Page 158 of The Risk Taker
“Now I’m intrigued,” I murmur, squeezing her fingers as she bites back her smile and turns to look out of the window.
Denver and I are in the middle of talking about a baseball game a little while later when Sinclair cuts across a lane and screeches to a stop at the curb.
“Here you go. Enjoy!”
I look out the window and smile as I see where we are.
“Thanks for the ride, Sis.”
“Are you having a good time?” Jude shouts over the music.
I tighten my arms around her from my position behind her and kiss her temple.
“Yeah, are you?” I say in her ear.
She nods, turning her attention back to the stage.
It’s been longer than I can remember since I’ve been surrounded by this many people—all sweaty and singing along to the lyrics of the lead male singer on the stage inside Madison Square Garden. The atmosphere is electric. The band—a new soft rock one I hadn’t heard of until I came back to New York—is rolling straight into another song, as the crowd cheers and whistles.
“Didn’t know rock songs about heartbreak were your thing, New York City?” I say into Jude’s ear, loving the way she shivers and presses her body against mine.
“I wanted you to hear these specific songs,” she says, turning her face to look back at me.
“Why?”
“They’re Tate’s.”
“All of them?”
I glance back at the stage, impressed. I knew Tate worked as a songwriter. But until now I haven’t heard any of her material in its finished form like this.
“All the ones they’ve performed so far are.” Jude searches my eyes. “You’ve been listening to the lyrics, right?”
I swallow as the magnitude of what she’s saying soaks in. It’s why she brought me here. Why she wanted me to hear this band, these songs,each wordof their lyrics.
“They’re…” I frown.
“About you. And your family. About losing someone you love and feeling lost without them.”
“Yeah,” I murmur, tightness slamming into my chest like a sledgehammer.
“I’m sorry if it’s too much.” Jude scans my face, her forehead furrowing. “I thought you needed to hear them, to?—”
I cut her off with a kiss, bringing my mouth down over hers and sharing her breath like it’s the one thing keeping me from passing out.
“Thank you,” I say against her lips.
I slide a hand to her jaw and deepen our kiss, sliding my tongue past her lips. She turns inside my arms so she’s facing me. The softness of her body pressing up against mine has me biting down a groan.
She pulls away as the band’s song comes to an end.
“We’re going to be joined on the stage for the next song,” the lead singer says into the microphone. “By a very special lady. She’s the only one you’ll ever hear perform this song. You know who I’m talking about, don’t you?” He chuckles as the crowd goes wild, shouting and whistling and clapping.
Jude bites her lip, a hint of apprehension in her eyes.
“This is the one I really needed you to hear, Slade,” she says. “Watch. And listen.Reallylisten.”
Her eyes remain on my face as I look back at the stage. A woman with red hair in a black dress walks out.
