“Will you?” A flash of brightness ignites in his dull gray eyes.
I nod.
He glances around. “I don’t want you to play here.”
I tilt my head. “Why?”
“If you’re playing for me, I want to be the only person listening.”
I smile. “You know I’m Ella?” I’m certain he does.
He nods.
I chuckle. “Well, you’re quite the stalker. Make sure my father never finds out about your little project.”
He signals the waiter for the bill.
“Let’s go home.”
“But I don’t have a piano at home. I’ve been avoiding one for a long time.”
“I have one.”
The bill arrives. He pays and gets up. There’s an urgency in his movements. He isn’t polished and calm like my brother andcousins. He’s raw, a wild man who never tries to hide what he wants. Even if he tries, he can’t pull it off. These past few weeks, he was trying not to appear so into me. I almost convinced myself, thanks to my messed-up head. But anyone with a slightly less tangled mind could clearly see how he used to look at me.
“Why are you so eager for me to play for you?” I ask as we walk out of the bar.
“I’ve wanted to hear you play ever since I heard you on that balcony.”
After we settle into the car, he takes out his phone and types something.
“Can I ask what you’re doing?”
He puts his phone back in his pocket and starts the SUV.
“You can always ask me anything,” he states, holding my gaze, then turns his head and starts driving. “I texted Logan to get lost from the house.”
“Why?” I ask, turning my body toward him.
“I told you, I don’t want anyone else to hear you play when you’re playing for me.”
I stare at him, dumbfounded. “Where exactly will Logan go?”
“I don’t know.”
“That’s so thoughtful of you,” I quip.
“He’s a grown-ass adult. He doesn’t need my care in such things.”
I chuckle. “I don’t really understand how male bonds work. It’s funny, cute, and stupid, all at once.”
We reach their house in less time than it took us to get to the bar. The automatic gate opens, and the car drives inside. The SUV carrying my bodyguards, who’ve been following us all evening, stays outside.
Chapter 15
Elowen
Hunter parks in front of the house.I know it’s not where the car is supposed to be parked, but given his impatience, it’s the right place for tonight.
