Page 48 of Rock Hard

He had closed his eyes, just like he was doing now, and the music would come. It would flow through his body, making itself known through the dance of his fingers and the crystal clarity of his beautiful voice. She had known then that he was going to be a big star and had told him so. He had laughed, embarrassed, and said he only wanted to write the music, not perform it.

She had forgotten that about him. In many ways, he was still the shy, quiet boy who preferred the shadows to the spotlight; a quiet room to a sold-out arena.

Music was in his soul—there was no doubt about that—but performing was not. Johnny wasn’t like Rex. He didn’t crave being the center of attention; wasn’t comfortable with the constant adoration, the parties, or the hype.

He sure as hell didn’t need the money. Having grown up with nothing, Johnny had invested wisely. He never had to work another day in his life if he didn’t want to.

Alice stilled. “Why do you do it?” she asked suddenly.

“Do what?”

“Why do you keep performing?”

He didn’t open his eyes, but he smiled. “Because music is the love of my life, Alice. I’ll do whatever it takes.” Then he did open his eyes and look directly into hers. “That’s what you do when you really love something. You take a chance. You put yourself out there, even if it scares the shit out of you. If you fail, you fail. You get up and try again or move on. But at least you know you gave it your best shot.” With that, Johnny leaned back and closed his eyes again.

The pilot turned on the “fasten seatbelts” sign and announced their descent.

Alice’s thoughts were whirring so quickly that she barely noticed when they disembarked and made their way through the terminal. They were almost to the limo when she slowed her steps then stopped completely.

“Alice? Are you coming?” Johnny had stopped, too, and was looking back at her.

“No,” she said softly. Then louder, “No.”

Johnny stared at her for a moment. Then his grin grew. His long legs ate up the distance between them, and he enveloped her in a fierce hug. “Go get ’em, baby. And by the way ... you’re fired.”