He straightens his legs and rises to his feet. “We really could work on a song.”
I perk up. “You want to write one with me?”
“We could try.” He cracks the door, leaving it open like Aunt Lila said. “I’m not sure how well it’ll go, though.”
“I think we might rock it.” I cross the room to my bookshelf. The bottom row is lined with a collection of CDs my dad gave me. “What’s your choice of poison?” I ask as I skim the titles.
He crouches down beside me. “Something relaxing. I don’t think I can handle any more stress tonight.”
“Hmmm…” I thrum my finger against my lips then select a CD. Going over to my nightstand, I open the case, remove the disc, and feed the player my disc.
“What is this?” Ayden walks up behind me, causing my skin to tingle.
The sensation is insignificant to what I felt earlier today on Sage’s couch. My very first orgasm, and it was better than any scenario I’d ever conjured up in my very creative mind.
I skip through the songs and land on one of my favorites. “‘Civilian’ by Wye Oak.”
“Do I get a mark against me because I don’t know them?” He tangles his fingers through my hair and sweeps the strands aside. Then he does something unexpected but amazing. He rests his chin on my shoulder. A gesture so small and plain an outsider wouldn’t think twice about it.
Me, I think a lot about it.
So much my mind sparks like a hot-wired car.
“This is nice.” I rest against his chest and his arms enclose around my waist. His nerves are still evident with the fumbling movement of his hands and his heart pounding against his chest and my back.
He places delicate kisses on my shoulder, savoring the taste of my flesh. My head uncontrollably falls back, my neck arched and exposed, seeking more of his gentle touches.
“Lyric,” he whispers, his mouth moving against the arch of my neck. “I need you to promise me one thing.”
I bob my head up and down, my eyes rolling into the back of my head as my eyelashes flutter. I would promise him anything right now.
“Promise me that if this gets to be too much—if at any point you feel like I’m bringing you down—you’ll walk away.”
“That will never happen.”
“Just promise me, okay. I need to know that I’ll never ruin the amazing person that you are.”
Shaking my head, I spin around and loop my arms around the back of his neck. “You’ll never ruin me. You add to my amazingness, not hinder it.” His lips part in protest but I talk over him, “But if you really need me to promise then I will. Just know that I’ll never feel that way.”
He seems somewhat satisfied by my answer.
“Now, no more stress.” I grab his hand, push him back, then raise our arms and spin around like a ballerina. “Let’s write beautiful lyrics together.”
He laughs and twirls me around again. My dress spins around my waist, dancing with me, and my hair flows behind me like a flag in the wind.
After a few more twists, we hop on my bed and get situated with some pillows, a notebook, and a pen.
“I’ll write the lyrics with you, but it’s up to you to sing them.” He fluffs a pillow then lies down beside me.
I prop up on my elbow. “For right now, I will. But one day in the future, I will get to hear you sing, Shy Boy.”
“And what if I suck?”
“Then you suck, but at least I’ll have gotten the chance to hear you.”
“All right, just know that you’ve been warned.”
I salute him. “You’ve done your duty, my dear friend. Now, what should we write about?”
He shrugs, rotating on his side and propping up on his elbow. “I don’t know. What do you want to write about?”
We ponder our options while the song plays through and changes to the next.
“I never knew it could be like this,” Ayden finally says, his lips quirking.
I’m not sure if he’s talking to me or mumbling a lyric, but I write it down anyway.
His eyes drift to the ceiling as he ponders the next line. “Kissing the air from her lungs.”
“Her, huh?” I pen what he said down. “Guess I’m a lesbian in this one.”
He chuckles and I grin.
“And the heavens rain stars down on us.” I scribble across the paper.
“Pieces of shimmering gold around us.”
“Pouring warmth all over us.”
“Kiss me until I can no longer breathe.”
“Raveling me up with you until I can hardly think.”