snapped up, her eyes falling on Jace Ryker standing just three feet away. Her heart resumed its race in her chest from surprise, then from something else entirely. Her gears shifted instantly and her body responded to the sight of him. To the elicit memory she had no right possessing. The intimate moment they’d shared that he could never know about. One she felt shame over when looking into his eyes in real life, as though she’d taken something from him. Something he’d never meant to give her.
“Hi,” she mumbled, her lips feeling oddly numb and foolish.
That smirk. It changed his face entirely. He wasn’t as brooding and dark as he’d been last night. In the light of the sun pouring in from the window he looked light. Almost happy. “Hi,” he replied, his voice deep and raspy, hinting at the way he sang and making her stomach fly with butterflies. “How’d your audition go?” he repeated.
She shrugged, sighing to hide the cleansing breath she needed to take. The one that drug his scent into her mouth and made it water. “I don’t know really. Good, I think.”
“Let me guess – Sarah was a bitch?”
“I wouldn’t call her a bitch.”
“Because you don’t want to offend me?”
“Maybe.”
“Don’t sweat it. She is and she knows it. Was Grant nice to you?”
“Absolutely.”
“Then you’re good. If you sucked he would have been dismissive. He doesn’t waste his time or mine. If he said more than four words to you, you’re golden.”
“Those four words being ‘Thanks for coming in’?”
“Those are the ones.” He leaned against the wall, settling in and looking comfortable. It was a sharp contrast to how she felt. Her heart was still hammering in her chest and every time the thought crossed her mind that she was looking at Jace Ryker, it sent her pulse wild. She was legitimately afraid she’d faint like an idiot. “You’ve done a lot of auditions?”
“A few. Not a lot. But I know what a brush off sounds like.”
“Well you won’t be getting one today. This was completely for their sake. I already know I want you in the show.”
“Really?”
“I liked what I saw last night.” That ghost of a grin crossed his lips. “And heard.”
“Well, I think my song selection was more impactful today than last night.”
“What’d you choose?”
“ Chandelier .”
“Ballsy. I like it. Can I ask you a question, though?”
“Of course.”
“Why didn’t you choose one of my songs to sing? Everyone else so far has.”
She grinned. “You’re not in my wheelhouse.”
The ghost gained strength. “Is that the only reason?”
“I don’t know. I thought about it, but it seemed tacky. I guess I assumed everyone else would do exactly the same thing and I wanted to stand out.”
His eyes grazed her body from her hair to her shoes. She was dressed to dance, assuming they’d want to see her moves at some point during the audition but it’d been surprisingly short. Her tight yoga capris and high heeled dance shoes had been a waste up until now. Up until Jace Ryker gave her a once over that left her feeling stripped and bare. “You certainly do that. I’m sorry I missed your performance.”
“Maybe I’ll get the chance to give you an encore,” she replied, the words feeling far more suggestive than she intended.
“Believe me,” he said, lifting himself off the wall and stepping closer to her. “I would like nothing more.” He offered her his hand and she took it, reveling in the fact that it was the second time in twenty four hours that she’d touched him. “Grant has your number?”
“It’s on my headshot.”
Jace watched her for a weird moment. His eyes were slightly unfocused and his gaze shifted over her shoulder instead of on her face. Suddenly he snapped back to focus, the intensity of his stare almost making her startle. He pulled a flat black phone from his pocket and swiped his finger across the screen. “Why don’t you give it to me? Just in
“Hi,” she mumbled, her lips feeling oddly numb and foolish.
That smirk. It changed his face entirely. He wasn’t as brooding and dark as he’d been last night. In the light of the sun pouring in from the window he looked light. Almost happy. “Hi,” he replied, his voice deep and raspy, hinting at the way he sang and making her stomach fly with butterflies. “How’d your audition go?” he repeated.
She shrugged, sighing to hide the cleansing breath she needed to take. The one that drug his scent into her mouth and made it water. “I don’t know really. Good, I think.”
“Let me guess – Sarah was a bitch?”
“I wouldn’t call her a bitch.”
“Because you don’t want to offend me?”
“Maybe.”
“Don’t sweat it. She is and she knows it. Was Grant nice to you?”
“Absolutely.”
“Then you’re good. If you sucked he would have been dismissive. He doesn’t waste his time or mine. If he said more than four words to you, you’re golden.”
“Those four words being ‘Thanks for coming in’?”
“Those are the ones.” He leaned against the wall, settling in and looking comfortable. It was a sharp contrast to how she felt. Her heart was still hammering in her chest and every time the thought crossed her mind that she was looking at Jace Ryker, it sent her pulse wild. She was legitimately afraid she’d faint like an idiot. “You’ve done a lot of auditions?”
“A few. Not a lot. But I know what a brush off sounds like.”
“Well you won’t be getting one today. This was completely for their sake. I already know I want you in the show.”
“Really?”
“I liked what I saw last night.” That ghost of a grin crossed his lips. “And heard.”
“Well, I think my song selection was more impactful today than last night.”
“What’d you choose?”
“ Chandelier .”
“Ballsy. I like it. Can I ask you a question, though?”
“Of course.”
“Why didn’t you choose one of my songs to sing? Everyone else so far has.”
She grinned. “You’re not in my wheelhouse.”
The ghost gained strength. “Is that the only reason?”
“I don’t know. I thought about it, but it seemed tacky. I guess I assumed everyone else would do exactly the same thing and I wanted to stand out.”
His eyes grazed her body from her hair to her shoes. She was dressed to dance, assuming they’d want to see her moves at some point during the audition but it’d been surprisingly short. Her tight yoga capris and high heeled dance shoes had been a waste up until now. Up until Jace Ryker gave her a once over that left her feeling stripped and bare. “You certainly do that. I’m sorry I missed your performance.”
“Maybe I’ll get the chance to give you an encore,” she replied, the words feeling far more suggestive than she intended.
“Believe me,” he said, lifting himself off the wall and stepping closer to her. “I would like nothing more.” He offered her his hand and she took it, reveling in the fact that it was the second time in twenty four hours that she’d touched him. “Grant has your number?”
“It’s on my headshot.”
Jace watched her for a weird moment. His eyes were slightly unfocused and his gaze shifted over her shoulder instead of on her face. Suddenly he snapped back to focus, the intensity of his stare almost making her startle. He pulled a flat black phone from his pocket and swiped his finger across the screen. “Why don’t you give it to me? Just in
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