Page 103 of The Forbidden Note

I let out a quick exhale.

“Ignore all these,” he gestures to the smaller drums, “and focus on the basics. He juts a finger down. “The pedal by your foot is the bass drum. Press on the pedal and it pounds the bass.”

I ease my foot on the mechanics and hear the satisfying thump.

“Good girl.” His fingers sweep over my shoulder as he points to my left hand. “This is for the snare.”

He leans over me, his inked arm brushing my side. He smells like fresh leather and sandalwood. My eyes dart in his direction and I find him watching me carefully, probably waiting for me to nod my understanding.

“What’s next?” I demand.

He chuckles. “You think it’s that easy?”

“If you can do it…” I let the rest of the insult dangle.

He laughs again and there’s an edge to it this time. “Have it your way.”

My heart thumps hard when he hugs me from behind. His chest presses against my back and sends a violent surge through my body. The zing of electricity between my legs almost has me levitating off the chair.

He grips my wrist, touching the same places Hall did earlier. And yet I have a completely different feeling when Zane holds me.

I want him to touch me more.

Harder.

In other places.

I shouldn’t be having such strong reactions, but my defences are down. It’s been such a long, rollercoaster of a day and I can’t find the strength to put my walls back up.

“This is the easiest drumbeat in the world,” he says. Guiding my hand over the snare twice, he murmurs, “Now the bass drum.”

I kick, the movement jolting me harder against him.

“Good. Again.” He guides me to pound the snare twice. “Bass.”

I slam on the pedal.

Heat travels through me when he slides his hand off my wrist, fingers skating over the inside of my arm before drifting away. “By yourself now.”

I tap the snare twice and kick.

Tap-tap. Boom.

Tap-tap. Boom.

Zane hums softly in my ear, his breath caressing me.

I stop abruptly. “We Will Rock You?”

“A classic.” When I turn to glare at him, I find a shimmer of dark satisfaction in his gaze. “Not bad for your first time.”

“I can do something more complicated.”

“Not so fast, tiger. You need to conquer the basics before you get your own drum solo.”

“I hopeI’mnot this irritating when I teach.”

“Irritating, no.” A teasing smile tugs at his lips. “Distracting? Yes.”