Excitedly, she pointed, knowing she was pointing unerringly to the first tier balcony seats, “Up there. You can use the stairs behind the stage to get up there. Sit in the main box.”
She felt him leave her side without a word, and while he made his way up to the second floor of the symphony hall, she began setting up her chair and instrument. When she was finally settled and ready to play, she looked up in the direction she knew he was sitting.
“Daniel?” she called out.
“Here,” his voice called back immediately. The sound was perfect. She was pleased with his placement.
She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and tried to collect her thoughts enough to start playing. Over the past few days she’d tried to decide what he might want to hear, but she never heard him listen to music unless he was with her. Then, he listened to what she was listening to. She chose one theme after another, discarding them as she went. Now she sat in indecision.
Finally, she decided to simply play for herself. She loved music. It was her life and her passion. It flowed through her veins every waking moment. She decided if Daniel wanted her for more than her body, then he would have to want this part of her too, because she would never let it go.
She placed her bow and fingers on the cello and began playing, sinking into the special magical world that was hers alone. She wove a spell around herself that would reach out and capture her audience as well and sweep them along with her so they could, just for a moment, feel some of what she felt when she crossed over into that sensual world. They would feel every vibration within their chests and every sweeping caress against their flesh as though she reached out and touched them herself.
There was a reason Addison had become the youngest First Chair in the city orchestra’s history. She melded passion with perfection and she did it with seeming ease. Yet she did it with such humble sweetness that her colleagues didn’t hate her. They simply shrugged her off as a rare prodigy and did their best to keep up with her.
Addison played a sweeping forty minute completion that included some of her favourite jazz numbers, classic sets and, of course, eighties power ballads. Though her spirit wanted to play all night, her body was beginning to weaken. Her wrist was beginning to ache and the energy is took to play with the heart she was pouring into her music took a lot out of her. Finally, she finished with her favourite rock opera – Bohemian Rhapsody – before forcing herself to remove the bow and mechanically replace it in her case.
She took several gulping breaths before shakily standing up. Gently she put her cello in the case and snapped the lid closed. She stood up and swept her long wavy curls back off her face. She walked to centre stage and took a stylish bow in the direction of tier one’s balcony seat. She waited breathlessly for the sound of applause.
Nothing came. Standing very still, she listened hard, trying to pick out any sound. Was Daniel still up there?
“Daniel?” she whispered, immediately feeling ridiculous because if he was up there he certainly wouldn’t have heard her whisper.
She was about to call his name louder when she felt the stirring of air in front of her and realized that someone’s breath was mingling with hers. She sighed with relief, knowing it was Daniel. She opened her mouth to ask him how he liked the performance, but he pulled her hard into his embrace and covered her lips in a sizzling kiss that stole her breath.
Unprepared for the force of his kiss Addison gasped, which he immediately took advantage of by thrusting his tongue into her mouth. He brought his hand up to hold her head steady and deepen the kiss. Just when she was beginning to get dizzy from lack of air, he backed off, giving her room to breath while he trailed kisses across her cheeks, chin and down her neck. He touched his mouth to every inch of skin, owning her with his kisses.
Addison moaned and held on to him tightly as sensations spiralled out of control. She was still enjoying her musical high and he was pushing her into a physical high at the same time. He rocked her back and forth against him, almost as though they were dancing, while he worshipped her body. She had never felt anything like it!
He tipped her over his arm so he could trail kisses down her front where he pulled her T-shirt down to expose her cleavage. His lips and tongue explored her skin. She gasped and held on for dear life, her fingers landing in his hair where she explored, touching his scalp, his ears and his neck. He reached down and lifted her up so that she was straddling his waist. Her denim skirt hindered her legs, so he shoved the skirt up until she was free to wrap her legs around his body. She clutched his shoulders and head while he licked and kissed the bare skin of her shoulders and chest. They continued to rock back and forth, dancing to music only he could hear.
“You liked it?” she gasped, desperate to know.
Finally, he lifted his head away from her skin long enough to answer her properly. “Like it? Fuck woman. It was musical sex, I’ve never heard anything like it.”
“Oh god, Daniel,” Addison moaned.
He let her slide down his body slowly, she could feel every hard ridge of him through her thin clothes. When she was on her feet, he held her close and said, “You’re so precious, Addison, so talented.”
She spoke before she could think, “I love you.”
She could feel the air chilling around them. He held her stiffly, his body frozen, not moving. She desperately wanted to snatch the words back. For his sake, not for hers. She didn't regret giving him her heart. She was reckless that way. She didn't even care if he crushed her, though she was starting to suspect no matter how much he tried to push her away he wasn't capable of actually hurting her. At least she hoped not. The tension vibrating between them was starting to contradict her hopes.
"We're leaving," he snapped, turning on his heel and pulling her with him.
"My cello!" she gasped. "And the lights, I have to turn them off."
He let go of her hand. She could hear him shove a frustrated hand through his hair. He growled "go" to her, picked up her cello case and strode off the stage toward the back door. She ran through the symphony hall as fast as she could, using the walls to guide her, shutting out lights as she went. She met him at the back door where he caught her arm in a firm grip. She tapped the alarm code in the panel and he dragged her out the back door into the chill evening air.
Misery enveloped her as their shoes tapped unevenly against the pavement toward the truck where it was parked on the street. He opened her door and helped her in as impersonally as though she were barely an acquaintance. He climbed in the other side and started the truck, pulling into traffic.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, tilting her head down so her hair would fall around her face. She didn't want him to see the anguish undoubtedly etching her features.
She jumped as his fist crashed into the dashboard between them. She clutched the seat cushion and bit her lip trying to stop the tears from spilling.
"I'm a monster, Addison," he said in a guttural voice, the words ripping from him as though they were unplanned. "Your fucking puppy heart doesn't know what it wants. I'm a killer, a sadist. I enjoy watching people die. Hell, if I have time, I kill them slower, torture them, just for the pleasure it gives me. Remember those guys that shot at you? You want to know what I did to them when I found them? You want to hear how I cut them open and played with their internal organs while they were still alive to feel it? That was why I was late coming to get you at that damn hotel."
"Stop!" Addison sobbed, covering her ears. Tears fell freely from her eyes now. "Please, Daniel, I'm going to be sick."
