Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Muse
    Muse
    Muse
    Ebook99 pages1 hour

    Muse

    By Alexa Riley

    4/5

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Shelby Walsh is struggling to make ends meet. She spends her days doing singing telegrams for extra cash, but she never expected to be sent out to perform for the world's most famous composer. And definitely not in a skimpy Greek goddess outfit. How is she supposed to keep it together when every part of her is screaming for him to take her? 

    Theo Hayes is a recluse. He just wants to be left alone to work on his next big movie score. He's even grumpier than usual because he's in a bit of a rut. But when his brother sends him a singing telegram for inspiration, he finds his muse and plans to never let her go. Keeping her for his very own is the only option. 

    Warning: We've teamed up with Fiona Davenport to give you an epic symphony for your lady business. What's better than two authors working you over? How about four? If you want insta-love with all the safety and security of a happily ever after, then jump in bed with us. There's room for more!

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAlexa Riley
    Release dateJul 13, 2019
    ISBN9781393767725
    Muse
    Author

    Alexa Riley

    New York Times bestselling author Alexa Riley is two sassy friends who got together and wrote some dirty books. They are both married moms of two who love football, donuts, and obsessed book heroes. They specialize in insta-love, over-the-top, sweet, and cheesy love stories that don’t take all year to read. If you want something SAFE, short, and always with a happily ever after, then Alexa Riley is for you! www.AlexaRiley.com

    Read more from Alexa Riley

    Related authors

    Related to Muse

    Related ebooks

    Contemporary Romance For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      After “The End”

      Oct 10, 2022

      I walked down the road with a hunched back and a wet cigarette in my mouth—the fire had died a while back. My hands were tucked into the pockets of my jacket, and my hair fell over my face, limiting my sight. But I wasn’t really seeing where I was go

      10 min read

    • Article

      I Confronted My School Bullies

      Jul 3, 2019

      I Confronted My School Bullies
      6 min read

    • Article

      Metaphors

      Mar 10, 2023

      I’m knitting on my front porch when a car roars to a stop in front of my house. It’s a red Mustang convertible, top down on this warm Thursday afternoon in June. Two girls sit in the front, two in the back. They smile and wave at me. I smile back tho

      8 min read

    • Article

      The Kill Registry

      Dec 10, 2022

      My sister chose to use her bullet years ago and ever since she has badgered me to liberate my own from its chamber. Beth leveled her pistol at her husband five years into their marriage, and she has no regrets, which is one of the things I admire abo

      14 min read

    • Article

      Back To Brat

      Apr 2, 2023

      Back To Brat
      2 min read

    • Article

      Siphons

      Feb 6, 2020

      Siphons
      6 min read

    • Article

      Year Of The Rat

      Nov 24, 2020

      Year Of The Rat
      11 min read

    • Article

      A Substitution

      Jun 21, 2022

      A Substitution
      20 min read

    • Article

      Philip Roth

      Jun 4, 2018

      Philip Roth
      25 min read

    • Article

      Robin Abcarian: Parenting A Child Again Is A Challenge, A Joy And A Lesson About Who Comes First

      May 2, 2019

      It's not very often that you get a chance to relive something as profound as parenting a young child, but quite out of the blue four months ago, a little girl I love came to live with me. She is a close relative, and the circumstances that brought he

      4 min read

    • Article

      Sam Neill On His New Memoir And Living With Blood Cancer: ‘I’m Not Afraid To Die, But It Would Annoy Me’

      Mar 17, 2023

      If you came to Sam Neill’s memoir without knowing the first thing about it, chapter one would hold a terrible shock. It begins amusingly enough: a lovely anecdote about his daughter Elena being asked at school when she was little about what her dad d

      7 min read

    • Article

      LOVE, Virtually

      Feb 16, 2020

      LOVE, Virtually
      5 min read

    • Article

      Not Just For CHRISTMAS

      Nov 24, 2021

      Not Just For CHRISTMAS
      9 min read

    • Article

      You Talkin' To Me?

      Dec 15, 2022

      You Talkin' To Me?
      3 min read

    • Article

      Henry Winkler

      Jan 8, 2024

      Henry Winkler
      6 min read

    • Article

      The Duplex

      Jun 9, 2020

      I moved to Los Angeles to sing. When was this? August? June? I was twenty-nine, and those were shapeless months, when the days blended together and I refused to pull them apart. My landlord was unusually close to her adult son. His name was Jeffrey,

      21 min read

    • Article

      Deep Impact

      May 31, 2020

      Deep Impact
      9 min read

    • Article

      Love And Other (chemo) Drugs

      Apr 14, 2019

      Love And Other (chemo) Drugs
      12 min read

    • Article

      You Talkin’ To Me?

      Mar 2, 2023

      You Talkin’ To Me?
      3 min read

    • Article

      A Kind Of Magic

      Apr 1, 2024

      A Kind Of Magic
      7 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Muse

    4/5

    14 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      Muse - Alexa Riley

      Chapter One

      Theo

      Iwant to bang my head against a wall in hopes that it will crumble the barrier that seems to be surrounding my brain. The instruments in my studio are laughing at me, and the deadline clock sitting on the shelf above my equipment is silently judging me.

      Fuck! I bark as I push my chair back and stand up, running my hands through my unruly dark hair. A haircut is on my to-do list for when I finish the score for the newest movie projected to blow up the box office. That list just keeps getting longer and longer because for the first time ever, I am truly in danger of not meeting a deadline. I’m stuck and have no clue why.

      Between movies, television, and theater, I’ve written almost sixty compositions in the last twenty years. I was a child prodigy and wrote my first movie score at fifteen. I’ve won two Academy Awards, three Emmy Awards, one Golden Globe, six Tony Awards and eighteen fucking Grammy Awards. Yet here I am…unable to pluck out even one decent melody. I’ve never had a mental block like this, and I have no fucking clue what to do about it. This could be the end of the line for me. I think it’s passion I’m lacking. I have no idea how to make myself passionate about something. There just isn’t anything there when I try to reach it.

      My cell phone vibrates on the table, the screen lighting up with a picture of my little brother making a goofy face and the name Hot Shot Movie Star. I roll my eyes but a smile tugs at my lips. Clearly, Austin messed with my phone again the last time he was here. I can only imagine what other crazy nicknames he gave some of my contacts.

      Austin is incredibly intelligent, but his real talent lies in his charisma and sense of humor. It landed him his first role as the comedic sidekick in a television show at the age of seven. Since then, he’s been typecast in those roles, but it’s never bothered him. He’s no slouch in the looks department, and I imagine the millions he makes per movie and the multiple awards for Best Supporting Actor don’t hurt. Besides that, he thinks playing the sexy heartthrob is boring, and it saves him from having to do romantic storylines with sex scenes that could come back to bite him in the ass later on. That’s the other thing about Austin…he’s a hopeless romantic and believes in the one. I think he’s crazy. I need a relationship in my life like I need a hole in my head. But I keep that opinion to myself. While I might be a cynical grump, as he refers to me, I would never want Austin to change from who he is.

      He’s probably the only reason I ever laugh. Or leave the house. I freely admit to being a workaholic. I get lost in my music and once I hear it in my head, I can’t rest until it’s down on paper. Plus, I hate crowds, which is why I live an hour from the city on a couple of acres. I enjoy being alone.

      I swipe the screen to answer and he appears with a boyish grin. How goes the mental block? he asks by way of greeting.

      Thanks for the reminder, asshole, I sigh into the phone. And hello to you, too.

      Austin laughs, but then his face sobers a little. Seriously, though, how are you doing? Any luck with the new project?

      I shake my head and groan as I walk out of my studio and toward my house. I converted an old, unattached garage into my workspace when I bought the land because it was situated only fifty or so feet from the house.

      The afternoon sun beats down on my shoulders and I have to squint to see Austin on the screen. I can’t seem to find any inspiration, I admit with a shake of my head. For the first time in my life I feel lost. Or like maybe something is missing. What that is, I have no fucking idea or I’d go and get it.

      "And getting out of your house and maybe going on a date…? Have you considered that option?" Austin’s tone is humorous, but I know he’s only half-joking.

      "No, Mother, I answer, sarcasm dripping from the words. I don’t have time for social crap. People annoy me. And are a distraction. And I have work to do." I reach my back door and type in the code before stepping into my kitchen. Austin snorts a response to my comment, but I ignore him as I set the phone on the counter and grab a water from the fridge. All that is true. It’s why I live all the way out here.

      Making me stare at your ceiling won’t stop me from giving you shit.

      More like nagging. I twist the cap on the bottle and take a deep swallow before picking up the phone and glaring at my brother. Why do I need a woman in my life? I have you. I chug back the rest of the water and toss the bottle in my recycle bin.

      I don’t nag, Austin defends with faked indignation. Being right all the time and making sure you know it isn’t nagging. His grin reappears, even bigger than before.

      Shaking my head, I walk toward the east wing of the house where the master bedroom is located. Your head is getting too big for my screen, Hot Shot. I better hang up before you break my phone.

      Ahh, but the ladies love all the big things about me.

      It’s my turn to snort. I stop short and stare at my brother with a raised eyebrow. How would you know what ladies love? You date about as much as I do, I toss back at him. He’s always pushing me about my love life, but he doesn’t have one either.

      He doesn’t take the bait and just gives me another smile. But there is something about this one that is different. It’s almost…sly. And the sparkle in his eye starts to worry me. Austin can be impulsive—

      What you need is a muse, big brother.

      I’ll make sure to request one the next time I have a conference call with Zeus, I reply dryly.

      Austin chuckles, but then that mysterious smile returns. Don’t worry, we already had a chat. Your muse should be there anytime. Oh, and I’m sending you some food so you don’t forget to eat. The call abruptly disconnects before I can respond. What the fuck?

      I debate calling him back but decide I don’t care and toss the phone on my bed before padding over to my bathroom. Who knows what he’s up to and I know I wouldn’t be able to get it out of him if he is up to something. My muscles are stiff from spending so much time in the studio without a break, so I start the shower and wait for the water to warm up. Once the room is steaming, I strip and step under the hot spray, groaning at the feel of the heat on my aching body.

      Austin’s comments about a muse sift through my mind. His joke hits closer to home than he thinks. Over the years, I’ve been inspired by the idea of a muse. At times, I could have sworn I felt her hovering over my fingers, making the music magical, almost like a guardian angel. I’ve even dreamt of her from time to time. But the picture is never clear. I don’t know what she looks like, only that she also has a heavenly voice and a body that was made just for me.

      My cock stirs and I grunt with annoyance as I glare down at the stubborn fucker. Thinking of her is the only thing that ever gets his attention. Which means I’m basically lusting after

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1