Treasure Me (One Night with Sole Regret #10)

“You told her to leave because she was wasting her talent?” Kellen knew he’d never have the strength to do that for her. He too much wanted to be with her. He was already dreading the idea of her returning to Los Angeles. But he could deal with a long distance relationship if he had to. That was what planes were for.

“Sometimes she needs nudging,” Chantel said. “Doesn’t know what’s best for her. Lets her emotional attachments to people get in the way of her dreams.”

And maybe that was why he’d found her alone in that beach house. He’d thought it unusual that some lucky man hadn’t already made her his.

“So don’t you get in her way, mister.” Chantel poked him in the arm. “She needs support behind her, not in front of her barring her path to greatness.”

“How about beside her?” Kellen asked, thinking there was no way he’d ever stand in her way.

“Maybe,” she said as the song ended and she jumped to her feet to applaud.

Kellen clapped along with the rest of the bar and winked at Dawn when she turned his way. It was almost as if she was looking for his approval, but she sure didn’t need it. The woman was spectacular in every sense of the word. And she didn’t need to perform for him to recognize it.

“Play ‘Flight of the Bumblebee’!” someone yelled from across the bar.

She turned on the bench, and Kellen thought she might tell off the requester—as she’d mentioned how much it bothered her to have to play that song in jazz clubs—but she squinted into the gloom near the bar entrance and asked, “Jimmy?”

“Dawn!” The man yelled again and shoved through the crowd, jostling people unnecessarily as he headed for the stage.

“Jimmy?” she repeated.

“Dawn!”

Kellen laughed as he was reminded of the scene from Rocky when Adrian and Rocky continued to call for each other. His laughter died when Jimmy reached the stage and scooped a laughing Dawn into his arms. Kellen didn’t know what he’d expected—some unattractive slob, apparently—so when he recognized Jimmy as the prime specimen he was, Kellen rose to his feet. The dude had the body of a boxer, the face of a male model, and the messy hair of someone who didn’t own a comb.

Chantel grabbed Kellen’s wrist. “They’re just friends,” she said.

“I put pants on for you,” Jimmy told Dawn loud enough for everyone to hear. “And ran three blocks.”

“But didn’t bother combing your hair.” Dawn tried flattening it with one hand, and Kellen recognized affection between them, but no attraction. At least not on her end.

“She treats him like a little brother,” Chantel added. “He’s got girls tripping over each other to be with him, yet he talks about her all the time. All. The. Time. He’s so pathetic.”

“Some guys are like that. They only want what they can’t have.” As soon as he said it, he thought of Sara. Was that why he was still hanging on to her, because he couldn’t have her? He dismissed the thought and reclaimed his seat, watching Dawn avoid a misguided kiss from Jimmy.

“I brought my trumpet,” Jimmy said, lifting the case he held in one hand. “Thought we could have a band reunion.” He searched the crowd, and Chantel waved a hand to gain his attention. “There’s my little Chanty. Got your sticks?”

Chantel slid out from behind the table and pulled a pair of drumsticks from the back pocket of her faded jeans. “Never leave home without them.”

It turned out that Chantel also sang. The little trio was quite good. Even a rocker who didn’t typically listen to jazz recognized that. Bobbie especially seemed to enjoy his unexpected night off as he bobbed and swayed to the music. Kellen liked watching Dawn play, but he missed her proximity. He wondered if she’d felt that way while watching his performance earlier that night. Knowing her, she’d probably been so busy rewriting all their songs for them that she hadn’t paid him much mind.

After half a dozen songs, the trio let Bobbie reclaim his stage, but Jimmy wouldn’t let Dawn get off the piano bench until she agreed to play “Flight of the Bumblebee.” Kellen was up and ready to rescue her, but she conceded to play and even sent Kellen a little smile, rolling her eyes, before she turned back to the keyboard. Still on his feet, Kellen felt his jaw drop when her fingers flew over the keys. And while she’d started off playing the fast, familiar melody, once again she made it her own, making the piece even more complex than the original.

When she finished, the bar erupted into cheers, and Kellen simply gawked. He knew she was good—great—spectacular. But she continued to surprise him by how good, great, and spectacular she truly was.

“Too talented for the likes of us,” Bobbie said, clapping Kellen on the back. “Take good care of our pretty little prodigy.”

Kellen smiled. “I will.”

Slightly breathless, Dawn approached the table and hugged Bobbie before shooing him back toward the stage. Kellen wasn’t sure why he pulled her into his arms and claimed her mouth in a deep, satisfying kiss; he wasn’t usually big on public displays. Maybe it was because Jimmy was hanging awfully close to her. When they drew apart, Kellen lifted his gaze to meet Jimmy’s eyes. He expected Jimmy to be angry or at the very least jealous, but the guy just grinned.

“Did Dawn finally get laid?” He turned to the table and said, “Dawn got laid.” Dawn elbowed him in the ribs, which made him shout to the entire bar, “Did everyone hear? Dawn finally got laid!”

“And that is why I never dated him,” Dawn said, shaking her head. “He’s incorrigible.”

“I don’t even know what that means,” Jimmy said with a grin. “But I choose to take it as a compliment.”

“That was amazing,” Kellen said. “Not sure why Dawn keeps her jazz-playing days a secret.”

“She’s embarrassed by us,” Chantel said, plopping into an empty chair and gulping the remains of the beer she’d abandoned nearly an hour before.

“I am not.” Dawn patted Jimmy on the arm. “I just don’t understand the point of dwelling on the past.”

“You’ve always been annoyingly forward thinking,” Chantel said. “Now sit and tell us what it’s like to walk the red carpet.”

“I’d rather know what you two have been up to,” Dawn said, waiting for Kellen to find his seat so she could sit on his knee again.

He wrapped one arm around her. Yes, he wanted her close, not up on that stage. On his lap, in his arms. Now if only they were alone . . . But she obviously wanted to catch up with her friends, so he’d just breathe her in and think about everything he planned to do to her graceful body later.

“Chantel said you were broadening your horizons.”

Jimmy shrugged. “I’m still writing music for video games.”

Kellen straightened and turned toward Jimmy. “She did tell me about that.”

“She’s the one who got me started,” Jimmy said. “She doesn’t stick to one thing for long. She gets bored and moves on.”

Kellen assumed that was a dig on him. That Dawn would soon get bored with him and move on.

“I guess I’ll just have to be the most interesting man in the world.”

“Stop,” Dawn said, resting a hand on his chest. “I don’t need some beer commercial hero. I just hadn’t found what I was looking for. Until now.”

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