more ragged. She leaned into Claire’s aura, inhaling the clear,
clean scent of her. She wanted to stand, to wrap her arms
around Claire and pull her close. To touch her, finally, at last.
To prop her up on the piano and do as many wickedly
wonderful things to her as she’d done.
Claire was too fast. She shoved away from the keys and
walked around the bench, behind Haley again, where she
couldn’t see her. She deprived her of her beauty, but not of her
scent. She leaned in, all heat and sweet perfume, and
whispered in Haley’s ear.
“Play for me, darling. Play what you were playing. Was that
your own?”
“Y-yes,” Haley admitted. She hadn’t played it for anyone
before. She hadn’t thought Claire would be listening, and that
if she was, she’d realize it was something she’d never heard
before. Her blush was immediate, mortification and pleasure
all mingled into one.
“Play.” Claire swept her lips over the shell of Haley’s ear,
over her cheek. She kissed her way down Haley’s neck until
she was melting into the bench. Her hands reached out,
unsteady, but when they hit the keys, instinct took over.
She’d been playing the piano since she was three years old.
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Her grandma, who had been her mom for all intents and
purposes, loved it. She was a great teacher. When Haley
surpassed even her grandma’s skill level, she’d been eleven
years old. Her grandma had found her the best teachers. Mr.
Johnson, who was so kind and patient. Mrs. Schmidt, who
taught her patience and theory and discipline.
Piano was something Haley wanted to pursue. For her, it