When I finish the song, the crowd erupts and I’m blown away by that. “Wow, thank you. I wrote that this morning. Still fine-tuning it.”

“It’s perfect,” Jace calls out to me as he claps loudly.

Grinning, I look away bashfully. He’s really making it hard to do this without turning into a puddle of goo.

“Well, thank you very much,” I say roughly into the mic which I notice makes him squirm in his seat. Good. I like that he’s squirming since I’ve been squirming all damn day.

Looking down, I see that I only have time for one more song. It’s insane how quickly my time goes up here. What’s more insane is that a hell of a lot more people are here tonight. Makes me feel really awesome. Like I’m actually succeeding here. Back home, no one ever took the time to listen to me. But here…here, it seems like I have the attention of everyone. I look out into the crowd, and I smile as Jace’s applause comes to an end and he lowers himself back into his chair.

“This is my last song—”

“What? Seriously?” Jace exclaims, and I have to hold back my laughter as Markus smacks him.

“Dude, shut up.”

“Much to his dismay, this is my last song, and I want to thank everyone for taking the time to listen. I have some flyers up here, so if you have time, come get one and check me out. Follow me and all that stuff—”

Before I can finish, though, Jace is up, reaching for the flyers I had made yesterday. Apparently not noticing that I’m looking at him like he is crazy, he begins to pass out flyers to everyone in the coffee shop. Even the people who work here.

“Okay, wow,” I say and Markus laughs, shaking his head as Jace goes to each person. “All right, so thanks again, and I hope you enjoyed my show. I know I have. I thank you and this is my cover of ‘Coffee’ by Miguel.”

I hear some cheer but not loudly. Not like Jace, who is still passing out flyers while fist-pumping to the beat I just hit. I love my loop pedal; this thing is awesome and it really does help make my music a thousand times better. Catching the beat, I start to play, and when I begin to sing, I look up, seeing everyone watching me, moving their heads to the beat and singing along. They seem to love what I’m doing, and I swear, I live for this. Yeah, it’s just a coffee shop on campus, but these people are my peers and they dig me. That’s freaking amazing.

But then my eyes are drawn to his, and I find that he’s standing in the back, his hands in his pockets, free of flyers, with a huge grin on his face. Looking so damn beautiful and big, I have to close my eyes to remember the next verse.

But I feel free.

So damn free.

I don’t know how this happened, how this dude just came barreling into my life like an angry defenseman and took over my heart in one day. One fucking day. Yes, I just used a hockey comparison, but really, he did! It’s mind-blowing and scary as hell. I’m unsure what is going to happen. I mean, it could all go to hell after we actually get to know each other. He could not like me as a person but like sex with me. To be honest, that could easily be the case, and I need to be ready for that.

But that’s hard to think when I open my eyes, and again, they are locked with his. He looks at me like we’ve known each other for years and we are finally realizing we want more. But what the hell is more? Why am I even considering that? That’s the last thing I need or want. I can’t end up like I did last time. I have to take this slow. I have to think it through.

It’s just…it’s hard when all I want to do is do what I’m singing.

Wake up next to him and drink some coffee.

When I finish the set, Jace loses his crap, and everyone joins in, clapping and whistling for me. Pushing my guitar behind me, I feel my face burn as his cheers get louder. I grin, waving before thanking the crowd one more time. The spotlight goes off and the lights turn up. As I bend down to put my guitar in its case, someone says, “Really great set, Avery. Do you have some of your stuff on iTunes?”

Looking up, I see it’s one of the girls in my music theory class. “Hey! Thanks. No, not yet.”

“You should for real put them up. I’d buy ’em.”

When a few people behind her nod, I smile. “Yeah, I’ll do that.”

“When’s your next show?”

Standing up, I run my hands down my thighs. “Not sure yet, gotta talk to Chase. I’ll post it on Facebook.”

“Awesome. Thanks.”

I smile as I wave to them, thanking them again, and then I go back to cleaning up.

“Put me to work, rock star. Let me be your roadie.”

Man, his voice gives me the chills. I look up, and his grin hits me straight in the gut as I shake my head. “Are you qualified?”

He shrugs. “I take direction well.”

I give him a smile that he returns with a suggestive wag of his brows and I’m laughing, shaking my head. “You were positively obnoxious.”

He feigns surprise. “Who, me?”

“Yes, you!” I stand up and smack his arm. “You almost made me forget what I was singing.”

He winks. “That was my plan. I should have flashed you, but my pants are kinda tight.”

Dissolving into laughter, I shake my head in disbelief as I point to my loop pedal. “Can you pack that up?” I ask around my laughs.

But his eyes stay locked with mine. “First, let me mess that lipstick up.”

My brows rise. “I might if you do a good job.”

His eyes narrow as I bend down to get a cord to wrap up. “Fine,” he says and then he walks past me, his eyes dancing with mischief. When his hand slides down my ass and between my legs, I squeal, jumping about a foot away from him while he just laughs.

Gasping, I say, “Jace Sinclair!”

“What? What did I do?” he asks innocently as he picks up my pedal and puts it in my backpack. “What is this thing?”

My heart is basically in my throat as I shake my head. “I can record and save beats on it.”

“Cool.”

“Hey, Avery.”

Looking to where my name is being called, I see Todd coming toward me and up the stairs. He performed before me tonight. We have a bunch of the same classes, and he’s a cool dude, I guess. “Hey, Todd. I thought you left.”

“Nope, stayed for your set. Great job.”

“Thanks.”