Chapter 4

Tonight was not going like she expected at all. She had come here believing it would be something like the shower scene this morning, his touch, a little forceful making her forget herself and simply making her feel. What was happening tonight was so much more dangerous, even she so young could sense this. Instead of being lost in the moment she was living it a heartbeat, a breath at a time. Everything he said, every touch he placed against her overheated skin was imprinting into her heart, drawing her deeper to a place she had never gone.

She let him remove the rest of her clothing, not caring that he stared at her naked body, not thinking that she may be lacking. She found her hands reaching up to help him pull off his t-shirt and then unbuckle his pants. She lay back against the cool leather of his black couch and watched as he divested himself of all his clothes.

He pressed his body down as his lips found hers and she pressed back harder, wanting that passion to burn through her veins like this morning. Instead the heat was slow and almost drugging, his lips clinging to hers and his tongue darting out to taste her. She watched herself almost detachedly, feeling like it was some other girl underneath this man, moaning against his mouth. She was almost scared at the feelings, yet unnamed, racing through her heart. He was seducing her she realized, not her body for she had come willingly, but her heart and that overwhelmed her because it was the unknown. Her legs parted for him without conscious thought and he slid between her thighs, pressing against her entrance, but he did not push in. He took his time to stroke every inch of her body with his fingertips. He pulled back once and she could not think to question why, but simply waited for him to continue his assault on her senses. When he did her arms wrapped around his neck as her legs did the same to his waist and he could no longer deny the pressing urge to enter her. He sank in slowly, letting her feel with every nerve ending his hardness spreading her wide, pushing against her inner walls. She was still a little tender from their activities this morning and the night before, but did not protest his intrusion. Yet somehow he heard the slight hitch in her breathing, and although he wanted to thrust into her over and over, he took his time.

She shifted her legs so that the pads of her feet rested against the back of his calves, opening her wider, so he could plunge that much deeper. His darkened eyes caught her wild stormy ones as he moved above her. It was such an intimate gesture to watch the emotions play over your lover as you used your body to bring them pleasure and he found himself drowning in her blue depths. Her hands went to the back of his shoulders, clinging as her mouth came down on his neck. She found herself biting down as he brushed the front of her over and over, wringing gasps out of her throat.

He held on by a slim thread as he used his skill to bring her over, twisting his hips just so, before he allowed himself to quicken the pace. He pumped against her contracting muscles until his control was a mere shadow and let himself fall, all senses centered on their joined bodies. He cried her name as the orgasm hit him and collapsed on top of her as his strength ebbed. It was long minutes before he could lift his head and gaze into her eyes. His hand reached up to smooth away the loose tendrils of hair that clung to her damp cheek and his thumb traced her swollen lower lip, her eyes never leaving his. He leaned down and touched his lips to hers.

Jude wasn't sure what woke her up right away. Tommy had one arm slung across her belly and one leg pinning hers down. She heard a light beeping noise coming from the living room and realized it must have been her cell phone. She eased herself away from his warm body, careful not to move him too much and breathed a sigh of relief when he didn't show any signs of waking. Her feet made no noise on the lush carpeting as she went to check her voicemail. Early morning light streamed through his balcony windows and she squinted as she reached for her jacket pocket.

Jude snapped her cell phone shut after listening to Kat's message. Apparently her mother had called Kat's house to remind Jude about the family brunch with her grandmother to celebrate her win. She reached for her clothes scattered around the room and quickly dressed. In Tommy's bedroom she laid one kiss on his lightly stubbled cheek. She was unsure what to say to him, so simply chose the path of least resistance and said nothing as she let herself out of his apartment. She was confused about what was going on between them and overwhelmed by what she was feeling.

As Jude walked down the street in last night's clothes, she knew what it felt like to be one of those women who leaves a one night stand in the movies and feel like every stranger's eyes were upon her, knowing what her night had entailed. Of course it was Sunday morning so there weren't exactly many people on the sidewalks. She self-consciously continued to walk in her heels and dinner dress, wrapping her jacket more tightly around her slim frame.

Monday morning Tommy sat down next Kwest at the soundboard and watched the band playing behind the glass partition. Kwest adjusted the knobs before looking over at his friend.

"Where were you this weekend man? I waited for you at Ziggy's Saturday night."

"I met a girl."

"So? You're always meeting girls."

"She's a really cool chick. There's something about her. She's different."

"You were with her all weekend?" Kwest asked in surprise. Women usually couldn't hold Tommy's interest for very long. He had earned his rep. for being a playboy and heartbreaker.

"Yeah some of it...She disappeared Sunday morning though."

"You let her stay over too?! What happened to I sleep alone?" Tommy shrugged.

"Not sure...Just never asked her to leave." Actually he had asked her to come back, not that he would admit that to his best friend.

"Then she left you?!" Tommy sometimes had a hard time shaking the girls he picked up, never the other way around. Tommy didn't want to admit to Kwest that he had gone back to Balthazars Sunday night hoping to run into her again or at least ask the bartender if he knew her, since she had spoken to him by name. "Man I gotta meet the woman who left Tommy Q wanting more." Tommy chose to ignore that comment.

"I'm gonna go see my new office." He stood up and headed for the doorway.

"Hey did you see the winner last night?" Kwest called.

"Nah...I'll meet her when she gets here." Tommy said almost resignedly before he walked away.

"She's not bad. Jude's got tal..." Kwest stopped, realizing he was talking to empty air.

Tommy walked out of his office towards the common area to greet the new Instant Star. He had been told she had finally shown up. From the second floor he saw a girl with long straight bright red hair, must have been a popular color this year, he thought as it reminded him of another girl with shorter silken curls he had loved tangling his hands in and a tall geeky teenage boy speaking to Georgia. He got close enough to hear what she was saying to Georgia as he leaned on the railing. He heard the words Little Tommy Q and something about being lame. That was enough to break his silence.

"First, I'm here because Georgia is a friend. I could care less about your wack contest. Second the name's Tom Quincy. Don't ever call me Little Tommy Q. again." He said before she had even turned around. When she did her impossibly big blue eyes grew even huger as she looked into his familiar cerulean ones. The word 'sorry' froze on her lips. So many things ran through his brain he was surprised his head didn't explode. What had Georgia said about the two finalists? One had the packaging to be a Pop star, but wasn't a great singer and the other one...the other one had the talent, but was possibly too young and too green. Had Georgia mentioned how young she was?!

He walked down the stairs to join them and Georgia introduced them to each other, including the geeky kid Jude had come with, not that he paid him any attention. His cold eyes were focused on only one person. She would not meet his hard gaze, instead picking at the frayed denim of her ripped jeans. Georgia said something about having a feeling that they would work well together and she sang Tommy's praises. Neither of them listened as their thoughts were dominated by another subject.

" I...uh need to get to know Jude a little better before we start working together." He interrupted Georgia causing Jude to finally look up at him. She looked to Georgia with pleading in her eyes, but the woman thought they were just nerves and excused the terror radiating from her. Jude swung her eyes back to Tommy and he gave her a look that dared her to say no.

"Don't worry Jude Tommy doesn't bite." Oh yes he does Jude could only think. She had a mark on her belly to prove it. "Go on." Tommy gestured for Jude to walk towards what she would later learn was Studio B. She followed reluctantly, dragging her feet as she entered the sound booth. He shut the door behind them and spoke immediately.

"How old are you?" She bit her lip and looked down at her Converse sneakers, scared to answer him.

"How old?!" He barked, startling her and causing her to look up into his eyes.

"15..." It came out on a soft breath.

"You're just a kid..." He muttered still in shock. He looked at her more closely and could see finally how young she was, now that she was dressed in what he assumed was her normal clothes of ripped jeans and simple long sleeved shirt. "You lied to me!"

"Like you didn't withhold the truth. Freelance work?!" She scoffed as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Well excuse me for not realizing you'd care that I was producing the first Instant Star!"

"Wait you knew I was into music...Is that why you didn't tell me you were a producer?" He was about to answer her, but Tommy saw movement from the corner of his eye and turned his head slightly to see Georgia and E.J. watching them from the sound board. "We need to work on your song." He hissed, nodding at the women watching them with concern. Jude followed his gaze and nodded her head too.

She seated herself at the stool where he handed her a acoustic guitar and stood next to her.

"Show me what you got." She started on 24 Hours and he winced exaggeratedly.

"Stop! You're hurting my ears!" She glared at him. "Look the song did it's job. It won you the contest." Their problems with each other were temporarily forgotten as they talked about her song. He told her it needed to be personalized. They started to bicker, as Jude obstinately refused to change the words she had written with her best friend. He took the guitar from her and played his variation on the chords and she wouldn't admit it sounded better. He handed it back to her and continued to tell her how it needed to be changed.

"You're just doing this because you're mad at me!" She finally said to him in a furious whisper, knowing the people in the other room might be listening in.

"Now why would I possibly be mad at you?" He said so sarcastically, that if she had been a different girl she probably would have cringed. Instead they continued staring at each other locked in a battle of wills. After a long moment her best friend Jamie burst in, causing the two of them to look over at him.

"Jude we have that uh...thing we need to get to." Jude stood up suddenly.

"Oh yeah right...That thing..." She pulled the strap over her neck and handed the guitar back to Tommy who watched with frustration written on his face. "Georgia is it all right if I head out?" Jude called through the now open door. Georgia nodded reluctantly. Jude and Jamie beat a hasty retreat, leaving Tommy without another word.

Georgia walked into the sound booth as Tommy was putting away the guitar.

"What was that? You guys seemed almost like you were fighting." He shrugged, unable to look her in the eye.

"Just a difference in artistic opinion."

"Take it easy on her Tommy. She's only fifteen." Fifteen echoed through his skull. Even now knowing how young she was, he had had an urge to kiss her while they'd been arguing. Tommy wanted so badly to just bail, but he had made a promise to Georgia and he couldn't exactly tell his friend he had committed statutory rape with her new fifteen year old artist and it would be a little awkward to work with her. Maybe she would let him just leave; he had to try, yet knowing it was futile.

"Georgia I don't think this is going to work out."

"Why not Tom?" Georgia looked at him with concern. She had thought this would be a good fit and respected his work.

"She won't listen to me." That was a lame excuse and he knew it.

"You're letting one girl defeat you?" Georgia asked in amazement. "Tommy...She's a girl...Use some of that charm you're famous for." She nudged him and he gave her a reluctant smile. "I didn't want to scare her on her first day, but E.J. got her a gig at the Vinyl Palace on Thursday. She needs to have a song ready by then."

"I..."

"I know you see it Tom. She's got talent...But she's going to need someone to help her. Tell me you don't think you can do it." He couldn't say that, because when he had heard her sing, he had seen the possibilities and his mind had immediately started to process how to make her even better.

"Alright one song and we'll see how it goes from there." He said, still unsure, but also needing to talk to Jude regardless of whether or not he wound up producing her.

"You bet." Georgia grinned knowing she had him. Tommy she knew could see the promise in Jude just like she had and he would not back down from that.