The door to the music booth burst open right next to us, and Reese shoved me to the side to stop it from hitting me.
I blinked, trying to get my mind to turn back on, figure out where I was. Who I was.
“Oh, shit, sorry. Didn’t know you guys were right there.” A tall student holding a small black case shouldered his way past us.
“Come on,” Reese said, nudging my arm. He was holding both our violins, and without waiting for me, he walked into the music booth like he hadn’t just upended my entire world and stolen my sanity.
He was a thief and a liar now.
19
THE POISON BECOMES THE ANTIDOTE
REESE
Iwalked into the music room and spent way too long taking my violin out and rubbing rosin on the bow. I stood facing the wall as I tried to get my dick to cooperate, but it wasn’t listening to me.
I thought it was a combination of literally everything that just happened that was turning me on—Dakota’s genuine concern, him touching me like that, and then threatening to rip all my clothes off in public.
I never knew I wanted that, but holy fucking shit as soon as he said it in that pissed off, gravelly voice, all the blood in my body went right to my dick.
My heart wouldn’t listen to me, either. It just kept trying to punch its way out of my chest. The moment Dakota walked into the room and closed the door, my entire being was attuned to him. I half expected him—and if I was being honest,wanted him—to come up behind me and…and do something.
Touch me.
What the hell was it about Dakota Voss that made me lose my whole damn mind?
Now I was getting injured because I couldn’t get him out of my head.
I wasn’t lying when I told him how I got the bruise. I’d accidentally bumped into the door frame in the library restroom because I wasn’t paying attention—because I’d been thinking about Dakota.
“What are you thinking about?”
His rough voice scraped over my scalp, immediately pulling me from my thoughts.
I turned to find him sitting on one of the chairs across from me, watching me intently. His violin was on his lap and he’d draped his arm across the back of the chair next to him, loosely holding the bow in those pretty fingers. He tapped it against the empty seat as he waited for me to answer.
You.
“Nothing,” I lied. Another lie to add to the tally. “Let’s just start, okay?”
Dakota’s expression was entirely unreadable, and it unnerved me. Was he seeing through all my lies and debating how to handle me?
And why did I suddenly need him to do just that?
“Where have you been hiding?”
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
I scowled at his bow, then at Dakota when he smiled.
“Actually, I’ve been working on our duet.” I pulled out the sheet music from my bag, then suddenly remembered he couldn’t read it.
Shit.
