my parents tried to force it on me. I was a hip-hop and R&B kind of kid. I rejected Mozart and Bach. Instead, Aaliyah and Tupac songs fueled me.
Hearing the soothing sounds coming from the living room was different though. I knew she was playing something classical but I had no idea what the piece was. I let the notes calm me while I sat behind my desk and pulled out my laptop.
The more I listened to the hauntingly beautiful music floating in the air the more words flowed from my fingers. It was a gentle push and pull that I craved more of. When I hit a chapter break, I shut the laptop, grabbed my glass of whiskey, and went into the formal living room where Xari was.
As usual, she was so wrapped up in playing that she didn’t notice me standing there. Maybe it was the liquor in my system but I couldn’t stop staring at her. She was beautiful.
She still had on the black and white skirt and red shirt from earlier but her shoes were off and tucked in the corner. The balls of her feet were pressed against the floor and her heels were raised, flexing her calf muscles beneath velvet, sandy brown skin.
I wanted to lick that skin.
I wanted to bite that calf muscle and listen to her whine while I moved up her thighs to spread her pussy.
“Oh, I didn’t know you were home.” When the hell had she stopped playing? I didn’t even notice. I cleared my throat and nodded, moving to the couch.
“Yeah, I got in about an hour ago. I’ve been listening to you play. Have you been in this same spot all day, Xari?”
“No. I ate and went to the bathroom.”
“Jesus. You’re a machine.”
“I am not.” She stood up and stretched, reaching her hands toward the ceiling. Her shirt lifted, showing a sliver of her breasts from below.
Fuck. She wasn’t wearing a bra. My eyes immediately went to her nipples.
Stiff. Peaked. Pebbles.
“You take requests?” I quizzed, resting my ankle on top of my knee.
“Um, sure. I’m not used to it, but it should be fun. It’ll give me more practice.”
I took a long sip of whiskey and opened my laptop. “Can you play Whatever You Want, by…”
“Toni, Tony, Tone,” she said, smiling.
“I forgot you think you’re a nineties aficionado.”
“I absolutely am. I told you I was born in the wrong era.” She walked over to the harp and sat on her stool, positioning herself with raised heels and immaculate posture. Her spine was straight as a pin but her arms and fingers moved fluidly.
I watched her from my spot on the couch with lowered lids. She shut her eyes and plucked out a few notes, trying to get the feel for the song. She played a few notes, then her forehead creased with a frown. She gave the slightest shake of her head, then played a few more notes. She still wasn’t pleased.
When she played the next nine notes, I recognized the string-heavy melody of the song. Xari’s lips curved the smallest bit and she continued playing, rocking back and forth with the harp.
I intended to write while she played but I couldn’t stop staring at her. She was full of madness and passion. It was a beautiful sight. I studied her face, serene and calm. Her arms and hands moving together. Her breasts moved rhythmically with each breath and note she played. Her legs were parted to accommodate the bulk of the harp and my eyes ate up the vision.
I stared between her thighs, hoping for a glimpse of her panties. I was a dirty old man. There was no way around it.
“That’s beautiful,” I said, finally, realizing I was eye-fucking her and she had no idea.
“It’s rough,” she sighed without opening her eyes or breaking the melody. “Some of the notes are off but it’s getting there.”
“It’s perfect, Xari. You’re too hard on yourself.”
“If I’m not hard on myself, who will be?”
“Good point, but sometimes you have to learn to have fun. Playing the harp doesn’t always have to be business.” I stood up and walked over to her. The moment I was in her space, the air heated…thickened. I knew she had candles lit but this wasn’t warmth from the flames flickering around her.
It was the same heat that always charged when we were close. It was stifling sometimes but I’d managed to ignore it all month. Clearly, I was made of steel.