Playing the Player(64)

Chapter Thirty-Six


Trina


Friday, June 21

After the game, we wandered down the Sixteenth Street Mall and Slade shocked me by sitting down at one of the pianos. I watched in amazement as he played and sang “Pretty Women” from Sweeney Todd—the swoony part, not the stabby part. He had an amazing voice, totally blowing me away.

By the time he finished singing we were surrounded by a cheering crowd. But since he’d been staring at me the whole time he sang, I hardly noticed anyone else, until a few people shouted for an encore. He’d grinned, then shifted into a rousing edition of “Hakuna Matata” from The Lion King, with Gilly and Max singing the chorus at the top of their lungs.

I was pretty sure we’d entered a parallel universe, because this Slade? I didn’t know him at all.

But I wanted to.



Slade drove me home after we dropped off the exhausted, happy kids. We’d all sworn a vow of secrecy regarding the museum incident, sealing the deal with drops of lavender oil.

Slade parked in an empty parking spot and turned to look at me. My breath caught at the intensity in his eyes.

“What are you doing tonight?” His voice was soft and low.

“I, uh, don’t have any plans.”

“Would you like to do something? Just you and me?” I watched his Adam’s apple slide up and down as he swallowed.

My breath stuttered, but I held his gaze, mesmerized by his smoky cat eyes.

“What do you have in mind?” Like anything he suggested would be a deal breaker.

He rubbed a hand on the back of his neck, and I imagined what it would be like to wrap my own hands around his neck, to pull his face down to mine and claim his mouth with my own.

“Your choice.” He shrugged, and smirked. “As long as it doesn’t involve Titanic tea parties or show tunes.”

I grinned at him. “But I loved the show tunes. How did you even know that song? Seriously, Slade. Why aren’t you doing theater at school? The drama club needs you.”

He reached out to put a finger on my lips. “Years of forced theater attendance with my parents. But you’re sworn to secrecy, remember?”

All I could do was nod. He dropped his finger and my mouth burned. He met my gaze again, his eyes darkening from gold to a deep bronze. I hoped the paramedics would be able to revive me after I fully succumbed to the Slade spell.

The pounding beat of a Zedd song reverberated from his car speakers. Electricity zigged and zagged between us, and I dared myself to make the first move.

But before I could, he did.

His hand reached out to brush my skin, his fingers slowly tracing the contour of my face, from my brow bone to my jaw, down my neck to my collarbone, leaving a trail of fire in their wake. I could hardly believe my heart was still in my chest, it battered my rib cage so wildly.

He shifted in his seat, angling his body toward mine. He unbuckled his seat belt and reached across me to unbuckle mine, trapping me in his arms.

“Trina,” he whispered, his voice hoarse. Then his lips covered mine, and I stopped thinking.

My eyes drifted closed as his arms tightened around me, pulling me into him.

I giggled softly against his lips and he paused the kiss, moving his mouth away from mine just enough to speak.

“What’s funny?” he whispered, a hint of anxiety tingeing his voice.

“Nothing,” I whispered back, wrapping my hands around his neck, just like I’d imagined a hundred times. I tugged the shoelace from his hair and ran my hands through the glorious, soft waves. I heard his breath catch. “You just make me…so happy.” This time I captured his mouth, reveling in the way he pulled me closer and groaned with pleasure.

I pushed away the niggling flickers of doubt. Of wondering if I was just one more girl in his long string of conquests. Just for tonight, I wouldn’t think about that. I’d let myself go…and just be.

He teased my mouth open with his tongue, and my body seemed to know what to do, which surprised me, but I chose not to analyze, instead letting all my thoughts drift away.

A long time later we pulled apart, our breathing ragged and shallow. I wondered if my eyes mirrored the desire I saw in his. He took a long breath and closed his eyes, then his words came out in rush. “I’ve wanted to do that for a really long time.”

“You have?”

He opened his eyes, giving me a lazy, satisfied smile. “Yeah. But we have a problem.”

“A problem?” I tried to keep my voice even, though I was still trembling from the kiss. Maybe I was a horrible kisser. I didn’t have much practice. Unlike him.

“That was much, much better than I’d even imagined,” he said, his voice so low it sounded like a growl.

Relief shot through me. Relief, and something else. He must have seen it in my eyes because he swallowed and ran a hand through his hair. “So, the problem is, I can’t say good-bye. Not after that. I can’t just drive away and not see you until we’re on nanny duty again.”

This was my cue to say something flirty and seductive. Something to ratchet up the tension and tease him until he had no choice but to kiss me again. But I’d never played this game before. I hadn’t read the rulebook, so I made up my own. No games. No flirting. Just me.

“I was planning on going to a movie tonight. You could come with me.” I bit my lip nervously, waiting for his answer.