The Prelude (A Musical Interlude Novel) - By Kasonndra Leigh Page 0,38
out of my arms.
“Let’s run away together,” I suggest.
“What? You’re being silly. Nikolai would find you and skin both of us alive for leaving him with all of this,” she answers, a grin spreading across her face.
“Only for a little while. I need to clear my head. Please. I don’t want to scare off my entire group by being a tyrant.” I’m begging. No, honestly, I’m dying to be with her right now; and if she turns me down, then I’ll never survive the rejection.
She studies my face a short moment. I think she’s about to say no. “Okay. Where do you want to go?”
I consider her question. The perfect idea rushes into my head. “I know a spot. Have you had lunch?” She shakes her head. “Great. We’re going to put Hagar to good use.” I shoot a text to Nikolai, asking him to take my place as rehearsal master for the day. He agrees without question, as I knew he would.
I place my arm across Erin’s shoulders and lead her outside to Hagar’s limo. She doesn’t ask any questions as we stop by Luini’s and pick up enough panzerotti, pizza dough filled tomatoes and mozzarella cheese, for both of us. Hagar drives us toward the Parco Sempione, a 700-acre park where we can easily get lost while having lunch.
We settle down on a blanket in an open area surrounded by evergreen bushes and trees. The sun provides the perfect backdrop to erase thoughts of an all around shitty day. And Erin becomes the eye candy I need to remind me of the lifestyle I seem to have left behind. “You’re picking at your lunch,” I say to crush the silence between us. She gives me a side glance and a tiny smile.
“I’m not very hungry.” Setting her fork down, she pulls her knees up against her chest. I’m not sure why, but for some reason that small gesture makes me think of the day she danced for Nikolai and me. She could easily put any professional ballerina to shame.
“What were you thinking about when you danced for me a couple of weeks ago,” I ask, eager to hear her response. She hesitates a moment, taking so long with her answer that I wonder if she’s going to say anything.
“I was thinking about how the song you chose reminded me of...the ballet classes I used to take,” she answers, shrugging. “Why do you ask?”
“You meant to say something else.”
A sad smile is the only response I get. The sun bearing down on her dark hair highlights a few reddish strands. I can’t take it any longer. I’ve earned my good-guy badge. Now, the dark side of me wants to have a go at things. I lean over and kiss her lightly on her lips.
At first, she doesn’t move or try to stop me. I’m about ready to get in the doghouse when she slowly moves her lips in a motion that barely caresses mine. The kiss only lasts for a few seconds. But I swear this is the first time I’ve ever kissed a woman and felt fireworks going off in my body. It feels as though something has gone wrong with my bodily functions. It must have. What other way is there to describe what I’m feeling?
At once, she moves back, gasping. “Why did you do that?” I feel like a little kid who got his hand smacked for screwing around with some kind of rare, exotic fruit.
“I’m attracted to you, Erin. I know you can see that.” I really want to say: just look at the bulge in my pants. That’s all for you, baby!
“Maybe. But that doesn’t mean you just reach over here and take what you want. Makes me feel…awkward.”
“Awkward? I’ve never had a woman tell me something like that before,” I say, running a hand through my hair. The statement earns me a sarcastic, but amused look.
“Oh, I’ll bet you haven’t. Well, this woman prefers the asking-permission first method.”
“Alright. Do I have permission to kiss you, Erin?”
She bursts out laughing, her little body trembling. Me, well I can feel the heat easing in from the tip of my ears, scorching a path across my face. “What’s so funny?”
Releasing one last sigh, she glances at me. “You are so used to having your way with women, Alek. I can tell. Do you even know what the word romantic means?”