Saved by the Music (Saints & Sinners Book 2) by Kaithlin Shepherd Page A

that—I’m not letting you go.” He was pushing his luck and he damn well knew it, but he couldn’t help himself. He wanted her more than he’d ever wanted a woman before. Not just because he was attracted to her, but because he felt a connection with her he never thought he would have with a woman. That wasn’t something he was ready to give up—not now, not ever.
    “Is that why this charity is important to you? Because you can’t let go of something?”
    Leave it to Ashlee to change a conversation from something highly personal between the two of them to safer ground where she didn’t have to expose herself or her feelings.
    “Nice save, Miss Daniels. I’ll let you have it for now. This charity is my way of giving kids the same opportunities that someone once gave me. I was a fucked-up kid, Ashlee. I got into drugs and was on my way to jail or the morgue when someone helped me turn my life around. That’s why this is so important to me. I want kids to know they’re not alone, that they don’t have to throw their lives away because of what happened to them. I want them to know they can have a safe place to go, a place where they could have a chance to make something of themselves.” He should’ve been surprised by how easy that came out, but when it came to Ashlee, he was more than comfortable sharing pieces of his life.
    He wanted her to know everything about him, and then still give him a chance to be the man she needed, but he wasn’t sure if he was ready to go that far yet. Even if she showed she was one step ahead of him. “Is that where the scars on your back are from?”
    He took a deep breath and ran his hands over his face, giving himself time to find the courage to have this conversation with her. “No. That’s from what pushed me to the streets in the first place.”
    She must’ve seen how hard it was for him to talk about this. That was the only explanation as to why she wrapped her fingers in his, holding his hands like she was his own personal lifeline. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to push.”
    He squeezed her hands. “Ashlee, we talked about this. Don’t apologize to me for wanting to get to know me. My dad was a mean, selfish bastard. That’s where the scars are from.”
    He expected her to gasp or run in the opposite direction, but she didn’t. She squeezed his hands harder and when he looked into her eyes, he didn’t see pity, just what he hoped was admiration for the man he’d become.
    “There’s more to the story, isn’t there?”
    “Yes.” He didn’t trust himself to make full sentences right then. The conflict of emotions running through him was making it hard for him to breathe.
    She released his hands and his panic grew more intense, but then she stood and took the seat beside him, cupping his face in her hands. “You know you can tell me, right? I would never judge you, Sam.”
    He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t talk. He lowered his head to her chest and for the first time in his life, he cried in front of a woman.
     
     
    ASHLEE
     
    The behind-the-scenes chaos before a Saints and Sinners show kept everyone on edge. There was no chance for quiet processing time when the biggest band on the planet was getting ready to take the stage. She wasn’t a stranger to backstage craziness, but this was on a whole other level. She squeezed the all-access pass, the lanyard wrapped around her fingers, as her security escort led the way to Sam’s dressing room. When he told her about the escort, she thought he was being overly obsessive, but after stepping outside the bus and seeing the crowd of rowdy fans waiting for the guys, she was thankful for the extra thought.
    When she reached his dressing room, she stopped in front of his door, debating whether or not she should go in. She knew he would be alone because that was his ritual, but the last thing she wanted to do was interrupt him.
    “He’s not gonna bite, you know.” She turned around at the sound of a man’s