She seems to be just as enthralled with me as I am with her. When I sing a seductive verse from my song, she rewards me with a sexy smirk that makes my dick instantly harden with want. I start to feel overheated and know damn well it isn’t from the lights. This woman better be single, because my body is now buzzing with adrenaline, and a different kind of anticipation is now coursing through my veins.
I’m going to make that girl mine.
As soon as the song ends, I grab a bottle water and take a big gulp from it, my eyes never wavering from hers. I need to figure out a way to meet my mystery lady fast. I’m the last performer of the evening, and with this being an industry event, hours of socializing afterward usually occur. I have to talk to her before that happens and rapidly get her number, since we won’t have any privacy once I’m done performing.
I’m about to sing my last song for my set and decide to change things up and sing the song I wrote for Tori, “Thief of My Heart.” I see disappointment touch her eyes when I announce this will be my last song for the evening. Lord help me if this woman is as sweet and delectable as she looks, because if so, then I might just have to put myself out there.
Chapter Four
ALY
STOP STARING AT him, Aly!
He’s going to think you are some pathetic psycho if you don’t stop.
Wait, is he staring back at me?
Oh my God, he is!
I don’t know what the hell is going on, but since the moment I locked eyes with Gavin McNeer, I haven’t been able to look away. I’ve been staring at him for the last twenty minutes, infatuated with his voice, his eyes, his face…all of him. My body feels alive with a connective energy flowing between us, and with the way he’s smiling back at me, he’s either feeling it too or having pity on my poor, delusional soul.
You’re crazy! my mind screams at my heart, and with the way my sister, Valerie, is looking at me when I glance in her direction, she’s thinking the same thing.
I can’t believe this is the first time I’m noticing him, really noticing him. It’s not uncommon for songwriters to become performers, so Gavin hasn’t really been on my radar the last two years. I’ve heard about his reputation as the gorgeous-as-sin songwriter from Austin who’s extremely professional and talented. But any interest I had of learning more about the sexy Texan died when I saw the headlines that he was dating Tori Langston. This industry is small, and especially here in Nashville. We’re all on pretty good terms, so everyone knows what a snake Tori can be.
When the gossip mill ran rampant about how and why they broke up, I didn’t even bat an eyelash, because honestly, I wasn’t surprised. I also couldn’t care less. I have no desire to get caught up in the rumors, and sometimes, this industry gets a little incestuous with who dates who, which is another reason why I’ve stayed away from dating anyone in the business.
I take the opportunity to let my eyes wander while Gavin explains the next song he’s about to sing. Pictures really don’t do this man justice. They don’t capture the sparkle in his green eyes when he looks at you or how his smile can be adorably crooked. You definitely can’t appreciate from photos how well his clothes mold to his body. His short-sleeved T-shirt is white with a special low-cut V-neck that shows off his sternum, giving you a peak of a hard, muscled chest underneath. You can tell he’s tall by how long his legs are, which are encased in dark denim that clings to his hard thighs and have stylish slits on his knees. His clothes might be plain, but I have no doubt they’re probably designer labels.
I don’t spend too much time assessing his body, because as soon as he starts singing again, my eyes are drawn right back to his handsome face. I become enraptured with his performance and start to daydream he’s singing to me and only me.
“Why is he staring at you like that?” Valerie whispers in my ear while she nudges her elbow into my side once he finishes his song. “It’s creeping me out!” I look at her and just blink my eyes, not understanding how she thinks he’s creepy when all I see is how beautiful he is. She gives me a wide-eyed look and mouths, What is wrong with you?
I wish I had an answer for her, but for the life of me, I have no idea what’s wrong with me. I’ve never reacted to someone this way before.
Snap out of it, Aly! He’s just a man.