Tabbysucked an inhale through her teeth at the blatant insinuation I wasn’t at allsorry for.
Kneelingbehind her, I said, “We’ll do something totally basic. We won’t even worryabout the pedals yet, okay, so put your feet down.” I pressed her Chuck-coveredfeet against the pedals with a hit of the bass drum and the closing of thehi-hat. “Just like that. Keep them there. What you’re gonna do is up here …” I coveredher wrists with my hands and felt the beat of her pulse beneath my fingertips.“You’re gonna hit the snare twice, hi-hat once. Like this …”
Bum-bum-chh.I moved her hands, playing the simple beat, with my chest to her back and mytemple to hers. God, was this only a ploy to get closer? Yes and no. Mostly yes.But she was tense and desperate for a release I wasn’t sure she’d acceptthrough sex. The next best thing I could offer was this—the only other thing Icould offer.
Iassisted her again—bum, bum, chh—and she leaned back a little into my chest. Ismiled, nudging her forward.
“Noslouching,” I scolded teasingly.
“Sorry,”she muttered, poking her tongue between her lips.
Witha reluctance nagging at my nerves, I released her wrists and sat back on myheels. “Okay, Thumbelina. Flying solo now. Try it.”
“OhGod,” Tabby groaned, throwing her head back.
Thewords. The toss of her hair. A dirty sequence of images flashed through my mindand I had to pinch my eyes shut and shake my head to chase them away.
“Comeon. Just try it once and I’ll let you off the hook.”
Withanother low groan and a deep breath, she bobbed her head to the tune I’dinstructed. Then, with stiff arms and gritted teeth, she made a solid attempt.
Bum.Bum. Chh.
“See?”I grinned, absurdly proud over something so basic and lacking in skill. “Not sobad, right?”
Tabbylooked over her shoulder, beaming with pure joy. “Oh my God, I feel socompletely stupid for being this happy.”
Chuckling,I moved to kneel beside her. “Wanna really blow your own mind?”
“Hellyes,” she grinned with confidence, suddenly uninhibited.
“Okay,with each hit of the hi-hat, you’re also gonna hit the bass. Think you can doit?” And although she eyed me warily, I talked her through every step, puffingher up with confidence. Then, ten minutes later, she was playing with bothsticks and a pedal. She played like a toddler taking their first steps—nervousand unsure—but still she played and the excitement emanating from her swallowedme whole, and I grinned with her.
“Ican’t believe I did that,” she sighed happily, handing me the sticks.
“Toldyou.” I smiled encouragingly.
“Now,you play,” she directed, standing up and pressing her back to the wall behindthe kit.
“Afterwhat you just did? Hell no, I don’t think I could stand the humiliation.” Ishook my head profusely, crossing my arms.
“God,you’re an asshole,” Tabby muttered around a sigh.
“I’mjust teasing. You really should be proud,” I insisted, adjusting the height ofthe stool. “I just don’t want you to feel bad. I don’t want you to compare whatyou—”
“Sebastian,”she drawled impatiently.
“Fine,”I grumbled, already quirking my lips and itching with the anticipation ofplaying. I positioned my feet on the pedals and pointed a stick over myshoulder at her. “Now, my beautiful assistant, I need you to do me a favor.”
“What’sthat?” Tabby asked lightly.
Guidingher with the stick, I instructed, “Over there is an old-ass iPod sitting in aspeaker dock. Be a doll and hit play.”
Witha grudging sigh, Tabby pushed away from the wall and walked around the drumkit. I followed her with hungry eyes. The enunciated sway of her hips inskin-tight jeans. The lift and drop of her shapely ass. The heart-shape it tookon when she slowly bent over to eye the device, ensuring I was sufficientlyaroused and shifting uncomfortably on my seat.
Afterturning on the music, the room filled with the Foo Fighters and I was instantlydisappointed when she stood up and turned to face me. A coy smirk shaping herlips. “By the way, I know you had the remote next to you.”
Well,isn’t this interesting. “Oh yeah?”
