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‘Who else would it have been?’ He grinned.
‘A paid professional?’ she muttered. ‘Like you’re not already...’
‘Already what?’
‘Attractive enough. Gorgeous face. Fit body. Successful.’
His eyes widened. But he joked, ‘Don’t forget outrageously wealthy.’
‘Right, should have put that first. Let’s not forget wickedly amusing...a foil to mask the moodiness of a lost soul.’
‘Just irresistible, right?’
‘Right. And now you’re a ridiculously talented musician as well.’ She shook her head. ‘I think I hate you.’
‘You think? You’re not sure? You were definite before. So that’s definitely progress.’
She shook her head. ‘You don’t want me to like you.’
‘Touché.’ He smiled, almost contrite. ‘Didn’t you notice the music room in my penthouse?’
‘I don’t think we’ve made it into your music room.’
‘Right.’ He chuckled again. ‘Another lesson.’
‘Seriously.’She was so grumpy with him. ‘Is therenothingyou can’t do?’
He pulled a wry face. ‘Express my feelings, apparently.’
She sighed and walked towards him. ‘I shouldn’t have said all that yesterday. I was just tired. You don’t have to share anything if you don’t want to. Not to me. Or anyone. Or anything.’
‘We’re spending a lot of time together,’ he said slowly. ‘I guess it’s inevitable we’d be curious about more than...’
‘What turns each other on,’ she said.
She followed his gaze down to his hands. The plaster on his thumb was still in place. Obviously no hindrance to his performance.
‘I’ve been playing since I was a kid,’ he said.
She shook her head. ‘I call BS. We lived in the same apartment building for years. Was there even room for a piano in your place?SurelyI would’ve heard you practice.’
‘Not when I had an old second-hand electronic keyboard and tinny headphones. No one else heard anything.’
Her heart twisted. If she didn’t know this, then she didn’t really know him at all. ‘But when did you havetime? You were so busy getting strong again. Then doing all your online trading things all while acing your studies... How is it possible that you got so good at this?’
He half swivelled back to the piano and played an arpeggio with one hand. ‘When my leg ached I’d go through my scales.’
‘Distraction?’ She perched on the piano stool next to him, unable to resist the need to be nearer to him. To touch.
‘Discipline. It kept me focused. My leg hurt all the time. I had several operations through my teens. Eventually it became like a meditation. A place to go to when I needed respite from everything else that was going on.’
She paused, processing all that. It was about the most he’d ever told her about his life. But one thing leapt out at her. ‘So you need respite now?’
He hesitated. ‘I guess.’ He pressed down the keys. ‘I couldn’t sleep.’
Skylar made herself stay silent. If he wanted her to knowwhyhe’d been unable to rest, he would tell her. She wasn’t going to ask. But it killed her not to.
He nudged her shoulder with his. ‘I can see you holding back your questions.’