Page 29 of Hard Rock Temptation
Afraid of Kaylee and I getting together.
Afraid we wouldn’t record our second album in time.
Afraid that my mother’s illness would…
“You’re right,” I spoke up, throwing my shoulders back and standing tall, not letting myself shrink down. “Iamafraid I’m going to suck,” I said steadily. “I want to play them the way they’re meant to be played, and I know I can’t.”
Kaylee scrunched up her nose in confusion.
“But everyone knows you suck at drums,” she said. “That’s nothing new.”
“But you and I are new,” I said. “This relationship between us is new. It changes things. It’s okay to look like an idiot in front of your best friend. But in front of a new girlfriend…”
Kaylee stared at me, befuddled, until a small, fond smile crossed her lips.
“You want to impress me?” she asked, that smile twitching at the corners as it tried to widen into a grin.
“I know it’s stupid,” I said with a sigh. “But you wanted to know what was wrong and I didn’t want to shut you out. I promised I wouldn’t do that anymore.”
“Is it patronizing to say I’m proud of you?” she asked.
“Probably,” I grumbled. “But thanks, I guess.”
Kaylee stood on her toes and tipped her head back. I leaned down and pressed a soft kiss on her lips.
“Thank you for opening up to me,” she said.
“I never used to have trouble with that before,” I said, unhappy with myself.
“It’s like you said,” she chirped. “This relationship is new. We’re going to have to figure out a new way of doing things. But that’s okay.” Her eyes sparkled with delight. “That’s what makes everything so exciting.”
She looped both arms around mine and squeezed. It was such a familiar gesture. She’d done it hundreds of times before. Kay had always been a touchy-feely person, especially with me.
But this time was different. This time, my rapidly receding embarrassment was replaced by warmth. Her fingers pressed into my bicep and her hip bumped against mine. I wanted more. I didn’t just want her arms around mine. I wanted my arms around her. I wanted to press every inch of myself against her, to feel the heat of her body. I wanted to peel off every piece of clothing until she was bared to me, naked for my eyes alone.
“Let’s check out those woodwinds,” I told her, guiding her to the very back of the store with half a dozen racks and shelves, enough to hide us away from prying eyes.
“You looking to get a new oboe?” she teased. “Anya will kill you for that.”
“Nah,” I said, backing her up against a wall and putting my hands on her hips, enjoying the look of her eyes going wide. “I just wanted to get you alone.”
I put my hands on her hips, trailing upward from the pockets of her jeans and up under the hem of her shirt to grasp the flesh of her waist. The warmth of her skin against my fingertips was delicious. She bit down on her lip and arched into me.
“I didn’t know you had an exhibitionist streak,” she said on an exhale.
I brought my mouth to the soft skin of her throat and placed a soft kiss.
“Just one of those new exciting things you’ll learn about me,” I murmured into her ear.
She let out a little whimper and angled her hips toward mine. I used one foot to nudge her legs apart and slid my knee between her thighs. She was so short she had to go on her tiptoes as shelifted off the ground. She let out a choked gasp and looked up at me, green eyes bright and cheeks flushed pink.
Her hot core pressed against my thigh. I tightened my hands on her waist, fingers digging into flesh as she flexed her hips, grinding down against me, and stifled a groan.
Fuck, but I wanted to do so many dirty things to this woman.
“No PDA in my music store,” came a wry voice from behind us.
I groaned, falling forward to rest my forehead against Kay’s. She squeaked, squirming out from under me. The second time in a row we’d been caught making out in front of other people. Luckily, or maybe unluckily, I recognized the voice.
