Page 65 of Out of the Gold

She waves her arm. “Nah. Failed miserably at all of those.” Walking over to the flute, she picks it up. “Except this one. I did enjoy playing flute for a while. That is, until I found my true passion. Sewing.”

I nod and walk over to the instrument that originally caught my eye. Picking up the violin, I let my fingers roam over the strings, plucking a couple of notes. “I bet your father was disappointed.”

She laughs. “You could say that. Neither I nor my brother play anything.”

As I test the bow on the violin, I ask, “Have you heard an update about King?”

“Mom said he’s out of the hospital and recovering.”

“That’s great news.” Satisfied with the sounds coming out of the violin, without thought I begin playing a song I’ve had memorized for ages. She snaps in time with the rhythm. Finished, I close my eyes and start in on another. When it ends, clapping forces my eyelids open. Melody’s grinning from ear to ear. “Wow, Charles, You’re very talented.”

Her honest words of praise lodge inside my chest, which are so infrequently heard in this part of my private world. Usually, if I play for anyone, they either mock my choice of instrument or immediately change the subject. It’s my turn to blush.

Placing the violin back on its place of pride, I reply, “Thanks. I don’t really play much. Just those few songs.”

“Seriously, you’re super good. Acting, playing violin, singing. The trifecta!”

“Not exactly.” I grab her by the hips. “But I can make you sing.” I plant kisses on her neck, to her excited squirming.

“No way, Charles. You haven’t told me how the audition went.”

My body screams its desire to forget the undignified experience and turn to a much more pleasurable way to pass the time. I run my tongue around the delicate shell of her ear. She pushes against my chest.

“Stop it. I want to hear all about how they loved on you.”

“Like how you’re going to love on me.” I close my teeth around her ear.

“No! I mean it, Charles!”

“All right.” I sigh. But I’m not going to let her off the hook. “How about a little tit for tat.”

She sucks in her breath and crosses her arms over her chest, obscuring her glorious boobs. “A what?”

I try to stifle my smile, but with rather mixed results. I lean forward so my lips are next to her ear. “I’ll tell you something about the audition, if you give me a little of what I want.” If I wasn’t standing right next to her, I might have missed the shudder that screamed up her spine. But I am. And I didn’t. I kiss the erogenous zone behind her ear.

“Oh.” She rolls her hips into mine. “I guess that’s fair.” She twines her fingers behind my neck. “So tell me, what happened when you walked into the room?”

Because I’m feeling magnanimous, I answer her. “There were three people behind a long table, and a chair up on the stage. Nothing unusual. I hit my mark and introduced myself. To which they said, and I quote, ‘Aren’t you filming some superhero movie in Italy?’”

Her amber eyes darken before her long lashes cover her eyes from my view. Slender hands move downward, and she intertwines her fingers with mine. She whispers, “What did you say?”

I lick my lips. “I told them that, yes, we’re filming, but I felt a calling to audition for the part. ThatHamlet’s my favorite of all of Shakespeare’s plays, and I love their updated concept. And I’d do the role justice.”

She nods. “That’s perfect! Then what?”

I pull her to me. “That’s my tat. Where’s your tit?”

She giggles and struggles for a moment, then stills. “Well, I guess that’s only fair.”

She wriggles out of my embrace and tosses her shirt off her body and over her head. Nice. My hand reaches out and plays with her bra. When she gasps, I reach behind her and unclasp it. Skimming down her shoulders, I remove the offending material from her body while my lips seek her nipples, which have pebbled due to my touch. She’s so responsive.

“Okay, your turn.”

From my position with her nipple in my mouth, our gazes meet. I suck. She inhales. “No, no more. It’s your turn.” She disentangles herself from my embrace.

Sighing, I stand and shove my hands into my pockets. “They said since I was there, I should go ahead. Not the most encouraging start to an audition, but at least they didn’t throw me out on my ass. And none of the three laughed, which was a positive.”

“They had to know how important this was to you. You did, after all, fly halfway around the world to audition.”

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