Page 80 of Beautiful Noise
I was so gone over this man and he knew. He brought the women in the crowd to their knees and I was no different. My pulse raced, my heart beat erratically, and the minute he dropped his chin a little deeper, angled his head to the side, and that sexy smile of his was sent my way, everything around me blurred until I felt his eyes on me again.
I blinked him back into view at the same time he sang, “You make me want more than I believe I deserve, you make me want more than I can express with mere words. You, it’s all about you, you, it’s all I can do, it’s you…”
All the air I held in my chest left on a slow exhale. His eyes were on me, not the crowd, and those brown eyes said so much more than I could make sense of before he walked to the edge of the stage, bowed his head, and rasped his final words to the crowd. “I love you, Dallas, goodnight.”
The crowd spiraled in a chaotic chorus, screams professing their love for him while he crossed the stage heading right to me. Leijah met him halfway but his eyes never left mine. Not even when he extended an arm offering his hand, fingers spread wide to her as she neared him. Her hand met his and she swung her eyes over her shoulder, smiling giddily at me before she made it center stage, causing eruptions from the crowd.
“Oh-my-fucking goodness,Dallas, is that man everything or is heeverything?” she sang and for the second time tonight, everything around me blurred except for the man she was referencing. Not her praises for Ezren or the crowd’s reaction and confirmation that they felt the same. Onlyhim. His fingers gripped my hip, yanking my body to his, and his mouth crashed with mine. The energy radiating from Ezren was electric andwild. His tongue was greedy when it pushed through my lips and the rhythm of his heartbeat matched mine when our chests collided from the rough way he handled me.
I felt his smile before he pulled away. I sucked in a deep breath and tipped my chin enough to catch his eyes. “You were good,” I exhaled on a low breath.
“I was inspired.” He lowered his mouth to mine once more.
“Hmm…” I hummed through an amused grin. “That definitely explains why you just topped Lauryn.”
His smile was beautiful and devious after the low rumble of his laugh danced across my skin. “That’s really fucked up but a win is a win.”
“Lover boy, come holla at me for a minute.” Ezren lifted his eyes over my head briefly then I had them again.
“I’m kinda busy, Clay…”
“I see that but it’s important.”
A low growl rumbled in his chest, which brought a smile to my face. “Go, I’m going to watch Lei. She said she had a surprise for me and I needed to watch.” I lifted onto my toes and stole a quick kiss before dipping around him and moving closer to the stage, toeing the line of black tape that marked the start of crowd visibility.
I smiled over my shoulder as Clay held Ezren in conversation then turned toward the stage and smiled, watching Leijah own the crowd just as Ezren had done. They were two sides of the same coin. She was in her element and I loved that for her.
“How are y’all feeling tonight?”
Chants of appreciation roared from the crowd while I watched Leijah’s face split into a huge grin.
“Sounds like you’re feeling good, Dallas. I hope that means I didn’t disappoint.”
The crowd went ballistic again but this time shouted specifically about how they felt for Leijah.
“I’m honored Dallas and guess what? You’ll be the first to know that as soon as we touch down in Atlanta, I’ll be in the studio recording my first album. Thanks to you and the love you’ve shown, my first single ‘If’ will be released soon. Very fucking soon.”
“If”, her first single.
My words, her voice, my fucking words and she was announcing this to an arena full of people who were going crazy with the thought of my words and her voice being recorded and released as her first single.
“And just so you know, I have the best fucking songwriter in the world. So if you love ‘If’ then you better be ready to keep my first album on heavy rotation because Cyan Indigo Bleu is locked in and we’re about to do some amazing things…” she paused and smiled my way. “I would bring her out here but I’m pretty sure she would murder me. What I want all of you to do is pull out your phones, pull up your search, and type in Cyan Indigo Bleu. Go follow her right now because she’s amazing.”
“I can see now I’m going to have to take your phone tonight.” The warmth of Ezren’s body met my back. One arm looped around my waist, the other around my neck before he planted a kiss there.
“She just exposed me.”
“In a good way though and I see she wasted no time putting your name out there. I think she’s trying to make sure you don’t bail.” His voice was laced with amusement.
“I wouldn’t.”
“I know but that was insurance. Clay just let me know the label was pleased with the traction she’s getting and they want her in the studio as soon as they touch down. They’re planning on having the first single out next week.”
“Is that what he wanted to talk to you about?” I tossed my head back so I could see him.
“He wanted to know if I would record the song we did as a bonus track but he also asked if I knew what your availability looks like. They want to get you under contract and writing for Lei.”
Things were moving fast. My transition from poetry to songwriting was happening.