Rosemary laughed and said kindly, “It’s okay. I know what you mean.”
I got myself set and began to play. I could feel her eyes on me as I started strumming my guitar. The song was from the musical Once—the one Rosemary had recommended to me in the karaoke bar. I had chosen the song especially for her; it was called “Falling Slowly.” I just hoped she got the message.
“Oh,” she said softly with a smile as soon as I began to play.
One of the most romantic lines came right at the beginning. The lyrics spoke about how much the guy really wants the girl. As nervous as I was, I forced myself to gaze right into her eyes when I sang that part. I messed up a couple of chords, but it was like I could feel Rosemary’s warmth and support as she sat next to me.
I glanced back up at her when I got to the chorus, which was all about falling slowly for someone. As I gazed into Rosemary’s eyes, I was able to pinpoint the exact moment when it dawned on her that I wasn’t just singing for her; I was singing to her. That this was my way of expressing my feelings for her. Her expression softened, and her lovely smile became even sweeter. I knew she was genuinely touched by my gesture. What I didn’t know was whether or not she felt the same way about me.
For the rest of the song I only looked at the sheet music when I absolutely had to; I spent the rest of the time gazing into Rosemary’s beautiful green eyes. She looked touched, nearly to the point of tears. She was an emotional woman, and she was especially passionate when it came to music. Even if my song brought her to tears, it didn’t necessarily mean that passion was for me.
I finished my song and carefully put the guitar back in the case. I was afraid to look at her; I knew this was the moment of truth. I had lain my heart bare right before her.
I turned back to her and looked into her eyes.
“Oh, Johnny,” she whispered.
Yes. She had definitely gotten the message. This was my moment and I knew I had to seize it. I leaned over and pressed my lips to hers.
Her mouth felt warm and wonderful, and it felt so damned good to finally kiss those sweet lips of hers. It was hard to enjoy the kiss though, because I was terrified of her reaction. Her body didn’t seem to tense up, and she didn’t shove me away, so that was something. I broke off the kiss sooner than I wanted to, but I had to make sure she wasn’t angry or upset by my advances.
Rosemary graced me with a gentle smile that reached her eyes. She caressed my cheek with the back of her hand and said softly, “It’s about time you did that.”
Relief and euphoria flooded my veins. I grinned at her, and then dipped my head down for another kiss. This time, she wrapped her arms around my neck and eagerly kissed me back. This time, I allowed myself to revel in the sweetness and warmth of her touch. Rosemary. I was finally kissing Rosemary. I ran my fingers through her gorgeous, long red hair as my mouth devoured hers. She let out a soft moan deep in her throat, which fired my imagination about all the things I wanted to do to her in bed, to make her moan louder. Our kissing became more and more passionate, like we could not get enough of each other. It was like a dream come true.
My mouth traveled from her lips to her neck, and she tilted her head to the side to allow me better access.
“Oh, Johnny,” she moaned as I kissed down her neck. Just as I got close to kissing her breast, there was a loud knock at the door.
Rosemary lifted her head, looked at me and whispered, “Dammit!”
We shared a laugh at the intrusion. As much as I hated to be interrupted, it was bound to happen. Her friends showing up now was good timing; I felt like I was losing my self-control. As much as I would have loved to spread her legs and take her right there on the couch, if I didn’t want her to get hurt, I had to slow the fuck down.
When Rosemary pressed her lips back to mine, I realized that wouldn’t be easy. There was another knock at the door.
“You better answer that, or Ryan will think this raging hard-on is for him,” I said. I loved that she laughed heartily at that instead of being offended. She kissed me quickly one more time before she got up to answer the door.
*****
I quickly straightened out my blouse and my hair in a vain attempt to look like I hadn’t just been making out with Johnny. It was probably a good thing that my friends were arriving, because I wasn’t sure how far I would have let Johnny go.
I opened the door to find Erica standing there. My face felt warm, and I was sure I looked flushed. She raised an eyebrow at me, and then glanced at Johnny over on the couch. He was straightening his shirt.
“Am I interrupting something?” she asked with a sly grin.
“Maybe …” I said, with a quick look at Johnny. I couldn’t help but be excited. I felt like shouting out to everybody I knew that Johnny had kissed me. Well, maybe not everybody. Ryan was going to have a stroke when he found out.
“Hi, Johnny,” Erica said with a grin, and Johnny returned the smile.
“Here, let me help you with that,” I said, taking the chips and dip she’d brought. I walked through the living room and into the kitchen. Erica followed.
“What’s going on with you two?” Erica asked in a hushed voice.
“I’m honestly not sure, but he just kissed me. Like, just now, before you got here.”
Erica squealed quietly. There was another knock at the door, and Johnny got up from the couch to get it. It was Timothy. He came in, shook Johnny’s hand, and they started talking, which bought me a little time to gossip with Erica.
“I don’t know what it means. I don’t know … I just don’t know.” My mind whirred with the implications. Did this mean that Johnny was serious about me or was he just messing around? The way he looked at me as he sang made me feel like he genuinely cared for me, that was for sure.
Erica and I clammed up as Timothy walked over. He set down the brownies he’d brought, then popped a potato chip into his mouth. “Ladies,” he said by way of greeting.
There was another knock at the door, and Johnny let Susie in. He said something quietly to her. Whatever it was, it made her smile and punch him gently on the shoulder. I was happy to see that my friends were getting along with him.
When Ryan arrived, he walked right past Johnny like he wasn’t there. I sighed inwardly. I loved Ryan so much, and I hated that he didn’t get along with Johnny. Well, if Johnny and I were to become an item, and I hoped to God we would, Ryan had better get used to it.
I walked over and slung my arm around Ryan.
“Hey, sweetie,” he said as he kissed my cheek. “How’re your folks?”
“Good. They’re doing good,” I said. “They miss you.”
“I know, right? I haven’t seen ‘em in a while. Oh, here. Brought you some Moscato,” Ryan said, handing me a small brown paper bag.
“Yay! Thanks,” I said, giving him another squeeze. I headed into the kitchen. Johnny followed me, and I could feel his eyes on me.
“Here, lemme help you with that,” he said as he took the corkscrew and the bottle from me.
“Thanks,” I said, gazing into his eyes. I loved that I could feel free to stare at him all I wanted, now. But I was still obsessing over the kiss and what it meant. I couldn’t help it. I wanted to be official with him. We clearly had a lot of heat between us, but I wanted more. I thought he did, too.
“You want a glass?” I asked him.
“Sure.”
I removed two glasses from the cabinet and he filled them both. He grinned at me, then clinked my glass before he drank.
“This is pretty good. It’s very sweet,” he said.
I nodded, looking at him as I drank. I glanced over into the living room to find that everyone was staring at us. I locked eyes with Johnny and laughed before heading in to join everybody else.
We all sat around and chatted a while, eating and drinking and having a good time. I sat in my favorite big, comfy chair, while Johnny sat on the couch across from me. We alternated between joining in the conversation and gazing into each other’s eyes. The other
s could probably sense the sexual tension between us, which just made it more exciting.
“I need more wine. Anybody need anything?” I asked as I got up. People checked their drink levels and shook their heads, so I headed into the kitchen. Ryan followed me.
“What is going on with you and John-boy?” Ryan demanded in a low voice.
I let out a soft sigh. He had to find out eventually. I just hoped he wouldn’t completely lose his shit and ruin the party.
“He kissed me, Ryan.”
Ryan stalked over to the fridge to get another beer. He grabbed a bottle opener and angrily flipped off the beer cap. It went flying across the kitchen and landed on the floor. He didn’t bother to pick it up. He took a lengthy pull on his beer before saying a word.
“I honestly don’t have a clue what you’re thinking about, getting involved with that fucking asshole,” Ryan growled. I hated seeing him upset, but I knew his anger was only out of love for me.
“I know, Ryan. It’s hard to explain but … look, if anybody else had told me how much he had changed, I wouldn’t believe ‘em either. I get why you’re angry, but you’re just going to have to trust me.” I put my hand on his back and gently massaged him. He felt tense. “Ryan, you have to understand. Johnny is very important to me. I want to be with him.”
Ryan’s eyes softened, going from anger to worry. “I know you think he’s changed, but what if it’s all an act? I mean, the guy’s got nothing right now. He’s flat broke. So what if he’s just pretending he’s a great guy now, because he wants something from you?”
“I’m flat broke too. What could he possibly want from me?”
“Your vagina!” Ryan said way too loudly.
I closed my eyes and let out a breath. I knew everyone from the living room, including Johnny, must be staring at me and Ryan. I forced myself to open my eyes so I could glare at Ryan.
He winced. “Sorry. I’m sorry, Rosemary.” He put down his beer and took my hand in his. “I just don’t want to see you get hurt, sweetie, and I’m scared to death he’s just playing you.”
I nodded and squeezed his hand. I understood Ryan’s concerns. There was a small part of me that was afraid the arrogant, rich prick that Johnny used to be was still in him somewhere. But in my heart, I really believed he was a changed man. When I looked into his eyes, I just knew the real Johnny Creel was the one I knew now. The one whose beautiful heart and passion shone through when he sang.
Which gave me an idea.
I let go of Ryan’s hand and headed back into the living room. This time, I sat down next to Johnny on the couch and he smiled at me. It was exhilarating to be physically close to him again.
I touched him gently on the arm and said quietly, “Johnny, it’s totally up to you, but do you want to sing your song for everybody?”
“Do you want me to?”
“I would love it.”
“Then I’ll do it,” Johnny said with a sexy smile. “I’ll do anything for you, Rosemary.”
“Thank you!” I said, clapping my hands excitedly. I jumped up and said, “Okay, everybody. Johnny has graciously agreed to play a song for us. He played it for me earlier, and it’s just beautiful. Seriously, you won’t believe how good he is.”
Ryan scoffed audibly, and I narrowed my eyes at him. As Johnny got up from the couch to get his guitar, I crossed the room and stood right in front of Ryan.
“Be nice to him, Ryan, or I’ll throw you out of here,” I said in a quiet but menacing voice. “I’m not kidding.”
Ryan nodded, his expression pained. “I’ll behave. I promise.”
I nodded, then dashed over to my comfy chair. I wanted Johnny to be on the couch alone, but I wanted to sit where he could see me.
“Okay, just remember I haven’t been doing this long. I’m definitely going to screw up a bit,” Johnny said.
There was gentle laughter from the group, and all I saw were supportive faces. Except for Ryan, it seemed like everybody wanted Johnny to succeed.
Johnny drew in a nervous breath, then started strumming his guitar.
“Oh, great song,” Susie said softly as he began. Johnny grinned at her, and she winked at him.
When Johnny started singing he looked directly at me, like he was making it clear to everyone that he was singing this beautiful love song to me. I sighed audibly. His expression was gentle and his voice was lovely. This was the Johnny Creel I knew; the one I wanted everyone to see. I watched his big, strong hands as they held and strummed the guitar, then I glanced up at his handsome face as he sang.
In that moment, I wanted him more than I had ever wanted any man. I wanted those firm yet tender hands all over my body, and I wanted to be kissed by that mouth that sang so beautifully. I ached to feel his body against mine, and more than anything, I ached to hear him say that he cared for me as much as I cared for him. In a way, that was exactly what he was doing through this beautiful song: telling me he was falling for me. My whole body tingled and the wetness of desire pooled between my legs. As I gazed into those sweet gray eyes, I knew that I wanted him to make love to me.
It had been a long time since I’d been with a man, and I really missed sex. Put bluntly, I was horny as hell. Johnny Creel was bound to be unbelievably good in bed, but what would happen if we had sex tonight? It wasn’t like he’d brought an overnight bag. He would leave once we were done, and it would hurt like hell. No. I had to figure out exactly what this … thing … was between us before I shared my body with him. No matter how much pleasure he would give me … and oh, God I felt weak just thinking about it … the heartache afterward just wouldn’t be worth it. My emotions and my hormones were completely out of control, and I knew I had to get a handle on myself if I didn’t want my heart crushed.
Johnny’s song and his gorgeous voice reached a thrilling crescendo, and I still couldn’t believe what an incredible singer he was. I was so proud of him.
The group burst into enthusiastic applause when he was done. Ryan clapped listlessly, trying not to look impressed, but I think even he had to admit that Johnny had done an incredible job. I rushed over to the couch and threw my arms around Johnny.
“That was wonderful. Thank you for doing that.”
Johnny smiled with that irresistibly sexy grin of his. “Well, that song is for you. It’s all for you, Rosemary.”
*****
Rosemary’s friends seemed to get the hint that she and I wanted to be alone together, because they started making their exits soon after I finished singing.
“That was beautiful, Johnny,” Susie said with a smile as we both put the food away in Rosemary’s kitchen.
“Thanks.”
Timothy sidled up to me and murmured, “Nice going with the song. If that doesn’t get you into her pants, nothing will.”
I chuckled. “Yeah well, you know, that’s not all I want with her.”
Timothy looked me in the eye, then nodded his approval. “Cool.” He punched me in the shoulder and said, “Good luck, man.”
I finished up in the kitchen while Susie put on her coat and said her goodbyes, as did Timothy and Erica. Rosemary and Ryan were talking in the corner. Rosemary had her hand on his shoulder and was looking intently into his eyes as she spoke to him. I wished I understood the deal with those two.
It wasn’t long before Rosemary shut her apartment door after the last guest left. She leaned against the door and looked me with desire in her eyes. “Finally. Now, where were we?”
“I think I remember,” I said, crossing over from the kitchen in record time. I cupped her face and pressed my lips to hers. She threw her arms around me and within seconds we were kissing as passionately as we were a few hours before.
I loved the moaning sounds she made as she kissed me and ran her fingers through my hair. I tried to remind myself to slow down and not pressure her, but she was taking the lead. I pressed my body against hers and I could feel the hardness of her nipples. I could almost feel her desire, her need for release. The truth was
she was a deliciously sensual woman with sexual needs that were not being met. As I kissed down her neck and ran my hands over her breasts, I wondered how far she would let me go. I hoped she would at least let me finger her, so I could release some of her sexual tension.
“Oh, Johnny,” she said breathlessly. “Bedroom.”
I jerked my head up to look at her. No way. She was ready to have sex?
I caressed her cheek gently with my thumb as I gazed into her eyes. My cock was so hard I could practically impale her with it at this point, but my brain was screaming at me to chill the fuck out. I couldn’t bear the thought of her giving herself to me and then regretting it later. “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” she said in the same breathless voice. She implored me with those gorgeous green eyes of hers. “I want this. Make love to me, Johnny.”
A growl of desire escaped my throat. Part of me knew I should stop for a minute to make sure this was really what she wanted and not just some crazy impulse. But Christ, I wasn’t made of stone. Well, except for my dick. The woman I had been fantasizing about for weeks was asking me to take her to bed. I wasn’t capable of taking any more time to think it over.
I reached down and scooped her up in my arms. She let out a surprised but happy cry, and threw her arms around my neck.
I carried Rosemary into her bedroom and kicked the door shut behind me. She drew in a sharp breath and looked at me dreamily. I could see that she loved the way I took charge in the bedroom. I reminded myself that this was Rosemary Sutton, and not some girl who slept around like the women I usually banged. We were both incredibly hot for each other and eager to get right down to it, but I had to make this experience special for her. As horny and overheated as I was, I need to show her how much she meant to me.
I laid her down on the bed and she pulled me toward her. Kissing passionately, she unbuttoned my shirt while I tugged at her blouse. I reached under her back and unhooked her bra, freed her beautiful breasts, and started sucking on her left nipple.
“Johnny, oh God,” she moaned, and I reveled in the sound of her voice. I no longer had to pretend I was with Rosemary. This time it was her lovely voice crying out my name.
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