Page 18 of Falling Faster
Craig's smile becomes a full-blown grin. "He is now a healthy, happy ten-year-old."
Breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding rushes out. "That's good."
"Yeah. He was one hell of a fighter. I'm glad he gets to just be a kid now."
After we finish eating, Craig makes fresh cups of coffee and we carry them into the living room. Carefully sipping the rich brew, I tap a couple of piano keys. Tiny clinks of the highest notes ring out. I glance at Craig. "I always wanted to learn how to play."
"I could teach you." The offer rolls off his tongue quickly, and from his serious expression, he means it.
Ignoring the fact that I'm leaving tomorrow, and thinking Craig might be doing so too, I set my coffee on a side table next to the couch and sit at the piano bench.
Craig stands behind me. Strong hands rest on my shoulders. "Put the fingers of your right hand on the center keys."
"All right." Feeling a little silly, I comply. Then smile as Craig's hand covers my fingers.
"Now, you're going to learn the first song I learned to playwhen I was a kid. It's easy, and it only uses five notes. Just relax your fingers under mine. Let me do the work."
"Deal." I relax my shoulders and rest my head against his torso and watch our joined hands. With subtle pressure, he presses his index finger, then his middle finger. Those two notes echo each other eight times. Then one note from the key under my thumb, followed by a single note for each key under each finger, from my index to my pinkie. We go back down the keys and then up once more, ending with the high note from the pinkie's key.
He lifts his hand and returns it to my shoulder. "Good. Now you try it."
My heartbeat ticks up. I straighten my posture. Even though it's a simple song, I really want to impress Craig. I start off with the two echoing notes, then go up and down the scale, trying to remember the tempo he used. The last note fades, and I hold my breath, nervous for his response.
"You did it!" Squeezing my shoulders, Craig bends and kisses my cheek. "Nice job."
Pride surging, I tilt my head back for another kiss. I catch his smile and then that firm mouth covers mine in a sexy, sort of upside-down kiss. When we separate, I pat the space beside me on the bench. "Will you play something for me?"
"Sure." He climbs over the bench and lays his hand on my thigh to keep me in place. "Stay. I like having you here."
Hands hovering over the keys, he presses his lips together and stares at the wall. Then he smiles and dives into playing. Both hands travel over the keys. The melody is vaguely familiar, then recognition dawns. It's a version of one of The Fury's ballads. Normally played on an acoustic guitar, the song was a huge recent hit for the band. The piano gives it an almost ethereal quality. Then Craig's raspy voice adds the lyrics, and my jaw nearly hits the floor. Hauntingly beautiful,the song which sings of love and longing, pulls at my soul. His talent calls to the artist in me, and a vision of mornings sketching while he plays dances through my head. But I shake the fantasy away as quickly as it came.
Shifting my position, I straddle the bench, facing him. No sheet music is in sight. He's playing the song from memory. Shirtless and sexy, and fully into the music, Craig at the piano is every bit as tempting as Craig on guitar. Once again, I wish I had my sketchbook.
The song reaches its end, and the higher notes that had kept Craig leaning into my torso as he reached for those keys fade into silence. He meets my gaze and the shyness there is so unexpected, I wrap my arms around him, encircling him halfway before my brain catches up with my actions. "You were amazing."
"You liked it?"
"I loved it." I stroke my hand through his thick hair, loving the way the soft strands tease my palm. "So much that I wish I had a video. Your voice is so good. Why weren't you ever a lead singer?"
"I don't like being the center of attention that much."
I pause mid-stroke. "You looked like you loved being in the spotlight during your solo last night."
"Yeah, but all I cared about then was putting on a show foryou." Finally, his smile forms. "Did you happen to notice how I looked at no one else but you?"
"I did, actually." Pleasure spikes as images from last night fill my thoughts. "And I don't think I was the only one who noticed."
"Luke noticed too. And I'm sure there were more."
"Slater and Noah did too." I lightly tug on the strands in the way I discovered Craig liked last night. "I like having you at the center of my attention."
On a moan, his eyes close and his hands tighten on my chest and thigh. "Likewise."
Our mouths meet and I deepen the kiss. He tastes of maple syrup and coffee, sweet and rich. My hands roam the expanse of tan skin, and I sigh and arch into his questing hands. Lengthening kisses and lingering touches shift the lazy morning into an urgent rush to be as close as possible.
Craig stands, pulling me along with him, and tugs my body until it's snug against his hard form. I shoot my hand out for balance and it lands on the black and white keys, releasing a jumbled tangle of notes.
"Let's take this somewhere more comfortable." He climbs over the piano bench and holds out his hand. Grasping it, I wait to see where he'll lead me. The couch is close by, the throw rug would do, and the bed has the most space.
