Up here is great, but there’s nothing like being fifty feet away.”
But it was a long walk to the mouth of the tunnel, and by the time they arrived the band was coming to the end of the last song.
The bodyguard had been right.
Being so close to the band she could feel their power and energy, and view the awesome presence of the audience. Unexpectedly rising up from his drums, Lenny raised his sticks in the air, and laid down a definitive, dramatic riff, bringing the show to a dramatic close.
“THANK YOU, TEXAS!” Cash bellowed into the microphone, and to the delight of the crowd, he sprang into a backflip before leaving the stage.
Becky stared at the crowd as they screamed for more, but quickly turned her eyes to Cash as he strode towards her. Though bodyguards flanked him on either side, when he saw her he broke into a jog, then lifted her off her feet and spun her around. Shocked and thrilled, she laughed out loud and squealed in joy.
“Cash,” a deep voice called as he set her down.
Looking past him, Becky saw an older man holding up a sparkling jacket.
“I’ll be right back,” Cash said quickly, pulling off his T-shirt as he hurried away.
The stadium suddenly fell dark, and the crowd’s screaming fell to a hushed silence.
“Ladies and gentlemen, would you please check under your seats.”
As the rustling sound of 80,000 people echoed through the massive venue, Becky waited as Cash strode back to her in the dim light.
“You’re about to see just how much you mean to me,” he murmured, then kissing her fervently, he marched towards the stage.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” the booming voice repeated, “snap the sticks and welcome back Cash Colt.”
As the crowd broke the tubes and gave birth to fairytale blue lights, a white spotlight flashed on the stage revealing Cash on a bench in front of a grand piano. A stillness washed across the stadium.
“This is a new song written for a woman who has touched my soul,” he said, speaking softly into the microphone. “It’s called, Sapphire Eyes,” then moving his fingers across the keyboard, he began to sing.
Dancing freckles under sapphire eyes,
A pure heart that knows no lies,
Sprinkling sunshine with her smile,
I want to sit and stay a while.
A while, a while, I want to stay a while,
And warm myself in her sunshine smile.
Her sweetness lingers in my head
I want her in my bed, my bed,
The touch of her lips against mine will stay
The taste of her will never go away.
She is in my head to stay, to stay
Overcome by a swell of emotion, Becky gazed in stupefied wonder as white fairy lights suddenly joined the sea of blue, spelling out her name.
Dancing freckles under sapphire eyes,
A pure heart that knows no lies,
Dancing freckles under sapphire eyes,
A pure heart that knows no lies,
The wave of blue began moving in unison, and like floating white fire-flies on a single wave, B E C K Y was the foam in the water. Completely overcome, she fell back against the wall for support.
Born a beauty, a gift to behold
Far more precious than a bushel of gold,
Strawberry lips, honey-streaked hair,
I ache to whisper hot words in her ear.
Dancing freckles under sapphire eyes,
A pure heart that knows no lies,
Dancing freckles under sapphire eyes,
A pure heart that knows no lies.
Come to me, my Angel of light,
Come to me and give me sight,
To see the world through Sapphire eyes,
And a pure heart that knows no lies.
Dancing freckles under sapphire eyes,
A pure heart that knows no lies,
Dancing freckles under sapphire eyes,
A pure heart that knows no lies.
Cash pitched into a series of chord changes, then moved back into the chorus, and lifting his head, he silently invited the audience to sing with him.
Dancing freckles under sapphire eyes,
A pure heart that knows no lies,
Dancing freckles under sapphire eyes,
A pure heart that knows no lies.
The memorable chorus sung by thousands of people reverberated across the stadium, and as Becky let the tears flow, she felt them wash away all her fears and doubts.
* * *
Walking briskly from the stage, though surrounded by several muscled men, Cody grabbed Becky, hugged her tightly, then placing his arm protectively around her shoulder, they walked with his bodyguards to his private dressing room.
“Cody, that was—“
But before she could finish, his hands were in her hair, and lips were on hers in a long, lingering, heart-stopping kiss.
“I’ll be right back,” he promised as he pulled back, then turned and disappeared into the bathroom.
Standing alone, breathless and overwhelmed, she moved to the couch against the wall, and sat down, but when she heard the shower, she hastily undressed, leaving on her pale blue, French cut panties and white, high-thigh stockings. She had just finished when the sound of the shower stopped and Cash appeared at the door with a towel wrapped around his waist.
“Look at you,” he grinned ambling towards her. “I can’t believe it.”
“You can’t believe it?” she declared, wide-eyed. “After that amazing song, I’m the one in disbelief. It was…” but her voice trailed off as he wrapped her into his muscled arms. “Cody, it’s the strangest thing. This lingerie I’m wearing, I bought today. I’ve never owned anything like this,” she said softly, shifting in his arms and staring up at him “Tonight, with the glow tubes, all that blue, and then my name in white, and your song...”
“You couldn’t have known.”
“I didn’t, but when I saw them in the store I got goosebumps and had to buy them.”
“There are more things in heaven and earth,” he murmured, shaking his head, then suddenly sweeping her up, he stepped to the couch, laid her down, dropped his towel, and rested his body over hers. “You’re amazing,” he murmured, “you and your sapphire eyes.”
“I love you too,” she said softly, “more than I can say.”
He thrust into her slick passage, then lowered his mouth to her breasts, devouring each in turn and sucking in her nipples. Lifting her chest to meet his lips, she let out a long, low moan, but abruptly pushing up from her body, he grabbed her hips and began urgently stroking. He was ravaging her, owning her, claiming her, using her body as he wished. Thrilled by his strength and power, she gazed at his ripped torso. As his fingers dug into her skin, and he quickened his pace, she felt her orgasm building.
“If you wanna come, you’ve gotta ask,” he growled, slowing his pace.
“Ask?” she panted, gazing up at him.
“That’s right, baby, no climax without my say-so.”
His edict fueled her arousal, and as he plunged forward and quickened his pace, only a moment passed before she was squeezing her eyes shut, waiting for the bubble to burst.
“Please, Cody, I can feel it coming,” she gasped, her fingers curled into fists.
“Yeah, baby,” he grunted, his voice a deep rasp, “but next time I’ll make you wait.”
Again his words were like an electric current sparking through her body. Holding her breath as her body grew taut, she wailed as the sizzling spasms shuddered through her, only vaguely aware of Cody’s deep groans.
A short time later, sublimely floating in Cody’s arms, Becky stared around the dressing room committing it to memory.
“I wish we didn’t have to go to that party,” she sighed. “I want to stay here, just like we are.”
“Hey, we’ll always have this moment, we’ll always have this entire night, and it’s just the beginning.”
“No, Cody,” she replied softly, “the beginning was when you came into the diner.”
“You’re right. I’ll never forget that chilly morning and being surprised a country diner had French Press Coffee, but mostly how I felt when I looked up and saw your face,” then pausing and breaking into a grin, he asked, “How’s your butt?”
“Um, let’s just say it’s been reminding me it’s there all day, not so much now though.”
“I’ll fix that tomorrow.”
“I’m sure you will.”
“And every day after that…”
* * *
Marilyn used the ticket Sam had given her to fly back to New York, and hated every second. When she’d finally stumbled into her suite at the hotel, she’d collapsed on the sofa, wondering how anyone survived traveling in such dire circumstances. The lines were endless, a neanderthal had sent her off to a ‘secure area’ where a woman had put her blue-gloved hands all over her body, the seat on the plane wasn’t big enough for a child, and there was nowhere to put her bag. Even worse, Sam’s warning words, and her very tender backside, prevented her from drowning her sorrows.
Early the following morning, she received a text from him instructing her to report his office at 9 a.m. Dressed and nervous, she’d arrived at the appointed hour, only to find Sam had not returned from Dallas. Helen handed her an envelope, and with shaking fingers, Marilyn ripped it open.
You’re in the mailroom for a week. You are not officially rehired, and you have the status of an unpaid intern. I’ll decide what to do with you when I return and receive a full report from the man in charge.
“Are you reporting for duty, Miss Sanders, or will you be leaving?” Helen asked, her glasses perched on the tip of her nose.
“I’m here to work,” Marilyn replied without a moment’s hesitation, “and I’ll be the best damn mail clerk this office has ever seen.”