before dropping his gaze to his plate. "I had a problem saying no for a while."
"That's fine. I'm not much of a drinker, really. Something about living with an alcoholic sort of took the fun out of it for me," she admitted candidly.
"I wouldn't say I'm an alcoholic, but I was headed down a one way road to hell paved with good intentions. Drugs, booze, and anything else I could get my hands on to help me forget," he said with a shrug.
"You want to talk about it?"
He shook his head. "Not so much. It's too fucking depressing."
She nodded. "I hear ya."
After they were done eating and cleaning up the kitchen, he reached for her hand. "C'mon, let's go relax." He led her into the living room.
She folded her legs beneath her on one end of the sofa and watched him pick up the guitar case. "What would you like to hear?"
"Surprise me," she smiled shyly in his direction.
He sat on the floor at her feet and focused on his fingers as they found the right chords. He strummed a few notes, and when he was satisfied the instrument was still in tune, he started to play. He was rewarded by the wide-eyed look of recognition on her face.
"Foreigner, right?" she whispered. "I Want To Know What Love Is?"
He nodded. "Do you want me to show you?" he asked, rearranging the words of the song.
"I see what you did there," she said, trying not to think about how much she'd like for him to show her what he knew about love. She leaned toward him and considered what it would be like to run her fingers through his hair.
"What? No. Well yeah, but what I meant was, do you want me to show you how to play the guitar?" he stammered.
She bit her lip and nodded. "I would love it," she told him enthusiastically.
"Here," he stood and handed her the guitar, "scootch forward."
She blinked up at him. Was he seriously going to sit so close to her? "Okay." She took the beautiful instrument from his hands and sat forward on the edge of the sofa.
He slid in behind her and wrapped his arms around hers. He moved her hands into position, placing her fingers gently on the frets.
She tried to concentrate on the placement of her fingers as he showed her, but the only thing she was picking up on was the way his hard chest felt pressed against her back. She worked hard to slow her breathing, hoping her heartbeat would follow suit. His touch made her feel electric and alive, like being suddenly plugged in. She leaned into him, wanting to feel more of his body against hers.
Determined to prove she was teachable, she paid attention to what he showed her and surprised herself by playing a couple of chords.
"There you go," he told her. "You're getting it. Is there any particular song you want to learn?"
She pursed her lips and thought about it for a few minutes. A trace of a smile slid across her face. She looked over her shoulder at him. "I wanna learn a love song."
Chapter Twenty-Three
His warm breath teased the hair on the back of her neck, sending shivers down her spine. Shane whispered in her ear, "You're doing amazing, Blue."
She was at war with herself. One part resisted the urge to let go, to relax fully against his warmth and absorb his comforting energy, while the other pieces of her soul feared those very things. Torn, she was scared of his touch and the reaction she was sure it would bring, but she wanted to give in to the closeness she craved. It was as though past experience had taught her to smell the danger giving in to her desires represented.
She took a deep breath and leaned away from him. She sat the guitar on the floor beside them. The night was young, and she wasn't yet ready for it to end, but she needed to put some space between their bodies while she came to terms with the attraction she felt for him.
Shane watched her stand. His expression didn't hide his disappointment. "Do I make you uncomfortable?" he asked.
She pulled at a loose thread on the cuff of her sweatshirt. "A little, maybe."
His eyebrows drew together as he thought about
"That's fine. I'm not much of a drinker, really. Something about living with an alcoholic sort of took the fun out of it for me," she admitted candidly.
"I wouldn't say I'm an alcoholic, but I was headed down a one way road to hell paved with good intentions. Drugs, booze, and anything else I could get my hands on to help me forget," he said with a shrug.
"You want to talk about it?"
He shook his head. "Not so much. It's too fucking depressing."
She nodded. "I hear ya."
After they were done eating and cleaning up the kitchen, he reached for her hand. "C'mon, let's go relax." He led her into the living room.
She folded her legs beneath her on one end of the sofa and watched him pick up the guitar case. "What would you like to hear?"
"Surprise me," she smiled shyly in his direction.
He sat on the floor at her feet and focused on his fingers as they found the right chords. He strummed a few notes, and when he was satisfied the instrument was still in tune, he started to play. He was rewarded by the wide-eyed look of recognition on her face.
"Foreigner, right?" she whispered. "I Want To Know What Love Is?"
He nodded. "Do you want me to show you?" he asked, rearranging the words of the song.
"I see what you did there," she said, trying not to think about how much she'd like for him to show her what he knew about love. She leaned toward him and considered what it would be like to run her fingers through his hair.
"What? No. Well yeah, but what I meant was, do you want me to show you how to play the guitar?" he stammered.
She bit her lip and nodded. "I would love it," she told him enthusiastically.
"Here," he stood and handed her the guitar, "scootch forward."
She blinked up at him. Was he seriously going to sit so close to her? "Okay." She took the beautiful instrument from his hands and sat forward on the edge of the sofa.
He slid in behind her and wrapped his arms around hers. He moved her hands into position, placing her fingers gently on the frets.
She tried to concentrate on the placement of her fingers as he showed her, but the only thing she was picking up on was the way his hard chest felt pressed against her back. She worked hard to slow her breathing, hoping her heartbeat would follow suit. His touch made her feel electric and alive, like being suddenly plugged in. She leaned into him, wanting to feel more of his body against hers.
Determined to prove she was teachable, she paid attention to what he showed her and surprised herself by playing a couple of chords.
"There you go," he told her. "You're getting it. Is there any particular song you want to learn?"
She pursed her lips and thought about it for a few minutes. A trace of a smile slid across her face. She looked over her shoulder at him. "I wanna learn a love song."
Chapter Twenty-Three
His warm breath teased the hair on the back of her neck, sending shivers down her spine. Shane whispered in her ear, "You're doing amazing, Blue."
She was at war with herself. One part resisted the urge to let go, to relax fully against his warmth and absorb his comforting energy, while the other pieces of her soul feared those very things. Torn, she was scared of his touch and the reaction she was sure it would bring, but she wanted to give in to the closeness she craved. It was as though past experience had taught her to smell the danger giving in to her desires represented.
She took a deep breath and leaned away from him. She sat the guitar on the floor beside them. The night was young, and she wasn't yet ready for it to end, but she needed to put some space between their bodies while she came to terms with the attraction she felt for him.
Shane watched her stand. His expression didn't hide his disappointment. "Do I make you uncomfortable?" he asked.
She pulled at a loose thread on the cuff of her sweatshirt. "A little, maybe."
His eyebrows drew together as he thought about
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