Dissonance Read Online Free PDF

expected to say no. I came here intending to say no,” Chase told her. “And I’m still skeptical it can all work. But after meeting you, and hearing your sound, I’m intrigued. I think I’d like to give it a try.”
    “So that’s a yes?”
    “That’s a yes.” Chase smiled. “Let’s record a duet, and make it a number one hit.”
    He said yes. He actually wanted to do it. Chase probably didn’t realize it, but he might have just salvaged her career. Without thinking, Kenzie threw her arms around him. “Thank you!”
    “Um, you’re welcome?” He stood there, stiff, for a moment, before his arms went around her, too. Strong arms, and he smelled woody and outdoorsy and completely, totally male.
    Down girl! You don’t date, remember? This is a working relationship, only. “Sorry about that. I get a little excited sometimes.” Kenzie separated herself from him, albeit reluctantly. She figured she’d better, before she really embarrassed herself, seeing as how she hadn’t sex in... well, a very long time. Too long. And Kenzie missed sex. She liked sex. It was everything else about relationships she hated.
    “No worries.” With his arms now free, Chase jammed his hands back in his pockets, which seemed to be his usual stance. “Glad you’re looking forward to it,” he said. “So, um, since it appears I’ll be in Nashville for a little while, I better go buy some things, maybe find a place to stay. I’ll see you later, okay?”
    Great. Now he couldn’t get away from her fast enough. Nicely done, Kenzie. “Sure, okay. Are you going to call Carey?”
    “Yeah, I can do that. Maybe have him set up a meeting with Keith for tomorrow.”
    “Perfect. Okay.” Just like that, they were right back to business. The way things should be. Except, damn it, his arms felt good around her.
    “Great. See you then,” Chase said. “I’ll show myself out.”
    ***
     
    Chase knew he was being rude in leaving abruptly. It wasn’t the kind of thing he normally did, but he had to get out of there, get away from her, before he kissed her. Christ, he wanted to kiss her so bad, but then a calmer head prevailed. They were going to work together, record this song, make it a big hit. That was it. It was business. Kenzie had made that perfectly clear when she’d announced her prohibition on dating. And what was up with that, anyway?
    He called Carey as soon as he left Kenize’s loft and met him at a bar just down the street. Already, Chase found himself liking Nashville and its vibrant downtown. He might not always like it, sure, but it was a nice contrast to the sleepy pace of his New Hampshire hometown, and there was definitely more going on.
    “Do you have an answer for me?” Carey asked as soon as Chase joined him.
    He nodded. “Yeah. I’ll do it. We’ll do it.”
    “Good deal.” Carey gestured to the bartender. “I’ll buy you a drink, since hopefully this project will make all of us rich. Or even richer.”
    “Whatever.” Chase didn’t care about the money. He wanted to make good music, and he’d always believed that as long as he made good music, the financial aspect would work itself out. So far, that had proven to be true.
    “So what changed your mind?” Carey asked after he’d ordered their drinks. “Because you seemed pretty adamant about not doing this.”
    “Yes, I was,” Chase admitted. The bartender placed a beer in front of him, and he took a drink. Not as good as the one he’d had earlier, but not bad. “It didn’t seem like a good fit, at least at first. But after talking with Kenzie, and hearing some of her music, I changed my mind,” he said. “I like her sound, and she appears to want to record from the heart.”
    “She does, yeah,” Carey said. “Her latest single is a pretty emotional one.”
    “ Takin’ it Back ? It sure is. She played that one for me. In fact, it kind of sealed the deal,” Chase said. “So what’s her story?”
    “What do you mean?”
    “I mean that