My stomach dropped. “By the way, do you know where he is? Haven’t seen him in a while.”
Lars cocked a brow, and I smiled nervously. Could he tell there was something going on between us?
“Probably hiding somewhere. He’s not a big fan of parties. Now, I have to go back to my guests. You’ll be all right on your own?”
“Yeah, sure.”
But the second he moved away, I texted Brayden.
Isabelle: Rumor has it you’re hiding from the party.
Brayden: Inspiration hit. I’d love for you to join me.
I licked my lips, wondering if I was playing with fire. I felt as if we were on the edge, and we might fall over it any second now.
Isabelle: Where are you?
Brayden: In my personal rehearsal room.
I hesitated, letting my fingers hover over the phone’s screen without typing a reply.
My heart was beating fast, then even faster when he sent me another message.
Brayden: I’ll sing it just for you.
Isabelle: Now that’s what I call an effective bribe.
No one paid attention to me as I followed his directions and headed upstairs. I gripped the bannister, walking slowly, feeling as if I was on a clandestine mission. Even as the music from below faded and I approached the rehearsal room, I couldn’t hear anything from inside. That padding was great.
When I was right in front of the door, I heard the piano. It made no sense to knock, since he knew I was coming. I opened the door and quietly watched him.
Brayden had his back to me, his hands nearly flying over the piano. I felt as if I was witnessing something intimate.
“Come in,” he said, startling me. I’d been certain he hadn’t heard me enter, but I did as he asked and stepped farther inside the room.
I noticed he had a few snacks on a table next to the piano, plus a bottle of wine. I snapped my gaze back to him as he started playing again. He looked incredible. Passion poured out of him. He was so damn sexy, moving those muscled arms over the keyboard. Even his back was sexy. I stood a few feet behind him, not daring to move. What if I messed with his creative muse? I had no idea how that worked, but I didn’t want to risk distracting him.
Once he was done, he spun around to me, straightening up.
“What did you think?”
“It’s beautiful. Is this from the new album?”
“No, it’s something that came to me tonight. I don’t have lyrics to it yet, just a rhythm and general beats. It still needs a lot of work.”
“Really? I couldn’t tell. It sounded great to me.”
He looked at me intently without replying.
“You have your own mini-party?” I asked, gesturing to the table with snacks.
“You could say that. I’m not a fan of crowds. Or parties. I usually only stick around to welcome people. This time I actually lasted longer than usual.”
“Because it’s Lars’s birthday?”
“Because of you.”
I licked my lips, averting my gaze. I had no idea what to say to that, so I simply smiled and headed to see what kind of snacks there were. I felt him come up right next to me. He was close enough that his arm nearly touched mine, and I was very aware of the warmth of his body.
“Thank you for coming upstairs,” he said in a low voice.
“Well, you do know how to win a girl over.”
“Is that so?”
He was closer now. I wasn’t even pretending to be interested in the snacks anymore. I waited for his next words with bated breath.
“I keep telling myself that I can be around you and not want more. But the truth is I can’t. I like you, Isabelle. The way you always speak your mind. Your appetite for life. How passionate you are about everything you do. That you do things on your own terms.” He paused, taking in a sharp breath before adding, “I like how you look at me.”
“How?” I whispered.
“Like you see me, not just what I am.”
He was right behind me now, one hand on my waist, his mouth to my ear. He touched his lips to my earlobe, and my senses exploded. Goose bumps broke out on my entire body: my arms and neck, on my belly too, and between my thighs.
He feathered his fingers over the sensitized skin on my arms, swallowing hard. He placed a kiss under my ear, and I gasped at the shock of pleasure that coiled through me.
“Isabelle.” His voice was barely a groan. He clasped my waist tighter before turning me around slowly. He trailed kisses from my ear, over my jawline, until reaching the corner of my mouth. My whole body was shaking slightly. I wanted him to kiss me, even though I knew we couldn’t go back once we’d crossed that line. I shouldn’t want him, but I did.
He moved his mouth slowly over mine, so slowly that it drove me crazy. I was hyperaware of every fraction of an inch where our mouths were touching. He parted my lips with his just as slowly. I was completely lost in his kiss, the way he savored me. He tasted amazing. Deepening the kiss, he explored me with more urgency.
He moved his hands from my waist to my shoulders, then down again, this time cupping my ass as he pressed me against him. My knees turned weak when I felt his erection pushing straight against my center. Then the kiss became fierce and wild.
He moved us through the room. I wasn’t sure where we were headed until I felt the wall against my back.
Groaning, Brayden kissed down my neck, pushing my hair out of the way. He lifted my dress with one hand, touching my outer thigh up until he reached my hip, then dropping it altogether. He rested his head in the crook of my neck, possibly trying to regain his composure. But he was doing away with mine, because feeling his breath on my skin was pure torture.
“You taste amazing,” he growled.
“You’re driving me crazy.”
He straightened up, watching me intently. “Not more than you drive me, Isabelle.”
There was something about this man; he was like a magnet, and I couldn’t pull away. I knew this was crazy—I mean, seriously, what could the outcome possibly be? He was a rock star, I was a counselor, but what did that matter? I could have fun.
Isabelle, it’s time you throw caution to the wind.
He moved his thumb from one corner of my mouth to the other, as if now he suddenly had free rein to touch and kiss me. I’d been right. Now that we’d crossed that line, it would be easier to keep crossing it.
But we didn’t get a chance, because someone knocked at the door.
“Brayden, move your ass downstairs. They’re bringing out my cake, and I’d like for the whole band to be there.”
“Saved by the cake,” I whispered.
Brayden smiled at me.
I pointed at him. “What’s with that look?”
“I’m not sure you want to know.”
“Try me.”
“I’ve been imagining your legs wrapped around me, wearing only your heels, since you arrived tonight. Now I’m still imagining that, but you’re covered in frosting, and I get to lick it all off you.”
Holy shit! I cleared my throat. “Shall we go downstairs?”
“Too many details?”
“Far too many. Besides, now my dirty imagination is filling in more details.” I wiggled my eyebrows.
He blew out a breath as his pupils widened. I’d always been feisty, but Brayden brought out that side of me even more.