Windswept (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (2 page)

Cadence rolled her eyes. This, too, was a conversation she had had before. “Andrea, you know I don’t want anything casual. Plus, I’m too busy. Plus, no guy is going to notice me when you’re around.”

Andrea was shaking her head. “Cadence, I’ve told you before you don’t notice things around you. If you looked, you would see plenty of guys who are interested.”

“Whatever,” Cadence said dismissively. “Listen, I have to get going. I have a paper to work on and a practice schedule to revise for that audition.” She picked up her things. “Have fun tonight!” she said slyly.

Andrea grinned. “I plan to!”

Cadence waved and headed outside. It was just a short walk to the bus which would take her to her apartment near the highway.

When Cadence stepped off the elevator on her floor, she was greeted by a throbbing bass coming from her apartment. Her roommate had a great stereo system which she enjoyed regularly. Unfortunately, not everyone appreciated the quality of those subwoofers. Great way to keep on good terms with the neighbours,
she thought wryly. Sure enough, as she drew level with the apartment beside hers, she saw a scowling older woman with her head stuck out the door.

“You kids have no respect for others!” she screeched. “If this racket doesn’t stop, I’m going to complain to the landlord again!”

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Severin,” Cadence mumbled. “I’ll have Erica turn it down.” Cadence winced as the neighbour slammed the door. As she moved to her own apartment and opened the door, the pounding music began pounding its way into her head. Erica was seated on the couch tapping her foot and bobbing her head in time to the music while looking at something on her PlayBook.

“Turn it down!” Cadence shouted at Erica. Erica turned and looked quizzically at her. Sighing, Cadence walked over to the stereo and turned the volume knob almost all the way down.

“Hey!” said Erica. “I was listening to that.”

“You and half the building,” Cadence retorted. “Mrs. Severin told me she was going to complain again. We can’t get kicked out of here.”

Erica snorted. “That bitch wouldn’t know good music if it bit her.”

“That might be true, but you know if she goes to the landlord again we’re in deep shit,” Cadence replied.

“Whatever,” Erica said, rolling her eyes.

Sighing, Cadence went to her room and closed the door. The music from the living room got louder again, though thankfully not as bad as it had been. Cadence put her earbuds in and selected a playlist from her iPad as she sat down to work on her paper.

Hours later, when Cadence finally crawled into bed, she had a chance to think about Andrea’s revelation. A threesome. Her nipples began to harden, and her pussy was clenching. That must be awesome, she thought. Not that she had anything to base her opinion on except her own touch. She closed her eyes and imagined two men beside her. She pushed her nightshirt up to her neck and slid her hands over her breasts, gently kneading and caressing them. She pinched her nipples between each thumb and forefinger and moaned softly as they elongated and hardened even more. After rolling the nipples between her fingers, she let one hand travel down over her stomach and under the waistband of her panties. She stroked herself for a moment and then used her fingers to gently part her throbbing pussy lips. Another finger went to work circling her swollen clitoris. She could feel her juices dripping out of her cunt as she imagined that it was someone else’s hand driving her toward climax. As the heaviness in her belly increased, she circled her finger faster and faster around her clit until finally she went over the peak and her cunt spasmed wildly. She arched her back up off the bed as her orgasm shot through her body. When it had subsided, she relaxed back into the bed. With a smile on her face and one hand still lightly cupping her breast, she drifted off to sleep.

The week passed quickly. Cadence was kept very busy by her class and practice schedule. She managed to squeeze an extra hour of practice in each day to prepare her audition material. On Friday night as she gathered her music for the audition, she received her weekly phone call from her father.

“I hope you are maintaining your practice schedule, Cadence,” he said in a gruff voice. “It’s easy to let that slide when exams get close.”

“Of course, Papa. I…”

“How fast are you doing your scales?” he asked.

“One forty, Papa. I wanted to tell you…” Cadence began.

“Try to get them faster, Cadence,” he interrupted. “They should be at least one fifty. Are you doing your recital pieces at speed?”

“Yes, Papa, but I…”

“Good. Make sure you maintain those. And call the accompanist to set up time to rehearse with her. You need the practice.”

“I will, Papa,” Cadence replied softly.

“Good. Was there something you wanted to tell me?” he asked.

“Nothing important, Papa,” Cadence replied. “I’ll talk to you next week.”

“I love you,” her father said.

“Love you, too,” Cadence responded. “Bye.”

She sadly hung up the phone. She had planned to tell him about her upcoming audition. It’s probably for the best, she thought.
He would just be disappointed if I didn’t get it.

Out in the living room, Erica’s stereo began its relentless rhythm. Sighing, Cadence put in her earbuds and tried to concentrate on her studying.

* * * *

The next morning, Cadence called Andrea in a panic. “Andrea, I don’t know what to wear!”

“And so you call me at seven a.m. on a Saturday?” Andrea mumbled sleepily. In the background Cadence heard a masculine voice, followed by a stifled giggle and then a soft moan.

Cadence rolled her eyes. “Andrea, I called for help, not to listen to you making out.”

“Okay, okay, sorry,” she said apologetically. “I think you should wear the black sheath dress. The short, sleeveless one. Put the thin, red belt with it, and wear your black suede heels.” Andrea knew Cadence’s wardrobe well as she had picked out most of the clothes in it. Andrea had a great sense of fashion.

“Isn’t that a little fancy? They just want to hear me play,” Cadence said.

“You need to be gorgeous, too,” Andrea said. “It’s all about first impressions. Take it easy on the makeup since you won’t be wearing lipstick, but leave your hair long. Guys love long hair.”

“Andrea, it’s an audition, not a date,” Cadence said in exasperation.

“First impressions!” Andrea sang.

“Fine,” Cadence grumbled.

“Now go kick some ass and call me when you’re done.”

Cadence hung up and finished getting ready. She brushed her long, red hair and applied a light mascara. Her pale skin was marred by only a few freckles, so she skipped cover-up and brushed on a little blush. When she was satisfied that she didn’t look completely unpleasant, she grabbed her flute, her purse, and her music case and headed out the door.

When Cadence arrived at the auditorium, she found about twenty other flutists there already. Most of them she recognized from school, but there were a couple others who were unfamiliar and a bit older than the students. Butterflies took flight in her stomach. The older players probably had a lot more experience.

“Are you here for the audition?” a young woman asked Cadence. Cadence nodded. “Please fill out this form,” she said as she handed a paper to Cadence. “I’ll come to collect it when I take you for your turn.”

Cadence sat and pulled out a pen. The form was fairly standard, asking for information about her musical experience, availability, and why she wanted to be a part of the group. After completing the questions, she put her flute together and began moving her fingers silently over the keys to practice.

It seemed to take a long time to get through the candidates in front of her. No one had arrived after, so Cadence knew she would be the last called in. Her nerves were becoming more intense as the time wore on. At last, the woman who had given her the form led her down the hall and into the soundproof practice room just off the stage.

“You can warm up in here,” she told Cadence. “The accompanist will come get you when it’s time.” She took Cadence’s paper and disappeared.

Cadence went into the room and began playing some scales and arpeggios to get her flute warmed up and prepare herself. Five minutes later there was a soft knock on the door. Taking a deep breath, Cadence opened it.

The accompanist was one of the fourth-year piano students, a sturdy brunette named Olivia. Cadence smiled and Olivia smiled back. “I’m glad to see you here,” Olivia whispered. “You’re the best at the school.”

“You think so?” Cadence asked incredulously.

“Know so,” was Olivia’s emphatic reply. “What pieces are you playing?”

“I’m going to start with the last movement of the Mozart in G major and then the second of the Mercadante in D major,” Cadence replied.

“Nice choice,” Olivia said appreciatively. “No one has managed to really nail the cadenza in the Mozart, and only one other person has done the Mercadante. Good luck!” They walked on stage and Olivia settled herself at the piano while Cadence stood beside the music stand and faced the seats. The lights shining on the stage made it difficult to see the two men sitting a few rows from the front.

“Cadence Bennett?” a rich, velvety voice asked. Cadence’s breath caught. The voice seemed to echo around her head, caressing her name. A shiver ran through her body.

“Y–y–yes,” she managed to stammer.

“Play for us,” the voice commanded quietly. For a moment, Cadence had the wild thought that she would do whatever the voice asked her to do. Focus, Cadence! she thought as she prepared to play.

Cadence nodded at Olivia, and as the pianist played the introduction, Cadence took several deep breaths and raised the flute to her mouth. As her cue approached, she closed her eyes and began to play.

The sound floated through the auditorium, quick and light. Cadence’s fingers flew over the keys, the endless practicing of scales and studies enabling her to move through the piece almost effortlessly. At the cadenza, the flute alone filled the auditorium with rapid-fire arpeggios and trills until the piano reentered for the conclusion. Cadence lowered the flute and took several deep breaths. She glanced at Olivia, and when she saw that the accompanist was ready to continue, Cadence began again. This time, the piece was slower, freer, and much more expressive. Even though she knew she was following the dynamic and tempo markings, Cadence could hear that her playing was somewhat cold. Frustration swirled through her as she continued through the piece, the anger at herself forcing the sound out more harshly. When she finally reached the end, she lowered the flute and her head to look at the ground.

Cadence was breathing hard and had her eyes squeezed shut as she silently went through all the things she felt she had done poorly, berating herself for not working more carefully. When the voice spoke from beside her, she jumped and gave a tiny squeal. Looking up, she gazed into a pair of the bluest eyes she had ever seen.

“I’m sorry.” The man chuckled. His laugh was low and sexy, and Cadence felt shivers racing through her body. “I didn’t mean to startle you. My name is Chris Clements.” He held out his hand to her.

For a moment, Cadence was speechless, but she finally extended her own hand. When he grasped it, a warm tingling sensation spread through her hand and up her arm. And though it might have been her imagination, his blink suggested that he had felt something, too. His hand lingered for an extra moment on hers, and then he slowly dropped it. Looking at the pianist, he said, “Thank you for your help today, Olivia.” She nodded at the dismissal, picked up her music, and left the stage.

To Cadence, Chris said, “Please come down and talk to us.” He indicated that Cadence should precede him down the stairs on the side of the stage. As Cadence walked past, he placed his hand gently against the small of her back to guide her. At his touch, warmth shot through her body and straight to her pussy, causing a small spasm.

Cadence was impressed when she managed to make it to the seats where the other man was sitting without knees giving out. The waiting man stood and extended his hand. He was darker than Chris, his eyes and hair a rich chocolate-brown and his lips curved in a sexy smile. Incredibly, Cadence’s pussy throbbed at his handshake as well. What the fuck? she thought.
I’ve never reacted this strongly to any guy, and now it’s happening with both of them? Maybe I really do just need to get laid.
Giving her head a slight shake, Cadence sat down in the seat Chris was pointing to. The men sat down once she had seated herself and carefully crossed her legs.

“My name is Ryan Matias,” the darker man said. Though not as deep as Chris’s voice, Ryan’s had its own smooth-as-silk quality that had Cadence squirming slightly in her seat at the aching she was feeling between her legs.

“Cadence, we were very impressed by the Mozart,” Chris began. “Your technique is flawless for one so young. And the cadenza! What a soaring sound! Did you write it yourself?” When Cadence nodded, he cried, “Fabulous!” He seemed truly impressed. Cadence couldn’t stop staring at him. Looks that good should be illegal, she thought.
I can’t concentrate!

“At the beginning of the Mercadante, we felt that although your technique was good, there was something missing from it,” said Ryan. Cadence’s shoulders slumped, and she stared down at her hands. Ryan reached out and touched her knee lightly, causing Cadence to look up into his dark eyes. “But something changed,” he told her softly. “It got more intense, more riveting. We want to know what happened.”

Cadence stared at him for a moment, thinking. “Well, I guess I…what I mean is…” She took a deep breath and let it out. Slowly,
she thought. “I know that sometimes I have trouble with expression,” she began. “I could tell it was happening again, and it was frustrating. I just didn’t know what to do or how to correct it, and I kind of got mad at myself.” Cadence blushed and looked down at her hands again.

This time it was Chris who touched her arm. He didn’t remove his hand even when Cadence looked directly at him. “So the music became more expressive when you were feeling some intense emotions,” he said softly.