“So can I come and listen to you play, Daniel?”
He fell silent.
“Forgive me, I had no right to ask that of you.” The problem was, she felt a desperate need to stay in this man’s company as long as she could.
He looked down at her. “I will allow you to come as long as you do not mock me.”
“Oh, well then, I am not sure if I wish to attend, as surely mocking will be part of the fun.”
His laugh was spontaneous and a great booming sound. It seemed to surprise him as much as it did her.
“Come along then.” He took her hand in his large, warm one and tugged her to the left, his long strides forcing her to hurry. Her fingers tingled inside his even though she wore gloves. It felt wonderful. Only her brothers had ever held her hand in such a way. Abby thought Daniel’s touch vastly different from theirs.
They walked for a few more minutes, then he opened a narrow wooden door.
“In you go.” Daniel nudged her through the opening.
The entranceway was dark and narrow.
“Up.” His hand urged her forward, so Abby did as he directed. She should be scared here with a man she did not know, and yet wasn’t. A bit nervous perhaps, but not scared.
“I must have your promise you will not mock me. I’m not sure I could cope if you do, Abby.”
They reached a small landing and were now surrounded by darkness… Perhaps not. A small sliver of light was coming from a door to their right.
“I shall try not to.”
“Are you all right?” He moved to stand before her.
“Of course, why do you ask?”
“You are tense suddenly.”
“No, nothing is wrong.”
“Are you perhaps regretting following me, a man you barely know, into this dark house? A man you know only as someone who likes the flute and can throw a punch?”
“Of course not.”
“You said those words far too quickly for me to believe you.” He leaned toward her, his eyes now inches from hers.
Lovely eyes, Abby thought, set in a face that made her heart flutter.
“It was a trifle impetuous.” Abby went for honesty. “But I trust you.”
“It was impetuous, and were you my sister, I would be furious. But you can trust me.”
Their eyes met and held. She felt a rush of something inside her and could only identify it as need.
She didn’t flinch as his hand cupped her cheek. The feeling of that warm palm on her face was wonderful and made her long to lean into him.
“Shall I take you home?”
“No. I want to stay here with you.”
He smiled gently. “I’m not sure what spell you have cast upon me, Abby, but I want that too.”
She watched him lean closer, knew what was happening, and rose to her toes to meet him.
Her first kiss was everything and more than she’d ever dreamed possible. His lips were soft and pressed gently into hers. Just a light brush as the thumb on her cheek stroked. His other arm wrapped around her waist and pressed her closer. Abby felt warm all over as he deepened the contact, his mouth taking hers on a slow, sensual journey.
“You are late!” A loud voice wrenched them apart. Abby found an elderly man standing in the now open doorway.
Daniel released her with a final squeeze of her hand, his eyes lingering on her lips before he turned.
“Indeed I am,” Daniel said evenly. “Forgive me, I assure you I had an excellent reason.”
The man wore small round glasses and had wispy gray hair standing off his head. He was about her height.
“I can see that. And who is this?” The man looked from Daniel to Abby.
“Abby, meet my crotchety teacher, Mr. Kiltcher. She wishes to watch me play, if that is acceptable to you?”
“Of course. Come along, the others wait, and it’s my hope you are not disappointed, Miss Abigail,” Mr. Kiltcher said.
“How could she be, as I am surely your star pupil, sir.”
Abby could do nothing to stop her snort.
“The male ego is a fragile thing, Miss Abby. None more so than that of the man you accompany,” Mr. Kiltcher said.
“Harsh,” Daniel said, ushering her through the door before him. “I shall let Abby decide.”
Chapter 4
Daniel felt off-balance. As if he had woken this morning and stepped into ill-fitting skin. It wasn’t a familiar state for him and was something he was grappling to understand.
“You sit here and bask,” he said, ushering Abby into a seat to the side of where the others sat in a semicircle surrounding Mr. Kiltcher.
“Oh, I shall.” She gave him a cheeky smile.
It was her, of course. She’d unsettled him with her beauty and wit, and then there was that kiss. Nothing, not even Oliver, could have stopped him taking her mouth in that instant. He’d wanted it as much as his next breath.
Daniel couldn’t remember a time when he’d reacted to a woman as he did to Abby. There was something about her, an innocence that reached inside him and warmed his chest. She was beautiful, but this was more… so much more.
“And now I wish to see if you have all practiced as requested.”
“He’s in a right mood,” Jack said to his left.
The students numbered five. Jack Bower was the son of a butcher but had an uncanny knack at increasing his family’s coffers through solid investing. He was now a self-made man of considerable wealth. Of the other three, one was a doctor, and two were also businessmen. Like Daniel, they had developed a love of music, and more importantly the flute, and had stumbled upon the small advertisement in The Trumpeter that led them here.
“He’s always in a right mood,” Daniel replied.
“That’s true. Who is the woman?”
Daniel shot a look at Abby, who was looking around the room. Sweet, he thought, really sweet.
“Just a friend.”
“Oh, come now, I can see by the way you are shooting her longing looks that she is more than that.
