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but the color covering Taryn’s cheeks is definitely peach.
    She shoots steely daggers in my direction, which only makes me laugh harder. Make that feisty country girl. I look back down at the sheet music, but not before I catch a glimpse of her lips tilting upward on one side.
    Good—maybe if she lightens up a little we can get some work done. Because as much as I hate the idea of collaborating or being told what I have to sing, I sure as hell don’t want to put out music that sucks ass. I’m about to suggest that we try a run-through when I hear:
    Please baby, believe in us
    I can’t keep you at bay
    Give me all of your trust
    I won’t throw it away
     
    I don’t know where we’re going
    I just need you to stay
    Please don’t leave me
    I promise, it’ll be okay
     
    Holy shit. I’ve heard voices described as ‘angelic’ before, but I never knew what they were talking about before now. She sounds like pure honey when she sings, all syrupy and so sinfully sweet—I’m pretty sure I could go to Hell based solely on the thoughts I’m having right now.
    Now I’m the one staring. Fortunately, she is completely oblivious, her eyes closed while she strums her guitar.
    “But the forces pullin’ us apart are far too strong,” I sing, not sure where I’m going with this but it feels right. Taryn’s eyes open and she looks at me in surprise. She plays a few notes and then sings, “Are you saying we’re not strong?”
     
    “I’m saying we can’t fight what’s goin’ on out there,” I counter.
     
    “Well, what about what’s in here?” she returns.
     
    We both stop playing our respective instruments and scribble down the words we just sang. If I don’t get it on paper, it’ll be gone and something else will pop into my head. The second I get the last line down, that’s exactly what happens.
     
    “How about this?” I ask, pointing to my sheet.
     
    She brings her guitar to where I’m sitting so she can look over my shoulder. “Yeah…yeah, I like that,” she says, but I’m not listening anymore. Her sweet scent is just as incredible as her voice.
     
    “Let’s see if we can’t work some harmony in there too,” I say, hoping she’ll sit back down where she was before. “I mean, the song is supposed to be about two very different people coming together, and right now, there’s not a whole lot of coming together.”
    “That’s a good point,” she agrees and thankfully, sits back down on her stool. “Let’s give it a shot. What were those words you were singing again earlier?”
    I take a sip of water and look at her, trying to figure out if she’s just appeasing me or not. She looks at me expectantly and it seems like she’s being sincere so I begin playing. “I won’t let you go,” I sing, dragging out the ‘o’. “Yeah, I want you to know. Baby I can see, you’re the one for me, and I love you so.”
    “I like that,” she says, “but how ‘bout we try it a cappella?”
    “That could work,” I respond and play a couple of notes and a chord to get us started. We sing the words together, watching one another closely so that our timing is right, and before we’re even done, I know that it won’t get any better than that. I’ve heard of movie magic before but that was fucking music magic. Before I can compliment her, the door to the studio bursts open and Xavier barrels in.
    “Fuckin’ A—that was ill!” he exclaims.
    “Uh, is that a good thing?” she asks, looking between the two of us in bewilderment.
    “Hell yeah, it’s a good thing,” I assure her. “Did you get that, X?”
    “Got it, Ace,” he says, “and I’d like to get it all now, but you know the drill. We gotta roll out.”
    Shit. Just when things were starting to gel too. “Yeah, I know, dawg,” I reply, suppressing a sigh. Turning to Taryn, I say, “Hey, it’s not sounding half bad. We’ll let them figure out another time we can get together and get this thing done, yeah?”
    “Sure, sounds