Page 28 (2/2)

She sat on the bench and felt her chest tighten This ti to have to save herself

Her breathing became more shallow She deliberately slowed and deepened it, but she still felt as if air wasn’t filling her lungs She couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t…

"Stop," she said aloud, not caring if anyone else heard her "Just stop it"

She was fine She could breathe and she wasn’t going to die, no et over this was to play until playing was easy again

Ignoring the tight chest and the sense of panic, she put her hands on the keys and lost herself in the sound

Rachh of relief One of her favorites It always calmed her The way the music--

"Hey, lady Shut the hell up No one wants to hear that"

Claire opened her eyes and glanced around to find several people glaring at her Oops This wasn’t a Rachmaninoff kind of crowd

"Sorry," she said with a smile "How about this?"

She transitioned into "Uptown Girl" by Billy Joel and when that was done, played "Accidentally In Love," a song she’d adored from the moment she’d heard it in the second Shrek movie

She played Norah Jones, several popular show tunes and then started taking requests

She wasn’t sure how in to tremble with exhaustion, she kneas ti, souy walked up and put a buck into the eot yourself soh "Thank you"

After she finished the last song, she collected her noarm beer and her dollar, and stood Several people clapped, a few yelled for her to keep playing She shook her head She was tired, but in the best way possible Weary froht Maybe going back into therapy for a feeeks would be a good idea But she sensed she’d turned a corner The healing had begun Sheto be immobilized anyuy grabbed her by the wrist "Want to join me?"

She was about to refuse when every cell in her body went on alert She glanced down and saw Wyatt

"What are you doing here?"

"Listening to the show"

So if you were going to need any ht need rescuing

She s by"

He stood, still holding on to her wrist "You had them from the second you sat down"

She looked around at the crowded bar "Almost"

"How did it feel to have them all in your power?"

She rehtness of creating every note "Good," she adht with Nicole Want to co her for a whole lot ht of hi her She wanted to feel those aain She wanted hi the froo"

AS THEY WALKED into the house, Claire tried to figure out how to tell Wyatt she wasn’t interested in a drink or polite conversation What she really wanted was to have him rip her clothes off and have his ith her She wanted to be taken in the best way possible

As that conversation hadn’t been covered in any how-to book she’d read, she braced herself for a long, frustrating evening until they got to the good partBut instead of heading to the kitchen or even the family room, Wyatt took her hand and started upstairs Once in his bedrooan to kiss her

She’d thought about teasing that she was actually thirsty, but as the point? There wasn’t anywhere she wanted to be except in his arainst her lower lip and she parted for hi it out of her jeans and going to work on the buttons At the same time, she reached for him, which meant they bumped more than unbuttoned When she clipped hierous," she said

He grinned "You’re lethal Tell you what I’ll race you"

"What?"

Instead of answering, he undid his shirt, then shrugged it off "You’re losing," he said

She shrieked "I have more clothes on than you"

"Always an excuse"

She jerked the blouse over her head as she kicked off her sandals She undid her bra and pushed off her jeans and panties in one, quick shove Then she straightened only to find hier replaced arabbed her and pulled her against hi to feel his hands on her She wanted it all--the touching, the stroking, the intensity as he took her to paradise and back

They tumbled onto the bed Wyatt rolled her onto her back and leaned over her, then bent down and kissed her Even as their tongues touched and played, he ran his fingers down her belly She happily parted her thighs

He slipped between her legs and ihtly, ht Faster

She soon discovered he had his own agenda Instead of listening to her psychic commands, he continued to kiss her Then he moved lower and took her niles in his mouth, which turned out to be very nice She had to ad on her brsts while touching between her thighs worked in a big way

Jolts of sensation shot through her She got hot all over and her breathing quickened She recognized the rising tension, the pulsing of her muscles and sank into the bed to enjoy the ride

Then Wyatt stopped

She opened her eyes and looked at hi"

"Another woman? I don’t think I’m up for a threesome"