Touching Melody (A Forever First Novel) (19 page)

Collin, the boy Gina is gaga about, is sitting with her. They seem to be deep in conversation. He’s holding her hand, stroking it with his thumb.

Awwwww
, I think, knowing I can’t interrupt them. I search the crowded cafeteria looking for a place to sit. Everything is full. I don’t know anyone. The cheerleaders are sitting at the long table with a bunch of people. They keep glancing my way and whispering.

“Come on. You can sit with me.” It’s Kyle. I’ve got mixed feelings about seeing him. He heads over to another small table.
Two guys are already sitting there. When they see Kyle, they grab their trays and bolt. Kyle sits and then waves me over.

As I’m sitting, he says, “Glad to see you all cleaned up.”

“Was it you?” Did you wash my face?”

He nods. “Yeah, Gina helped though.”

“And my clothes?”

“Gina’s idea too.” He holds his hands up in surrender. “I swear
I didn’t look. Not even a peek.” His lips are curved up and I know he’s trying not to smile. I shouldn’t be paranoid. He took off my shirt the other night. He’s seen me. It’s just weird to think it happened without my knowledge.

He touches my hand. “So what happened?”

I knew he would ask me this, so I’m prepared. “I think it was seeing all the blood. It freaked me out.”

He nods, takes a bite of toast. Then his face gets serious. “I get the feeling there’s more going on. There’s something you aren’t telling me.”

It’s true. But I can’t tell him about his dad. What I saw. Even if I wanted to, I can’t make myself say the words. But I need to tell him something. “I-I saw my parents. When they died. I saw all the blood. They were laying in it.” Saying the words aloud makes me sick. But I’ve told him the truth. As much as I can.

He squeezes my hand. “That makes sense. I’m so sorry. About your parents and last night. I lost my temper. Stuart Morris knows exactly how to push my buttons and I let him. Usually I’m more
prepared. But when I saw him mauling you, I lost it.”

I squeeze back. “
He’s awful. Him and his six hundred dollar shirts can suck it for all I care.”

Kyle laughs. “Agreed.”

We eat in silence a few minutes. I haven’t had a waffle in a long time. It’s good. When I’m finished I look up. Kyle is watching me, and I wonder how long he’s been doing it.

“What?”

“Nothing. Just admiring the view.”

“Thanks,” I say, embarrassed. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

He leans back in his chair. His face is unreadable. “What did Beth and Baby have to say?”

My face bushes red hot. I can’t help it. “N-Nothing.”

Kyle crosses his arms. “That you know their names and are blushing a beautiful shade of red tells me that isn’t true.”

I look away, spinning the fork in the syrup still on my plate. There’s no way in hell I’m
telling him what those girls said. I’d sooner die a horrible death than repeat it.

He rests his chest against the table. I feel it give slightly under his weight. “Your silence speaks volumes, Maddie.”

I glance at him through my lashes. His ice blue eyes stake me through the heart. He licks his bottom lip, and runs a hand through his hair. He’s beautiful. Sexy. Twin One and Twin Two said he tied them to a bed. Then what? I can’t help but think of myself tied to a bed. My legs spread apart. Naked. Nothing but the scented air touching places I’ve never touched. Am I tied so I can’t move? It seems so dirty.

My face flushes hotter.

“Talk to me,” he whispers, playing with my hand.

I want to. I want to look him in the eyes and
tell him everything. But not here. “Can we go somewhere? Want to practice our duet?” My “go to” place.

He smiles. “It’s Saturday.”

“And?”

He shrugs. “Sure. Let’s go.” We stand together. Take our trays and drop them off.

I glace at the table where Gina and I sat. She isn’t there, and neither is Collin. I pull out my phone to text her, and see she’s already texted me.

You and Kinky Kyle.
Nice! =) I’m spending the day with Collin. Catch you later.

Be safe.

Don’t worry, VTG.

I shake my head.

“What?” Kyle asks, glancing over my shoulder.

“Gina. She’s started calling me,” I pause and pull him down so that I can whisper in his ear, “VTG.”

He gives me a confused look.

“It stands for
Virgin Tattooed Girl. She finds it hilarious that I’ve got tattoos but haven’t...” I can’t finish.

Kyle chuckles, wraps his arms around my waist.

Twin One says, “Get a room.”

I feel Kyle’s body tense.

“Let’s get out of here,” I say and wink, hoping that’ll relax him. I think it works because he takes my hand and we walk out of the cafeteria together.

23

Maddie

Do What Comes Naturally

We practice
our duet for thirty minutes. I’m having a hard time concentrating. I thought as soon as we got in the music room, Kyle would demand I tell him what the girls said. He didn’t. Instead we go to work. The duet is sounding great. Kyle plays with such emotion. Sometimes I think my heart will break with the passion radiating from his notes.

Kyle looks at me.
Smiles. “Had enough?”

I have, but I don’t want to leave this room. When we’re here, together, it’s like nothing else matters. It’s just
the music and us.

“I guess,” I finally say.

“Come here.” He says the words while quirking his finger at me. It’s the sexiest damn thing I’ve ever seen. Walking is a challenge because my inner thighs are aching with desire.

He pats the spot next to him on the piano bench. I sit and do what
comes naturally. Play a song I’ve been working on. It’s simple. The right hand plays broken chords while the left keeps the beat. As I’m playing, thoughts of me tied to a bed while Kyle does things to my body. They flash through my head. My face warms. When the last note is finished, Kyle puts a hand over mine.

“That’s beautiful.
You’re beautiful.”

“It’s still
a work in progress,” I respond, enjoying a contented glow at his compliments.

We sit like that a second, and then he asks
, “What were you thinking about while you were playing? Why were you blushing?”

I take a deep breath.
Time to spill. “I was thinking about you and me in a secret room. I’m tied to the bed, and you’re doing things.” As I speak, my face burns. I’m too embarrassed to look at him, but I’m so glad I finally said it. Got it out there.

“Why would you have thoughts like that?” Kyle whispers.

I look at him then. His features are filled with a strange sadness, his jaws are clenched.

“
Beth and Baby. They said that’s what you did to them.”

Fury
replaces the sadness. He wipes a hand over his face. “What else have you heard?”

I clear my throat. There’s no reason to backpedal. “I’ve heard you like your sex k-kinky.” I stumble over the last word, humiliated at saying it out loud.

His features harden further. “Anything else?”

I get the feeling he’s mad at me
, but I’m not sure what I’ve done. “No,” I whisper.

“No mention of
whips and handcuffs?”

Then I remember
I texted him that when I thought I was texting Gina. “Oh, yes, that too.” My stomach is twisting with worry. He’s upset. Angry. I’ve seen what furious Hadleys look like. The end result isn’t pleasant. I slide away, ready to stand, leave him alone. But he grabs me around the waist and pulls me back. “I think we’re through.”

“We haven’t even started,” he says huskily. W
raps a hand around my neck. Strokes it softly. The movement sends tingles through my body. Shifting, he throws one leg over the bench so he’s straddling it, then pulls me against him, leaning my head against his shoulder.

The movement takes my breath away.
The idea that he wants me causes my body to shudder.

With both hands he pulls my hair off my shoulders. He takes the ponytail he’s made
with my hair and wraps it around a hand, gently pulling my head back so my head is on his thigh.

I gasp, closing my eyes, allowing my body to feel every delicious sensation.

He kisses a necklace across my neck. Licks a trail from my ear to my shoulder with his tongue. With both hands I trail up his thighs to his stomach, his chest, and into his hair.

I shift so that I’m straddling the bench. His eyes are hooded, lusty. His eyes focused on my mouth. I
put my legs over his. He pulls me against him, and I wrap my legs so I’m tight against his body. He sucks in a breath, moans. His face is so concentrated. I feel bold and kiss his cheek, his jaw. He raises his head, giving me access to his neck. I copy what he did. Licking and kissing a trail from his ear to his shoulder, forcing his shirt out of the way when I need to. He lets out a growl from deep in the back of his throat.

“Maddie.”

The sound of my name on his lips lights me on fire. His hands find their way under my shirt. He’s stroking my stomach, my back, and over the top of my bra. I can’t help but whimper in pleasure. It comes from a place inside I didn’t know existed. I clutch him tighter to me with my legs.

His lips finally claim mine, and his tongue explores m
y mouth. There’s a tension building between my legs every time his tongue delves deeper into my mouth. The feeling is electricity and pain, a delicious pain I don’t quite understand. It takes my breath away.

He presses me
down so my back is against the bench and my head is half on half off. My hair hanging over the edge. I watch him touch me, the way his hands move across my body. Fight for breath. Every cell, every vein, every minute piece of skin is blooming. Kyle pushes up my shirt, and the tips of his fingers brush along my stomach. I realize he’s tracing my tattoos with his fingers. Taking his time. I let out another whimper. He leans down, and kisses my stomach, his lips and teeth explore down to the button on my jeans.

My body
is tuned in. Awake. Alive.

A big smile cuts into
my face. I sit up. Desperate to have his mouth on mine again. It’s new. Kissing. Touching. I don’t know if he wants more. My body wants it all—but not yet. Kissing and touching is more than amazing.

He cracks a grin. “What are you thinking?” he asks tenderly.

I move my hands along his chest to his collarbones and down his arms. “I want to kiss you again.”

He answers by covering my
mouth with his, urging my mouth open and kissing me so deeply, so passionately, I feel it in my toes. His kisses are desperate, fierce, and hungry. I match his urgency, kiss for kiss. My tongue twirls and dances with his. It feels like we’re one. I’ve pressed my body so tightly against his I can hear and feel his heart beating. His hair is fisted in my hands and my legs are locked behind him, my body declaring what I’ve known along. He’s mine, and I never want to let him go.

Many, many minutes later, he slows his kisses down. His breathing
slackens. I match his pace. My lips are swollen and my face feels raw from the scruff on his face. He suckles my bottom lip, and I sigh. Content. Happy.

“That was
... You are…” I trail off. Kyle’s features are serious. Does he regret what happened? “What’s wrong?”

He takes my hands,
and turns them over, like he’s studying them or seeing them for the first time.

“I’m sorry,” I say, realizing
he probably wants more. That he’s used to much, much more.

He grabs me and pulls me tightly against him. “
Maddie, you’re the most amazing person I’ve ever known.” His voice is filled with tender astonishment.

I feel the same way about him, but I can’t find my voice.
We stay wrapped in each other’s arms a long time. Until finally he pulls me off the bench and walks me home.