Page 24 of Taking a King
I nod, still looking at the keys. “I do love teaching him,” I say. “He makes it easy, though.”
Garrett watches me intently. “Play something for me,” he says, changing the subject.
It’s as though he sensed that I wasn’t entirely comfortable with the topic. I seize the opportunity to steer clear of my secret ambitions. Playing music is much safer.
“What do you want to hear?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “I want you to choose. Surprise me.”
This feels like a test. Whatever song I choose has to be just right. I think for a moment before I settle on a song I know will either make him laugh or cringe. Before I finish singing the first verse, Garret lets out a sound somewhere between a laugh and a groan. I smile but keep playing.
“REO Speedwagon? Really?”
I shrug, continuing the song. Garrett watches me for a few seconds. When I get to the chorus, he surprises me by joining in. He’s loud and enthusiastic, but totally off-key. I keep playing, but it’s getting harder to sing through my laughter. Eventually, I give up the song altogether and we both dissolve into laughter.
“I’m not even going to ask why you know how to play that song,” he says once he catches his breath. “If it’s your favorite, I don’t want to know.”
“Hey!” I say, still laughing. “Those are quality lyrics. You can really hear the pain there.”
“If you say so.”
“I do,” I say, wiping my eyes. “And I’m the music expert here.”
“Fine,” Garrett says with a wave of his hand. “Don’t let me stand in the way of musical genius.”
I sigh. “I’ve lost the muse, I think.” I look over at him. “What about you?”
Garrett puts his hands back to the keys, tinkling through them absently. “What about me?”
“Got any hidden talents? Any secret skills?” My eyes follow his hands as they move, lightly stroking the keys. Once again, my mind flashes back to last night and this morning. His hands on my body, gripping my hips, stroking me until I cried out.
He grins and leans toward me. “Oh, I’ve got lots of secret skills.” He winks. The low growl in his voice sends a signal straight down between my legs, making me suck in a breath. He’s sexier than any man has a right to be. My eyes stray to his mouth, and I think about how it felt on my body. I know my panties are soaked and it wouldn’t take much to send me over the edge.
“I think I know some of your secret skills,” I whisper just before our lips touch.
The kiss is gentle for only a few seconds. His lips tease mine, coaxing them apart. But gentle isn’t what I’m craving. I lean into him, gripping the front of his shirt in my hands as I kiss him back. Garrett seems to understand my urgency and takes control of the kiss, his tongue swirling against mine. He pulls me to him, but I can’t get close enough sitting beside him like this.
Garrett’s mouth leaves mine and I hear myself whimper at the loss of contact. Then he’s kissing my neck, licking and sucking his way down to my shoulder. He lets out a frustrated growl when he encounters the fabric of my shirt, keeping him from going any lower. Without warning, he pulls me into his lap, facing him. I move to straddle his hips, pressing forward until I feel the hard bulge of his cock through our clothes. I love that he’s so hard already, that he’s as eager for me as I am for him. The bench rocks precariously underneath us, reminding me that it’s not the most stable piece of furniture. It certainly wasn’t made with this type of activity in mind.
Garrett’s hands go to my waist, and he slides my shirt up. His fingers hook under my bra, pushing it up at the same time, exposing me to his gaze. I grind myself against his hard length again, loving the delicious friction against my aching pussy. Garrett leans forward and takes my nipple into his mouth, sucking and nibbling. I gasp and bury my fingers in his hair, holding his head to my chest. He moves over, giving the other nipple the same treatment. My hips move as if they have a mind of their own, riding him through our clothes. It’s just enough to tease me, to make me want more. But not enough to make me come. It’s frustrating in the sexiest fucking way and I love it.
“Garrett,” I gasp, pressing harder against his cock.
His hands grip my ass, holding me in place. “Hmm?”
“I want you.”
“I know.”
“Now,” I gasp. I don’t even care that we’re in my brothers’ restaurant or that the lights are on. Sure, the place is closed, and the stage isn’t visible from any of the windows, but it still feels dangerous. I’d be lying if I said that feeling of exposure wasn’t sexy as hell. I want to rip off the rest of my clothes and ride Garrett’s cock until we’re both coming. I want him to pound into me, making me scream his name. I want—
My phone buzzes where it’s sitting on top of the piano, vibrating across the shiny surface. I ignore it and kiss Garrett again. The buzzing comes again. And again. Garrett pulls back slightly and looks at me. The phone buzzes three more times in rapid succession. Garrett sighs.
“Maybe we should take this back to your place.”
I look around the empty restaurant and sigh. “Maybe you’re right,” I say.
I pull my clothes back into place and reluctantly climb off his lap. The phone keeps buzzing the whole time. Irritated, I snatch it off the piano and unlock the screen to see a slew of unread messages. They’re all from the group text thread with Hannah, Hope and Quinn.