The Auction (Club Indulgence Duet, #1)(73)

"Try."

She blows out an anxious breath of air. "I will."

"Good girl." I slide my hand around her waist, then lead her to the front door and out to the Porsche. We get inside, and I head toward the studio. I turn the music up.

Blakely turns it off. "Sorry, but I need some silence right now."

I glance at her, and her face is pale. She has her hand over her stomach.

"You're going to kill it, pet," I reassure her.

She closes her eyes and leans back against the headrest.

For the rest of the ride, we don't speak. I take her hand and hold it, caressing the back of it with my thumb. She never opens her eyes until I park and turn off the engine.

I gently reassure, "Everything will go perfectly. Just sing your heart out."

She softly laughs. "Easy for you to say."

"Is singing still your dream?"

"Of course."

I point to the front doors. "Then your dream is waiting for you inside. You just have to do your thing."

She taps her fingers on her thigh and blurts out, "You might not like what I wrote."

"Sure I will."

She furrows her eyebrows and looks at her lap.

I turn her chin toward me. "I'll love whatever you sing. But I'm not part of this equation, pet. You need to do what you do and not worry about anyone else in the room. Understand?"

She doesn't look convinced but nods.

Another moment of silence passes. I wish she wasn't nervous, but the anxiety riddles her expression.

She gives me a small smile and says, "Okay. You can open my door now."

I chuckle. "I should spank you later for being bossy."

She mutters, "Maybe you will."

I chuckle again, then get out of the Porsche. I walk around, open her door, and reach in to help her out. I kiss her and then add, "For luck."

Her smile appears, but it doesn't light up her face like normal. I decide it's best to get her inside and into the studio. I've not told her about the dozen agents Ears lined up to check her out, and I pat myself on the back for keeping it quiet. I never expected her to be this nervous.

The woman at the front desk changed her hair from bright green to neon orange. She beams at us. "Welcome to Naked Pipe Entertainment. You must be Blakely?" She holds out her hand.

Blakely shakes it and confirms, "Yes."

"I'm Rhonda. With an h," she adds and winks.

"Nice to meet you," Blakely states.

"You too. He's quite the fan," Rhonda announces and motions toward me.

Blakley glances at me and nods. "So I hear."

"Let me get you settled. I put a bottle of water in the studio, but if you want something different, just let me know."

"Water's perfect. Thank you," Blakley replies, and we follow Rhonda down a hallway.

She leads us into a room with a lot of sound equipment, then opens the door to the recording booth. Several musicians tune their instruments, and Rhonda introduces Blakely to them.

"I'll be outside. Have fun," I state and kiss Blakley on the head.

"Thanks."

I go into the other room, and Ears enters. He goes inside the recording box and introduces himself to Blakely. The sound is off, so I can't hear, but he says something that makes her laugh.

By the time the musicians are ready, a dozen agents have arrived. Ears gives me the lowdown on each one, along with his top three choices to represent Blakely.

The sound tech flips a switch and announces, "Are you ready to start?"

Anxiety appears on her face again. She glances at me, and my pulse creeps higher.

Come on, pet.

You got this.

She tears her gaze off me and answers, "Yes."

"From the top, then," he orders.

She puts her headphones over her ears and sits at the piano. She declares, "I'm going to go solo on this one... If that's okay?"

Ears chimes in with, "Let's hear it how you envision it."

"This one's called 'Invisibly Broken.'" She takes a deep breath and begins to stroke the keys. A slow melody fills the air. She locks eyes with me and belts out, "If you loved me, you'd see what you're doing to me." More notes fill the air.

She doesn't tear her gaze off mine, singing, "But you're broken... So broken... And you think I'm the one who stands there in pieces, but it's you who's shattered..."

My chest tightens. The notes get faster and louder as she slams her fingers on the keys, blinking hard as her blues never leave mine. My gut slowly flips, and the hairs on my neck rise.

She continues, "I'm in front of you, loving you, but you can't see me..." A tear slips down her cheek.

I clench my fists at my sides, feeling exposed, the words sinking in so deep within me they slice through my heart.

She roars, "'Cause you make me invisible. So invisible..."

The notes vibrate in the air, matching the quivering in my belly.

Another tear falls, and her gaze never falters. She sings louder, "You're broken in pieces and push me aside... The darkness of you always breaks through... You think no one sees, but I see the true you..."

My mouth turns dry. I swallow hard, trying to calm the chaos inside me.