Right on the heels of that self-deprecating thought, he reminds himself that she, too, failed him.
Placing the rose on the stone bench, he closes his eyes and utters a soft accusation. “You lied.”
He doesn’t expect an answer. He doesn’t understand his need to lash out, but it’s bubbling inside of him. He’s angry at himself, which in turn fills him with an undesirable urge to scream or hit something.
“You lied to me. You told me never…”
He closes his eyes as pure anguish threatens to overwhelm him. He pictures her face the first day he took her down to the music room. He’s reminded of that moment of complete joy, an expression he’ll never see again, and it calms him, easing his anxious heart.
Closing his eyes, he takes a deep breath. “You told me that you’d never leave, and you lied.”
“Where are you taking me?” I asked.
Phillipe took my hand and tugged it. We seemed to be going in the direction of the hallway near the stairs.
“I have a surprise for you,” he explained.
I could hear the joy in his voice. “Ooh, I like surprises.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” he promised, making me think of all things sexual.
“What kind of surprise?”
He stopped abruptly, forcing me to run into his side. “Well, if I tell you, it won’t be a surprise. Will it?”
I reached around his body to touch him.
He moved quickly. “That won’t work, Miss Rosenberg.”
I pursed my lips. “Okay, fine. I only wanted to touch you. Take me and surprise me.”
Before I knew it, his mouth was on mine. He pushed me backward until I felt a wall behind me.
“Stop, Phillipe!” I shrieked and giggled. “Penelope might?—”
“By now, Penelope knows to just turn around and walk away.” He growled playfully, nipping my chin.
“What?” I asked after a breathy sigh. “How many times has Penelope walked in?”
Phillipe laughed, his chest vibrating against mine. “Oh, too many to count.”
“Like when?” I asked, slightly horrified by the thought.
“Hmm, the other day down in the kitchen.”
“What?” I said, remembering how he’d lifted me onto the counter.
He grinned against my mouth while stroking my thigh. “Lift your leg, Chantel. Put it around my waist.”
I complied because I didn’t have the will to saynoto him, but I was otherwise not deterred. “She walked in on us in the kitchen?”
He unbuttoned and parted my pants before slipping his hand inside. His fingers slid down between my wet lips.
He groaned against my mouth. “Yes, but you still had your top on.”
I let my head fall back against the wall and pushed my hips out. “Just my top? I had my top on the whole time.”
He laughed mischievously as he bit my bottom lip while brushing his thumb over my clit.
