“I’m not! I’m seriously thinking about it. As long as you don’t tell anyone, I guess there’d be no harm.”
“You’re kidding!”
“I can be an asshole,” he said, “but I don’t joke about other people’s talent and dreams.” He looked at me a few seconds longer, then threw his head back and groaned. “Oh fuck it. If you want it, my voice is yours.”
“You’re kidding!” I repeated, unable to believe it. My whole body tingled.
“I’m not!” He shot back, matching my volume. “I want to know what these songs sound like with vocals, too. It just has to wait until I’m home and have the apartment to myself. Because anything I record will be for your ears only. If you’re okay with that, we have a deal.”
“I could kiss you… just for considering that.” The words slipped out before I could stop them.
His head snapped forward as he processed what I had said. Then a grin spread across his lips, his teeth catching the glow of my phone screen. “Kiss me, huh?”
“Oh, uh.”Damn. Stupid mouth.“I meant it as a figure of speech.”
“Sure.” He nodded, exaggerated and teasing. “You know…that’s too bad. I actually wouldn’t have said no to a kiss from you.”
“Well,nowyou’re joking.”He had to be.
My heart raced. He was still so close we were practically snuggling.
“Actually, I’m not.” He licked over his lips, pulling them in briefly. His nose wrinkled as he inhaled deeply. “But it’s a bad idea, isn’t it?”
I swallowed and stretched my legs out in front of me. “So bad,” I whispered, yet still turned fully toward him.
Our eyes locked.
The cocky grin that had adorned his face until now faded, replaced by a more serious look.
His lips parted.
His right hand crept forward and tapped my thigh.
We both looked down at it.
“Maybe…” he said softly, his voice low enough to make me shiver. “Maybe I don’t care how bad an idea it is.” His hand settled against my thigh. “What about you?”
I closed my eyes.
The loud, rapid drumming of my heartbeat was so overwhelming, I had to shut out the world to survive it.
Was my heart racing because he agreed to sing my song—or because he just asked to kiss me?
“Maybe,” I whispered back. “Maybe I don’t care either.”
