should make some notes.” She held out a stack of blank sheet music. “I printed these off for you, but if you need more…”
The woman could read him better than he did himself. He took the stack and placed a chaste kiss on her forehead. “Do you have a quiet place I could hang out in?”
“You can use my bedroom.” She opened the door she’d just come out of.
“Thanks.” He held her gaze for a moment to make sure she knew the full extent of his gratitude. She’d helped him overcome a major hurdle to his recovery, and he finally felt like he was moving forward.
Her eyes sparkled with excitement. “You’re welcome.”
Becca’s room was simple and serene, much like her. The blue colors and clean lines quieted his anxiety and sharpened his focus. He sat down on the edge of the bed with Ari’s guitar and jotted down the notes for the new arrangement. His pen halted when he read the line she’d written at the top of each page.
Words and music by Ethan Kelly .
It confirmed that she knew who he was, and yet she treated him as she did the rest of her friends. She didn’t kiss his ass or handle him with kid gloves. He was just another person to her, and that made him trust her all the more with his secrets.
He finished his notes and pulled out a blank sheet. It was time to create something new.
Chapter Eight
The party had taken a drunken turn for the worse by the time Ethan emerged from Becca’s bedroom. Slurred words battled over the pulsating music, and arms and legs flopped around in staggering dance moves.
Ethan made his way around the edge of the living room, looking for Becca and bumping into her roommate instead. She looked up at him with glazed brown eyes and made no effort to untangle herself from him. “You have a sexy voice,” she drawled.
“Where’s Becca?” His words were sharp and forceful, a direct contrast to her languid, liquor-laden one. There was only one woman he wanted pressed up against him, and it wasn’t the petite blonde.
She backed off with a slight pout. “Out on the balcony.”
As before, the wide balcony offered a respite from the chaos inside. He scanned the dimly lit area, starting with the chairs and finally finding her leaning against the wall in a far corner. “Hey,” he said as he came toward her, giving her plenty of time to say she wanted to be alone if needed.
“Hey,” she replied. “How did it go?”
“Good.” He stopped in front of her and braced his elbow against the warm bricks. “Really good, actually. I wrote a new song.”
“Care to sing a few bars for me?”
A self-deprecating laugh broke free from his chest. “Still working on the lyrics.”
“They’ll come to you.” She sighed and looked up at the sky. “Sorry for hiding out on you, but I needed to get away from that environment before I did something I’d regret.”
He leaned in closer, inhaling her perfume. His dick stiffened, and all thoughts of music vanished. “Meaning?”
“I don’t drink because it’s too risky for me. But the rest of them….” She shrugged as though the way the party had eroded explained itself.
“So that was the mistake you were worried about making?” He came close enough to hear her breath catch.
She looked up at him, her eyes darkening with desire. She licked her lips. “Among other things.”
He kept closing in, waiting to see if she would push him away. The next thing he knew, his lips were brushing against hers in a hesitant, feather-light kiss. Warmth flooded his insides from the point of contact, and yet fear tempered his desire. He pulled back a few inches to gauge her reaction.
Her eyes were closed, but a blissful smile gave him permission to continue.
This time, he made his kiss more forceful, more demanding. He wanted to push the boundaries of their relationship and see how far she was comfortable going. She yielded to him and parted her lips. He greedily explored the sweetness of her mouth while his fingers still dug into
The woman could read him better than he did himself. He took the stack and placed a chaste kiss on her forehead. “Do you have a quiet place I could hang out in?”
“You can use my bedroom.” She opened the door she’d just come out of.
“Thanks.” He held her gaze for a moment to make sure she knew the full extent of his gratitude. She’d helped him overcome a major hurdle to his recovery, and he finally felt like he was moving forward.
Her eyes sparkled with excitement. “You’re welcome.”
Becca’s room was simple and serene, much like her. The blue colors and clean lines quieted his anxiety and sharpened his focus. He sat down on the edge of the bed with Ari’s guitar and jotted down the notes for the new arrangement. His pen halted when he read the line she’d written at the top of each page.
Words and music by Ethan Kelly .
It confirmed that she knew who he was, and yet she treated him as she did the rest of her friends. She didn’t kiss his ass or handle him with kid gloves. He was just another person to her, and that made him trust her all the more with his secrets.
He finished his notes and pulled out a blank sheet. It was time to create something new.
Chapter Eight
The party had taken a drunken turn for the worse by the time Ethan emerged from Becca’s bedroom. Slurred words battled over the pulsating music, and arms and legs flopped around in staggering dance moves.
Ethan made his way around the edge of the living room, looking for Becca and bumping into her roommate instead. She looked up at him with glazed brown eyes and made no effort to untangle herself from him. “You have a sexy voice,” she drawled.
“Where’s Becca?” His words were sharp and forceful, a direct contrast to her languid, liquor-laden one. There was only one woman he wanted pressed up against him, and it wasn’t the petite blonde.
She backed off with a slight pout. “Out on the balcony.”
As before, the wide balcony offered a respite from the chaos inside. He scanned the dimly lit area, starting with the chairs and finally finding her leaning against the wall in a far corner. “Hey,” he said as he came toward her, giving her plenty of time to say she wanted to be alone if needed.
“Hey,” she replied. “How did it go?”
“Good.” He stopped in front of her and braced his elbow against the warm bricks. “Really good, actually. I wrote a new song.”
“Care to sing a few bars for me?”
A self-deprecating laugh broke free from his chest. “Still working on the lyrics.”
“They’ll come to you.” She sighed and looked up at the sky. “Sorry for hiding out on you, but I needed to get away from that environment before I did something I’d regret.”
He leaned in closer, inhaling her perfume. His dick stiffened, and all thoughts of music vanished. “Meaning?”
“I don’t drink because it’s too risky for me. But the rest of them….” She shrugged as though the way the party had eroded explained itself.
“So that was the mistake you were worried about making?” He came close enough to hear her breath catch.
She looked up at him, her eyes darkening with desire. She licked her lips. “Among other things.”
He kept closing in, waiting to see if she would push him away. The next thing he knew, his lips were brushing against hers in a hesitant, feather-light kiss. Warmth flooded his insides from the point of contact, and yet fear tempered his desire. He pulled back a few inches to gauge her reaction.
Her eyes were closed, but a blissful smile gave him permission to continue.
This time, he made his kiss more forceful, more demanding. He wanted to push the boundaries of their relationship and see how far she was comfortable going. She yielded to him and parted her lips. He greedily explored the sweetness of her mouth while his fingers still dug into
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