My arm reached around her back so my fingers could rest on hers. The way she gripped the neck of the guitar was all wrong. “Online videos can be helpful for learning certain things,” I said, watching goose bumps form on her arms. “But some things are better taught one on one.”
I laid my hand on top hers near the sound hole.
Then I showed her a few, basic moves. “You work the neck, and I’ll play the body,” I said into her bare neck, my lips dangerously close. If I lowered my head a few more inches—
“Are guitar lessons always this—intensive?” she asked as I felt a shiver travel through her.
“Umm, sometimes they can get even more so,” I said with a deep chuckle before I began strumming the strings. I kept my fingers on the neck as well, controlling the chords for her.
Then I started singing, “Kiss Me Quiet” by Jess Moskaluke as I played. I slowed down a few times to show Geneviève a thing or two, but soon she was singing along.
The feel of having Geneviève in my arms again was like Heaven. Her flowery scent surrounded me, and on the final beats of the song, she looked back at me with the smile I’d missed so very much.
On the last note, I leaned down and touched my lips to hers—just as the kitchen timer went off.
“Oh, the cookies,” she said, squirming out of my embrace. She turned around and slipped the guitar off. “Here, you should play.” Then she handed it to me before she hurried off to the kitchen.
I slung the guitar strap over my head and started the song all over again.
After cookiesand a few more songs.
After a blanket fort in the living room.
After a hundred more books in the blanket fort.
The boys were finally asleep.
I showered and threw on my gray sweats, then went in search of Geneviève. I found her in her room, laptop open on the bed.
The same bed I’d made love to her in many, many times.
Christ she was beautiful.
Her long, dark locks hung down her shoulders as she shimmied her shoulders and bounced her head to whatever music she had on her earbuds. I watched her from the doorway for a while, soaking in her carefree dance.
Finally, she noticed me and took her earbuds out. “They still out?” she asked with a gorgeous smile from the most beautiful, plump lips I’d ever seen.
Or kissed.
I nodded, knowing I should turn around and head to the couch. “Yeah, I just checked on them.” The puppies were snuggled up tight to them, too.
That had been a losing battle.
The puppies refused to stop whining in their pen with the boys so nearby.
Geneviève relented and let all four of them sleep together.
Then she’d taken a bunch of pictures.
They did look darn cute, I had to admit.
“I can sleep on the couch,” I said, shifting in the doorway.
She nodded and said, “Okay, or you can sleep here, too. But I’m going to have my computer on for a while yet.”
I didn’t need more than one invitation, so I took a few steps then dove onto the bed. Geneviève laughed and moved over to make more room for me. She leaned against the headboard and kept on typing away on the keyboard.
“What are you doing?” I asked, lying on me side, gazing up at her.